News — Italian RSS

And here’s one— Stuffed Shells —that, though it wasn’t part of my upbringing, has a special place in the heart (and palates) of many Italian-Americans. As prepared here in the US, Stuffed Shells are, if anything, lighter than their continental Italian counterpart, conchiglioni ripieni al forno. The pasta called conchiglioni, usually marketed as “jumbo shells” here in the US, are filled with a ricotta cream enriched with mozzarella, napped with a simple marinara sauce and topped with a generous sprinkling of Parmesan before being baked in a hot oven. The taste and texture of Stuffed Shells is vaguely reminiscent of lasagna but they’re much easier and quicker to make. And for those vegetarians out there, they have the merit of...

New to the Orlando restaurant scene is the recently open Egyptian restaurant, Makani, located on International Drive. Whether it’s shawarma, kofta, grilled meats, or hummus and falafel, you can count on Makani for their Egyptian and Middle Eastern specialties. The name “Makani” means “my place” or “my location” in Arabic – and with this new place it is not hard to see why this is the “place” to try some new Egyptian cuisine. A great way to start off your meal, especially with a large group, is the Makani Signature Platter which comes with Hummus, Baba Ghanouj, and Salad. My personal favorite was the hummus with their large plate of pita bread. Or if Hummus isn’t your style, you can...