IWAD #3 - Beware of Limoncello!

Last night was another Monday, which meant another night of Italian cooking (and wine drinking). I went shopping for all of the ingredients in the morning so I would be well prepared and overcome any obstacles that I may encounter (as in my pizzelle fiasco). Our appetizer for the night was "Fried Calamari with Tartar Sauce". I have to admit that I was very nervous about making this. Even though I love eating Fried Calamari out at restaurants, making it was a whole different story. I kept wondering if the grocery store I go to would even have squid. I was dreading cutting it up into those little rings and chopping off the head. Actually, I'm not even sure what real squid look like, other than watching the Giant Squid show on the Discovery Channel. Anyways, I was pleasantly surprised to see that my grocery store (HEB) had frozen bags of pre-cut calamari rings. I also had never deep fried anything before EVER! This meant picking up a deep frying thermometer as well which I was very excited the store had.

One thing that surprises me about this cookbook I am using is the difficult easiness it has about it (if that even makes sense). Let me explain. Some of the recipes sound so complex, yet turn out to be fairly easy. Here, I am referring to the Tartar Sauce. Now, I am well aware that you can buy a jar of tartar sauce pre-made, but this recipe asks you to buy mayonnaise to make your own tartar sauce. Am I the only one that thinks that is silly? Shouldn't it be asking me to make the mayonnaise to then turn into the Tartar Sauce? Well, I made the Tartar Sauce earlier in the day and forgot about it in the refrigerator until 1/2 the Calamari was gone, but it was good. I guess after all of this rambling on I should tell you that the "Fried Calamari with Tartar Sauce" turned out delicious and I would recommend everyone afraid of trying it to try it! The only thing I added to the recipe (because of preference and disliking tartar sauce in general) was a small 8 oz can of tomato sauce w/basil, garlic, and oregano (heated) for dipping along side the tartar sauce. YUMMO!

For the main course we had "Skillet Pasta Roma". This is a very good dish of noodles, italian sausage, and tomatoes. A pretty uneventful dish I must say. Essentially, all you do is put everything in a deep skillet and 30 minutes later it's ready. I felt like I was making a upscale hamburger helper! The only thing I did differently was use Fusilli pasta rather than Rotini because that's what the picture in the book shows. And yes, to those of you who know me and are wondering, I DID put onions in this. I dislike onions very much, but surprisingly when they are cooked down in this dish you don't even notice them. I also added the optional mushrooms (cremini's) and grated Parmesan on top.

And then we got to dessert. You know, maybe dessert just isn't my forte! This "Limoncello Strawberry Dessert" was nearly inedible. It is probably my fault, but I thought I was getting the right ingredients. Let me tell you all that Angel Food Cake is NOT Pound Cake! This recipe calls for Pound Cake (another one of those things that I felt guilty not making myself, as the Mayo incident above) and for some reason Angel Food Cake is what I thought of, so that's what I bought. Hey, the picture looks like a Strawberry Shortcake. I'm really not sure it would have made a difference, but that Limoncello, Italian Lemon Liquor, was way too overwhelming for the rest of the ingredients. It has a very stout liquor flavor! It then made sense that it is 30% alcohol. I do plan to try it with Pound Cake soon and will update you on the results.

"Fried Calamari with Tartar Sauce"

• 1 pound cleaned squid (body tubes, tentacles or a combination), rinsed and patted dry
• 3/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon milk
• Vegetable oil
• Lemon wedges (optional)
• Recipe for Tartar Sauce following

1. Prepare Tartar Sauce; set aside. I made this early in the day and refrigerated it until use. Line baking sheet with waxed paper. Cut squid into 1/4 inch rings.
2. Spread bread crumbs on plate. Beat egg and milk in small bowl. Add squid; stir to coat well. Transfer squid to bread crumbs; toss to coat. Place on prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate 15 minutes.
3. Heat 1 1/2 inches oil in large heavy saucepan to 350 degrees; adjust heat to maintain temperature of oil. Fry squid in batches, 8-10 pieces at a time, 45 seconds or until golden brown. (Squid will pop and spatter during frying; do not stand too close to saucepan.) Do not overcook squid or it will become tough. Remove with slotted spoon; drain on paper towels.
4. Serve immediately with Tartar Sauce and lemon wedges, if desired.

"Tartar Sauce"

• 1 1/3 cups mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon drained capers, minced
• 1 small sweet gherkin or pickle, minced

1. Combine all ingredients in small bowl; mix well. Cover; refrigerate until ready to serve.

"Skillet Pasta Roma"

• 1/2 pound Italian sausage, sliced or crumbled
• 1 large onion, coarsley chopped
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic & Oregano
• 1 can (8 ounces) Tomato Sauce
• 1 cup water
• 8 ounces uncooked rotini or other spiral pasta (Fusilli)
• 8 mushroooms, sliced (optional)
• Grated Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley sprigs (optional)

1. Brown sausage in large skillet. Add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is soft; drain. Stir in undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, water and pasta.
2. Cover and bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 25-30 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in mushrooms, if desired; simmer 5 minutes. Serve in skillet garnished with cheese and parsley, if desired.

"Limoncello Strawberry Dessert"

• 1 pound strawberries
• 1 cup limoncello (Italian lemon liqueur), divided
• 1 (10 ounce) pound cake, cut into 8 slices
• Sweetened whipped cream
• Shaved chocolate
• Fresh mint leaves (optional)

1. Stem and slice strawberries. Set aside 2 cups sliced strawberries. Coarsley chop remaining strawberries; transfer to medium bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons limoncello; let stand about 10 minutes.
2. Place 2 slices cake on each of 4 dessert plates. Drizzle 1 tablespoon limoncello over each slice.
3. Combine sliced and marinated strawberries. Evenly divide strawberry mixture over cake. Top with dollop of whipped cream. Sprinkle with chocolate. Garnish with mint leaves. Serve with remaining limoncello.