Olive Garden Coupons - Maximize Your Dining

Olive Garden is a great spot to eat out. You can get just about anything "Italian" there that taste good, and at a reasonable price. They have some online coupons that can get you an extra entree, or free dessert. One of the best things about Olive Garden is the all you can eat, bread sticks and salad. The bread sticks come out nice and warm and buttered. The salad is a good garden style salad with black olives, onions, and pepperoncini peppers. Very tasty!

You can get a nice glass of wine or a mixed drink, that compliments your meal well. They also does a nice virgin frozen drink too. Of course, they have the endless soda fountain drinks, or lemonade or ice tea. They do a good job keeping your glass filled.

The appetizers are your typical, Italian-style fare. Fried "this", and Stuffed "that", with a sprinkle of a light seafood dish, or some spinach dip choice. Good choices, just not very different from other Italian style eateries.

The entree is what usually sets Olive Garden apart from the other chain Italian restaurants. They do a great job of keeping the menu fresh and up to date. They keep the normal classics, like Lasagna, Spaghetti and Meatballs, even Seafood Portifino. However, they keep it interesting with dishes like:

Grilled Shrimp Caprese
Shrimp & Asparagus Risotto
Chianti Braised Short Ribs
Stuffed Chicken Marsala

These Specialties were inspired by the Culinary Institute of Tuscany, their cooking school in Italy. All excellent choices!

If you are not totally stuffed by the time you are done with dinner. You can grab a a decadent dessert the at definitely finish the dinner off right.

They do a great job with a classic Tiramisu. If you want to delve more into chocolate bliss, try the Chocolate Gelato or the Black Tie Mousse Cake.

Overall, Olive Garden has a good variety on the menu, with decent prices. No you are not getting what you would get in Tuscany, but you will enjoy the food and won't go broke paying for it. Please make sure to look for Olive Garden coupons, to maximize your dining experience.

7 Essential Herbs to Have in Your Italian Herb Garden

Ahhh.. The joy of Italian cooking. When most people think about delicious Italian food, the dishes that usually come to mind include pasta and pizza. But what really gives Italian food its flair are the essential herbs that are used in Italian cooking. To make sure that you have the proper ingredients, here are 7 herbs that are essential to have in your Italian Herb Garden:

Basil - What would the world be like without Basil? Basil is not only used in Italian cooking but also can be found used in several Asian cuisines. It is most noted as the primary flavor of Pesto with is great for flavoring pasta or used in spreads or marinades.

Basic Recipe for Pesto

Ingredients:

· 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves

· 1/2 cup grated parmesan or Romano cheese

· 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

· 1/3 cup pine nuts

· 3 garlic cloves

· 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

· Juice of 1/2 lemon

Instructions:

Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well blend. Make sure to scrape the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula in case any of the ingredients find themselves clinging to the wall and not blending.

Oregano - Oregano is most commonly used in Southern Italy and can almost always be found in tomato based sauces. In fact, it is the primary flavoring agent in pizza sauce, aside from the tomatoes of course.

Marjoram - People commonly confuse marjoram and oregano, which isn't surprising because they're related and taste similar. Marjoram has more of a delicate, flowery flavor whereas oregano is more pungent. Because of marjoram's delicate flavor, it isn't suited well for drying. But it's great fresh anyway just like most herbs.

Rosemary - Rosemary is a very strong herb and has a very robust flavor and aroma. It grows well in dry, hot, and shaded areas. Because of its strong flavor, it's a great flavoring agent for meats, potatoes, and bread.

Parsley - When people think of parsley, they usually associate it with a bad garnish in a cheap restaurant. That type of parsley is curly-leaf parsley. Curly-leaf parsley is best used dried and only if you don't plan on using fresh flat-leaf parsley. Flat-leaf parsley is best used fresh but doesn't keep its flavor well when dried.

"But what is this stuff good for anyway?" I'm sure your asking. Flat-leaf parsley is found all over Italy and is used in many common dishes and sauces. It is an essential part of any Italian herb garden.

Sage - Sage is an herb most commonly used in Northern Italian cooking. Because of its strong distinctive flavor it's best used sparingly. Sage is best used when blended with other herbs and spices instead of being used as the primary flavoring agent.

Thyme - Thyme is an herb that you usually see used with cooking meat. It's a hardy plant that can find itself easily growing in various conditions. It's a very versatile herb and is great in almost any Italian dish. Except for maybe gelato. I don't think that thyme flavored gelato would last too long in the grocery stores, or in my mouth for that matter.