Thursday, January 23, 2014

Find Your Favorite Taste At A Local Italian Restaurant

By Marissa Velazquez


When your family has a hankering for something from Italy, locate an italian restaurant nearby to become a new favorite for every occasion dinners. Spagetteria, papa's pizzeria or mama's lunch counters are going to have a reputation for good home-style foods. The name on the door will have the key to secret ingredients, given to them by a beloved older relative to help others enjoy a piece of their Italy.

The ambiance of such an eatery is going to be the first thing noticed from the door. From lighting to music, there should be no extremes. The sounds should be enough to hear but not loud enough where people can't hold a conversation without screaming. Unless the garden bar is very elegant, then more than a candle should be present on the tables.

Begin your evening with a before meal sampling of tasty tidbits. Many people enjoy a large fresh garden salad with tomatoes, cheeses, olives and various thin meats. Others prefer a heartier start to their main meal. Crostini is bread which is lightly toasted, then drizzled with olive oil and topped with melted mozzarella. Sometimes prosciutto or Sopressata dry salami is added to the top of the cheese.

Another meal beginning or light dinner is the toasted ravioli and a side of marinara sauce plus a small salad or bowl of soup. Ravioli is traditionally stuffed with a ground meat; however it is also stuffed with seafood like scallops, lobster and shrimp. Seafood ravioli's come with a side of cream sauce, either parmesan or Alfredo sauce.

For a filling meal, try a calzone or Stromboli. Both are a sandwich style made with rolled pizza or bread dough. Common ingredients include a red or marinara sauce and lots of cheese. The Stromboli's dough is pizza and the calzone, which means stocking or trouser, is similar to a stocking or trouser in the translation. The dough from Stromboli's is salted style bread formed into a moon shaped pocket.

Once you have enjoyed an appetizer, it's time to taste the main course. There are so many traditional meals coming to America from Italy, each sounding more delicious than the last. You may have a difficult time choosing the right one for your taste tonight. Be sure to read the details below each dish and ask questions of the wait staff if you are unsure what ingredients are in which dish.

Dinner menu items revolve around three major meat groups: seafood, beef or chicken and pasta. Naturally, going on a pure pasta diet is not helpful for your body. Even if you find gluten-free brands, which are basically brown rice, you'll be tired about an hour after eating only pasta. Chefs from various regions will cook seafood and chicken in different ways, all very delicious.

Before departing the italian restaurant, everyone should try a delightful pastry named Cannoli. Some cooks will use a light pastry crust while others use leftover pizza dough to create these cylindrical shaped goodies. They are fried for a few moments in hot oil wrapped around a metal pipe so they can be filled. The empty flaky crust is then packed with either cream cheese or ricotta. The cheese is blended with vanilla, a white wine, chopped pistachios and a light brushing of powdered sugar.




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