Tagliatelle with Truffle Butter

Despite my doctor’s warnings, I love rich, buttery pasta dishes. But I can’t help but feel guilty after consuming a large bowl of carbs and cream. Then, somewhere along the way, I was introduced to truffles added to buttery pasta, which is good since truffles are like expensive mushrooms. And since mushrooms are said to have medicinal benefits that must mean truffles are extremely beneficial to my health. Healthy pasta? Check.



Ingredients

Kosher salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 ounces white truffle butter
Freshly ground black pepper
1 (8.82-ounce) package Cipriani tagliarelle dried pasta or other egg fettuccine
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
3 ounces Parmesan, shaved thin with a vegetable peeler

Directions

Add 1 tablespoon salt to a large pot of water and bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a large (12-inch) saute pan, heat the cream over medium heat until it comes to a simmer. Add the truffle butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, lower the heat to very low, and swirl the butter until it melts. Keep warm over very low heat.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes, exactly. (If you're not using Cipriani pasta, follow the directions on the package.) When the pasta is cooked, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta. Add the drained pasta to the saute pan and toss it with the truffle-cream mixture. As the pasta absorbs the sauce, add as much of the reserved cooking water, as necessary, to keep the pasta very creamy.

Serve the pasta in shallow bowls and garnish each serving with a generous sprinkling of chives and shaved Parmesan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve at once.

FYI, I was lazy and used already grated Parmesan. Another thing to keep in mind is that the pasta absorbs a surprising amount of liquid, so the pasta might seem runny at first, leading you to think you won’t need the extra cooking water, but you’ll end up using it all. Just keep tossing as the liquid is absorbed and you’ll have creamy, tender truffle pasta.

Here, I served it with some "seared" scallops topped with some fleur de sel with dried garlic and basil. Yes, I know the scallops look fried. I got happy and used too much oil so the scallops ended up fried rather than seared. But it was still delicious.

Clams and Ham at Dolce Vita

My sister-in-law visited recently and requested that we get some pizza at Dolce Vita. My response was a quote of Jules in Pulp Fiction, “Shit Negro! That's all you had to say!” Unfortunately, the reference was lost on her and we enjoyed a moment of awkward silence followed by my attempt to explain the reference followed by more awkward silence.

In addition to great pizza, Dolce Vita is a favorite spot of mine for photographing food. It’s something about the antique glass plus the black tables plus the colorful pizzas that make for some great food photo opportunities.


The first pizza was a special of porchetta and Portobello and basil, which is fancy talk for ham, fungus and weeds. Nomenclature aside, the pizza was great. The porchetta would make Oscar Meyer green with envy and the mushrooms were nicely sautéed.


The next pizza was their vongole, which is Italian for clams. Adorning this pie were vongole, garlic, cherry tomatoes and mozzarella. I’m a fan of clams and what I really liked about this pizza was that the clam juices worked its way through the melted cheese and into the crispy crust. The result was a juicy pizza with a bottom whose crispiness was paper-thin. Any juices that collected on my plate were sopped up by the crust that I butterflied to maximize its juice sopping capacity.

So if you find yourself in Dolce Vita
Try the pizza named after clams
Their crust is like a crispy pita
And you can say you ate like Tam

Roasted Eggplant, Tomato and Mozzarella

I’m continuing my Italian kick with a dish that combines two of my favorite fruits, eggplants and tomatoes, with one of my favorite cheeses, mozzarella. This recipe is courtesy of Michael Chiarello of the Food Network.



Ingredients

3 large globe eggplants, each about 1 pound, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
1/4 cup kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons good-quality balsamic vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
16 slices large tomato, each 1/4-inch thick
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 pounds fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch slices

Directions

In a large bowl toss the eggplant slices with 1/4 cup kosher salt. Using your fingertips, evenly distribute the salt on both sides of each slice. Place the eggplant in a colander set over a large bowl or sheet pan to catch juices. Set aside for 1 to 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line two 18 by 13-inch baking sheets with heavy-duty foil.

Rinse the eggplant under cold water and dry thoroughly with paper towels.

Arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on one baking sheet. Brush olive oil on 1 side. Brush with balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper.

Drizzle the other pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Arrange the tomato slices in a single layer, season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with the minced garlic.

Roast the tomato slices until they are very soft and just beginning to brown, 10 to 15 minutes, without turning. Bake the eggplant slices until they are tender and well browned, 20 to 30 minutes, without turning. Let the tomato and eggplant slices cool until you can handle them with your fingers.

Make a short stack starting with eggplant on the bottom, 1 slice mozzarella, and then tomato. Top with another piece of eggplant. Warm the stacks in the oven until mozzarella lightly melts. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.

Garten's Garlic Bread

Here’s another recipe by Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa. If you’ve noticed by now, I’m currently in possession of her book, Back to Basics.



Ingredients

6 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1 loaf ciabatta bread
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Place the garlic in the bowl of a food processor and process until minced. Add the parsley, oregano, salt and pepper and pulse twice.

3. Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan and add the garlic mixture. Remove the pan from the heat.

4. Slice the ciabatta bread in half horizontally, and spread the butter on 1 half. Spread the garlic mixture on the other half of the bread, and put the halves together. Wrap the bread in aluminum foil.

5. Place the bread in the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Open the foil, and continue baking for an additional 5 minutes.

It’s a good recipe but I have a few suggestions if you’re planning to make it. Increase the garlic to 9 cloves. Reduce the olive oil by half. Spread butter and the garlic mixture on both halves of the bread loaf. The bread wasn’t garlicky enough for me. The original recipe called for way too much oil. By buttering just one side and “garlicking” the other, you end up with a half loaf of buttered bread and a half loaf of oil bread.

Happy eating!

Polenta Taragna

Today I’m expressing my Italian side with an Italian polenta. This urge was partly due to the fact I love cornmeal and partly because I enjoy speaking with a fake Italian accent while cooking Italian dishes. I believe the louder one speaks with his or her best Italian accent while cooking Italian food, the better the food will be. The first time I did this 10 years ago, my wife thought it was hilarious. Today, she was much less amused.



1-1/4 cups of polenta
2-1/2 ounces of Taleggio cheese
2 tablespoons of butter (unsalted sweet cream)
4 cups of water
1 teaspoon of salt

1. Place water and salt in a large copper pot and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, cut the butter and cheese into small cubes.

2. When the water begins to boil, sprinkle the polenta into the water and stir with a wooden spoon. Continue to stir for about 40 minutes until the polenta becomes nice and thick.

3. While still stirring, slowly add the butter and cheese to melt all that creamy goodness together. As soon as everything is melted together, remove from heat and serve.

In the photo here I had it with some broiled bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and steamed broccoli.

My Favorite Meal in Rome

My favorite meal in Rome was dinner at Ristorante Maccheroni. My wife found this place off a list of best restaurants in Rome voted on by Romans. This place was one of the eateries at the top of the list. Because we read that this place is usually full for the late meal service, the normal time that Italians have supper, we decided to just walk in as they open their doors. Entering the restaurant, we saw the cooks busy preparing for another evening's service within the glass-enclosed kitchen. The interior dining area was styled like an extension of the kitchen with white tiled walls and shelves full of wine bottles. Though cramped and loud, the place felt very homey. We felt almost as if we had been invited into the home of an Italian family. But by a stroke of luck, we got a table outside, where the tables were more spread out. The weather was perfect, street performers were serenading, and the indistinct conversations drifted through the air.

If you didn't already know, the Italians love their dinners. From what I've read and observed, dinners seem to be a nightly celebration where tables of diners will sit over a meal for hours, going well into the night. This was evident when we approached the host who apologetically told us that though there were tables available, we only had about 2 hours to dine. This was such a stark contrast to in the U.S. where we're expected to eat within about an hour and move on so the restaurant can turn more tables. Also, I was worried the two-hour time limit might indicate slow, unfriendly service. This was far from the case. Our exuberant waiter was very friendly and courteous. He spoke much more English than I would have expected and was patient enough to allow me the opportunity to practice my severely limited Italian. The food came out within a reasonable amount of time for us to eat and enjoy. And the most amazing thing was that we never felt rushed at all. Even after we finished our food and desserts, the check did not come until requested. The waiter periodically stopped by to make sure we had enough to drink. With this type of dining experience, the food could have been mediocre and I would still return. Speaking of which, let's get to the food.


We got one our favorite appetizers, mozzarella di bufala, i.e., buffalo mozzarella. I fell in love with the creamy, stringy cheese during our first trip to Italy 5 years earlier. However, this place put a little twist on the dish. They topped the already awesome cheese with dried fish roe. Because it was dried, the roe packed the concentrated flavor and saltiness of the sea. This combined with the subtle, creamy cheese and bitter arugula made for an unforgettable combination. This was hands-down my favorite appetizer from our trip. If you're a fan of cheese and fish roe, as I am, this is a must when you're in Rome.


For my wife's pasta dish, she ordered their truffle fettuccine. The pasta was tossed in the rich creamy Alfredo-like sauce made with real grated truffles. The flavor was superb. I've had truffle oil before but this dish helped me understand why truffles are so valued. Though the sauce was creamy, the pasta wasn't swimming in it, which made the dish much more enjoyable than what we're used to in the U.S.


For my pasta dish, I ordered maccheroni, their namesake. Again, the pasta was lightly tossed in fresh sauce with the taste of mama's love and topped with freshly grated cheese.


For our meat dish, we requested an order of their spicy meatballs. These morsels of meat tasted as if they were freshly ground and rolled by hand. They were tender, full of spices and herbs, and fell apart in the mouth. The sauce was light and not overly salted. The fresh arugula and tomatoes balanced out the rich meatiness of the balls.


For dessert, we both shared a vin santo. This orange-flavored liqueur was served with pieces of sweet, crunchy biscotti. The biscotti are dipped into the liqueur so that it absorbs the orange-flavored alcohol. OMG, after this I'm not sure if I can go back to cookies and milk. This adult version of cookies and milk keep the belly warm and the laughter free-flowing.

Knowing our breaking point, we planned ahead and both shared an antipasto (appetizer), secondo (meat dish), and dolci (dessert) with each having our own primi (pasta). But looking around, there were Italian women half my size that consumed their own 4-course meal, easily putting me to shame. I felt like such a wuss complaining about how I over-ate.

My Favorite Meal in Venice

My favorite meal in Venice took place at Osteria al Mascaron. This dim, cozy restaurant served up some amazingly fresh seafood dishes.


I started off with the antipasto misto, which was a plate of mixed seafood and veggies. This Sea-World-on-a-plate consisted of freshly boiled shrimp, a huge steamed prawn tail, a sliver of pickled local fish, fried fresh anchovies, some sort of creamy crab dip, octopus salad tossed in olive oil, blanched zucchini, and a salty herb quiche. The only problem I had with this dish was the fact I had to share it.


For my primi, I ordered the cuttlefish spaghetti cooked with its own ink. Sure enough, as the name indicates, the pasta came out in a sauce blackened by squid ink. Though it was a bit intimidating initially, after the first bite there was no more hesitation. The only way I can describe the ink's flavor is that it tasted like the sea. Not the pollution-clouded sea of Galveston, but the clean, blue-water open ocean. It was slightly salty but full of that sea-salt flavor. And though the color may be an obstacle for some, in the middle of the meal, after everyone had a bite of it, it became the source of laughter since everyone's lips and teeth were smothered in the black sauce. It seemed like we were on our way to a goth party but with less leather and spikes.


And for my secondi, I devoured this fresh grill fish with sauteed vegetables. It was simply fish caught earlier the same day, filleted, brushed with olive oil and grilled. Sprinkle on some salt, pepper and lemon and it was a deliciously satisfying dish that kept me smiling during our late-night romp to Saint Peter's Square.

Dinner by the Fountain

Visited some good friends in Philly for the weekend. Knowing how much I love to eat, they planned an entire weekend of gluttony. Our first meal was at La Fontana Della Citta, a quaint BYOB Italian restaurant near the heart of the city.


For starters, we whetted our appetites with an order of calamari fritti. These were some of the best I've had. The pieces of squid were plump and tender. The breading was crisp and light. The marinara was warm and chunky. My only complaint was there there were no pieces of tentacle. Though I like squid tubes, I LOVE me some squid tentacles. Next time I'll remember to request for some.


This is their rack of lamb. I originally ordered the osso buco but they were out at the time. The brown sauce looked delicious but neither added nor detracted from the dish. Because it was bland, I just took it to be a means to keep the meat moist. Despite being a bit tough, the lamb was flavorful and thoroughly enjoyed by my taste buds. As I always do when eating a rack of lamb, I make a first pass using fork and knife but then finish off the dish with my fingers clinching the rib bones and my teeth tearing off every last bit of meaty goodness.


My wife go their seafood risotto, of which I ate half. The seafood was superb but the rice wasn't. Undercooked, the grains did not absorb the creaminess of butter sauce. This was a minor setback since we simply ate around the rice. The seafood itself was delicious. Fresh and properly cooked, the mussels, squid, scallops and shrimp were all tender and plump with flavor.

When considering the food only, we had a pleasant experience at this eatery. But coupled with the great company at dinner, we loved the restaurant and would revisit when possible.

Saturday Triple Play

Hunkering down for Tropical Storm Edouard prevented me from posting my weekend's adventures. So if you notice the early morning posting time, it's because this is the only thing left for me to do @ 5am Tuesday while waiting for the storm. Hopefully I finish before the power goes out.

All my notable weekend eats occurred on Saturday. So like a hurricane, most the damage happened in one day. But through our meals, it was like we travelled to both Italy and Viet Nam and then was back in Texas in time for dinner.

Saturday Lunch

We had some friends over and prepared lasagna for lunch. We used a Tyler Florence recipe. My wife and I have been fans of Tyler since college when we first saw his show Food 911 where he actually goes to people's homes and show them how to make better food. At the end of the show, he and the aspiring home cook enthusiastically dig into what they've cooked...this activity is also known as my dream job. We only had 2 friends over, making for 4 diners in total, but we made enough for 12. The same happened 3 years ago and we haven't made the pasta pie again until now. And after eating it for most meals over the upcoming week, I have a feeling you might not see another lasagna entry for another three years.

I wish I could say we used an old family recipe, though it would be strange for a Vietnamese family to have its own lasagna recipe. However, this one turned out so well that maybe our future generations will have their an old family lasagna recipe, after we've tweaked to our own liking of course.

All the ingredients for the lasagna

Lasagna is a cruel recipe since it calls for it to "rest" for 30 minutes...too long to stare at a pan of layered happiness.

From the bottom up: sauce, meat, cheese, cheese, sauce, pasta, and repeat.

Saturday Dinner

Some other friends had us over for a backyard cook out. Though I can't really tell you how they prepared everything, I can tell you that I finished everything on my plate. Luckily for the other guests, my father-in-law called just as eating commenced, so we had to leave with just what we could fit on the plate. Otherwise, there might not have been enough for everyone else. Sadly, it wasn't until we left the house did I realize I did not get enough sausage and hot links. Those babies were gone during the 5-minute drive back to our house.

Major props to Rene, Michele and Maddie for always making excellent food whenever we visit.

A BBQ platter of chicken quarters, hot links and sausage.

Smoky beef fajitas on the grill.

Saturday 2nd Dinner

So we were planning to meet her father later that evening. However, he called unexpectedly early cutting short our stay at the cook-out.

As always, we met him over food. We tried a new Vietnamese restaurant called Cafe Saigon. My wife and I had tried it before and enjoyed our experience, so we suggested the place. He was very hesitant and understandably so. This was our first time eating Vietnamese outside Houston's Chinatown. But in the end, he was pleasantly surprised.

The cafe is a cozy counter-service eatery located inside a strip mall; so it already has an advantage since most of our favorite restaurants are in strip malls. The wall colors and decor is warm and inviting. And like most true Vietnamese restaurants here in Houston, they offer a surprising wide selection of dishes, as seen on their menu. Ordering is facilitated by combinations of letters and numbers, e.g., we ordered EB1 and V3.

Bò lúc lắc (shaking beef) is usually comprised of cubes of beef quickly cooked in butter, oyster sauce, soy sauce with garlic and onions over watercrest. Typically, the beef is dipped in a salt, pepper and lemon juice mixture, but thie beef was overly salted.

Snow pea leaves stir fried in oil and lots of garlic. This dish was also overly salted. Though both dishes were overly salty, there was plenty of rice to even out the sodium content.

CRAVE the Good Life

Dolce Vita

As part of our endless quest for good food, my wife and I tried a new pizzeria for lunch today (new to us). Hearing it's Houston's best pizza, we had high hopes. Long story short, Dolce Vita's pizza delivered (no pun intended).

To accomplish a casual dining atmosphere, it's set inside a quaint historic house, where the first floor serves as the bar and the second floor as the dining room. The windows are the original antique glass, providing a slightly distorted view of the neighboring shopping center. White kitchen towels are used as napkins. The floors and stairs creak. The result is a step back in time to turn-of-the-century Houston.

Though we only had a few dishes, we didn't regret what we ordered (except the dessert). Dolce Vita's food is as simple and aromatic as what we enjoyed in Italy. Their focus on fresh ingredients avoids a dependence on spices. Each of our dishes were a balanced combination of a few natural flavors, which doesn't confuse the palette.

The restaurant's dining room. Warm and homey like grandma's house.

Pickled anchovies with marinated bell peppers, capers and Italian parsley. Unlike the anchovies on pizza, these pickled ones are slightly tart and salty and has a great meaty texture to balance out the soft, sweet peppers. The capers are overpowering, so avoid getting too many mixed in with each bite.

Eggplant and fresh basil in agro docle, a sour ("agro") and sweet ("dolce") sauce. Though I wasn't craving eggplant at the time (my wife's order), I could appreciate the preparation. Served chilled, the purple plant had been cooked just right. The agro dolce was also a nice balance, neither too sweet nor too sour, that complimented the eggplant instead of masking its flavor.

Taleggio pizza with arugula and pear in truffle oil - sounds weird, tastes great! No tomato sauce here, exactly how I like it. The thin crispy crust reminded me of Naples. This was our first time eating warm Taleggio. We're big fans of the cheese, but until now have only had it cold or room temperature. Though we refer to it as a "stinky cheese," its flavor is much milder than its smell. Serving it warm brings out more of its flavor, which seemingly reduces its saltiness. The mildly bitter arugula coupled with gently sweet pear on top of mildly salty Taleggio cheese worked wonderfully.

Pistachio, dark chocolate and mexican vanilla bean gelato. Despite sounding and looking good, the gelato wasn't great. The waffle cone was stale. The gelato was full of ice crystals, taking away from the creaminess we've come to love. However, the gelato had the expected density and rich flavors. Nevertheless, next time we'll try one of their other desserts.

CRAVE Cupcakes

Since my wife and I have an unhealthy need to end a meal with sweets that meet our satisfaction, the disappointing gelato lead us to try a new bakery in Houston that only makes cupcakes. We've been burned before by not-so-great cupcake-only places, so we approached this one cautiously.

To our surprise, the cupcakes are very moist and delicious. So moist in fact that, when peeling the paper off the cupcakes, a thick layer of cake sticks to the wrapper. This resulted in me spending several minutes scraping the residue off with my teeth. Also, another pleasant surprise was a crunchy ring around the edge of the cupcake just under the frosting where batter had overflowed and hardened on the pan. The additional texture increased the cupcake's Mm-Mmm Factor ®.

Our only quibbles are that (1) the frosting is too sweet and (2) there's too much frosting. We know we're in a small minority that enjoy mildly sweet desserts; but with such great cake, the frosting dulls the palette and takes away from the meticulous baking. After our first bites, we simply scrapped off the "excess" frosting.

Again, these are mere trifles in comparison to the deliciousness that is CRAVE.

Nutella

Dark chocolate