Dining & Fun Italian Cuisine tour

Be Gentle with The Planet ... Go Green

El Paso Culinary Virtual Magazine

Italian Food Whats Makes Italian Food Italian Is Pizza Italian Food?

Perfect Pasta From the Hearth Of your Kitchen

Healthier Options at Popular Restaurant Chains -Bilingual Back To School In The Bag - Simple, Nutritive & Nutritive Recipes

Virtual Magazine

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2009

Aug-Sept 2009

Explore Italian Food Editorial 4 What Makes Italian Food Italian 6 Is Pizza italian Food 8 Italian Cheese 9 Italian Breads 10 Healthier Options at Popular Restaurant Chains Bilingual 12-14 Back To School in The Bag 15-17 Mix It Up wiht Jenny 18-19 From The Hearth of Your Kitchen 20-21 Cuisine of Northern Italy 22 Cuisine of Southern Italy 23 Perfect Pasta 24 Fettuccine Alfreso 27

Righteous Risotto 28 Great Gnocchi 29 Sauces of Sicily 30 Marinara, Plain and Fancy 31 Super Soups 32 Terrific Tiramisu 34 A La Carte 36 RECIPES Neapolitan Pizza 8 These recipes have been reviewed by the American Diabetes Association.

Turkey and Apple Roll-Up 16 Apricot Turkey Sandwich 16 Supreme Sandwich With Turkey, Ham & Roast Beef 17 Chicken Salad Tarragon Wrap 18 Golden Classic Chicken Salad 18

Oatmeal Scotchies 19 Chiles Rellenos al Horno 20 Tortitas De Pavo 20 Granola 20 Steak Tartara 21 Cassata 22 Vegetarian Lasagna 24 Fettucine Alfredo 27 Milanese Risotto 28 Spinash Gnocchi 29 Tomato Gonocchi 29 Gnocchi from Scratch 29 Onion and Garlic Sicilian Sauce 30 Sicilian Lentil Salsa 30 Marinara Sauce 31 Minestrone Veronese 32 Traditional Wedding Soup 32 Zuppa Jota 32 Tiramissu 33

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Explore Italian Food

drenched land. But once the world finds out, there will be no holding back the hordes eager to invade to get them. You can have, if you wish, a plain old et ready for a dining adven- marinara. But try it Sicilian style ture. Italian food is being and you may abandon old tradisought. You won’t want to miss tions forever to start a new one. out. Before you set sail to seek out culinary perfection, explore Italian bread is another of an Italian dish. those less well-known highlights

G

You may prefer the traditional foods that everyone associates with this lovely country.

But which tradition?

To m a t o sauce and pasta - the quintessential Southern Italian ingredients - no doubt have their fans, and those people are found all over the world.

Where could you go and not find pizza? But, the Northern Italian dishes - heavy on the butter, skip the olive oil, and make it creamy - are served from New York to New Dehli. Yes, you can go to India and get Fettucine Alfredo any time you want.

of Italian cuisine. Sure, you’ve probably had some Focaccia. But when was the last time you went to the store or restaurant and picked out Piadina or clutched at a Ciabatta?

Let’s not forget about NaYou’ll need some cheese to poleon’s birthplace either. Sicil- go with that bread, and for the ian sauces are one of the best hundreds of Italian dishes you kept culinary secrets of this sun- have yet to explore like a fine ri4 Explore Italian Food Editorial

sotto. You may be under the impression that the French have more to offer here. Think again.

Go beyond the Gorgonzola and embrace a fine Fontina for your fonduta and you may change your mind. Try an Abbamare from the sunny island of Sardinia if you’re not fully con-

vinced yet. Sooner or later, you just can’t help but regard Italian cheeses as the equal of their cousins to the north.

While you’re trying to decide, you might get hungry. A little Gnocchi can help stave off those hunger pangs. These potato dumplings are great for a snack, or as part of a larger

dish. They even make for a great addition to any of dozens of zuppa (soup) recipes. Once the Minestrone Veronese is served you’ll be too busy thinking about how wonderful you feel to worry about it anymore.

But, hey, no one says you can’t have a plain old pizza.

This dish from Naples, with ingredients as far flung as tomatoes from Spain (by way of the New World) and flatbread from Greece, is now popular the world over. Of course, you may be surprised to learn that it isn’t just California that has found a hundred new ways to make it.

That innovation started in the old country when every sailor decided to try his hand at making something to take on the long sea voyage.

So, get ready for new adventures in cooking and dining. Italian food is about to be served...

Ex-

T

he question posed by the title may seem puzzling. The answer would have to be that the dish originates from Italy, wouldn’t it? Yes, or maybe it has to do with what ingredients are used. Or, what spices. Or, what it is served with. Or...

You see? That question may not be so easy to answer after all. So, let’s take the easy way out and just say “All of the above, and then some”.

Take the ingredients. Shellfish, tomatoes and pasta in the south, drenched with olive oil.

Fish, fowl and farm animals, and native vegetables in the north, made creamy with butter. But even here, those regional differences are not unique to Italy, much less within Italy.

Migration inside the sections of this lovely country have mixed and matched dishes by the score. Influences from other countries played a role, too.

In the north, the proximity to France has shown up in dozens of dishes. In the south, the conquest by Arab cultures centuries ago left a mark on Italian cuisine that persists to this day.

Most Italian dishes, to be sure, originated in Italy. Most of them are centuries old, after all.

The great Italian immigration to America began around the turn of the 20th century and many dishes from ‘the old country’ didn’t become popular here until after WWII. Returning soldiers brought many things back, not least of which were many Italian brides, including recipes from all 6 What Makes Italian Food Italiantorial

the regions of that grand country.

But even modern dishes like Tiramisu are completely Italian in character. Who (besides the French, maybe) would think to combine ladyfingers with coffee and cognac and make it, not a snack with a drink on a tray, but a dessert that mixes them all together?

That inventiveness is a major part of what makes Italian food Italian.

Sure, oregano and basil give a flavor that is strongly associated with that country’s cuisine. The tomatoes and pasta over which those seasonings are spread are the essence of southern Italian cuisine. But tomatoes only came into Italy in the 16th century (from the New World, as it happens) and pasta came from Asia. Long before the Renaissance, Italian food had a distinctive character. Even those spices are used by many other cultures.

No, it’s not just the origins or the ingredients - though they’re admittedly a significant part of the final result. It’s the sheer ingenuity that can take the simplest list of foods and spices and create a masterpiece that takes Italian food to its mighty pinnacle. That culinary Everest is truly what makes Italian food Italian.

What Makes Italian Food Italiantorial 7

Is Pizza Italian Food?

P

izza is one of the most popular foods in the world. It is eaten in just about every country, and in many of them it's consumed by the score every year.

It is considered one of the basic Italian dishes. But is pizza really Italian? It depends...

It is beyond reasonable doubt that pizza did spread to the world from Naples, Italy.

There, someone had the idea to take a traditional flatbread and top it with a tomato sauce and cheese, the basic ingredients of pizza. There it was enjoyed by people of modest means, sailors (from which the word 'marinara' comes), and many others who sought a filling, inexpensive meal.

But the origins of many aspects lie much further back.

The flatbread itself is probably the product of Greece. It was not a far journey for the sailors of that ancient land to cross the Mediterranean to southern Italy.

Pizza traveled well on the voyage and they brought their recipes with them to their neighbor to the north.

Tomatoes were brought to Italy by 16h century Spanish explorers, returning from the New World. During that century this red fruit ('vegetable' is a culinary term, not a scientific one) was looked on with amazement, but not thought of as edible. Eventually, some unknown clever chef

had the idea of mashing and 1 tsp salt cooking it.

1 cup water 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

The first known pizzeria, still in operation today, opened Preparation: its doors in 1830 in Naples. Before long, visitors ran the gamut Microwave the water for 1 of poor sailors and royalty. At the minute and set aside. Pour the time, it was common for young flower into a medium-sized bowl male aristocrats to enter the (you want to have a good sized Navy as officers. That brought mound) and mix with sugar and them into contact with the 'mari- salt. Then make a small valley in nara'. the center. Into the valley, pour the yeast. Then pour on the wa During the 19th century, ter slowly and top with olive oil. pizza spread with the large im- Let it rest a minute, then mix migration of Italians to America, thoroughly. Knead and roll flat England, and elsewhere. Natu- on a large board. rally, the innovation literally and figuratively piled on to this dish Now, onto the pizza! took off rapidly. As far back as 1870 it was common to add Ingredients: oregano, basil, olives, and other toppings to the new country's fa- Pizza dough (from above, or vorite Italian food. prepared) 1 14 oz can Italian tomatoes

Near the end of the 19th 2 tbsp olive oil century the Italians themselves 2 large cloves garlic kept changing the dish. In Bo- 2 tbsp dried oregano logna, the city in the north from 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese which we get the name for that 1 1/2 cups Mozzarella cheese meat, they added their namesake topping. It soon became a Preparation: favorite of the Queen.

Grate the Parmesan and But crown or commoner, pizza slice the Mozzarella. Crush the remains a favorite around the garlic. Dice half the tomatoes globe. Here's one sample of finely and puree the rest for 30 why... seconds in a blender. Spread tomato sauce, then the tomatoes Neapolitan Pizza onto the dough, then top with cheeses and spices.

If you want to make your own dough, it isn't hard.

The results turn out best when you have a large brick Ingredients: oven. If not, make do with an ordinary one. Cook at 450F/230C 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour for about 10-15 minutes.

1 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp yeast Enjoy!

Is Pizza Italian Food 9

Italian Cheese

D

e Gaulle famously declared once, referring to France: "How can you govern a country with two hundred and forty six cheeses?" But Italy is no slouch when it comes to this delectable dairy food. That should be no big surprise, since Italy is a land of many regions and even includes two major islands.

The Abbamare comes from Sardinia, one of those major islands. A semi-soft style, it is a delightful blend of sheep's milk and cow's milk. That's not a combination you see often in the supermarket. For another offering from this sundrenched island, try some Formaggio Marcio. Made from sheep's milk, it's soft and mellow. But, beware! It's not for everyone, since it often contains live insect larvae who actually produce the texture.

Another cheese that works great in dishes like Tiramisu, a dessert cake is Mascarpone.

Made from the cream skimmed off milk, this white, creamy treat is super as a spread, too. Take care, though.

With a fat content nearly 75% a little goes a long way.

For something cheesy but quite a bit lower in fat content, try a little Romano. A frequent contributor to a great Italian recipe, it has only 27% fat content.

But don't let that low number fool you. It is all taste.

You might see it labled as Pecorino Romano, but pecorino is nothing more than a label for any cheese made from sheep's milk. Mmmm.... smooooothhhh.

The other major island is Sicily and it has many native cheeses to offer, including Ainuzzi. This delicious concoction of cow's milk made in Want something with a little Cammarata is definitely something to write home about... more zing? How about a goat's milk cheese? Caprino is the pereven if you live in Sicily. fect choice, then. Nothing can You can eat many Italian compare to a Caprino fresca cheeses just as they are or use for fresh, tangy flavor. With its them in cooking. Fontina is a brownish or reddish tinge (Reprime example. It offers hints mella or Cavalese style) it also of honey that will make your adds a bit of color to the table. fonduta stand out, or it can be Of course, who hasn't heard served as is for dessert. Melt it over some Italian crackers of Parmesan, or as it's known loand you may just want to skip cally, Parmigiano? Hailing from northern Italy, it works great gratlunch entirely.

10 Cheese and Bread

ed over spaghetti, as everyone in the world knows by now. But it is also terrific in small chunks on a cracker. With its slightly tart flavor, it can satisfy that craving for salty taste like none other.

For another well-known variety, let's not forget about the mighty Gorgonzola. It may sound like a movie monster, but this blue-veined Italian cheese is really a puppy. A wonderful smell, but with a bit of bite. Hailing from Piedmont and the mountains of Lombardy, it is a northern delight that gourmets the world over can enjoy.

Try some Italian cheese and you will never again think it is

Italian Breads

B

est known for pastabased dishes, there is a category of Italian food that

should never be overlooked by those seeking great taste: Italian breads. Bread is an ancient food and nowhere has that fact been more evident than in this sun-drenched land. Come explore some of the many options...

Focaccia is perhaps the best known Italian bread, and for good reason. For those who love a tangy, spicy bread, there is notht

only a poor cousin to the French. ing to compare. Seasoned with olive oil and herbs like basil and oregano, it is simply delicious.

somewhat. In Tuscany, the crust is crunchy as befits those hardy, sun-drenched folks. When made from biga, as it is near Lake Cuomo, the interior is fluffy and soft.

Focaccia is prepared in a way much like its cousin, the ubiquitous pizza. But this flat bread takes on whole new dimensions.

It’s rolled out and pressed by hand, then baked in a stone oven. Slicing the top during baking is common, since this removes bubbles and allows for the addition of spices and oil during the process, which helps preserve interior moisture.

From Romagna comes a delightful flat bread called Piadina truly deserving of the name. Almost like an Arab pan bread or a Mexican tortilla, it is dry but delicious. Lard (such as stutto), hot water, and unbleached flour are mixed and flattened with a rolling pin. Then the dough is fried in a skillet until ready to eat, about 3-4 minutes.

Breadsticks, of course, are a ‘specialty of the house’ no matter what house you are fortunate enough to visit in Italy. There are a thousand different recipes, of course, as every region and indeed every chef has a favorite style. The easiest way is to start with breadstick dough and brush on a bit of egg, then bake at 375F/190C for about 15 minutes.

Then sprinkle on some mozzarella.

For those looking for bitesized bread options, there is always the croissant-style Cornetti. The dough is flattend, cut into triangles, then brushed with egg (and maybe butter) and rolled. A bit of sugar often turns a plain bread into a dessert-like treat. It’s baked at 350F/175C for about 20 minutes, then consumed with delight.

Of course, for an actual dessert, there are always Panini Dolci alla Cannella, a type of cinnamon rolls. A bit of potato flakes are often added to give them a bit more airy substance.

Almonds make for a delightful addition, and naturally the whole assembly is sprinkled with cinnamon and smothered in sugar near the end of the baking cycle.

Ciabatta is a delightfully different creature altogether. More Whatever suits your fancy like a traditional loaf, with lots there is an Italian bread that will of holes inside, it is the perfect tickle your tastebuds and fill your tool for sopping up olive oil or belly. eating plain. It is made all over Italy and regional styles vary Cheese and Bread 11

Special Section

Bilingual Article

Opciones mas sa-

ludables en populares cadenas de restaurantes

Lo que se conoce como

salir a comer afuera se ha convertido en un pasatiempo nacional. Independientemente de que se trate del desayuno, el almuerzo o la cena en un restaurante, el refran “el que mucho come mucho engorda” se estatransformando en un problema creciente. La mayor’a de los restaurantes de comida rapida y los convencionales ofrecen una gama de alimentos que hace subir la balanza en terminos de contenido de calorias, grasas y sodio. Sin embargo, hay maneras de comer de forma saludable en un restaurante. Si debemos ser mas precavidos con lo que seleccionamos.

A continuacion, algunas opciones de comidas que puede considerar, en lugar de otros platos del menu que, aunque son sabrosos, perjudican la salud.

COMIDA RAPIDA

La comida rapida es, para

muchos, conveniente y deliciosa. Sin embargo, se caracteriza por un alto contenido de grasa y sodio.

Considere estas selecciones mas saludables

1. Subway(R): Esta 12 Eating Healthy

cadena de sandwiches se ha ganado el prestigio durante anos por sus selecciones saludables de menœ “Eat Fresh”. Existen muchas opciones en el menœ con una cantidad razonable de calor’as y gramos de grasa de 10 o menos. Una de las mas recientes es el Tuscan Chicken Melt con 370 calor’as y 9 gramos de grasa.

2. Taco Bell(R): La popular cadena de comida del Suroeste ofrece platos que pueden ser saludables, siempre y cuando se eviten algunos de los condimentos (como el guacamole y la crema agria). Pruebe dos Ranchera Chicken Soft Tacos, con solo 340 calorias y 8 gramos de grasa.

3. Wendy’s(R): Si es asiduo visitante de esta cadena de hamburguesas, puede optar por una taza de chili y una papa asada con crema agria y cebollinos, que solo le aportaran 10 gramos de grasa y 370 calorias. En los restaurantes de hamburguesas, tambien se pueden reducir la grasa y las calor’as seleccionando una hamburguesa tamano “Jr.” en vez de las opciones de comida en paquete que no son saludables. Estas hamburguesas junior se corresponden mas con una racion apropiada que las comidas para adultos.

4. McDonald’s(R): Es probable que McDonald’s este reformulando sus opciones saludables para ninos.

Sin embargo, los adultos siguen limitados a unas pocas opciones. Aparte de

la ensalada (sin el aderezo con alto contenido de grasa) otra opcion podra ser el sandwich de pollo de primera a la parrilla, con 420 calor’as y 10 gramos de grasa.

5. Burger King(R): Cuando comemos en Burger King, una de las opciones mas saludables es el Tendergrill Chicken Sandwich (sin mayonesa), con 380 calorias y 7 gramos de grasa.

CADENAS DE RESTAURANTES CONVENCIONALES

Quiere llevar a la familia

a comer afuera, o disfrutar de una noche de ocio con sus amigos? Las cadenas de restaurantes locales son opciones populares para una noche de diversion y buena comida. Sin embargo, probablemente le estan ofreciendo mas de lo que usted piensa en terminos de grasa y calorias. Busque en el menu las areas de “smart menu” o “dining light” para seleccionar opciones mas saludables.

1. Applebees(R): Opte por el “Weight Watchers(R) Menu” de Applebees para encontrar opciones con desglose cal— rico y de grasa, asi como una conversion al sistema de “puntos” del popular plan de perdida de peso. Puede disfrutar del Garlic Herb

n Eating Helthy Chicken, por ejemplo, con 370 visita a la seccion de ensaladas -----calorias y 6 gramos de grapodra ser una opcion mas saEnglish Version sa. ludable, siempre y cuando opte 2. T.G.I. Friday’s(R): El por aderezos con bajo conteniHealthier Options at menœ “Right Portion, Right do de calorias.

Price” de la cadena abrir el 6. The Cheesecake Factory(R): Popular Restaurant camino para porciones mas Porciones enormes, un menœ Chains pequenas a menos precio. de dimensiones novedoTambien cuentan con una sas, y sus deliciosos postres seccion “Better for You” en pueden ser la perdicion de Dining out has become a el menœ, con comidas que muchos comensales de este national pastime. Whether you no contienen mas de 500 popular restaurante. Pero una enjoy breakfast, lunch or dincalorias y 10 gramos de nueva seleccion de menos, ner out on the town, the adage grasa por racion.

Weight Management Grilled of “what passes through the lips,

3. Chili’s(R): Busque opChicken(TM), es una opcion turns up on the hips” is becomciones saludables en la seccion mejor. ing a growing problem. Most “Guiltless Grill” de Chilis, como Si le dedica tiempo a hacer su fast food restaurants and sitGuiltless Grilled Salmon, con investigacion y lee atentamente down convenience restaurants 480 calorias y 14 gramos de las paginas del menœ de las offer a bevy of foods that tip the grasa, gran parte de la scales in terms cual proviene de los imof calorie, fat portantes acidos grasos and sodium omega 3 del pescado. content. But

4. Outback there still are Steakhouse(R): ways to dine Outback es conocido healthy when por sus platos con alto eating out. You contenido de grasa, just have to be como el Bloomin’ Onion more cautious y las Kookaburra Wings. in your selecSin embargo, tiene tions. opciones nuevas en su Here are some menu como “Healthy meal options Weight Loss”, “Heartyou may want Healthy Diet” y “High to consider in Protein, Low Carbolieu of unIf you’re watching your waistline, you may want to skip the burgers and fries at popular hydrate”. Una visita al healthy, albeit restaurant chains. Many now offer menu sections featuring healthier meal options with less fat sitio Web del restaurant tasty, options and fewer calories. le ofrecera sugerencias on the menu. acerca de como lograr que los platos regulares del cadenas de restaurantes de Fast Food menœ de la cadena sean mas comida rapida y convencionaFast food is convenient and saludables, pidiendo que no les les locales, podra encontrar delicious to many. However, it is pongan aderezo, o que no los opciones mas saludables que notorious for boasting high fat cocinen con mantequilla. impiden un aumento de peso and sodium contents. Consider

5. Ruby Tuesday’s(R): y mejoran su estado de salud these healthier selections.

Esta cadena cuenta con nugeneral.

1. Subway(R): This merosos platos abundantes en sandwich chain has been makCortesia de la Universidad John Hopkins. calor’as (incluso el Ruby Minis ing waves for years with their tiene 1,122 calorias), pero una healthy “Eat Fresh” menu selecEating Healthy13

Special Section tions. There are many options on the menu that come in at reasonable calorie counts and fat grams of 10 or less. New is the Tuscan Chicken Melt with 370 calories and 9 grams of fat.

2. Taco Bell(R): The popular southwestern food chain offers items that can be healthier, provided you skip some of the condiments (think guacamole and sour cream).

Try two Ranchera Chicken Soft Tacos for only 340 calories and 8 grams of fat.

3.

Wendy’s(R): If you’re hitting this burger chain, you can look to their value menu for a cup of chilli and a baked potato with sour cream and chives, which will only set you back 10 grams of fat and 370 calories. At burger restaurants, you can also shave off fat and calories by selecting a “Jr.” sized burger instead of the unhealthy packaged meal options. Those junior burgers are much more in line with the appropriate serving size than the “adult” meals.

4. McDonald’s(R): McDonald’s may be revamping their healthy options for children. However, adults are still limited to a few options. Apart from a salad (skip the high-fat dressing) another option could be the premium grilled chicken sandwich at 420 calories and 10 grams of fat.

5. Burger King(R): When dining out at Burger King, one of the healthier options is the Tendergrill Chicken Sandwich 14 Eating Healthy

(minus the mayo), which is 380 calories and 7 grams of fat.

Slow-Food Restaurant Chains

Taking the family out for a meal

or enjoying a night out with friends? Restaurant chains in the area are popular choices for a night of fun and good food.

However, they could be offering you more than you bargained for in terms of fat and calories.

Look for the “smart menu” or “dining light” areas of the menu for healthier options.

1. Applebees(R): Look to Applebees’ “Weight Watchers(R) Menu” for healthy meal options that offer caloric and fat breakdowns, as well as conversion to the “points” system of the popular weight loss plan. You can enjoy Garlic Herb Chicken, for example, for 370 calories and 6 grams of fat.

2. T.G.I. Friday’s(R): The chain’s “Right Portion, Right Price” menu paved the way for smaller portions at lower prices.

They also have a “Better for You” section of the menu with meals that contain no more than 500 calories and 10 grams of fat per serving.

3. Chili’s(R): Look to Chili’s “Guiltless Grill” menu section for healthy options, like

Guiltless Grilled Salmon at 480 calories and 14 grams of fat, most of which come from the important omega fatty acids of the fish.

4. Outback Steakhouse(R): The Outback has been known for high-fat items, such as its Bloomin’ Onion and Kookaburra Wings.

However, new to the menu are “Healthy Weight Loss,” “HeartHealthy Diet,” and “High Protein, Low Carbohydrate” choices. A visit to the restaurant’s Web site offers suggestions on how to make the chain’s regular menu items healthier by asking for garnishes to be removed or to have the food cooked without butter.

5. Ruby Tuesday’s(R): This chain has a lot of calorieladen foods (even the Ruby Minis have 1,122 calories), but a visit to the salad bar could be a much healthier option, provided you choose a low-calorie dressing.

6. The Cheesecake Factory(R): Large portions, a novel-sized menu and delicious desserts can make this popular restaurant the downfall of many individuals. A new menu selection, Weight Management Grilled Chicken(TM), is a better option.

If you take the time to do a little research and page through the menus of area restaurant chains and fast food establishments you can find healthier options that are better for the waistline and overall health.

-courtesy of John’s Hopkins University

n Eating Helthy

Keep the family athlete fueled up for practice with a hearty Supreme Sandwich With Turkey, Ham & Roast Beef.

Back-to-School brims with new beginnings even though the old routines are still valued, such as putting together the daily school lunch. Kids develop new tastes and interests as they grow and change during the summer months, so by the fall, something as favorite as a trusted PB&J combo seems downright boring.

It’s time to brighten up those brown-bag goodies with some simple changes. Jazz up all your child’s favorites by thinking through bread choices

and complementary condiments. Slice some apples for that PB&J sandwich and put them between raisin bread or cranberry-walnut slices.

A plain turkey sandwich with plain mayo might also make eyes roll this season, so consider the wide range of interesting deli meats available today. Try combining maple glazed honey turkey or ham with Munster on a soft roll. Add a smear of cranberry jelly and a sprinkle of sunflower seeds for crunch. Deli meats are also flavored with

hickory smoke, Cajun spices and even South-of-the-border peppers for the more adventurous young palates.

Here are more tips for pepping up lunches and snacks that travel to school or are enjoyed at home:

Add color and texture — orange carrot sticks and green grapes brighten the meal while whole wheat pretzels and crackers add crunch. Slip green pepper slices inside a wrap or sandwich — kids will eat healthier without realizing it!

Eating Healthy 15

From page 7...

Make brown bag lunch fun! Younger children love the do-it-yourself aspect of building their own pizza or cracker stack creations. Turn fun into healthy, too, with cubes of Boar’s Head meats and cheeses packed in a lunch bag along with some lowsalt crackers.

Pack an extra half sandwich for the active athlete in the family. Before a workout, eating a ham, cheese and veggie combo on half a roll is a great way for your soccer or baseball player to keep fueled up during long afterschool practices.

Kids often come home hungry. Be prepared with some rolled up Boar’s Head meats and cheeses and condiment dips to hold them over until mealtime.

Since kids will eat what’s available in the cupboard or fridge, take charge when deciding which foods to stock in the house. Encourage healthy in-between snacks with a bowl of washed fruit on the kitchen counter, or keep cut up vegetables in the refrigerator along side a healthy dip.

Visit www.boarshead.com for more recipes and tips to help you create satisfying lunches your kids will love.

Dried apricots add subtle sweetness to a creamy Apricot Turkey Sandwich

16 Eating Healthy

The crunchy apple “matchsticks” in this Turkey and Apple Roll-Up make lunch more fun.

These recipes have been reviewed by the American Diabetes Association.

Turkey and Apple Roll-Up Makes 1 wrap

1 96% fat free tortilla, taco size

2 tablespoons lowfat whipped cream cheese

2 1/2 ounces Boar’s Head Maple Glazed Honey Coat

Turkey Breast

1/4 ounce (approximately 2 to 3 leaves) fresh baby spinach

1/2 tart apple, sliced into matchstick pieces Spread cream cheese on tortilla. Place turkey evenly over tortilla. Then add spinach and apple. Roll tightly from one end of tortilla. Note: Unless apple is very small, you will use less than 1/2 apple.

Nutritional Information (per

serving): 304 calories, 24g protein, 41g carbohydrates, 5g dietary fiber, 6g total fat, 2g saturated fat, 47g cholesterol, 954mg sodium, 136mg calcium, 3mg iron

Apricot Turkey Sandwich Makes 1 sandwich

2 slices whole wheat bread

1 1/2 tablespoons cream cheese, low-fat whipped

2 ounces Boar’s Head Ovengold Roast Breast of Turkey —

Skinless, sliced

1 tablespoon red onion, chopped

3 dried apricots, chopped

1 tablespoon slivered almonds Spread cream cheese evenly over both slices of bread. Layer turkey on bottom slice of bread and sprinkle with chopped onions, apricots and nuts. Top with remaining slice of bread.

Nutritional Information (per serving): 375 calories, 25g protein,

48g carbohydrates, 6g dietary fiber, 9g fat, 2g saturated fat, 29mg cholesterol, 674mg sodium, 129mg calcium, 4mg iron

iron.

Chicken Salad Tarragon Wrap Makes 1 wrap

1 96% fat free tortilla, taco size

1 ounce green leaf lettuce (4 to 5

leaves)

3.25 ounces Boar’s Head Golden Classic

Chicken Salad, (see separate

recipe)

1 teaspoon tarragon

1 ounce (approximately 2 1/2 table spoons) green bell pepper, chopped

2 ounces (approximately 3 table spoons) red tomatoes, chopped Lay tortilla flat. Place green leaf lettuce evenly over tortilla.

Place chicken salad on top of lettuce and then add tarragon, peppers and tomatoes. Roll tightly from one end of tortilla.

Nutritional Information (per serving):

Supreme Sandwich With Turkey, Ham & Roast Beef Makes 1 large sandwich Serving suggestion: For more kid-friendly portions, serve onehalf of the sandwich.

1 whole wheat roll

1 ounce Boar’s Head Ovengold Roast

Breast of Turkey — Skinless

1 ounce Boar’s Head Deluxe Ham

1 ounce Boar’s Head Deluxe Cap-off

Top Round Roast Beef

2 bread and butter pickles, sliced

2 slices red tomato

1 slice, red onion

1 leaf, green leafy lettuce

1 ounce (approxi258 calories, 20g protein, 32g carmately 2 1/2 tablebohydrates, 5g dietary fiber, 6g fat, 1g saturated fat, 41mg cholesterol,

spoons) 843mg sodium, 135mg calcium, 3mg green bell pepper, sliced iron

1 1/2 teaspoons extra Golden Classic Chicken Salad virgin olive oil 1/3 cup diced celery

1 teaspoon red wine

2 tablespoons vinegar chopped yellow onion

1/2 teaspoon dried

Pinch white pepground basil per Prepare just before serving.

Pinch paprika Place meats and vegetables be-

1

teaspoon mustard tween the two halves of the roll.

Lemon juice, to Sprinkle with olive oil, vinegar taste and basil just before closing.

1/2 pound Boar’s Nutritional Information (per Head Golden Classic serving):

Chicken, 364 calories, 29g protein, 45g carbohydrates, 7g dietary fiber, 12g fat, diced 2g saturated fat, 39mg cholesterol,

2 tablespoons light 1049mg sodium, 105mg calcium, 4mg mayonnaise

Eating Healthy 17

Special Section

Mix it up with Jenny

By Jenny Harper

or a whole batch shipped off to the dorm can do wonders for someone needing a little taste of home.

If you're going to ship a cookie care package, here are some tips to make sure they arrive fresh and intact.

completely.

PAN COOKIE VARIATION (Makes 4 dozen bars): Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll

Timing is Everything Ship your cookies on Monday or Tuesday to ensure the packages arrive before the weekend. If you wait any longer, the cookies could end up sitting in a warehouse until the following week.

Bake a Batch of Love It’s true - the kitchen is the heart of the home. Ever notice how people always gather there? Whether baking treats, making dinner or spending time with family and friends, the kitchen is my favorite place to be. Since my day job is Senior Culinary Specialist for the Nestlé Test Kitchens, you can bet I love to stir things up. This column lets me pass along to you some of my best recipes, tips and baking secrets.

B

ack-to-school time is exciting and a little bit scary - for parents and kids alike. Whether the kids are headed off to elementary school, high school or college, they could all use a little extra love.

All In a Day's Work Schedule the baking and shipping as close together as possible, preferably within 24 hours. This ensures freshness.

But, be sure the cookies have had a chance to cool before packing.

Handle with Care It doesn't hurt to wrap your cookies a few times. The more protection around the cookies, the less likely they are to break during shipping. Place two cookies back-to-back, with a small piece of waxed paper in between them. Wrap them loosely as a pair in plastic wrap.

Then place them in small plastic sealable bags.

For an extra homey touch, send your cookies on an exclusive 10-inch, dishwasher-safe collector's plate with a unique I've found that a batch of favorite cookies is a simple way to "Cookie Code" that lets you track how far your plate has show love to the kids - without traveled! embarrassing them in front of For more packing tips, retheir peers! A couple of cookmove to wire racks to cool ies tucked into the lunch box 18 Mix It Up with Jenny

pan. Prepare dough as above.

Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until light brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

Jenny Harper is Senior Culinary Specialist for the Nestlé Test Kitchens and VeryBestBaking.com.

Nutrition Information per serving: 130 calories; 60 calories from fat; 6g total fat; 4.5g saturated fat; 20mg cholesterol; 100mg sodium; 17g carbohydrate; 1g fiber; 11g sugars; 1g protein

n Mix It Up with Jenny cookie recipes and information on how to get a Limited Edition Please Send Cookies plate, visit

Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats and morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 7 to 8 minutes for chewy cookies or 9 to 10 minutes for crisp cookies.

Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

PAN COOKIE VARIATION (Makes 4 dozen bars): Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Prepare dough as above. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until light brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

www.PleaseSendCookies. com.

Oatmeal Scotchies (Makes 4 dozen cookies) 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened 3/4 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or grated peel of 1

Jenny Harper is Senior Culinary Specialist for the NestlĂŠ Test Kitchens and VeryBestBaking.com.

Nutrition Information per serving: 130 calories; 60 calories from fat; 6g total fat; 4.5g saturated fat; 20mg cholesterol; 100mg sodium; 17g carbohydrate; 1g fiber; 11g sugars; 1g protein

Mix It Up with Jenny 19

Special Section From the

Tortitas de Pavo ...Rapido, nutritivo y no hay que lavar trastes....

Rosa Maria

Rosa Maria is a chemical engineer, she recently help te company where she work to obtain the ISO certfication. with her busy schedule she make time to cook for her family. she share three of her deliciou recipes.

Chiles Rellenos al Horno, hummm facil, nutritivos y deliciosos.

6 Chiles Poblanos (Asados y pelados) Queso Munster y/o mozarela 1 jitomate grande en rebanadas 1 lechuga 1/4 de taza de Vinagre blanco 1/3 de taza de agua Sal al gusto Horno a 350 C Colocar en un plato extendido el vinagre, sal y el agua. mezcle bien. coloque los chiles en el plato asegurando que se mojen con esta mezcla por dentro y por fuera. Dejar los chiles por 10 minutos. Retirar y escurir. Ya escurridos ponga el queso en

20 From The Heart of your Kitchen

cada chile y coloquelos en una charola sin engrasar.

Deje los chiles en horno hasta que el queso gratine. retirar del horno y colocar en un plato extendido y la lechuga y rebanads de jitomate a un lado. Puede agregar sal y limon a las lechuga y jitomate. Enjoy!!!

Chiles stuffed to the oven, hummm easy, nutritious and delicious.

6 Poblanos Chiles (roasted and peeled) cheese Munster and/or mozarela 1 large slices tomato 1 lettuce 1/4 cup of white vinegar 1/3 cup of water salt to taste oven to 350 C take an extended dish vinegar, salt and water. mix well. place chili on the plate ensuring mojen with this mixture inside and outside.

Leave the chilies for 10 minutes. Withdraw and escurir.

Already escurridos put the cheese in each chile and coloquelos in a tray without greasing. Leave the chilies in oven until cheese gratine. remove from oven and place in an extended dish and lettuce and tomato aside rebanads.

You can add salt and lemon to the lettuce and tomato.

Enjoy!

Ingredientes 1 lb. de pavo molido 1/2 taza de pan molido (estilo italiano mejor) 1/2 taza de queso parmesano (molido o rallado) 1 huevo Salsa inglesa, sal y pimienta al gusto Mezclar todos los ingredientes y formar las tortitas con las manos, cocer en un comal engrasado con aceite en spray a fuego medio. Las tortitas se cocen mejor si tienen @ de 1/2� de espesor. retire y sirva con la pasta o ensalada de su preferencia.

Turkey Patties... quick, nutritious and must not be washing dIshes....

Ingredients 1 lb. ground Turkey 1/2 cup of ground bread (best Italian style) 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese (ground or grated) 1 egg English sauce, salt and pepper to taste Mix all ingredients and form the patties with hands, Cook in a comal oiling with oil spray over medium heat. The patties are cooked better if you have 1/2 inch thick. Remove and serve with pasta or preference salad.

e Heart Of Your Kitchen

Granola Ingraientes: 2 tazas Avena entera cruda 2 tazas de Germen de trigo 2 tazas de salvado 2 tazas de amaranto 1/ taza de cacahuate 1/2 taza semilla de calabaza 1/2 taza nuez 1/2 taza de almendra 1 taza ajonjoli 3/4 taza de miel 1/2 taza de aceite 1/2 taza de coco 1/2 taza de pasas

1 cup sesame seeds 3/4 cup of honey 1/2 cup oil 1/2 cup of coconut 1/2 cup raisins Preheath the oven at 300 C blend well all dry, add ingredient the last oil and honey. Place mixture in a widespread tray and with low edges. Put in the oven for 10 minutes and stir the mixture leave another 10 minutes and return to blend, until slightly brown. Withdraw immediately and cool. When making cookies, use the part lower the oven to make the granola.

Horno 300 C Mezclar bien todos los ingrediente secos, agregar el ultimo el aceite y la miel. Coloque la mezcla en una charola extendida y con bordes bajos. Poner en el horno, por 10 minutos y remover la mezcla dejar otros 10 minutos y volver a mezclar, hasta que dore ligeramente.

Retirar inmediatamente y enfriar. cuando haga galletas, utilize la parte inferior del horno para hacer la granola.

Granola, Ingredients:

The best recipes come from the heart of our kitchen and with this in mind, D&F are dedicating this column to invite you to share with our readers your recipes.

One or more recipies will be selected and included in the issue of Dining & Fun, and will credit the the recipe with the person’s name. email us at recipes@diningandfun.com

2 cups raw Oatmeal 2 cups of wheat germ 2 cups of bran 2 cups of Amaranth 1 / cup of peanuts 1/2 cup seed of pumpkin 1/2 cup nuts 1/2 cup almonds From The Heart of your Kitchen 21

Cuisine of Northern Italy

I

magine Italian food and most people will picture pasta or pizza, spaghetti or sausages. But like most ancient lands, Italy has a diverse cuisine. The regional variations show up nowhere so sharply as the divide between Northern and Southern cuisine.

There is overlap, to be sure. But travel north toward the Alps or to the northern sea coasts and you will find food that varies from its cousins to the south.

Pasta much less often plays center stage here. Instead, rice typically has the founding role, forming a literal base beneath many delightful dishes. Risotto, made from a local grain called Arborio is a common dish in Lombardy, at the center top of the country.

Meat is featured, certainly.

Hams made from local pigs are a common sight in Lombardy and the sausage meatballs here can’t be beat. Venison is a favorite of the area, as well, often in the form of Capriolo alla Valdostana.

But vegetarians can find dozens of choices that satisfy, too.

Polenta for generations was a food primarily of the poor. Yet, today, this corn-based dish can be found in the finest restaurants of the region. Piedmont offers fonduta - a melted cheese dip made from milk, eggs, and local white truffles.

22 Cuisine of Northern Italy

Blessed with ample coastline, there is seafood galore.

Shellfish makes its way from the sea shore to the entire interior yet remains entirely fresh, thanks to modern transportation. Still, there’s nothing like a carp or trout that has just been plucked from one of the many rivers that line Northern Italy.

The Po River Plain in Veneto offers wild fowl, mushrooms, and more, all easy on the olive oil, since butter is a more common ingredient in Northern Italian cuisine.

let cool. Trim off the cooked portion. Chop the meat very finely and mix with the lemon juice in a large bowl.

Allow the meat to soak up the juice for about 10 minutes, then sprinkle on the garlic. Allow to sit for another 10 minutes and remove the garlic.

Even very simple dishes clearly show their origins. A delightful Carne Cruda is a good case in point.

Called steak tartare in other parts of the world, it has a wonderful twist in this part of the world.

Ingredients: 1 lb beef fillet 1 white truffle 1 anchovy 2 lemons 2 cloves garlic Preparation: Squeeze the lemons, mince the anchovy, and crush the garlic, then set aside. Shave the mushrooms into a small bowl.

Sear the outside of the fillet to kill any surface bacteria.

Then, remove from heat and

Place it on a serving dish and sprinkle on the anchovy. Then top with the truffles.

This dish from Piedmont is only one of dozens from a section of this lovely country known for outstanding cuisine. Try it and you’ll quickly become convinced.

Cuisine of Southern Italy

T

he cuisine of Southern Italy is familiar to the average person. Who hasn’t heard of pizza?

Pasta, too, is much more common here than in the dishes of Northern Italy. The distinctive fla-

vor provided by olive oil and tomatoes is also much more likely a part of a dish here than in regions further north.

Still, there is a variety to Southern Italian cuisine that may surprise visitors to this warm, friendly land. The long growing season allows for production of the finest vegetables. Long coastlines provide an abun-

dance and astonishing variety of seafood.

sata is a favorite of the locals.

Eggplant doesn’t get any better elsewhere. A superb eggplant And, yes, Neapolitan food parmesan can effectively prove such as pizza, is not only com- the point... mon here, but delightfully different from what you might find in Ingredients: Brooklyn. It is here in Campania, too, that one finds the finest spa2 lbs eggplant ghetti, not to mention superb la1 egg sagna. The reasons aren’t far to 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano seek. Great dishes start 1 1/4 lb ripe tomatoes with great ingredients 3/4 lb fresh mozzarella and it is in this region Olive oil (for frying) that rich fields produce the best durum wheat.

Preparation: You couldn’t find better ricotta anywhere else.

Slice the mozzarella into thin slices, then strips. Set aside.

The sun-drenched slopes of Mount VesuPeel the eggplant and slice vius of southern Italy thin. Press to remove excess do more than produce juice, then dry for 2 hours. Fry world-class grapes. the eggplant, using olive oil rathThey provide the soil er than safflower or vegetable oil. and warmth that gives San Marzano tomaWhile the eggplant is cooktoes their rich, rich fla- ing, dice and drain the tomavor. Those in turn are toes. Then cook in a fresh pan mashed to create mari- for about 5 minutes, or until softnara sauces that are ened. Be liberal with basil as the the envy of the world. tomato turns to paste with stirring.

Meat dishes are plentiful in Southern Now place the tomato Italian cuisine, too. sauce into a baking dish. Beat Whether it is the fine an egg and mix into the tomato veal from Calabria or the out- sauce. Next, arrange the eggstanding clams from the coast, plant over the sauce and cover you will find the finest here. with cheese. Layer on a few baEven further south, to the island sil leaves and a bit more mozof Sicily for example, you can zarella. Continue layering until find influences from Greece and you’re out of ingredients. other ancient lands.

Bake at 275F/135C for The olives of this tiny is- about an hour. land, birthplace of Napoleon, are among the best in the world.

Try a few dishes from The cannoli is to die for and a Southern Italy and you may nevdelicious layer cake called Cas- er want to go home again.

Cuisine of Southern Italy 23

Pasta, Pasta, Pasta..

but fresh pasta (pasta fresca).

The normal process of making pasta extrudes it from a copper mold, which shapes it and creates the distinctive pathere are - aren't chefs lucky? terns found on the surfaces and - dozens of different types of edges of many. It usually then pasta and thousands of pasta- goes on to be dried, dried, dried. based recipes. Spaghetti and But that drying process can be lasagna are old favorites, of stopped part way and the prodcourse. But there are many uct consumed while the mixture more, and - after all - exploring still retains much moisture and new worlds of cuisine is part of flexibility. Mmmm, mmmm. the fun!

Whether dry or fresh, egg or Shape is an important aspect plain, the whole point though is of pasta since it has a heavy in- to use it for making pasta dishes. fluence on bulk, what stuffings Here is a great example... you can use, and so forth. Conchiglioni, for example, are perVegetarian Lasagna fect shells for stuffing with meat.

The dish lasagna gets its name, Luckily for those who don't not surprisingly, from the wide, eat meat, lasagna is still excelflat shape that makes it perfect lent when made solely with vegfor layering. etable ingredients. This recipe will prove the point.

But the ingredients vary, too.

Most pastas are made of a comIngredients: bination of water and flour. There are pastas made from semo8 lasagna noodles lina flour, produced from durum 10 oz fresh broccoli wheat, and farina, buckwheat, 4 plum tomatoes and others as well. And, don't be 1 celery stalk misled by the phrase 'dry pas1 medium spring onion ta'. Without liquid of some sort, 1 red bell pepper there's no way to turn the flour 1/4 cup fresh basil into a paste, and hence pasta.

2 bay leaves 2 cloves garlic Eggs play a major role in 1 egg pasta all'uovo. Many pastas will 2 cups ricotta cheese have embedded spices or even 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese cheese. Pasta is nothing if not 1 cup mozzarella cheese flexible! Don't be fooled, though, by any list which includes gnocPreparation: chi, which is actually made from potatoes.

Peel and dice the tomatoes, then puree in a blender for 30 The alternative to dry pasta seconds. Crumble in the bay (pasta secca) is not wet pasta leaves and basil, mince the gar-

T

24 Perfect Pasta

lic and add. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring gently.

While that's cooking, boil the pasta according to directions (usually in a 2-quart pan with plenty of water to allow them to move around for about 6-8 minutes). Drain and set aside.

Whip the egg, grate the Parmesan and mozzarella. Chop the broccoli finely, dice the celery stalk, and chop the onion and bell pepper.

Spread a layer of sauce onto a 13" x 9" x 2" baking dish. Layer on some noodles and cover with more sauce, then top with the chopped vegetables, then the cheese. Repeat until you run out of ingredients.

Bake uncovered at 350F/175C for 25 minutes.

Sprinkle with a little more cheese and serve. Delicious!

Perfect Pasta 23

Fettuccine Alfredo, Fortissimo

S

outhern Italian dishes tend to be tomato-based and spicy.

Northern ones, by contrast, lean toward creamy and buttery. No better example of the difference can be found than a fine Fettuccine Alfredo, the quintessential northern-style dish.

Ironically, the origins of the dish are said to hail from a restaurateur in Rome circa 1920, and Rome is pretty much in the middle of the country, even somewhat more south than north. That's Italy! North, south, or in-between they share recipes like a sailor shares sea stories.

Here's one you're sure to enjoy...

Fettuccine Alfredo Ingredients: Sauce 1 egg yolk 1 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup butter 2 cups fresh Parmesan cheese 5 cloves garlic 2 tbsp dried parsley Preparation: The sauce is the main feature of this creamy dish. To prepare it, pour half the heavy cream into a bowl, then add the egg yolk and mix well. Pour the other half into a skillet, heated to medium-high.

Whisk it well as it begins to boil to prevent curdling, then add the cream-yolk mixture. Keep blending until it's all well mixed. Grate fresh Parmesan and sprinkle onto the mixture, then toss in the

parsley.

Noodles You can use fresh pasta (a must for the best dishes), or you can make it yourself. If you choose to make it, here's how...

Ingredients: 2 cups semolina flour 3 egg yolks 3 tbsp olive oil 5 tbsp cold water 2 tbsp unsalted butter 1/4 tsp salt Preparation: Because it is a mixture of north and south, the fettuccine can be made with both butter (north) and olive oil (south). Just pour a mound of flour into a bowl and make a valley in the center.

Add the egg yolks, olive oil, salt, and water, then mix well. Pour on melted butter. Let it rest, covered with a moist towel for about an hour.

Knead well and roll out flat with a rolling pin, then refrigerate for half an hour.

Slice the dough into strips about 1/4 inch wide. Once they've had a chance to dry out a little bit, you can dump them into boiling water for about 6-8 minutes. Beware overcooking, since the pasta should be al dente.

Once finished, drain but don't rinse. The starch helps the sauce stick. Then pour warm Alfredo sauce over them and you're ready for a fine Roman meal.

Enjoy!

Fettucine Alfredo 27

Righteous Risotto

R

isotto is a rice-based Italian dish. But, oh what a delightful taste sensation is masked by that simple description. Naturally, there are dozens of different recipes and each one reflects the region and the individual chef that gave birth to it.

Preparation: Take a large skillet and add equal amounts of olive oil and butter. Northern Italian dishes tend to use butter, Southern ones use olive oil. Risotto uses both.

to keep the grains well exposed to the chicken and vice versa. It takes practice to make a fine risotto and don't be too unhappy if your first try is less than perfect.

It's hard to make a great rice dish.

Slice and dice the onion then to! sautĂŠ the pieces until brown, scoop up and set them aside.

Risotto differs from ordinary rice dishes because it does not use the now more-or-less standard Asian grain. Instead, it uses a very special type of barley grain from Italy called Arborio. Sometimes, Carnaroli or Vialone is substituted, but they are very similar.

Spread olive oil over the base of the same skillet until it's about 1/8 inch thick. Heat to medium and add a touch of butter, then add the rice. Stir gently but thoroughly to coat the rice with oil and onion flavor.

The method of preparation of risotto also differs from ordinary rice. It is fried, not boiled.

Naturally, since this is a true Italian dish, olive oil is used instead of safflower or vegetable oil.

Top with saffron, then pour on the wine. Cook on low for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Good luck and buono appeti-

Add the chicken stock.

Remove from heat and top with a sprinkling of Romano cheese if desired.

Let's see what happens next...

There are variations on the Milanese Risotto and many of them are equally tasty. A purely Milanese Risotto vegetarian risotto is possible, of course. Substitute mushrooms The risotto from Milan is for the chicken stock, for examthe world standard of this deli- ple. cious Northern Italian dish.

The important character of riIngredients: sotto should be retained in any recipe, however. That means, 5 cups chicken stock the final result should be creamy, 1 cup Arborio rice not spicy. The rice should not 1 large onion clump together, grains should 1/4 cup white wine move about freely. If they clump, 1/2 tsp saffron threads you may have been a little stingy 2 tbsp butter with the olive oil.

3 tbsp olive oil Be sure to stir often enough 28 Rigtheous Risotto

Gnocchi in Bolognese sauce, and red wine

Great Gnocchi

T

hink of Italian food and pasta almost always comes to mind first. But there is another staple that has been part of the Italian diet for centuries: gnocchi. Their name in the native tongue - lump - describes their shape, but not their taste. Made from potatoes one might think that taste would be bland and boring, filling, but flat. Oh, how wrong that thought would be...

Gnocchi are not by themselves a complete dish.

Though they make a great snack with just a little salt and pepper!

The Italians often eat them as an alternative to soup.

So, it's best to judge them in the context of a complete recipe. Here are a few that will allow you to do that with ease.

Spinach Gnocchi Ingredients:

1 cup spinach 5 gnocchi 1 oz Romano Cheese Dash of sage Preparation: Making this dish is simplicity itself. Mix the spinach with a little water and then puree to desired consistency. Steam the gnocci by sprinkling them with water and placing into the microwave for 1 minute. Then mash the gnocchi until they're broken down, but still lumpy. Mix the two together, then place into the oven at 350F/177C for a few minutes, just until warm. During the last 30 seconds, sprinkle on the sage and Romano cheese.

Simple, filling, and delicious.

To take a step up from that, try...

Tomato Gnocchi Ingredients: 1/3 cup tomato sauce 2 tbsp olive oil 1 garlic clove Preparation: To the above spinach recipe, add 1/3 cup of tomato sauce.

Simmer in a pan for about 5 minutes. For a delightful addition, add a few slices of porcini mushrooms. Crush the garlic and sprinkle on, then put into the oven for a few minutes to warm.

For the truly adventurous, you can make your own gnocchi, which are after all just dumplings made from potato.

Gnocchi From Scratch Ingredients: 3 large baking Idaho potatoes 12 quarts water 2 cups semolina flour 1 large egg 1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp ground white pepper Parmesan cheese, a sprinkling A pinch of nutmeg Preparation: Boil the potatoes in a large pot for about half an hour making sure they have enough room to move around. Drain and allow to cool enough to handle. Stillwarm potatoes work best for this recipe.

Scrape off the skin with a paring knife, then slice using a food mill with a narrow-opening disc.

In a small bowl, beat the egg and add flour, then sprinkle with cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Work the mixture into lumpy balls. Cut into dumplings about 1/2 inch thick, working them with a fork to the proper shape (a short, fat, twisted, solid tube).

In a large pot, add 6 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Drop the gnocchi dough in and stir gently to keep them from sticking to one another. Cooking should take only a minute or so.

Whew! That was a lot of work, but the results will be well worth while. Enjoy!

Great Gnocchi 29

Sauces from Sicily

I

Preparation is simplicity itself in this case. Peel the tomatoes and chop them into small cubes.

Then do likewise for the onions.

Crush the garlic and the basil leaves. Add the chili sauce and the olive oil, then dump it all into a blender. Puree for about 30 seconds and, voila!

talian sauces are well-known throughout the world. But there is a region of the country that offers something distinctively different: Sicily. Legally part of Italy, Sicily has This next one takes just a bit often gone its own way politi- more preparation but, oh my, are cally. That same independent the results ever worth it! spirit is found in the cuisine of this sun-drenched island, and Sicilian Lentil Salsa most particularly in its fine sauces.

Ingredients:

dishes.

For a delightful variation on this simple recipe, add a small amount of crushed red peppers.

For yet another tasty variety, try a few bits of finely chopped anchovy. Of course, you can always stretch the boundaries and add a couple of tablespoons of fresh chopped oregano. Not strictly speaking a Sicilian spice, it nevertheless adds both odor

One of the secrets to a fine, 1 cup dry lentils thick Sicilian tomato sauce 2 4-oz cans tomato paste (or is strutto. But don't include it use results from recipe above) when you're trying to go low1 cup chopped onion cal. Strutto is rendered pork fat 1 small zucchini and, while it does a superb job 2 cups fresh portabella mushof thickening up that paste, it rooms can also thicken you. In mod2 tsp virgin olive oil eration, though, it adds flavor 3 cloves garlic and bulk that would otherwise 3 cups water require hours of cooking.

Preparation: Luckily, there are several ways to get that Sicilian sauce Heat the olive oil in a large just right. Here's one example, saucepan, on medium. While a fine tomato-based concoc- you wait for the pan and oil to tion just right for fish dishes. heat, chop the zucchini into small pieces and slice the mushrooms.

Onion and Garlic Sicilian Mince the garlic and chop the and taste that is truly wonderful.

Sauce onions.

Some recipes for Sicilian Ingredients: Now add all the vegetables sauces call for butter. You can and cook for about 5 minutes, do anything you like in your own 4 plum tomatoes stirring gently. kitchen, of course, but remem4 spring onions ber that authentic Italian cuisine 1 tbsp garlic Add the lentil beans and wa- calls for butter in Northern dish1 tbsp olive oil ter, then boil. Reduce the heat es, olive oil in Southern ones.

8 fresh basil leaves and cover, allow to simmer for Sicily, since it's an island off the 1 dash of hot chili sauce about 45 minutes. Add water as southern coast is more south needed to prevent drying. The than north, but it's always been Preparation: result will be a delicious, thick very individualistic. Please yoursauce suitable for all manner of self!

30 Sauces From Sicily

Marinara, Plain and Fancy

Want to smooth it out and add extra flavor? Here’s an opportunity to use that special white and less spicy. Butter is prominent in a creamier north- wine you’ve been saving for just ure marinara can be plain ern sauce, such as a Bolognese such an occasion, a 1/2 cup will old tomato sauce. But ragu or an alfredo. do fine. A Gewürztraminer would there are ways to make it a be overdoing it, try a delicate dry delightfully stylish topping.

Chenin Blanc.

But a good marinara can combine both qualities, the spicy Since the name derives zest of the south (where tomatoAn alternative method uses from the Italian word for sailor, based sauces are more com- some beef to bolden up the it's common to think of mari- mon) with the sweet, creamy broth. A bit of stew beef is just nara as texture of the north. Basil, garlic, the thing. Cut them small, brown part of and oregano give it that Italian them, and add the chunks to the seafood character, but a nice hot chili sauce. To really go wild, add a d i s h e s . pepper can keep it from being few cubes of finely cut green But its boring. pepper. use on s p a Don’t worry about violating Here’s a very simple recipe to g h e t t i get you started down that road. tradition or producing something alone is that isn’t authentic. All these enough variations are not just American Ingredients: to disinventions, but hail from areas prove 1 12 oz can of imported San all over Italy. It’s a diverse land that. Fa- Marzano tomatoes influenced by cultures as differmiliar ent as the French, the Greeks, 1/8 cup of olive oil from a and several northern Arab tribes.

2 cloves of garlic million 3 basil leaves medioWhile marinara hails from cre spaWash and dry the basil Naples in the south, it is truly a g h e t t i leaves, then crush the garlic. Fry universal Italian sauce found in dinners, the garlic in the olive oil for a few hundreds of dishes from all rej u s t minutes until it browns. Chop gions. Far from being bland, it a b o u t the tomatoes and puree for 10 can provide a zesty character to a n y o n e seconds in a blender. Throw in your table. Let your imagination will groan when you tell them the spices and pour into a sauce run wild. The Italians do! what's for supper. But it need pan. Simmer for about 20 minnot be so. Marinara can be ex- utes. citing, different, even astounding.

Now let’s spice it up even more.

One way to see that is to compare and contrast mariStart as before, but before nara with some of its cousins cooking add 1/4 teaspoon of north and south. From Campa- ground black pepper from some nia hails the spicy puttanesca. hot peppercorns. To add a bit of Peppercorns and garlic give it vegetable, try some green onoomph, while basil and black ions, finely chopped. Add a teaolives provide a traditional Ne- spoon of dried oregano.

S

Marinara, Plain & fancy31

Super Soups

E

veryone is familiar with Italian pasta dishes.

Lasagna and spaghetti are consumed the world over.

Pizza is eaten even in small villages in India. But, while popular, less well known are some of the outstanding soups that hail from this land of world-class cuisine.

There are, luckily for those who love Italian food and variety, dozens of different soup recipes from north, south, and the many Italian islands surrounding the country. With fresh, local ingredients they are the perfect lunchtime meal or entrĂŠe for dinner.

Here are a few examples that will prove the point nicely...

Minestrone Veronese Ingredients: 1/4 lb Prosciutto 3 carrots 15 medium-sized potatoes 6 oz fresh spinach leaves 3 fresh beets 1 small squash 1 cup dried lentil beans 2 cloves garlic 2 leeks 1/2 fennel bulb A few parsley leaves 1/4 lb croutons 1/8 lb Parmesan cheese Preparation:

32 Super Soups

Despite the large number of ingredients, preparation of this traditional soup from the north is really simple. All the work is in simply chopping and slicing the vegetables and the ham.

Combine all ingredients but the beans (and except croutons and cheese) and simmer in a pot of water for about 3 hours.

While waiting, simmer the lentil beans in a pot of salted water for about 20 minutes or until soft. Then drain and set aside.

At the end of the simmering of vegetables, add the beans, then remove from heat. Top with croutons and cheese.

Traditional Wedding Soup There is a traditional Italian wedding soup that uses some of the ingredients listed above.

But it is much more focused on the meat than the vegetables.

Ingredients: 1/2 lb meat loaf mix - 1/2 ground beef, 1/2 pork 1/4 cup milk 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 clove garlic 1/4 tsp oregano 1/4 tsp basil 2 tsp dried parsley Preparation: Combine the ingredients listed (except the meat) and add a dash of salt and of freshly ground pepper. Shape the meat

loaf mix into 1/2 inch balls and sprinkle on a little oregano. Simmer everything in a large pot for about 20 minutes.

It doesn't get any easier than this!

Zuppa Jota Far east of Verona is a town called Trieste. From this city hails a soup that shows how the cuisine of Italy has been influenced by other cultures. It uses sauerkraut!

1 cup kidney beans 2 cups sauerkraut 2 cloves garlic 3 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp flour Preparation: Soak the beans overnight in cold water. The next day, crush the garlic and add it to a pot of water. Bring to a boil and add the beans, then reduce to simmer for at least a half hour.

In the meantime, add the olive oil to a skillet and heat to medium. Sprinkle in the flour and sautĂŠ for a few minutes.

Then pour it into the beans to thicken the soup, followed by the sauerkraut. Mix well and simmer for 10 minutes.

Delicioso!

Terrific Tiramisu

D

and place on wax paper. Repeat for the other five.

esserts don't feature front and center in Italian cuisine.

That's really a shame, since there are several that could be (and are) proudly served in the finest restaurants. One outstanding example is Tiramisu.

Pour the egg-cheese mixture on top. Line two ladyfingers up side by side and place two more on top at right angles. Pour on more topping. Repeat with the final two. Carefully lift the dessert by grabbing the edges of the By most accounts a relative- wax paper and place into the rely recent invention, unlike the frigerator. Refrigerate overnight. majority of Italian dishes which The next day, remove and are centuries old, Tiramisu is thought to have come from an place onto a plate, then sprinkle enlightened chef in Treviso. But with cocoa powder before servwhatever its origins, its true birth- ing. place is the Hall of the Gods. For, Naturally, it's best to use the this coffee and cream cheese freshest possible ladyfingers dessert is simply heavenly. (a small cake known in Italy as Here's why... savoiardi). It's always possible Tiramisu, the simple way to make them, but the preparation is for the advanced only.

Ingredients: 6 ladyfingers 1/4 cup espresso 1/2 cup Mascarpone 1 large egg 1 tbsp dark rum 1 tbsp cognac 3 tbsp sugar 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder Preparation:

Whisk the egg and add a pinch of salt. Sprinkle in the sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the Mascarpone (a type of cream cheese) until thoroughly mixed.

It may help to leave the cheese to warm to room temperature for a half hour before beginning.

In a small, wide bowl mix room temperature espresso, rum, and cognac. Dip a ladyfinger into the espresso mixture until it is sopping. Then remove 34 Terrific Tiramisu

Feel free to experiment. Like all Italian dishes, there are regional differences and variations made by individual chefs. One popular style uses a bit of Kahlua, which works well thanks to its association with coffee. Amaretto is sometimes added to the mixture, but then you may want to leave off the cognac. Some enjoy a dash of vanilla in the cream.

Physical preparation varies from chef to chef, too. Many like to use 1/2 cup custard cups to hold each ladyfinger individually during the refrigeration step, then stack afterward. Some will boil the sugar in water to get a syrup that is added to the mixture. That thickens the recipe and gives it a highly sweet taste.

That shows a French influence, since Italians lean more toward

spice and earthy tastes than sugary ones.

Try them all and you'll soon find the tiramisu style that suits your palette best.

Food is always about the individual!

A La Carte

Selection of Restaurants Menus

The Basil Garden The Pasty Chef La Mar

36 A La Carte

THE BASIL GARDEN L.l.C. International Cuisine Buss. (915)842-9040 Cell.

(915) 727-8812 5360 N. MESA D-4 EL Paso, TX 79912 CATERING MENU PAELLA VALENCIANA

Min. 10 Personas (Mín. 10 Parsons) En fin de semana min. 20 ord. a).

Sea food mix, pork, Chicken, rice and vegetable.

(Mezcla de mariscos, puerco, pollo, arroz y vegetales) b). Mediterránea and Salad with Dressing.

(Ensalada Mediterránea con Aderezo) c).

Bread.

(Pan) $8.95P/P ITALIAN BUFFET

Min. 35 Parsons (Mínimo 10 Personas) a).

Meat Lasaña.

(Lasaña de Carne) b).

Chicken breast filled with spinach in cheese sauce.

(Pechuga de pollo rellena de espinacas a la crema) c).

Linguini Alfredo with Shrimp and chicken.

(Linguini Alfredo con Pollo y Camarones) d).

Mediterranean Salad with Dressing.

(Ensalada Mediterránea con Aderezo)

e).

Bread.

(Pan) $11.50P/P

c). Linguini pasta with red peper sauce. (Linguni con una crema de pimiento rojo.

FLORENTINE SALMON

Min. 10 Persons (Mínimo 10 Personas)

MEAT OR SPINACH LASAGNA (Lasaña de Carne o de espinacas) a). Portion of salmon fillet on Min. 10 Parsons (Mínimo spinach and mushrooms sauce. 10 Personas)

(Porción de filete de salmón, sobre una cama de a). House salad with Italian espinacas con champiñones) vinaigrette. b).

Vegetables.

(Ensalada de la Casa

(Mezcla de vegetales) con una vinagreta italiana como c).

House salad with Italian aderezo) vinaigrette. b). Bread.

(Ensalada de la Casa

(Pan) con una vinagreta italiana como $7.95P/P aderezo) d).

Bread.

(Pan) FETUCCINI ALFREDO WITH $9.50P/P SHRIMP & CHICKEN

(Fetuccine Alfredo con camarones y pollo) Min. 10 Persons (Mínimo 10 CHICKEN BREAST FILLED Personas) WITH SPINACH AND MUSHROOMS a). House salad with Italian CHEESE SAUCE vinaigrette.

(Ensalada de la Casa

con una vinagreta italiana como Min. 10 Parsons (Míniaderezo) mo 10 Personas) b). Bread. $8.50P/P

(Pan) $8.50 /P a).

Chicken Breast filled of spinach and mushrooms with cheese cream.

RAVIOLI FILLED WITH

(Pechuga rellena de RICOTTA CHEESE

espinacas con champiñones

bañadas con crema de quesos) (Ravioles rellenos de b). House salad with Italian queso ricotta) vinaigrette and Bread.

Min. 10 Persons (Mínimo 10

(Ensalada de la Casa Personas) con una vinagreta italiana como aderezo y Pan. a). Mediterranean Salad with A La Carte 37

Dressing.

(Ensalada Mediterránea con Aderezo) b).

Bread.

(Pan) $7.95P/P

f).

Green Salad with Dressing

(Ensalada verde con aderezo) $9.50P/P PORK IN PLUM SAUCE

CHICKEN OR BEEF FAJITAS (Puerco en salsa de ciruelas)

Min. 10 Persons (Mínimo 10

Personas) (Fajitas De pollo o res a la plancha) a). House salad with Italian Min. 10 Persons (Mínimo 10 vinaigrette.

Personas)

(Ensalada de la Casa con una vinagreta italiana como a). Rice aderezo)

(Arroz) b).

Bread. b).

Beeans

(Pan)

(Frijoles) c).

Mashed potato with c).

Guacamole gravy. d).

Chile Salsa

(Pure de Papa con

(Pico de Gallo) greavy) e).

Corn Tortilla d). Linguini with Red bell

(Tortilla de Maíz) pepper sauce. f).

Green Salad with Dress- (Linguini en salsa de ing morron rojo)

(Ensalada verde con $8.50P/P aderezo) $8.50 /P * LINGUINNI FRUTE D’MARE IN WHITE WINE SAUCE

MIXED FAJITAS CHICKEN, (Mezcla De mariscos en BEEF & SHRIMP una salsa de vino blanco)

Min. 10 Persons (Mínimo 10 (Mezcla de fajiltas de carne, Personas) fajitas de pollo y camarón a la plancha) a). House salad with Italian Min. 10 Persons (Mínimo 10 vinaigrette.

Personas)

(Ensalada de la Casa con una vinagreta italiana como a). Rice aderezo)

(Arroz) b).

Bread. b).

Beans

(Pan)

(Frijoles) $9.50P/P c).

Guacamole d).

Chile Salsa

(Pico de Gallo) BRISKET e).

Corn Tortilla Minimo 15 personas

(Tortilla de Maíz) a).

Corn (elote) 38 A La Carte

b).

Potatoe salad (ensalada de papa c).

Bread (pan d) Charros Beans (frijoles Charros). $8.50P/P

FILETE MINON Minimo 10 personas a). Vegetables/ vegetales b). Meshed potatoe / pure de papa c). House salad /ensalada de la casa d). Bread/ pan

$11.95P/P CHICKEN BREAST WITH ANY KIND OF SAUCES Escoger salsa para el pollo mas dos guarniciones de su elección a). Oriental /oriental b). Chipotle /chipotle c). Mushrooms /Champinones d). Mango e). Almond/ Almendras f). marsalla/Marsalla (Mushrooms and Marsalla Wine with pasta) g). Al Pesto h). A la mostaza $8.50P/P GUARNICIONES a). Vegetables Mixtos/ Mix. Vegetables b). Pure de papa con gravy/ Mushed potatoe with gravy c). Pure de papa con albahaca/Mushed potatoes with pesto d). Papas al cilantro/Red small potatoes with Parslsey e). Pasta a la mantequilla/Butter Pasta

f).

Spaghetti con crema de champiñones g). Zanahoria bebe/Baby carrots h). Arroz blanco/White rice i). Espárragos asados/Grill Sparragus j). Linguini con crema de pimiento rojoLinguini with Red Peper Sauce k). Ensalada de la casa/Hause Salad L). Arroz jardinero/Garden Rice $7.95P/P

DELICIOSA TAQUIZA MEXICANA Mínimo 30 personas, escoger 2 guisados mas arroz, frijoles, tortillas y salsas Para 40 Personas escoger 3 guisados mas arroz, frijoles, tortillas y salsa.

A). Discada de res B). Asado de puerco C). Tinga de pollo D). Rajas con queso E). Ensalada de nopalitos F). Mole G). Cochinita pibil H). Deshebrada con chile verde).

Albóndigas en salsa chipotle J). Chicharrón en salsa verde $8.50P/P

A).

Tapas españolas con pimiento morón B). Quiches de rajas o de pollo C). Empanadas de carne D). Ensalada de atún en hojas de lechuga E). Rollos de jamón con queso en pasta de Hojaldre F). Pepinos rellenos de atún G). Canapés de pollo H). Melón con jamón serrano I). Espárragos envueltos en jamón ENSALADAS A).

Ensalada pluma con pesto y piñón B). Salpicón de res C). Linguini con salmón ahumado D). Ensalada de papa E). Ensalada de codito F). Ensalada de pollo con uvas y manzana $8.50P/P

SABADO Y DOMUNGO Min. 20 ordenes DELIVERY SERVICE $25.00

BOTANAS O BOCADILLOS Mínimo 20 personas, Escoger 2 dif. Bocadillos y 1 opción de ensalada A, D, o E Para 31 Personas escoger 3 diferentes bocadillos y 2 ensaladas.

A La Carte 39

40 A La Carte

A La Carte 41

Fresh food that is homemade delicious.

La Mar Restaurant Bar & Lounge is the place to go for lunch or dinner. A father and son venture, they have additional restaurants in Juarez and more than 45 years of experience in serving fine food to the public.

Lunch starts at 11:00 a.m. and Dinner at 4:00 p.m. There is a spacious room for receptions, parties, meetings, weddings, quinceaneras and other special celebrations that require a luxurious setting.

La Mar is reminiscent of something you would expect to see in Las Vegas.

With over 40 employees at La Lar, all have made worthwhile contributions. They take pride in their tasks and the result is a restaurant that is special in the way their food is prepared and served to customers. The seafood is always fresh and cooked in certain ways that bring out the delicate flavors enjoyed when ding at La Mar.

Appetizers

Fish Quezadilla $4.99 Shrimp Quezadillas $4.99 Marinera Quezadilla $5.99 Negroni (shoppped snails in oister juice, soy sauce, onion, lemon and parsly) $11.99 Negroni with Shrimp & Octous $ 15.99 Guacamole $5.99 Freh Oysters (1 doz) $12.99 (1/2) $6.99 Rockefeller Oyster $13.99 Shrimp Ceviche Tstada (3) $6.99 Fish Ceviche Tostada (3) $5.99 Coconut Shrimp $8.99 Avocado Stuffed w/shrimp salad $6.99 Boiled Shrimp $11.99 Cocktails Shrimp s $5.99 l $9.99 Oyster s 5.99 l $9.99 Combination of two s$6.99 l $9.99 Octopus s$6.99 l$10.99 Combination w/octopus s$7.99 l$10.99 La Mar (shrimp,oyster,octopus, baby clams and scallops) $ 12.99

Soups and Chowders Fish Soup w/ fillet chunks s$4.99 l$6.99 Shrimp Soup w/rice s$5.99 l$7.99 La Mar Soup w/assorted shellfish s$6.99 l$8.99 Clam Chowder Cup $2.25 Bowl $4.99 Shrimp Chowder s$5.99 l$6.99 Chicken La Mar crab & shrimp stuffed chicken $12.99 Grilled $10.99 Poblano $11.99 Tampiquena $12.99 Pastas Shrimp & Fetuccine $12.99 Chicken Fetuccine $10.99 Frutti di Mare w/ octopus,calamari,shrimp, clams & musseels $12.99 Lobster Garlic $m/p La Mar $m/p Thermidor $m/p Buttered $m/p

LA MAR SPECIALITIES Combos

Fish Filet

Roll Diabla fish fillet and shrimp wrapped in bacon strips w/diabla sauce $12.99 Capas fish fillet stuffed w/pecans and spinach $11.99 Asado marinated w/special sauce and grill onions $11.99 Mexicana jalapeno, tomato and onion sauce $11.99 Veracruzana tomato base sauce w/ olives and capers $11.99 Planca grilled $11.99 Mojo de Ajo w/fried garlic in oil $11.99 Mantequilla buttered $11.99 Parrilla open grill $11.99

Pescatore onion,garlic and spinach on butter souce $11.99 Combo Popcorn breaded fish fillet Montecarlo and popcorn shrimp $13.99 butter,onion,mushrooms and red Combo Tropical fish fillet and butpepper $11.99 tered shrimp w/almonds $13.99 Vapor wrapped in aluminium foil Combo Cordial fishfillet and garlic w/a healthy variety of vegetables shrimp $13.99 Combo Campirano breaded fish fil- $11.99 let and california pepper stuffed w/ Vallarta fish fillet layers stuffed w cheese, onion and mild chile slices shrimp $13.99 $11.99 Combo Festival breaded fish fillet Roll Aniversario shrimp and ocw/rice and shrimp $13.99 topus roll wrapped w/bacon strips Combo Fiesta breaded fish fillet & shrimp wraped in bacon stuffed w/ and in a mushroom and sour cream souce $12.99 pepper &cheese sauce $13.99 Normandi stuffed w/shrimp and Steaks Combo Ajillo fish fillet and shrimp oysters on a white sauce $11.99 w/garlic mushrooms and red chile Roll La Mar fish filletand shrimp Fillet Mignon $17.99 peppers $13.99 Tampiquena Steak $16.99 Combo Diabla fish fillets and srimp wraped in bacon strips w/white sauce and cheese $12.99 T-Bone $16.99 with chipotle sauce (spicy) $13.99 Poblano w/bell pepper and sweet Rib Eye 10 oz $14.99 Combo Ryal breaded fillet and corn sauce $11.99 Rib Eye 12 oz $16.99 shrimps $13.99 Tampiquena de Pescado w/chile Rib Eye 16 oz $19.99 Tri-Combo La Mar breaded strips and onions, enchilada, guaca- Kabob beff, tomato,onion, bacon shrimps, stuffed california pepper mole and beans $11.99 and green pepper $15.99 and breaded fish fillet $14.99 Papillon w/mushrooms, shrimps, Sirloin 12 oz $13.99 Fiesta de Camarones (17 mixed vegetables and white shrimps)breaded shrimp,Gambas wine, wrapped in aluminium foil Beverage shrimps,fiesta shrimp in spicy $$11.99 sauce $17.99 Costeno w/parsly,celery, garlic and Soft Dinks, Domestic and Imported red pepper (spicy) $11.99 Beer.

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