Recipes

[dneid]

OK, this is a call to all RWD'ers.  Who has any great recipes that would be willing to upload and share?  I am especially interested in Ukrainian dishes, but I love to eat good food and always have an eye out for good recipes.

I'll post my Italian meat sauce recipe first.

Ingredients
-------------
Lean ground beef - 2 lbs
Sweet Italian Sausage - 1-4-1/2 lb
1 large can crushed Italian Plum Tomatoes
2 cans Contadina Tomato paste
1 med - large onion diced
1-3 cloves finely minced garlic
Italian Seasoning (I think it is Adam's brand)
Salt
Fresh cracked black pepper (I never use powdered any more... just love fresh cracked)
1/4 - 1/2 cup Lumbrusco wine
Cheddar cheese
Olive oil

Instructions
-------------
Over medium hi heat, in a large sauce pan, heat olive oil (a tablespoon maybe). Add minced onion and carmelize. Wait until onions are translucent then add garlic.  Stir vigorously.  Add sausage and brown and then add ground beef. Brown all meat.  As excess fat cooks out, increase heat to high.  As meat just starts to "sizzle", add wine.  Stir and reduce heat to to med-low to medium.

While meat is browning, mix up tomato paste with following ratio - 1 can paste to 3 cans water.  Add crushed tomatoes.  After meat is browned, add sauce.  Season to taste (I do not go over board as I like the sweet taste of Italian plum tomatoes).  Add handful of shredded cheddar cheese.

Stir all together well.  Reduce heat to a simmer and let simmer for at least 2 hours.  Like all seasoned dishes, this is better the next day.

Hope you all like it.  I learned this from an old Italian immigrant whose restaurant I worked at in high school.  I use the leftover sauce to make lasgne (I'll upload that later).

[SANDRO43]

I learned this from an old Italian immigrant whose restaurant I worked at in high school.  I use the leftover sauce to make lasgne

Dneid, you must have plenty of that, considering the amounts you use . I'd say your sauce is a compromise of Italian-American tastes and available ingredients, mixing crushed Plum Tomatoes, Tomato paste and 'Italian Seasoning'. And the use of Lambrusco it's odd, since it's a bubbly wine, normally one would use a firm red wine instead (and Cheddar cheese, rather than Parmesan ?).

I'll give a very simple but tasty pasta recipe for 2, bigoli in salsa from the Venice area, replacing bigoli with thin spaghetti since they are hard to find outside Veneto.

Ingredients
-----------
- 160-200 grams of thin spaghetti (e.g. De Cecco's no. 11 , they must be made from durum wheat flour).
- One 80-gram can of tuna in olive oil.
- 6 anchovies in olive oil.
- (Parmesan cheese).

Preparation
-----------
Cook the spaghetti for 8-10 minutes until al dente (I may have to add a separate post on how to cook Italian pasta properly). In the meantime, mince the tuna and anchovies into VERY fine pieces with their can oil in an open pan, and put it on a low fire, turning it off when the mix starts to sizzle after a few minutes (the purpose is to blend it into a homogeneous mix, not to cook/fry it).

When the spaghetti are ready, toss them about in a colander to remove any remaining water, pour them into a serving tureen, add the tuna/anchovy sauce and mix the lot. Serve the individual portions and optionally grate Parmesan cheese over them.

Notes
-----
Anchovies contribute most of the sauce flavour, so you may want to use more or less than 6 based on your personal preferences (strong vs. delicate). Other ingredients that may be added for personal variations: garlic, capers.

[Gator]

I am glad that you two started with Italian because I have no fondness for lard Ukrainian food.

Maybe it is because neither of my RW were enthusiastic about cooking.  My Moscow woman believes in health food and never follows a recipe, playing it as she goes.  I have never seen anyone so quick with a knife - even faster than a Benihana teriyaki chef.  Her chopping is a marvel to behold.

My circus girl-exmodel-Olympic gymnast tryout-radio celebrity prepared one meal for me.  It cleaned me out about two hours later.   Her mama did the other meals and I survived babushka cooking.

Sandro and Dneid,
Neither of you mentioned to shave the garlic razor thin before cooking it.

[SANDRO43]

Sandro and Dneid, Neither of you mentioned to shave the garlic razor thin before cooking it.

Phil, I'm not an authority of on garlic-handling, it's used mostly in Central-Southern Italian cuisine and is not as traditional here in the North. However, I do remember my mother always using whole cloves, the few times she added garlic: I think the result has a less pungent taste, more in keeping with our local preferences .

[Gator]

As you said, you are not an authority on garlic.   


However, you sure know your "off the beaten path" gastronomic trattoria (I guess it was a ristorante considering it had written menus) and wine.  

[BC]

bigoli with duck sauce.. one of my fav's

Sandro.... HELP!!

A good southern dish with garlic:

Start cooking spaghetti.
Chop a bunch of garlic (5 or 6 cloves), add a heap of parsley and some red pepper.
Simmer the garlic, parsley and red pepper very quickly in hot olive oil (1 minute max)
dump it on the spaghetti, mix and enjoy!

Can add a bit of tuna and/or halves of cherry tomatoes simmered in olive oil with a little salt and ground black pepper.

[SANDRO43]

bigoli with duck sauce.. one of my fav's Sandro.... HELP!!

www.cookaround.com/cucina/regionale/veneto/confro-1.php?id_ric=298
This ?

BTW, your recipe (without parsley), is spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino. Remove the pepper, and it's spaghetti aglio e olio (or aio e oio, as the Romans would say), one of our simplest pasta dishes.

Two other very simple pasta condiments, where the indicated type of pasta may be replaced by others at will:

Tagliolini (thin tagliatelle) al limone:
Grate the yellow rind of half a lemon into a pan containing half a quart of sour cream, stir and simmer for a couple of minutes over low fire.

Spaghetti burro e salvia:
50 grams of butter and half-a-dozen leaves of sage, simmer until the butter clarifies.

Buon appetito !

[dneid]

Dneid, you must have plenty of that, considering the amounts you use . I'd say your sauce is a compromise of Italian-American tastes and available ingredients, mixing crushed Plum Tomatoes, Tomato paste and 'Italian Seasoning'. And the use of Lambrusco it's odd, since it's a bubbly wine, normally one would use a firm red wine instead (and Cheddar cheese, rather than Parmesan ?).

I'll give a very simple but tasty pasta recipe for 2, bigoli in salsa from the Venice area, replacing bigoli with thin spaghetti since they are hard to find outside Veneto.

Ingredients
-----------
- 160-200 grams of thin spaghetti (e.g. De Cecco's no. 11 , they must be made from durum wheat flour).
- One 80-gram can of tuna in olive oil.
- 6 anchovies in olive oil.
- (Parmesan cheese).

Preparation
-----------
Cook the spaghetti for 8-10 minutes until al dente (I may have to add a separate post on how to cook Italian pasta properly). In the meantime, mince the tuna and anchovies into VERY fine pieces with their can oil in an open pan, and put it on a low fire, turning it off when the mix starts to sizzle after a few minutes (the purpose is to blend it into a homogeneous mix, not to cook/fry it).

When the spaghetti are ready, toss them about in a colander to remove any remaining water, pour them into a serving tureen, add the tuna/anchovy sauce and mix the lot. Serve the individual portions and optionally grate Parmesan cheese over them.

Notes
-----
Anchovies contribute most of the sauce flavour, so you may want to use more or less than 6 based on your personal preferences (strong vs. delicate). Other ingredients that may be added for personal variations: garlic, capers.

Hey, Sandro,
Yeap, I usually have quite a bit left over.  That's ok, because I either make lasgne and have 2-3 servings left from that for more spaghetti.  Unfortunately, I worked at the Frank's restaurant and only learned to cook it by the bucketful.  I did try reducing it a few years ago, but something was missing in the flavor.  So, I now make it reduced by half (that is the recipe I posted).

And yes, it has been Americanized.  I like the addition of the paste as it sweetens the sauce somewhat if you use only Contadina brand paste.  I have been told that Contadina uses only plums tomatoes.  I love the flavor of plum tomatoes over the standard American tomatoes.  The lumbrusco was the wine I was taught to use.  I have tried "bolder" reds and just like the flavor of the lumbrusco.  The cheddar was something I tried a few years and I liked the taste it adds.  Makes it a little different.  Your choice of cheese is up to you.  Sometimes I use Romano or Parmasan.  I love Romano and use it over parmesan.

BTW, I like the recipes you posted and plan on trying them this week.  I love tuna and have never thought of using it with pasta.  I'll let you know how I like it.

To all of you.... let's get a real recipe thread going here.  I have a great fajita marinade I will post.  I have tried so many marinades and I really like this one.  You need to a specific pepper sauce that can hard to find, but it makes wonderful beef and chicken fajitas.  I also have a great recipe for pico de gallo and a salsa verde based on tomatillos and freash jalapenos.

BTW, for those of you with experience, how do the ladies like spicy food?  Here in Texas, we get a little carried away with the spices, but I love it.  Like most Texans, I need my Tex Mex every few days.  I do not know what I will do for 14 days while out of the country!!!  I'll make a bee line for my favorite Tex Mex hole in the wall when I get back!

[SANDRO43]

Sometimes I use Romano or Parmasan. I love Romano and use it over parmesan.

I assume you mean pecorino? If so, have you ever tried pesto as a pasta condiment ? It's a Ligurian invention, made from that cheese, olive oil, fresh basil and pinecone nuts, all pounded (pestati) together in a stone mortar. IIRC, it was available in 50-100 gram jars in some Austin supermarkets. Traditionally it's poured onto troffie, but you can replace these with spaghetti or other pasta. Give it a try if you don't know it, it's a unique flavour.

BTW, I like the recipes you posted and plan on trying them this week. I love tuna and have never thought of using it with pasta.

Make sure you're using tuna in olive oil, it's bland enough, while the variety in spring water or whatever tastes literally of nothing at all .

Like most Texans, I need my Tex Mex every few days.  I do not know what I will do for 14 days while out of the country!!!

Bring along some powdered chili, and take a sniff when nostalgia becomes overpowering .

[Gator]

Dneid wrote,

how do the ladies like spicy food?

Most have never tried it, so their sensitivity is acute.  Some refuse a second attempt.

Nevertheless, some enjoy it.  My fiancee advanced to where she enjoyed standard Thai dishes in non-airconditioned restaurants in Thailand.  She now considers Tex-Mex more than acceptable provided it comes with mescal.  She did require a few pointers such as what part of the chili not to consume.

If you do enjoy spicy food, I suggest that you take your own bottle of Texas Pete or Tabasco with you when you make your first trip.  It will bewilder the women.

[KenC]

OK, enough with the Italian food already!!!!!!!!!!

Here's my Grandma's directions for good ol stuffed cabbage!  As all recipes from Grandma's measurements are just suggestions!

Mix:
2-3 lbs ground beef (medium quality is best)
4 eggs
3 cups of cooked rice
(1) large Spanish onion chopped and sauteed in butter
Lots of garlic powder
salt and pepper
(I have also added sliced mushrooms, but not really necessary)

Boil (1) large head of cabbage (or 2 small ones) about 1/2 way to being fully cooked.  Peel off the layers of cabbage, one at a time.

Fill and roll cabbage with meat mixture.  (Practice makes perfect.) Set finished cabbage rolls in a roasting pan.  (It is OK to stack them on top of each other)
Cover the rolls with Campbells tomato soup. (One large can will do)

Cook at 350 degrees for a few hours.  Serve with catsup or sour cream as you prefer.  Actually better the next day.

[Jumper]

dnied said

BTW, for those of you with experience, how do the ladies like spicy food?

a bit off topic as i've no recipe,

when my wife first moved here, she thought i was completey crazy in what spicey stuff i would eat !!! insane is a better description of what she found my mental state to be..
(and no i do not like crazy hot stuff,but i do really enjoy thai and mexican fare)


Now , to her credit, she would most always try  something new,
as she is typically adventerous with foods,
but would almost always find it crazy hot, terrible,
 and wonder at my mental state for liking such! lol
(and it was pretty mild items )
even some rather typical Italian fare.. that had a mild kick..would be cosidered foolishly hot and spicy


To put that all that in context ,
It should be noted that *Ice* would certainly kill you dead as well,
 and drinks should not be consumed *iced*

Now if you had a cold,  and would additionally tempt fate by drinking iced tea!!
well  ou were quite off your rocker ,and just not thinking of the welfare of your family without your presense on earth any longer!


Fast foward to now,
one of her favorite restuarants of all time, is a local Mexican place that is of course amercanized , but holds onto to traditional Mexican dishes very well.
She likes most of the menu.
They have some seafood dishes that are spicy, but outstanding,
and being a RW of course the fish or seafood dishes get the most attention!!

well those, and the iced Margaritas which seem to be not only perfectly safe,
but quite tasty .... how times change..
go figure. lol!!

She also LOVES a good medium or med. rare steak! 
something she found quite bizaare to eat when she first moved here.LOL!

Restuarant doggie bags  were initially  a strange  thing as well..


I do enjoy cooking myself,
(and during my time in ukraine i prepared her dinners at my flat much like in the TR that spawned this thread)
  I'm lucky, as my wife is an excellent cook of both traditional eastern european dishes and new things she has tried here (italian, Mexican, etc etc)and truly enjoys making us a daily big complete dinner ,homemade soup ,salad ,main course,
always served in a restuarant style presentation with the approriate plate garnishments etc --  she takes great pride in it, and always a thought to a healthy balanced diet..
(a perfectionist at heart, and a bit OCD honestly lol!!
 and that runs into the house cleaning and complete spotlessness of our home as well, though she feels it is not to her mothers stringent standards)

 It's a bit funny , as at one point in time her mother stated-
"AJchik ,you're a very good man. Why do you want to marry Tanechka? she simply cannot cook, she cannot clean a house properly, I will find for you a great girl to marry!
 
To be fair to her mother, (who is truly OCD about cleaning )
my wife had not much previous cooking experience and never much interest in it.
She simply had never done so , as she was working /providing,
and babushka or her mother were the cooks.
once trying her hand at it  here,  she found all these great recipes from her family,
 and a fondness for making and trying new ones. 

Which amazingly now includes some fairly spicey stuff!!



**********************

As far as your trip to Ukraine or Russia,
if you have a fairly adventurous pallate like mine,
you'll find some pretty good dishes, and enjoy the differences ,
but likely find that overall the food is a bit bland and lacks spice.
Mayonasse and sour cream are staples in many dishes.
Also they do not seem to reserve breakfast for "tradsitional" breakfast dishes really.
It wouldnt be unusual to have a slice of bread with a half inch of butter and caviar or salmi on top for bereakfast.
you are unlikely to see toast, peanut butter, or many other familiar things,
(no big deal ,just little differences you'll note , perhaps)


For myself i enjoyed the fish dishes , blinini, parogi's, the many salads(
 (many are maynosse based though so a bit heavy )
and  the soups,
(surlanka, borsht, and a cold dill soup are my favs, as well as one fish based soup)
(but it would be strange if crackers were served with  your soup,
 and a dollop of sour cream in your borsht a nessesity,
again very small  differences)

Corn is served cold,
salted dried fish a delicacy
(it looks like a bluegill someone threw up on the bank for a few days and decided to salt and sell)

you'll no doubt enjoy things, but be prepared for the differences and bon appetite!


ohh and stay away from that PECTOPAH chain of restuarants..  LOL!
they are all different and the quality of the place ,and the food , varies too much!
 
::::::::::::::::sarcasm alert, as we did have a guy warn of that years ago on another forum, it was so funny that i dont think anyone of the people that knew better,  ever corrected him? :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

My best recipe?

1 happy RW singing away in the kitchen
1(or more) children laughing and playing in the backgroumd
1 table, several chairs
2 (or more) helpings of appreciation for all parties involved efforts.
 mix ,or heat any kind of thing, that is in the refridgarator or cabinets accordingly.
1 toast (or more lol ) in russian or english, or both, your choice.


enjoy...

[KenC]

This used to be a difficult thing to make when you had to crush the graham crackers, mix with butter and form your own pie crust.  Now that the pre-made crusts are available every where, it is easy and good.  Make two, because on will disappear instantly.

C family’s cheese cake

8 ounces cream cheese

½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon vanilla

dash of salt

(2) eggs

Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add rest of ingredients (except eggs) Mix well, Add (1) egg at a time. Mix well. Pour into crust and bake for 30 minuets at 325 degrees.

1 cup of sour cream

2 tablespoons of sugar

½ tablespoon of vanilla

Mix and top cake.  Bake for 10  minutes at 325 degrees.  Cool and then refridgerate.

[Kuna]

My Solyanka

7 Dill Pickles - cut lengthwise twice, and quartered
1 onion finely chopped
1 (good) tablespoon of Tomato Paste (go on.. throw in some more for good measure)
6 or 7 Capers
2 Bay leaves
2 medium potatoes (diced to about 1cm cubes)
3 Carrots (diced to about 1cm cubes)
Cooked Meat (as much as you want) cubed to small bite sized pieces. Can be anything - Ham, beef, chicken...  or leave it out to make it even healthier!
1.5 litres of Beef Stock

- Fry onions in a little oil until soft
- Add Dill Pickles, Capers, Bay Leaf and a little of the beef stock. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the rest of the beef stock, carrots and potatoes and simmer until tender.

Serve with a good dollup of Smetana.



This is a regular in our home and the only thing I cook that my wife says is "as good as Mama's". A big compliment indeed!

It's quick and easy... and pretty healthy too!

Enjoy!

[SANDRO43]

Bake for 10 minutes at 325 degrees.

°F or °C ?

[2tallbill]

My Cioppino

I never measure anything but I will try to guesstimate.

In a huge pot

Pour in a couple or three large cans of chicken soup broth
2 large cans of tomato sauce
1 large onion diced
4 tomato's diced
several cloves of garlic
several tablespoons of paprika
a quarter cup of parsley flakes or you can finely chop up a bunch or two
Live clams at least a pound or so
Live mussels at least a pound or so
a pound (at least) of peeled deveined shrimp
a pound of (at least) scallops
several large crab legs with shell
at least three fish fillets of a firm fish like tuna, swordfish, shark, etc sauteed in olive oil till golden
then cut into 1 inch squares and throw it into the pot.
you can add other fish as well but a flaky fleshed fish like a cod for example with explode (not bad actually I have done it)
into thousands of pieces and you wont recognize it, but it's still good.

salt to taste
Pepper to taste (more is usually better) maybe several tablespoons
Red pepper to taste

cook at very slow boil for 3 hours (at least) check stir and sample often
(about the time it takes to drink a 16 oz piva (beer) is about right)
add more garlic add more pepper as needed during stirring sessions

It always tastes better on the second day.

Serve with hot baked bread or buy some Freedom bread at the store and heat it up.
I usually serve it with Chardonnay brought by others (so they will be invited back next time I make it)
It takes all day and costs some green backs but the sated look on everyones face (and your own)
is worth it.

Most people don't put in enough pepper and sometimes I add a little bit of basil depending on my mood

Bill

[Bruno]

Since we are in the "pasta", my own recipes...

- dsc00423 : 500 gr smoked bacon
- dsc00424 : 1 kg sheep sausage
- dsc00426 : 1 kg paprika ( red, yellow and green )
- dsc00427 : 2.5 kg vegetable ( leek, Brussels sprouts, carrot, turnip )
- dsc00428 : 1 kg onion

1 liter milk cream, black peper, sea salt, garlic, origan, marjoram, dill, parsley, basil

- dsc00429 : final result

- dsc00430 : used with tricolor Tortelli ( top of the photo ) ... white are usual pasta, red are with tomato, green are with spinach... 500 gr sauce for 1 kg pasta...

Yep, i make a big quantity in one time... i frooze the box of 500 gr for later use...

[SANDRO43]

Bruno, your recipe is a textbook demostration of how national culinary tastes may differ . From an Italian perspective, there are way too many and possibly confusing flavours in that preparation, we prefer to keep our pasta dishes simpler .

[2tallbill]

Bruno, your recipe is a textbook demostration of how national culinary tastes may differ . From an Italian perspective, there are way too many and possibly confusing flavours in that preparation, we prefer to keep our pasta dishes simpler .

Like Bruno my tastes are eclectic and often put different things into a dish. I remember one time in Italy (Venice I think), I asked the woman to put a little more sauce in the pasta. It seemed as if I asked to sleep with her teenage daughter. She said NO!!! this is how you get it. My Italian friend was embarrassed that I asked. In the States it is prepared (usually) how you want it. If you ask to have a scoop of ice cream in the middle of your pasta they will say (for two scoops is only a dollar extra)

Another time I was in Trevisso (spelled wrong I think) and they came out with two after dinner drinks. A coffee drink and an ice cream drink. Being an ugly American I mixed the two together (everyone knows ice cream and coffee go together) and if I took a whiz in the middle of the table I would have offended them less.

Sometimes simple is perfect to my pallet and sometimes I want something zesty or spicy or different. Sometimes I mix together things that should never be put together on this earth and cook a dish that nobody (even myself) can eat.

Take care,

Bill

I am still looking for a good family borscht recipe

[SANDRO43]

Another time I was in Trevisso (spelled wrong I think)

Only an extra s, Bill .

As I mentioned, tastes are VERY subjective, culturally-related and, basically, dependant on the ingredients/materials locally available. One has much more to choose from in a temperate/tropical climate than, say, in a cold climate like Northern Europe or Russia. When I first visited Denmark and inquired about their cuisine, I was initially disappointed in being told that their national dish is the smörgåsbord, an open half-sandwich with very little on it, usually laks (salmon) and some greens. However, in time I learned to appreciate the delicacy of some variants.

My point is that a lot of contrasting ingredients may obscure some delicate flavours, and make you miss something, as for instance in my experience with fish in Florida, which often came served with corn and sliced champignons and beets , which, to me, made no sense at all. 

[SANDRO43]

As an example of delicate flavours, I'll give you the recipe for one of my favourite fish dishes, branzino al sale (salt-baked sea bass):

INGREDIENTS (for 2):
- 1 sea bass (weight about 1 kg)
- 1-2 kg coarse sea salt
- 1 lemon
- 2 sprigs of rosemary or thyme
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 tablespoonfuls of diced parsley
- Salt, pepper, olive oil

PREPARATION:
Open the lower part of the bass, remove its internal organs and wash in fresh water, insert lemon juice, parsley, rosemary/thyme, garlic, salt, pepper. Put the lot into a suitably-sized pot and cover it with a half-inch thick layer of sea salt, bake at 200°C for about 30 minutes, then remove the hardened salt crust, fillet the fish and pour some olive oil on it. Serve with NO mayonnaise (and no ketchup, either !)

Surprisingly, it's not salty at all: one of the functions of the salt layer (hygroscopic) is to remove some of the bass internal humidity .

[Bruno]

Bruno, your recipe is a textbook demostration of how national culinary tastes may differ . From an Italian perspective, there are way too many and possibly confusing flavours in that preparation, we prefer to keep our pasta dishes simpler .

It is not about "national culinary taste" but more about personal taste !!! I have not a kitchen in my home, i call these place a laboratory where i make some experiment with food...

So, it is not about confusing flavours... but more creating new one by mixing some other...

By example, a lot of people think that "curry" is a spice... wrong, it is a mix... Basic ingredient from the "curry" spice are coriander, turmeric, cumin, and fenugreek ... and secondary ingredient who can be added are ginger, garlic, fennel seed, cinnamon, clove, mustard seed, green cardamom, black cardamom, mace, nutmeg, red pepper, long pepper, and black pepper...

[coco]

Since we are in the "pasta", my own recipes...

- dsc00423 : 500 gr smoked bacon
- dsc00424 : 1 kg sheep sausage
- dsc00426 : 1 kg paprika ( red, yellow and green )
- dsc00427 : 2.5 kg vegetable ( leek, Brussels sprouts, carrot, turnip )
- dsc00428 : 1 kg onion

1 liter milk cream, black peper, sea salt, garlic, origan, marjoram, dill, parsley, basil

- dsc00429 : final result

- dsc00430 : used with tricolor Tortelli ( top of the photo ) ... white are usual pasta, red are with tomato, green are with spinach... 500 gr sauce for 1 kg pasta...

Yep, i make a big quantity in one time... i frooze the box of 500 gr for later use...

Et la carbonade flamande?

[KenC]

Like Bruno my tastes are eclectic and often put different things into a dish. I remember one time in Italy (Venice I think), I asked the woman to put a little more sauce in the pasta. It seemed as if I asked to sleep with her teenage daughter. She said NO!!! this is how you get it. My Italian friend was embarrassed that I asked. In the States it is prepared (usually) how you want it. If you ask to have a scoop of ice cream in the middle of your pasta they will say (for two scoops is only a dollar extra)

Another time I was in Trevisso (spelled wrong I think) and they came out with two after dinner drinks. A coffee drink and an ice cream drink. Being an ugly American I mixed the two together (everyone knows ice cream and coffee go together) and if I took a whiz in the middle of the table I would have offended them less.

Sometimes simple is perfect to my pallet and sometimes I want something zesty or spicy or different. Sometimes I mix together things that should never be put together on this earth and cook a dish that nobody (even myself) can eat.

Take care,

Bill

I am still looking for a good family borscht recipe

Bill,
You don't have to cross the pond to get such "attitude" from a restaurant.  Years ago, while in Boston, I took my family to Legal Seafood which was recommended as the best seafood place in Boston.  It was kind of a dumpy place with the kitchen open to the dinning area.  The seafood pasta was served right in large frying pans.  My ex wife tried to order milk to drink when she was informed by the waitress "we do not serve milk here.  We happen to think it does not go well with what we cook!"

BTW, the food was GREAT!
KenC

[dneid]

Now this thread is getting the legs I was hoping for.  I will get round to posting the fajita marinade in the near future.  I just found and fixed for my kids a "taco pot pie" that was great.  Found the recipe at my local grocery store (HEB for us Texans).  Fairly simple to make and we loved it.  I'll find it and post it as well.  Keep 'em coming guys!!