Oh yum!
I wish I’d been born Italian. Not because I don’t appreciate my Anglo-Irish heritage and not because I’d want to live anywhere else in the world but my beloved Canada, but let’s face it. Nobody travels to England for the food, except if they love fish and chips, mushy peas or bangers and mash.
For the past 6 years, we’ve hosted summer meals in our gazebo and when I’ve asked our guests what they’d like for dinner, many times, they look at each other, nod then unanimously say, “Italian!”.
There is a reason why Italian food consistently ranks in the top 3 cuisines of the world (the others being Chinese and Japanese). Italian food is simple yet flavorful, relying heavily on fresh ingredients. Have you ever met anyone who doesn’t grin silly when a pizza box opens to reveal a thin crispy crust, topped with fresh marinara sauce, spicy sausage, mozzarella and fresh basil? Or who doesn’t love slurping spaghetti cooked al dente along with a crisp Caesar salad?
But my signature dish?
For the last 6 summers, 132 breasts have been sandwiched between cling wrap and pounded thin as a boob in a mammogram machine, then dusted with flour, dipped into beaten egg, coated with a mixture of panko bread crumbs and grated parmesan, fried till crispy & golden; then laid in a baking dish, topped with a good quality marinara sauce (Costco’s Victoria Marinara is as good as Nona’s) and grated mozzarella ( I skip the provolone). This only takes 15 minutes. When you’re almost ready to eat, add a drizzle of olive oil then bake for 15 minutes. It sounds like a lot but it’s super easy and if your guests are taking longer over apps than expected, this chicken dish is forgiving and doesn’t dry out quickly.
So as Lidia Bastianich would say, "Tutti a tavola a mangiare!" (Italian for "Everyone to the table to eat!")
By the way…
The reason I know I’ve plated 132 chicken breasts is because I have a little book where I keep track of guests, their preferred menu, preferences, allergies, etc. Last year, we took a break from our summer fundraising meals but this year, we’re raring to go!
If you’d like to book a meal in the Gazebo on Glengarry, call or text at 519-401-3052 to reserve your table. How does it work? You choose the menu, we prepare it, you give a taxable donation to International Justice Mission and everyone wins!