My Favorite Places- #1 Graziano Brothers Italian Grocery Store

There are those places that we count on.  We trust that they will be there the next time and the time after that.  One of such places is Graziano Brothers Italian Grocery Store.  Grazianos celebrated their 100 year anniversary last year.   It is an institution on the South side of Des Moines.

I grew up in Marshalltown, Iowa, a smaller town about 50 minutes north.  It was always a happy day when one of the relatives would make the trip to the big city and come back with the trunk full of treats.  Mom always sent for the big bags of Rigatoni, or “stovepipes” as she called them.  The kids grabbed for the colorful candied almonds, and we gobbled up the pink and while coated bits of licorice candy. There were the coveted breads and cheeses of course, but the all time favorite was the pepperoni sticks.  Rumor has it that some of my relatives held these in such high regard that they even put these pepperoni sticks in their children’s Christmas stockings.   

Now that I live in Des Moines, I am a regular.  I stop in whenever I need a fix.   I walk in and inhale the aroma of the spice filled air. This is my therapy.  The scents remind me of my grandmother’s kitchen and put me in the mood for some kitchen time of my own.  I peruse the aisles weekly and have tried most of the products at least once, many are staples in my pantry.

Whether it is truffle oil, almond paste, fresh ricotta, or a peppery imported mortadella that you seek, you can find it here.  The quality of the cheeses and meats are unmatched and once you have become used to them you will have a hard time settling for anything less.

They carry both the core ingredients for scratch cooks and some help for those days when you just don’t have the time.  The freezer section is full of premade ravioli, pizza crusts, and readymade meat balls in a variety of sizes, that can help any cook throw a delicious dinner together in no time at all.

The key ingredient, and the bread and butter of the operation, is the sausage.  Restaurants across the metro use Grazianos sausage with reckless abandon.  It is hard to make a dish taste bad if you use this sausage.  I kid you not.

The people are as pleasing as the products.  The staff is always welcoming, polite, and  they make you feel as if you are among friends.  The banter behind the meat counter is part of the appeal.  So if you have not been there lately, stop in at Grazianos and tell them Jody sent you!

A crowd pleasing antipasti made with products found at Grazianos Brothers Italian Grocery.

Whole Grain Fusion

Cooking with whole grains is a new horizon for many.  For generations, we have grown up with Minute Rice and other products that are bleached and processed to the point of no return. On a recent shopping trip, I picked up a bag of a multi-grain rice blend called Healthy Expectations.  I have to admit that it made me feel good just putting this in the cart?  It looked great there along with the organic eggs. It turns out both are brown, not white. Who knew??

So, I get this big old bag of rice mixture home and I think to myself, "what am I supposed to do with this stuff?"  when a  sudden burst of creativity and unbridled imagination took over and ......I flipped the bag over and, to my amazement I found there a recipe, Quiche Lorraine with Whole Grain Fusion Crust. This sounded pretty inviting, so I decided to give it a go. After all, it does little good to buy healthy food options unless you also prepare them. This goes along the same line of reasoning that merely wearing a warm up suit does not by itself promote a toned tush and merely ordering exercise DVDs from infomercials does not create six pack abs. But I digress!

I was surprised to find that the rice does take about forty minutes to cook.  Once the rice is cooked and drained, simply mix with an egg and a 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese to create the crust mixture.  Push this into a pie pan and bake for about 10 minutes. It then needs to cool off  for a bit.  While the crust is cooling  the filling mixture comes next.

I am not one to follow recipes completely so I created my own filling with a combination of  four eggs, caramelized onions and red peppers, reduced fat cheese and almond milk.

There are many combinations for quiche that include bacon, ham and sausage. For the calorie conscious spinach and broccoli are great choices.

I served this with a mixed green salad,  topped with craisins and slivered almonds.

I was very pleased with the texture of the quiche.  The substitution of the almond milk in place of the half and half did not take away from the flavor. In fact this was very light and fluffy. My husband like it too!  So there you have it.  Healthy Expectations, Mixed Grain Fusion, is a product that  I would recommend.

Who knows, perhaps this will inspire me to break out the warm up suit and dust off the DVDs!


  

The Monday Morning Smoothie

The alarm is beeping in the next room.  I am past the age when I really need one anymore.  The internal alarm goes off by six no matter what day of the week it is. Even so, I set it last night in anticipation of a meeting that I have this morning.  After a rainy, lazy weekend of cooking, writing, and leisure time, I must face the office once more.

Monday is the day that we must put our best foot forward and push ourselves on out the door. It can set the tone for our entire work week, so getting off to a good start is important. I like to start the day with a smoothie composed of Greek yogurt, almond milk, and fruit.  I change it up from day to day. Today, I am using frozen peaches.  As I place them in the blender, I am reminded that Spring is finally here and summer days are on the horizon.  I daydream of fresh peaches and I see my future self wandering the streets at the farmer's market.  I can taste them, fresh and juicy, shipped in from Georgia.  I resolve to buy some and replenish my freezer supply.     

A few years ago I made the investment in a Vita-mix. I have never regretted it.  Each morning I churn out the smoothest of the smoothies in minutes.  The ice, fruit and low fat dairy mixture is a Monday morning staple. After all, everyday can't be creme brulee!

Tip of the day:  Try almond milk.  It is a fantastic source of calcium, 50 % more than dairy milk and has no saturated fat.  Not only is it great for smoothies, but it also works well for sauces and soups.   

My Smoothie Recipe:

• 1/2 to 1 cup of fruit of your choice
• 1 cup of almond milk
• 1/2 cup of plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup of ice

Optional: Add fruit juice or coconut water for a thinner mixture.

---

Instructions:

1. Place all ingredients in a blender or VitaMix.

2. Blend it up!

3. Make a toast to Monday, the arrival of Spring and to Summer days ahead!.

The Casual Foodie

Picture a fully laden table stretched across the lawn. The gentle buzz of conversation is accented with laughter and soft music dances overhead. The dishes have been placed, the napkins rolled and ringed, the silver inspected, and the wine is breathing nearby.  Whether we reside in Tuscany, Taiwan, or Toledo, we all long for this experience, the gathering of friends under the moonlight.

On another occasion this same table may be loaded with frosty ale on ice and lie adjacent to a sizzling barbecue, with smoke drifting into the sunshine. Happiness for some, may come from a wood fire oven, where tried and true family recipes are turned out with style.  There are those who yearn for campfire cuisine in cast iron. Whatever the combination, the two common ingredients are food and fellowship. Food brings people together like nothing else can.  It is the common thread that binds us. We love to make and share our favorite dishes, whoever we are.   Every family has a favorite recipe or two. Each country, region and village have their specialty.

Few of us aspire to the status of gourmand, but there resides a foodie in all of us!  When we share our recipes we share ourselves.  We love to pass along the tips and tidbits that we find along the way. Come share with us.  After all, that's what friends are for.


"If you really want to make a friend, go to someone’s house and eat with him… the people who give you their food give you their heart.”    ~ Cesar Chavez