7 Course Tasting at Iacofano’s Italian Bistro & Bar

Last weekend, I was invited by Chef John Iacofano to come to his restaurant, Iacofano's, for a 7 course tasting dinner. I happily obliged, and brought my friend Rachel along with me. One of our coworkers is a long-time fan of Iacofano’s and he and his wife dine there at least 5 times per month. We’ve heard him tell us about his wonderful experiences there many times, so we were eager to see just how good their Italian food was.

The first thing you will notice about the restaurant is its décor. Although it’s in a strip mall, once inside the restaurant, you’re warmed by red painted walls filled with family photos. The staff is quiet, but friendly, and you will be greeted immediately. It’s always nice to walk in a restaurant and feel that the owners and staff appreciate your business.

Once seated, we were offered a glass of champagne. Way to start off the night! As we sipped our bubbly, our server brought Course 1: LOCAL STRAWBERRY SALAD: with baby lettuces, hazelnuts, goat cheese &
hibiscus vinaigrette:

The strawberries were from Boone Hall Farms – yay, local! The flavors complemented each other well. Our only gripe was that the vinaigrette was much too vinegary. I loved having hazelnuts instead of walnuts or almonds, which you typically see with strawberries & goat cheese.

Soon after, we were presented with Course 2: HOUSE PULLED MOZZARELLA
over roasted plum tomatoes, pesto, fresh cracked pepper & grilled Focaccia:

While eating this course, I probably said “Omg, this pesto” like five times. It was SO good. The tomatoes, also from a local farm, tasted like they had been plucked from the vine that afternoon. But seriously, that pesto…can I have it bottled?

Course 3: GRILLED CALAMARI - Chilled & marinated with pickled cherry peppers, Sicilian Oregano, Extra Virgin Olive Oil & lemon with chickpeas & sweet chili threads:

Before this dish, neither Rachel nor I had ever had grilled calamari. This dish was complex with a bit of heat from the peppers and chili threads. I loved the addition of lemon and chickpeas.

Course 4: SWEET CORN BISQUE with tarragon and fennel:

Oh, I liked this a lot. I usually stray away from fennel, but it wasn’t overpowering at all. You could tell the corn was fresh, as it had that nice crunch to it.

Course 5: PAN SEARED DIVER SCALLOPS -over green pea risotto, sweet corn broth & topped with fennel pollen:Though I immediately dove into the pea risotto, the scallop ended up stealing my heart. This was, by far, one of the best tasting scallops I’ve had. It was cooked perfectly! I would never refuse another one of these scallops, no matter how full I was. Ahhh.

Course 6: RAVIOLI CARBONARA - parmesan cream filled ravioli with peas, bacon, and roasted mushrooms:

I thought this would be a heavier dish due to the parmesan, cream, and bacon, but the ravioli so light and tender.

And then came my dessert! Course 7 : CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT TORTE and APPLE CAKE with cream cheese frosting, salted caramel sauce and strawberries.

Rachel and I just stopped talking and started mmmming at this point. As a chocolate cake lover, she enjoyed the chocolate torte. The apple cake was right up my alley, especially along side the salted caramel sauce. After the cake was gone, I used my fork to scrape up the rest of the caramel. I mean, wouldn’t you?

We really enjoyed our evening. Not only was the food divine, but we were constantly entertained by Chef John and our server. They were happy to tell us about the different ingredients, proudly noting that they were sourced from local farms. What I noticed  about all of the dishes was the freshness and effort put into each of them. The staff seems to be genuinely proud of the restaurant and its food, and I appreciate that.

Next time you find yourself craving Italian food while in Mount Pleasant, check out Iacofano’s. They also have affordable happy hour specials with excellent wine choices. Many of my friend Trish’s wines from Vidalco are on the wine list! TRY THE EL HUIQUE CABERNET SAUVIGNON. Do not leave the restaurant without having a glass. It’s incredible.

For more information on Iacofano’s, check out their

• website
• facebook
• twitter

Tell John I sent you and ENJOY your dinner!

Gnocchi Making Class at Bacco–A Go Charleston Deal!

Before we get started, I want to introduce you to Go Charleston Deals. Locally owned by Holly Roberson,  they offer a fabulous daily deal from one of Charleston’s businesses. I’m a huge fan of Go Charleston deals because each purchase not only gives the consumer a discount, but also stimulates the growth of Charleston’s economy. They support 3 of Charleston’s charities: Darkness to Light, Chase After a Cure, and South Carolina Special Olympics. When you purchase a deal, you have the option for Go Charleston deals to donate 5% of the sale to the charity of your choice. Everyone wins!

My most recent Go Charleston deal was for an Italian cooking class at Bacco in Mt. Pleasant. For just $32, we had over 2 hours of food, wine, and fun! Check it out!

Upon our arrival, we were served a few delicious appetizers prepared by Bacco’s Chef and Owner Michael Scognamiglio. Roasted parsnips, eggplant bruschetta, caprese salad and oh, a slab of parmesan:

While we nibbled, Michael demonstrated how to make the pasta. As a big group of ladies who like to chat, we had plenty of questions and Michael was happy to answer them.

Then it was our turn! We were paired up and given all the ingredients needed to make fresh gnocchi: 1 lb. of ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese, 1 egg, 1 cup of flour, and salt. We were also given gloves for sanitary purposes. This made drinking wine just a bit awkward.

First we mixed the egg and the cheeses.

Next we added the flour and salt to the cheese mixture to form a dough. We were told to make sure not to over knead!

Once a smooth ball of dough was formed, we cut it in six sections and rolled them into snake-like pieces, about 1 inch thick. Using our fingertips, we poked the dough in 1 inch increments to form the separate pieces.

We then cut between each indent to make the gnocchi! How cute are they?

The gnocchi was placed in a bag for us to take home. Meanwhile, our dinner was being prepared.

We had a short break, then returned to the dinner tables for a gnocchi trifecta and a glass of wine. All three sauces were incredibly delicious, but the tomato-based was my favorite. Though I have never eaten at Bacco, I am sure that if their menu items are as delicious as what I sampled, I need to get there quick. As should you!

After dinner, we made sure to snap a photo of a few of us with the master behind fresh Italian food! Do you like how Mia (left) is holding Michael’s waist? That flirt!

We all had a great time and were impressed at how easy it was to make the pasta. It is definitely worth making at home. The results are unbelievably fresh and will make you never want to purchase boxed pasta again. We’re hoping that Bacco will pair up with Go Charleston Deals for another cooking class. Are you reading Michael? We want more lessons!

Have you ever made your own pasta?

Have you ever taken a cooking class? What did you learn?

Have you signed up with Go Charleston Deals yet? GO!

7 Little Thoughts

1. It makes me chuckle that so many of you sent me Joy the Baker’s recipe for Chocolate Beet Cake. At least one person sent the link to my email, facebook page, or twitter. I’m glad you guys think of me when you see beets…I think. Either way, I feel the love.

2. February cannot get here fast enough. The first weekend I’m going to see Aziz Ansari at Theatre 99! Soooo excited. I might propose to him from the audience.

3. Two weeks after that, I’m taking a cooking class at Bacco! GOCharlestonDeals had an awesome deal for a 2-hour pasta making class. Have you signed up to receive their daily deals? You should!

4. The chalkboard wine glasses you have seen in previous posts can be purchased at Pier 1. They are only 3 dollars. That’s a steal for being able to drink out of personalized, stemless glasses. They’re great for the creative and the clumsy.

5. I think this is a perfectly acceptable flavor combination. And no, there is no child growing inside of me.

6.Apparently I am one letter away from being a Special Agent. SO CLOSE.

7. Enjoy another video of Boding’s and my superior Xbox dancing skills. Get ready, this one is so much worse. Yet more entertaining…

Family Night at Sette with a Sweet Stop at Menchie’s

As it is Grammy’s last week in town (boo hoo ), we decided to go out for one last dinner before she left. She has been here for over a month, but it flew by so fast and we hate to see her leave again. Luckily, she’ll be back in May and will be here for Christmas 2011.
Kelly left the restaurant decision making up to Gabrielle and me. I had narrowed it down to three of the Dine With Sal restaurants: Long Point Grill, Mustard Seed, or Sette. Gabby, on the other hand, had it narrowed down to one cuisine: Italian. Off to Sette we went!
We were cheerfully greeted by the manager and immediately brought to our table. Per Tyler’s recommendation, I ordered Goat Cheese & Tomato Fondue appetizer with house made crostinis. Oohh you know this warmed my heart. Or maybe that was my glass of pinto grigio. Ooeey gooey cheesy madness. Sette’s menu has salads, pasta specialties, and traditional Italian entrees with a modern twist. All of us were torn between a couple – luckily our waiter was very patient! Surprisingly, Grammy was the first who ordered her entrée: Lasagna with Bolognese sauce, ricotta, parmesan cheese, and asparagus (13):I ordered something that was soooo my style: Pine nut crusted chicken with fontina, prosciutto, sage, salsa cruda, served atop parmesan polenta and asparagus with a balsamic reduction (14). Hot damn this was pretty. And heaven in my mouth. I was obsessed with the parmesan polenta – I could not get over the lovely texture.Kelly went a dish very similar to the shrimp linguine entrée at Mustard Seed: Shrimp pasta with capellini, garlic, parsley, lemon, capers, basil, and tomato in a white wine broth (16). We loved this dish because even for a pasta, it was light and refreshing.

Baby Zachary got a house made pizza that was the size of his entire 3-year-old body and Gabrielle got a children’s sized portion of the Chicken Marsala. Everyone was very happy with their entrees and stuffed to the brim!

But no, we didn’t stop there. I originally tried to convince the family that we should just have frozen yogurt for dinner, but Kelly told me that Uncle Johnny wouldn’t be okay with that. Drats. So after we ate “a real dinner,” we headed to Menchie’s!! I was so excited for my cousins to experience the wonder that is self-serve froyo. We all got such different treats…
My bowl – Country Vanilla, a bit of Strawberry, cookie dough balls, heath bar bits, and thin mint cookie bits:Gabrielle’s – Pomegranate Raspberry Sorbet, Strawberry froyo, rainbow sprinkles, cookie dough balls, and gummy worms:Kelly’s (chocoholic #1) – Cappuccino, with oreo bits, heath bar bits, walnuts, fudge sauce, and peanut butter sauce: Grammy’s (chocoholic #2) – Country vanilla with oreo bits, walnuts, and chocolate sauce:By the time I had photographed everyone’s cups, Zachary had demolished his and had moved on to the chalkboard. Here he is having a shy moment: And then embracing the camera like the baby super model he is!Then I joined the kids for some chalkboard fun. Sharing is caring, people. What is with all three of us having droopy jeans?! Guess we need more froyo to poof up our bums!

Goat Cheese and Turkey Lasagna Infused with Fig Balsamic Vinegar

Things I crave:

• Italian food/men
• Pasta
• Tomato sauce -- why is this??
• Cheese

 Things I need:

• Lean proteins
• Carbs
• Veggies

What to make, what to make? How about Lasagna! I put my body's wants and needs together and created a fabulous recipe. I love this lasagna recipe for several reasons. Ingredients include:

• two lower-calorie cheeses (fat free ricotta and goat cheese)
• lots of lean protein from using extra lean ground turkey breast
• 1/2 the amount of pasta used in a typical lasagna recipe
• colorful veggies with lots of fiber and vitamins

Goat Cheese and Turkey Lasagna Infused with Fig Balsamic Vinegar

Ingredients:

1 1/3 lbs of extra lean ground turkey breast

2 medium zucchini, sliced

2 medium yellow squash, sliced

1 32 oz container of fat free ricotta (I used Sorrento)

5 oz goat cheese, separated (I used Whole Foods' 365 brand)

2 jars of tomato sauce (I used 1 Classico Four Cheese and 1 Classico Roasted Garlic)

1/2 box of Barilla oven ready lasagna (8 pieces)

2 large eggs

1/2 tbsp crushed red pepper

fig balsamic vinegar

fresh basil leaves, chopped

Directions:

1. Spray a large pan with cooking spray and warm over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey breast and cook thoroughly. Remove from pan and set aside.

2. Add zucchini, squash, crushed red pepper, and 1-2 tbsp of fig balsamic vinegar to the pan. Cook until veggies have softened. Set aside.

3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 4 oz goat cheese, eggs, and a few fresh basil leaves. Mix until smooth. Eat some.

4. Preheat oven to 375*. Begin lasagna assembly: In a 9x13 glass baking dish, spread 1 1/2 cups of tomato sauce. Place 4 pieces of lasagna over the sauce. Top the pasta with 1/3 of the cheese mixture. Lay 1/2 of the veggies on top of the cheese. Add 1/2 of the turkey meat. Toss 2 tbsp of fig balsamic onto the meat. Repeat with 1 1/2 cups of sauce, remaining 4 pieces of lasagna, 1/3 of the cheese mixture, remaining 1/2 of the veggies, remaining 1/2 of the meat, and 2 more tbsp of fig balsamic. Finish off the lasagna with the remaining sauce, remaining 1/3 cheese mixture, and crumble the remaining 1 oz of goat cheese on top. 

5. Bake uncovered for 50 minutes. Let lasagna stand 10-15 minutes before serving. Makes approximately 8 servings.

Here are some pictures of the assembly. Adding the cheese was a lot of fun...

 

...and messy, how I like it:

Topping it with veggies, anal-retentive style:

CHEESE!! 

 

 Perfectly browned after baking:

This is what it looks like when you let a man photograph you while he makes wonky faces:

This is what it looks like when you whine to him that all your readers don't want to see your fugly face and flinstone feet. Much better!

Notes about the recipe:

• The fig balsamic is what makes this recipe special. It adds a burst of sweetness that compliments the tangy goat cheese and sweet ricotta. Add extra crushed red pepper for spice.
• Because you are using half the amount of pasta, you're saving on carbs and your meal contains more of the protein and vegetables. Score!
• Use any veggies you like - make it colorful!
• This lasagna is more ooey gooey than structured. Forget all that layering you worked so hard on and just plop it on the plate!

My serving looked like the most delicious collapsed lasagna ever:

Nutritional Information for 1/8th lasagna:

Here are two similar recipes I have made:

• Cheesy Ground Turkey & Vegetable Pasta
• Lasagna Soup

I'm sure you all were wondering how my Saturday night drinking went. I drank 1 Sapporo at the restaurant and 1 1/2 glasses of wine at home. Then this happened. I now have the tolerance of a teenager. YEAH!

Ok, that picture is fake. I posed. I mean really, do you think I sleep with 2 laptops, a glass of wine, and my Blackberry?