A Foodie's Dream Comes True

As long as I can remember, I have always been a bibliophile. I am always reading something, whether it be magazines, books or cookbooks. I usually do most of my reading at night while I am in bed. It helps me relax before I go to sleep. My ADD brain keeps me jumping through various genres of literature, so my tastes for what I want to read constantly change.

While I am devouring cooking magazines, I will concurrently be reading pieces from my favorite essayists, a work from the classics or rereading one of my favorite books.

I know that this is not a normal thing, but what can I say other than my mind works in mysterious ways.

Several months ago, my best foodie friend (BFF) suggested a great foodie book for me to read. I was excited because it was from a local Pittsburgh author. She lent me her copy of Aftertaste: A Novel in Five Courses by . BFF knows what I like to read, so I took it on blind faith when she said, “Read this because it is something you will like."

I took the book home and devoured it. I did nothing other than read this book over the next two days. I was enthralled with this book and did not want to put it down. The plot was great and the story was a good one. However, the food descriptions were what pulled me in. They were phenomenal!

The way the food was depicted was incredible. The images were so vivid that I could picture them in my mind. I do believe that this was the only time I began to salivate when I was reading a work of fiction.

I went and bought my own copy. This is a book that I knew I would keep in my personal library and reread again.

A few months later, I decided to join a book club. Because of my voracious appetite for reading, a book club seemed like a wise choice. When it was my turn to pick a book for the group to read, I knew which one that I would choose. It was an obvious choice—I had to share this book with my friends.

I wanted to have a meeting where we would cook some of the dishes described in the book. The recipes that were included in the novel could help us accomplish this feat. I was excited for this and I knew that it would be fun.

While doing research on the book, I decided to write the author an email. I had to tell Mileti just how much I liked her story and that I was going to use it for my book club selection. Several days later, I heard from her. Mileti humbly offered to come to my house and join in on our book discussion. The goofy latent teenager hiding deep within the recesses of my brain jumped up and down with excitement. In my best Valley Girl voice I screamed, “Like oh my gosh! She is like totally coming to my house."

The plans were set. Mileti, foodie extraordinaire and author, was coming to my house for dinner and a book club meeting. After the initial excitement waned, the realization set in that I would be cooking for a local famous person. Yes I can cook, but never for anyone like this. The more I read about Mileti, the more my stomach began to get knotted.

This person has traveled to the motherland—Italy! She has eaten some of the best foods that country has to offer and, not to mention, she knows her way around a kitchen.

I ran to to consult a local gastronome . I needed some advice about appetizers because this is an area that I am weak in. I peppered her with questions: “Like what would you serve? Could you give me a quick tutorial on authentic Italian appetizers and tell me more about imported olives?"

I really must have looked flustered, or perhaps pathetic. Because with all of the questions I asked, I eventually blurted out, “Domenica, would you like to come to my house the night of book club?" I have become friendly with Merante, but I never expected her to say yes. To my surprise, she agreed to come! I was thrilled—this would definitely be a good time.

I now had an executive chef and foodie author coming to my house for dinner, along with my friends from the book club. Yep the panic set in. I cook for family and friends all the time—that is easy. To have two top foodies coming to my house to eat, I was slightly freaking out in my mind!

I was going to meet an author and discuss her book from conception to publication. I was going to talk with an executive chef who trained in Italy and chat about food. These events were occurring together under one roof at my house. One person wrote about food and another cooks it, I was dizzy with excitement.

The weeks of planning paid off because on Saturday, June 2, we all gathered at my house. As my friends started to arrive, we anxiously waited for our VIPs. Mileti arrived first. I greeted her at the door and she came bearing foodie presents—this was completely awesome. She was this charming Italian woman who I could immediately tell would be a great person to know.

Merante arrived and in her hands she had a platter of treats from her store. My food radar was on and I began to think about all of these lovely treats that she brought. Yes, I was in gourmand heaven.

We all sat around the table and began to eat. There was so much food that I was not sure where to begin. Many of my friends brought delicious dishes to gnash on—from fresh fruit trays to marinated cheese dishes and homemade bread sticks. I brought out a platter of sausage and peppers, and five-cheese baked penne. There was barely enough of room on the table for all of the food.

Merante brought a show-stopping antipasto with various cured meats from her shop—to die for! Paper-thin sliced Parma prosciutto, soppresatta, numerous imported Italian cheeses, hand-stuffed olives with capicola and Asiago cheese, and an array of cured olives. I could not believe my eyes. She brought such a beautiful tray to my house—it honestly took my breath away.

The sounds of happy eaters around the table filled the house. It was music to my ears. This is what I live for. This makes my Italian heart swell with pride—good food, good friends and good wine!

As the evening progress onward, we turned our sights to dessert and discussion of the book. Mileti made cookies that she developed specifically for the book called Mira's Cacao Nib Cookies. These delicious treats had a rich chocolate flavor, and they perfectly complemented the dinner.

The discussion of the book, and food and restaurant life, went on for some time. To hear views from a chef and an author on the topic of food and foodie-related subjects was pretty incredible. Both of these women are culinary powerhouses and master storytellers in their own rite. The tales they told about their lives and their personal journeys were absolutely intriguing. It was something that I shall never forget!

The stories, the laughter and chatter went on into the late evening hour. As the midnight hour approached, the meeting was sadly coming to a close. Everyone said goodbye and soon, thereafter that, my house was empty.

I sat alone in my kitchen amidst the dirty dishes. I looked around and began to reflect on the evening's events. As I began to clean, I smiled knowing that I had made a memory that would last a lifetime.

I am sharing the recipe for the baked penne that I made. The original recipe was given to me many years ago from a dear friend of mine. I have made many versions of this recipe. It is a dish with many ingredients, but is also easy to make. It is a rich, decadent pasta dish, and worth every luscious calorie.

Buon Appetito!

Check out Meredith Mileti and some of her recipes at meredithmileti.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Meredith-Mileti/149306025123553.

Also, be sure to reread the Patch piece on Mileti's background and inspiration behind the book, as well as secret Pittsburgh foodie spots! . 

Please check out Merante Brothers Market at merantebrothersmarket.com or like their page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/meranteboys.

Auntie Karen’s Party Macaroni (Cinque Formaggi Penne)

This is a great dish to make if you are having a large crowd for dinner. The measurements are estimates—no need to be precise. A little more or a little less will not alter the taste; this is a baked pasta dish, so have fun with it.

Ingredients:

½ cup grated Italian cheese—use any one kind or a combination of your favorite (Pecorino Romano, Parmigiano-Reggiano or a Romano/Parmesan blend.).

6 oz Fontina (Italian) cheese, shredded

¼ cup Gorgonzola, crumbled

2-3 heaping tablespoons (about ¼ c) ricotta cheese

¼ lb fresh mozzarella, cubed

2 cups half and half or heavy cream

1 cup crushed tomatoes

1 handful of fresh basil, roughly torn

1 pound penne pasta, cooked al dente

½ stick of unsalted butter, cut into cubes    

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9 X 13 baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta (a little under) al dente. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients except the penne, basil and butter. Gently mix the penne into the bowl with the rest of ingredients. Fold in the basil. Pour mixture into baking dish, then top the mixture with the butter and bake (covered) until bubbly and brown on top—about 1 hour or so. Remove the cover the last 15 minutes of cooking, allowing the top to become golden brown. Let the pan rest for at least 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

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