Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe

Ok so for a change of pace, here is my spaghetti and meatballs recipe.  It's super easy and I promise, one of the best you'll ever have.  Write back and let me know if you tried it!

Ingredients for Meatballs:
1 1/4 lbs ground beef
3 cloves garlic, chopped or minced
1/2 cup unseasoned italian bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
small bunch of finely chopped parsley
1 egg
kosher salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and roll into desired size meatballs.  Over a large skillet, heat up enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan over medium high heat.  Once olive oil is shimmering, place meatballs in pan and sear until golden brown (approx. 3 minutes), turn and sear the other side.  Once done searing, pull off pan and reserve to finish cooking in the sauce.

Ingredients for Sauce:
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 small can of tomato paste
4-6 cloves minced garlic
1 small onion, minced
3/4 cup beef stock
small bunch parsley
6 basil leaves, chiffonade
kosher salt and pepper to taste

In a medium sauce pot, heat approx. 1-2 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat.  Once olive oil is heated, place onions in and sweat for approx 5 minutes or until translucent.  Once translucent, place garlic in and saute for 30 seconds to 1 minutes (just until you can smell the garlic strongly, don't brown the garlic).  The add the tomato paste and saute for approx 2 minutes (it will start turning slightly brownish).  Add the crushed tomatoes and beef stock and bring to a simmer still over medium heat.  Once bubbly, add parsley, basil, salt and pepper and simmer for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.  Add prepared meatballs and cover.  Once bubbling consistently, lower heat to medium low for 10 minutes.  Pick your favorite pasta (I highly recommend DeCecco.  It's a little pricey but worth the money) and cook to package directions in salted water.  Once done cooking pasta, return to the pot it was cooked in, remove meatballs from sauce and add the sauce one ladle at a time until nicely coated and stir to cook the sauce into the pasta slightly, about 1-2 minutes.  ENJOY!

Restaurant Week in The Promenade

                So as most of you may know, restaurant week is starting this Sunday and ending Thursday or next week.  I’ve often been less than impressed with restaurant week around this area.  If you go to NYC’s restaurant week, all the restaurants there break out amazing, diverse menus and the chefs do their best to impress diners from all over creation.  Here in the valley, it’s just a ploy to get people into a one size fits all menu that most of the time doesn’t even live up to the expectations of the restaurant to begin with.  And, in my case, I’ve been less than impressed with food as a whole at the Promenade as is.  The grand idea of what these restaurants are supposed to be doesn’t live up to what they really are – with a few exceptions.

                Kome has long been one of my favorite Japanese restaurants in the valley.  In fact, my wife and I decided to go out to dinner there for my birthday last year.  I like that it’s has a very chic décor, yet is unpretentious and very welcoming at the same time.  All aspects of this menu are diverse and interesting.  From a wonderful selection of sushi and sashimi so fresh you thought it was caught this morning (and might have been) to a steak so tender you would think you were eating at Bobby Flay Steak in Atlantic City, there is something for everyone here.  And I also feel that this comes out in the Restaurant Week Menu.  They put together a great hibachi lunch and dinner menu, that includes a sushi roll appetizer and then a create your own combo at the hibachi.  Or, if you aren’t into the hibachi thing, there is a traditional dinning menu with any kind of fare you want to eat.  If you haven’t been to this restaurant, I feel this menu will give you a good sense of what this place is about and you will not walk out disappointed!

                My other love in this selection of restaurants at The Promenade is White Orchid.  This restaurant reminds me so much of one of my favorite Thai restaurants in NYC – Thai Angel.  I’ve never had nearly as good Pad Kee Mao anywhere outside of Thai Angel, until I ate at White Orchid.  If you have never eaten Thai food, this is a great time to try it, at a low cost low risk environment.  While I was unimpressed by the atmosphere at the restaurant, it wasn’t uninviting.  I just couldn’t wrap my head around what it was supposed to be.  But that aside, the food is tremendous and the menu for Restaurant Week gives you a little taste of everything they do well. 

                As for the other restaurants in The Promenade, they just aren’t my cup of tea.  If I am paying $40 for steak at Shula’s, I want a dry aged well portioned and well cut steak.  Shula’s doesn’t deliver on any of these.  Wet aged, poorly cut and under seasoned steaks just aren’t worth the price.  I walked out of that place after a rather expensive bill and said, “It was ok.”  THESE AREN’T THINGS ANYONE SHOULD SAY AFTER A LARGE DINNER BILL!  But, for $39 per person, it’s hard to not be attracted to this place during this week and I don’t blame you for wanting to try it out.  But trust me, Outback’s steaks are just about the same, and probably better seasoned.  I had a similar reaction to Melt, only the food wasn’t even as good as Shula’s.  Terrible service, poor food quality and a huge loud room; these qualities don’t appeal to me at all.  Pacifico is a hit or miss place.  I had a reasonable meal there.  A very nice tuna tar-tar and a nicely prepared red snapper made for a pleasant dining experience.  My wife however, hated her experience there with her friends and won’t go back.  I’ve heard similar hit or miss stories from other people as well, so just be prepared for anything at this restaurant.

                I do hope you all attend Restaurant Week, but if you do, try something new.  There are dozens of steakhouses in the area and better Italian as well, but there are very few good sushi places as good as Kome and even less Thai places in the valley that can even compete with White Orchid.  You will not be sorry if you go.  Broaden your horizons and enjoy! 

What restaurant review do you want to see?

Where would you like to see a review from this week?  A few choices:
Applewood Grille
Italiano Delite
Youell's Oyster House
Hunan Springs Asian Bistro
Any other suggestions?

Post V-Day Recap

What did you do for Valentine’s Day?  For my wife and I, we change up our V-day plans as often as possible to keep the holiday fresh.  To be perfectly honest, I tend to view this holiday as a Hallmark holiday, but any opportunity to cook or go out for dinner is good for me!  But is it better to eat in, cooking an elaborate and delicious meal…or better to go out for a romantic dinner? 

For most of the world it has always been a day to go out to dinner.  And understandably so I might add.  For those of you that don’t get to go out often and spend all your time in the kitchen, I completely understand.  I get that way myself sometimes.  But PLEASE, consider your choices carefully before choosing a destination.  If you go to a place like Carrabbas, Bonefish or one of the better chain restaurants, be prepared to wait FOREVER.  Most of these locations will not accept call-ahead seating on holidays, thus making your wait an experience all in its own.  You can of course make a reservation at a wonderful place like Grille 3501 (one of my favorites), but the room at Grille 3501 is very loud and somewhat cramped.  Is this how you want to spend your holiday?  Cuddled up with your neighbor and their tuna tar-tar…not a lot of fun.  I highly recommend picking one of your favorite restaurants, making a reservation and having a great night.  You have 364 other days of the year to experiment and try new things, don’t do it on a holiday.  Now I realize this may be late advice for some, but the reason for this timing it because now the day is over, and you have a chance to reflect upon your meal and keep this in the back of your mind for next year (or maybe even a birthday or special occasion coming up.

Now the flip side – cooking at home.  If you are comfortable in the kitchen, I highly recommend this.  My wife and I this year decided to try something a little new for our meal this year.  We made sushi at home!  To be honest, it was both fun and frustrating.  AND MUCH HARDER THAN IT LOOKS!  But, fortunately our indispensable fish guy at our local Wegman’s was a world of information.  He advised me to buy my fish directly from the sushi stand (wasn’t aware that I could do that) as they use frozen fish.  This helps kill some bacteria in the fish, making it safer to eat raw.  Our menu – salmon, tuna and yellowtail sushi with a spicy salmon and spicy tuna roll.  This and a nice glass of wine made for a wonderful and delicious evening.  Now if raw fish isn’t your idea of a good meal, then go with your gut.  I have often bought a few big dry aged steaks, caramelized some onions, whipped some buttermilk potatoes and grilled some asparagus.  Go with what you AND your companion like, otherwise the night is going to be a mess, guaranteed. 

Now I’d like to hear from all of you.  What did you do this year?  Did you like your experience?  What would you change?  What are your ideas for next year?  I do hope you all had a great Valentine’s Day and many more to come.  Until then…

New feature

I added a voting feature to the bottom of the page.  I will update about once a week.  Please take the time to vote! 

Welcome!

   Welcome to the new Lehigh Valley Food Blog!  Thanks for visiting.  My goal in this blog is to discuss all things good and bad in the Lehigh Valley food scene.  Food is such a major part of our lives, from Holiday's to your regular family dinner to going out to eat; but to most it's an afterthought.  I hope to inspire good discussion, get people to try new places and foods, and most of all bring out a love of food in those that may not have one or more in those that do. 
   I plan to focus on 3 main parts of our food lives here in the Valley.  1 - Restaurants: the good, the bad, the ugly.  What makes them great (or not); what great promotions they are having; what makes them great for what occasion.  2 - Cooking at home: giving out some of my favorite recipes (even if they aren't my own); discussing with people some of their favorites; discussing holiday cooking or big meal preparation; helping people enjoy cooking at home and both fiscal and health benefits of cooking at home.  3 - Grocery Stores and food suppliers: Who is the best and why?; what great specials are out there; what nightmares are out there? 
   I hope that I have peaked your interest and you will continue to read this blog as it evolves and grows.  I plan to post daily (or more as called for).  Until then....