Savory Tomato & Gruyere Pie

To say this pie is delicious is a gross understatement. The words of wisdom here are: sometimes the simplest of recipes are the best. This pie is nothing fancy – it contains onions, lots of tomatoes, fresh basil, cheese, mayo and some hot sauce. All piled into a pie shell in layers.

And just so you know:
This recipe contains fat in the pie crust.
This recipe contains cheese (uh, yea, calories and fat)
This recipe contains mayonnaise (3/4 cup for the whole pie).
Other than that, it’s good for you – nice chunks of tomatoes.

I started off with a mixture of tomatoes (red and yellow heirlooms plus a small pile of smaller tomatoes right out of our garden. The heirlooms were very moist – VERY juicy. And that can be the slight undoing of this recipe – you’ve just got to get out as much of the liquid as possible. It’s not that the pie won’t be good, but the bottom shell will be soggy. But I have a “fix” for it – next time I’ll add an extra step. More on that later.

Obviously, first you have to make a pie shell.
Make it easy and pick up a prepared pie crust at Harter House.

 

First went in the chopped raw red onions. Next time I’d chop them up finer AND I’d cook them a bit. The onions were still crunchy when we ate the tart after 40 minutes of baking.

Next went in the chopped tomatoes that I’d drained on paper towels for about 15 minutes, AND I squeezed them to get out even more juice. I used about 3 1/2 cups for my large 9-inch pie plate.  

Then I sprinkled in about 1/4 cup of fresh sliced basil leaves from our garden.

Next I mixed up an equal quantity (approximately) of shredded Gruyere cheese and mozzarella (not fresh), along with some bottled mayonnaise and a dash of hot sauce. Using my hands I pressed the cheesy clumps all over the top of the pie. I didn’t mash it down or try to make it a solid layer – there were a few holes. But they all disappeared during baking. Bake for 25-40 minutes or so until the top is golden brown.

There it is, in all its gloriousness just out of the oven. We took it to our kids’ house and had it with some grilled Italian sausages and a delicious field greens salad topped with more garden-grown sliced tomatoes. Definitely eat it warm or hot. Next time I make this I’ll add a thin layer of cream cheese over the pastry – to keep the juice from water-logging the pie shell. And a word of caution: Gruyere is what I used here – it was beyond wonderful – but it’s a very salty cheese, so I might not add any additional salt. Mozzarella can also be very salty too.

The result? Oh gosh. Juicy. Creamy. Cheesy. Flaky. Tomato-y. All over perfection. Be sure to make this soon– before all the tomatoes are gone for the season.

Savory Tomato & Gruyere Pie

Recipe: Elise at Simply Recipes
Servings: 8 (maybe more like 6)

NOTES: NEXT TIME-I’ll spread a layer of light cream cheese (very softened) over the bottom and up the sides of the pie crust. It needs to be solid, otherwise the juice will leak through to the flaky pastry. If using Greyere, it’s a very salty cheese, so go very easy on the salt. Also, cook the onions just a little bit first.

1 whole pie shell — 9 inch
1/2 whole yellow or red onion — chopped finely
3 1/2 cups tomatoes — cut in half horizontally, squeezed to remove excess juice, roughly chopped, to yield 3 -4 cups
1/4 cup basil — sliced in thin strips
2 cups grated cheese — (combination of Gruyere and Mozzarella or sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack)
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce — (or more to taste)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Basil leaves for garnish

1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Place pie shell in oven and cook for 8-10 minutes or longer until lightly golden. If you are starting with a frozen crust, you’ll need to cook it a little longer. If you are using a homemade crust, freeze the crust first, then line the crust with aluminum foil and pre-bake it for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.

2 Squeeze as much moisture as you can out of the chopped tomatoes, using either paper towels, a clean dish towel, or a potato ricer. Squeeze gently in your hands, too, to get the last bit of juice out, without pulverizing the tomato flesh in the process.

3 Sprinkle the bottom of the pre-cooked pie shell with chopped onion. Spread the chopped tomatoes over the onions. Sprinkle the sliced basil over the tomatoes.

4 In a medium bowl, mix together the grated cheese, mayonnaise, Tabasco, a sprinkling of salt and freshly ground black pepper. The mixture should be the consistency of a gooey snow ball. Spread the cheese mixture over the tomatoes.

5 Place in oven and bake until browned and bubbly, anywhere from 25 to 45 minutes

Per Serving (and higher if you only serve 6 servings): 388 Calories; 33g Fat (74.2% calories from fat); 10g Protein; 16g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 37mg Cholesterol; 450mg Sodium.

Grilling - Safety First - And enjoy Kabobs!

Grilling brings us back to the primitive origins of cuisine and provides an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, friends, and fine food all at once. Historically, the grill or fire pit has held an important place in virtually every country and culture. In our busy, modern lives, grilling celebrates the delightful simplicity and naturally bold flavors that Harter House Supermarkets provide, and allows us to explore flavors of the world, with ethnic ingredients from Harter House World Flavors, without leaving our own backyards.

Safety First

• Thaw and marinate all foods in the refrigerator, not at room temperature.
• Marinate all foods in a non-reactive container. No aluminum or plastic.
• Keep raw meat and other poultry away from other foods.
• Always use a clean plate. When taking foods off the grill, never put it on a plate that previously held raw meat.
• Do not use a marinade or juices from raw meat, poultry or seafood as a sauce unless you bring it to a boil for two full minutes first.
• Never leave grilled foods out longer than two hours; only one hour if the outdoor temperature is above 90 F.

Tips for Prepping and Heating the Grill

• Clean your grill, especially the rack, before each use.
• Oil the rack prior to heating to prevent sticking. Keep a spray bottle filled with canola oil handy in case of unexpected sticking.
• The area of the fire needs to be wider than the area of food you're grilling. If you are cooking a variety of items using charcoal, pile coals at different levels to achieve the right level of heat for each item.
• Preheat your charcoal grill and don't skimp on the charcoal. Light the coals at least 30 minutes before you plan to begin cooking. Do not put foods on the grill until the fire dies down to glowing coals. (Real hardwood charcoal will always have a flame, even when ready.)
• Even gas grills need to preheat. Turn on the flame at least 15 minutes before putting food over the fire. This will help to warm up the grate and stabilize the temperature of the grill environment.

Let's Grill Something!
Kabobs!! These are a great way to stack all of your favorite foods on one stick for grilling. Here are some ti[p to help you grill up your stack:

• Use a direct heat method for grilling Kabobs.
• Soak wooden or bamboo skewers in water for an hour prior to using them to prevent them from burning or catching fire.
• Cut foods into similar-sized oieces to ensure even cooking.
• When grilling seafood based Kabobs, consider skewering your seafood and veggies separately, so they can be added to the grill at different times. (Seafood cooks faster than most other foods.)
• Alternate different shaped foods on each skewer to help prevent Kabobs from rolling on the grill.

Let our experienced Meat Cutters at Harter House help make suggestions and answer any questions you may have!
Please share with us your favorite Kabob Recipes!

Exotic Tilapia

This week at Harter House Supermarkets, (March 11-17, 2015) we have Tilapia $4.99 lb. There are many great recipes to complement this light, delicious, and healthy fish.


Think Exotic! Pineapple & Capers combine to make this an unusual & delicious main dish.














Ingredients:
 (4) 5-7 oz. fresh Tilapia Fillets
 salt & pepper
 2 Tbsp. olive oil
 1/2 Tbsp. flour
 1 cup fresh pineapple, cut in julienne strips
 2 Tbsp. capers, drained
 1 1/2 oz. butter



Instructions:
1. Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat then add the olive oil.
2. Sprinkle both sides of the fillets with flour, salt and pepper.
3. Add fillets to the hot oil and saute on both sides until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.
4. Remove to a plate and set aside.
5. Julienne the pineapple into thin strips.
6. In a medium frying pan, add butter and heat until it's hot, but not browned.
7. Add the pineapple and capers.
8. Stir together for about 1 minute over medium heat.
9. Spoon over the fillets and serve.





Think Mexican! Here is another "Fish Taco" Recipe that looks wonderful!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients for Spice Rubbed Tilapia Fillets:

• 2 fresh Tilapia fillets (roughly calculate 1/2 Lb per person)
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 Tbsp Sazón spice (or garlic salt)
• 1 tsp sugar
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 3 Tbsp sunflower oil

Instructions:

1. Rinse the fish quickly and pat them dry with a paper towel before using the fillets.
2. Mix together chili, sazón, sugar, and pepper in a low bowl. Coat both sides of the Tilapia fillets in spice rub.
3. Heat up the oil in a pan at a high heat; once the pan is very hot place the spiced fillets into the pan. Turn the heat down to medium, and cook the fillets for about 5 minutes, after which you carefully turn the fillets over to cook the other side.
4. When done the Tilapia fillets should easily flake apart and be crisped on the outside. Set them aside to fill the tacos later.

Ingredients for Cilantro Sauce:

• 3 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 3 Tbsp fresh cilantro (if you do not like cilantro you can use parsley instead)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• a pinch salt
• juice from 1 lime

Mix all ingredients together in a blender until homogeneous.
Pickled Red Onions:

• 1 red onion, diced
• juice of 2 lemons
• juice of 2 limes

Soak the diced onions in the lemon and lime juice.
4 large soft tortillas
Yield: 4 large tacos

Let's get ready for Healthy in 2015!

I hope you are enjoying this holiday season.

As January is rapidly approaching, many of us set goals to get in better shape and lose that weight we just put on from all that good holiday eating.

I've discovered Sun Warrior Products and now we are selling it at Harter House World Flavors.















100% Raw Vegan
83% Pure Protein
*Complete Amino Acid Profile
Hypoallergenic
Non-GMO, Gluten Free
70 Calories per serving
16 grams protein
1 gram fat
4 grams carbs

Read more about this product at
http://www.sunwarrior.com/products/sunwarrior-protein


I imagine I will never give up meat, since I am the daughter of a butcher, growing up in our Harter House Meat Market, but I need to incorporate more raw foods into my diet and I enjoyed this info also found on the Sun Warrior website.

10 Best Fat Loss Tips

1. Create a Calorie Deficit.
A calorie deficit is created when the amount of food energy (calories) you taken in are less than the total calories you use, resulting in weight loss. Figure out your maintenance level by multiplying your body weight by a factor of 15 (for an active individual). Reducing calories by 15-20% below your daily calorie maintenance needs is a useful start. If you want to lose fat, a useful guideline for lowering your calorie intake is to reduce your calories by at least 500, but not more than 1000 below your maintenance level. There are approximately 3500 calories in a pound of stored body fat. So, if you create a 3500-calorie deficit through diet, exercise or a combination of both, you will lose one pound of body weight.

2. Eat a Mostly Raw Vegan Diet (at least 80%) A raw vegan diet consists of unprocessed, raw plant based foods that contain much of their nutritional value. Typical foods include fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and sprouted grains and legumes. A raw vegan diet fosters natural weight loss, more energy, clear skin, improved insulin tolerance, and improved overall health. Not to mention, a nutrient rich diet helps curve your appetite. Try to eat at least 4-5 meals per day (incorporating plant based protein whenever possible). This will help maintain blood sugar levels while burning fat. Regular protein intake helps increase metabolism while creating positive nitrogen retention allowing for muscle growth and recovery.

3. Eat Slowly.
Everything in our lives is fast - fast cars, fast lanes, fast broadband and of course fast food. Since the feeling of satiety is not immediate, the more time you take to appreciate your food, the more time you allow your brain to decode the messages sent by your body. It takes the brain 20 whole minutes to register that we are full. If you eat slower, you will eat less and by virtue of that you will end up consuming less calories. Secondly, enzymes in saliva play an important role in initial digestion. Chewing food longer leads to better digestion, and therefore better absorption of vitamins and minerals. Japanese researchers found that eating fast is associated with insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is a silent condition that increases the chances of developing diabetes and heart disease. Also, fast eating seems to be a risk factor for the metabolic syndrome (combination of the symptoms such as high blood pressure, obesity, high cholesterol, and insulin resistance).

4. Drink plenty of water!
Adequate water consumption provides the foundation for any good weight loss program. It's probably the most overlooked and underrated weight loss strategy there is. On average, water makes up 60% of your total body weight. Therefore, drinking sufficient water is necessary to keep your body functioning efficiently. Water keeps your muscles hydrated and flushes toxins which could interfere with fat loss. Water improves endocrine (hormone), metabolic, and liver function, while decreasing appetite and fluid retention.

5. Strength Training.
Intense strength training preserves lean body mass while assisting in long-term fat loss. People who lift weights and do other strength training exercises such as push-ups and squats may not lose pounds but they shed fat, and because muscle is more compact than fat, their bodies appear leaner, streamlined and toned. Secondly, muscle burns more calories than fat, so the more muscle you have, the more calories you'll burn all day long. Increased muscle mass boosts metabolism. Weight training can increase your metabolism by up to 15%. Weight training also creates metabolic changes (such as preventing insulin resistance) that assist in shedding abdominal fat.

6. Cardio.
Interval training and metabolic resistance training will provide the most efficient use of your training time. Steady state aerobic training (going at a slow, steady pace) just doesn't burn enough calories, and splitting up your workouts by body parts will be less effective than total body training for fat loss. Interval training is an excellent way to burn more calories, build endurance quickly and make workouts more interesting. Interval training involves alternating high intensity exercise with recovery periods. One option is measured periods of work followed by measured periods of rest. An example would be 1 minute of high intensity work (such as a sprint), followed by 2 minutes of low intensity exercise (e.g., walking) and alternating that several times for 15-30 minutes. Metabolic resistance essentially causes a metabolic disturbance in your body meaning you'll be burning calories up to 48 hours after you work because your metabolism will be at an elevated state. This is great for weight loss because you'll find yourself burning fat even after you finish working out as opposed to steady state training where you stop burning calories once you stop training.

7. Get Plenty of Sunshine!
Sunlight is the best and only natural source of vitamin D. An hour a week (ten to 15 minutes of sunshine 3 times weekly) is generally adequate to produce the body's requirement. Vitamin D is needed to stimulate the absorption of calcium. Vitamin D, in conjunction with calcium and sunlight, helps to properly assimilate food and regulate normal blood sugar levels. When there is a lack of calcium, often times due to a vitamin D deficiency, the body increases production of synthase, a fatty acid enzyme that coverts calories into fat. Calcium deficiency can cause synthase production to increase by up to 500 percent, explaining the correlation between low levels of vitamin D and obesity. Excess body fat absorbs and holds onto vitamin D, making it unavailable to the body. The absence of vitamin D creates interference with the functioning of a hormone called leptin, which signals to the brain that you are full and should stop eating. It is also known that Vitamin D plays a huge part in boosting the immune system.

8. Infrared Sauna.
Infrared is an invisible form of energy that is accepted by the human body as heat. Organic molecules have a tendency to vibrate when they come in contact with infrared energy. Infrared has the ability to penetrate into deep tissues of the body, creating heat among muscles, organs and fat. The body has an immediate reaction to the infrared and raises the heart rate and metabolic rate in response. The heat causes the body to sweat, releasing fluids and resulting in immediate weight loss. An increase in the body's metabolic rate will also have a direct effect on the way it processes foods and the effectiveness of exercise. In addition to a reduction in water retention and fat stores, infrared saunas also promote weight loss through the burning of calories. The body naturally burns calories when it sweats, and a normal infrared sauna session produces so much sweat that the body can burn up to 600 calories in one 30 minute session. Since infrared saunas heat the body directly and profuse sweating begins quickly, they offer an excellent means of general detoxification. Infrared heat penetrates well below the surface of the skin, right into the joints and muscles. This increases metabolism and allows body cells to eliminate toxins more readily.

9. Relax.
Cortisol has been termed the "stress hormone" because excess cortisol is secreted during times of physical or psychological stress. This disruption of cortisol secretion may not only promote weight gain, but it can also affect where you put on the weight. Some studies have shown that stress and elevated cortisol tend to cause fat deposition in the abdominal area rather than in the hips. This fat deposition has been referred to as "toxic fat" since abdominal fat deposition is strongly correlated with the development of cardiovascular disease including heart attacks and strokes.
Set aside relaxation time. Include rest and relaxation in your daily schedule. Don't allow other obligations to encroach. This is your time to take a break from all responsibilities and recharge your batteries. Do yoga. Meditate. Connect with others. Spend time with positive people who enhance your life. A strong support system will buffer you from the negative effects of stress. Do something you enjoy every day. Make time for leisure activities that bring you joy, whether it be getting a massage, reading a book, or going for a walk. Exercise is a great way to destress. Keep your sense of humor. This includes the ability to laugh at yourself. The act of laughing helps your body fight stress in a number of ways.

Helpful tip: Eat small meals throughout the day, which will keep your blood sugar stable (when blood sugar is low, mental, physical, and emotional energy decreases, and stress increases).

10. Sleep.
Researchers from several separate studies have found a link between sleep and the hormones that influence our eating behavior. Two specific hormones are involved. Ghrelin is responsible for feelings of hunger. Leptin tells the brain when it's time to stop. When you're sleep deprived, your ghrelin levels increase at the same time that your leptin levels decrease. The result is an increased craving for food and not feeling full. During deep sleep, your brain secretes a large amount of growth hormone, which tells your body how to break down fat for fuel. When you deprive your body of deep sleep, extra calories get stored as fat, since there isn't enough growth hormone to break them down. Growth hormone is also responsible for muscle growth.
With loss of sleep, your body may not be able to metabolize carbohydrates as well, which leads to an increased storage of fats and higher levels of blood sugar. Excess blood sugar can lead to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance means that the body has trouble disposing of glucose in the liver and other tissues. It is a trigger for serious health problems such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and type II diabetes.
A lack of sleep goes hand in hand with a lack of energy not a new concept, but perhaps you've grown used to your daily levels of energy and don't notice that you could gain more. Not only do we accomplish less with less sleep, we also don't burn as many calories. The body's reaction is to hoard calories as fat, making our weight loss goals more difficult than they need to be.

Hope this info is helpful!

Dinner at Mom's

It didn't matter if you were a relative, a neighbor or a friend. When you came to our house, my mother, Barbara, would ask, "Did you eat? Sit down and have a bite!"

If you didn't eat at our house, she'd send you home with a container of food. Mom liked to take care of everyone.


When my three brothers, my sister, and I were growing up, the house was always filled with delicious foods, from soups to desserts. We enjoyed Mom's great home-cooked meals as well as her delicious cookies and cakes.


A favorite still is a chocolate banana cake with a yellow cake mix , chocolate icing and 4 layers with banana and icing in each layer. A must for every birthday cake still!

One of our family's favorite Christmas meals featured a ham with pineapple and maraschino cherries on top with a brown sugar glaze. Served with candied carrots, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole and Pineapple Upside Down cake for dessert, which was another favorite dessert my dad always requested.

I'd call my mother a "natural" cook. She'd follow a recipe at first, but then substitute different ingredients. She memorized much of what she did. I loved her flaky pie shells, for instance.
At our house, Mom cooked and we ate. I loved to help in the kitchen. I helped cook and my sister cleaned up. I always thought I had it best!!! My brothers didn’t help in the kitchen much. They just devoured the food.

That’s probably why my parents decided to opened a grocery store, Harter House Supermarket, to feed this passel of kids.

The one thing I did pick up from my mom is improvising. I love to experiment with recipes. And my husband, Craig, is always a willing recipient.
I still have my mom's and my grandmother’s worn cookbooks. The envelopes inside are stuffed with recipes gathered during a lifetime. I'm sure that's true of a lot of us!

I hope this holiday Season is filled with lots of love, family, friends, and lots of great food!
And come see me at Harter House on Republic Road.
~Shelly

Egg Salad 101

Egg Salad
By The Covered Dish
Debbie Dance Uhrig

Brought to you by your neighborhood market
Harter House Supermarkets
and
Harter House World Flavors

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 The Ultimate egg!   In this cooks opinion it doesn't get much better than eggs.  Homemade egg salad, deviled eggs, poached eggs, hard boiled, over easy any way you name it eggs provide us with some wonderful protein.  Experienced cooks will probably look at the column this week and say:  'What-who doesn't know how to make egg salad?'  Well gang there's a great deal of folks who have never made this scrumptious down-home delicacy. 

How do you eat egg salad?  Well, I've been digging around and asking folks, here are some suggestions on how to enjoy this dish:

1.  Between two pieces of white bread, lettuce added, maybe a thin slice of tomato.

2.  With Crackers or inside celery.
3.  In a canapé.
4.  Stuffed inside a large tomato as a full meal.
5.  Piped into small cherry tomatoes.

Is there anything specific that goes in egg salad?  Well, boiled eggs are a must, ha!

I always use a pickle of some sort.  Usually I don't use dill; I'll pull out sweet or bread and butter most frequently.  Pimento is a nice choice for color.  For added zip consider horseradish and different mustards, small green onions, celery, olives, and sweet peppers.  In the spice department I sometimes like to take egg salad down the curry road for a different twist.  Paprika, peppers, garlic powder and different salts can also add their own zing. 

How you approach your dressing is all based upon personal choice.  If I'm in a hurry I just chop the eggs and pickles and throw in mayonnaise and pickle juice and that's it!  If I want a more glamorous approach I will reserve 3 or 4 egg yolks and blend them into the dressing.  This gives a nice color and taste to the entire salad.  You will note that I did not use any sugar in the dressing.  Sometimes you'll find cooks added just a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar to the dressing.  I was going to use a 'bit' of mustard in this recipe, but I enjoyed the taste without, so it was omitted.

Today when I chopped the eggs I chopped them using my egg slicer turning the eggs both ways.  This gave my salad a more uniform look versus a free hand chop. 

Isn't it funny how we can remember when and where we ate our best dishes.  I can remember driving to Colorado one summer and eating egg salad sandwiches all the way through the states of Kansas and Colorado!  I was convinced I was not going to spend money on fast food as I made my 13-14 hour journey to Steamboat Springs.  If you're on a budget egg salad is definitely a good choice for a family meal every other week or so.  Summer carry-in dinners would be complemented with a large dish of this salad.  You'll be surprised how fast it is consumed!

One of my biggest tips is directed towards the boiling of the eggs.  Your salad will look and taste better if you don't overcook the eggs.  My usual process is as follows:  Place eggs in cold water with 1-2 teaspoons of salt bringing eggs to a hard boil for ten minutes.  Remove from heat, drain off water and replace with cold water.  Shake the eggs around a bit cracking the shells.  Allow to cool in the cold water.  The water will find its way under the shell easing the removal later.  *Overcooked eggs turn green around the outer edges.  The longer they're overcooked the greener they will get.  Regarding the salt in the boiling water:  Many feel the salt added to the water helps the shell comes off easier.

Another method for boiling eggs is to bring the eggs to a hard boil, put a lid over the pot and then turn off the heat.  Leave eggs for about 20 minutes, and then cool.  I have never preferred this method.

Let's get to the recipe, it's easy, very tasty and oh so comforting.  Simply Yours, The Covered Dish.

Egg Salad 101

14 hard boiled eggs
   (Reserve 3 yolks for the dressing.)
1/2 cup finely chopped bread and butter pickles
1 tablespoon 'finely' chopped sweet onion
 

Dressing

3 reserved egg yolks1 cup mayonnaise1/8 cup pickle juice1/2 teaspoon Black Kettle Seasoning, (Substitute with a nice all-purpose seasoning salt.)1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper 

Yields:  5 cups of salad

Hard boil the eggs, cooling in cold water.  For uniformity chop the eggs using an egg slicer.

Reserve 3 yolks for the dressing.  Chop the eggs, pickles and onion and combine in a bowl.  Using a fork crumble the 3 egg yolks then add the remaining dressing ingredients.  Make the mixture extremely smooth.  Consider using a submersible hand blender to make it very creamy.  Gently stir the dressing into the eggs, pickles and onions.  Place in a container with a tight fitting lid.  Yum...

*If you don't want an abundance of egg salad certainly cut the recipe in half. 

A Visit to Rao's Restaurant in NYC

 

I want to tell you a story about relationships.  The most wonderful things can happen when you build relationships!  And gifts can come to you in the most unexpected ways.  A chance meeting and I have a new, really wonderful, friend!

It was quite a few years ago. as I walked the aisles of the Kehe Specialty Food Show in Chicago, that I was introduced to Rao's Specialty Food Products.  As I talked with the Rao's rep,  I was certain this was a product I wanted at Harter House World Flavors.  At the end of the show, the Rao's representative gave me a Rao's Cookbook.  It has been one of my favorites.  I especially loved reading the history about the Restaurant, dating back to 1896, when Charles Rao bought a small saloon at the corner of 114 Street and Pleasant Avenue in upper Manhattan.

 

RAO'S BAR & GRILL- New York Located at the corner of 114th. Street & Pleasant Avenue Harlem N.Y. Open Monday through Friday...Dinner Only. If you do not have a reservation, you can always have a drink at the bar. Rao's is renowned for its jukebox, its quirky decor, its unmatched hospitality and most of all, the spectacular Neapolitan cuisine. It's also notorious for being one of the most difficult restaurants in New York in which to get a reservation.

Year-long waits for one of its ten tables are not uncommon. But what is it about this tiny, charming restaurant that makes it the most in-demand spot in the city night after night, year after year? For decades Rao's Bar & Grill existed as a neighborhood restaurant. Its local customers would fill the tables with such regularity that eventually they were given standing reservations - bookings that persevere to this day. The Rao's phenomenon exploded in 1977, when New York Times food critic Mimi Sheraton gave Rao's a gushing, half-page, three-star review, splashing the city's best-kept secret in front of millions of readers. Since Rao's NYC location only has ten tables, and only one seating per evening, the resulting demand would have been overwhelming even if the tables weren't already spoken for. That the tables were "owned" like a condominium translated to almost no empty seats in the house, night after night. Fast forward to today.  After announcing my plans to go to New York this December, a friend called today to tell me that I had 2 reservations for dining at Rao's during my stay.  I don't know if I can explain my excitement.    The more I learned about the restaurant history, the more I wanted to experience the atmosphere.  And I can't wait to share it with you! My reservations are for Friday night, Dec. 6, 2013.  Until then, I will have to suffice with Rao's products from the shelves of  Harter House