is there any more pie?

Table for two, please.

When asked what touristy thing she would like to do during her Thanksgiving week here in New England, my Texan daughter-in-law replied, “I’d like to eat in a real Italian restaurant.”

We have a lot of those here.  It was a matter of refining the request.  Fancy?  Casual?  Red sauce?  Gourmet?

I asked advice of many friends, all of whom said, “Federal Hill”.  Yes, that area of Providence has been the center of Italian dining since it was the home of Italian immigrants in the 1880’s.  It was the hub of the state’s Mafia organization, with shootings and killings galore in the wild days of the  1960’s, ’70’s and 80’s.

Federal Hill has always been an area for tourists and locals alike to eat some good Italian cooking from casual to fine dining.  In the past years it has become a bit dangerous at night and, aggravatingly, peppered with parking meters.  Banjo Man decided that we would drive up there and see for ourselves.  We would take the family to lunch next week IF the traffic wasn’t bad, IF we could find a place to park, IF it didn’t feel dangerous and IF we could find the perfect Italian restaurant.

I researched everything, of course.  And I settled on a restaurant called Andino’s.  It has a colorful Mafia history and great reviews on Tripadvisor.

The traffic was fine.  We didn’t get lost.  We even found a “free” parking space on a side street.  It felt like a long walk up Atwells Avenue, but that was only because it was the first cold and windy day of the season and we weren’t ready for winter yet, even though I’d worn a new sweater and a new coat.

Andino’s was crowded, so we sat at the bar and drank wine until our table was ready.  It was a lovely place, with linen tablecloths, flowers and lots of pleasant people working there.  Frank Sinatra songs serenaded us.

In other words, it would be perfect for our family lunch next week.

I had butternut squash and ricotta ravioli in a maple cream sauce for an appetizer.

Banjo Man had chicken escarole soup.  For my main course I chose eggplant parmigiana.

Does he look happy?

Clams in linguine with red sauce.

We were quite proud of ourselves for spending a Tuesday afternoon is such sophisticated surroundings.  We’d gotten out of the country and were in the big city for the first time in many years.

Our afternoon didn’t end there.  We stopped at Sciola’s bakery (everything baked in a 1920’s brick oven) for bread and pastry and at Venda Ravioli to admire the enormous array of cheeses and meats and olive oils.  We saved the wine shop for next week’s visit.

Sciola’s bakery window:

I think my little Texas family will like it here.

On this miserable stormy, rainy day here in Rhode Island, I thought I’d share Banjo Man’s latest recipe.

It was actually delicious.

Sound the trumpets.

We’ve been cleaning out cookbooks, of which I have many, having belonged to the mail-order cookbook club (similar to the Columbia Records club back in the 1970’s).  In my remote little home, a new cookbook was the most wonderful thing to receive in the mail.

But times change, as do appetites and time and energy.  So old, unused-for 20-years cookbooks were donated to the library book sale.  We also found various cooking magazines, which Banjo Man dearly loved to buy.  Before he got rid of them he tore out this recipe from “Eating Well”, November/December 2008.

I will be honest here.  I do not like it when Banjo Man discovers a recipe and wants one of us to make it.  It annoys me in so many ways–and I will not reveal them now (aren’t you glad?).

But on Sunday I was suffering with allergies (to dust!!) after cleaning the basement for two days.  I was clutching a box of tissues and curled up on the couch when my ever energetic husband came upstairs with a new recipe.

Jesus, give me strength.

“I went through all the magazines before I threw them away,” he confessed.  “You don’t have to get up, except to fry the steaks.  I’ll make it myself.”

I liked the “you don’t have to get up” part, because I wasn’t going to anyway.

So off to the kitchen he went.  There was lots of banging and frying and clattering of bowls.

And the results?  It was actually delicious!  Who knew?

BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH BACON-HORSERADISH CREAM

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
4 strips bacon, cooked crisp and finely chopped
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tsp prepared horseradish
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Steam the sprouts until tender, 6-8 minutes.  Mix bacon, sour cream, horseradish, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.  When the sprouts are cooked, put them in the bowl and toss to coat.  Makes 6 servings, 1 cup each–but we ate a lot more than that.  Next time I’ll double the recipe and figure that’s enough for 4-6 people.  Or great leftovers!

So there you go.  Give Banjo Man credit for his first culinary success!