Dinner with Maria/Nonna, Year 5, Part 2

Cavatappi with shrimp in a light white cream sauce 12/15/15

Continuing on our journey of food, fun and a great afternoon spent with friends.  Our yearly Tradition, part 2. Starting with our delicious appetizers.

Chatting with Maria <3

Goat cheese and spinach etc. quiche.  Excellant for a non goat cheese person.  Goat cheese is really good!

 Fried smelts with lemon, next Balsamic red peppers, parsley and cheese(can't remember the name). Next is Roasted Butternut Squash, seasoned with shallots etc.

 On to dinner!

Cavatappi with shrimp in a light cream sauce.

White Bean Pasta Fagiole

Mediterranean Salad 

 Veal Osso Bucco

Giambiotta (Seasonal vegetables)

Almond Torte

Our group

I hope this has been as enjoyable to you in this post and I hope some day you too can get together with friends for an afternoon or evening with friends.  You be happy you made some wonderful memories.


  Love and Peace.

Dinner with Maria/ Nonna, Year 5,Part 1

This post will be in two parts since it's quite long.  It's quite a nice read and I think enjoyable for those who like to read about friends and traditional events.

I'm hoping you look forward to hearing about our yearly tradition of going to Maria Mercante's lovely establishment where she has created the most homey Italian surroundings to make you feel like you are in Italy. She has an Italian store in Bloomfield, Pa

Which is Very close to the city of Pittsburgh.  The first floor is all beautiful Italian keepsakes as well as a section Maria and her friends and family bake.  Cookies, Biscotti of all different kinds and everything you could ever imagine an authentic Italian store would have in it.  Maria is a GEM.  I really don't know how she does it?  Her sidekick helping her continually is a spunky Italian young woman named Linda.  She is the sweetest and most hard working young lady I have ever met.  Just watching them together is a treat in itself.

We've known Maria who most call Nonna for over five years.  A lovely woman from Southern Italy that has been doing this lovely meal for us and well as others for years. Along with all she does she also manages to take about 8 to 10 people to Italy (different areas) and explore the culture of food, fun and family.  It's something we haven't done with her as of yet but intend on sooner than later.

This particular Sunday(we always have it on a Sunday around 1 p.m.) Maria managed to out do herself once again.  Of course Linda was there always one step ahead making the salad and setting up our appetizers and dishes as well as the clean up.  She is fast and efficient.  Praise to her!

We are a group of 4 couples who moved here from various areas and just clicked. Family loving, kind and fun people who people who enjoy socializing from time to time. We live in a quiet, beautiful, condo twenty miles north of the city of Pittsburgh.  We met two of the three couples when we moved here 8 1/2 years ago and have managed to keep in contact on a regular basis.  They have become cherished friends.

Now it's time to get on to the delicious dinner.  I don't remember the names of a lot of the appetizers but pretty much know the meal entrees and dessert.  Enjoy! 
12/15/15

To be Continued

2016 Dinner with Nonna

A great holiday with friends dinner. Memories forever!!!

Our annual Dinner with Nonna was today and with the chill in the air and a little of snow on the ground it really felt like Christmas time.

As usual Maria aka Nonna prepared so many wonderful appetizers when we arrived. I can't remember the names of most of them but each was special and delicious.

Maria is such a gracious hostess and her assistent Linda always makes us feel so comfortable.  She continues to tell us while preparing what goes into her dishes.  Questions are always answered in a manner that I wish I could take notes because always great suggestions for me since I love to cook.

We started the meal with Stracciatella soup.(Stracciatella (soup), an egg drop soup which is popular in central Italy).

On to ricotta gnocchi in a light marinara sauce topped with a little fresh mozzarella cheese.

Next was the main entree which was roasted pork tenderloin seasoned with basil, dill, parsley and thyme roasted with potatoes, butternut squash and celery.

A huge mixed and seasoned salad tossed with white balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

To complete the meal it was sweet ricotta filled cannoli.  the ends were dabbed with pistachios and chocolate chips. Expresso and orange not lemon cello to sip. A great relaxing dinner as usual.  Bon Appetite! 

Note: Maria's website is  https://merante-gifts.com/private-dining/. check it out. <3 M.j.