Eatables

I just love pasta salads. They are a great way to cheaply feed a lot of people and can have some great flavours! I made this yummy side dish for our BBQ last Sunday. This dish is easy to make and turned out to be a big hit at the party (no leftovers). It can either be served chilled or heated, delicious either way.

Prep: 20 minutes
Chill: 60 minutes
Makes: about 10 cups

Ingredients

• 4 cups mezzo rigatoni or penne pasta, cooked
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped (about 2 cups)
• 12 slices (about 1 1/2 cups) pepperoni or salami, chopped
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup Italian dressing

Steps

1. Toss all ingredients.
2. Pour into serving bowl, cover, and chill for at least an hour to allow flavours to blend.

Credit! This recipe is a variation of one found at Kraft Foods.

To celebrate the recently nice weather in Denver, we had a BBQ yesterday with some of our friends. It was a nice seventy degrees out, perfect for grilling and socializing. We grilled meat, had a pasta salad, and this delicious bacon ranch dip. This dip is great for parties since flavourful and easy to make. I served it with potato chips and assorted veggies.

Prep: 5 minutes
Chill: 15-60 minutes
Makes: about 2.5 cups

Ingredients

• 16 oz. sour cream
• 1 package dry ranch dressing (3 tbsp.)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup bacon bits

Steps

1. Mix all ingredients.
2. Pour into serving bowl and cover.
3. Chill for at least fifteen minutes (an hour is best).

Credit! I got this recipe from the Hidden Valley Ranch website.

During my stay in Boston, my husband and I tried a few different local restaurants. The next few posts will be my review of each restaurant.

My first review is of Joe’s American Bar and Grill in Franklin, Massachusetts. Joe’s provides a well-lit and relatively quite atmosphere, friendly to families but no so much on the romantic side. They have a bar offering several different types of drinks and a menu offering a variety of American staples like steaks, burgers, and fresh seafood.

Cuisine: American
Price: $20 or less per entree
Atmosphere: Family friendly
Pros: Courteous service, prompt seating
Cons: Food was so-so, uncomfortable seating
Rating: 6 out of 10

As an appetizer, we ordered New England clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl. It was quite delicious with a rich, creamy stock. The chucks of clam were fresh and meaty. The bread bowl was a wonderful compliment to soak up the chowder.

For the entree, I had filet mignon with a baked potato and caesar salad. The filet mignon was cooked to my specifications, but it lacked an overall flavour. It was rather bland, lacking any sort of spices or flavour whatsoever. I honestly felt I could make a better steak at home and would not recommend it. My husband had the the crab cakes, which also lacked a variety of flavours. The sides were could have been better. Overall, Joe’s wasn’t bad, but I wouldn’t be expecting a huge culinary treat.