Feast Your Palate to the Gastronomic Wonders of Dining Places in Pasadena

Regardless of taste, palate and preference, L.A's rose city has an array of delectable offerings to suit every taste bud.  From traditional American and regional specialties to Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Spanish, French, Italian, Mexican and even Afghan fare this charming food sanctuary truly does have it all. Despite its diverse populace, Pasadenans all agree that when it comes to culinary prowess, their city surpasses expectations almost at first glance.

The Best Places For Dining and Wining

Looking for fine dining in Temecula? Restaurants are one of the best ways to have a great time in this lovely romantic city and there are lots of delicious options to consider. While exploring Temecula, restaurants can be a good way to entertain you.

You will encounter all kinds of cuisines, from the tantalizing Caribbean delights to the cheerful French pastries, from the lively Italian dishes to the mesmerizing Thai cuisine. And that too in the soothing South California weather. There are quite a few places that are guaranteed to satisfy the most sensitive palates.

So what's so special about food in Temecula?

They say there is no greater love than the love for food and that's true at least in this town of natural beauty. Food and beverages, particularly wine plays a great role especially when the town hosts its yearly food and wine festivals. As the arrangements kick off for such events, serving the best cuisine and wine becomes an obsession.

Known for the lovely wedding cakes, yummy desserts and the irresistible wines that make every occasion memorable, dining is no doubt a fun thing to do here. Eating at a fondue restaurant with good old college friends can make your day. The town is full of culinary professionals who never fail to make the experience a truly memorable one.

You can choose any of the great restaurants like the Los Jibertos. Situated on the Riveside County, Murrieta this place is famous for Mexican and Latin American cuisine. While dining out here you can try the Carne Asada fries, and Carne Asada tacos, Carne Asada Burritos, and Carne Asada Nachos.

If you love Mexican food you should definitely not miss this place. It is also known for its fresh pico de gallo that you can feast on. The salsa and sauces are out in the open for anyone and the best thing is that you can get as much as you want.

If you are going with a big group the Saigon Noodle House is a great place to hang out. The food is good, the prices are good, and what's more you can be assured of a fast service without any fuss or frills. You will get a good variety of Vietnamese noodle soups here and that too very authentic. The dish comes with the usual complement of bean sprouts and basil, which adds to the bowl to supplement the noodles and meat.

You can also enjoy the couple of slices of hot green pepper. But be careful they are really hot! Foodies who love unique Vietnamese dishes should certainly check out this place. The quality food, super quick service and the reasonable price will cheer you up.

The Melting Pot is one more place you would not want to miss especially if you are a couple looking for a cozy romantic place. A cascading wall of water behind the front desk creates a lovely ambiance and the food is exceptional good. Try this fondue restaurant when exploring restaurants in Temecula. The signature meal including filet mignon, shrimp, teriyaki beef, chicken and fish coupled with a variety of wines will surely tantalize your taste buds.

In Temecula, restaurants like The Original Grazianos, Murietta Hots Springs Shell and the Farmer Boys Restaurant truly deserve a visit. So go ahead and indulge on your favorite food in one of the loveliest cities in California.

Dining Out at Home

I really enjoy eating at nice restaurants. Not because I don't enjoy cooking, but more to the point, I enjoy good food. I was working in a small Oregon town for a while and found myself hard pressed for someplace really good to eat. There were plenty of restaurants in town, just very few with food I would consider really delicious. This same situation can be found in many small towns all over America.

When I'm getting together with friends, or friend as the case my be, it's always nice to eat dinner at my house. I am then in control of the evening. No rushing to be in time for my reservation at the restaurant. We are able to enjoy whatever music we find enjoyable. There is no waiter hovering for his tip. I especially enjoy when the waiter wants to ask about the meal and my mouth if full of food.

There is nobody standing around waiting for my table. I know the food will be good because I know exactly what went into it. We can stay seated at the table for as long as we want or better yet, move the party into the living room. (Even better on a rainy night)

I thought it would be fun to pass along the makings of a truly great dinner, assuming Italian is a meal of choice. Whatever you do, don't cheapskate on the ingredients. Start with a nice green salad. Have perhaps two dressings available. Again, don't cheapskate. A bottle of nice wine is always good. Have your dealer assist you with the selection. Also, be sure to have coffee available. Perhaps more then one flavor. Now let's get to the heart of the situation.

Olive Garden Lasagna

Alfredo Sauce:

1/2 lb. sweet or salted butter
12 oz. heavy cream
Fresh ground white pepper
1 1/2 cups fresh Parmesan, grated

Ricotta Cheese Mix:

1 pint Ricotta cheese
2 oz. Romano, grated
3 oz. Mozzarella, shredded
2 tbls. green onions, sliced
2 teas. fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 teas. salt
1/8 teas. black pepper
1/4 teas. dried basil
1/4 teas. dried oregano
1 1/4 cups Alfredo sauce, cooled

Vegetable Mix:

4 cups broccoli florets
2 cups carrots, sliced 1/4"
4 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced 1/4"
2 cups red bell peppers, diced
1 cup green bell pepper, diced
1 cup yellow onion, diced
2 cups zucchini, sliced

Lasagna noodles
18 slices Mozzarella cheese, 1/2 oz. each

Lay out enough dry lasagna strips in a 9x13 pan to ensure you have enough to make 3 full layers, with very little overlap on each layer. Remove the dry strips and cook according to package instructions until barely "al dente" and drain.

ALFREDO SAUCE:
Heat water to a boil in the bottom of a double boiler. Add butter, cream and pepper to the top pot and heat until butter is completely melted, then stir in Parmesan until melted and blended. Remove top pot and set aside to cool. Divide the sauce into 2 equal portions. Refrigerate 1 portion for use later.

RICOTTA CHEESE MIX:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and blend thoroughly with a rubber spatula. Set aside at room temp.

VEGETABLES:
Combine all veggies and mix well.

ASSEMBLY:
Coat the bottom and sides of a 9x13 baking dish with vegetable spray. Lay out cooked lasagna strips (about 4) to cover entire bottom. Spread 1 1/4 c of the Ricotta mix evenly over the strips. Top with 8 c of veggie mix and spread out evenly. Lay out 9 of the mozzarella slices to cover the veggie layer. Repeat this layering. Top the second layer of mozzarella slices with lasagna strips and spread them evenly with 1 1/4 c ricotta cheese mix to finish.

COOKING:
Spray a sheet of foil with vegetable spray and cover the baking dish tightly with the foil, sprayed side down. Bake in a preheated 375F oven for about an hour or until the internal temp is 165F. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for a few minutes, covered, before cutting and serving. Immediately prior to serving, heat the reserved portion of Alfredo Sauce and ladle the hot sauce over each slice of lasagna as it is served.

An appetizer is always nice to get the evening started.

Olive Gardens Fried Mozzarella

1 pound block of mozzarella cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups Italian bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
2/3 cup flour
1/3 cup corn starch

Slice the block of cheese lengthwise into about 1/2 inch sections. Cut each section in half.

Beat the eggs with water and set aside. Mix the bread crumbs, garlic, oregano, and basil and set aside. Blend the flour with corn starch and set aside.

Heat vegetable oil for deep frying to 350F. Dip cheese in flour then in egg wash and then coat with bread crumbs. Place carefully in hot oil and fry until golden brown. This should only take a matter of seconds, so you need to watch them closely. Drain on brown paper bags and serve with your favorite pasta sauce that has been warmed.

No truly great dinner is complete without a totally decadent dessert. Try this on for size.

Cracker Barrel Cherry Chocolate Cobbler

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cups butter
1 (6 oz.) pkg. Nestle's semi sweet chocolate morsels
1/4 cups milk
1 egg
1 (21 oz.) can cherry pie filling
1/2 cups nuts, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350F. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter; cut with pastry blender until crumbs are size of large peas. Melt over hot (not boiling) water, Nestle's semi sweet chocolate morsels. Remove from heat and cool slightly at room temperature (about 5 minutes). Add milk and egg to melted chocolate and mix well. Blend chocolate into flour mixture. Spread cherry pie filling in bottom of 2 quart casserole. Drop chocolate batter randomly over cherries. Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Bake at 350 F for 40 45 minutes. Serve warm with heavy cream.

It is best to have several wheelbarrows available to transport you from the table to the couch. Also, have a prepared statement already written where-by you swear to go on a diet the very next day.