08 2009

02Virtual Magazine

Aug-Sept 2009

El Paso Culinary Virtual Magazine

Be Gentle with The Planet ... Go Green

Italian Food

Whats Makes Italian Food

Italian

Is Pizza Italian Food?

HealtHier Op-tiOns at pOpu-lar restau-rant CHains -Bilingual

BaCk tO sCHOOl in tHe Bag - sim-ple, nutritive & nutritive reCipes

Perfect Pasta

From the Hearth Of your Kitchen

3

Explore Italian Food Editorial

4

What Makes Italian Food Italian 6

Is Pizza italian Food8

Italian Cheese 9

Italian Breads 10

HealtHier OptiOns at pOpu-lar 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

24FettuCCine alFresO

27

Righteous Risotto28

Great Gnocchi29

Sauces of Sicily30

Marinara, Plain and Fancy31

Super Soups32

Terrific Tiramisu34

A La Carte36

RECIPES

Neapolitan Pizza 8

These recipes have been re-viewed by the American Diabe-

tes Association.Turkey and Apple Roll-Up

16Apricot Turkey Sandwich

16Supreme Sandwich With

Turkey, Ham & Roast Beef17

Chicken Salad Tarragon Wrap

18Golden Classic Chicken

Salad18

Oatmeal Scotchies 19

Chiles Rellenos al Horno20

Tortitas De Pavo20

Granola20

Steak Tartara21

Cassata22

Vegetarian Lasagna24

Fettucine Alfredo27

Milanese Risotto28

Spinash Gnocchi29

Tomato Gonocchi29

Gnocchi from Scratch29

Onion and Garlic Sicilian Sauce

30Sicilian Lentil Salsa

30Marinara Sauce

31Minestrone Veronese

32Traditional Wedding Soup

32Zuppa Jota

32Tiramissu

33

Explore Italian Food

Get ready for a dining adven-ture. Italian food is being

sought. You won’t want to miss out. Before you set sail to seek out culinary perfection, explore an Italian dish.

You may prefer the tra-ditional foods that everyone a s s o c i a t e s with this lovely country. But which tradi-tion?

T o m a t o sauce and pasta - the quintessential Southern Ital-ian 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 ol-ive 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.

Let’s not forget about Na-poleon’s birthplace either. Sicil-ian sauces are one of the best kept culinary secrets of this sun-

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 marinara. But try it Sicilian style and you may abandon old tradi-tions forever to start a new one.

Italian bread is another of those less well-known highlights

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

You’ll need some cheese to go with that bread, and for the hundreds of Italian dishes you have yet to explore like a fine ri-

4 Explore Italian Food Editorial

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

Go beyond the Gorgonzo-la and embrace a fine Fontina for your fonduta and you may change your mind. Try an Ab-bamare 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 de-cide, 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 think-ing 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 Na-ples, with ingredi-ents 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 sur-prised to learn that it isn’t just Califor-nia that has found a hundred new ways to make it. That innovation started in the old country when ev-ery 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 din-

ing. Italian food is about to be served...

Ex-

The 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. Shell-fish, 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 dif-ferences are not unique to Italy, much less within Italy.

Migration inside the sec-tions of this lovely country have mixed and matched dishes by the score. Influences from oth-er countries played a role, too. In the north, the proximity to France has shown up in dozens of dishes. In the south, the con-quest 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 un-til 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 to-gether?

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

Sure, oregano and basil give a flavor that is strongly asso-ciated with that country’s cui-sine. The tomatoes and pasta over which those seasonings are spread are the essence of southern Italian cuisine. But to-matoes 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 in-genuity that can take the sim-plest list of foods and spices and create a masterpiece that takes Italian food to its mighty pinna-cle. That culinary Everest is truly what makes Italian food Italian.

What Makes Italian Food Italiantorial 7

had the idea of mashing and cooking it.

The first known pizzeria, still in operation today, opened its doors in 1830 in Naples. Be-fore long, visitors ran the gamut of poor sailors and royalty. At the time, it was common for young male aristocrats to enter the Navy as officers. That brought them into contact with the 'mari-nara'.

During the 19th century, pizza spread with the large im-migration of Italians to America, England, and elsewhere. Natu-rally, the innovation literally and figuratively piled on to this dish took off rapidly. As far back as 1870 it was common to add oregano, basil, olives, and other toppings to the new country's fa-vorite Italian food.

Near the end of the 19th century the Italians themselves kept changing the dish. In Bo-logna, the city in the north from which we get the name for that meat, they added their name-sake topping. It soon became a favorite of the Queen.

But crown or commoner, pizza remains a favorite around the globe. Here's one sample of why...

Neapolitan Pizza

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

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour1 tbsp sugar1 tbsp yeast

1 tsp salt1 cup water1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

Preparation:

Microwave the water for 1 minute and set aside. Pour the flower into a medium-sized bowl (you want to have a good sized mound) and mix with sugar and salt. Then make a small valley in the center. Into the valley, pour the yeast. Then pour on the wa-ter slowly and top with olive oil. Let it rest a minute, then mix thoroughly. Knead and roll flat on a large board.

Now, onto the pizza!

Ingredients:

Pizza dough (from above, or prepared)1 14 oz can Italian tomatoes2 tbsp olive oil2 large cloves garlic2 tbsp dried oregano1/2 cup Parmesan cheese1 1/2 cups Mozzarella cheese

Preparation:

Grate the Parmesan and slice the Mozzarella. Crush the garlic. Dice half the tomatoes finely and puree the rest for 30 seconds in a blender. Spread to-mato sauce, then the tomatoes onto the dough, then top with cheeses and spices.

The results turn out best when you have a large brick oven. If not, make do with an or-dinary one. Cook at 450F/230C for about 10-15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Is Pizza Italian Food?

Pizza is one of the most pop-ular foods in the world. It is

eaten in just about every coun-try, and in many of them it's con-sumed 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, sail-ors (from which the word 'mari-nara' 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 voy-age and they brought their reci-pes with them to their neighbor to the north.

Tomatoes were brought to Italy by 16h century Spanish ex-plorers, 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. Eventu-ally, some unknown clever chef

Is Pizza Italian Food 9

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 fre-quent 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 Pecori-no Romano, but pecorino is noth-ing more than a label for any cheese made from sheep's milk. Mmmm.... smooooothhhh.

Want something with a little more zing? How about a goat's milk cheese? Caprino is the per-fect choice, then. Nothing can compare to a Caprino fresca for fresh, tangy flavor. With its brownish or reddish tinge (Re-mella or Cavalese style) it also adds a bit of color to the table.

Of course, who hasn't heard of Parmesan, or as it's known lo-cally, Parmigiano? Hailing from northern Italy, it works great grat-

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 va-riety, 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 Cheese

De Gaulle famously de-clared 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 sun-drenched island, try some For-maggio Marcio. Made from sheep's milk, it's soft and mel-low. But, beware! It's not for everyone, since it often con-tains live insect larvae who ac-tually produce the texture.

The other major island is Sicily and it has many native cheeses to offer, including Ainuzzi. This delicious con-coction of cow's milk made in Cammarata is definitely some-thing to write home about... even if you live in Sicily.

You can eat many Italian cheeses just as they are or use them in cooking. Fontina is a prime example. It offers hints of honey that will make your fonduta stand out, or it can be served as is for dessert. Melt it over some Italian crackers and you may just want to skip lunch entirely.

10 Cheese and Bread

only a poor cousin to the French.ing to compare. Seasoned

with olive oil and herbs like ba-sil and oregano, it is simply deli-cious.

Focaccia is prepared in a way much like its cousin, the ubiq-uitous pizza. But this flat bread takes on whole new dimensions. It’s rolled out and pressed by hand, then baked in a stone oven. Slic-ing the top during baking is com-mon, 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 delight-ful flat bread called Piadina truly deserving of the name. Al-

most like an Arab pan bread or a Mexican torti-lla, 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.

Ciabatta is a delightfully dif-ferent creature altogether. More like a traditional loaf, with lots of holes inside, it is the perfect tool for sopping up olive oil or eating plain. It is made all over Italy and regional styles vary

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

Breadsticks, of course, are a ‘specialty of the house’ no mat-ter what house you are fortunate enough to visit in Italy. There are a thousand different recipes, of course, as every region and in-deed 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 mozza-rella.

For those looking for bite-sized bread options, there is always the croissant-style Cor-netti. 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 con-sumed with delight.

Of course, for an actual des-sert, 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 cin-namon and smothered in sugar near the end of the baking cycle.

Whatever suits your fancy there is an Italian bread that will tickle your tastebuds and fill your belly.

Italian Breads

Best known for pasta-based 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

Cheese and Bread 11

12 Eating Healthy

Bilingual article

OpciOnes mas sa-ludaBles en pOpu-lares cadenas de restaurantes

Lo que se conoce como salir a comer afuera se ha convertido en un pasatiem-po nacional. Independien-temente de que se trate del desayuno, el almuerzo o la cena en un restaurante, el refran “el que mucho come mucho engorda” se esta-transformando en un proble-ma creciente. La mayor’a de los restaurantes de comida rapida y los conven-cionales ofrecen una gama de alimentos que hace subir la balanza en terminos de contenido de calorias, gra-sas 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 seleccio-nes mas saludables 1. Subway(R): Esta

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 Tus-can 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 Ta-cos, 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 hambur-guesas, tambien se pueden reducir la grasa y las calor’as seleccionando una hambur-guesa tamano “Jr.” en vez de las opciones de comida en paquete que no son saluda-bles. Estas hamburguesas junior se corresponden mas con una racion apropiada que las comidas para adul-tos. 4. McDonald’s(R): Es probable que McDonald’s este reformulando sus opcio-nes 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): Cuan-do comemos en Burger King, una de las opciones mas saludables es el Ten-dergrill Chicken Sandwich (sin mayonesa), con 380 ca-lorias y 7 gramos de grasa.

CADENAS DE RESTAU-RANTES CONVENCIONA-LES

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 embar-go, 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

Special Section Eating Helthy

Special Section Eating Helthy

Chicken, por ejemplo, con 370 calorias y 6 gramos de gra-sa. 2. T.G.I. Friday’s(R): El menœ “Right Portion, Right Price” de la cadena abrir el camino para porciones mas pequenas a menos precio. Tambien cuentan con una seccion “Better for You” en el menœ, con comidas que no contienen mas de 500 calorias y 10 gramos de grasa por racion.

3. Chili’s(R): Busque op-ciones saludables en la seccion “Guiltless Grill” de Chilis, como Guiltless Grilled Salmon, con 480 calorias y 14 gramos de grasa, gran parte de la cual proviene de los im-portantes acidos grasos omega 3 del pescado. 4. Outback Steakhouse(R): Outback es conocido por sus platos con alto contenido de grasa, como el Bloomin’ Onion y las Kookaburra Wings. Sin embargo, tiene opciones nuevas en su menu como “Healthy Weight Loss”, “Heart-Healthy Diet” y “High Protein, Low Carbo-hydrate”. Una visita al sitio Web del restaurant le ofrecera sugerencias acerca de como lograr que los platos regulares del menœ de la cadena sean mas saludables, pidiendo que no les pongan aderezo, o que no los cocinen con mantequilla. 5. Ruby Tuesday’s(R): Esta cadena cuenta con nu-merosos platos abundantes en calor’as (incluso el Ruby Minis tiene 1,122 calorias), pero una

visita a la seccion de ensaladas podra ser una opcion mas sa-ludable, siempre y cuando opte por aderezos con bajo conteni-do de calorias.6. The Cheesecake Factory(R): Porciones enormes, un menœ de dimensiones novedo-sas, y sus deliciosos postres pueden ser la perdicion de muchos comensales de este popular restaurante. Pero una nueva seleccion de menos, Weight Management Grilled Chicken(TM), es una opcion mejor.Si le dedica tiempo a hacer su investigacion y lee atentamente las paginas del menœ de las

cadenas de restaurantes de comida rapida y convenciona-les locales, podra encontrar opciones mas saludables que impiden un aumento de peso y mejoran su estado de salud general. Cortesia de la Universidad John Hopkins.

------English Version

HealtHier OptiOns at pOpular restaurant cHains

Dining out has become a national pastime. Whether you enjoy breakfast, lunch or din-ner out on the town, the adage of “what passes through the lips, turns up on the hips” is becom-ing a growing problem. Most fast food restaurants and sit-down convenience restaurants offer a bevy of foods that tip the

scales in terms of calorie, fat and sodium content. But there still are ways to dine healthy when eating out. You just have to be more cautious in your selec-tions.Here are some meal options you may want to consider in lieu of un-healthy, albeit tasty, options on the menu.

Fast FoodFast food is convenient and delicious to many. However, it is notorious for boasting high fat and sodium contents. Consider these healthier selections. 1. Subway(R): This sandwich chain has been mak-ing waves for years with their healthy “Eat Fresh” menu selec-

Eating Healthy13

If you’re watching your waistline, you may want to skip the burgers and fries at popular restaurant chains. Many now offer menu sections featuring healthier meal options with less fat

and fewer calories.

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): Mc-Donald’s may be revamping their healthy options for chil-dren. 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

(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 bar-gained 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” sys-tem 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,” “Heart-Healthy 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 calorie-laden foods (even the Ruby Minis have 1,122 calories), but a visit to the salad bar could be a much healthier option, pro-vided you choose a low-calorie dressing. 6. The Cheesecake Factory(R): Large portions, a novel-sized menu and delicious desserts can make this popu-lar 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 establish-ments you can find healthier options that are better for the waistline and overall health. -courtesy of John’s Hopkins University

14 Eating Healthy

Special Section Eating Helthy

Special Section Eating Helthy

Eating Healthy 15

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, some-thing 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 condi-ments. 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 consid-er 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 adventur-ous 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 crack-ers add crunch. Slip green pep-per slices inside a wrap or sand-wich — kids will eat healthier without realizing it!

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 low-salt crackers. Pack an extra half sand-wich for the active athlete in the family. Before a workout, eat-ing 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 de-ciding 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 veg-etables 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

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 low-fat whipped cream cheese 2 1/2 ounces Boar’s Head Maple Glazed Honey Coat Turkey Breast 1/4 ounce (approxi-mately 2 to 3 leaves) fresh baby spinach 1/2 tart apple, sliced into matchstick piecesSpread cream cheese on tor-tilla. 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 ironApricot Turkey SandwichMakes 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 on-ion, chopped 3 dried apricots, chopped 1 tablespoon sliv-ered almondsSpread cream cheese evenly over both slices of bread. Layer turkey on bottom slice of bread and sprinkle with chopped on-ions, apricots and nuts. Top with remaining slice of bread.

16 Eating Healthy

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

Supreme Sandwich With Tur-key, Ham & Roast Beef Makes 1 large sandwich Serving suggestion: For more kid-friendly portions, serve one-half 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 (approxi-mately 2 1/2 table- spoons) green bell pepper, sliced 1 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar 1/2 teaspoon dried ground basilPrepare just before serving. Place meats and vegetables be-tween the two halves of the roll. Sprinkle with olive oil, vinegar and basil just before closing. Nutritional Information (per serving): 364 calories, 29g protein, 45g car-bohydrates, 7g dietary fiber, 12g fat, 2g saturated fat, 39mg cholesterol, 1049mg sodium, 105mg calcium, 4mg

iron.Chicken Salad Tarragon Wrap Makes 1 wrap 1 96% fat free torti-lla, 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 (approxi-mately 2 1/2 table- spoons) green bell pepper, chopped 2 ounces (approxi-mately 3 table- spoons) red tomatoes, choppedLay 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): 258 calories, 20g protein, 32g car-bohydrates, 5g dietary fiber, 6g fat, 1g saturated fat, 41mg cholesterol, 843mg sodium, 135mg calcium, 3mg ironGolden Classic Chicken Salad 1/3 cup diced celery 2 tablespoons chopped yellow onion Pinch white pep-per Pinch paprika 1 teaspoon mustard Lemon juice, to taste 1/2 pound Boar’s Head Golden Classic Chicken, diced 2 tablespoons light mayonnaise

Eating Healthy 17

Bake a Batch of Love

It’s true - the kitchen is the heart of the home. Ever notice how people always gather there? Whether bak-ing treats, making dinner or spend-ing 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.

Back-to-school time is excit-ing and a little bit scary - for

parents and kids alike. Whether the kids are headed off to el-ementary school, high school or college, they could all use a little extra love.

I've found that a batch of fa-vorite cookies is a simple way to show love to the kids - without embarrassing them in front of their peers! A couple of cook-ies tucked into the lunch box

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 ar-rive fresh and intact.

Timing is EverythingShip your cookies on Mon-

day 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 follow-ing week.

All In a Day's WorkSchedule 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 CareIt doesn't hurt to wrap your

cookies a few times. The more protection around the cook-ies, 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 exclu-sive 10-inch, dishwasher-safe collector's plate with a unique

"Cookie Code" that lets you track how far your plate has traveled!

For more packing tips, re-move 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.

Jenny Harper is Senior Cu-linary Specialist for the Nestlé Test Kitchens and VeryBestBak-ing.com.

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

Mix it up with JennyBy Jenny Harper

Special Section Mix It Up with Jenny

18 Mix It Up with Jenny

Special Section Mix It Up with Jenny

Mix It Up with Jenny 19

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 VARIA-TION (Makes 4 dozen bars):

Grease 15 x 10-inch jel-ly-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.

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

cookie recipes and information on how to get a Limited Edition Please Send Cookies plate, visit

www.PleaseSendCookies.com.

Oatmeal Scotchies (Makes 4 dozen cook-

ies)

1 1/4 cups all-pur-pose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon ground cin-

namon1 cup (2 sticks) butter

or margarine, softened3/4 cup granulated sugar3/4 cup packed brown

sugar2 large eggs1 teaspoon vanilla

extract or grated peel of 1

Rosa Maria

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

6 Chiles Poblanos (Asados y pelados)Queso Munster y/o mozarela1 jitomate grande en rebana-das1 lechuga 1/4 de taza de Vinagre blanco1/3 de taza de aguaSal al gusto

Horno a 350 C

Colocar en un plato ex-tendido el vinagre, sal y el agua. mezcle bien. coloque los chiles en el plato ase-gurando 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

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 le-chuga y rebanads de jitomate a un lado. Puede agregar sal y limon a las lechuga y jito-mate. Enjoy!!!

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

6 Poblanos Chiles (roasted and peeled) cheese Mun-ster 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 min-utes. 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. re-move 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!

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

Ingredientes1 lb. de pavo molido1/2 taza de pan molido (estilo italiano mejor)1/2 taza de queso parmesano (molido o rallado)1 huevoSalsa inglesa, sal y pimienta al gusto

Mezclar todos los ingredien-tes 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 prefer-encia.

Turkey Patties... quick, nutri-tious and must not be wash-ing 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 Eng-lish 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.

Rosa Maria is a chemi-cal engineer, she recently help te company where she work to obtain the ISO certfi-cation. with her busy sched-ule she make time to cook for her family. she share three of her deliciou recipes.

Special Section From the Heart Of Your Kitchen

20 From The Heart of your Kitchen

Special Section From the Heart Of Your Kitchen

Granola

Ingraientes:

2 tazas Avena entera cruda2 tazas de Germen de trigo2 tazas de salvado2 tazas de amaranto1/ taza de cacahuate1/2 taza semilla de calabaza1/2 taza nuez1/2 taza de almendra1 taza ajonjoli

3/4 taza de miel1/2 taza de aceite1/2 taza de coco1/2 taza de pasas

Horno 300 C

Mezclar bien todos los ingredi-ente secos, agregar el ultimo el aceite y la miel. Coloque la mezcla en una charola exten-dida 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 en-friar.cuando haga galletas, utilize la parte inferior del horno para hacer la granola.

Granola,

Ingredients:

2 cups raw Oatmeal 2 cups of wheat germ 2 cups of bran 2 cups of Amaranth 1 / cup of peanuts1/2 cup seed of pumpkin 1/2 cup nuts 1/2 cup almonds

1 cup sesame seeds3/4 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 ingredi-ent 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 min-utes and return to blend, until slightly brown. Withdraw imme-diately and cool. When making cookies, use the part lower the oven to make the granola.

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 select-ed and included in the issue of Din-ing & Fun, and will credit the the

recipe with the person’s name.

email us at recipes@diningandfun.com

From The Heart of your Kitchen 21

Cuisine of Northern Italy

Imagine Italian food and most people will picture pasta or piz-

za, 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 favor-ite of the area, as well, often in the form of Capriolo alla Valdo-stana.

But vegetarians can find doz-ens of choices that satisfy, too. Polenta for generations was a food primarily of the poor. Yet, to-day, this corn-based dish can be found in the finest restaurants of the region. Piedmont offers fon-duta - a melted cheese dip made from milk, eggs, and local white truffles.

Blessed with ample coast-line, there is seafood galore. Shellfish makes its way from the sea shore to the entire inte-rior yet remains entirely fresh, thanks to modern transporta-tion. 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, mush-rooms, and more, all easy on the olive oil, since butter is a more common ingredient in Northern Italian cui-sine.

Even very simple dishes clearly show their origins. A delight-ful Carne Cruda is a good case in point. Called steak tartare in other parts of the world, it has a won-derful twist in this part of the world.

Ingredients:

1 lb beef fillet1 white truffle1 anchovy2 lemons2 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 fil-let to kill any surface bacteria. Then, remove from heat and

let cool. Trim off the cooked por-tion. 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 re-move the garlic.

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 sec-tion of this lovely country known for outstanding cuisine. Try it and you’ll quickly become con-vinced.

22 Cuisine of Northern Italy

dance and astonishing variety of seafood.

And, yes, Neapolitan food such as pizza, is not only com-mon here, but delightfully differ-ent from what you might find in Brooklyn. It is here in Campania, too, that one finds the finest spa-ghetti, not to mention superb la-sagna. The reasons aren’t far to

seek. Great dishes start with great ingredients and it is in this region that rich fields produce the best durum wheat. You couldn’t find better ricotta anywhere else.

The sun-drenched slopes of Mount Vesu-vius of southern Italy do more than produce world-class grapes. They provide the soil and warmth that gives San Marzano toma-toes their rich, rich fla-vor. Those in turn are mashed to create mari-nara sauces that are the envy of the world.

Meat dishes are plentiful in Southern Italian cuisine, too. Whether it is the fine

veal from Calabria or the out-standing clams from the coast, you will find the finest here. Even further south, to the island of Sicily for example, you can find influences from Greece and other ancient lands.

The olives of this tiny is-land, birthplace of Napoleon, are among the best in the world. The cannoli is to die for and a delicious layer cake called Cas-

sata is a favorite of the locals. Eggplant doesn’t get any better elsewhere. A superb eggplant parmesan can effectively prove the point...

Ingredients:

2 lbs eggplant1 egg1/4 cup grated Parmigiano1 1/4 lb ripe tomatoes3/4 lb fresh mozzarellaOlive oil (for frying)

Preparation:

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

Peel the eggplant and slice thin. Press to remove excess juice, then dry for 2 hours. Fry the eggplant, using olive oil rath-er than safflower or vegetable oil.

While the eggplant is cook-ing, dice and drain the toma-toes. Then cook in a fresh pan for about 5 minutes, or until soft-ened. Be liberal with basil as the tomato turns to paste with stir-ring.

Now place the tomato sauce into a baking dish. Beat an egg and mix into the tomato sauce. Next, arrange the egg-plant over the sauce and cover with cheese. Layer on a few ba-sil leaves and a bit more moz-zarella. Continue layering until you’re out of ingredients.

Bake at 275F/135C for about an hour.

Try a few dishes from Southern Italy and you may nev-er want to go home again.

Cuisine of Southern Italy

The cuisine of Southern Italy is familiar to the average per-

son. Who hasn’t heard of pizza? Pasta, too, is much more com-mon here than in the dishes of Northern Italy. The distinctive fla-

vor provided by olive oil and to-matoes is also much more likely a part of a dish here than in re-gions 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-

Cuisine of Southern Italy 23

but fresh pasta (pasta fresca).

The normal process of mak-ing pasta extrudes it from a copper mold, which shapes it and creates the distinctive pat-terns found on the surfaces and edges of many. It usually then goes on to be dried, dried, dried. But that drying process can be stopped part way and the prod-uct consumed while the mixture still retains much moisture and flexibility. Mmmm, mmmm.

Whether dry or fresh, egg or plain, the whole point though is to use it for making pasta dishes. Here is a great example...

Vegetarian Lasagna

Luckily for those who don't eat meat, lasagna is still excel-lent when made solely with veg-etable ingredients. This recipe will prove the point.

Ingredients:

8 lasagna noodles10 oz fresh broccoli4 plum tomatoes1 celery stalk1 medium spring onion1 red bell pepper1/4 cup fresh basil2 bay leaves2 cloves garlic1 egg2 cups ricotta cheese1/4 cup Parmesan cheese1 cup mozzarella cheese

Preparation:

Peel and dice the tomatoes, then puree in a blender for 30 seconds. Crumble in the bay leaves and basil, mince the gar-

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 min-utes). Drain and set aside.

Whip the egg, grate the Par-mesan and mozzarella. Chop the broccoli finely, dice the cel-ery 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!

Pasta, Pas-ta, Pasta..There are - aren't chefs lucky?

- dozens of different types of pasta and thousands of pasta-based recipes. Spaghetti and lasagna are old favorites, of course. But there are many more, and - after all - exploring new worlds of cuisine is part of the fun!

Shape is an important aspect of pasta since it has a heavy in-fluence on bulk, what stuffings you can use, and so forth. Con-chiglioni, for example, are per-fect shells for stuffing with meat. The dish lasagna gets its name, not surprisingly, from the wide, flat shape that makes it perfect for layering.

But the ingredients vary, too. Most pastas are made of a com-bination of water and flour. There are pastas made from semo-lina flour, produced from durum wheat, and farina, buckwheat, and others as well. And, don't be misled by the phrase 'dry pas-ta'. Without liquid of some sort, there's no way to turn the flour into a paste, and hence pasta.

Eggs play a major role in pasta all'uovo. Many pastas will have embedded spices or even cheese. Pasta is nothing if not flexible! Don't be fooled, though, by any list which includes gnoc-chi, which is actually made from potatoes.

The alternative to dry pasta (pasta secca) is not wet pasta

24 Perfect Pasta

Perfect Pasta 23

Fettuccine Alfredo,Fortissimo

Southern 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 Fettuc-cine Alfredo, the quintessential northern-style dish.

Ironically, the origins of the dish are said to hail from a res-taurateur 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 en-joy...

Fettuccine Alfredo

Ingredients:

Sauce

1 egg yolk1 cup heavy cream1/2 cup butter2 cups fresh Parmesan

cheese5 cloves garlic2 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 blend-ing until it's all well mixed. Grate fresh Parmesan and sprinkle onto the mixture, then toss in the

parsley.

NoodlesYou 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 flour3 egg yolks3 tbsp olive oil5 tbsp cold water2 tbsp unsalted butter1/4 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, cov-ered 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 min-utes. 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

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.

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

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

Add the chicken stock.

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

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

There are variations on the Milanese Risotto and many of them are equally tasty. A purely vegetarian risotto is possible, of course. Substitute mushrooms for the chicken stock, for exam-ple.

The important character of ri-sotto should be retained in any recipe, however. That means, the final result should be creamy, not spicy. The rice should not clump together, grains should move about freely. If they clump, you may have been a little stingy with the olive oil.

Be sure to stir often enough

to keep the grains well exposed to the chicken and vice versa. It takes practice to make a fine ri-sotto and don't be too unhappy if your first try is less than perfect. It's hard to make a great rice dish.

Good luck and buono appeti-to!

Gnocchi in Bolognese sauce, and red wine

Righteous Risotto

Risotto is a rice-based Ital-ian dish. But, oh what a

delightful taste sensation is masked by that simple de-scription. Naturally, there are dozens of different recipes and each one reflects the re-gion and the individual chef that gave birth to it.

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.

The method of preparation of risotto also differs from ordi-nary rice. It is fried, not boiled. Naturally, since this is a true Italian dish, olive oil is used instead of safflower or veg-etable oil.

Let's see what happens next...

Milanese Risotto

The risotto from Milan is the world standard of this deli-cious Northern Italian dish.

Ingredients:

5 cups chicken stock1 cup Arborio rice1 large onion1/4 cup white wine1/2 tsp saffron threads2 tbsp butter3 tbsp olive oil

28 Rigtheous Risotto

1 cup spinach5 gnocchi1 oz Romano CheeseDash 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 gn-occhi until they're broken down, but still lumpy. Mix the two to-gether, 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 sauce2 tbsp olive oil1 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 addi-tion, 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.

Great Gnocchi

Think of Italian food and pas-ta 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 na-tive tongue - lump - describes

their shape, but not their taste. Made from potatoes one might think that taste would be bland and bor-ing, filling, but flat. Oh, how wrong that thought would be...

G n o c c h i 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 alterna-tive 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:

Gnocchi From Scratch

Ingredients:

3 large baking Idaho potatoes12 quarts water2 cups semolina flour1 large egg1 tsp salt1/4 tsp ground white pepperParmesan cheese, a sprinklingA 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. Still-warm potatoes work best for this recipe.

Scrape off the skin with a par-ing 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, sol-id 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 stick-ing 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

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!

This next one takes just a bit more preparation but, oh my, are the results ever worth it!

Sicilian Lentil Salsa

Ingredients: 1 cup dry lentils2 4-oz cans tomato paste (or

use results from recipe above)1 cup chopped onion1 small zucchini2 cups fresh portabella mush-

rooms2 tsp virgin olive oil3 cloves garlic3 cups water

Preparation:

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, on medium. While you wait for the pan and oil to heat, chop the zucchini into small pieces and slice the mushrooms. Mince the garlic and chop the onions.

Now add all the vegetables and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring gently.

Add the lentil beans and wa-ter, then boil. Reduce the heat and cover, allow to simmer for about 45 minutes. Add water as needed to prevent drying. The result will be a delicious, thick sauce suitable for all manner of

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

and taste that is truly wonderful.

Some recipes for Sicilian sauces call for butter. You can do anything you like in your own kitchen, of course, but remem-ber that authentic Italian cuisine calls for butter in Northern dish-es, olive oil in Southern ones. Sicily, since it's an island off the southern coast is more south than north, but it's always been very individualistic. Please your-self!

Sauces from Sicily

Italian sauces are well-known throughout the world. But

there is a region of the coun-try that offers something dis-tinctively different: Sicily. Le-gally part of Italy, Sicily has often gone its own way politi-cally. That same independent spirit is found in the cuisine of this sun-drenched island, and most particularly in its fine sauces.

One of the secrets to a fine, thick Sicilian tomato sauce is strutto. But don't include it when you're trying to go low-cal. Strutto is rendered pork fat and, while it does a superb job of thickening up that paste, it can also thicken you. In mod-eration, though, it adds flavor and bulk that would otherwise require hours of cooking.

Luckily, there are several ways to get that Sicilian sauce just right. Here's one example, a fine tomato-based concoc-tion just right for fish dishes.

Onion and Garlic Sicilian Sauce

Ingredients:

4 plum tomatoes4 spring onions1 tbsp garlic1 tbsp olive oil8 fresh basil leaves1 dash of hot chili sauce

Preparation:

30 Sauces From Sicily

and less spicy. Butter is prominent in a creamier north-ern sauce, such as a Bolognese ragu or an alfredo.

But a good marinara can combine both qualities, the spicy zest of the south (where tomato-based sauces are more com-mon) with the sweet, creamy texture of the north. Basil, garlic, and oregano give it that Italian character, but a nice hot chili pepper can keep it from being boring.

Here’s a very simple recipe to get you started down that road.

Ingredients:

1 12 oz can of imported San Marzano tomatoes

1/8 cup of olive oil2 cloves of garlic3 basil leaves

Wash and dry the basil leaves, then crush the garlic. Fry the garlic in the olive oil for a few minutes until it browns. Chop the tomatoes and puree for 10 seconds in a blender. Throw in the spices and pour into a sauce pan. Simmer for about 20 min-utes.

Now let’s spice it up even more.

Start as before, but before cooking add 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper from some hot peppercorns. To add a bit of vegetable, try some green on-ions, finely chopped. Add a tea-spoon of dried oregano.

Want to smooth it out and add extra flavor? Here’s an oppor-tunity to use that special white wine you’ve been saving for just such an occasion, a 1/2 cup will do fine. A Gewürztraminer would be overdoing it, try a delicate dry Chenin Blanc.

An alternative method uses some beef to bolden up the broth. A bit of stew beef is just the thing. Cut them small, brown them, and add the chunks to the sauce. To really go wild, add a few cubes of finely cut green pepper.

Don’t worry about violating tradition or producing something that isn’t authentic. All these variations are not just American inventions, but hail from areas all over Italy. It’s a diverse land influenced by cultures as differ-ent as the French, the Greeks, and several northern Arab tribes.

While marinara hails from Naples in the south, it is truly a universal Italian sauce found in hundreds of dishes from all re-gions. Far from being bland, it can provide a zesty character to your table. Let your imagination run wild. The Italians do!

Marinara, Plain and Fancy

Sure marinara can be plain old tomato sauce. But

there are ways to make it a delightfully stylish topping.

Since the name derives from the Italian word for sailor, it's common to think of mari-

nara as part of seafood d i shes . But its use on s p a -g h e t t i alone is enough to dis-p r o v e that. Fa-m i l i a r from a m i l l i o n m e d i o -cre spa-g h e t t i dinners, j u s t a b o u t anyone

will groan when you tell them what's for supper. But it need not be so. Marinara can be ex-citing, different, even astound-ing.

One way to see that is to compare and contrast mari-nara with some of its cousins north and south. From Campa-nia hails the spicy puttanesca. Peppercorns and garlic give it oomph, while basil and black olives provide a traditional Ne-

Marinara, Plain & fancy31

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 milk1/4 cup grated Parmesan

cheese1 clove garlic1/4 tsp oregano1/4 tsp basil2 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. Sim-mer 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 influ-enced by other cultures. It uses sauerkraut!

1 cup kidney beans2 cups sauerkraut2 cloves garlic3 tbsp olive oil1 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 sim-mer 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 sauté 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!

Super Soups

Everyone 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 outstand-ing soups that hail from this land of world-class cuisine.

There are, luckily for those who love Italian food and variety, dozens of dif-ferent soup recipes from north, south, and the many Italian islands surrounding the country. With fresh, lo-cal ingredients they are the perfect lunchtime meal or entrée for dinner.

Here are a few exam-ples that will prove the point nicely...

Minestrone Veronese

Ingredients:

1/4 lb Prosciutto3 carrots15 medium-sized pota-

toes6 oz fresh spinach

leaves3 fresh beets1 small squash1 cup dried lentil beans2 cloves garlic2 leeks1/2 fennel bulbA few parsley leaves1/4 lb croutons1/8 lb Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

32 Super Soups

Terrific Tiramisu

Desserts 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 outstand-ing example is Tiramisu.

By most accounts a relative-ly recent invention, unlike the majority of Italian dishes which are centuries old, Tiramisu is thought to have come from an enlightened chef in Treviso. But whatever its origins, its true birth-place is the Hall of the Gods. For, this coffee and cream cheese dessert is simply heavenly.

Here's why...Tiramisu, the simple way

Ingredients:6 ladyfingers1/4 cup espresso1/2 cup Mascarpone1 large egg1 tbsp dark rum1 tbsp cognac3 tbsp sugar1 tsp unsweetened cocoa

powder

Preparation:

Whisk the egg and add a pinch of salt. Sprinkle in the sug-ar 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 ladyfin-ger into the espresso mixture until it is sopping. Then remove

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

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 des-sert by grabbing the edges of the wax paper and place into the re-frigerator. Refrigerate overnight.

The next day, remove and place onto a plate, then sprinkle with cocoa powder before serv-ing.

Naturally, it's best to use the freshest possible ladyfingers (a small cake known in Italy as savoiardi). It's always possible to make them, but the prepara-tion is for the advanced only.

Feel free to experiment. Like all Italian dishes, there are re-gional differences and variations made by individual chefs. One popular style uses a bit of Kah-lua, which works well thanks to its association with coffee. Ama-retto 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 individu-ally during the refrigeration step, then stack afterward. Some will boil the sugar in water to get a syrup that is added to the mix-ture. That thickens the recipe and gives it a highly sweet taste. That shows a French influence, since Italians lean more toward

34 Terrific Tiramisu

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 in-dividual!

36 A La Carte

A La Carte

Selectionof Restaurants

Menus

The Basil GardenThe Pasty Chef

La Mar

THE BASIL GARDEN L.l.C.

International CuisineBuss. (915)842-9040 Cell.

(915) 727-88125360 N. MESA D-4 EL Paso,

TX 79912CATERING 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 veg-

etales)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 rel-lena 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)

c). Linguini pasta with red peper sauce. (Linguni con una

crema de pimiento rojo.

MEAT OR SPINACH LASAGNA (Lasaña de Carne o de espina-cas) Min. 10 Parsons (Mínimo 10 Personas)

a). House salad with Italian vinaigrette. (Ensalada de la Casa con una vinagreta italiana como aderezo)b). Bread. (Pan)$7.95P/P

FETUCCINI ALFREDO WITH SHRIMP & CHICKEN (Fetuccine Alfredo con ca-marones y pollo)Min. 10 Persons (Mínimo 10 Personas)

a). House salad with Italian vinaigrette. (Ensalada de la Casa con una vinagreta italiana como aderezo)b). Bread. (Pan)$8.50 /P

RAVIOLI FILLED WITH RICOTTA CHEESE (Ravioles rellenos de queso ricotta) Min. 10 Persons (Mínimo 10 Personas)

a). Mediterranean Salad with

e). Bread. (Pan)

$11.50P/P

FLORENTINE SALMON

Min. 10 Persons (Mínimo 10 Personas)

a). Portion of salmon fillet on spinach and mushrooms sauce. (Porción de filete de

salmón, sobre una cama de espinacas con champiñones)

b). Vegetables. (Mezcla de vegetales)c). House salad with Italian

vinaigrette. (Ensalada de la Casa con una vinagreta italiana como

aderezo)d). Bread. (Pan)

$9.50P/P

CHICKEN BREAST FILLED WITH SPINACH AND MUSHROOMS CHEESE SAUCE

Min. 10 Parsons (Míni-mo 10 Personas)

$8.50P/P

a). Chicken Breast filled of spinach and mushrooms with

cheese cream. (Pechuga rellena de

espinacas con champiñones bañadas con crema de quesos)

b). House salad with Italian vinaigrette and Bread.

(Ensalada de la Casa con una vinagreta italiana como

aderezo y Pan.

A La Carte 37

Dressing. (Ensalada Mediterránea con Aderezo)b). Bread. (Pan)$7.95P/P

CHICKEN OR BEEF FAJITAS (Faji-tas De pollo o res a la plancha)Min. 10 Persons (Mínimo 10 Personas)

a). Rice (Arroz)b). Beeans (Frijoles)c). Guacamoled). Chile Salsa (Pico de Gallo)e). Corn Tortilla (Tortilla de Maíz)f). Green Salad with Dress-ing (Ensalada verde con aderezo)$8.50 /P

MIXED FAJITAS CHICKEN, BEEF & SHRIMP (Mezcla de fajiltas de carne, fajitas de pollo y camarón a la plancha)Min. 10 Persons (Mínimo 10 Personas)

a). Rice (Arroz)b). Beans (Frijoles)c). Guacamoled). Chile Salsa (Pico de Gallo)e). Corn Tortilla (Tortilla de Maíz)

f). Green Salad with Dress-ing (Ensalada verde con aderezo)$9.50P/PPORK IN PLUM SAUCE (Puerco en salsa de ciruelas)Min. 10 Persons (Mínimo 10 Personas)

a). House salad with Italian vinaigrette. (Ensalada de la Casa con una vinagreta italiana como aderezo)b). Bread. (Pan)c). Mashed potato with gravy. (Pure de Papa con greavy)d). Linguini with Red bell pepper sauce. (Linguini en salsa de morron rojo)$8.50P/P

* LINGUINNI FRUTE D’MARE IN WHITE WINE SAUCE (Mezcla De mariscos en una salsa de vino blanco)Min. 10 Persons (Mínimo 10 Personas) a). House salad with Italian vinaigrette. (Ensalada de la Casa con una vinagreta italiana como aderezo)b). Bread. (Pan) $9.50P/P

BRISKETMinimo 15 personasa). Corn (elote)

b). Potatoe salad (ensalada de papa

c). Bread (pand) Charros Beans

(frijoles Charros). $8.50P/P

FILETE MINONMinimo 10 personas

a). Vegetables/ vegetalesb). Meshed potatoe / pure de

papa c). House salad /ensalada de

la casad). 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 /orientalb). Chipotle /chipotle

c). Mushrooms /Champino-nes

d). Mangoe). Almond/ Almendras

f). marsalla/Marsalla (Mush-rooms 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 gravyc). Pure de papa con albaha-ca/Mushed potatoes with pesto

d). Papas al cilantro/Red small potatoes with Parslsey

e). Pasta a la mantequilla/But-ter Pasta

38 A La Carte

A La Carte 39

f). Spaghetti con crema de champiñones

g). Zanahoria bebe/Baby car-rots

h). Arroz blanco/White ricei). Espárragos asados/Grill

Sparragusj). Linguini con crema de

pimiento rojoLinguini with Red Peper Sauce

k). Ensalada de la casa/Hause Salad

L). Arroz jar-dinero/Garden Rice

$7.95P/P

DELICIOSA TAQUIZA MEXI-CANA

Mínimo 30 personas, escoger 2 guisados mas arroz, frijoles,

tortillas y salsasPara 40 Personas escoger 3

guisados mas arroz, frijoles, tor-tillas y salsa.

A). Discada de resB). Asado de puerco

C). Tinga de polloD). Rajas con queso

E). Ensalada de nopalitosF). Mole

G). Cochinita pibilH). Deshebrada con chile

verde). Albóndigas en salsa chipotle

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

BOTANAS O BOCADILLOSMínimo 20 personas, Escoger 2 dif. Bocadillos y 1 opción de

ensalada A, D, o EPara 31 Personas escoger 3 diferentes bocadillos y 2 en-

saladas.

A). Tapas españolas con pi-miento morón

B). Quiches de rajas o de polloC). 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 atúnG). Canapés de pollo

H). Melón con jamón serranoI). Espárragos envueltos en

jamón

ENSALADAS

A). Ensalada pluma con pesto y piñón

B). Salpicón de resC). Linguini con salmón ahu-

madoD). Ensalada de papaE). Ensalada de codito

F). Ensalada de pol-lo con uvas y manzana

$8.50P/P

SABADO Y DOMUNGO Min. 20 ordenes

DELIVERY SERVICE $25.00

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 spa-cious room for recep-tions, parties, meetings, weddings, quincean-eras and other special celebrations that re-quire a luxurious setting. La Mar is reminiscent of something you would expect to see in Las Vegas.

With over 40 employ-ees at La Lar, all have made worthwhile con-tributions. They take pride in their tasks and the result is a restau-rant that is special in the way their food is prepared and served to customers. The sea-food is always fresh and cooked in certain ways that bring out the delicate flavors enjoyed when ding at La Mar.

Appetizers

Fish Quezadilla $4.99Shrimp Quezadillas $4.99Marinera Quezadilla $5.99Negroni (shoppped snails in oister juice, soy sauce, onion, lemon and parsly) $11.99Negroni with Shrimp & Octous $ 15.99Guacamole $5.99 Freh Oysters (1 doz) $12.99 (1/2) $6.99Rockefeller Oyster $13.99Shrimp Ceviche Tstada (3) $6.99Fish Ceviche Tostada (3) $5.99Coconut Shrimp $8.99Avocado Stuffed w/shrimp salad $6.99Boiled Shrimp $11.99

Cocktails

Shrimp s $5.99 l $9.99Oyster s 5.99 l $9.99Combination of two s$6.99 l $9.99Octopus s$6.99 l$10.99Combination w/octopus s$7.99 l$10.99La Mar (shrimp,oyster,octopus, baby clams and scallops) $ 12.99

Soups and Chowders

Fish Soup w/ fillet chunks s$4.99 l$6.99Shrimp Soup w/rice s$5.99 l$7.99La Mar Soup w/assorted shellfish s$6.99 l$8.99Clam Chowder Cup $2.25 Bowl $4.99Shrimp Chowder s$5.99 l$6.99

Chicken

La Mar crab & shrimp stuffed chicken $12.99Grilled $10.99Poblano $11.99Tampiquena $12.99

Pastas

Shrimp & Fetuccine $12.99Chicken Fetuccine $10.99Frutti di Mare w/octopus,calamari,shrimp, clams & musseels $12.99

LobsterGarlic $m/pLa Mar $m/pThermidor $m/pButtered $m/p

LA MAR SPECIALITIESCombos

Combo Popcorn breaded fish fillet and popcorn shrimp $13.99Combo Tropical fish fillet and but-tered shrimp w/almonds $13.99Combo Cordial fishfillet and garlic shrimp $13.99Combo Campirano breaded fish fil-let and california pepper stuffed w/shrimp $13.99Combo Festival breaded fish fillet w/rice and shrimp $13.99Combo Fiesta breaded fish fillet & shrimp wraped in bacon stuffed w/pepper &cheese sauce $13.99Combo Ajillo fish fillet and shrimp w/garlic mushrooms and red chile peppers $13.99Combo Diabla fish fillets and srimp with chipotle sauce (spicy) $13.99Combo Ryal breaded fillet and shrimps $13.99Tri-Combo La Mar breaded shrimps, stuffed california pepper and breaded fish fillet $14.99Fiesta de Camarones (17 shrimps)breaded shrimp,Gambas shrimps,fiesta shrimp in spicy sauce $17.99

Fish Filet

Pescatore onion,garlic and spinach on butter souce $11.99Montecarlo butter,onion,mushrooms and red pepper $11.99Vapor wrapped in aluminium foil w/a healthy variety of vegetables $11.99Vallarta fish fillet layers stuffed w cheese, onion and mild chile slices $11.99Roll Aniversario shrimp and oc-topus roll wrapped w/bacon strips and in a mushroom and sour cream souce $12.99Normandi stuffed w/shrimp and oysters on a white sauce $11.99Roll La Mar fish filletand shrimp wraped in bacon strips w/white sauce and cheese $12.99Poblano w/bell pepper and sweet corn sauce $11.99Tampiquena de Pescado w/chile strips and onions, enchilada, guaca-mole and beans $11.99Papillon w/mushrooms, shrimps, mixed vegetables and white wine, wrapped in aluminium foil $$11.99 Costeno w/parsly,celery, garlic and red pepper (spicy) $11.99

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

Steaks

Fillet Mignon $17.99Tampiquena Steak $16.99T-Bone $16.99Rib Eye 10 oz $14.99Rib Eye 12 oz $16.99Rib Eye 16 oz $19.99Kabob beff, tomato,onion, bacon and green pepper $15.99Sirloin 12 oz $13.99

Beverage

Soft Dinks, Domestic and Imported Beer.

We decided to make our information available via the web, so that another tree won’t be dead, we believe in going green, so our plant can be pristine. If you can say it on the web, it will go straight to your head. We know that we are small, but like to see the trees to grow tall. Nature is here not to destroy and con-quer, but here instead to enjoy and wonder. Thru nature we get our foods and nutrition. So we should respect our mother earth, because without her, we will have no future vision.

Dining & Fun is a EasyComputing LLC Company

Publisher & Editor Isabel Delgadillo

Assistent EditorGilbert Velez

CPALinda Medlock

Legal AdvisorDavid Kern PC

AdvertisingAlberto Molina

Editorial Design AdvisorAlfredo Penaloza

915 8817488 WWW.DININGANDFUN.COM