RECIPES:

Shrimp Artichoke Dip           2 cup Half-and-Half ~ 1 Tb Clam juice ~ 2 ts dry White Wine ~ 3 Tb Butter ~ 1 Shallot finely chopped ~ 2 Tb Flour ~ 4 cup rough chopped Spinach ~ 1 cup canned Artichoke Hearts chopped ~ 8 large Shrimp peeled cleaned and chopped ~ 1/8 ts Cayenne Pepper (more to taste) ~ 1/8 ts fresh ground Black Pepper ~ 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese (optional).

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine half-and-half, clam juice and white wine. In a separate saucepan, melt butter. Add shallots and sauté until translucent. Add flour to butter mixture, stirring until flour is absorbed. Cook, stirring constantly, 2-3 minutes. Add heated half-and-half mixture all at once to the shallot mix, stirring constantly with a wire whip to remove any lumps. Add spinach, artichokes, shrimp, cayenne and black pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, so the mixture does not scorch. Remove mixture from heat, and stir in cheese, if desired. Pour dip into bowl and serve hot.

Mussels Pizzeria Style           20-30 fresh Mussels cleaned & scrubbed ~ 1 small Onion chopped ~ 4 cloves of Garlic minced ~ 2 cans of plum tomatoes ~ 1/4 cup of Olive Oil ~ 1/2 ts. of Oregano ~ 4 Tb. Parsley chopped ~ 4 Tb. Basil- chopped ~ dash of Salt & Pepper ~ Red Pepper Flakes to taste.

 Heat olive oil in a large pot with lid/add onion and garlic & simmer till onions are transluscent/add the tomatoes and break them up a bit with a wooden spoon/add oregano, salt, pepper, parsley, basil, and red pepper flakes/cook on medium for about 20 minutes/add the mussels, cover and simmer until mussels open, discarding any that don't/remove top shells, pour into large dish/serve with plenty of Italian bread

Eggplant Parmesan                 3 Eggplant, peeled and thinly sliced ~ 2 Eggs beaten ~ 4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs ~ 6 cup spaghetti sauce divided ~ 16 oz Mozzarella Cheese, shredded and divided ~ 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese divided ~ 1/2 ts dried Basil.

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Dip eggplant slices in egg, then in bread crumbs. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes on each side. In a 9x13 inch baking dish spread spaghetti sauce to cover the bottom. Place a layer of eggplant slices in the sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with the cheeses. Sprinkle basil on top. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until golden brown.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara            1 Lb dry Spaghetti ~ 2 Tb Extra-Virgin Olive Oil ~ 4 oz Pancetta or slab Bacon cubed or sliced into small strips ~ 4 Garlic cloves finely chopped ~ 2 large Eggs ~ 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving ~ freshly ground Black Pepper ~ 1 handful fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley chopped.

Prepare the sauce while the pasta is cooking to ensure that the spaghetti will be hot and ready when the sauce is finished; it is very important that the pasta is hot when adding the egg mixture, so that the heat of the pasta cooks the raw eggs in the sauce. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender yet firm (as they say in Italian "al dente.") Drain the pasta well, reserving 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water to use in the sauce if you wish. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium flame. Add the pancetta and sauté for about 3 minutes, until the bacon is crisp and the fat is rendered. Toss the garlic into the fat and sauté for less than 1 minute to soften. Add the hot, drained spaghetti to the pan and toss for 2 minutes to coat the strands in the bacon fat. Beat the eggs and Parmesan together in a mixing bowl, stirring well to prevent lumps. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the egg/cheese mixture into the pasta, whisking quickly until the eggs thicken, but do not scramble (this is done off the heat to ensure this does not happen.) Thin out the sauce with a bit of the reserved pasta water, until it reaches desired consistency. Season the carbonara with several turns of freshly ground black pepper and taste for salt. Mound the spaghetti carbonara into warm serving bowls and garnish with chopped parsley. Pass more cheese around the table.

Veal Marsala or Chicken Marsala             2 Lb Veal cutlets or Chicken Breast cutlets ~ 1/4 cup all-purpose Flour ~ 1/2 ts Seasoning Salt ~ 1/2 cup butter ~ 2 Tb Olive Oil ~ 3/4 Lb fresh Mushrooms quartered ~ 1/4 cup Marsala wine.

Place meat on a solid, level surface, or between sheets of waxed paper, and pound thinly with a mallet or moistened cleaver, using a glancing motion. In shallow dish, combine flour and seasoning salt. Dredge cutlets in flour mixture, and let rest 15 minutes on wire rack. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter with oil. Cook floured cutlets on both sides until brown. Introduce mushrooms, reduce heat to low, cover and cook 10 minutes. Pour in Marsala and simmer 5 minutes more, until veal is tender and sauce is hot. Serve immediately.

Chicken Scaloppine Limone         1 lb (500 g) boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts ~ 1/2 cup (125 mL) all-purpose Flour ~ non-stick Cooking Spray ~ 1 Tb (15 mL) Olive Oil ~ 1/4 cup (50 mL) fresh Lemon Juice ~ 1/3 cup (75 mL) chopped fresh Parsley ~ 1 lb (500 g) Mushrooms, ends trimmed, washed and sliced ~ 1 Lemon, thinly sliced.

  Place chicken breasts between two pieces of wax paper and pound with meat mallet or rolling pin until thin. Place flour on a plate. Dip chicken in flour, coating on both sides, and place on large plate. Lightly coat a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray and add oil over medium-high flame. Add lemon juice and chicken and sauté, turning frequently, until cooked and no longer pink inside, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add parsley and mushrooms to pan and sauté, turning occasionally, until mushrooms are soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Spoon sauce over chicken, garnish with lemon slices, and serve.

Baked Chicken Cacciatore             1/2 cup Flour, 1 Chicken (3 lbs.) cut up ~ 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil ~ 1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce ~ 1/2 cup dry Red Wine ~ 1/2 ts dried Oregano ~ 1/2 ts Salt ~ 1/4 ts freshly ground Black Pepper ~ 4 Garlic cloves minced ~ 2 Green Bell Peppers, cored, seeded, and sliced ~ 1/2 lb. Mushrooms sliced ~ 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese.

 Place flour in a paper bag; shake chicken pieces in flour to coat. In a large frying pan, heat oil. Add chicken and cook, turning, until browned, about 10 minutes. Remove to a 13x9x2-inch baking dish. While chicken is browning, mix tomato sauce, wine, oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Add garlic to pan drippings and sauté 1 minute. Add bell peppers and mushrooms; cook 5 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce mixture. Pour over chicken. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F. for 5 minutes, until chicken is tender. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Meat and Vegetable Lasagne    6 to 8 servings.           12-16 lasagna Noodles ~ 16 oz. Spinach, chopped ~ 1-1½ lb. lean ground Beef or turkey ~ 26 oz. jar spaghetti sauce ~ salt ~ Italian seasoning ~ 2 large yellow Onions chopped ~ Pepper ~ 5-10 Garlic cloves, minced ~ 2-3 Tb Olive Oil ~ 1 lb. Ricotta or Cottage Cheese ~ 1 lb. grated mozzarella cheese ~ 8-10 oz. Mushrooms ~ sliced Parmesan cheese.

Optional vegetables:   mustard or collard greens, squash, jalapeños, green chiles, broccoli This recipe can make one gigantic lasagna or two medium lasagnas. The directions will be for the single large lasagna, but I always make two medium ones (one to eat and one to freeze). If you make two (recommended), just put half the ingredients in each. While slicing and chopping vegetables, bring a pot of water to boiling. Completely immerse all the lasagna noodles, separating them underwater; boil for 14-15 minutes. While the noodles are boiling, brown salted meat in a frying pan, drain grease, and set aside. Sauté onions (with garlic, if desired), turning frequently, until lightly browned. Set aside. Pour noodles into a colander and separate; if they stick together, run cold water over them individually. Line the bottoms of two medium (12½"×9"×2½" or bigger) glass or metal casserole pans, each with 3-4 noodles running lengthwise. If two pans are used, spread a quarter of each of the ingredients, in the following ordered layers, over the first layer of noodles (pay attention; it's easy to make an error!). Flatten everything evenly with a pancake turner. Make a second layer of ingredients identical to the first (beginning with the remaining 6-8 noodles), except leave off the remaining grated mozzarella cheese until later. Here are the layers (any other layer of optional vegetables can be inserted between layers #4 and #5): 1. meat (bottom layer) 2. ricotta or cottage cheese 3. mushrooms 4. spinach 5. onion/garlic mixture 6. spaghetti sauce 7. Italian seasoning (to taste) 8. pepper (to taste) 9. mozzarella cheese (top layer) Bake in a preheated 350° oven (on top of a cookie sheet, in case of drippage). After 30 minutes, remove the lasagna briefly from the oven, and sprinkle the top with the remaining mozzarella cheese. DO NOT smash down the mozzarella cheese into the spaghetti sauce; this layer of cheese MUST REMAIN ON TOP so that it will brown! Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes at 350°, until the top blanket of cheese is lightly to moderately browned (not burned). When slicing to serve, carefully saw through the browned cheese and the lasagna with a serrated knife. Serve with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top (optional).

Easy Tiramisu           1/4 cup white Sugar ~ 2 ts Vanilla extract ~ 1 1/8 cup Mascarpone Cheese, Ricotta Cheese, Cream Cheese ~ 24 Ladyfingers ~ 1 1/2 cup brewed Coffee ~ 1 Tb unsweetened Cocoa powder.

In a medium bowl, beat yolks with sugar and vanilla until smooth and light yellow. Fold mascarpone into yolk mixture. Set aside. Dip ladyfingers briefly in coffee and arrange 12 of them in the bottom of an 8x8 inch dish. Spread half the mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers. Repeat with remaining cookies and mascarpone. Cover and chill 1 hour. Sprinkle with cocoa just before serving.