“There’s nothing more romantic than Italian food.” ~ Elisha Cuthbert

January 30, 20132 Comments

One of our favorite dishes we had on our honeymoon trip to Italy was Saltimbocca. Saltimbocca means “jump in your mouth” and that it does! I knew it would be a meal that I must try back at home and I finally got around to it.

Saltimbocca is a very popular Italian dish that is traditionally made with veal but can be made with chicken (which is what I had on hand).

Chicken Saltimbocca

4 (4-ounce) chicken cutlets
1/8 teaspoon salt
12 fresh sage leaves
2 ounces very thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into 8 thin strips
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Sprinkle the chicken evenly with salt. Place 3 sage leaves on each cutlet.

Wrap 2 prosciutto slices around each cutlet, securing sage leaves in place.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add chicken to pan; cook for 2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.

Combine broth, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir with a whisk until smooth. Add cornstarch mixture and the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil to pan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook for 1 minute or until slightly thickened, stirring constantly.

Place chicken on bed of fettuccine and top with sauce.

Love, love, love this dish! It’s simple too!

abp

“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” – Jacques Yves Cousteau

August 30, 2012November 18, 2012Leave a comment

Good Morning!!

Hope everyone is having a fabulous day so far!!!

Does this look good???

Well, it was very good!

Club Sandwiches – so much better than a regular old ham/turkey sandwich.

And not that much harder to create.

3 pieces of bread, toasted
a little mayo
ham, turkey and cheese
lettuce and tomato
salt and pepper
and of course – bacon!

Also – you have to have the little frilly toothpicks!

But the trick that makes this club better than any other club I have had is that it is sprinkled with good shake of oil and red wine vinegar. Gives it a great kick and keeps it from being dry!

Serve with thin, crispy potato chips and a pickle wedge – takes me back to where I first had this sandwich. Crackers Restaurant (which unfortunately closed many years ago) – at the Villa’s by the Sea Resort on Jekyll Island (my favorite place on earth). I always felt so grown when my mom and I (probably around 10-11 at the time) would go there for lunch while my dad was on the golf course. I felt like a lady lunching (is that a word??). I loved it so much, my mom would recreate it for me when we came home and she did it again for me this past Sunday at my request. 🙂

As I have said before – it’s the little things in life that count.

abp

“Tiny bubbles in the wine, make me happy, make me feel fine” – Don Ho

August 1, 2012November 18, 20122 Comments

With my best friend and her daughter leaving today for Hawaii (awesome graduation present – kudos mom!!), it got me to thinking of my last trip to Hawaii. Like every trip – the dinner reservations were almost made before the hotel reservations (but not quite). I do believe food makes a trip.

When a location is determined I usually start with Urbanspoon. It’s a good way to get reviews, check menus, days/times they’re open – with all the contact info listed right there with it in case you want to visit their website or make reservations.

When visiting Hawaii and making dinner reservations, it’s always good to check sunset times. A lot of these restaurants are outside and a view of the sunset is fabulous. Sometimes you can even request a table with a specific view.

In the Honolulu/Waikiki area – Dukes is one of my absolute favorites of all time.

Dukes is exactly what one thinks of when one thinks of Hawaii. It’s on the beach, it has great food, great atmosphere, open air seating, great bar, live entertainment. You name it – it has Aloha written all over it.