Way to man’s heart is his stomach. Cooking good food is an art. However, not all are blessed with the talent but one can always perfect it by watching cookery shows and reading cook books.

Gino D’Acampo’s Fantastico is a great book to learn different delicacies in simple ways. This book consists of some amazing recipes, straight from Gino D’Acampo’s kitchen. The best feature of this book is not only it has finger licking recipes but also a touch of Gino’s buffoonery that makes it a must read for all food lovers.

What makes this book an entertaining way of learning great cooking tips is apart from healthy food, Gino has guts to use cheese and cream that he is extremely fond of. The ingredients used by him are all easily available in local market.

Gino’s vegetarian section is wonderful. The recipes not only taste good but are also easy to prepare. He has included his specialties like the Italian-style Shepherd’s Pie and Cornish Pasties, Moroccan-style pasta and a Chinese-influenced Italian Broccoli Stir-fry. His chicken recipes are high on taste and are ready in just half-an-hour’s time.

Gino was born to a poor Neapolitan family. He inherited his cooking skills from his father, a head chef. At the age of fifteen he went to Luigi de Medici Catering College and further enhanced skills in various restaurants in Europe. A young D’Acampo has also cooked in Perignon in Nice and a spell as Head Chef at Sylvester Stallone’s Mambo King in Marbell.

From a pizza oven cleaner to food manager at a Pavarotti reception, Gino has achieved a lot at a very tender age. He currently owns an import and distribution company in Bonta Italia and has been continuing as the development consultant chef for ready-meal manufacturing companies. Gino’s cooker shows are very popular on TV. The book Fantastico!: Modern Italian Food is sure to get popular with its release.

Jacob Marshal, a dedicated writer of Rupizcompare.co.uk which provide Info on Fantastico!: Modern Italian Food with Ready Steady Cook and Books and Magazines

what is a good italian recipe that doesn’t require re-heating after you refridgerate it?

stuff like cold pasta salad.
anyone have any recipes?

Answer
sliced tomato and mozzerella salad
slice tomatoes and mozzerella
slice 1 small onion
add crushed garlic
dry basil
olive oil and a splash of red wine vinegar

The Olive Garden restaurant is known for their unlimited salad and bread sticks and romantic Italian atmosphere. The Olive Garden is a great place to eat, but my budget doesn’t allow me to eat out as much as I did a few years ago. Fortunately, you can find some of their recipes online and make them at home! I wanted to take just a moment and give you my Top 3 Olive Garden recipe recommendations. With these recipes, you can impress all of your friends!

Olive Garden Chicken Vino Bianco
2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup flour
1/4-1/2 cup sliced onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine (I like Bella Sera Pino Grigio)
salt
pepper
2 cups sliced mushrooms
4 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 cup roma tomatoes
cooked linguine or fettuccine

Heat oil in skillet on med-high heat.
Lightly dredge chicken breats in flour, season with salt and pepper and brown sides in skillet and remove onto plate until later.
Stir in onions, garlic, and butter, cook until tender; then add mushrooms and cook until golden.
Stir in wine and bring to a simmer.
Return chicken to the pan, and cook over med-high heat until chicken is done; add tomatoes and cook until tender.
Serve over cooked fetticuine or liguine noodles.

Olive Garden Parmesan Crusted Chicken Recipe
1 cup Plain Bread Crumbs
2 tablespoons Flour
1/4 cup Kraft Parmesan Cheese
1 cup Milk
6 (1/2″) Thick Pieces of Chicken Breast Strips (chicken tenders)
Vegetable Oil (frying)
2 cups dry Bowtie Pasta
2 tablespoons Butter
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
2 teaspoons Crushed Garlic
1/2 cup White Table Wine (Chablis)
1/4 cup Water
2 tablespoons Flour
3/4 cup Half and Half
1/4 cup Sour Cream
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/8 teaspoon Basil Leaves
3/4 cup Mild Asiago Cheese (finely grated)

***Garnish***
4 Broccoli Florets (lightly steamed)
2 White Mushrooms (quartered lightly steamed)
1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions.
2. Wash and drain chicken strips.
3. Mix breadcrumbs, flour, and Parmesan cheese together. Place milk in dish for dipping. Dip chicken in breadcrumb mixture and then in milk and then back in breadcrumbs.
4. Place in fry pan that the oil has been heated and fry at medium to medium low temperature until golden. Remove and drain chicken.
5. In a saucepan on medium heat, melt butter, add olive oil. Whisk in flour until mixture is blended. Quickly add garlic, water, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt stir well. Add wine and blend. Immediately add half and half and sour cream stir. When mixture is smooth add grated cheese stir until melted. Finally sprinkle fresh basil in the sauce and stir lightly and remove from heat.
6. Place 2 cups pasta in individual pasta dish. Spoon about 1/2 – 3/4 cup sauce over pasta, add broccoli and mushrooms. Place Parmesan Chicken on pasta and sprinkle red crushed pepper and add grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Olive Garden Stuffed Mushrooms
8 – 12 Fresh Mushrooms
1 (6 oz.) Can Clams (drained and finely minced) (save 1/4 cup of clam juice for stuffing)
1 Green Onions (chopped finely, about 1 Tbsp.)
1 Egg (beaten)
1/2 tsp. Minced Garlic
1/8 tsp. Garlic Salt
1/2 C. Italian Style Bread Crumbs
1tsp. Oregano Leaves
1 Tbsp. Melted Butter (cool)
2 Tbsp. Finely Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Tbsp. Finely Grated Romano Cheese
2 Tbsp. Finely Grated Mozzarella Cheese (for stuffing)
1/4 C. Finely Grated Mozzarella Cheese (for garnish)
1/4 C. Melted Butter

Wash and remove stems from mushrooms, pat dry. Save stems for another recipe. In mixing bowl place clams, onions, garlic salt, minced garlic, butter and oregano. Mix through and blend well. Add Italian bread crumbs, egg, clam juice and blend. Stir cheeses in clam stuffing and mix well.
Place clam mixture inside mushroom cavity and slightly mound clam mixture. You should be able to stuff between 8 – 12 mushrooms depending on the size of mushrooms.

Place mushrooms in slightly oiled baking dish. Pour butter over mushrooms. Cover and place in a preheated oven at 350 decrease for about 35 – 40 minutes. Remove cover and sprinkle freshly grated mozzarella cheese on top and pop back in oven just so the cheese melts slightly, garnish with freshly diced parsley.

Jake Kelly is passionate about restaurants and restaurant recipes! He has years of experience in reviewing restaurant food, and today he writes articles on restaurants and the best food in the industry!

You can get More Great Olive Garden Recipes here!

Also, be sure to Check out more Copycat Recipes now!

Moosewood cookbook Italian Sauce recipe?

We can’t find our recipe for Moosewood Restaraunt’s Italian Tomato Sauce…I only remember that this recipe calls for bacon in it. I’ve looked EVERYWHERE on-line, and I cannot find it. If one of you happens to have the recipe, could you PLEASE give it to me?
Thanks so much.

Answer
http://dinnercoop.cs.cmu.edu/dinnercoop/Recipes/karen/TomatoSauce.html

Italian Tomato Sauce
Originally From: Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen
Very good on Pizza and in lasagne — I’ve even shocked people when I told them it was vegetarian!

2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 medium-sized bell pepper, diced
2 medium stalks celery, minced
1 lb mushrooms
1-2 medium (6″) zucchini, diced
2-3 medium-sized ripe tomatoes, chopped
a handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 28 oz can tomatoes
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 tablespoon honey
lots of black pepper
4-6 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup freshly minced parsley

Heat the olive oil in deep saucepan. Add vegetables, herbs (except parsley) and salt. Saute over medium heat until the onion is very soft (~15 minutes).

Add canned tomatoes, tomato paste, honey and black pepper. Use a spoon to break up the tomatoes into bite-sized pieces. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, partially covered at least 30 minutes.

Add garlic, and cook 10 minutes more. At this point, the sauce can sit for up to several hours, or be refrigerated up to a week, or frozen.

Heat gently before serving, and add parsley at the last minute.

Salads are nutritional and can be the great source of vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, minerals and lot more. They are considered as light meal and much more than an appetizer. Their preparation mostly involves vegetables (leafy vegetables) and sometimes fruits. The dressing forms the crux of it, which differentiates the taste of different salads. Occasionally it is prepared with meat, fish cheese or nuts, which makes it a high calorie-content. Basically these delicacies are healthy with low calories, most commonly found on every dining table in US

The most commonly consumed green salad consists of variety of vegetables like lettuce, spinach or arugula. This is not all, as the recipes can also be seen with tomato, cucumber, peppers, mushrooms, onions, spring onions, and red onions, carrot and reddish. We come across people who love to try different things in their daily diet they make different combinations in the same dish to give it different taste and flavor. For this reason we find green salads complimented with pasta, olives, cooked potatoes, croutons, beans, rice meat, cheese and fish. That is why salad is not just any mixture of leafy vegetables but needs proper garnishing and serving with of course the right mix of ingredients.

There are wide array of sumptuous chicken and summer salad recipes with tantalizing taste and mouth-watering aroma.

Lets look at one of the recipe called Chinese chicken salad recipe which easy to prepare and tasty to eat. The almonds and noodles in the salad add a crunchy taste to it and the dressing makes it spicy and sweet. Take a quick look at the ingredients needed.

Chinese chicken salad

Ingredients:

Coleslaw

1 packet of chicken noodles
1/2-cup of chopped green onions
Few sliced almonds to add crunch
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Dressing essentials:

1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of olive oil
Wine vinegar or same quantity of rice preferably 1/2 cup rice
2 tsp. of soy sauce
Seasoning from the ramen

Method

To start with the Chinese chicken salad, you need to bake/grill and cube the 4 chicken breasts properly. Once this is done you have to combine all ingredients together. When the ingredients are mixed properly put the dressing on it immediately before serving.

During summer the intake of regular diet is less but the salads with nice dressings and variety of toppings can actually work as appetizers. The summer salad recipe involves fresh vegetables. Just go through the recipe to find out more about it.

Mid- summer Italian bread salad

Ingredients

1 clove of garlic
1 (1 pound) loaf or Italian bread preferably
1 cup of finely chopped tomatoes
1 cup of peeled, seeded and chopped cucumber
1 cup of chopped red onion
1 clove crushed garlic
2 cups of chopped fresh basil
1/8 cup of chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup of olive oil
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
If the bread is too fresh toast it till it becomes dry and crunchy.

Preparations

First of all rub the peeled clove of garlic from inside of wooden salad bowl. After that chop the bread into small size pieces. Mix bread, tomato, tomato, cucumber red onions, garlic, basil and thyme in the prepared bowl. Finally add oil and vinegar for lightly coating. Toss and serve the Mid- summer Italian bread salad

Looking for a recipe for Italian easter pie?

I’m looking for a recipe for Italian easter pie,I know there is
ham,pepperoni,sausage,salami and different cheeses in it, it’s very
dense and very good. Does any one have a recipe for this?

Answer
Italian Easter Pie

Easter Pie has many different names and even more recipes, depending on the section of Italy in question. To learn more, please read Mark’s article “Italian easter pie.”

Crust

2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, cut in cubes
2 eggs
Filling

6 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
8 ounces farmer cheese, fresh soft cheese or ricotta cheese click for note
2 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
3 ounces shredded ham
3 ounces shredded salami
3 ounces shredded prosciutto
METHOD

Crust: Mix flour and salt and place in bowl of a food processor. Add butter cubes, one at a time to dough. After each cube pulse food processor just enough to work in butter. Do not overwork or dough will toughen. Dough should resemble coarse meal.

Add eggs. Pulse dough until it comes together in a ball. Cut dough in half so that one half is slightly bigger than the other. The smaller half will be the top crust. Wrap each in plastic wrap and rest dough for an hour in fridge. (If you don’t have a food processor, work in butter with a dough cutter or a fork and use your hands to integrate eggs.)

When dough is almost done resting, preheat oven to 350°F. Make filling: Beat eggs with salt and pepper. Blend cheese into eggs. Shred or slice meat, or put in food processor for a finer textured pie and add to egg/cheese mixture.

Roll out larger piece of dough on a floured board until it will fill a 9-inch pie shell. Add filling. Roll out smaller piece of dough until it will cover top. Crimp around edges to seal it.

If you’d like, you can brush the top with an egg wash, (beaten eggs). This will give it a sheen when it bakes. Finally, poke holes or slits in the top crust to allow the steam to vent.

Cook in preheated 350°F oven or 45 minutes.

Yield: 1 pie

Great Salad Recipes

Salads are nutritional and can be the great source of vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, minerals and lot more. They are considered as light meal and much more than an appetizer. Their preparation mostly involves vegetables (leafy vegetables) sometimes fruits. The dressing of the salads forms the crux of it, which differentiates the taste of different salads. Occasionally the salad is prepared with meat, fish cheese or nuts, which makes the salad of high calorie-content. Basically the salads are healthy with low calories most commonly found on every dining table in US

The most commonly consumed green salad consists of variety of vegetables like lettuce, spinach or arugula. This is not all green salads can be seen with tomato, cucumber, peppers, mushrooms, onions, spring onions, and red onions, carrot and reddish. We come across people who love to try different things in their daily diet they make different combinations in the same dish to give it different taste and flavor. For this reason we find green salads complimented with pasta, olives, cooked potatoes, croutons, beans, rice meat, cheese and fish. That is why salad is not just any mixture of leafy vegetables but needs proper garnishing and serving with of course the right mix of ingredients.

There are wide array of sumptuous chicken and summer salad recipes with tantalizing taste and mouth-watering aroma.

Lets look at one of the recipe called Chinese chicken salad recipe which easy to prepare and tasty to eat. The almonds and noodles in the salad adds a crunchy taste to it and the dressing makes it spicy and sweet. Take a quick look at the ingredients needed.

Chinese chicken salad

Ingredients:

Coleslaw

1 packet of chicken noodles

1/2-cup of chopped green onions

Few sliced almonds to add crunch

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Dressing essentials:

1/2 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of olive oil

Wine vinegar or same quantity of rice preferably 1/2 cup rice

2 tsp. of soy sauce

Seasoning from the ramen

Method

To start with the Chinese chicken salad, you need to bake/grill and cube the 4 chicken breasts properly. Once this is done you have to combine all ingredients together. When the ingredients are mixed properly put the dressing on salad immediately before serving.

During summer the intake of regular diet is less but the salads with nice dressings and variety of toppings can actually work a appetizers. The summer salad recipe give involves fresh vegetables. Just go through the recipe to more about it.

Mid- summer Italian bread salad

Ingredients

1 clove of garlic

1 (1 pound) loaf or Italian bread preferably

1 cup of finely chopped tomatoes

1 cup of peeled, seeded and chopped cucumber

1 cup of chopped red onion

1 clove crushed garlic

2 cups of chopped fresh basil

1/8 cup of chopped fresh thyme

1/4 cup of olive oil

2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

If the bread is too fresh toast it till it becomes dry and crunchy.

Preparations

First of all rub the peeled clove of garlic from inside of wooden salad bowl. After that chop the bread into small size pieces. Mix bread, tomato, tomato, cucumber red onions, garlic, basil and thyme in the prepared salad bowl. Finally add oil and vinegar for lightly coating. Toss and serve the Mid- summer Italian bread salad.

Looking for more information on Great Salad Recipes check out www.salad-recipe.net your guide to Great Salad Recipes.

What is a really good Italian meal or recipe?

I’m looking for a really good Italian meal/recipe to make for my husband. Preferrably something besides basic pizza, spaghetti, or lasagna. His mother is Italian so he’s eaten alot of authentic Italian food so it needs to be really good in order to measure up!

Answer
Italian Style Meatloaf – YUM YUM !

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon Italian-style seasoning
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Serves 6.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, mix together ground beef, eggs, bread crumbs and ketchup. Season with Italian-style seasoning, oregano, basil, garlic salt, diced tomatoes and cheese. Press into a 9×5 inch loaf pan, and cover loosely with foil.
Bake in the preheated oven approximately 1 hour, or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Cioppino
“A wonderful seafood stew! Serve with a loaf of warm, crusty bread for sopping up the delicious broth!”

3/4 cup butter
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups white wine
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp – peeled and deveined
1 1/2 pounds bay scallops
18 small clams
18 mussels, cleaned and debearded
1 1/2 cups crabmeat
1 1/2 pounds cod fillets, cubed

Serves 13.

Over medium-low heat melt butter in a large stockpot, add onions, garlic and parsley. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally until onions are soft.
Add tomatoes to the pot (break them into chunks as you add them). Add chicken broth, bay leaves, basil, thyme, oregano, water and wine. Mix well. Cover and simmer 30 minutes.
Stir in the shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels and crabmeat. Stir in fish, if desired. Bring to boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer 5 to 7 minutes until clams open. Ladle soup into bowls and serve with warm, crusty bread!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Looking for some healthy and easy ground beef recipes that do not require a lot of time to make? Below are 3 delicious ground beef recipes that are filling and real crowd pleasers.

Just because you are cooking with ground beef, does not mean it has to be unhealthy. Most of the ground beef you find in supermarkets today is loaded with fat, cholesterol and hormones, but more and more supermarkets are starting to provide healthy organic meats to consumers, so hopefully you should be able to find healthy ground beef in your area.

To make the following recipes even healthier try and use all organic and low sodium ingredients.

If you happen to live near a Trader Joe’s, by all means shop there. The prices are fantastic and they carry a variety of healthy organic meats and other fine products.

THE RECIPES:

EASY SALISBURY STEAK RECIPE

Here is a little tip to keep in mind as you are making this delicious ground beef recipe. There is a chance that your ground beef steaks can fall apart while cooking. To prevent this from happening, form your steak patties and put them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so before you start cooking. This will help hold your steaks stay together.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1 egg

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 small onion finely chopped

1 garlic clove chopped

1 tablespoon montreal steak seasoning

Salt and Pepper to taste

3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 small package of freshly sliced portobello mushrooms or by them whole and slice yourself

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups beef stock

Directions:

1. In a large bowl combine the ground beef, egg, garlic, onion, steak seasoning, Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper. Mix well with your hands. From the mixture, make steak shaped patties that are about 2 inches thick.

2 Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef patties and cook about 4 minutes per side until the outside of the steaks are nicely browned and the juices run clear. Remove the steaks and cover with foil to keep them warm.

3 Add the rest of the olive oil along with the butter to the same pan. Add your mushrooms and then cook over medium heat until they are tender. Approximately 5 minutes. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Add the flour to the mushrooms, mix and cook for about 2 minutes. Slowly add in your beef stock. Stir and cook until your sauce has thickened.

5. Pour gravy over steaks and serve.

EASY ITALIAN STYLE MEATLOAF RECIPE

I grew up in an Italian Family and I cannot think of a better way to cook meatloaf. Enjoy this delicious ground beef recipe using fresh italian herbs and garlic.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

2 eggs

1 7 ounce jar roasted red peppers chopped

1 onion chopped

2 cloves of garlic chopped

1 cup of bread crumbs

1 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

2 cups of prepared tomato sauce

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Heat a medium sized saute pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add your onion and garlic and saute until soft. Remove and set it aside on a plate to cool.

3. Grab yourself a large mixing bowl.

4. Add the cooled onions and garlic along with the the rest of your ingredients, except the tomato sauce, and combine. Mix together well with your hands and form into a loaf and add it to an oiled oven safe tray. Top the loaf with 1 cup of the prepared tomato sauce. Make certain that you spread the tomato sauce evenly over the top of the loaf.

5. Bake for about 1 hour or when the internal temperature of the meatloaf reaches 160 degrees F. Remove from the oven and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Slice it up and serve.

Heat the remaining tomato sauce if desired and use for dipping.

GREEK STYLE HAMBURGER RECIPE

For our last recipe why not make some delicious burgers? The preferred method for cooking these burgers is on the grill, but they will still be quite tasty if fried on the stovetop.

Greek Style Hamburger Ingredients:

1 pound of lean ground beef

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/2 cup chopped greek olives

1 small red onion chopped

3/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 package of hamburger rolls or pita bread

Hamburger Sauce Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) container low-fat plain yogurt

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves (more or less to suit your taste)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (more or less to suit your taste)

1 clove of garlic minced (add more or less to suit your taste)

1 tablespoon of olive oil

2 teaspoons of lemon juice

1/2 cup peeled, seeded and finely diced cucumber

Sauce Directions:

Prepare the sauce for your burgers first and put in the fridge until your burgers are done.

1. In a mixing bowl, combine your olive oil and lemon juice.

2. Now add in your yogurt making sure that you mix it well with the olive oil.

3. Add your garlic, cucumbers, parsley and mint leaves and stir well.

Burger Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the chopped red onions and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Put the onions aside into a large mixing bowl and allow them to cool.

2 To the same mixing bowl, add your ground beef, feta cheese, olives, oregano, salt and pepper and combine well.

3. Form hamburger patties to desired thickness.

4. Fry your burgers in the same skillet as the onions, or cook on the grill to desired doneness.

5. Spread the prepared sauce on the rolls or inside a pita.

6. Add burgers and enjoy!

There you have it. Three healthy and easy ground beef recipes that any home cook can prepare. I really hope you enjoy these recipes. Remember to use all organic ingredients if at all possible. Happy Cooking!

Ralph Serpe is a passionate home cook and webmaster for http://www.chefability.com. Click here for more easy ground beef recipes.

This Question is for the real “Italian Cooks” out there:Is Lasagna without noodles a real Italian Recipe?

I disagreed with Buca di Beppo about this. There Lasagna was nothing but baked ricotta cheese with sauce on it. It was not good at all. I don’t recommend eating there.
The Chef personally came to my table and told me that real Italians cook Lasagna “Without” noodles. I want to know if this is true. And yes I’m positive it was Lasagna that I ordered.

Answer
Garfield the cat told me, he wants it with noddles so
Lasagna is made with noodles,sauce, meat, ricotta cheese, and Mozzarella cheese on top.
If it doesn’t have noodles it’s not lasagna Garfield said.

Should we regulate the amount of trans fats contained in the food we eat? A Canadian government task force on trans fats is recommending that all vegetable oils and spreadable margarines have the trans fat content limited to 2% of the total fat content and all other foods be limited to a maximum of 5% of total fat content. These new regulations would decrease the average trans fat intake by at least 55%.

What are trans fats? Fatty acids in foods are made up of polyunsaturated (like safflower oil, sunflower oil and corn oil), monounsaturated (like olive oil, peanuts, and avocados), saturated (like coconut oil, palm oil, butter and cheese) and trans fats (like margarine and shortening). Saturated and trans fats are linked to coronary heart disease. The majority of trans fats are produced by the food industry when it uses a process called hydrogenation to turn liquid vegetable oils into semi-solid products. This process hardens and stabilizes the oils, enhances the flavor and extends the shelf life of food products. These trans fats also break down less easily which makes them more suitable for frying. The majority of trans fats are found in foods made with shortening, margarine or partially-hydrogenated oils and in baked goods like crackers, cookies and donuts and in fried foods like french fries and fried chicken. The trans fat content of some of these foods can be as high as 45% of the total fat in the food product. Trans fats also occur naturally at fairly low levels in ruminant-based foods like dairy products and beef and lamb.

Are trans fats worse than saturated fats? There is a lot of evidence linking both trans fats and saturated fats to coronary heart disease. Trans fats appear much more dangerous because metabolic studies have shown that they increase the blood levels of our bad cholesterol (LDL) and decrease the levels of our good cholesterol (HDL). Saturated fats appear less damaging because they elevate the total cholesterol levels – both bad (LDL) and good (HDL). The Harvard School of Public Health found that removing trans fats from the industrial food supply could prevent tens of thousands of heart attacks and cardiac deaths each year in the US. The findings are published in the April 13, 2006 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Government organizations around the world have started to act to resolve the problem. In 2002, the US National Academies of Science recommended that trans fat consumption be kept as low as possible. In 2003 the World Health Organization recommended that trans fat intake be limited to less than 1% of overall energy intake. Also in 2003, Denmark set an upper limit on industrially produced trans fats in foods, limiting them to just 2% of the total fats in foods. They excluded meat and dairy products. In 2005 Canada required mandatory labeling of trans fats in packaged foods. The US followed in 2006 with a mandatory labeling for any foods containing 0.5 grams or more of trans fats per serving.

Is mandatory labeling sufficient? Shouldn’t we let informed consumers self-regulate the amount of trans fats they consume? Once the consumer understands how harmful trans fats are and that as little as 5 grams per day can lead to heart disease, then mandatory labeling will force the food industry to reduce the amounts contained in food products much faster than a bunch of government regulations, However what about restaurants and the fast food industry? Here is where the Canadian government task force recommendations are probably a good thing. Consumers do not know how much trans fats there are in french fries, deep fried chicken and baked goods. Therefore we should adopt the recommendation from the June 27th, 2006 final report of the Trans Fat Task Force that states – “For all vegetable oils and soft, spreadable (tub-type) margarines sold to consumers or for use as an ingredient in the preparation of foods on site by retailers or food service establishments, the total trans fat content be limited by regulation to 2% of total fat content.” This will allow us to eat restaurant and fast food industry foods with the knowledge that the trans fat content is limited to 2% or less.

Mark Ransome is a contributing editor and writer for the popular new website – Benefits of Antioxidants. Visitors to http://www.benefits-of-antioxidants.com will have access to a new free diet and weight loss program – The Psychiatrist’s Weight Loss Program.

Wondering how to make homemade french fries that can be frozen and reheated later?

We just dug up a lot of potatoes in our garden and want to use them. Wondering if there is a way to make french fries that we can freeze and use later, like they use in restaurants and whatnot. Any suggestions helpful. Thank you!

Answer
To do so, obtain 6-8 large IDAHO potatoes. These have a specific starch content that lends itself to frying very nicely, unless you buy organic potatoes, those don’t work as well. Peel the potatoes if desired, cut into 1/4″x1/4″ X 2″ battonets or use a french fry cutter if you have one, (as long as they are of a consistent dimension, that is important for even cooking) placing them into cold water than has a scant amount of salt and vinegar (both should be almost imperceptable to taste). Using a large pot, like a dutch oven or similar heavy cooking vessel, preheat your oil to 275-300F

Every year when the weather starts to get warmer, we like to plant a backyard garden. We enjoy planting a variety of lettuces, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers, radishes, green peppers, tomatoes and onions. We look forward to harvesting time, just so we can create some wonderful summer salads.

To go along with our salads, we prefer to make our own homemade salad dressings. The following recipes are really easy to prepare and will keep in the refrigerator for up to 7 days in an airtight container.

Classic Blue Cheese

2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup vinegar
4 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
4 ounces Blue cheese, crumbled

In a large bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients until well blended. Stir in the crumbled Blue cheese. Pour mixture into a glass jar or pourable plastic container. Refrigerate for 4 hours.

Creamy Buttermilk

1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients together until well blended. Pour into a glass jar or pourable plastic container. Refrigerate for 4 hours.

Classic Country French

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon mustard
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup salad oil

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients in the order listed. Mix until well blended. Pour mixture into a glass jar or pourable plastic container. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours.

Shelly Hill has been working from home since 1989 in Direct Sales and is a Manager with Tupperware. You can visit Shelly online at: http://www.classybusinesswomen.com or Shelly’s Recipe Blog at http://wahmshelly.blogspot.com

A recipe for French Onion Soup, vegetarian style?

Is there any one with a recipe for a vegetarian french onion soup? I have tried to make it before but it did not turn out right. I will vote for the most detailed and best-tasting recipe as the best answer so do a good job. Detail on the type of cheese, how to caramelize onions, the bread, the seasonings, and of course, I already gave vegetarian stock. No need to tell me how to make veggie stock; I will buy it from the store. Thanks!
I asked for vegetarian recipes

Answer
French Onion Soup

“This is a tasty French Onion Soup. Try it you will like it.”
Original recipe yield: 6 servings.

Servings:
6 (change)

INGREDIENTS:

* 2 onions, thinly sliced
* 1/4 cup butter
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 2 (10.5 ounce) cans beef broth
* 2 1/2 cups water
* 6 slices French bread, toasted
* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F(220 degrees C). Separate sliced onion into single rings.
2. In a medium sauce pan saute onions in butter until soft, approximately 20 minutes. Stir in flour and gradually add broth and water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, toast French bread slices.
4. Place toasted bread into soup bowls. Pour soup mixture over bread and sprinkle with Parmesan and Swiss cheese. Bake for 10 minutes.

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The main lasagna recipes are those with tomato and besciamella sauce. Lasagna is only another shape of pasta and so, it also matches with an infinity of seasonings.

Among all lasagne recipes, the number one should be the most traditional one. Before preparing it, it’s necessary to have already a tomato meat sauce and a besciamella ready to use.

A good tomato meat sauce needs good ingredients, as they contribute strongly for the best final result.

You’ll need (4 people):

• 4 spoons of extra virgin olive oil

• 200 gr of ground veal meat (instead of ground, it can be minced too)

• 2 cans of peeled tomatoes

• ½ minced onion

• 2 pieces of minced garlic

• minced parsley

• some basil leaves (if you don’t have them, don’t worry)

• salt

How to do it:

Put the oil inside a pan (it’s better to use a “high” pan, to avoid squirts), turn on the gas and add the minced onion. Leave it for a while, mixing it to avoid overcooking, and then add the minced garlic and the minced meat.

After colouring it for a while, add the peeled tomatoes cut in medium pieces. Mix it all and leave it on high gas for a while. As it begins to boil, regulate the gas to avoid overcooking it, but leave it a little bit high. Otherwise you’ll get a “too liquid” sauce, and a good one should be dense. Mix it every now and then.

When your Italian tomato sauce is ready? When the oil is separated from the tomatoes. It’ll take about half an hour for this quantity, but pay attention when you mix it that you’ll notice that you can see the oil apart from the tomato cream.

The besciamella:

It’s much simplex than the name suggests. Just take ½ liter of milk, add 3 spoons of wheat flour and half spoon of butter. Mix it while on the low gas until it’ gets creamy. Add then salt and nutmeg.

Other than the tomato sauce and the besciamella, you’ll need Italian mozzarella and grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano. Don’t use any cheese, as a good cheese really makes the difference.

The lasagna packages say that it doesn’t need to boil before going to the oven. But the old Italian women are distrustful and prefer to do it their way. What do they do? They put the lasagna sheets for about a minute into the boiling salted water and then put them on a dishtowel, without laying one upon another.

(If you choose not to boil them, they will come less softy and the sauce will not mix so much.)

Take an oven pan and begin with a layer of tomato sauce, then lasagna sheets (not overlapping them), besciamella, tomato sauce again, pieces of mozzarella and grated Grana Padano.

Go ahead until the ingredients finish, taking care of finishing with the tomato sauce with cheese.

Put it into the pre-heated oven (about 180°C) for about 30/40 minutes, when it began to get crispy on the boards.

Tip: After taking it out of the oven, wait for about 20 minutes before serving. It will allow the pasta to absorb the sauces and will be easier to cut and the taste will gain.

Other lasagna recipes:

An easy and original idea is to use pesto between lasagna sheets, adding grated Parmigiano Reggiano and less besciamella.

Another vegetarian recipe is using tomato sauce without meat. Do the sauce in the same way without adding meat and proceed for the lasagna the same exact way.

An original veggie recipe is using grilled eggplant between tomato sauce and besciamella.

For more information on Lasagna recipes visit All About Italian Food. Ana Maria da Costa, economist and enogastronomic expert, lives in Italy since 1983 and shows Italian food culture from the inside, with tips and useful info in her website.

Does anyone have a real Italian spaghetti recipe that they are willing to share?

I love spaghetti (with or without meatballs). I have made a few different recipes already, but would love to make some that an actual Italian family would make for dinner.

Thanks!!!

Answer
Grandma’s Old Italian Spaghetti Sauce with Meatballs –

.INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 whole garlic cloves, peeled
2 pig’s feet
1 pound pork neck bones
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
1 1/2 cups water
2 (28 ounce) cans tomato puree
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 (16 ounce) loaf fresh Italian bread, torn into 2-inch pieces
1 cup water
6 eggs, beaten
1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground veal
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste

6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled (optional)

..DIRECTIONS
1.Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in the bottom of a large saucepan, and fry the garlic cloves 5 to 8 minutes, until brown and fragrant. Remove the garlic cloves and set aside. Place the pig’s feet and pork neck bones in the saucepan and fry, turning occasionally, until the meat and bones have browned, about 15 minutes.

2.Return the garlic cloves to the saucepan, and stir in the tomato paste and 1 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, and pour in the tomato puree. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 3 hours, stirring from the bottom often to prevent burning, until the pig’s feet are tender and the mixture begins to thicken. Stir in the sugar, pepper, and baking soda. Continue to simmer while you prepare the meatballs.

3.Soak the torn bread with 1 cup of water in a bowl. Squeeze excess water out of the bread, and place the bread in a large bowl with the 6 beaten eggs, ground pork, ground veal, and ground beef. Mix thoroughly and form into 24 meatballs about 2 1/2 inches in diameter.

4.Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, stir in the minced garlic and chopped fresh basil, let them cook for about 1 minute, and then add the meatballs. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and fry them on all sides until brown, about 15 minutes, working in batches, if necessary.

5.Place the browned meatballs, along with the oil, garlic, and basil from the skillet into the sauce, stirring lightly to avoid breaking them. Add the whole hard-boiled eggs, and simmer for about 1 1/2 more hours, until the meatballs are cooked, the sauce is thick, and all the flavors have blended.

Do you want to cook dishes you have never cooked before?

Nobody knows your taste better than you do. I don’t know about you but some people are always on the look out for new recipes or want to taste or experiment new dishes.

There is a site that caters for; pizza, desserts, crock pot dishes, Indian, Italian, Chinese, Mediterranean and low carb recipes.

Whatever satisfies your appetite you’re going to want to visit this site.

http://recipesgalore.synthasite.com/

A lot of these recipes are easy to cook and some especially the Chinese recipes, can be cooked within 5 minutes, yes 5 minutes.

Whether you love your Indian meat or vegetarian curries or you just want to eat something healthy and don’t want to be restricted in choice, well there is a section that has healthy Italian, Chinese, Mediterranean and low carb recipes, there is also a list of complete fat fighting food which can reduced fat up to 38%.

Some people love their chicken and want to make it in as many ways as possible, fried, baked, boiled, BBQ’ed, masala, etc.

Also there are a few surprises; I’ve affiliated my site with sites from ex-chefs who have worked at top restaurants who are giving away the recipes so that you can make them at home, the same, taste and flavors for a fraction of the cost. Don’t believe me then visit:

http://recipesgalore.synthasite.com/

There is also a link for you to click that will provide you with thousands of desserts within the site such as; cakes, pies, cookies, candy chocolate, vanilla and much more.

Enjoy

Sarah

simple italian recipe to make for my english class?

I need a simple recipe to make an Italian dish for my English class. I would like to have either:

A. A breakfast recipe
B. A dessert
C. A small, simple entree/appetizer

please help!! thanks!
i’m a jr in high school and have quite a bit of experience cooking! plus, i’ll have a ton of help if i need it! =)

Answer
ITALIAN CREAM CAKE –

Ingredients:
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups white sugar
5 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flaked coconut
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons light cream
1/2 cup chopped walnuts 1 cup flaked coconut

Method
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease three 9-inch round cake pans. In a small bowl, dissolve the baking soda in the buttermilk; set aside. 2. In a large bowl, cream together 1/2 cup butter, shortening and white sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs, buttermilk mixture, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 cup coconut, baking powder and flour. Stir until just combined. Pour batter into the prepared pans. 3. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool. 4. To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, 1/2 cup butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla and confectioners’ sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Mix in a small amount of cream to attain the desired consistency. Stir in chopped nuts and remaining flaked coconut. Spread between layers and on top and sides of cooled cake.

HOPE THIS IS WHAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR!!
=) TELL ME IF YOU LIKE IT OKAY?

ADD –

Cantucci Biscotti

INGREDIENTS
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
6 eggs
1/4 cup hazelnut liqueur
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons almond extract
2 cups hazelnuts – toasted, skinned and coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS
Mix dry ingredients (except nuts) in a large bowl. Mix the eggs and liquids in a separate bowl. Add liquids to the dry ingredients gradually, mixing until dough is stiff. Do not overmix. Stir in or work in the nuts.
Shape dough into two rectangles 3 inches wide, 15 inches long. Place on greased cookie sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove baked rectangles from oven and let stand until cool to the touch.
Using sharp knife, slice rectangles crosswise into 3/4 inch slices. Place back on cookie sheet, sliced side down, and bake again for 15 minutes or until they are golden brown. Store in airtight container. These store well for weeks.

THIS IS GREAT FOR BREAKFAST WITH COFEE, HOPE YOU LIKE IT!

Whether you need a pick-me-up after a rough day or you want to celebrate a good one, you might find yourself rummaging around the kitchen for some good ole’ fashioned comfort food. For many of us, comfort foods are simple in nature and often times remind us of pleasant childhood times. Some people might associate good childhood memories with apple pie and ice cream, eggs and bacon arranged in the shape of a smiley face, or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. If you aren’t sure which comfort food YOU are in the mood for, I encourage you to read through the following recipes of popular comfort food favorites.

Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients:
4 cups of cooked, cut green beans
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 1/3 cup of French fried onions
1/2 cup of milk
1 tsp of soy sauce
a bit of black pepper

Directions:
In a large casserole dish, mix together the green beans, milk, cream of mushroom soup, soy sauce, pepper, and 2/3 cup of the French fried onions. Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees F (or until it starts to bubble). Remove from the oven and stir the beans well. Sprinkle the remaining French fried onions on top and put back in the oven for an additional 5 minutes or until the onions start to brown.

Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:
1/2 lb of Velveeta cheese
2 1/2 cups of uncooked macaroni noodles
3 tbsp of butter
1 qt of milk

Directions:
Melt the butter and pour into a baking dish with the macaroni noodles. Stir well until the butter coats all of the noodles. Cut the Velveeta cheese into chunks and add to the milk and macaroni mixture. Bake for about a half an hour at 325 degrees F.

Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients:
4 cups of boneless, skinless chicken chunks
2 1/2 cups of chicken broth (add more if you like yours very soupy)
1 cup of sliced carrots
1 1/2 cups of chopped potatoes
salt and pepper to taste
1 bay leaf (optional, but nice!)

Directions:
In a large stew pot, simmer the chicken in the broth with salt and pepper on a low heat for about thirty minutes. Add the bay leaf, chopped carrots, and potatoes and increase to medium heat. Cook for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes have softened. Make sure not to overcook as the potatoes will turn mushy.

Dumplings:
1 cups of flour
2 tsp of butter
4 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp of salt
3/4 cup of milk

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Slowly add in the milk and butter, then mix thoroughly. If you prefer, you can add a teaspoon or two of parsley flakes. Drop by the spoonful on top of the chicken and broth during the last 15 minutes of cooking and cover.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ingredients:
3 cups of uncooked oats
1 1/2 cups of raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 1/2 cups of flour
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
1 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
1 cup of softened butter
2 eggs
1 tsp of baking soda
1/2 tsp of salt
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of vanilla

Directions:
In a large bowl, beat together the granulated and brown sugars with the butter until it turns creamy. Mix in the eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. When this is well mixed, add the oats, raisins, and walnuts. Stir well, then drop by the spoonful onto un-greased cookie sheets. Bake for about 12 minutes at 350 degrees F. Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet a few minutes before removing them to wire racks to cool completely.

If you’re looking for recipes, take a look at the Platinum Recipes Collection.
The Platinum Recipes Collection is the Internet’s Most Comprehensive Recipes Collection.

What is an easy French recipe that I can make for my French class?

On Mon. we’re having a French party, and we have to make food. Is there like a French snack (NOT junkfood) that someone can suggest for over 25 people. Someone is already making parfait, macaroni and cheese(our French teacher wanted this), cake, croissants and nutella, and others. I wanted to try crepes, but it will take to long to make a lot. Any suggestions? And btw, it doesn’t have to be a dessert.

Thanks!

Answer
how do crepes take so long
its literally a paper thin pancake and takes literally 3 secs to make lol
you just have to get stuff to put on top like whip cream and choco syrup and sugar
you just have to get the crepe maker

buy some french bread and cheese if you dont wanna do that lol lol