Powerful Pasta

From Bobby Flay's television show Grill It! this is Italian Spiced Chicken with Dorothy's special pasta, gravy and shaved Parmesan. There is simply nothing better than Dorothy's pasta and gravy. I grew up calling it sauce, but don't call this tomato sauce - its gravy! The actual ingredients are a closely guarded family secret handed down through Dorothy's grandmother from Naples, Italy. The first time she made it for me - I was in love - and the pasta wasn't bad either. Once my sister, Suzanne, came over and asked Dorothy to show her how to make her Baked Ziti with the secret gravy. They spent most of an afternoon with Suzanne taking careful notes. With this new knowledge, Suzanne prepared the meal for a new boyfriend that she was trying to impress. It worked. Alan and Suzanne have been married twenty years now. I am telling you that this is some powerful pasta and this time it was a perfect match to the spices on the chicken of rosemary, oregano, basil, salt and ground black pepper. 


YouTube. Watch the first video introduction to Bobby Flay Everyday now on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqziQ7h42zo

Dessert? When I was outside chipping ice of the grill, Dorothy baked triple chocolate cookie bars.

 Weather Report.

It was snow all afternoon and sleet all night. We lost electric power for about two hours, but that did not stop the grill fires from burning! The best thing to do is stay in and grill it!

What to drink? Just as the snow storm began to hit, we made a dash over to Tim's Premium Wine and Spirits for a wine pairing. Tim gave this some thought. Ordinarily with Italian gravy you would want a really strong wine - Zinfandel or Syrah. But we were also having chicken, so he came up with a great compromise. The Francis Ford Coppola Pinot Noir. You must be careful with Pinot Noir. I said in a previous blog that I would not trust a $12 Pinot because the cheaper ones are thin and look like rusty water. In this situation, you do get what you pay for. The Coppola was about $20 and it came through. We visited the Coppola winery several years ago in Napa Valley. Yes, this is the same Francis Ford Coppola who is the movie director, most notably the Godfather. The winery was once the Inglenook Chateau but now is know as Rubicon Estate http://www.rubiconestate.com/flash.php. Downstairs is the tasting rooms, but we also wandered up the main staircase to the second floor and made a discovery. All the Academy Awards that Coppola won for the Godfather (one, two and three) are on display at the winery and so is the set of Vito Corleone's office. You have seen that office. The very first scene of the first move is in that office. I sat behind The Godfather's desk and said "why do you disrespect me in this way? I must make you an offer that you can't refuse." Then we tasted the wine. Both the wine and my performance were Oscar worthy.


What was on? Snow Patrol, what else? We saw Snow Patrol in concert last summer as the lead act with Coldplay. Usually you don't pay much attention to the warm-up band, but they were really good and should have someone else warming them up soon. They are a rock band, but the music is not overpowering to the point that you miss the message. There is a record snow fall outside my door. We need a Snow Patrol today so check them out at http://www.snowpatrol.com/
After dinner, and with the last of the Coppola, we watched - The Godfather - again. Dorothy interprets the customs in the movie for me. But there is one thing about the movie that is a little unsettling. Its a story of a family of Italian brothers and a sister. In the end its the brother-in-law that gets whacked. I'm the brother-in-law with Dorothy's Italian brothers - is it a coincidence that the Godfather is one of her favorite movies? 

Thank goodness for a hot grill on an icy day. 
"Leave the gun. Take the Canoli" 
Paulie