Francesca’s Restaurants Chef Shares His Eggplant Secrets

When it comes to well-rounded Italian menus, good eggplant is a must. But making the perfect eggplant requires skill and a few tricks of the trade – fortunately, Chef Massimo of Francesca’s Restaurants has expert tips for any chef.

“The main thing to remember is that eggplant is extremely absorbent, so you must be careful when it comes to the sautéing; use only a small amount of extra virgin olive oil,” says Francesca’s Restaurants Corporate Chef Massimo Salatino. “I prefer to cook eggplant in the Sicilian-style where you sauté only lightly and then bake the eggplant in the oven at 400 degrees for about 12 to 15 minutes.”

There are dozens of ways to serve your finished product. One of Chef Massimo’s favorite ways to serve eggplant is in a salad with aged balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, arugula, beefsteak tomatoes, grilled onions and fresh crumbled blue cheese. The dish is so popular that it was added to the Francesca’s Restaurants menu, called Insalata Massimo.

Chef Massimo learned this style of cooking from his days in working at Il Passatore (The Traveler), a small pizzeria on the Lake of Varese in Italy’s Lombardy region. You won’t find a stove in a classic Italian pizza restaurant, so chefs find themselves using the oven.

About Francesca’s Restaurants: Since 1992, the family of Francesca’s Restaurants has grown from a single location on North Clark Street to 19 locations throughout Chicagoland. With a focus on exceptional service and quality ingredients, Francesca’s consistently changes the menu to offer the freshest, seasonal rustic Italian dishes. Touted as casual dining in a sophisticated, trattoria ambiance, each individual Francesca’s restaurant has become ingrained in their community, and tailor both their menu and special events such as exquisite wine dinners to match the tastes and energy of their guests. The consistency is in the amazing food, great service and even better prices. For more information, please visit www.miafrancesca.com.

For Location Info here is a link to Google Maps

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Grilling the Perfect Italian Steak is an easy and great way to enhance your Labor Day Holiday. Chef Abraham Aguirre, from Grotto Italian Steakhouse in Oak Brook has tips on how to prepare this succulent dish.

Chef Abraham suggests preparing a Porterhouse Steak which lets you enjoy the filet and the strip at the same time, however an individual ribeye, filet, or sirloin would be just as delicious. Also, the freshest ingredients you use the better the flavor.

Combine The Following Spices:

• Salt and Pepper (Sea Salt) is recommended for a lighter and sweater salt.
• Chives
• Basil
• Thyme
• Rosemary
• Italian Leaf Parsley
• Fresh Garlic

*To add more of a spicy flair add a few flakes of crushed red pepper to your marinade*

• Mix the spices with Extra Virgin Olive Oil to form a pesto like substance.
• Spread the sauce over the steak and let it marinade for a few hours.
• Make sure that the grill is anywhere from 600-800°F and keep it at that temperature for 30-45 minutes before starting to grill. High direct heat when grilling steaks is almost as important as the meat itself.
• Grill over medium heat for five to eight minutes, and top it off over two to three minutes over high heat.

*When grilling steaks, one should always use tongs or a spatula to turn a steak over*

Serve with a side of vegetables such as grilled asparagus, or a baked potato, and of course a glass of red wine will make you feel as though you are in Florence indulging in the Perfect Italian Steak.

About Grotto Oakbrook: The Crededio Family has been in the restaurant business since 1978 and throughout this time they have established three restaurants, Cicero, Grotto on State, and now Grotto Oakbrook. Grotto Oak Brook opened in March 2008. The restaurant boasts 3 private banquet halls, a large dining room, an intimate private dining room equipped with plasma televisions and power point capabilities for corporate meetings, a separate luxurious bar, and a heated patio that seats well over 180 guests with a dynamic view of the lake. Grotto is infamous for their signature Chicken Vesuvio and their succulent wet aged prime steaks.

Grotto is located at 3011 Butterfield Road in Oak Brook, Illinois. For more information, please visit www.grottooakbrook.com

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http://www.giordanos.com/shop/home.php

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Marcello’s Catering Office:
Lincoln Park Location
645 North Avenue
Chicago, IL 60610

Phone: 312.654.2560
Email: catering@marcellos.com

http://www.marcellos.com/

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http://www.ristoranteprosecco.com/home.html

710 N Wells St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 951-9500

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