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Sun-dried tomato pesto with chicken

Sun-dried tomato pesto is wonderful. I eat it for lunch with fresh noodles frequently. If you delete the chicken from the recipe below, the pesto can be used on noodles as a primo course (first), as spreads on crostini (toasted thin bread), fish, etc. I have added the chicken to make this a main course. You can substitute Italian sausage for the chicken also (about 6 links, cut) for a main course.

Ingredients (5 servings):

    * 1 pound – fresh pasta (penne if you can find it fresh)
    * 3 – skinless, boneless chicken breasts
    * 2 bottles (7 ounces each) – sundried tomatoes, oil drained
    * 5 ounces – parmesan cheese
    * ¼ cup – fresh basil (washed and packed in the cup)
    * 3 tablespoons – pine nuts
    * 6 cloves – garlic
    * ¾ cup – extra virgin olive oil
    * Salt and pepper to taste


Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Meanwhile, boil a few quarts of water in a pot with salt and cook the penne (fresh pasta should only take a few minutes). While you are waiting for the water to boil, rinse the chicken breasts and remove any fat. Place in a baking dish and cook in oven until brown and well done (about 30 to 40 minutes). Turn oven off once the breasts are finished but do not remove until you have completed cooking the pasta.

Combine the sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan cheese, basil, pine nuts, garlic, and olive oil in a food processor and blend until well mixed (see photo - can be refrigerated for up to two weeks, covered).

Basil, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan, and sun-dried tomatoes

Sun-dried tomato pesto

When the pasta is finished, set aside ½ cup water from the boiling pot, and then drain the pasta well. Place the pasta back into the cooking pot, add the sun-dried tomato pesto and mix well.

Sun-dried tomato pesto with chicken in the pan

Remove the chicken from the oven and dice. Add the chicken along with salt and pepper and the ½ cup pasta water. Cook on medium high heat while mixing until it is hot enough to serve.

Voila!

Bon appétit

Restaurant Secret Recipes and Food & Wine Pairing Guide

We all have our favorite restaurants and favorite wines. Enjoy restaurant secret recipes with paired wine. Now you can discover famous restaurant secret recipes. Restaurant copycat recipes you can cook at home. Home cooks and chefs have spent hour's time testing recipes that are close to famous restaurant recipes. Discover restaurant top secret recipes with a glass of wine. Bon Appetite!

Food and Wine Pairing:

-Beef, Lamb & Veal pairs well with: Chianti/Sangiovese/ Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon

-Chicken, Turkey & Pork pairs well with: Merlot /Chianti/Sangiovese/ Zinfandel

-Fish & Seafood pairs well with: Merlot/ Chardonnay/ Pinot Noir

-Pasta & Vegetables pairs well with: Merlot/Chianti/Sangiovese /Zinfandel
 
- Fruits and Desserts pairs well with: German Rieslings Wines:

Wines:

-Cabernet Sauvignon flavors range from black currant, cherry, plum, mint, chocolate and spice.  Pairs well with rich roasted meats or with grilled vegetables

-Chardonnay grape comes in a variety flavors. Tastes includes orchard, tropical, citrus fruit, butter or spice.

-Merlot is a soft wine with rich plum-like flavors noted with blueberry and cherry.

-Pinot Grigio "Grigio" means gray in Italian. Is a bright golden color with an apricot, tropical lemon and pineapple flavors.

-Pinot Noir Red grape in color.  Flavors are raspberries, cherries and smoke. Wine pairs well with grilled salmon and lightly sauced pasta dishes.

-Riesling Has a fruit-floral aroma and citrus flavors. Pairs well with Asian cuisine, summer salads and fresh fruit. A pleasant aperitif.

-Sangiovese (San-gee-oh-vay-zay) a brilliant ruby red wine with ripe fruit flavors. Extremely versatile pairs well with a wide range of fowl, meat and pasta. Derived from Latin the "Blood of Jupiter."

-Zinfandel A quintessential "California red." A versatile wine can be pairs with BBQ beef, grilled chicken or roasted chicken.

-White Zinfandel Pale pink in color. Can drink alone or pairs well with chicken, pork or seafood.
Outback Steakhouse Steak Marinade 
Beef Pairs Well With: Chianti/Sangiovese/ Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon

Famous Recipe Secrets
Ingredients
1 cup Scottish Ale
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon monosodium glutamate

Place any cut of steak in a shallow pan (a pie plate works great). Pour the ale over the steak and cover the pan. Place it in the refrigerator for 1 hour to marinate. Turn the steak occasionally to ensure both sides get soaked.

After 1 hour, remove the steak from the refrigerator. In another shallow pan, combine the remaining ingredients. Stir the dry ingredients until they are completely blended.

Remove the steak from ale and dip it into the dry ingredients. Turn the steak to mix and coat it with the ingredients. Rub the mixture generously over all sides. Leave the steak in the dish with the dry mixture, and cover it with plastic wrap.

Place it in the refrigerator, turning occasionally, for 30 minutes.

When the 30 minutes are almost up, preheat a skillet or grill to med high heat. Add a bit of butter and heat until it begins to bubble. Then remove he steak from the refrigerator.

Add the steak to the hot skillet or grill and cook it to perfection. Cook steak as desired and serve immediately. Makes enough marinade for 1 1/2 pounds of beef.

Provided: America's Secret Recipes

Home cooks and chefs have spent hour's time testing recipes that are close to famous restaurant recipes. Each recipe has been time and taste tested. Restaurant top copycat recipes that have the distinct tastes and flavors without the exorbitant costs.

Discover famous restaurant secret recipes. American Secret Recipes has over 700 recipes from famous American restaurants. Cook like a gourmet chef and save time and money.

The Tradition of German Beer

Throughout Germany, beer is very popular with the culture.  Germany contains well over 1,000 breweries, which is more than any other location in the world.  All beer that is manufactured in Germany must follow the purity law, which lets manufacturers know what ingredients can and can't be used.  Basically, the only ingredients allowed to make beer in Germany are water, hops, and barley malt.

Due to the strict purity requirements, you can easily notice German beers by their overall level of quality.  They have a distinct taste, with little to no aftertaste.  Some styles of German ale include Koelsch, Weizen, and Altbier.  Some types of German lagers include Bock, Pilsener, Dunkel, Helles, and Maerzen.  Keep in mind that the taste, aroma, and color can vary, although all can be identified as being true German beers.

The German beer Altbier is a very common dark ale, that is top fermented in the lower regions of Germany.  The beer proposes a yellow color, with a taste that is rich in hops.  Another ale, Rauchbier, is known to have a smoky flavor with a smoked color.  These beers taste great, and happen to be very popular throughout the regions of Germany.

German lagers are also very popular, and happen to be popular in other areas of the world as well.  Pilsener is one of the most popular and most familiar of all German beers, providing you with more hops and less malt. Pilsener can be found for sale all over the world, and happens to be very popular throughout North America as well.  Several bars serve it as well, as it happens to be one of the most popular dark lagers out there.

Throughout Germany, there are several different companies, produce over 4,000 different brands of beers.  Some of the more well known and larger companies of north Germany are Beck, St. Pauli, Warsteiner, and Krombach.  In the southern region of Germany, there are more breweries, although most of them are smaller, as they are locally owned and operated.  Southern Germany also contains the Benedictine Abbey, which is one of the oldest breweries in the world.  This brewery started producing beer in 1040 - very impressive indeed!

Germany is also home to Oktoberfest, which is held every year in Munich.  Oktoberfest starts in late September and carries on for two weeks, ending in early October.  During Oktoberfest, beer drinkers from all over the world will travel to Germany and celebrate German beers.  Each and every year, over 5 million people attend the event, making it one of the biggest beer celebrations in the world.

During Oktoberfest, local breweries in Munich are the only breweries allowed to serve beer in the bigger tents.  There are six breweries in total, producing a variety of different beers.  By attending this yearly event, you can learn more about German beer, sample the different varieties, and enjoy the rich bold flavors that make German beer so very popular.

Due to the success Oktoberfest gets each and every year, other cities around the world try and mimic this event.  Even though they have success, their level of success isn't near as much as the original Oktoberfest - Germany.  German beers are very popular around the world, with Oktoberfest helping to prove that very claim. If you drink beer but have never experienced what beers from Germany have to offer, you really should give them a try.  Once you do, you'll quickly realize why German beers are so very popular - and why the taste simply can't be duplicated with any other beer.

Italian Chicken Piccata recipe

The big caper

Chicken piccata is a rather easy dish to prepare. I have added a few of my own variations to the customary recipe which I hope you will enjoy. Capers are one of my favorite ingredients in this dish.


Ingredients (6 servings):

The chicken:

    * 3 pounds – skinless boneless chicken breasts cut into thin slices (sliced along the width of the breast – makes about 12 slices)
    * Salt and pepper
    * ½ cup – all purpose flour approximately for coating the chicken
    * 6 tablespoons – extra virgin olive oil



The sauce:

    * 3 tablespoons – butter at room temperature
    * 1 ½ tablespoons – all purpose flour
    * 4 cloves – garlic minced
    * 2/3 cups – dry white wine (e.g., chardonnay)
    * ½ cup – lemon juice
    * ½ cup – chicken broth
    * ½ cup – marinated artichoke hearts (e.g., Vigo brand) chopped
    * ¼ cup – capers drained
    * 1/3 cup – fresh Italian parsley, chopped


Preparation:



It's crucial to cut the chicken thinly along the width of the breast. You should end up with about 11 - ¼ inch thick slices (see photo below).


Thin chicken slices.


Salt and pepper both sides of each slice of chicken and then dip the chicken in the flour to coat (shake off excess). Place 3 tablespoons of olive oil into a large pan and heat on medium to medium high. Place the chicken slices into the hot oil (you will need to cook two batches) and cook the chicken completely until golden brown (about 10 minutes on each side). Transfer the chicken to a platter and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm. Place another 3 tablespoons of oil in the same pan and repeat the process with the rest of the chicken slices.


Browning the chicken.


While the chicken is cooking, mix 1 tablespoon of butter with 1 ½ tablespoons flour and set aside. Once the chicken is finished, pour off any excess oil (make sure you don't pour off any of the browned particles from the chicken). Add garlic and let sizzle for one minute over medium to medium high heat. Bring the wine, lemon juice, and broth along with the artichokes to a boil. At this point, it is crucial to scrape the bowned parts of the chicken from the bottom of the pan with a spatula. They should come off the bottom of the pan easily once the liquid is added. Whisk in the butter-flour mixture and continue to boil until the sauce begins to thicken (about 2 to 3 minutes). Place the capers, Italian parsley, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the sauce and remove from heat once the butter has melted and mixed thoroughly.


The sauce. Place the sauce on the chicken and enjoy. Time to savor the taste.

Luscious Chocolate Cake Recipe

Resistance is futile! It is indeed hard to resist the sweet smell of chocolate cake, especially when the aroma is linked with nice memories.

My mom is a very open person, and always willing to share. Not only is she generous with her advice, but she will share with you all the things that she experienced. she is always willing to explain sewing, cooking, or advanced mathematics. There is one thing, however, that she guards jealously. It is her biggest secret, and she had promises that she will carry to the grave. And that is her chocolate cake recipe. So far, we tried everything to to get it from her.

This is not just a normal chocolate mix cake recipe. This is seriously gourmet. It is not a simple chocolate cake recipe, either. Chocolate cake is normally very easy to make, but hers demands all day and all night. She is literally in there for 12 hours at a time, slaving away on the perfect chocolate cake. But it is wonderful. It is priceless. It is the most delicious cake that I have ever ate. I could do anything to get that chocolate cake recipe.

The thing is, my mother isn't all that into chocolate in general. She never makes chocolate brownies. When she goes to a restaurant she won't even order a chocolate brownie. But that chocolate cake recipe is her favourite thing in the world. Every holiday she cooks it, and each time we ask for more. Nobody ever gets sick of it. Even my friends, strict vegetarians who will only eat vegan chocolate cake recipes usually, will make an exception for her delectable chocolate cake. It really is that good.

The truly sad part is that, since I first tasted that chocolate cake, I will not eat any other sort of chocolate desert. Even the finest German chocolate cake recipe leaves me unsatisfied. Part of it is that my dear mother made it. She spends so much time on it, and clearly wants us to like it so much, that it is hard to resist. I don't know if I would like it quite as much if it were someone else who made it, but even so I would like it still. After all, she has won several cooking contests with her chocolate cake recipe. She has only participated a handful of times, but every time she has entered the same recipe, and every time she has won. It was no use to try to sneak in the kitchen. Until I left the room, she just refused to go on with her cooking. I hope some day she will share the recipe with us.

Learn How to Find Your Favorite Cupcake Recipe

Finding the best recipes for making cupcakes is not that hard but you need to be aware that there are so many recipes available that you may get overwhelmed when searching. Whether you are looking for an angel food cupcake or maybe a peanut butter truffle is your favorite, you can be assured that pleasing your guest should be high on your list.

First it is important to choose what type of cupcakes you would like to make. If you are entertaining company then you may way to make a nice assortment. The hard part about baking is to make sure that you use the exact amount of ingredients so that the cupcakes come out just right.

How to: Find World Foods

Secondly there are many online resources for you to find your favorite recipe. Many of the cupcake recipes are similar to cake recipes so you may want to be thinking along those lines. So if you like German Chocolate Cake then a cupcake that is German Chocolate would be great.

Finally one of the best things to do before you have any guest over is to make some sample cupcakes and try them on a few friends to see what they think. There is nothing worse then spending all day baking cupcakes then you later find out they are tasteless. It is important to try any new recipe before you make it for friends or family so that you do not feel bad if the recipe is not good. You will be proud of yourself when you find and make a great cupcake recipe.

Grilled marinated calamari

Squid:



The word for squid in Italian is calamari (plural) which has all but replaced the use of squid in culinary recipes in English. Actually in English, calamari is used primarily to refer to the rings cut from the tube of the squid. The rings are frequently breaded and fried.


The Napoli connection:


While I was in Napoli this past summer (2009), I leaned how to prepare freshly caught squid (and octopus) and marinate it to make the texture less rubbery and the taste very zesty. I have picked up several recipes over the years, but by far and away, my favorite is the grilled marinated calamari presented here. I strongly suggest that you not make the recipe below unless you can get fresh squid. Younger squid tends to have less of a rubbery texture than larger older squid. However, I like the rubbery texture and enjoy both young and fully grown squid. Most parts of squid are edible but you will typically find it sold fresh with the tube, flaps, and the tentacles prepared. If you do buy it whole, simply remove the head, gut (make sure you remove the quill – these are transparent cartilage inside), and remove the skin and flaps. You will be left with the tube which needs to be washed thoroughly. Cut the tentacles away from the head and wash them along with the flaps.


Squid


Ingredients (serves 5):


    * 1 ½ pounds – cleaned and prepared squid (tentacles, tube, and flaps)
    * ½ cup – extra virgin olive oil
    * 6 tablespoons – lemon juice
    * 2 tablespoons – fresh oregano leaves, chopped
    * 1 tablespoon – fresh basil, chopped
    * 12 cloves – garlic, minced
    * 2 tablespoon – pepper
    * 1 tablespoon – salt
    * 1 ½ teaspoons – red pepper flakes
    * Lemon wedges


Preparation:


Cut the tubes of the squid so they open and lie flat and add them along with the tentacles and flaps to a Ziploc freezer bag along with the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, basil, garlic, pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes. Seal the bag, shake to coat well, and marinate for 24 hours.


Tubes of squid before they are cut



Zesty marinating sauce


Once the squid has marinated, set the grill to high heat. Grill the squid until they are just cooked through (opaque) turning once (about 2 to 3 minutes). Remove from the grill and cut the squid if desired. Serve with lemon wedges as an appetizer. Enjoy!



Grilled marinated calamari

Italian special Manicotti

Manicotti is sometimes used interchangeably with cannelloni, but there is a difference (see my cannelloni recipe). The major difference is that cannelloni is made from pasta sheets that are rolled and manicotti is made from pre-shaped noodles that are stuffed. I also bake my manicotti which is not always done.


Ingredients (6 servings):



    * 14 – manicotti pasta shells (about 8 ounces) – these can be purchased in the store (I typically use Ronzoni but there are other brands that are as good).
    * 2 cups – ricotta cheese
    * 3 cups – mozzarella cheese, grated
    * 1 cup – Parmesan cheese, grated
    * 2 cups – cottage cheese
    * 2 – eggs
    * 1 tablespoon – fresh Italian parsley, chopped
    * ¼ teaspoon – salt
    * ¼ teaspoon – pepper
    * ¼ teaspoon – nutmeg
    * Botticelli's rich Italian tomato sauce (as much as desired)


Preparation:



Cook pasta in boiling salted water as prescribed in the directions on the box. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix the ricotta, half of the mozzarella, ¼ cup Parmesan, and cottage cheeses together along with the eggs, parsley, salt and pepper, and nutmeg in a large bowl.



The ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and cottage cheeses, eggs, parsley, salt and pepper, and nutmeg.


Once the pasta tubes are done cooking, pour into a colander and run cool water over them. Let them sit for a few minutes to allow the pasta to cool and the water to drain. Stuff the pasta tubes after they have cooled with the cheese mixture and place in a baking dish (I use a 10 x 14 x 3 inch dish) to form a single layer (see the photo).



stuffing pasta.



Layer of stuffed noodles.


Top the pasta with Botticelli's rich Italian tomato sauce. I like to make sure all the pasta is covered with sauce, but you can use as much or little of the sauce as desired. I then add the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese to the top and bake for 35 minutes (I like to see the cheese on the top start to brown.

Enjoy!