Rico's Pizzeria

Yesterday we snuck in a lunchtime pizza date at Rico's Pizzeria. It was somewhere we had never tried, and it was close to where we needed to be, so we tried it. I ordered the Balsamic Marinated Mushroom Pizza with some added prosciutto. It was huge! The crust was thin and crispy (maybe a little too crispy on one side). The mushrooms were delicious, and the prosciutto was definitely the right choice.

Balsamic Marinated Mushroom Pizza - thin, crispy crust smeared with roasted garlic and organic olive oil, covered with seasonal balsamic marinated mushrooms, onions and goat cheese, topped with fresh rosemary and prosciutto

Scott ordered the Farmer's Sausage 'Za, and we can safely say I was the winner this round. His pizza was good, but a little boring. It was so cheesy, with the right amount of pull. The house made tomato sauce was really tasty. Mine was so good though, I couldn't stop eating it.

Farmer's Sausage 'Za - thin crust topped with house made tomato sauce, fresh Fieldgate Farm sausage, locally sourced bacon, and mozzarella

Overall we were pretty satisfied with this little pick, and while they seemed a little overwhelmed with customers heading into the holidays, they managed to keep everyone happy and well fed. Their attention to locally sourced ingredients (including beers) and options for everyone, including vegan and gluten-free fare, makes it really worth recommending. From the outside you can't tell they care as much as they do about the experience - it looks like it could be any 2-4-1 location.

Likes: The crust was very thin and crispy, the toppings were delicious!
Dislikes: The sausage pizza was boring.
Food: 4/5
Service: 4.5/5
Would I go again?: Maybe. It was great, but for $17 and $16 they weren't outstanding.

Shrimp Scampi

This is one of my favourite dishes to make - so easy & fresh, and it seems pretty healthy, too. I first found a recipe similar to this called Dawn's Shrimp Scampi, which is no longer easy to find on the internet (there is a Dawn's Scampi, it is not the same). Anyways, its a light pasta and shrimp dish where the freshness of the lemon makes all the difference!

To make this, you will need:

• 6 oz fettuccine
• 1/4 cup panko
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large shallots, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 3/4 lb shrimp (I cook from frozen)
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp black olives, sliced

1. Cook the pasta.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cook until shallots are soft (about 5 minutes).
3. In the meantime, combine panko, lemon zest, and parsley in a small bowl.
4. In a separate bowl, combine wine, stock, lemon juice, and olives.
5. Add the shrimp to the skillet and cook on each side until opaque.
6. Stir in the wine & broth mixture, bring to a boil for 1 minute, then reduce heat.
7. Stir in the noodles and the panko mixture. Enjoy topped with fresh grated Parmesan!

A note about the shrimp: it doesn't really matter what kind or how big - I usually just get whatever is on sale. I like to make sure they aren't precooked, and it definitely easier if you get them already deveined and shelled.

Chili

Okay, here we are. I am finally ready to share my Chili recipe with you. It is important to note this is the first time I actually measured things in an attempt to properly inform you, but typically just add as much as feels right and taste as I go - so that is my real recommendation. My chili game was changed after reading The Food Lab, by J. Kenji López-Alt (more info here).

There are couple of keys to the improved chili:

1. Real chili peppers and chili paste instead of just chili powder
2. Umami bombs are essential - soy sauce, marmite, anchovies, cocoa
3. Time. It just can't be rushed. Some people swear by a slow cooker, I do this by stove top - but it still takes 3 hours.

To get a rich meaty chili that isn't just wet meat & beans, let me show you the way! You will need:

• 1 lb ground meat (I used pork)
• 1/4 white onion, chopped
• 3 red chili peppers, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/4 cup chili paste
• 1/2 tsp anchovy paste
• 1 tsp marmite
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cocoa
• 1 can black beans (540 ml)
• 1 can bean medley (540 ml)
• 1 can diced tomatoes (796 ml)
• 1 can corn (341 ml)
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp bourbon
• 1/2 tbsp molasses
• salt & pepper to taste

1. Cook the meat in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up as it cooks.
2. Add onion, chili peppers, garlic and oregano. Cook until onions are translucent.
3. Add chili paste, stir to coat and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
4. Add anchovy paste, marmite, soy sauce, tomato paste, cumin, paprika, chili powder, cocoa, beans, tomatoes, corn and cider vinegar. Mix thoroughly and simmer uncovered on medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.
6. Add bourbon and molasses, simmer uncovered on low for 30 minutes.
7. Cover and simmer until beans are desired tenderness (1 hour for me), finish seasoning with salt & pepper. Enjoy with some thick, crusty bread!

Creamy Kale & Sausage Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Here is a delightful use of kale that disguises how terrible it is! Okay, so maybe it isn't terrible, but I definitely bought too much of it and had to find a way to make it a little less offensive. I originally found the recipe here, but made some changes - including the olive oil bechamel I found here. This dish was tasty the first time around, and made fabulous lunch leftovers. We just picked up a couple of sausages from the deli, but really any sausage would do.

To make this, you will need:

• 12 oz fusilli
• 2 savoury cured sausages, sliced
• 10 sun-dried tomatoes, sliced (about 1/2 cup)
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 cups of kale, ribbed and chopped (packed)

1. Cook the pasta, keep 1 cup of pasta water for sauce.
2. Cook the sausage in a large skillet on medium-high heat until fat is no longer white (about 10 minutes).
3. Add sun-dried tomatoes and garlic, cook until fragrant (about 5 minutes).
4. Add vegetable stock, stir to combine & let simmer for 15 minutes - prepare the bechamel in the meantime.
5. For the bechamel, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a small pot.
6. Add flour while whisking constantly until flour is blonde (about 5 minutes).
7. Add milk while whisking. When boiling, whisk constantly to avoid burning until thickened
8. Remove from heat, stir in parmesan cheese, and add salt and pepper to taste.
9. Add kale to the large skillet and mix to cook until kale is tender (about 5 minutes).
10. Add pasta and sauce to the skillet and stir to coat evenly. Add pasta water to desired consistency (I added the whole cup of reserved pasta water for a creamier mix). Enjoy!