Alex Witchel tries out a 'Cook This, Not That' recipe

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/27/dining/27feed.html

This is the phrasing I am going to keep in mind the next time ANYONE suggests a positive reason for going to the Olive Garden:

The spaghetti was bland and overcooked, though the marinara sauce was brightly flavored. The meatballs were a travesty, with the consistency of an eraser and a distinct taste of stale cooking oil. The cooler they got the worse they got; the aftertaste of salt was downright acrid, and the filler had an opaque, chalky quality that was as unpleasant as it was unidentifiable.

Beautiful.

I liked this quote:

Leafing through the book made me curious to try a restaurant dish, then the home-cooked alternative. As this age of burger madness yields to meatball madness, I opted for that suddenly trendy yet time-honored standby, spaghetti and meatballs. This version is from Olive Garden, where it clocks in at 1,110 calories, 50 grams of fat and 2,180 milligrams of sodium per serving.


Food is disguised by adding tons of salt. To the point that today I think people crave it. Olive Garden is horrible and definitely not Italian Food...Russ

Reader missed the purpose of the book. They don't try to recreate restaurant meals (seeing some of their substitution recipes for breakfast sandwiches drives this home) rather, I think they are offering a recipe that would take care of the same type of craving as the restaurant item.

I bought the book. As I am better at repeatedly looking at cookbooks rather than cooking anything in them, it remains an untested book with pretty pictures. Nice for the $10 online.

Russ Jackson


I liked this quote:

Leafing through the book made me curious to try a restaurant dish, then the home-cooked alternative. As this age of burger madness yields to meatball madness, I opted for that suddenly trendy yet time-honored standby, spaghetti and meatballs. This version is from Olive Garden, where it clocks in at 1,110 calories, 50 grams of fat and 2,180 milligrams of sodium per serving.


Food is disguised by adding tons of salt. To the point that today I think people crave it. Olive Garden is horrible and definitely not Italian Food...Russ

Yeah, But you get "FREE" breadsticks!

I liked that she had to eat a Milky Way to get the taste out of her mouth.  My kinda girl, Alex!

joerogo

Russ Jackson


I liked this quote:

Leafing through the book made me curious to try a restaurant dish, then the home-cooked alternative. As this age of burger madness yields to meatball madness, I opted for that suddenly trendy yet time-honored standby, spaghetti and meatballs. This version is from Olive Garden, where it clocks in at 1,110 calories, 50 grams of fat and 2,180 milligrams of sodium per serving.


Food is disguised by adding tons of salt. To the point that today I think people crave it. Olive Garden is horrible and definitely not Italian Food...Russ

Yeah, But you get "FREE" breadsticks!

And the coldest salad on the planet. It is acs close to ice as you can get...Russ

Grandma Maronis Meatballs 100 Year Old Recipe Recipe courtesy Mike Maroni

Prep Time: 15 min Inactive Prep Time: -- Cook Time: 35 min Level: Easy Serves: 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

1 pound ground chuck 4 ounces dried bread crumbs 4 large eggs 4 ounces whole milk 6 ounces grated Romano 3 ounces grated Spanish onion 2 ounces finely diced fresh garlic 2 ounces finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves 2 ounces finely chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray.
Mix all ingredients thoroughly in large bowl. If mixture seems a little loose add more bread crumbs.
Roll meatballs loosely about the size of a golf ball and place on baking sheet. Place into preheated oven for approximately 35 to 40 minutes. Enjoy!
 
 
THIS IS THE REAL DEAL-----TRY THESE ONCE AND YOU'LL NEVER LOOK FOR ANOTHER MEATBALL RECIPE!      ----------------------RUSS

Russ Jackson


I liked this quote:

Leafing through the book made me curious to try a restaurant dish, then the home-cooked alternative. As this age of burger madness yields to meatball madness, I opted for that suddenly trendy yet time-honored standby, spaghetti and meatballs. This version is from Olive Garden, where it clocks in at 1,110 calories, 50 grams of fat and 2,180 milligrams of sodium per serving.


Food is disguised by adding tons of salt. To the point that today I think people crave it. Olive Garden is horrible and definitely not Italian Food...Russ

Speaking of which:

http://www.chainleader.com/article/387678-CSPI_Decries_Salt_Levels_in_Chain_Restaurant_Meals.php

Olive Garden Tour of Italy (lasagna) with a Breadstick, Garden Fresh Salad with House Dressing, and a Coca-Cola: 6,176 mg

Olive Garden Chicken Parmigiana with a Breadstick, Garden Fresh Salad with House Dressing, and Raspberry Leonade: 5,735 mg

Olive Garden Chicken Fingers, Fries, and Raspberry Lemonade: 1,835 mg

Quotes:

"These chains are sabotaging the food supply. They should cut back and give consumers the freedom to decide for themselves how much salt they want."

" Children eating at chain restaurants don't fare much better than their parents or grandparents. According to the Institute of Medicine, children aged 4-8 should consume no more than 1,200 mg of sodium per day. These meals that have one or two days' worth of sodium:
Red Lobster Chicken Fingers, Biscuit, Fries, Raspberry Lemonade: 2,430 mg
Chili's Country Fried Chicken Crispers with Rice and 1% milk: 2,385 mg
KFC Popcorn Chicken with Macaroni and Cheese, Teddy Grahams, and 2% milk: 2,005 mg
Jack in the Box Chicken Strips Grilled, Buffalo Sauce, Fries, and 1 % milk: 1,980 mg
Olive Garden Chicken Fingers, Fries, and Raspberry Lemonade: 1,835 mg
Children eating at chain restaurants don't fare much better than their parents or grandparents. According to the Institute of Medicine, children aged 4-8 should consume no more than 1,200 mg of sodium per day. These meals that have one or two days' worth of sodium:
Red Lobster Chicken Fingers, Biscuit, Fries, Raspberry Lemonade: 2,430 mg
Chili's Country Fried Chicken Crispers with Rice and 1% milk: 2,385 mg
KFC Popcorn Chicken with Macaroni and Cheese, Teddy Grahams, and 2% milk: 2,005 mg
Jack in the Box Chicken Strips Grilled, Buffalo Sauce, Fries, and 1 % milk: 1,980 mg
Olive Garden Chicken Fingers, Fries, and Raspberry Lemonade: 1,835 mg

Red Lobster Admirals' Feast with Caesar Salad, Creamy Lobster Topped Mashed Potato, Cheddar Bay Biscuit, and a Lemonade: 7,106 mg
Chili's Buffalo Chicken Fajitas (with tortillas and condiments) and a Dr Pepper: 6,916 mg
Chili's Honey-Chipotle Ribs with Mashed Potatoes with Gravy, Seasonal Vegetables, and a Dr Pepper: 6,440 mg
We should use leftovers as a Salt Lick to attract Deer.

But for some, particularly the elderly, consuming 4,000 mg or more of sodium in a single meal can present an immediate risk of heart failure or other serious problems.


...Russ