A Merry Christmas Deal

Real quick, because my wife needs me in the kitchen. I'd like to pass along another great deal from my friends at restaurant.com -- Save an additional 60% off on dining certificates and more! Enter coupon code GIVE at checkout. The offer is good through Christmas day. Bon appitit and have a Merry Christmas.

Holiday Shopping Survival Tip

With the holidays upon us, who's got time for shopping? (Huh?) I'd rather be in the kitchen perfecting my someday-to-be-famous red sauce. Notice, I don't say soon-to-be-famous red sauce. That's because it just seems like there aren't enough hours in a day to make it happen right away! By the way, red sauce, for all of you non-Italians out there wondering, is simply red. I mean, you know, spaghetti sauce.

Anyhow, all of that aside for now. In this household, we like to save money and time so, thought I would pass along this holiday survival tip that can help you avoid the mall madness. Right now you can save an additional 60% at restaurant.com, where $25 dining certificates can be purchased for as little as $4. To take advantage of the instant 60% off savings, just go to restaurant.com, enter discount code 10523 and hit "recalculate total" during the purchase process.

Italian Beefy Potato Chip Dip

Here's a variation of a chip dip with an Italian spin. My friend and business associate, Chuck Anthony came up with this one between brainstorming sessions--still mapping out our website strategy, by the way. Anyhow, follow this link to the Jays Potato Chips recipe page. Just substitute the one pound of ground beef with your favorite Italian beef (shredded). You may also want to mix in a small bottle of hot giardiniera.

Oh, if you're unfamiliar with Italian beef, check out Portillo's.

No Tricks, Just Treats

Heads ups on a special promotion from Restaurant.com; they're offering a 60% off deal until the end of October. That means that their $25 restaurant certificates can now be purchased for as low as $4. Not a bad deal when you think about the high cost of dining out these days. Just go to Restaraunt.com, sign up free of charge and enjoy fine dining at a discount. Ciao!

Blogging Southern Italian and Sicilian Cuisine

From the old country to the greater Chicago area and beyond, we're introducing this blog today in advance of a full service website featuring authentic Southern Italian and Sicilian cuisine. The blog will document our progress and will also include some helpful cooking tips, restaurant reviews, recommendations and more.

Stay tuned for some tasty advice and commentary. Bon appitit!