Dino Martini

A romantic night at Cafe Italiano 

kind of... hey, it's what you make it!

"Drink to me only... that's all I aks... ASK.  And I will drink to you!"

(Scroll down to "The Playlist" and hit play before reading... works better that way!)

Hey Pallies, it's about that time.  Dinner is poured... I mean served.  I would have loved to eat dinner with the "cool one".  I just love cooking a little Italian dinner with some cool music to sing along with.  And, let me tell you... after a couple of glasses of wine ole Dino and I sound pretty good together.  (If that sounds scary, you ought to hear me singing along with Luciano Pavarotti.)  Anyway... one of my favorites is Italian night.  Start with a good martini and finish with some good wine with dinner.  For our "Plate" tonight I recommend Pinot Grigio Ramato.  It's a wonderful dry wine with a little rose' tint. 

The Plate... 

Grilled Swordfish with Roasted Poblano Fettuccine Alfredo 

Ok, with apologies to Dino I'm going a little Tex-Italiano on ya. I think your gonna like it.  You get the sweet creamy Alfredo with the slight heat of the Poblano, perfect combo.  The trick is to marinate and grill this firm and wonderful piece of fish just like a steak.
My boys used to come over for Italian night, and this was always the dish of choice.  If you are even thinking about starting your diet.... do it tomorrow.  This is one "rich" dish.  And, I think you are going to be surprised how easy it is to make.

The pots are on...

What you need...

4 (5-6 oz each) Swordfish steaks

4 cloves garlic

1/2 cup Soy Sauce

1 tsp Kosher salt

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 tbsp lime juice

2 poblano peppers

18 oz Fettuccine 

2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

2 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup lemon juice

12 tbsp butter

What you do...

Combine the Soy sauce salt, pepper and lime juice for your marinade.  Marinate the swordfish for 30 minutes before hand.  

Set your grill to med-high, about 400 degrees.  

Grill Poblano peppers until blackened on all sides.  When done place in zip lock bag to sweat.  This will help separate the skin.  

When peppers cool, peel away skin, seeds and slice julian style. 

Put the swordfish directly on the grill and cook about 3 minutes per side. 

Meanwhile cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender, but still firm to the bite. 

Drain pasta and set aside. 

Stir 2 cups of the cream and the lemon juice in a skillet to blend.  Add the butter and cook over medium heat to melt the butter. Remove from the heat.  

Add the pasta and toss. Add the remaining cream and Parmesan to the cream sauce. Toss the pasta mixture over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute. 

Put pasta with sauce on a plate top with the Swordfish steak and finish off with Poblano peppers.  

The Playlist..

Dining with Dino

Ok, I mean come on... is there any better music to sing along with?  I don't think so.
Try cooking this dinner and playing Justin Bieber, just doesn't work.  This is one of those playlist you really need to crank up a little while you are cooking.  Then you can turn it down a little for dining.
At least that's what my wife always says... "Turn it down"!
So, Sweetie besame mucho and pass the pasta please.

The Bar...

"Flame of Love" Dino's Favorite 

"You can't buy happiness... but you can pour it"! - Dean Martin

2oz Vodka

Splash of Fino Sherry

Caramelized orange peels

Orange peel to coat glass

Click on the video for the original recipe

 

Ok folks, remember... 

Don't drink & drive, don't even putt! 

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!