Dear Chocolate...

Dear Chocolate,

Why must you be so delicious? With your creamy, milky texture and deep hazelnut colouring. Just the thought of you makes my mouth salivate in anticipation.  You have that nutty, cocoa-y, coffee-like flavour that melts on my tongue with every bite. Why must you be so delicious?

Though, I must say you're not as bad-ass as you seem. You are derived from a cocoa bean, a fruit from a tree. See your natural, which means you have some nutritional quality. That heavenly bitter taste you offer at 70% cocoa. Your actually good for my heart! Though, I must say you're not as bad-ass as you seem.

Yumm-o! You make such good desserts, like: cookies, ice cream, cake, brownies, or just by yourself. Your so soothing and comforting in hot liquid form; with marshmallows and whipped cream. Your always there at every special occasion. Such as: Easter, Christmas, Valentines Day, and Halloween. Yumm-o!

 I must go now, all this writing is making me hungry. It's time for me to go enjoy another one of your sweet treats! I will always love you Chocolate!

Sincerely,

Sophia

I May Be A Bit Biased.

As you can probably tell already, I have a passion for home cooked food. So much so that I work in a grocery store, where I constantly pick up new culinary ideas. Many of you may have heard about this store and if you have, I can guarantee that you love it!

What am I talking about you ask?

I am talking about the Italian Centre Shop!

The Italian Centre Shop is a store that offers delicacies from all over the world. Anything from balsamic vinegar for $250 per bottle, to bulk olives. The Italian Centre Shop offers products that are affordable, tasty, and of very good quality.

When I go grocery shopping, my first stop is to the Italian Centre Shop. Being a student, I have a strict budget for everything I buy, yet I love to eat! The Italian Centre Shop not only fits in my budget, but I can also eat restaurant quality meals. I know, it seems a bit contradictory to my early comment about $250 balsamic vinegar. The Italian Centre Shop has a wide range of delicacies within a wide range of prices.

If you want olive oil, or grape seed oil, or tomato sauce, or pasta, there are entire aisles dedicated to these items. There are over 100 different kinds of pasta alone. So now that you have your pasta, tomato sauce, oils, and vinegars, you may want some sandwich meats and cheese.

Now for a minute I want you to think about your favorite kind of sandwich, whether it is open faced, a sub, grilled, etc. What is in it? Salami? Turkey or chicken? Beef or pork? Spicy or mild? The deli here definitely has it. Are you thinking cheese? Polish? Spiced? Firm or soft? Sharp or mild? Anything that you can't find is not worth having! I'm just kidding. If there is something that you can't find, just make a request to a staff member. That way the product may be brought in for your convenience.

Okay, so you have your pasta and your sammie. Now it's time for dessert! The bakery offers fresh baked cakes, tiramisu, brownies, and Portuguese tarts, just to name a few. Many fresh and seasonal fruits are added to the pastries for extra flavour and colour. 

For your own little European getaway, visit the Italian Centre near you! With two locations to serve you better, one in the heart of Little Italy, and the other on the sensational South Side. Remember eating good food is fun and easy!

Wanna Try Some Italian?

When I prepare food, I don't actually follow a recipe. Instead I just go with the flow and make one up along the way. The other night I made fettucini alfredo.

The meal turned out to be fantastic!! So I am going to share my recipe with you. If you don't like it, too bad. I really truly enjoyed it.

So you will need:

• fettucini pasta (or any other long noodle pasta.)
• Parmesan cheese (the REAL stuff!!)
• Romano cheese a.k.a. Pecorino
• Butter 
• Flour or corn starch
• Shrimp and/or chicken and/or broccoli
• Milk 
• Salt and pepper
• Garlic

 First off, you need to put a pot of salted water on to boil. The chicken and/or shrimp needs to be sauteed, which is just a fancy word for fry. The meat can be seasoned with garlic, salt, and pepper. (set aside). Next in a small sauce pan melt, on medium heat, a tablespoon of butter, once melted stir in 1 1/2 tablespoons of flour. Which is known as a roux. Slowly pour in some milk, about a cup or so, while whisking continuously.

Add pasta to boiling water. Fettucini takes about 6 minutes to cook, after 5 min add broccoli to water. Drain pasta when al dente. (Just slightly undercooked). 

Once rue and milk are combined, add 1/4 cup of parmesan, 1/4 cup of romano, and salt and pepper to taste. Allow to thicken stirring often. Add chicken and/or shrimp.   

Finally, combine the sauce and pasta. Serve warm.

I hope this dish is a crowd pleaser in your household. Enjoy!