When we walked into the arena that usually holds a skating rink, I first thought of the episodes of Top Chef, where each chef has a table, with a hot plate, and is serving their creation to the judges and guests of whatever event for which they were challenged to cook. There were SO many tables, each with a sign stating what restaurant they represented. There were appetizers and cheese platters, raw bars and pastas, entrees and desserts! It was a virtual SMORGASBORD! I was in heaven!
We started a bit haphazardly, looking for things that looked amazing, but then we realized, everything looked amazing, and we better have a method to our madness! After roaming a bit, grabbing a drink at the center bar, and picking up a few cherrystones on the half shell to start the evening, we started working our way from one end of the loop to the other! Let me tell you, we did not make it all the way around!
I took pictures of a few of the highlights, although it was quite dark in the arena so the pictures are not fantastic. As the band played, my husband and I commented on each of the items we picked up, making mental notes (and in my case, I actually wrote this stuff down in my iPhone!) of the restaurants that we would definitely be frequenting in the near future! Number One on this list is Mamma Maria. They made a phenomenal rabbit dish, cooked long and slow to a tender, melt-in-your-mouth consistency, served atop polenta so flavorful and smooth, you might have mistaken it for mashed potatoes on a quick glance. On the side was a fresh fava bean salad with an almost Caesar-esque dressing, garlicky and refreshing. It paired so perfectly with the rabbit, and was truly my favorite of all the dishes presented to me that evening.
A few other highlights for me include the Massimano's Artichoke Margarita, a deliciously battered and fried artichoke heart, served with antipasto salad, Artu's Veal and Beef Slider with gooey mozzarella and a pesto sauce, and Aragosta's Rigatoni Bolognese, served in an adorable little black plastic dish that definitely stood out in the presentation category! I've realized now that the pictures I took came out terribly, so they definitely don't do the food justice, but still, I needed to include them!
While the tickets to this event were pricy, they were so worth every penny! In fact, I even went home with a few loaves of freshly baked bread that they were getting rid of at the end of the evening, as well as some delicious cookies! I was stuffed, and so satisfied with every bite that I had there, and walked away with a list of restaurants that I must visit in the near future. This was so much fun, and I will definitely be making a repeat appearance at next year's event!
, Jamie Oliver creates a delicious minestrone for the spring season. Using vegetables readily available during this time of year can make a meal seem even more comforting. It just seems...right. I made some basil pesto (for the end of the process), and gathered some chicken stock, diced fennel, sliced asparagus, cauliflower florets, diced zucchini, blanched and diced plum tomatoes, olive oil, sliced garlic cloves, chopped scallions, sliced green beans, shelled fava beans, broken spaghetti noodles, salt, pepper, basil and chives. I left out peas and yellow beans - and i'll tell you why - I couldn't find yellow beans and I was already shelling fava beans, so I chose to just stick with those. Check out the mise en place on this one!
