Desperation and free dessert

The first meal after a long day of traveling is usually satisfying no matter what it is.

That is probably why, I did not mind eating at The Old Spaghetti Factory my first night in Louisville, Ky. Now, the food wasn't bad or anything, but rarely will you find me eating at a chain restaurant. Plus, I was with a group of half-starved journalism students, so I definitely was not about to complain about it.

First, we tried cheese garlic bread and artichoke and spinach "dip". The garlic bread was good, but you can't really mess that up. The "dip", on the other hand, was a big disappointment.

I love artichoke and spinach dip, when it is done right and is gooey and cheesy. This, however, was like soup. Chunks of artichoke, spinach, and, oddly, shrimp drowning in a watery cheese sauce is not exactly appetizing.

The salad was also mediocre. I regretted not getting the Caesar once I saw that it had tomatoes on it and the house salad didn't. This place was getting stranger by the minute.

For my main course I had a sampler of four pasta sauces served with spaghetti called "Pot Pourri": marinara, clam, meat and their signature sauce Mizithra (a Greek take on macaroni and cheese).

All were edible, besides the clam sauce. I love clams and seafood pasta, but the clam sauce was just too fishy tasting. Something really has to be bad if I won't eat it. Like I said, the three other sauces were OK, but nothing special. I, sadly, would have rather eaten pasta at Olive Garden.

The best part of the meal, in typical fashion, was the dessert. And it was free. The complimentary treat was a scoop of Spumoni flavored ice cream, which is a combination of cherry, chocolate and pistachio flavors. I have always liked Spumoni, so I was happy.

All in all, the meal was pretty average, and what one would expect from a chain. I wouldn't recommend The Old Spaghetti Factory to anyone, but I also wouldn't completely dismiss it.

"Come Dine With Me"

So, I love this show! Not as good as the German version, of course :), but still, I LOVE IT!

German beer and Florida Gators football

What could be better than beer and football?

German beer and Florida Gators football.

In Gainesville, on University Avenue there is a little place called Stubbies and Steins, where the imported beer flows like water.

The restaurant, named after the nicknames for a mug of beer in Australia and Germany, offers hundreds of import beers from around the globe as well as German food.

On any given day, besides Sundays and Mondays when they are closed, there are 15-20 beers on tap as well as endless bottled options from countries like England, Ireland, Australia, Germany and Belgium.

In all honesty, the beer menu can be a little daunting at first. This is where the benefit of a helpful and knowledgeable staff plays in; the servers and bartenders really know what they are talking about when it comes to beer.

Guests can also drink alcoholic ciders and wines, as well as non-alcoholic drinks. But ironically, the restaurant does not have a liquor license, which means you'll have to get that Jack and Coke elsewhere. This can actually be a good thing, because at Stubbies you know you won't have to deal with wasted college students ordering rounds of Jagerbombs.

And although the beer is obviously the biggest incentive to visit, the food is delicious too. Nothing compares to hot, Belgian "Pommes Frites", or French fries. And bratwurst doesn't go to badly with beer either. :)

So next time you are looking to try some REALLY good beer, or German food, I definitely recommend Stubbies and Steins. You won't be disappointed.

Brussels and bacon

Tried a new dish tonight, that came out well, so I decided to share it. This recipe came from Real Simple Magazine.

Ravioli with Brussels Sprouts and Bacon

1 lb cheese ravioli (fresh or frozen)
6 slices bacon
3 Tbs olive oil
1/2 cup pecan halves, coarsely chopped (I used walnuts)
1/2 lb Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 Tbs white wine vinegar
Grated Parmesan, for serving

• Cook the ravioli according to the package directions
• Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and break into pieces when cool.
• Wipe out the skillet and heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. Add the pecans and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted, 2-4 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts, salt and pepper and cook, tossing occasionally, until just tender, 3-4 minutes more; stir in the vinegar. Add the bacon and toss to combine.
• Serve the Brussels sprouts mixture over the ravioli, drizzle with the remaining oil, and top with Parmesan, if desired.

I threw this together with a salad of mixed greens, tomatoes and marinated butter beans and cheesy garlic bread. This was super easy to prepare, and only took about 20 minutes. I would definitely recommend this dish for someone who has to come home and cook after work.

Chip off the old block

Chocolate chip cookies. They are often left out of conversations about American cuisine but have truly become just as American as apple pie and baseball. Americans like food that is simple and can be eaten on the go, and if a cookie doesn't fulfill this definition than I don't know what does.

In my family, we have a chocolate chip cookie recipe that everyone swears by. The cookies are super-moist and flavorful. Even though I like the recipe, I prefer my cookies slightly chewier. At the risk of being ex-communicated by my family, I have experimented with various recipes over the years.

The most recent recipe I tried was out of one of my favorite magazines: Saveur. Actually, the recipe is originally from the recently revamped New York Times Cookbook, and Saveur featured a small excerpt on the cookbook that was originally published in 1961.

Anyways, back to the cookies. Called "Flat and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies", these sweets were more like the cookies I crave. With shaved bittersweet chocolate instead of chocolate chips and the addition of ground walnuts, I feel like these are the old-school version of the classic recipe.

I used half bittersweet and half semi-sweet chocolate, because that's all I had on hand, and reduced the sugar. They turned out deliciously. I recommend that if you, too, are searching for the best chocolate chip cookie recipes that you give this one a try.

The Essential New York Times Cookbook's "Flat and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies"

2 cups flour
1 scant Tbsp. kosher salt
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1 1/4 cups sugar
16 Tbsp. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
12 oz. finely shaved bittersweet chocolate
8 oz. finely ground walnuts

• Whisk flour, salt and baking soda in a bowl; set aside. In a separate bowl beat sugars and butter with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time; beat in vanilla. Add reserved flour mixture, chocolate and nuts; mixed until just combined; chill.
• Heat oven 325 degrees. Divide dough into 1-Tbsp. portions; roll into balls, and transfer to parchment paper-lined baking sheets spaced 3" apart, and flatten. Bake until set, about 15 minutes.

Hint- Listen to the part about 3" spaces between the cookies. These things get big.