Creamy, Cheesy Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese

 This is going to be one of those fast postings as there really isn't much to say.

 Basically, when it comes to macaroni and cheese, Roy and I like creamy and cheesy.  Those packages varieties used powdered cheddar cheese, or "processed cheese", the most popular being Velveeta. Velveeta is classified as a "pasteurized processed cheese product" not real cheese, by the FDA, according to the FDA. While it contains ingredients like milk and cheese culture, it also includes other processed ingredients that don't meet the legal definition of "cheese". Velveeta must contain at least 51% real cheese, says the Code of Federal Regulations, but it's not the same as natural cheese,

Yes, I have tried both types of boxed products and the ones using powdered cheese always come out dry and pretty tasteless.  The ones using the "fake cheese" are creamy, but the taste is, well, to us, kind of disgusting with a nasty aftertaste.

So, here is my quick to make stove top recipe that gives both the creamy and cheesy consistency that most folks enjoy.

 Creamy, Cheesy Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

8 cups water

1 Tbsp. salt

2 cups small macaroni (elbows or shells)

1 stick (8 Tbsp.) salted butter

1 cup milk (I use 2%)

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

2 cups medium sharp cheddar cheese

1 tsp. ground black pepper

Preparation:

In a 2-quart pot, heat the water and salt on high heat.  When boiling, add the pasta and stir for one minute, so the water will get back to high temperature, and the pasta will stay separated.

When fork tender, set aside 1/4 cup of the pasta water, drain the pasta and add back to the pot; keeping the stove top on high heat. Add the butter, milk and pasta water, stir, wait 5 minutes for temperature to return to high.  Add the cheeses and black pepper, stir to combine well, and let cook for another five minutes.

Remove from heat, give one final stir and make sure to scrape up anything sticking to bottom of pot.  Wait five minutes to let it all settle before serving.

Makes six servings.

Easy recipe and the only part you might find annoying is the waiting, as this is something you will want to eat immediately once the cooking process has started.

Enjoy!

Mary Cokenour  

 

Banger’s Bar and Pizza Keeps Upping Their Food Game.

 Banger’s Bar and Pizza

 315 US-491

Dove Creek, Colorado, 81324

Phone: (970) 677-2465

Hours of Operation:  Monday thru Saturday, 11 am to 9 pm; Closed Sunday.

 

In every home cook’s weekly developing of meals, there comes a time of, “I am not in the mood to cook!  I do not want to reheat leftovers, that is cooking!  I do not want to microwave anything, that is cooking!  I do not want to cook!”.  When I get like this, the go-to meal is likely a bowl of cereal, Cap n’ Crunch being, still, my utmost favorite. However, there happens to be another living in the home, and my idea of a go-to meal is not on his list.

Choice?  He can fend for himself, or he can garnish favor by calling for take-out.  After many years together (we are about to celebrate year number 21 this October), he knows what foods put me into my happy place.  Off in his Jeep he went, to Dove Creek, and Banger’s Bar and Pizza.  Their menu selections change occasionally, but still offer up the favorites that locals crave, and visitors to the area drool over.

 

While there is a selection of specialty pizzas, the create-your-own gives a wide choice on sauces, cheeses, meats and vegetables.  We both believe the Banger’s Sauce is killer good on top of that crispy crust pizza dough with an Italian cheese blend.  No, cheddar does NOT make it better!  We are talking pizza here, not a grilled cheese sandwich.  Anyway, I tend to lean towards extra sauce on my pizza as an addition, so we always end up doing a half and half.  I can have my “purist” pizza and Roy gets either a half of loaded pepperoni, or veggie, or both. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are also create-your-own calzones, again, with a variety of sauces, cheeses, meats and veggies.  Our go-to, every time, is Banger’s sauce (told you it was killer good), Italian cheese blend and meatballs.  Now the meatballs are not house made, but they use a brand that is close to homemade as it can get. 

 

 

 

Alright, one item that I have suggested, and still would love to see on the menu, is ricotta cheese.  First off, it is one of the basic ingredients for white pizza.  White pizza?  It is as the name suggests, simply a layer of ricotta cheese, covered in hot and gooey mozzarella only, or an Italian cheese blend, plus garlic.  No tomato sauce touches this pizza, and for those who happen to be allergic to tomatoes, or just do not like them, this is a pizza meant for them.

 

Is Banger’s only about the bar and pizza?  Oh no; they have a variety of appetizers, salads, sandwiches and pasta dishes.  Weekly, owner Shelly Jean comes up with innovative specials to draw us in by our senses, mainly sight, smell and taste.  The sauces and dressings are mostly house made, and from experience, we can tell you that the buttermilk ranch dressing, and house bourbon sauce, are so good, you will be licking the plates.  Since I mentioned salad, Banger’s is definitely not chintzy when it comes to portions.  Side salads are larger than the average salad plate size, since they are loaded with cheese, veggies and croutons.

 

Oh, do not forget to order a basket of the house made potato chips; darker than usual potato chips and full of crunchy potato flavor.  You will find yourself ordering a bag to go.  

 

 

Since I did mention the house bourbon sauce, make sure to order wings (boneless or bone-in) and try out this sauce; you will not regret it.  The wings are meaty and have the perfect crunchy texture to hold onto any sauce they are drenched in.  Of course, if wings are not your thing, try one of the other appetizers listed on the menu.  

 

 

 

Wanting to get away from the home for a relaxing night out, and a great meal, definitely think Banger’s in Dove Creek.  The atmosphere is welcoming and laid back, no one rushes you to order, eat and get out, like many other places tend to do.  There are big screen televisions to watch sports, or another type of programming.  A gaming machine area to try your hand at, or even a small area with comfy cushioned seating to just sink into and forget that hard day you had.  Or, do not want to go out, but do not want to cook either, order take-out like we did!

Mary Cokenour

 

Remembering Childhood Comforts.

Happy childhood memories are few for me and they almost all seem to revolve around food in some way. No wonder really, as food is comforting in itself. It fools you into believing that all is right with the world, well for that moment at least; and later on, if need be, the memory of it can soothe an unpleasant moment in time. 

Take, for example, a thunderstorm brewing and suddenly taken back to a childhood memory. During such storms, I would put four chairs in a square formation, throw a large blanket over them and pretend to be camping outdoors. Some of you probably did the same thing, but called it “playing fort”.  I would have my favorite stuffed animals as company, a flashlight to light the interior, books to read and a large bowl of one of my grandmother's home cooked meals. It could be spaghetti and meatballs, shrimps in sauce over spaghetti, or one of her many delicious soups. Whatever it was, it was wonderful and I would always sneak out of my tent (between thunderclaps) to get a second bowl.

My grandmother's cooking was able to provide me with, not just comforting moments, but comforting memories to help me later on. One such dish was her Paste E Fagioli; a wonderful dish of beans, meat and pasta in a flavorful broth. The steam rising up from the bowl, so fantasy figures could be picked out, much like one would do when watching the clouds in the sky.  Problems are set aside momentarily while the senses take in the taste, texture, smell and overall good feel of the food being consumed.  Oh, the problems are still there, but now a calm has been reached.  The mind and body, instead of knee-jerk reacting, can deal in a more orderly manner; or that is what we hope for.

While Pasta e Fagioli (meaning pasta and beans) is a typically Italian soup, recipes can be found as far as the Alps, and stretching all through the Mediterranean.   Originally, the scarcity of meat made this a vegetarian meal with the starchiness of the beans, maybe potatoes too, giving a thicker consistency.  As cattle, pigs and sheep became more plentiful, additions of these meats elevated the quality of the soup.  Think of this recipe as an example of the story, “Stone Soup”; whatever is at hand can be placed in the pot, all combining for a delicious meal.  My grandmother made this soup in a large stock pot on the stovetop, but I have converted it for cooking in a crock pot.  The stovetop method took hours; stirring and checking to make sure nothing stuck to the bottom and burned.  The crock pot method still takes long hours of cooking, but “setting and forgetting” is less stressful.

 Pasta E Fagioli

 Ingredients:

2 lbs. lean ground beef

1 large onion, diced

3 medium carrots, peeled and diced

4 celery stalks, diced

1 (14 ½ oz.) can diced tomatoes

1 (15 oz.) can tomato puree

1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes

2 (16 oz.) cans white kidney beans (Great Northern), drained and rinsed

1 qts beef stock

3 tsp oregano

2 tsp ground black pepper

4 Tbsp. dried parsley

¼ tsp cayenne pepper flakes

8 oz. ditilini pasta, cooked before adding to the crock pot

Preparation:

In large skillet, brown meat till no pink shows; drain grease.

Spray 6-quart crock pot with non-stick spray. Mix together meat and all ingredients, except the pasta. Set on low heat and cook for 7 hours; add in pasta and cook another 15 minutes before serving. If desired, grated Parmesan cheese can be sprinkled on top of each serving.

Makes 12 - 14 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Time to Think Amore’

Day after Christmas, and already stores were filling up aisles with gifts, candies and decorations for Valentine’s Day.  The New Year had not even been celebrated as yet, but we were being programmed to think about a future holiday.  Besides the required gifts to “prove undying love”, a romantic meal is also part of this holiday.  Many restaurants offer specials featuring expensive cuts of meat, or shipped in seafood like lobster.  You know, the types of foods only eaten for holidays and special occasions, where the amount spent equals the amount of love in the heart.

Equating love to a monetary value just does not sound right to me somehow.  However, throughout history, marriages were arranged between families.  Was this a form of keeping these families “pure” by purchasing the correct spouse?  However, women have always been looked upon as a type of commodity throughout history, and world cultures.  Either the groom’s family would pay a “bride price” to the intended bride’s family, or a dowry was offered to the groom’s family.  What is a dowry?  Basic definition is, “A dowry is a transfer of parental property, gifts, or money at the marriage of a daughter.”

Even in modern societies, it is often the bride and her family who foot the major portion of the wedding and reception costs

Whether wealthy or poor (does a middle class even exist any longer?), I believe love is measured in small ways.  The longing look, gentle touching of hands, a little nudge-nudge, wink-wink; an unexpected compliment, or sharing the last cookie while watching a movie.  Does not cost much, well excepting if the cookies are homemade or store bought.

Swinging back to the romantic meal aspect, not every couple can afford a fancy time out.  Does that diminish the value of Valentine’s Day?  Of course not!

Living in Monticello, the nearest Olive Garden is either in Grand Junction, Colorado (2 and 1/2 hours’ drive northeast), or Farmington, New Mexico (2 hours southeast).  Many people enjoy going to one of these when they are in one of those cities.  The commercials are often on television, and yes, we have gone there once in a while ourselves.

Readers of this food column, and people who I have cooked for, know I focus mainly on Italian cuisine.  So, seeing the latest "limited edition menu items" in recent commercials; had to admit that I wanted to try them.  Then I thought about the items, and realized they are pretty close to baked ziti, and another type of baked pasta casserole, made in the past.  In other words, I can make these new items at home, myself!  While my baked ziti and baked pasta casserole use a homemade tomato based sauce, these new dishes require an Alfredo sauce.

Now, and you know I do this, putting my own spin on a recipe is usually on my mind.  Olive Garden uses a "creamy seafood Alfredo sauce" for the shrimp casserole.  Well, I know how to make Alfredo sauce, and it uses loads of Parmesan cheese.  Smoked mozzarella is shredded and used as a topping.  Since this item is not easily found in any local markets, and traveling an hour away to a supermarket is time consuming, regular mozzarella will do.  However, adding it into the sauce, with the Parmesan, will result in a rich cheesy sauce.   Oh, leaving out the nutmeg as black pepper and garlic will be the main seasonings.

     

Baked Mozzarella Casserole

Ingredients:

 

1 bag (12 oz.) medium sized shrimp

1 bag (16 oz.) tortellini (frozen or dried)

1 can (15.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, rinse & thoroughly drain all excess liquid

8 Tbsp. butter

8 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

6 cups hot milk

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground black pepper

2 tsp. garlic powder

1 Tbsp. dried parsley leaves

Preparation:

Fill a 3 quart pot halfway with water, place on high heat.  While waiting for water to boil, clean shrimp; remove shells and devein.  When water begins to boil, add in tortellini and cook according to package directions.  Fit a metal colander over the pot, place shrimp inside, and steam until a light pinkish coloring.  Place shrimp, drained tortellini and tomatoes into large mixing bowl.

Preheat oven to 400F; spray sides and bottom of 2 quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In another 3 quart pot, heat the butter over medium heat until melted; gradually add the flour, stirring until smooth.  Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture turns a golden brown color, about 6 to 7 minutes; this is the roux.

Yes!  You can make the sauce, on the stove top, right next to the pot cooking the tortellini and steaming the shrimp.

Add the hot milk to the butter mixture one cup at a time; whisk continuously to avoid burning or clumping. When mixture is completely smooth, add the Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, whisk until smooth again; remove from heat; season with salt, black pepper and garlic powder.

Pour cheese sauce over contents in large bowl, mix thoroughly and spoon into baking dish and sprinkle with parsley.  Place dish in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes; edges around contents, and on the top will be slightly browned, and cheese bubbling.  Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 servings.

In case you are wondering, I rinse and drain the tomatoes as I do not want all that red liquid to dilute the cheese sauce, or turn it red.  The shrimp, parsley, and the tomatoes themselves should be the eye catchers throughout the white pasta and cheese sauce.

Now if shrimp is not a favorite, grill up chicken breasts with a light seasoning of salt, black pepper and paprika; cut into bite sized pieces and add this instead.  Or choose another pasta, like rigatoni, but make the cheese sauce as directed, add shrimp or chicken, and bake it up.

This casserole, paired with a salad and garlic bread will make a fantastic dinner for six.  However, it will be a spectacular Valentine’s Day dinner for two, with leftovers!

Mary Cokenour

Italian Tubular Feasting.

If you think about it, many food items come in a tubular form; examples are hotdogs, bratwurst, taquitos, burritos and rolled crepes.  In Italian cuisine, examples would be cannoli (a pastry filled with casada cream) and many pastas such as ziti, penne and manicotti.  I guess if you were a Freudian psychologist, you could come up with some type of fantastical sexual reasoning behind the use of this form, but I'm not even going there.

My main focus is Manicotti; a large tubular form of pasta, usually stuffed with cheeses, meats, veggies or a combination; covered in sauce and cheese, baked in the oven till tender.  Hungry yet? 

Ricotta, Mozzarella, Provolone & Romano Cheeses

Homemade Meat Sauce

Looking into the history of this Italian-American dish, there is a bit of controversy to its origins.  In the 1770s, Cannelloni is a Mediterranean dish originating in Catalonia, a region in Spain, and served on Boxing Day (December 26^th…hey, that’s my birthday!).  However, Italian origins are claimed by Naples and Sicily with the translation being “large reed” in which pasta squares are filled with cheese/spinach mixture or chopped meats, rolled into cylinder shapes, baked in a rich tomato sauce with a Béchamel sauce topping.  The term Manicotti is a typical 20^th century Italian-American word; the pasta sheets replaced with a tube form extruded by a pasta machine, or purchased in a dry form from the local shop or supermarket.  The filling and baking are essentially the same with a minor change here or there.

Manicotti can be a bit difficult to make as you have to be careful to not split the pasta when stuffing it.  Using freshly made pasta sheets and rolling them after filling takes the stress out this process.  Package directions say to cook until tender, but I pull them out of the boiling water when they are al dente. That way they are still a little firm, but flexible enough to stuff without breaking open; they'll become tender after the baking process is done.  In the overall scheme, if they break, who cares, they’ll still taste amazingly delicious!

It was suggested to me that I attempt baking the manicotti as I do my lasagna, by leaving the pasta uncooked.  Stuffing the tubes is just as difficult as with al dente pasta, there is still a possibility of breakage if the pasta is held too tightly.  I tried two methods in the stuffing process as well, first filling a plastic bag with the cheese mixture.  Basically this is the same idea as filling a pastry bag with icing and piping it onto cakes or cupcakes; or filling a cannoli shell with a creamy, sweet ricotta cheese mixture.  The cheese mixture is very thick and took a long time to squeeze down the tube; it was easier to break the pasta too.  I then placed one end of the tube into the bowl of cheese, to act as an anchor; held the tube lightly while filling it little by little with a teaspoon.  This process took a lot longer for filling, but no breakage!

Baked Manicotti

Ingredients:

2 (8 oz.) packages dried manicotti (depending on the brand, there will be 12-14 pieces)

3 lbs. ricotta cheese

4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided in half

2 cup shredded provolone cheese

2 cup grated Romano cheese

1/2 cup mixture of minced fresh herbs (oregano, parsley, basil and thyme)

8 cups homemade meat sauce

Note: you can add 1 cup of crumbled, cooked meat such as Italian sausage, or chopped raw spinach to the mixture.

Preparation:

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil on high heat; cook manicotti for 10 minutes, or until al dente. Strain manicotti out and place in large bowl of cold water to stop cooking process and keep them from sticking together.  (Skip this step if using the dried manicotti as is.)

While waiting for water to boil and pasta to cook, prepare the filling by place all remaining ingredients, except one cup of shredded mozzarella (one cup for each 4-quart pan) and the meat sauce, into a large bowl.  

Preheat oven to 350F; spray a 4 quart baking dish with nonstick baking spray; spread 2 cups of sauce over bottom of dish. Use a teaspoon or piping bag to fill each tube; place into the baking dish. Spoon 2 cups of sauce over them, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.  Remove foil, spread one cup of mozzarella over pasta; return to oven and bake an additional 15 minutes.

2 cups meat sauce bottom of baking dish

Cheese mixture in plastic bag

Cut corner off bag

Insert open corner of bag into pasta tube

Squeeze cheese into tube

Filled Manicotti tube

Teaspoon method of filling pasta tubes

Filled pasta tubes laying over sauce

Spoon sauce over filled tub es

After 45 minutes baking, top with cheese, bake 15 minutes more

Lovely pan full of Baked Manicotti

Makes 6-7 servings (2 manicotti = 1 serving) Add a side salad and homemade garlic bread for an exceptional Italian meal.

Note: This recipe makes 2 full 4-quart pans; bake one to eat, wrap the 2nd pan in aluminum foil, then plastic wrap and place in freezer for up to 3 months. To bake, remove plastic wrap; bake with foil on for 1 hour at 400F; remove foil and continue to bake for an additional half hour.  To test cheese filling, stick fork into one manicotti, press lightly against mouth to make sure hot and fully baked.

Mary Cokenour

Chef Rana Meets My Homemade Alfredo Sauce.

As much as I love to cook up Italian dishes, I am still "pasta making challenged".  Therefore, whenever I find a pasta product we can enjoy, I will match it up with one of my homemade sauces.  Have to keep it homemade, even if only semi, somehow.

The "Chef Rana" line includes a Mushroom Ravioli which has a creamier, less earthy tasting/smelling filling than others which have just a lot of chopped up mushrooms.  Someone disliking mushrooms will, more than likely, find this product more pleasing to their palette.  A typical sauce paired with mushrooms, and mushroom ravioli, is a browned butter sauce; but I'm not one for the typical.

While I try to keep half n' half in the fridge, sometimes there is just enough left to add to scrambling eggs, or use as a coffee creamer.  Thankfully, when I reached inside for the grated cheese (not that sits on the shelf in a green can stuff!), I noticed the almost empty half n' half container.  The light bulb shines brightly...why not make a homemade Alfredo sauce, but add the pasta to the pan to coat, instead of spooning over???  Sure, why not!?!

 

Mushroom Ravioli with Homemade Alfredo Sauce

 

 

Ingredients:

 



1 Tbsp. butter
1 small onion, diced
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 package (18 oz.) Chef Rana Mushroom Ravioli
2 Tbsp. grated cheese
1 cup half n' half
parsley for garnish

Preparation:

In a deep, 12 inch skillet, over medium heat, sauté the onion, garlic, black pepper and nutmeg in butter.  At the same time, cook ravioli according to package directions; it will be ready when needed to add to the sauce.

Increase skillet temperature to medium-high; sprinkle cheese over onions; add half n' half, stir and bring to a boil for three minutes.  Add the cooked ravioli, toss gently to coat; remove from heat and serve with a garnish of sprinkled parsley.

Chef Rana Ravioli - soft pillows of pasta stuffed with filling

Makes 4 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Oh So Easy Shrimp, Veggies and Pasta.

The most difficult part about making a pasta recipe is choosing the pasta. Do you want tubular; long and thin; long, flat and thin; curly; wavy; a shape such as a bowtie or shell; yada, yada, yada? There are so many choices in the world of pasta and it basically depends on what shape you feel like looking at on your plate, and forking over into your mouth. For this recipe I chose pappardelle; a broad, flat, long pasta that is shaped into a "nest" when drying; once cooked though, it's snakes alive!

Shrimp and Vegetables over Pappardelle

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 large zucchini, cubed
1 large yellow squash, cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (8 oz) package Pappardelle
water to cook pasta
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 lb. large shrimp, shelled and deveined
2 cups tomato vodka cream sauce**

Preparation:

In a large skillet, heat oil on medium-high heat, sauté zucchini, yellow squash and onion till the edges just begin to brown.  While waiting to brown vegetables, heat water in a large pot and cook Pappardelle until al dente.

Add the garlic, salt, pepper and shrimp to the vegetables; mix. 

When the shrimp turns opaque, drain the pasta and place a serving on each plate.   Spoon sauce over the pasta and top with the shrimp and vegetable mixture.

 

 

Makes 6 servings.

** Recipe for Tomato Vodka Cream Sauce

Tomato Vodka Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp butter

¼ cup diced onion
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup vodka
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup grated Romano cheese

Preparation:

In a large skillet, medium-high heat, melt butter and sauté onion until translucent. Add tomatoes and cook until liquid reduces by half; stir frequently to keep from sticking or burning.

Add cream, vodka and pepper flakes; bring to a boil; reduce heat to low; add in cheeses and let cook 10 minutes to let sauce thicken.

Makes 4 cups.

Mary Cokenour


 

Bitter Bertolli Face.

Did you ever see those beer commercials with the tag line of "Don't have bitter beer face!"?  When it comes to Bertolli's Rustico Bakes or Al Dente microwave pasta meals, I get bitter Bertolli face.  Even though I do not like Bertolli's Meal or Soup for Two (available in frozen section of supermarket), I had two $1.50 coupons for the new microwave meals, so decided to give them a try; one Rustico Bakes and one Al Dente.  I should have known, from not liking their frozen bagged meals, that these new ones wouldn't stand up to taste either, but I had to find out for myself.

Lets begin with Rustico Bakes - Ricotta and Spinach Cannelloni; the portion is generous (3 cannelloni); however the taste and texture are severely lacking.  The cannelloni pasta is undercooked; it is not al dente ("to the tooth"), but more like too starchy and sticking to the teeth.  The ricotta cheese filling is smooth and tasty,  but are those flakes spinach?  I could not tell as they are so small and flavorless; I could not tell the difference between them and the herbal flakes in the sauce.  The Alfredo sauce I do not understand for this dish; white on white sauce; cheese sauce flavoring a cheese filling, and very garlicky.  The petite diced tomatoes are what really killed the meal; they were so bitter that I couldn't help but make that "yuck!" face.

Bertolli Rustico Bakes - Ricotta and Spinach Cannelloni

Now comes Al Dente - Chicken Chardonnay and Penne; a generous portion of penne pasta cooked perfectly this time; sadly that is all that is right with this meal.  The chicken looks like two chicken nuggets that were cut in half, giving you four total pieces.  The breading was bland, the chicken meat was dry and stringyThe sauce was very bitter and tasted heavily of wine; again with the bitter tomatoes.   After giving it a good 3 forkfuls of testing, into the trash it went; so I may have saved with the coupons, but I still ended up wasting money on both meals.

Bertolli Al Dente - Chicken Chardonnay and Penne

 



















Bertolii might consider their products an example of fine and classic Italian cuisine, but they are way off the mark. Save yourself the money and either go to a real Italian restaurant or learn to make it from scratch.

Mary Cokenour