Bertucci's

Bertucci's is an Italian chain restaurant that actually serves pretty decent food. Their pizza is what sets them apart. Baked in  a brick oven, the pizza is thin, crispy, and delicious. Sometimes my family decides instead of ordering from the local pizza place, we get a pizza and antipasti from Bertucci's. This time we ordered a pizza with grilled chicken and green peppers. The antipasti comes with roasted eggplant, mushrooms, artichokes, broccoli, red peppers, fresh mozzarella, grilled asparagus, and tomato sauce. Besides pizza, Bertucci's has pasta dishes, and other Italian favorites. Enjoy!

chicken salad

Here is a simple recipe to make using any leftover chicken you have. I used the leftover grilled chicken I had.

Ingredients:
chopped cooked chicken
2 tablespoons of mayo
a sliced scallion
a bunch of chopped basil
a handful of chopped walnuts
a handful of craisins
1/4 of a cup of diced celery

Method:
In a mixing bowl combine all of the ingredients. Make sure that the mayo is fully incorporated into the mixture. Serve on with a salad, or have on a sandwich. It is a great way to use leftover chicken. Enjoy!

pimento cheese grilled cheese

Grilled cheese might be the perfect comfort food. Its gooey, cheesy, crispy, crunch and when done right grilled with butter. Pimento cheese is a cheese spread common in the South. It consists of cheddar cheese, mayo, scallions, dill, paprika, onions, garlic, and pimentos. For the grilled cheese, instead of regular sliced cheese use the pimento cheese spread. The grilled cheese will be done when the bread is toasted and the cheese has melted. Enjoy!!

marinated grilled chicken with vegetable and barley salad

This is a great summer recipe. Marinating the chicken will make it much more flavorful. It is also a very healthy meal.

Marinated Grilled Chicken

Ingredients:
boneless and skinless chicken breasts
extra virgin olive oil
lemon juice
pepper
salt
allspice
garlic powder
cumin
parsley
sesame oil
paprika

Method:
To marinate the chicken mix the oil, lemon juice, and all of the herbs and spices except the salt. Pour the marinate over the chicken and marinate for about an hour. You can marinate for a longer time if you would like. Heat your grill or grill pan to a medium to medium high heat. When the grill is hot brush the grill with oil to provide a non stick surface. At this time you should make a rub of salt, pepper, and allspice. Then rub the chicken with this mixture. Cook the chicken for about 3 minutes on the first side. After 3 minutes I like to turn the chicken so it gets the diamond grill marks. Cook again for three minutes. Repeat this on the other side. Then after this you should cook on each side for an additional minute per side. The chicken should cook in 14 minutes. Let the chicken rest for at least ten minutes before serving.Enjoy!

Vegetable and Barley Salad:

Ingredients:
2/3 cupbarley
3 water
bunch of broccoli
about a half a pound of sugar snap peas. cut into chunks on the diagonal
halved cherry tomatoes
chopped parsley
1 clove of garlic chopped
grated rind and juice of one lemon
3 tablespoons of olive oil
sliced scallions
chopped basil
feta cheese

Method:
To cook the barley, place the barley in a pot of salted water. Bring to a boil and the lower the heat and cover the pot. Simmer for 35 minutes. When the barley is tender, drain and put aside in a bowl.     In another pot with a steamer bowl, steam the broccoli until bright green or check after 3 minutes. Run under cold water and drain. Add the vegetables to the barley. In a bowl make the dressing out of the lemon rind, juice, garlic, salt, pepper, basil, and scallions. Mix the dressing with the barley and vegetables. Garnish with a lot of feta cheese. Enjoy!

coconut shrimp

This is an easy recipe I had with my friend Liz. The key is to bake the shrimp instead of frying them.

Ingredients:
shrimp
eggs
flour
breadcrumbs
grated coconut

Method:
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.Mix the breadcrumbs with the grated coconut. Coat the shrimp thoroughly in the flour. Then coat thoroughly in the beaten eggs. Finally place the shrimp in the breadcrumb and grated coconut mixture. Spray a baking sheet with non stick spray and place the shrimp on the baking sheet.Cook the shrimp for about 8 minutes. Half way in the cooking make sure to turn the shrimp. Serve with rice and steamed vegetables. Enjoy!

cheesy sweet potato fries

This is a perfect snack if you have had too much to drink or are just really hungry. I used frozen sweet potato fries but you can make your own or use a normal potato.

Ingredients:

frozen sweet potato fries

grated cheese

Method:

Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with non stick spray. Cook for about 9 minutes and then flip the fries so that they get evenly golden brown. Then cook for another 9  minutes. After 18 minutes of cooking the fries should be ready for the cheese. Melt the cheese and when the cheese is melted the fries are ready. These are great and will soak up any of the alcohol after a night of drinking. Enjoy!

Ho Toy Luau

Situated on Park Ave. in Worcester, MA, Ho Toy Luau is the place for tropical and tiki cocktails. The   scorpion bowls are what many patrons order. As a concoction of fruit juice, rum, and a shot of 151 rum, the scorpion bowl provides a kick. They have other tropical cocktails such as a Mai Tai, and a Zombie. They have great names for their cocktails such as the Alabama Slammer, and the Suffering Bastard. They also have a huge menu of Americanized Chinese food. I have never had their food, but the real reason to go is the drinks. Cheers and Enjoy!

Shiraz Restaurant

One of the last nights I was in Worcester, I went to Shiraz. It is an Armenian restaurant on Park Ave. across the street from Haiku. I had never had Armenian food before, and its very similar to Lebanese and Middle Eastern cuisine. That makes sense since Armenia borders Turkey, Iran, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. There are many different kebabs you can try. They serve hummus, tabbouleh, babaghanoush, and stuffed grape leaves. I had something called lehmajoun. It is sort of like an Armenian Pizza. It has a topping of spiced ground meat. It is very good and it came with tabbouleh, babaghanoush, and a stuffed grape leaf. The service was not great, but the food was excellent. If you want to try something different, try Shiraz. Enjoy!

Drinktime: whiskey and coke

 The combination of cola mixed with whiskey is classic. It just works. What makes it better is if you don't have any cups and are drinking it out of a mason jar, especially if its Prego. Anyways, its a great cocktail and its a collegiate drink of choice. Cheers and Enjoy!

homemade stove top mac and cheese with turkey bacon bits

macaroni and cheese has many variations to it. There is baked and then there stovetop macaroni and cheese. The stovetop version is good, but I feel guilty making it out of a box. Here is an easy recipe without using the stuff from a box.

Ingredients:
penne
milk
cheese
oil
flour
turkey bacon

Method:
In a pot of salted water boil the pasta until al dente. In another pot,make a roux with the oil and flour. Stir the flour until it is incorporated into the oil. The add the milk. Bring the mixture to a boil and then bring it to a simmer. Bringing the mixture to a boil will allow the sauce to thicken. Then add the cheese. When the cheese is thoroughly melted, add the pasta. Serve with crumbled turkey bacon bits and some hot sauce. There you have it folks, another way of making macaroni and cheese. Enjoy the cheesy madness!

The Blarney Stone

Across the country, college students will flock to bars, pubs, and clubs. It is a fact of life, however there is usually one establishment that has sentimental value to all students. For Clark University, The Blarney Stone is that bar. Every Clarkie will make his or her way down Maywood St. and have a few or many drinks at the Blarney. Two of my friends Ally and Liz decided to write an article so I said okay. Here is the adventure we had at the Blarney for Trivia. Enjoy!

As avid readers of Davey’s blog we felt it was appropriate to do a guest appearance. Tonight we embarked on a journey that few Clark students have gone on. We tried every flavor of popcorn topping and jello shot at the emphasis BLARNEY STONE. Tuesday nights at Blarney is trivia night! College students and Wosterites (Worcestericans/Worcestiorians) alike. We consumed 8 jello shots, a pitcher of beer, and an endless supply of popcorn at the bargain price of $15!!!! AMAZING! Trivia was fun and included questions about Weird Al songs and Disney questions. The popcorn flavors included butter, Parmesan garlic, and nacho cheese. We were partial to the nacho cheese. The parmesan garlic we equated to feet. We highly recommend the Blarney for celebrations of any kind including birthdays, graduation, reunions, and best of victories of daily life. Enjoy!

Team Never Have I Ever Had Sex With A Sea Monkey 

shells with bacon and snap peas

This is fast and easy pasta recipe that is sure to please.

Ingredients:
shells
snap peas
onions
garlic powder
salt
pepper
bacon
soy sauce
oregano
thyme
water
sugar

Method:
Boil the pasta. In a frying pan cook the bacon with some oil. When the bacon is done, remove from pan and add a little more oil. Then add the sliced onion and cook for about 4 minutes. Then add the snap peas, salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, and garlic powder. When the pasta is done add it to the vegetables along with some water, soy sauce, and sugar. This meal should only take but 20 minutes to make. Enjoy!

Blanchard's 101 Diner

There is just something cozy about going to the diner. The service is always friendly, and you are sure to see the true colors of the neighborhood. For breakfast and lunch, the diner cannot be beat. Being in Worcester, there are many diners which  I frequent. Being close to Annie's Clark Brunch, I usually go there. Sometimes though, Annie's is close and I need  to find another diner.My friend Mark had been to one of Cambridge St. called Blanchard's 101 Diner. I had never been so we tried it out.This place is great. They have make everything fresh. They even smoke their own pork for pulled pork sandwiches. That is what I had and it was fantastic. Try Blanchard's 101 Diner and I am sure you will like it. Enjoy!

maple-mustard marinated pork chops with veggies

The marinade I use for this recipe can be easily used with chicken if you do not cook with pork. You can even use it on turkey or beef.

Ingredients
maple syrup
spicy brown mustard
salt
garlic powder
maple smokehouse seasoning
pepper
cumin
potatoes
snap peas
pork chops

Method:

In a bowl, mix the maple syrup, mustard, and spices until well incorporated. Then place the chop in the marinade for 30 minutes. You can marinade for longer but it is not necessary. After 30  minutes. Wipe of the marinade from the pork chop and cook in a pan with some oil at medium heat. Cook the chop on both sides for about 4 and a half minutes per side. In the same pan re heat pre-cooked potatoes, and snap peas. This is a delicious and balanced meal that is sure to please. Enjoy!

111 Chophouse

In my mind 111 Chophouse has the best steaks in Worcester. It is the perfect place to go out for a special occasion. I went for my graduation dinner along with many other Clarkies. I had the bone-in NY Sirloin Strip steak cooked to medium-rare, which all steak should be cooked to. I also had an iceberg salad with bacon and blue cheese dressing, creamed spinach, lobster mac and cheese, and Chianti. To celebrate my graduation from Clark, my family started with a bottle of Champagne. Enjoy!

Senior Week

When reflecting upon my experience of Senior Week, it was filled with toasts and good times. Looking back on my four years has been great, but I tend to live in the present and not the past. You have to love it though that there was some free food that was given to us for Senior Week. From the Brunch where I had eggs Benedict, to free Moe's, it was great to receive free food. I will truly miss free food in all of its glory. Some advice for anyone still in college or going to be in college, take advantage of free food giveaways. If an event has free food, go to it. That means you have more money in your pocket for other things you might want to do. Enjoy!

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