Preparing favorite restaurant dishes

[marco25]

Have you ever tried to do that? You have a favorite dish at a restaurant, and you think, "I could make this at home."

All you Atlanta people will be familiar with the Mick's restaurants, our favorite when we lived there. Mainly went to the locations in Dunwoody, Midtown (by Piedmont Hospital/Shepherd), and downtown in the Peachtree Center. My favorite dish was Corn and Tomato Linguini with grilled salmon.

After moving from Atlanta and watching hours of the Food Channel, I decided to attempt this dish on my own. After a few attempts, I think I got it ... at least a version that I'm happy with. Don't know what Mick would say! http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif

Anyway, now it's one of the kids' favorite meals too. I made it tonight, and I'm feeling very fat and happy as we say down here. A nice bottle of white wine is a lovely complement to la meal. http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/tongue.gif

The cool thing about this dish is that, especially during the summer, you can prepare it with fresh tomatos and fresh corn, fresh herbs, etc. Then add the grilled or pan fried salmon, shrimp or chicken.

Uh, but tonight, working mother that I am (yeah, excuses, excuses http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif) I used canned corn and canned diced tomatos. But the salmon was fresh!

BTW, you Mick's people, I have the recipe for their Chocolate Cream Pie. Oh yeah, baby. The AJC published it years ago, and I still have my copy. That stuff is evil, evil, evil ... just thinking about it is causing me to react in ... sigh, WAYS I would not expect. http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/eek.gif

I'll be happy to share it if anyone wants it.

[Nancie]

can you post your recipe for the corn, tomato, linguini and salmon (or whatever) please?
it sounds good!

[booster]

Yum!

[marco25]

Corn and Tomato Linguini

1 pkg. linguini pasta

Fresh version

Olive oil
White wine
4-5 tomatos, diced
6-8 ears of corn, cleaned
1 onion, diced
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 green pepper, diced
Fresh basil
Fresh oregano
Fresh rosemary
Salt, pepper, red pepper, to taste

Working Mother version

Olive oil
White wine
2 cans diced tomatos
1 can Rotel tomatos
3 cans corn (can replace one with creamed corn)
1 onion, diced
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 green pepper, diced
Italian seasonings
Salt, pepper, red pepper to taste

1 1/2 to 2 pounds, fresh salmon fillets, shrimp, chicken fillets, rubbed with your favorite seafood seasonings

You're going to need three pots/pans going at the same time. This is fun. http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif

Start water for pasta, with a little salt and olive oil added. Prepare according to package.

In 4-5 quart pot, sautee onions, garlic, and green pepper in olive oil with a little white wine if desired. Don't allow to carmelize, just to wilted state. Then add tomatos. Cut corn off cob and "milk" it straight into the pot. Can add more wine if desired. Stir and allow to simmer gently. Season to taste.

In frying pan, heat oil and add seasoned fillets or shrimp; cook until done.

I like to serve this in a big pasta bowl or platter. Lay out the cooked pasta, pour corn and tomato mixture over, then top with the seafood.

A green salad, or sometimes I just slice up cucumbers or cantaloupe, fresh hot bread, remaining wine, along with people you love. http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif

Can't beat it.

* When cooking with wine, at least with a dish like this one, don't cook with wine you wouldn't drink also. If it's not good enough to drink, it's not good enough to cook with.

[jimnms]

My sister has a cook book that has recipies from several restaurants.

_____
Learn from the mistakes of others, you won't live long enough to make all of them yourself.

[marco25]

Jim, my mother gave me a similar cookbook. But that's too easy! It's fun to experiment, solve the mystery, especially if you're doing it with someone who's just as passionate about figuring it out. http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif

Copeland's has a bow-tie pasta with asparagus in a white cream sauce. Mercy. That may be my next challenge.

Last summer I was trying to copy Community's Sweet Ice Tea with Lemon. Love that stuff, but couldn't match it at home. They apparently add some flavorings (ie chemicals!) that I don't have. I'll just stick to my homemade/natural tea.

[chick]

I used to (try) making McDonald's "secret sauce" (or whatever the concoction I ended up with was)

and I KNOW I'm not the only one attempting some world record on the "Dagwood" :)

[Myc0]

Ewww, McDonalds is a culinary atrocity. Ever try to replicate their Cardboardburgers, or their Formaldefryes?

[chick]

LOL

HEY now! I was only in grade school when I experimented! Parents never gave us money for ANYTHING (shit, had to pay back quarters we borrowed...with interest!), especially junk food or candy, hell, rarely even clothes!... ergo the roots of my creative and experimentative nature :p

We had a diner growing up... so as far as "Formaldefryes"... I had intimate knowledge of the origin of all that clean scented soap you lather up with.

[sjean423]

I get a yen for McDs about once a year, but then usually wonder why after. I loved it as a kid, but we seldom went.

My sister loves to recreate restaurant dishes. Me, I need a recipe. But her's come out great, and she likes to be able to make minor changes to suit her, (A little more of this, leave out that, whatever). I am going to try that Linguini dish posted. With the chicken I think my family will like it (they aren't much for fish.

[chick]

remember when McD's BigMacs were really "Big", macs?! They look no bigger than white castles now. ok, I rarely, if ever eat from most fast food places, but they were at times a treat when we were kids. I have restaurants in every direction outside my window, so there is a constant aroma of food (from grease pit, to bbq, to fresh baking bagels at 1 in the morning) wafting up into my room. Not good when hungry!

sjean, let us know how the Linguine comes out. btw, I been meaning to ask about your avatar - is that crochet? I just sent my sis some books on knitting and crocheting - knitting for dummies (she just beginning), stitch n bitch and crochet nation.

[Scorpion]

remember when McD's BigMacs were really "Big", macs?! They look no bigger than white castles now.
Everything looked bigger when we were kids, chick. :)

McDonald's still have awesome fries. Don't listen to my Arch-Nemesis Myc0.

[sjean423]

Chick, nope, avatar is just something I played with in paint on the computer, and some fancy fonts.

[Myc0]

McDonald's still have awesome fries. Don't listen to my Arch-Nemesis Myc0.

Ever seen Supersize Me? The experiment where they put McD's food in dishes to see how long it took to spoil? The McDeathfries still looked brand new when an intern accidently threw them out after 11 WEEKS! :zombie:That's not awesome, that's just wrong. But hey, eat up, that will make crushing my sworn Arch-Nemesis all the easier.

[Scorpion]

Ever seen Supersize Me? The experiment where they put McD's food in dishes to see how long it took to spoil? The McDeathfries still looked brand new when an intern accidently threw them out after 11 WEEKS! :zombie:That's not awesome, that's just wrong. But hey, eat up, that will make crushing my sworn Arch-Nemesis all the easier.
No, that's awesome! How else would you account for my incredible staying power?! You're just jealous because Mickey D's fries give me strength and unimagineable capabilities beyond your imagination or anything you could conceive with your mind, or anything you could make up! They are your kryptonite, not mine!

:: Dramatic Pause ::

Mwahahaha!!

[Myc0]

Hmmm, so biting a radioactive Formaldfrye gave you your superpowers eh? Are your potato senses tingling?

[VAsapiens]

PLEASE do post the recipe for Mick's Chocolate Cream Pie! I've been wanting it for years, and missed it in the AJC. May have been published during the couple of years that I moved out of town.
Thank you so much!

[JCAT]

PLEASE do post the recipe for Mick's Chocolate Cream Pie! I've been wanting it for years, and missed it in the AJC. May have been published during the couple of years that I moved out of town.
Thank you so much!

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Homemade Chocolate Cream Pie or you can call it Pudding Pie.
Simple Recipe....

graham cracker pie crust (ready to service)
Jello Pudding
prepare accordingly to package, pour into pie crust.
chill for 30 min. service it with whipped cream.