What Do We Know About Our Food - Food, Inc. Movie

I just became aware of this movie today and haven't seen the full version, but it does touch on a subject that is a concern to me..food and decption by food manufacturers/producers about the quality and safety of the food we purchase. See the preview below or the offical trailer.

If you've seen this movie, let me know what you think.

Wonderful Beef Tenderloin Filet at Lazeza's

Another great meal at Lazeza's. This was one of the specials last night. It is an 8 ounce filet that was so tender, I could cut it with a butter knife. I ordered mine medium-rare and it was cooked to perfection. What a wonderful medley of flavors. The steak is served on a slice of watermelon with a chipolte raspberry sauce, toasted pine nuts and aspargus.

I was a bit skeptical about the watermelon, but the a bite of steak with a bit of watermelon and the sauce was a taste of pure joy.

The meal came with a wonderful salad of fresh greens, ripe pear, dried cranberries and toasted walnuts with a sweet/tangy poppyseed dressing. Very refreshings and great blend of flavors.

This was a real value at $19.95 compared to other places in town.

The evening was enhanced by live clasical piano music, thanks to a ONU student. Didn't catch his name, but he did a very nice job.

We brought a bottle of Pinot Noir, which made the evening and the meal perfect. I love being able to bring our own wine. We bring what we like and we're not paying double the price, making for a very afforable evening even with dessert, which was fabulous. A wonderful lemon cake embedded with raspberries and a creamy lemon cheesecake-style filling. Truly a mouth full of heaven. It was enough for three of us to split and not feel guilty about the calories.

If you have discovered this gem, you're missing a great opportunity for a wonderful meal. I've asked Sal to provide me with the weekend specials, so that I can post and email them out.

The other special for Friday evening at Lazeza's was a beef meatball kabob with griled eggplant. A friend had this and loved it.

If you haven't tried this place because you're not into middle-eastern food, don't worry, its the best seafood in town as well, pasta, chicken, and lot's of other stuff on the menu and the specials will make it worth your while.

Lima, Ohio Neighborhood Cook-off Girls vs. Guys Rematch

Our neighborhood is made up of avid gourmands, professional and amateur chefs, cooks and eaters. We love a good challenge and any opportunity to cook and eat. We definitely don’t go hungry here.



Since our last impromptu cook-off ended in a tie, we decided we needed a rematch.



Rules
Everyone gathered about 7:00 PM for a little libation while the group came together.
The secret ingredients were revealed: Leg of lamb, shrimp and bacon.
Teams can use any of the common ingredients provided on the larder table, mostly from the morning’s farmer’s market.
Each team must cook 3 dishes that must be ready to serve at 9:00 PM.
Teams can gather ingredients from their own kitchens or take a trip to the local grocery, but can only spend up to $25 total per team.

The Guys Team Menu
Lamb patties stuffed with feta, calamata olives, sun dried tomato, and basil - served with a yogurt cucumber sauce
Grilled shrimp with remolade sauce
Fresh greens with tomato, cucumber, peppers and balsamic vinaigrette

The Girls Team Menu
Lamb tornados stuffed with feta, sundried tomato, basil, and toasted pine nuts – glazed with a chipolte apple white wine, shallot reduction
Redskin and purple potatoes with garlic scapes steamed in chicken stock
Seafood (shrimp, scallops and clams) in a light white wine garlic cream sauce served over angle hair pasta with fresh grated parmesan
Dulche de leche ice cream with grilled pineapple, caramel sauce, toasted coconut and macadamia nuts and pig candy (bacon caramelized with brown sugar)



So let us know who's menu you think won!

More photos.

Saffron Shrimp Risotto

Serves 8 as a side course, 4 as main course
1 lb. Peeled and deveined raw shrimp - tails removed
2 c. Arborio rice
2 32 oz. Containers of chicken broth or stock – warmed
1 c. White wine - Chardonnay
3 Tbl. Butter
2 Tbl. Olive Oil
1 Shallot – peeled and minced
2 Cloves of garlic – peeled and minced
1 Pinch saffron
8 oz. Parmesan cheese – grated
3 Tbl. Fresh Parsley - chopped
Directions:
Keep shrimp cold until ready to add to the risotto.
Put broth in saucepan and keep warm while cooking risotto.
In another 4 quart sauce pan, add butter, olive oil, shallot and garlic and sauté until garlic is fragrant, but not browned over medium-high heat. .
Add rice and sauté until rice is opaque (solid white, but not browned)
Add wine and turn up to high heat and cook until wine is nearly evaporated.
Add saffron and 1/4 chicken stock to cover the rice and reduce heat to medium-high.
Cook and stir frequently until broth is evaporated. Repeat adding broth and cooking down until rice is al dented (still firm in middle, but not crunchy). About 2 more times (3 times all together). You may have some broth left.
When rice is al dente, reduce heat to low, add shrimp, cheese and parsley and stir until thoroughly mixed.
Turn off heat. Cover with a lid and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Note: The heat from the rice should cook the shrimp, but check to ensure shrimp are completely pink and no gray is showing and cooked through (flesh will be opaque (white) and not translucent (clearish).
You do not need to constantly stir the rice while cooking, but stirring releases the starches from the rice producing a creamier, richer dish.