Wednesday, December 30, 2009

An Ode to Trattoria Roma in Grandview

Words cannot begin to describe how much I love Trattoria Roma in Grandview, Ohio.

If I had to use one word: Delicious. But that only describes their food. Their service is also impeccable, both on the restaurant side and at the bar. Their servers are friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. The management is amenable and responsive, and their kitchen is always ready to offer inventive specials to complement their already expansive menu. (The owners are Shawn Mason and Keith Dunn, and their Chef is Matthew Prokopchek.) In short, this restaurant rocks! Please try it.

I know it's such a standard dish, but I can't stop singing the praises of their lasagna. In my humble opinion, it is the best lasagna in Columbus. (And no, I haven't tried the lasagna in every other restaurant; I simply can't imagine a lasagna being prepared any better.)

The menu description gives little hint of the joy this dish will bring to your taste buds:
Meat, three-cheese, spinach lasagne served with a slow cooked marinara sauce.
I guess if there's one thing they need to work on, it's their menu descriptions.

Anyway, their pasta is fresh and made in house (of course.) Their marinara is a tomato-lovers delight, not too sweet or salty, and not too spicy. It's just warm tomato goodness. They include a layer of spinach in their lasagna, which adds a surprising texture of leafy substantialness—and I think it might help the dish hold together, which makes a wonderful presentation. The three cheeses blend together in a melodious, creamy symphony of melted delight, and the meat (a mixture of beef and pork, I believe) is in just the right proportion to neither dominate the dish but also not get lost in the other flavors.

The portion size is more than enough to share with a friend. The picture below actually shows a half portion, and I was stuffed by the time I sopped up the last bit of marinara with their garlic toast (which, for what it's worth, is the one thing I think could be improved upon).




So. Good. 

If you're in the Grandview area, I strongly suggest you try Trattoria Roma on Grandview Avenue. All of their menu items are superb, they offer a wide selection of reasonably prices wines, and their service is friendly and warm. 

And no, I'm receiving no money for my resounding endorsement of this gem of an Italian restaurant. :-o

Ciao!

Monday, December 28, 2009

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies


A good friend of mine recently discovered she is gluten intolerant. In an odd coincidence, I "stumbled upon" this recipe for gluten-free peanut butter cookies not long after, and boy did they look tasty!

Since today is my friend's birthday—and she always complained when we were in school that her Dec. 28 birthday was overlooked coming right in the middle of the holiday break—it seems the perfect opportunity for me to try out this recipe and drop by her house with a gift of cookies. Her two boys are also gluten intolerant, so I'm sure they'll enjoy these, as well.*

What made this recipe so intriguing for me was another interesting aspect of these cookies: The recipe only calls for three ingredients! THREE! Can't beat that.

Gluten -Free Peanut Butter Cookies
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup peanut butter, smooth or crunchy (make sure it's gluten-free—not all are—and not too runny)
1 egg

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare ingredient in their measurements.


Combine all three ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat together.


(I decided to go manual, since it's such an easy recipe and I didn't want to mess with cleaning the mixer afterwards.)


Drop tablespoons of the batter onto a cookie sheet. Use a fork to press the cookies down in a criss-crossed pattern.


Optional: Sprinkle the cookies with a bit of the granulated sugar or turbinado sugar.
(This could make for a fourth ingredient, but seeing as how this is optional and you could use the granulated sugar to do this, I'm standing by my "three-ingredients" thing. Personally, I like how the turbinado sugar gives the cookies a nice crunchiness. Of course, you could also achieve a similar effect with crunchy peanut butter, but I prefer smooth.)


Bake the cookies for 10-11 minutes.

Cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet, which allows the cookies to firm up a bit. Then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. (I use old, clean newspaper to allow the cookies to cool; I figure it has the added bonus of absorbing some of the oil.)

With a pretty bow, these make a great gift for anyone, particularly for those who are gluten intolerant.



Servings: 36 cookies

Nutrition info (per cookie):
Calories: 66
Fat: 4 grams (0.8 grams saturated fat)
Carbs: 7 grams
Protein: 2 grams

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Boy, oh boy, are these cookies tasty! I found the original recipe here, and she uses only crunchy peanut butter in her recipe. Next time I'll try it that way, too.

*Update: Apparently the boys aren't big fans of peanut butter. I guess that's more for the birthday girl. :-)


Saturday, December 26, 2009

Maple-Apple-Bacon Cake With Maple Glaze

I modified this recipe from NPR's website when I heard a segment they did on the growing popularity of desserts with bacon. (Well, maybe it was on the growing popularity of bacon in everything, but specifically the novelty of seeing bacon as an ingredient in a dessert.) The original recipe can be found here, and their description of the cake is as follows:
This cake is like a dessert version of breakfast pancakes doused with maple syrup and accompanied by bacon. The moist cake is punctuated with satisfying bits of crisp bacon, tart Granny Smith apples and toasty pecans.
I thought it sounded pretty fabulous and couldn't wait to try the recipe for Christmas with my family. Two of my family members are bacon-crazy, and let me tell you, this dessert was a HIT with them.

Maple-Apple-Bacon Cake Ingredients
8 strips bacon, with 2 strips reserved for garnish
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons salted butter at room temperature
2/3 cups sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 teaspoon maple extract
3/4 cups buttermilk
2 cups peeled, diced (1/4" squares) Granny Smith apples (1 small-med apple ~1 cup)
1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

Maple Glaze Ingredients
9 tablespoons pure maple sugar
A pinch of cinnamon
1/3 cup water

Maple-Apple-Bacon Cake with Maple Glaze Instructions
Place rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Coat an 8-inch round pan with cooking spray.



In a large skillet over low-medium heat, cook bacon, turning several times, until browned and crisp, 7 to 9 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Chop finely. Reserve 2 of the chopped slices for garnish.



In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.



In a second large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs and maple extract, and beat at medium speed until light. Reduce speed to low and add the buttermilk. Beat until well-blended.

Add the dry ingredients; beat until just incorporated and the flour is dissolved.


Stir in the apples, pecans and bacon.



Pour the batter into the pan and smooth out the top with a spatula.



Bake for 43 to 48 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a cake tester inserted deep into the center comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a rack and cool for 10 minutes. Unmold the cake and place on a rack. Cool to room temperature before icing.



In a small bowl, mix maple sugar and cinnamon, then slowly add water while whisking until smooth. It should cling to the back of a spoon. Using a spoon, drizzle the icing in a back-and-forth motion across the cake.


Sprinkle with the reserved 2 slices of finely-chopped bacon. Allow to set for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Can be stored on countertop for one to two days, then refrigerated in an airtight container.

Makes 16 servings

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Holiday Cheeseball

Though I've found a new "Italian hummus" recipe with fresh pita chips (I'll blog on it another time), my family insists on my cheeseball when we get together for the holidays.

It's a very easy recipe—I'm guessing one that at some point was put out by Philadelphia Cream Cheese—and my family loves it. Though I'm getting a bit tired of it, I must admit it's pretty tasty. Here's the recipe:

Holiday Cheeseball
1 8-oz. "brick" of Philadelphia cream cheese (I often use the 1/3 fat version, which still tastes great)
2-3 T chives
2-3 large forkfuls of horseradish
3 2-oz. packages of Carl Budding sliced beef (or similar)
Keebler Townhouse crackers, sesame flavor


I first start by mixing the cream cheese, the chives and the horseradish.

Then I add two of the three packages of the beef. I tear it into small pieces and then mix it in with the rest.

Here it is all mixed up.

Then I create a base to make the cheeseball with the third package of sliced beef. I start with four slices.

Add the cheeseball mixture. Don't scrape the bowl just yet. It can be used later.

Then I curl up the sides of the base.

I continue to add more slices of beef, creating a round-ish ball with the thin slices. I now use a rubber spatula to scrape the extra cream cheese mixture out of the bowl, slathering it on the beef slices to help them stick to one another.

Here's the final "ball", loosely constructed.

Then I prepare it for an overnight in the fridge. The flavors of the beef and chives and horseradish and cream cheese blend together much better when left to sit overnight.

The next morning I just unwrap the cheeseball and set it on a platter with the crackers arranged around it. Who knew an appetizer could be that easy? Enjoy!

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Go Organic—Sign up for the Wayward Seed Farm's CSA!

I posted a blog in October about the Wayward Seed Farm's CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program.

Today I'd like to update that blog to mention that the Farm has posted the Sign Up Form for its 2010 CSA program. Consider enrolling in the Wayward Seed Farm's CSA for next year's harvest. Doing so supports local, organic farming and brings you a little closer to the bounty that Ohio offers.

From the Wayward Seed Farm's signup form:

What is CSA? Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a community of individuals who share both the responsibility and reward of a local farm. The farmers receive the benefit of a stable market, and its members receive the benefit of clean, safe, locally grown food. A true CSA has the value of community-building at its core. At Wayward Seed, our members receive more than a share in the farm’s bounty—they receive a renewed connection with their food and the peace of mind that comes with knowing its origin.