Strawberry Blueberry Napoleons

This recipe for Strawberry Blueberry Napoleon is another great entertaining gem - easy to make, sophisticated presentation and can be made in advance and assembled in 3 minutes after dinner.

Don't let the phyllo pasty intimidate you - even if they are a broken mess when you put them in the oven, they will end up looking great. I also must confess, I never have bothered with the balsamic sauce.

I made it most recently when we had our also pregnant neighbors over for dinner. Greg made his famous steak frites for dinner and I was in charge of salad and dessert. It was a fun night and we enjoyed getting to know our neighbors better - we've only lived in our house about five years now, so I suppose it's about time!

Chicken Pot Pies

It was Guy Fawkes Night last week and in celebration of it and our one year anniversary back from the UK, I decided to make chicken pot pie. I was really pleased with this recipe from Epicurious. I served this to some friends with a side salad and it got good reviews.

While not exactly light, if you pour out the bacon grease instead of sauteing the onions in it, it's much more reasonable. I substituted the french beans for a frozen peas for a more traditional approach. They were easy and a delicious way to warm up a cold and rainy night.

Lemon Rasberry Ice Cream Bombes

I love a fun ice cream dessert for a dinner party. Almost everyone likes ice cream and they can be made well in advance, lightening the load the day of. I've made these lemon rasberry ice cream bombes a couple of times and they always get good reviews.

They aren't difficult, but take about 15 minutes over a day or two to get all the layers frozen. Don't be afraid to use your hands on these to smooth out the layers. Also, I use those glass Pyrex custard cups as the mold - they are inexpensive and are freezer safe but you could use ramekins or any other small, freezer safe bowls.

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables

My friend Amy introduced me to this recipe for Orzo and Roasted Vegetables from the Barefoot Contessa and it has become one of my most favorite pasta salad recipes. It made a great compliment to grilled chicken on a gloriously sunny day in May.

Neither Amy nor I like eggplant, so we leave it out. I also cut the oil and the cheese by half in an effort to make it a bit lighter - I think you could cut back even further without compromising the dish.

Cascina Spinasse

Cascina Spinasse, Capitol Hill

Date - April 23rd, 2009

Background - Greg's dad was in town for his birthday so we used his visit as an excuse to check out Spinasse which I'd heard good things about and was dying to try.

Atmosphere - Cute and cozy.  We sat at the bar which allowed us a great view of the partially exposed kitchen and all the goodies it was producing.  There are only about six tables including one communal table.  

Service - Good with a slightly snobby edge.

Drink- Great northern Italian wine selection.  I had a wonderful glass of a Italian sparkling white that wasn't prosecco.  I asked what it was called once but couldn't really understand the response.  I didn't see it listed on the menu.  I will just have to go back and find out!

Food - Amazing.  We ate family style and had prosciutto, salami, tajarin al ragu, nettle ravioli (all their pastas are homemade) and the rabbit.  All were delicious.  We finished with a few chocolates.

Verdict - 4.5 stars.  My new favorite Italian outside of Italy.

Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

If my metabolism would support it, I would eat Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe once a week. It's a Giada recipe and is the perfect mix of spicy, bitter and savory. It's fast enough to make during the week and delicious enough to serve to company.

My only tip for this is that the bunches I see of broccoli rabe at the store are huge, so I only use one. I trim the ends and include most of the leaves.

Try it, you will love it!