Category: Blog

The Properties of Goat Cheese

In America, most people are largely unaccustomed to any cheese that is made from any milk other than a cow’s. If this is your experience, you may find that goat cheese is a delightful alternative to your more familiar cheeses. A lot of diners find that goat cheese offers you a distinctly rich and satisfying flavor.

Goat cheese stands out from cow-based cheese because of its different fat composition. Since goats are smaller than their bovine counterparts, they don’t produce the agglutinin protein found in cow milk that causes the fat to clump together in the cheese-making process. The fat found in goat milk remains more dispersed and naturally homogenized, lending it a creamier texture.

Further, goat cheese contains higher levels of caproic, caprylic, and capric acids than is found in cow-based cheese. These give the cheese a delightfully tangy taste that many diners find irresistible. If you’ve never experienced the pleasure of goat cheese for yourself, try it out at our Italian restaurant in Bothell in the form of our quinoa and asparagi salad, our funghi frittata, and more!

What are Prawns?

Do you know the difference between shrimp and prawns? Many diners would be hard pressed to tell the difference between the two. Indeed, you may occasionally find that these two terms are used interchangeably. However, it is generally accepted that prawns are larger than shrimp.

One way or the other, prawns have largely the same health benefits found in shrimp. Prawns offer a healthy dose of the omega-3 fatty acids you need to maintain a functional circulatory system. Since these animals are a low rung on the food chain, you can expect even those caught in the wild to have a low mercury content. On top of all this, you get a rich array of vitamins and minerals, among which are vitamin B12, iron, phosphorus, potassium, iodine, selenium, zinc, magnesium, and calcium. These nutrients help you to maintain good health in your skin, your blood, and many other important systems.

At our Italian restaurant in Bothell, you can enjoy the great taste of white prawns in the form of our gamberoni, sauteed in Italian vermouth, vine ripened roma tomatoes, and basil. Make this delicious favorite a bigger part of your life with Amaro Bistro tonight!

How Pepperoni is Made

Pepperoni is one of the biggest staples of American Italian-style dining. It’s our favorite topping for our pizzas, a common ingredient for our sandwiches, and more. If you’re a fan of meat, you could hardly have avoided pepperoni. But do you know what is in these Italian-style sausages, or how they are made?

Pepperoni is made of a mixture of different ingredients, though pork is the primary meat. Beef will generally be added as a supplement. Both of these are ground together, and then dried. They are then mixed with an assortment of spices, including salt, black pepper, sugar, anise, cayenne pepper, and paprika. It is the paprika that gives pepperoni much of its color and spicy taste. The mixture is packed into a hog intestine or collagen casing and allowed to dry for between six and eight weeks. Finally, the sausage is cured, after which it is ready to be served.

At our Italian restaurant in Bothell, you can enjoy pepperoni on one of our wood stone fired pizzas. Come and taste this long-time favorite at Amaro Bistro tonight!

The Classic Italian Cheese Sauce

Formaggi is a type of Italian cheese-based sauce popularly used in pasta. It derives its name from an Italian word for cheese. It comes in many different forms, with individual chefs coming up with their own recipes; some formaggi will feature only one variety of cheese, while others will feature a mixture. One popular choice is the quattro formaggi, wherein four different hard and soft cheeses are combined so as to achieve a rich variety of textures and flavors.

You can experience the taste of formaggi at our Italian restaurant in Bothell on our heirloom tomato formaggi sandwich. Try this hearty classic at Amaro Bistro today!

Rigatoni: Italy’s Favorite Ridged Pasta

Rigatoni is a popular type of Italian pasta that comes in the form of a tube-like shape with ridged edges. It is from these ridges that the pasta derives its name, which comes from rigati, an Italian term for “ridged”. It closely resembles penne, but different in that rigatoni features a larger diameter and is not cut on a diagonal line.

Since the distinctive rigatoni shape has enjoyed popularity in many countries outside of Italy, it can be found in many American Italian-style restaurants. At our Bothell Italian restaurant, you can enjoy this classic pasta in the form of our rigatoni bolognese, which comes with ground veal and lamb ragu, rosemary, red wine, and pecorino-romano.

The Original Artichoke

The artichoke is a big part of dining traditions in Italy and much of the Mediterranean area. In fact, the ancient Greeks had a story about how this curious vegetable first came about. As is the case with a lot of Greek myths, it involves one of the gods falling in love with a mortal.

As the myth goes, Zeus became infatuated with a beautiful woman by the name of Cynara. He elevated her to the level of godhood so that he could take her to Mount Olympus. Unfortunately, Cynara was unsatisfied with the life of a god, and often snuck back down the mountain to visit her family. When he found out, Zeus was so infuriated that he turned her into the world’s first artichoke plant.

At our Italian restaurant in Bothell, you can enjoy artichoke in the form of our ravioli di carciofo, our pollo pizza, and our grilled flat bread. Try one tonight at Amaro Bistro!

Coffee in Italy

Do you like to drink a cup of coffee with your meal? Our Bothell Italian restaurant proudly serves Cafe Vita Coffee for your enjoyment. Such brews are a great complement to many Italian meals.

The Italians have strict customs when it comes to drinking coffee. Firstly, for most Italians, coffee means espresso. They will generally drink it as part of breakfast or during an afternoon break, but never during a large meal. At lunch and dinner, you might find that coffee is prohibited at the dining table. Further, while many people in the United States are used to enjoying their coffee as they leisurely walk down the street, Italians frown on drinking coffee on the move. Sit down, relax, and savor your brew the Italian way!

The Benefits of Halibut

When it comes to seafood, halibut is always a strong choice. At our Italian restaurant in Bothell, you can enjoy this classic flatfish in several forms. If you haven’t tried it before, it has a gentle, mild taste that pairs well with a lot of Italian dishes.

Halibut comes with all of the benefits that you may expect find in most seafood, including crucial omega-3 fatty acids and lean protein. On top of this, halibut has a lot of additional impressive nutrients to offer. It is one of the world’s best sources of magnesium, which is important in fostering the flow of blood through your body. It is also a rich source of vitamin B6, vitamin B12, niacin, potassium, selenium, and folic acid. Getting plenty of this fish in your diet decreases your chances of heart disease, strokes, and even certain types of cancer.

What is Bruschetta?

Do you enjoy snacking on a quality Italian bread while you wait for your main course? At our Bothell Italian restaurant, you can precede your meal with one of our bruschetta al pomodoros off of our antipasti menu. This is a long-time favorite Italian appetizer that is sure to appeal to the entire table.

The word “bruschetta” is derived from the Italian bruscare, which means “to roast over coals”. The word describes not a specific type of bread, but rather a certain way that bread is prepared. It is usually made with Tuscan bread, like the variety you can find at Amaro Bistro, though it is also made with other types of Italian or French bread. The bread is toasted and seasoned with garlic and olive oil, along with any of a broad assortment of additional ingredients. We serve ours with roma tomatoes and organic basil, offering our diners a tantilizing preamble to any meal!