Food Minia

It's anybody's guess whether this dish is really Italian or not. Some claim the dish was invented at Dante's, a restaurant in Bologna, Italy. Luigi Franzese, a chef at New York's Orsini restaurant in the 1970s is also sometimes credited. But other sources relate that a certain James Doty, a graduate of Colombia University, was the originator. While its origins are murky, the flavor is not. I've never seen it on a menu in Italy, but it's certainly ubiquitous here in the states and for good reason -- it tastes delicious. It's also perfect for the home cook owing to its ease of preparation. The whole dish comes together in less than 30 minutes. It's also perfect for those of you thinking of meatless dishes to prepare for Lent. So what are you waiting for? Pour yourself a Bloody Mary, but set aside a little of that vodka for Penne Alla Vodka. Want more Ciao Chow Linda? Check out my Instagram page  here  to see more of what I'm cooking up each day.  You ...

Now a days pasta is one of the comfortable food for all. A big bowl of pasta with rich creamy sauce and the addition of mixed vegetables is a perfect and easy choice for dinner. Here is a quick and delicious recipe of creamy vegetable pasta in spicy and rich thick coconut milk sauce (malai sauce). Ingredients: Pasta-1 cup Butter-2 tbsp Thinly chopped garlic-1 tbsp Thinly chopped onion-1  Chilly powder-1 tsp Pepper powder-1/4 tsp Cumin powder-1/4 tsp Salt-to taste Chopped carrot-1/4 cup Green pea-1/4 cup (fresh / or cooked dried) All purpose flour (maida)-1 tbsp Thick coconut milk- 3/4 cup Chopped cilantro/ basil leaves- to garnish Preparation: Cook pasta in enough boiling water by adding salt until done (8-10 minutes). Drain it and keep aside. Heat butter in a pan; add thinly chopped garlic and onion; saute for a minute. Add chilly powder, pepper powder and cumin powder . Add chopped carrots and green pea; saute 3-4 minutes. Then add all purpose flour and mix well on low flame for ...

Any kind of creamy vodka sauce is always a good thing in our house. I thought this recipe would be a great and easy twist. Plus it made a huge pan of pasta and that meant leftovers for lunch for a few days, another great bonus! This recipe was adapted from Butter Your Biscuit . 1/4 cup butter 5 cloves garlic (minced) 1 medium onion (diced) 1 cup vodka 2 (28oz) cans tomato sauce 1 tbsp sugar 1 tsp oregano 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper 1/2 tsp black pepper 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil 1 cup heavy cream 48oz frozen cheese ravioli 2 cups mozzarella cheese In a large pot melt the butter. Add the onions and saute for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the vodka and let simmer until it reduces by half, about 6-7 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, sugar, salt, pepper, oregano and red pepper flakes. Let simmer for 15 minutes.  Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the ravioli according to the packaging. Drain the pasta and layer in a greased 9x13 dish. Whis...

During a recent visit to Williams-Sonoma, I spotted bags filled with this snowflake (fiochi di neve) pasta and knew it would be perfect for this holiday season.   I have a weakness for pasta shapes, and there are always at least five or six different kinds in my cabinet. There are umpteen ways you could dress this pasta, but I thought it deserved a festive red and green treatment with Christmas just around the corner. Using just what I had in the fridge and freezer (part of a red pepper, half a bag of peas, some ricotta and parmesan cheese), dinner was on the table in the time it took to boil the pasta. Of course, you can make this recipe with any pasta shape, but the snowflakes are just so apropos for this time of year. If you do use this snowflake pasta, with this recipe or any other (click here  to buy it) take a photo and email it to me. I'd love to see your creation. Buon Natale! Christmas Snowflake Pasta printable recipe here makes two very generous portions 8 ounces (h...

I put this on them menu because I thought it sounded different and interesting. Then I made it and everyone freaked out over it. It really was so good and different but not so different that my little ones wouldn't eat it. My son took the leftover to school the next two days because he loved it so much. This recipe is adapted from Food Lovin Family . 4 cups finely shredded cooked chicken 2 (8oz) containers chive and onion cream cheese 1 package frozen spinach (thawed and drained 1 tsp garlic salt 1 jar pasta sauce (best to use a red sauce with cheese like parmesan red sauce) 4 cups mozzarella cheese 12 lasagna noodles (cooked according to packaging) Heat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with baking spray. In a bowl combine the chicken, cream cheese, spinach and garlic salt. Place 1/3 of the sauce in the bottom of the baking dish, top with 4 noodles, 1/3 of the chicken  mixture and 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat two more times ending with the mozzarella layer.  Cove...

I had the pleasure of joining my cousin in Italy again, this time on a 9 day trip to Sicily.  We started in Palermo and made our way in a counter-clockwise tour of the island.  One of my favorite stops was the geological formation known as Scala dei Turchi just to the west of Agrigento. It looks like a milky-white set of steps rising out of the Mediterranean Sea, and it's completely free to explore.  While I'm really glad I was able to climb it, I do hope that one day soon the government will decide to protect the area since it will likely become quite damaged from all the human activity.  For more pictures of the trip, check out my Instagram feed . One of my other favorite stops was the UNESCO world heritage Baroque town of Ragusa.  Not only is it absolutely lovely, it has some of the best restaurants on the island including the 2 Michelin-starred Ristorante Duomo.  We were able to have a 7 course lunch there for only 45 euros (that's like $50 with the rec...

This isn't the best picture, it's a picture of the leftovers.  But, I must say, these are just as good the next day.  I made these during the holidays for family and then again for friends this last weekend.  This recipe is a keeper!  I love the cheese filling with spinach, mushrooms, garlic and roasted red peppers. It's packed with flavors I love. The recipe makes two pans (about 50 shells) so it will feed a crowd.  You can always freeze a pan or cut the recipe in half.   The recipe comes from Tina at  Epicuricloud.com .  Check out her blog and recipes, she's one amazing cook!  Also, check out her recipe here as she has step by step instructions with beautiful pictures.  Tina's recipe is vegetarian and I'm sure it's delicious as is but I made a few changes.  I added Italian Sausage to the marinara sauce,  I used 1/2 ricotta and 1/2 cottage cheese just because my Mom always used cottage cheese in her filling and that...

Last Christmas I received a pasta attachment for my KitchenAid.  I've been making all sorts of pasta egg pasta, beet pasta, spinach pasta, etc.  I wanted to make a pasta that could somehow incorporate Alaska, therefore tundra blueberry pasta. To get this vibrant purple color you have to use tundra blueberries also called bilberries similar to huckleberries.  Blueberries from the grocery store just won't cut it. Ingredients: 1 cup semolina flour 1 cup all purpose flour 2 tbs. olive oil 1/2 cup tundra blueberry puree 2 tbs. sugar 1 tbs. lemon juice dash cinnamon Directions: Mix all ingredients in a your Kitchen aid mixer and finish off with your dough hook or used a food processor to blend all ingredients so that it forms into a solid ball.   Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll out dough or wind through your pasta machine. Cut into strips or wind through your pasta machine. Cook the pasta in boiling water until al dente…it will only take 3-4 m...