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March 29, 2016 by Kim Abbott

Italian Cooking 101: 7 ‘Must Have’ Pantry Items to Add to Your Shopping List

2738229_SThere are many cultural specialties around the world from the coq au vin of France to the curries of India, but few types of cuisine are more popular – and adaptable! – than that of the country of Italy. With a style based on simplicity that is replete with the finest of cheese, pasta and sauce, here are a few things you’ll want to add to your pantry so you can serve up simple pleasure in your own kitchen.

All About the Oil

There are few food items more synonymous with Italy than olive oil, so make sure you have a bottle of the finest for making pasta or sprinkling over pizza. Whether you decide on extra-virgin or pure, you’ll want to forego the butter when it comes to having an Italian kitchen.

A Can of Tomatoes

It may go against the typical Italian way to reach for a canned tomato, but they can actually be more flavorful than the average tomato straight from the vine. Whether you’re making sauce for pizza or adding these to pasta, they’ll still provide better flavor than a tasteless tomato.

A Bit of Broth

Whether you decide to make this from scratch and freeze it or purchase it from the shelves of the grocery store, broth is a staple item in many traditional Italian foods. Risotto, one of Italy’s most famous foods, lives and dies through the addition of broth.

Dried or Canned Beans

From a side vegetable to salads and meat specialties, beans are a very popular item in many Italian dishes. The dried variety will often taste better and contain less salt than those that are canned, but if you don’t have the time, a can of beans will serve its purpose well.

A Jar of Tomato Sauce

Few things are more common in Italian cuisine than tomato sauce, but many people don’t have time to make this on their own. Instead of slaving over the pot, pick up a jar that is thick and low in sugar so you can instantly add it to spaghetti or pizza.

Fresh or Dried Pasta

There are few foods around the world that have the versatility of pasta, so keeping a number of different options in your pantry will provide recipe ideas for many months. From fusilli and linguine to spaghetti and penne, there’s no shortage of possibility with this staple food.

Put Some Parmesan On

In truth, there are many varieties of cheese that are specific to Italy, but few have had the influence that Parmesan has. While you can go for the cheaper variety of Grana Padano, if you’re really trying to impress, you’ll want to invest in Parmigiano-Reggiano, which is Italy’s most famous cheese at its best.

A pantry well-stocked with the foods of Italy may make it seem like you’ll be wedged in a culinary corner, but the global appeal of Italian food provides plenty of options you can make your own. Whether it’s pasta one night and risotto the next, it’s hard to exhaust the adaptability of Italian cuisine.

Filed Under: Cooking Tips Tagged With: Cooking

March 15, 2016 by Kim Abbott

6 Great Italian Wines And Exactly What You Should Pair Them With

How To Pair Italian Wines CorrectlyFoodies are fond of saying, “If it grows together, it goes together.” The statement could not be more true of Italian wines. Italy’s widespread vineyards generate some truly amazing red and white wines from premium quality grapes. These wines pair well with all different types of Italian dishes as well as some other ethnic cuisine.

Chianti

Chianti is a powerful, bold red wine. It is best served with entrees that are heavy on flavor. Order a glass of Chianti with a dish that features a rich sauce to create the perfect combination of food and drink. Chianti pairs well with just about any type of pasta dish. Though many claim that this wine tastes best with a tomato based sauce, it can also pair with cream sauces as well. Chianti has a particularly high level of acidity that tastes fantastic with fatty meats such as steak and game meat.

Prosecco

The Vento region of Italy produces this lovely sparking wine. A glass of Prosecco is the perfect way to start your meal. Drink it alongside any type of seafood (like our Chilean Sea Bass!)  and your taste buds will be awash with the perfect combination of flavors. Prosecco tastes especially good with oysters. This wine also pairs nicely with shrimp, prosciutto, chorizo and Marcona almonds.

Vin Santo

If you are on the prowl for a particularly sweet wine, Vin Santo is the answer. This wine is made with grapes from the Malvasia and Trebbiano sections of Italy that have been thoroughly dried. Take a sip and you will immediately notice the considerable amount of sugar and acid in Vin Santo. The unique flavor jives nicely with biscotti, dried fruit, cheese, tarts and pies.

Sangiovese

If you love Italian food with a kick, a strong red wine like Sangiovese is the perfect way to wash down each forkful. It works especially well with Italian entrees that have beef, cheese or red sauces. Yet some foodies are adamant that Sangiovese also pairs nicely with cream sauces and oil based sauces.

Soave

Soave is one of the most flexible white wines around. It tastes great with just about any type of food. Order a glass of Soave with your salad, pasta or grilled vegetables and you won’t regret it. The only types of food that it doesn’t jive with are those that are especially rich or heavy.

Barolo and Barbaresco

Italy’s Piedmont region creates one of the country’s best grapes, the Nebbiolo. This grape is the foundation of two of the world’s tastiest red wines: Barolo and Barbaresco. These wines are best enjoyed with entrees that have a considerable amount of protein and/or fat such as pot roast, ribs or beef stew.

Filed Under: Cooking Tips Tagged With: chianti, Italian Wine, vino, wine

March 7, 2016 by Kim Abbott

You Say Tomato – I Say Superfood!

You Say Tomato - I Say SuperfoodThe tomato has been called many things throughout history: Peruvian apple, love apple, and even, by Americans at least, a vegetable.

Today, however, this lovely fruit is fast becoming known as Superfood!

While not able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, this super hero of the nutrition world is able to do some pretty amazing things. For example, some studies show the tomato may help decrease the risk of prostate cancer, as well as breast, lung and stomach cancers.

And the Herald Sun reported in 2003 that the yellow jelly around the seeds have yet another benefit: They may stop blood cells from clumping together, which sometimes leads to strokes and heart attacks.

What is it about this little red fruit that makes it so amazing?

Answer: Lycopene.

Okay, so the word lycopene doesn’t sound very appetizing, but this powerful antioxidant is the chemical in tomatoes that not only is responsible for it’s red color, but also responsible for its disease-fighting powers.

Just ask an Italian.

Italian cooking relies very heavily on tomatoes and tomato products. And, some studies have suggested that this heavy intake of tomatoes by Italians has resulted in a lowering of cancer of the digestive tract.

Do I have to eat tomatoes by the truckload?

Now, you’re probably thinking you have to consume tons and tons of fresh tomatoes to enjoy any health benefits. Not true.

In one research study it was reported that people who ate tomatoes at least every other day had greater lung capacity. And, the tomatoes don’t even have to be fresh! Again, research shows that the lycopene in tomatoes is more easily absorbed by the body if processed into ketchup, sauce and paste. So, not only are tomatoes a superfood, they’re an easy superfood to include in your diet.

Of course, fresh tomatoes are still beneficial, and packed with wonderful nutrients (not to mention delicious). Just remember the one rule of fresh tomatoes: don’t put them in the refrigerator. The refrigerator destroys not only the flavor, it also destroys the nutrients.

So, go ahead, do something good for your health tonight. Have a tomato!

Filed Under: Healthy Food Tagged With: castup, ketchup, superfood, tomato, tomatoes

March 1, 2016 by Kim Abbott

Rosso or Bianco? Veneto or Toscana? How to Pair an Italian Wine with Your Dinner

10405143_SThe food and wine pairings that often appear at the bottom of a restaurant menu might seem like a difficult thing to dream up, but the reality of an elegant and unforgettable dinner party does not have to be hard to execute. If you’re organizing a dinner soon and are considering food and wine pairings that will be sure to impress, here are a few guidelines that will make for a successful evening replete with a meal your guests won’t soon forget.

Start Out with Sparkling

There are few more impressive ways to begin an evening than with a good glass of sparkling, so if you’re offering up olives and an antipasti tray, reach for a Prosecco or Spumante that will pair great with this first course. It’s a great way to get conversation flowing and will quickly engage your guests in the excitement of the evening.

Following with White Fish or Seafood?

There’s a standard rule that white wine is the best option if you’re serving a main dish like fish, seafood or anything that includes a cream sauce. While the crisp finish of a white will pair ideally with almost any food in these categories, a chardonnay or pinot bianco will provide further compliment.

If You’re Indulging in Red Sauce

If fish and cream sauce are not on the menu and you’re planning for traditional tomato sauce, it would be wise to reach for a bottle of light or medium-bodied red. While this type of wine will do well with tomato sauce, if you’re also serving veal or chicken, a merlot or chianti will be among the most perfect of pairings.

Go Bold with Game or Roast

The choice of a meaty main dish that is carried off without a hitch will likely impress your guests on its own, but a wine pairing that goes well will be sure to make it truly sing. You’ll want to stick with red for an entrée of roast or game, but make sure it’s something full-bodied like a rich cabernet sauvignon.

Aged Cheese and Amarone

If you plan to finish off the meal before the final course with a selection of cheeses, stick with a full-bodied red of the Amarone or Montepulciano varietal. It might seem like these would overpower each other, but the boldness of wine and cheese actually works in the favor of the other.

The Final Course

It’s in keeping with the tradition of dessert to offer coffee, but you may want to consider one last wine pairing to finish off the evening. Instead of something heavy, go back to the beginning with a sparkling wine like Asti Spumante or something sweet like Vin Santo.

There are many easy rules to follow that will make for an impressive dinner party wine pairing, but if there’s a bottle you’ve been waiting to try this can be a good guideline for taking a risk! Whatever the occasion, a wine pairing is an easy way to kick up your party a notch and impress upon your guests your menu-making savvy.

Filed Under: Wine Tips Tagged With: Italian Wine

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3159 E Lincoln Dr
Phoenix , AZ 85016
Phone: 602.381.3159

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Credit for most photos: Kay W. Eskridge: Images By Kay

Our Hours

Lunch
TBD.
Dinner
Mon – Sat: 4pm–9pm
Saturday Dinner: 4pm–9pm

Sunday Closed

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Mon – Fri: 4:00pm–6:00pm
No happy hour on Saturdays

Holiday Closures: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, sometimes Christmas Eve (call to check), Christmas Day

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