Have you eaten at Buca di Beppo? Well, you should. It's family style dining, so gather up a large group of friends and family, and head to the location nearest you for your next special occasion. Or the next time you crave delicious Italian food. Sam and I tried it for the first time this weekend, and everything was delectable. We went to celebrate his mom's birthday with his parents and sister's family, so there were plenty of people to share a variety of dishes. Mmm...and somehow we lucked out and got to take the leftover chicken marsala for lunch the next day. Thank you Marla for inviting us and Laura for having a birthday!
For small group this week I made monkey bread. It rose to perfection. I've had trouble with that in the past because our apartment seems to retain warmth to me, but apparently bread dough finds the environment too drafty. The solution was found in a Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. Maybe you already know this trick, but for fellow bread bakers who have trouble creating a warm, moist environment I'll share the trick. Place a bowl of steaming water on the bottom rack of a cool oven, and then place the covered dough on the higher rack. The moisture and heat from the steam make the dough rise beautifully. Just ask anyone from our small group. I brought home an empty plate with nary a crumb left.
On another note, can you tell I'm hungry? I've been browsing The Pioneer Woman's site, and included on the menu for the rest of this week are her meatball sliders and spinach and mushroom quesadillas. Are you hungry yet? Happy eating (and exercising) this week!
Jordan, I like to read your prose.
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