Valentine's Day Gift Giving Guide -- Gifts for Foodies -- Carrabba's Italian Grill: Recipes from Around Our Family Table Cookbook (Review)

 

* 75 authentic Italian recipe * Offers tips on successful grilling, preparing perfect pasta, finding the best ingredients, mastering homemade pizza, and more * $13.45 (paperback)

PURCHASE

Make dinner the Carrabba's way tonight, with these delicious family recipes

For 25 years, Carrabba's Italian Grill has offered its amici (Italian for "friends") an extraordinary dining experience. Serving hand-prepared, contemporary renditions of traditional family recipes, Carrabba's makes everyone who walks through the door feel right at home. Each meal is served in the time-honored tradition of warm Italian hospitality and authentically prepared food made from the heart. 

Now, you can re-create the Carrabba's experience in your own kitchen with delicious recipes inspired by generations of family cooking. In the true spirit of generosity, Recipes from Around Our Family Table shares not just these mouthwatering signature recipes, but also the cooking secrets that make them so good.

• Includes 75 authentic Italian recipes and Carrabba's favorites, like Chicken Bryan, Mama Mandola's Sicilian Chicken Soup and Pizza Margherita
• Offers tips on successful grilling, preparing perfect pasta, finding the best ingredients, mastering homemade pizza, and more

My Thoughts:

I was so excited when I heard Carrabba's restaurant was putting out a cookbook.  This is my favorite "real" Italian restaurant.  And, even though the closest restaurant is over 40 minutes away, I always look forward to dining here.  They have an extensive menu, which includes succulent appetizers, including soups and salads, as well as tantalizing fish, meat and poultry entrees.  Don't worry pizza lovers, as Carrabba's has you covered with their homemade pizzas, which are out of this world.  

Whenever we dine at Carrabba's, I always get the same thing, their homemade chicken soup and a side Caesar salad.  My husbands gets either their cobb salad or a pizza with the toppings of his choice.  And, now that Savannah is eating table foods now, she enjoys the homemade meatballs.  I can order her a side of meatballs, and she eats two, while Daddy helps her finish the third one.  If you love bread and dipping oil served at restaurants, then you will love Carrabba's crusty bread and dipping oil.  We like it so much, that we usually get two helpings, as their bread is great to sop up the leftover soup broth or meat sauce.  Am I getting you hungry yet?  Well, just typing this I am!

If you have never been to Carrabba's, you really need to visit their website and see if there is a restaurant near you.  You can also view their menu online, by clicking here.  They also offer take out, in case you can't dine in, or want to surprise the family with a tasty Italian meal, when you are pressed for time.  But, if you don't have a Carrabba's near you, then you can still enjoy their tasty dishes, with the help of this cookbook.  This new cookbook features over 75 authentic Carrabba's favorites, including their Mama Mandola's Sicilian Chicken Soup and Pizza Margherita, as well as their oil olive dipping blend and homemade marinara sauce.  

I have had this cookbook for a few weeks now, and have tried over a dozen of their recipes.  They are so easy to prepare, and provide heaping portions, which leave us with leftovers for a few days.  Being a fan of their Mama Mandola's Sicilian Chicken Soup, this was the first recipe I tried out. I found to mimic the restaurant's spicy broth, I had to add extra pepper, beyond what the recipe called for.  But, since first making it, I have made it 4 times since for family and friends, and everyone asks for seconds and thirds.  Some of the other recipes that I have tried include their rigatoni al Forno, pasta Rambo and chicken marsala.  Again, each of these dishes were easy to prepare.  I especially loved the full color photos of many of the recipes, which are included in this cookbook.  Even if you don't like to cook, you will enjoy looking at the photos!

So, with Valentine's Day around the corner, why not pick up this cookbook and create a special authentic Italian meal for you and your sweetie.  Or, if you love to collect cookbooks as much as I do, hint to your partner about this cookbook, and ask them to pick it up for you.  Who knows, they may even surprise you with a cooked meal straight from this amazing cookbook.

Disclosure:  I was sent a copy of this book by the publisher in order to write up an honest review.  The views above are mine and mine alone.