Column from October 29, 2009

Italian cuisine right here in Othello

We had a marvelous Italian meal Friday – tomato basil raviolini soup, dinner salad, meat balls and ravioli, garlic bread and spumoni ice cream for dessert.

It was so tasty and the waiters were very accommodating.

To top it off, we didn’t have to go far to enjoy our dinner. We were a mere four blocks from the new Italian Gardens at Reichert’s Showhouse.

Bob and Donna Reichert sent me a special invitation to try out their new addition to the Showhouse. On Fridays and Saturdays, you can plan a night out for dinner and a movie for a very reasonable price.

Dinner is $15 per person ($10 for sixth-grade age and younger) and movie tickets are only $5 with the meal (or $3.50 for the younger crowd).

What a deal!

The Reicherts have always been innovative and this is just another example of that. Bob and his staff wait on tables and make sure you’re enjoying yourself, while Donna prepares your meal using an old family recipe for the sauce.

And as you eat, you get to enjoy the lovely scenery of Italy on the big screen behind the tables.

Dinner is served from 4:45 to 6 p.m. Reservations are required by calling (509) 488-9796.

Other days are available for groups. You can call the same number to find out more information about that.

It’s a perfect night out for any occasion!

I interviewed Donna in January 2003 for the Recipe Corner column in The Othello Outlook. She told me at that time she has used the sauce recipe for years. She also said he always cooks a sit-down supper at her house.

Donna is a familiar face on weekends for movie goers in Othello. She can be found behind the ticket booth at Reichert’s Showhouse, so several people said they enjoyed reading about her and were going to try her recipe.

As a special treat for readers of Table Scraps, I’m reprinting her sauce recipe.

Italian pasta sauce

1 medium onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, diced

1/4 pound butter (“It has to be butter not margarine,” Donna said.)

12-ounce can tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon oregano

2 teaspoons seasoning salt

1 teaspoon sweet basil

1 teaspoon rosemary

15-ounce can tomato sauce

28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

2 bay leaves

Sauté onion and garlic in butter until brown. Add tomato paste and stir while cooking for about five minutes on medium-low heat.

Add oregano, seasoning salt, basil and rosemary (“crushed first in the palm of your hand,” Donna said).

Stir this with the paste for a few minutes, then add the tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes. Stir mixture and add the bay leaves, which Donna said are important. Cook for a minimum of 3 hours.

Donna said she adds browned hamburger or her favorite meat balls while the sauce is cooking for a better taste. She also said you can substitute olive oil for the butter.