Not quite red; not quite white; something in between just right…

I went home to New York this past weekend for my dad’s birthday and to visit with some family and friends. I had been toying around with the idea of changing my hair color; I wanted a light red, not blonde but something like a pink champagne color… like strawberry. I had found the exact color that I wanted and for 3 weeks have been placing it into my shopping cart, taking it out of my shopping cart, placing it in… blah, blah, blah. I went to the store with my mom on Friday and she talked me into buying it. I carried the box around with me all weekend and after some prodding by 2 friends, 2 aunts, 1 mom and a cousin, I finally got my nerve up yesterday to actually do it. The verdict??? I LOVE IT!!! I am no longer washed out; I am warm strawberry… not quite white, not quite red… almost PINK… Sir Charles is going to flip out!!!

When trying to think of a recipe to celebrate my new ferocious, bad-ass & edgy self, my strawberry color reminded me of a story…

Many, many years ago there was a successful restaurateur in our little upstate NY berg; his name was Ralph and his restaurant was called Il Giardino (the Garden). He was busy every evening and almost all of his customers were local folks who frequented his establishment on a regular basis. The dining room and bar area had just the right lighting, white tablecloths and a touch of Hunter Green for an accent; it was cozy, warm and very comfortable. Ralph prepared traditional Northern Italian dishes that melted in your mouth and were consistently scrumptious each & every time you ordered them. One of the most charming things about this restaurant was that Ralph would come out of the kitchen every chance that he had to personally greet his diners. He knew everyone on a first name basis, would prepare all special requests and even send every table a round of cocktails to show his appreciation for their patronage. He was a stellar example of what an entrepreneur should be and I felt as if I were walking into his home each time I was there. This is where the PINK comes in…

One evening, my girlfriends & I decided to visit Il Giardino for dinner. I had ordered a classic; Veal Parmigiana with Pasta. After some Clams Casino and a nice Caesar Salad, Ralph himself brought the meals out to our table. Only mine wasn’t there. He immediately started to apologize and said that he’d had an “accident” with my dinner in the kitchen. As he knew that I was very interested in cooking, he escorted me to his kitchen to show me what had happened; it was not the first time that I had been invited in. On the stove where he usually had a pot of his mouth watering Marinara sauce and a pot of creamy Alfredo sauce was a huge pink mess (this was long before Vodka Sauce had been created). Apparently, he had slipped while holding the pot of Alfredo and the whole thing dumped right into the pot of Marinara! He asked me if I would mind ordering something else as he could not serve this sauce with the veal. After much contemplation, and with drinks in hand, we decided to make the best of it and we tasted this new concoction… it was absolutely delicious!!! So we took the tender, battered veal cutlets and laid them on a baking dish. We decided to top it with very thin slices of eggplant and tomato. We doused it all in the “Pink” sauce, topped it with fresh Mozzarella cheese and threw it in the oven until it was baked to a bubbly perfection… and there you have it… Veal Valentino was born!!! We were excited… two foodies with a new creation; what could be better than that? Veal Valentino ended up being a staple on his menu and today, every time that I prepare it I think of him. Good times Ralphie, good times…