Reader mail

Anyone out there? Anyone? Anyone?

Talorico here. Working the day before a major holiday sometimes feels like being the last person left on the planet. No one else is around. No one is answering their phone. Or email.

Only the lonely. Or the unlucky - like me - who are still plugging away for The Man on July 3 when what we really want to be doing is sitting under an umbrella on the beach with a frosty blender beverage in one hand and some creamy guacamole and salty tortilla chips by our side.

Soon, my food friends. Very soon.

Just to give you a heads-up. In Friday's 55 Hours, you can read my review about Terrain at Syter's Garden Cafe on Baltimore Pike in Concordville, Pa. (Right across from the Shoppes at Brinton Lake.)  UPDATE: Here's a link to the review. I think this very cute cafe inside an air-conditioned greenhouse at the garden center is worth a visit. (That's a photo of a couple getting cozy at the cafe by staffer Tyler Orsburn.) The short menu (only 7 to 8 items) offers farm-fresh contemporary country-style dishes. Caveat: It's not the cheapest brunch or lunch you'll ever find. If you want a Denny's style "big breakfast" - this is NOT the place for you.

But until then, I present Friday's usual feature - Reader Mail - a day earlier. The topic today: the former Caffe Bellissimo.

Old restaurants are like old soldiers, they never really die, they just fade away......

Keep the emails coming. You ask. We answer. Every Friday. (Unless, of course, a Friday falls on a holiday, and then, well, yadda, yadda, yadda.....)

QUESTION: Hi Patricia,

First of all, I LOVE your blog. It is so informative!!!

Hoping you can help me. I think I remember reading that the former owners of Cafe Bellissimo on Kirkwood Highway had opened a place in Pennsylvania. True? If so, could you please tell me the name and where it is located. Have you been? I would kill for their quattro fromage dish, mmmmmmmm.

Thanks a bunch,

Stacie

ANSWER: Stacie, thanks for the kind words. (Can you tell the Boss Man? Talorico wouldn't mind a salary boost to fund all her "my dime, my time" restaurant hopping and European travels. Kidding, kidding....kind of. ) The Caffe Bellissimo question came up last year, in fact, right around this time. Here's a link.

But here's the low-down that we had at the time: Lora Johnson, chairwoman of Delaware Tech's new entrepreneurship program, was a former co-owner of Cafe Bellissimo restaurants on Kirkwood Highway in Prices Corner and in Springfield, Pa. She now co-owns Roux 3, a Mediterranean restaurant in Newtown Square, Pa.

While searching the archives for an answer, I found a few old Caffe Bellissimo recipes from Nancy Coale Zippe's columns. Here is some information from a 2005 column that includes two Caffe Bellissimo recipe for anyone who is interested...

Former Caffe Bellissimo owner Paul Owens said diners loved what they often referred to as "the pizza bread." He said the No. 1 comment he has received from past customers is "I really miss your bread."

He was happy to share the topping recipe, provided I would break it down from the quantities that made multiple gallons' worth.

This has been no easy task, as the recipe starts with six restaurant-size cans of tomatoes and two gallons of oil. Doing that division, by 32, was easier than figuring out 1/32 of three ounces of fresh basil or 2.7 ounces of pepper.

Then there's the problem of granulated garlic, the backbone flavor, as the recipe is titled "garlic paste."

There are more than 300,000 Google hits for granulated garlic, which is described as small granules of dehydrated roasted garlic with the intensity of fresh. Stronger than garlic salt; perfect for bread. This is available to the food industry in huge quantities, but can be purchased from specialty spice suppliers.

So with that in mind, I offer you a vague stab for your experimentation. The quantities are not exact, and no, I do not know how many spoonfuls of garlic that is!

This is a disclaimer. Proceed at your own risk

CAFFE BELLISSIMO GARLIC PASTE

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 cup blended oil
4 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2-3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
4 teaspoons grated Romano cheese
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
1 to 2 teaspoons fresh chopped basil
2/3 ounce granulated garlic
1/4 ounce fresh garlic, chopped and browned

Crushed tomatoes seem to come in just one can size. You will only need 2 1/2 cups of the 3 1/2-cup can of tomatoes to balance the other ingredients.

In a deep bowl, mix tomatoes on low speed of an electric mixer. Add each of the ingredients one by one while the mixer is on. (By taste, I might add!) Paul Owens, former owner of the restaurant, wrote: "We used Amoroso's Italian rolls. Spread garlic paste on open-faced bread. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes at 375 degrees."

CAFFE BELLISSIMO SIGNATURE SOUP

Another much-loved offering from the restaurant is this soup, which won the Critic's Choice for "Best Signature Soup" in Delaware Today magazine in 2004. Paul Owens graciously agreed to allow me to put this more precise recipe in my cookbook, "House Specials' Soups, Salads, Et. Cetera."

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) all-purpose flour
2 quarts (8 cups) fresh chicken stock, or chicken broth
6 ounces poached chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
6 ounces baby shrimp
6 ounces slender asparagus, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup heavy cream
Dash cayenne pepper
Pinch Old Bay seasoning

Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour to make a smooth roux. While stirring, gradually add the stock or broth to the roux. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly. Add the remaining ingredients and heat through until the shrimp and asparagus are cooked. Do not boil. Makes 12 generous servings.

Sangria

Wine columnist Roger Morris weighs in today about using sparkling wine and wine in summer cocktails.

Sangria is always a refreshing winner. (I had a very delightful glass last night at a friend's house.)

Here's a patriotic recipe for your Fourth of July BBQ:

To make simple syrup (the sweetener used in many sangria recipes), combine 1 cup water with 1 cup sugar in a small saucepan, then heat until the sugar is dissolved. Cool completely before using.

RED, WHITE AND BLUE SANGRIA

Recipe from Kim Haasarud's "101 Sangrias and Pitcher Drinks," (Wiley, 2008)
Start to finish: 15 minutes (plus at least 4 hours chilling)
Servings: About 7

1 bottle dry white wine
1/2 cup triple sec
1/4 cup citrus- or berry-flavored vodka
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup simple syrup
3/4 cup blueberries
3/4 cup hulled and sliced strawberries
3/4 cup raspberries
1/2 cup pineapple chunks
Combine all ingredients in a large glass punch bowl or pitcher and stir well. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Serve over ice.

Winging it at a Blue Rocks game

Buddy's Back

Read Buddy Hurlock's take on "Regular Guy Grub" every Tuesday in Second Helpings. This week, Buddy scarfs some buffalo wings - but no celery - at the Blue Rocks game:


Hot dogs are the normal fare at a baseball game. But at a recent Blue Rocks home game, I tried one of their new menu items for this season, an order of boneless buffalo bites.

They're not traditional wings, but nuggets, though not the flat-shaped nuggets you might be thinking of. From what I could observe, you get about six or seven bites per order, all white meat, with each of the bites equal in size. And, the bites are a nice size, comparable to a golf ball, which is a plus. There were no short-changed bites in my order.

How hot are they? Hot. Not blazing. But hot enough to make the order tough to finish without anything to drink. The order comes with a side of blue cheese dip, or maybe it's ranch. I never use either when eating wings, so I would not know the difference (I never use celery either. Interestingly, you do not get celery on the side with this. Maybe Mr. Celery gets offended).

The only downside is that, with no plastic fork offered, these can be a little messy. Grabbing a few extra napkins takes care of it.

Stadium vendor Centerplate offers a wide amount of choices at Blue Rocks games, including buffalo chicken sandwiches and buffalo burgers. If you are a fan of buffalo wings, I recommend giving the boneless buffalo bites ($5.50) a try during your next visit when you are craving something different.

By the way, I have to recommend my favorite buffalo bites, which would be Seasons Pizza's Seaso-Bites.

I also enjoy eating at Buffalo Wild Wings, which is building a new location near the intersection of Kirkwood Highway and Limestone Road (on the Stanton side, across from Commerce Bank).

Reader mail

Happy Friday. Talorico reporting in.

Who's headed to the beach? Raise your hand? I'm hoping to check out the restaurant scene there this weekend.

It's been a crazy week trying to play catch up after my unexpected six-day break - i.e. jury service. (See below.) I have a whole new appreciation for the justice system and have to thank our bailiff "Big Tom" for making us laugh everyday.

Here's some news: Sussex County restaurateur Matt Haley has opened a new Rehoboth eatery Lupo di Mare.

Whoa, wait, a minute....what happened to Spiaggia, the Italian seafood house Haley was planning?? I'm guessing some kind of name dispute...since Lupo di Mare is located inside the new Hotel Rehoboth - right where Spiaggia was to be located. I'm going to call Haley later today and get the scoop. Stay tuned.

Check out Eric Ruth's Taste column today on chicken. We unveiled the "new" dining format two weeks ago - stars are out, forks are in - and Ruth will now be exploring cheaper eats as well as fine dining options. (Me too.) Buddy Hurlock will snack on "Regular Guy Grub" and tell you about it every Tuesday. Buddy's working on a pizza story that will be coming soon in 55 Hours.

Onto the mailbag:

QUESTION: Hi Patricia,
I have noticed a take-out shop on 202 just behind Casapulla's North. I think it's called McDaniel something, which makes sense since it's in McDaniel Crest. The sign mentions baklava and some other Greek dishes. Not sure if this place is new or I am just noticing it for the first time, but was wondering if you knew anything. Thanks!
Anne Mathay

ANSWER: Hey, Anne. Thanks for the email. Wow. This is news to me. I just drove by that way yesterday and didn't notice this new place. Good Greek food is hard to find - I've always enjoyed the European Bistro on Naamans Road - so I'm going to stop in soon and see what's going on. I'll have an update soon. Readers, anyone have information??

QUESTION: Dear Patricia,

Firstly, I wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your blog. Some of the recipes you've posted have quickly become household favorites! I am a Wilmington native, and I moved to Cincinnati two years ago. This summer, my boyfriend and I are coming back to Delaware to spend a week at the beach. I am looking forward to seafood in all forms, but my boyfriend is a little more particular. He is allergic to shrimp, crab and lobster, but love clams. I was wondering if you know of a place that serves good fried clams in the general Rehoboth area? The last time we visited we were met with puny strips that looked like they came out of the grocery freezer section. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Sincerely,

Jenna in Cincinnati

ANSWER: Hi Jeanna in Cincinnati. I'm so glad we're reaching Ohio. My friend Judy lives in Shaker Heights.

To be honest, when I eat clams, I usually go for raw or steamed. You may want to try Fins Fish House & Raw Bar on Rehoboth Avenue or perhaps Big Fish Grill on Del. 1. or maybe Jake's Seafood.

Red, white and blue dessert

A Fourth of July recipe for the Twinkie lovers out there....(Do people still eat Twinkies??)

Patriotic Twinkie Pie
Serves 16

1 (6-ounce) package blueberry Jell-O
3 cups boiling water
1 (16-ounce) bag frozen blueberries
1 (6-ounce) package strawberry Jell-O
1 (16-ounce) bag frozen sliced strawberries in syrup
6 to 7 Twinkies, broken or torn into 1-inch pieces
2 (5.1-ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
6 cups milk
1 (12-ounce) container frozen nondairy whipped topping, thawed

In a bowl, combine the blueberry Jell-O and 1 1/2 cups of the boiling water and stir until dissolved. Add the blueberries and stir until blended and slightly thickened. Allow to cool completely.

In another bowl, combine the strawberry Jell-O and remaining 1 1/2 cups boiling water and stir until dissolved. Add the strawberries and stir until blended and slightly thickened. Allow to cool completely.

Place half of the Twinkie pieces in a 6-quart glass bowl or trifle dish. In a separate bowl, combine the pudding mix and milk and stir according to the package instructions. Spoon half of the pudding over the Twinkies.

Spoon the blueberry mixture over the pudding spreading evenly. Top with the remaining Twinkie pieces. Spoon the remaining pudding over the Twinkies, spreading evenly. Spoon the strawberry mixture over the pudding, spreading evenly.

Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight, until completely chilled and set. Top with the whipped topping just before serving.

Top Chef

Richard Blais - one of the top three cheftestants on "Top Chef" - just received a glowing review for his cooking at Home restaurant in Atlanta.

NEW - Regular Guy Grub

Every Tuesday, sports reporter Buddy Hurlock will share with SH readers his take on "Regular Guy Grub."

In his first post, Hurlock goes on an mission for pizza, but ends up with something even better. Later, he washes it down with some new soda flavors:


Finding a pizza joint with late night hours is tough.

Often, the cravings for regular guy grub hit when most places have either closed or stopped serving food for the night. A welcome exception is Main Street in Newark, where even in the summer, one can find places open later than midnight.

Craving some late night pizza after I was done work recently, I hit Main Street for some pizza, only to find my original destination closed.

But that led to a welcome discovery of D.P. Dough, which I had always thought was just another pizza place.

Nope. My question of "Any slices ready?" was met with "We actually don't serve pizza, we specialize in calzones."

And they specialize in them very well, with more than 40 varieties from breakfast versions to those with ham or chicken and even some with eggplant or spinach.

If you want reviews of those, you've got the wrong blog posting. Several of calzone's names are a play on words, and I ordered the Oh! Zone, which included steak with American and mozzarella cheese.

I asked for pepperoni to be added, which was no big deal for them and surprisingly no extra charge.

The $6 charge also included a can of soda and one cup of sauce, where the choices are your normal basics (marinara, garlic butter, honey mustard, bleu cheese, etc.).

The calzone was superb and so filling that I only ate half that night, saving the rest for lunch the next day. After a night in the fridge and then a minute in the microwave, the second half, especially the bread, held up very well.

The menu also includes wraps, salads and wings. But don't skip getting a calzone when you visit D.P. Dough (127 E. Main Street, (302) 368-8878, www.dpdough.com).

This blog will focus on grub, but I'll also have thoughts on more trivial items, such as the new line of Mountain Dew sodas being trotted out this summer.

After a few hits (Code Red) and misses (MDX) over the years, this summer offers three new flavors: Revolution (described as "wild berry), Supernova (strawberry) and Voltage (raspberry).

I've tried Supernova and thought it was not too bad, but not a regular soda for me. These brands are also flavored with ginseng, so be forewarned.

Read more and vote for your favorite at www.dewmocracy.com.

The verdict: Pretty decent, fast lunches in downtown Wilmo

Don't kid yourself. It can happen to you.

On June 16 sometime before 8:30 a.m., I walked into the New Castle County Court House fully confident, supremely confident, in fact, that I would fulfill my summons for jury service by reading a book. No way was I going to get picked.

A few hours later, I sat with 14 other very stunned jurors (in addition to a 12-person jury, they pick 3 alternates) and hunkered down for a six-day trial.

Yo, what just happened?

I'm not going to get into the details of the case, but I will talk about breaking for lunch each day.

On the first day of jury duty, assistant jury manager Cheryl Elzey - who uses humor to make a boring situation bearable - warned us about the overpriced, but very convenient, Dunkin' Donuts in the basement of the courthouse. Great advice- and, nope, I didn't visit the DD.

So for six days, I made the best of my civic duty and decided to eat at six different places. I considered eating D&H's Jamaican chicken on Fourth Street and Genelle's curry on Market - two places I've always liked but haven't visited in some time - but spicy food and long hours of sitting in court didn't seem like a great idea.

This is my eating diary, in no particular order:

Sushi at the Riverfront Market (we had a good 1 1/2 hours for lunch that day and I really needed to stretch my legs after sitting for so long);

Subway on Market Street; (a so-so turkey sandwich; we forgot we were wearing our Juror stickers and the guys behind the counter saw them and joked "we're not guilty")

Perky Bean on Market Street (very cute place, nice service; hefty chicken salad with craisins);

Amertige Bistro (they have a great "noshing" bar - free samples of cheese, olives and salamis, but wish the service was a little faster; we ordered a sandwich at the counter and had to wolf it down and practically run back to the courthouse);

Sugarfoot (awesome turkey BLT; we got out of court early that day - had a little more time that day to sit and relax).

A reader had suggested I stop into the Squire's Pub sometime, but the lunch menu didn't list too many things under $10, so I skipped it.

On the last day of the trial, we began deliberations during lunch hour so the state paid for an ordered in meal from Leo & Jimmy's.

Hadn't had a Leo & Jimmy's sandwich in years and my fat chicken salad on wheat was all white meat chicken. Really nice.

- Patricia Talorico

Time out - briefly

Hey all,

Second Helpings will be on a brief break this week. I'll return to posting as soon as I can.

Let's just say my absence is due to something that everyone dreads doing - and there's no way to get out of it.

I'll fill you in on my return, hopefully by Monday or Tuesday.....

Eat and drink something wonderful and share it with us. I just had brunch at Terrain at Styer's Garden Cafe in Glen Mills, Pa. It's the garden center across from the Shoppes at Brinton Lake on Baltimore Pike. It's lovely.

A review is coming soon.

Patricia Talorico

Italian Festival - Last Day

The Italian Festival draws to a close today with worship services at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, 901 N. Du Pont St. in Wilmington, at 7 a.m., 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., with an Italian Mass at 12:30 p.m.

Then at 2 p.m., the annual Procession of Saints will parade north on Du Pont street past the church and wind through the Little Italy neighborhood. Local families walk with statues and hand out prayer cards to those who make a contribution of at least $1 to the festival. The festival will open at 2 p.m. and close at 9 p.m.

Read News Journal reporter Chris Yasiejko's take on the festival in the post below.