While lamb is our usual go-to for Easter dinner, we decided to switch things up and make a ham this year. Part of the reason was the Roasted Ham with Mustard-Herb Crust recipe by Tracey Seaman that caught our attention in the most current issue of Fine Cooking Magazine. You don your Easter outfit, and the ham gets dressed up with a simple sweet-savory topping. Of course, this lovely dinner could be served anytime of the year.

Not sure why we don’t serve ham more often. It usually makes for an easy meal. Here, the ingredient list is short and the prep minimal, which left us time and energy to concentrate on our other dishes that included a Sriracha Deviled Egg appetizer, a Spring Salad with Strawberries, a Rainbow Chard Casserole with Parmesan Crumb topping, and a Potato, Fennel and Leek Gratin.

The original recipe said the ham serves 6-8 people. Well, we hosted a small crowd of seven and there was easily a half of ham left—which suited us just fine because we had leftovers for future meals such as ham-fried-rice, frittatas, sandwiches, casseroles, and soups.

So next time you have a craving for ham, and you need to feed a crowd, this recipe may be just the ticket!

These Sriracha Deviled Eggs have a tangy filling while remaining silky smooth and luscious. A requirement for deviled eggs is a good amount of tanginess and acid in the mix. You need to add a bite to them to offset the inherently rich egg yolks. Often that would be mustard, but these little “devils” use one of my favorite condiments, Sriracha.

They are pretty much a staple for Easter Sunday in our house, and most years I’ll try a riff on the old classic. Presentation makes or breaks the recipe, so don’t forget that the devil’s in the details when plating up the eggs. A flourish of slanted scallion slices not only adds a nice pop of spring green color, but also a tangy bite and a bit of texture.

My original intent was to use a star tip with the pastry bag but the mixture was too fluid and the shape wouldn’t have held up, so I used a large circle tip. Russ and I both agreed that the addition of two tablespoons of olive oil was way too much which produced a limp blend. I adjusted the list below to indicate using only one teaspoon oil for a firmer batter.

As a substitute for the pickle juice I incorporated cornichon juice, which is basically the same thing. Enjoy!

What to do with an almost whole head of leftover cabbage? In cool weather, which we are STILL experiencing in the Northeast, braising is a great option. After a quick Google on the web, Russ came across this simple recipe from thekitchn.com. We had all of the ingredients on hand so it was a perfect side dish for our seared pork chop entrée.

Cabbage is pretty simple, as vegetables go. It’s a beautiful, firm ball of Spring-colored leaves with a distinct pungent scent and taste. But when chopped up and left to melt and brown in salty, savory bacon fat, cabbage transforms into a pot of soft, mellow vegetable magic that soothes the soul. And trust me, until the weather starts warming up around here, the soul and other body parts need some soothing…

Rooted in the Southern tradition of cooking, fresh cabbage cooks in bacon fat for an easy side dish that delivers pure, vegetable comfort. It starts with cooking thick-cut bacon bits, until they’re crispy. They get set aside and wedges of cabbage go into the pan.

Rather than chopping the cabbage into pieces, keep the cabbage attached to the core, making for soft, tender hunks of cabbage to spoon onto each plate. This creates soft cabbage “fans” on the plate once they are cooked down and ready to eat. The cabbage gets braised in broth until tender, with a titch of apple cider vinegar to finish.

Not a bacon fan? Substitute black pepper pastrami in its place. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

We served ours with seared bone-in pork chops and roasted butternut squash.

TIP FOR SLICING SQUASH:

With a fork, pierce the outer layer along the length of both sides of squash. Microwave on high for three minutes. Let cool slightly, then slice along perforation to cut in half easily. Drizzle with butter or olive oil, sprinkle with spices and finish roasting in a 400 degree oven for about 40-45 minutes until fork tender.

I have a confession to make. This General Tso’s Shrimp with Broccolini recipe almost didn’t make the cut because of the “fried” shrimp. But Russ convinced me to at least give it a try—and I’m really glad I did because they were delightfully crunchy, but not at all greasy!

The directions indicate to fry each batch of seven-to-eight shrimp for three minutes, but we found no more than two minutes did the trick. And we covered the wok after adding the water to the broccolini to make sure it got tender enough. Initially the two bunches seemed like overkill for two people (the recipe serves 4), but in the end it was the proper ratio to the other ingredients, and we enjoyed leftovers for lunch the next day.

There is a certain fear that exists around cornstarch (um, hello), an assumption that it was created in a lab and is nothing short of some mysterious white powder. No need to fear—it’s a pure starch made from finely ground corn flour. And it makes fried shrimp (or chicken) 10 times better.

Coating small pieces such as shrimp that will be stir-fried in some straight-up cornstarch, gives you a crispy coating after a super short time sizzling in oil. They’re not battered (like fried chicken), but texturally they’re not far off.

Courtesy of Food Network Magazine

For over thirty years the Spring Mill Café in Conshohocken, PA (consisting of two buildings located next to the Spring Mill Creek) has prepared dishes using the finest and freshest foods available, buying their ingredients from local farms and farmers. The dishes are designed around the availability of fresh and seasonal ingredients and are artfully plated and presented.

Our last visit was two-and-a-half years ago with daughter Julia when she was in visiting from LA., and we were seated in the “general store” built in 1831 (above), the site of all our previous dining adventures at Spring Mill. This most recent visit however with the Oldhams, Maria Odilia (MO) and Steve, had us dining in the converted farmhouse (below) across the driveway from the main building. The farmhouse was built in the 1840s as storage and stables for the store and its presiding family; was converted into a living space in the 1950s; and it wasn’t until a few years ago that it also became part of the restaurant.

We were lucky enough to have a choice of tables before everyone else arrived and we chose a cozy corner banquette that was flanked on two sides with pews and chairs on the outer edges. Thanks to our waiter Nate for taking our group photo.

Their menu is not extensive but well thought out and includes vegetarian options, along with a few nightly specials. So for starters, both Steve and I settled on the soup du jour, a Creamed Asparagus topped with Crabmeat. It was silky and subtle with small chunks of tender asparagus and a decent dollop of tender sweet crabmeat.

Russ knew ahead of time that he would be starting his meal off with one of their patés and chose the Truffled Chicken Liver Pâté with a crock of pureed chicken liver, baked with cream, black truffles and brandy, served with sliced baguette, cornichons and whole grain mustard. Maria Odilia decided on the Salade de Betteraves, plated with roasted golden beets with baby kale, Bucheron goat cheese, and a pomegranate vinaigrette. expecting red beets, you was pleased to see the golden variety on her plate.

By this time, the entire restaurant was filled and conversation scaled up a couple of notches. A topic of discussion became the circular stairway in the center of the room  leading to the second floor and the only bathroom—consisting of a very tiny sink, but large clawfoot blue bathtub—apparently a leftover from it’s days as someone’s living quarters. As the evening wore on, the traffic up and down those winding stairs became quite a side show.

Steve’s initial entrée choice was the mushroom vegetarian option, but quickly made an about-face and chose the Lapin au Pruneaux, a Stony Hill Farm braised rabbit with red wine, mushrooms, and fingerling potatoes, garnished with a lardon and prune tapenade served in a large bowl.

Both MO and myself were on the same wavelength and opted for the Espadon aux Capres, which was a grilled swordfish steak with a caper fennel butter, served over a winter root vegetable puree. Eating with your eyes first, each dish was a feast to behold, but MO complained loudly about the lack of color on our swordfish plates. Being a fellow artist I had to agree. Luckily, we had ordered a side of the vegetable du jour which happened to be haricot verts, so we quickly remedied that faux pas with the addition of some green. Otherwise, totally scrumptious!

Well, no surprise that Mr. Russ got the Duck Breast Cassoulet, one of his top faves. The duck breast was seared with a pork and duck confit, and accompanied by white beans, sausage, and a tomato sofrito. Let’s just say, it’s still sits in a place of honor near the top of the list.

Not a dessert eater myself, the others wanted to indulge in at least a “taste” so they decided to split one order of the Mousse au Chocolat, a traditional light and fluffy French chocolate mousse topped with fresh raspberries and whipped cream—which came with four spoons…

All-in-all, a lovely evening that was nearly three hours long. After we finished dinner, we took MO and Steve over to the main building to check out the digs. Nearly 10 p.m., it was already set up for the next day and deserted of patrons (except for the manager who was tending the books). An interesting fact: they cook all of the meals in the main house and have to transport any orders for the farmhouse, outside across the driveway. We wondered aloud how dicey that must get during bad weather… Now time to finally bid each other adieu for our 30-minute, but easy ride home.

This riff on Roast Chicken with Rosemary and Orange is based on a recipe from famed Italian chef/author Lidia Bastianich. It’s infused with scents and flavors that I associate with comfort, family and joyous occasions. My mom used to make a Sunday supper of Orange-Juice Chicken that was my favorite meal growing up. Over the ensuing years, I’ve made many a roasted chicken with a similar flavor profile. Here’s yet one more with the surprising ingredient of orange liqueur.

As it’s roasting, the fragrance wonderfully perfumes the air both indoors and out. Luckily, dinner is ready in about one hours time, so you won’t have to wait all afternoon to indulge in the memorable feast. Good God almighty, it was fantastic! The skin was sooo crispy, the meat soooo succulent, and the sauce soooo flavorful—you can’t help but enter the “Zen Zone” while savoring every morsel, seriously!

While this would be equally good with garlicky mashed potatoes or creamy polenta, we paired it with our favorite Baked Rice, recipe below. If you don’t have a double-oven, allowing you to cook both the chicken and the rice at the same time, lower the temp to 400° once you remove the chicken. Make sure to have completed steps 1 through 3 at this point. As the covered chicken rests on a platter and you make the sauce, the rice can cook for the allotted 15 minutes.

Using kitchen shears, cut out the back bone. Save it, the neck, and wing tips for the freezer body bag for the next time you make homemade chicken stock.

End up with two wings (minus the tips), two thighs, two legs, and four breast quarters.

Want to spice things up? Add some heat to tonight’s pork chop dinner. This Spicy Jerk Pork Chops recipe is based on the fiery Jamaican seasoning known as jerk, made of Scotch bonnet chiles, ground spices, garlic, and herbs. Right up my alley…

We like things on the spicy side so I included two habaneros. Of course you can adjust the heat by reducing the amount, and/or type, of chiles you add. And while I only cooked two chops, I still made the same amount of seasoning, saving any leftovers for a future use.

Our broiler, usually a bone of contention with me, worked fine for this dinner, go figure! Although I would have preferred the pork a bit less done and so you might want to broil for only 6 minutes each side and check the temp, adding an extra minute if needed.

NOTES: I lined our broiler pan with tinfoil for easy clean-up. Spread the jerk mixture only on the top side and place on preheated grill pan; then when you flip the chops, spread more seasoning on the second side. This helps insure a lot of the mixture doesn’t fall off.

This dinner was so easy and so quick, and made even more so with the frozen side dish of all natural, Alexia Cauliflower Risotto seasoned with parmesan cheese and sea salt. You simply dump the contents of the bag into a microwave-safe bowl, cover and zap on high for 4 minutes, stir, and zap an additional 1 1/2 minutes. Can’t get more easy than that! Low in calories, fat and cholesterol, it was surprisingly good.

The frozen cauliflower risotto is poured directly into a microwave safe bowl.

Microwave on high for 4 minutes, stir, and heat for another 1 1/2 minutes, done!

Another quick weeknight meal, Chicken Thighs in Tomato-Ginger Sauce brings a wonderful change of pace to the hum-drum monotony of getting something on the table quickly. Seasoned with warm spices, this Indian-inspired chicken dish is savory and comforting. The small amount of butter swirled into the sauce may seem like an unusual addition, but it adds richness and flavor, and softens the tomatoes’ acidity.

While it is traditionally served with basmati rice or naan, we took a shortcut and tried Alexia’s brand of frozen Butternut Squash Risotto. Not usually into processed side dishes, it’s not a bad idea to stock pile a few good ones because they certainly come in handy when you’re in a hurry or don’t have any fresh produce around. A few weeks ago we tried the same brand of Cauliflower Risotto and prefer that over the butternut mix—perhaps because it visually more resembles real risotto.

As far as the canned tomatoes, we had a 28-ounce crushed tomato in the pantry and figured that was a good enough substitute for a smaller quantity of thighs (we only cooked six) even though they weren’t “fire roasted.” Overall, we thought the flavors were very well-balanced and the garam masala and cayenne added just the right amount of heat.

By Dabney Gough from Fine Cooking

Sometimes a robust and nourishing soup is just what you need to soothe the soul and calm the day-to-day frenzy of modern life. Hearty Spanish-Style Lentil and Chorizo Soup with Kale might be just the ticket. And we know just how healthy lentils and kale are, so we can feel good about eating this soup.

A long cooking develops a certain amount of sweetness in the chopped onion, carrot, and parsley, as well as removes any trace of unpleasant sulfuric compounds in the onion. These sweated aromatics offer a pure, sweet background taste that not only allows the soup’s primary ingredients (smoked paprika, chorizo, lentils, and sherry vinegar) to come to the fore but also seemed to fortify their individual flavors. Three quintessential ingredients provide this soup with authentic Spanish flavor.

SMOKED PAPRIKA: Pimentón, made by drying red peppers over an oak fire, offers a distinctive rich and smoky taste.

SHERRY VINEGAR: Lightly sweet sherry vinegar boasts assertive yet balanced acidity.

SPANISH CHORIZO: This heady sausage combines coarsely ground, dry-cured pork with a hit of pimentón.

French green lentils, or lentilles du Puy, are preferred, but it will work with any type of lentil except red or yellow. Grate the onion on the large holes of a box grater. If Spanish-style chorizo is not available, kielbasa sausage can be used. Since we already made this once with chorizo, we decided to switch things up and use kielbasa this time.

Rinse the kale, then de-stem the tough stalks and discard. Chop leaves into 1/2″ pieces.

Red wine vinegar can be substituted for the sherry vinegar. Smoked paprika comes in three varieties: sweet (dulce), bittersweet or medium hot (agridulce), and hot (picante). For this recipe, the sweet kind is best.

To ensure creamy, well-seasoned lentils with intact skins, soak them in a warm brine for 30 minutes before cooking. For a rich, vegetal flavor, sweat onion, carrot, and parsley in a covered pot to provide a background taste to the main ingredients: heady smoked paprika, meaty chorizo, earthy lentils, and tart sherry vinegar. To finish the soup, garnish it with an Indian preparation called a tarka, a mixture of spices and aromatics bloomed in oil, shown below.

This stately lady in Langhorne Borough, Bella Tori at the Mansion, dates back to 1898. Philadelphia entrepreneur, Howard Reifsnyder, built the Greenwood Mansion (as it was known then) as a summer home for his family until it was sold to Mollie Woods Hare in 1921. Then used as The Woods School for Handicapped Children and Adults, until it was purchased in 1999 by Paul Manes who took over 5 years restoring “Bella” to her original grandeur. In November 2005, the mansion reopened its doors as a beautiful victorian restaurant and catering facility featuring Italian fare.

A few short minutes from our home, Bella has been the site for many a memorable meal, including our wedding dinner reception in 2012, above. We also enjoyed a New Year’s Eve dinner (date forgotten); and an Easter Sunday brunch in 2014, below, after enduring a cross-atlantic flight from Italy when jet lag was so severe, we couldn’t even contemplate the thought of cooking—an unusual predicament for us to be in.

Our most recent visit was on St. Patrick’s Day with our friends Rosanne and Gary Zarrilli. Granted, Bella’s menu is not even close to Irish, but that didn’t deter us because we started out at home with some decadent Reuben Dip and a bottle of Killian’s Irish Red to tide us over until dinnertime.

The ride over is literally two minutes from home and we could have walked save the fact that it was blustery cold. Upon arriving at the 9,000-square-foot establishment, we were promptly seated in the main dining featuring a Mercer tile fireplace. The decor is lavish and very Victorian, and the noise level is pleasantly low key.

For starters, we agreed to split a bottle of Marques de Riscal, from one of our favorite wineries in Spain. Our waitress Keira (decidedly Irish) was a small bundle of pep and kept the evening going at a leisurely pace, and was kind enough to take our group photo.

Even though we noshed on some of that Reuben Dip, we went all out and ordered a few more appetizers. Russ and Rosanne were fixated on the Oysters Bienville, and chose to split the selection. Four beautifully baked oysters with shrimp, bacon, ham and mushrooms were topped with sherry cream and Parmesan bread crumbs. Thoughtfully plated with two forks, they adored them!

Gary chose the Winter Bella Salad comprised of baby spinach, Bartlett pear, dried cranberries, chévre, pickled red onion, toasted almonds and dressed with a pomegranate vinaigrette. I was torn between that and the Shrimp Le Jon, but with Russ’ persuasion, I opted for the shrimp (because he was going to eat some of it.) Three roasted shrimp were stuffed with horseradish grain mustard, wrapped in bacon and served atop a lemon sun-dried tomato aioli with a basil chiffonade, exquisite!

There were so many good options under the Entrées, that it was difficult at best to make up our minds. After some back and forth, Russ chose one of his favorites, the Chasseur Veal Osso Buco. Slow-braised in a hunter sauce, it came plated over roasted butternut squash with a side of spinach risotto topped with a citrus gremolata. He was very impressed that they served it with a spoon in the bone to scoop out the marrow—to him, a sign they know what they’re doing.

Again I was torn between the French Quarter Shrimp & Scallops, which Rosanne selected, and the Dijon Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb. Choosing the latter, my four ribs (you could also order eight), were perfectly cooked, seasoned panko crusted New Zealand lamb chops which came accompanied by a red wine demi-glace, and paired with grilled asparagus and an overcooked baked potato (the only misstep of the entire experience.)

Rosanne’s seafood dish of grilled scallops and shrimp arrived in a Creole tasso sauce and were tossed with roasted trinity vegetables, cheese and scallion grits. While Gary didn’t surprise any of us with his choice of Veal Parmitori, a ginormous cutlet, lightly breaded and fried and topped with Pomodoro sauce and aged provolone cheese over a bed of linguine. Suffice it to say, we all denied dessert and took four doggie bags home.

We’re looking forward to patronizing Bella on a Friday when you can bring your own bottles of wine with no corkage fee (the DaVinci Bar is still open) and they feature a live classical guitarist in the house. It’s a fabulous place to celebrate any special occasion or just because you want a good meal. Below are some pics of that great Sunday brunch.

Whole-grain orecchiette or shells star in this makeover of a classic Italian pasta and bean soup. With butternut squash, borlotti beans, and a bright sage pesto, it’s perfect for a chilly evening. And unfortunately here in the Northeast, Winter continues her steady and determined grip on our area, refusing to let Spring usher forth. So we must find ways to counteract the cold…

Borlotti beans, also commonly referred to as the cranberry bean, is a dappled white and red bean related to the kidney and pinto beans. This is a common bean in Italy where it is used for soups and with pasta. Depending on where you live you may have a tough time, like us, finding this bean at your neighborhood grocery store. You can check your local Walmart store which sometimes stocks these beans. What we didn’t know until after the fact was, you can buy them easily enough online at Amazon.com. In a pinch, we substituted it’s cousin, pinto beans.

The sage pesto was the “bomb,” it was sooo good I could’ve eaten it with a spoon! Make sure to swirl a generous amount into your pasta e fagioli. While mine was purposely not as saucy as indicated in the directions, any leftover would be fabulous as a condiment, a sandwich spread, or as a topping for baguettes and crackers. That’s of course, if you have any leftover…

Let’s not overlook the health benefits of butternut squash. Low in fat, it delivers an ample dose of dietary fiber, making it an exceptionally heart-friendly choice. It provides significant amounts of potassium, important for bone health, and vitamin B6, essential for the proper functioning of both the nervous and immune systems. The folate content adds yet another boost to its heart-healthy reputation and helps guard against brain and spinal-cord-related birth defects such as spina bifida.

The squash’s tangerine hue, however, indicates butternut’s most noteworthy health perk. The color signals an abundance of powerhouse nutrients known as carotenoids, shown to protect against heart disease. And, as if that weren’t enough, butternut squash may have anti-inflammatory effects because of its high antioxidant content. Incorporating more of this hearty winter staple into your diet could help reduce risk of inflammation-related disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and asthma. Feeling better already…

Although I did it the old fashioned way—with a knife—the reason many folks don’t include Winter squashes in their recipes is because they’re a pain to peel, am I right? Yes, you can buy the pre-peeled and diced variety, which can run you upwards of $7 or more per pound at a local grocery store. Compare that to $1.49/lb for the whole squash variety, and you’ve got a very significant savings—the pre-cubed costs over four times more! Well here’s an easy method to peel a whole squash:

1. Prick the skin of the squash all over with a fork.
2. Slice off both ends of the squash.
3. Microwave the squash for about 3½ minutes. This softens the skin considerably.
4. Let the squash cool enough to handle, or use a towel to hold it, and simply peel away the skin.

By Maria Speck from Fine Cooking

March 17 was upon us and we had company coming for appetizers and drinks before venturing out for dinner. I was hoping to serve some Harp lager, but the store had every, and I mean every, brand but Harp! So our next best choice was some Killian’s Irish Red, to pair with the Classic Reuben Dip. And to scoop up all the gooey goodness, we supplied slices of a chewy marbled rye—a perfect starter to kick off a St. Patty’s Day evening.

Many folks eat corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day (even if they’re not Irish.)  Well, the Reuben isn’t Irish at all, so it baffles me why it’s an “Irish” staple on this holiday. As one origin story tells it, Reuben Kulakofsky, a Jewish Lithuanian-born grocer residing in Omaha, Nebraska, was the inventor!

No matter, the corned beef, sauerkraut, and rye bread combination all make it feel like it was meant to be Irish. This dip combines all of those classic flavors and transforms them into a fabulously creamy dip. It’s amazing how so few ingredients can pack such an incredible gastronomic punch. Yes, this is a diet-buster, but a little goes a long way…

“Ithe agus taitneamh a bhaint as” (Eat and enjoy!)

Nothing like a little pressure to light a fire under one’s creativity. What prompted this culinary brainstorm was the end of my Master Gardner class where each student had to give a 5-minute presentation on a subject matter of their choice. I decided to talk about how gardening influences my creative pursuits and how that ties in with my social media venues (including this food blog).

At this point in the presentation I am describing the creation of concrete cast elephant ear bird baths. A step-by-step tutorial, is available on my blog.

For a little “bling” I dusted some of the cookies with colorful sparkly powders.

What does that have to do with food you ask? Well, I do consider cooking and baking an art form. So my final slide in the presentation hinted at the edible snacks I provided the class later that evening. You know I design decorated sugar cookies for all sorts of occasions, so I thought flowers and butterflies would be an appropriate choice for Master Gardners.

Plus, based on some Internet investigation, I concocted a new Sunflower Truffle candy (recipe below) for those who need their chocolate fix—and for a bit of whimsy on the table. The flowers harden up quite well, but if any of the petals break off, just place the bottom end in some real hot water for a few seconds and “glue” them back to the base.

Now that took care of the sweet component, but I also wanted to provide a savory nibble or two. So after a little research on Pinterest, I found these wrapped cheese lilies and stuffed grape tomato bites that are just adorable. For stuffing purposes, you can basically use anything you want to. I filled the “tulips” with a roasted garlic and herb cheese spread, and the “calla lilies” with tuna salad and a carrot stick. Both were enhanced with some greens like scallions, parsley and dill.

My final contribution was the cheese and cracker platter. I ordered extra thick cheddar and French gruyere cheese slices from the deli and cut out shapes using mini cookie cutter flower shapes. They were then topped with a hot cherry pepper circle and placed on Roasted Red Pepper Triscuits.

Since it’s Springtime, these would be a great addition for any gathering you have coming up. Hint, hint…

Optional: Using a leaf tip, pipe green leaves. Then “glue” the hardened leaves to the petals with some of the melted green.

A chocolate with a higher cocoa percentage such as 70% will make a rich, not-too-sweet ganache. The chocolate jimmies will add some more sweetness.

Don’t stop with creating yellow sunflowers only. Think “inside the flower bed” and make Purple Coneflowers, White Daisies, or colorful Osteospermums by swapping out the hue of the chocolate melts. The possibilities are endless, and you don’t even need a green thumb…

I have to give a shout out to fellow soon-to-be-Master Gardner Cindy for her beautiful biscotti basket!

Some of the class sample the snacks during break time:

We recently dined at Tre Fratelli (three brothers in Italian-speak), a BYO behind an unassuming storefront in the Summit Square shopping center in Langhorne, right on the border with Newtown. Many years ago we patronized the restaurant with good friends Barb and Brad, but hadn’t given it another thought since then because of the plethora of great Italian restaurants within a ten mile radius.

But it came back on my radar since I’ve been parking my auto nearby when I carpool with a few other ladies to my Master Gardner class. So I made a res for a Saturday night—again with Barb and Brad—and we were pleasantly surprised over the more modern and tasteful, yet muted grayscale decor. (The front of the house is more casual and caters to take-out and pizzas.)

Behind Barb and Brad was a large sliding barn door separating the other dining room for hosting private parties.

Tasty pizza and flavorful pasta are the restaurant’s big-ticket items, but we opted for three entrées and a hot sandwich. The main dishes were plentiful (more than enough for an ample doggie bag), and instead of sides of pasta, Russ and I chose their vegetable medley. (Gluten-free options available upon request.) With the entrées came a choice of a garden or Caesar salad, Russ’s favorite if he can get it topped with whole anchovies.

Veal Parmigiana, lightly fried and topped with tomato sauce, and baked with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. (Russ)

Bellagio: Chicken sautéed with prosciutto in a light plum tomato sauce and baked with aged provolone. (Lynn)

Domani: chicken with roasted garlic chicken stock, romano cheese and fresh sautéed spinach. (Barb)

Steak & Cheese Stromboli stuffed with mozzarella cheese and served with a side of sauce. Small and large sizes available. (Brad)

The overall consensus was good, and the sound level was very pleasant allowing for easy conversation. But with all of our other nearby choices, we wouldn’t make this our preferred Italian restaurant. However it’s nice to know it’s there in a pinch.

Very few foods seamlessly cross cultures, but meatballs are one of them. They can run the gamut from Lebanese kibbe, Syrian kafta, Japanese tsukune and Greek kephtedes to Vietnamese nem nuong. Granted, you may not be familiar with many of them, but I’m pretty sure you’ve tasted an Italian meatball or two in your lifetime. For this recipe Toronto-born and San Francisco-based Chef Christophe Hille raises the bar with his Italian Meatballs with Tomato & White Wine Braise.

They’re familiar and, most importantly, they taste good—which ultimately translates into a food that never goes out of style. What varies are the other ingredients and how the meatballs are cooked—braised, sautéed, roasted, grilled, boiled or fried. In its most basic form, a meatball starts out with ground meat—pork, beef, veal, lamb or a combination thereof. For binding, a starch, usually bread or breadcrumbs (sometimes potato starch or rice) gets mixed in. Eggs or other liquid contribute moisture; while herbs, spices and cheese add flavor. Here, prosciutto scraps impart a deep flavor.

FYI, contrary to popular belief, in Italy you won’t likely find a dish on the menu called spaghetti and meatballs. While it’s largely known as an Italian dish, spaghetti and meatballs actually didn’t originate there. Sure, Italy has their own version of meatballs called polpettes, but they’re different than what you’ve likely had in the past and are primarily eaten sans spaghetti.

Frugal folk have always made use of the little scraps of meat that were left over from butchering, but weren’t big enough to serve on their own—but could be chopped and extended with a bit of day-​​old bread. The range of variations they’ve concocted could, and probably should, keep us in meatballs for a lifetime. But we’re talking just one meal (with probable leftovers) with this recipe.

Since it takes up most of the afternoon to prep and braise, it’s best to make when you have a block of time, most likely a weekend. For us, it was a recent blustery Sunday. We found the recipe in an old copy of the San Francisco Chronicle insert “In the Kitchen,” gifted to us from our brother-in-law who resides in the Bay Area on the “Left” coast. Simply put, these meatballs were fantastic—a definite two thumbs up!

It’s not likely you’ll be able to purchase packages of ground meat in exactly 10-ounce portions. So do what I did and measure 10 ounces each of the pork and beef, mixing any leftover together and make patties out of them. Then vacuum-seal and put them in the freezer until it’s grilling weather.

Following the original directions, we tried to brown the meatballs in a roasting pan in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Even after adding 6 more minutes, they weren’t very browned, as shown below.

The original directions have you roast the meatballs in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Next time, we’re skipping that step and will only use one large dutch oven. We’ll brown the meatballs in it first, remove them and make the sauce, scraping up any precious browned bits. Then add the meatballs back into the pot and put in the oven for 2 1/2 hours. We thought it a waste of time to try and brown the meatballs in a separate roasting pan. In fact, I added an extra six minutes in the oven and they still weren’t very browned! Saves you from cleaning an additional pan too. The directions below reflect this time-saver.