Last year about this time Steve and I went to Rome and not surprisingly we loved every minute. A few of our "When in Rome" highlights: a close-up of the Pope; the Borghese Galleries; tracking down Bernini sculptures in some lesser-known churches; and the Diocletian Baths. And of course, the food, the food, the food! Armed with recommendations from friends we felt we did well … [Read more...]
PROSPERITY SANDWICH
Because everything. And if worrying about our future isn't enough, you can also worry about the calories in this ooey, gooey, cheesy wonder: 674 calories and 41 grams of fat per serving. Oy! PROSPERITY SANDWICH Recipe 5 Tablespoons butter, divided 8 oz. white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin 1 shallot, minced 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 2 cups … [Read more...]
RISOTTO VESUVIUS
The inspiration for Risotto Vesuvius comes from Bella Piatti in Birmingham, MI. My friend and fellow gastronome Lisa L. and I were coming in from the Detroit airport, both ravenous. Like any sensible person we checked out the restaurant's menu online. Never have I been more certain of what I was going to order when I arrived: a sinister-looking plate of their "Risotto Mt. … [Read more...]
Deviled Eggs with Smoked Trout Roe
Not all the art at Art Basel in Miami Beach was hung on walls. This delightful duet of deviled eggs was served up at Yardbird on 16th Street. The creamy yolks were gently spicy, the trout roe topper nice and smokey and salty and a little bit fishy in a good way. These were not made in the Spectacularly Delicious test kitchens. But when we do try them, this is what we'll … [Read more...]
PASTA PRIMAVERA: AUTHENTIC AND OTHERWISE
Culinary purists and in-the-know gourmands maintain that the popular dish Pasta Primavera isn't an "authentic" Italian recipe. Quotations because when all is said and done, what really constitutes authenticity? Pasta Primavera was birthed in this country by the esteemed Italian food authority and cookbook author Ed Giobbi. He's Italian. He's an expert. His recipe … [Read more...]
HURRICANE SANDY AFTERMATH SUSHI SALAD
Don't kill the messenger! Spectacularly Delicious enjoyed this turning-lemons-into-lemonade lunch special at Manhattan's Cafe 57 Sushi Bar in the Hearst Building. The quality of the food there is beyond reproach; their sense of humor might not be to everyone's taste but this salad will be. Wonderful in its simplicity, it was just the thing while taking in the view of the … [Read more...]
POPPED CHERRY TOMATOES
You know when you go a restaurant and the food seems simple and straight forward and yet it tastes so much better than you expected it ever could? Out in San Francisco Tyler Florence's Wayfare Tavern and El Paseo restaurants serve up these epiphanies plate after plate, night after night. Having access to the best meats, freshest vegetables and fine butters and oils and … [Read more...]
LOBSTER NEWBURG: A NEIGHBORHOOD FAVORITE
This updated recipe for a Spectacular Lobster Newberg earns its "neighborhood favorite" status because I happen to live a mere block from the legendary Delmonico's Restaurant in lower Manhattan. The founder, John Delmonico, who first fired up his stoves in 1827, dragged back two white marble columns from the ashes of Pompeii to decorate the doorway of the unusual (but not … [Read more...]
ROASTED MARROW BONES WITH PARLSEY SALAD – SSD #14
Because of the ease of preparation, this recipe for Roasted Marrow Bones with Parsley Salad may deliver the biggest bang for the buck of any recipe on SpecD. Hence the SSD tag (Simply Spectacularly Delicious). Bring a platter to the table laden with thick, naked cow bones, centers all a' bubble with molten marrow and everyone's going to have a visceral … [Read more...]
H.M.S. FANCIFUL FRENCH MACAROONS
There's a new power cookie in town. While it's yet to eclipse the cupcake's sovereignty as the sweet snack of choice for a nation obsessed, those in the know have long known that the ethereal pastel treats from Paris's Ladurée and other like-minded institutions are, well, just better. I speak, of course, of the French … [Read more...]