VEAL (OR CHICKEN) MARSALA

Once, long ago, several friends and I rented an apartment over a garage at the beach. It seems crazy now but then it was no effort at all to drag ourselves there every weekend, rushing to the beach on Friday night, and rushing back to work early on Monday morning. We almost always ate in and took turns cooking. (We were too poor to eat out.) Once, when we had decided on veal marsala for dinner, the supermarket was out of veal and Bob and I substituted chicken No one ever knew. So chicken works, but veal is better. We never had a demiglaze at the beach. As a matter of fact, we'd never heard of it. If you don't have any lying around, use chicken broth or beef broth. Both work but chicken is better.

VEAL (OR CHICKEN) MARSALA

serves 4



3 T unsalted butter

1 lb mushrooms, stems discarded, caps quartered

1 large clove garlic, minced

2 T chopped, fresh flat leaf parsley

1 1/2 lb veal cutlets, 1/4 inch thick

1/2 t salt

1/4 t black pepper

1/4 t dried thyme, crumbled (that releases the oils)

1/4 t dried oregano, crumbled

1 1/2 T olive oil

1/3 C all purpose flour

2/3 C sweet Marsala wine

1 C beef or veal demiglaze

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over high heat until foam subsides, then saute mushrooms, stirring frequently until liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated and mushrooms begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and parsley and saute, stirring, 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl and wipe skillet clean.

2. Pat veal dry, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, thyme and oregano.

3. Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil with 1 teaspoon butter in skillet over moderately high heat unti hot but not smoking. While fat is heating, quickly dredge 2 or 3 pieces of veal in flour, shaking off excess, then saute until just cooked through, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes on each side (meat will still be slightly pink inside). Transfer to a platter with tongs and keep warm, loosely covered, in a 200 degree oven. Saute remaining veal in 2 more batches using remaining oil and butter.

4. Add Marsala to skillet and deglaze on high heat by boiling, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until reduced by half. Stir in demiglaze and simmer, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Stir in mushroom mixture and any veal juices accumulated on platter, then season with salt and pepper if necessary. Simmer 2 minutes more and spoon over veal. Serve at once.

Note: If you're using chicken, ask the butcher for chicken cutlets 1/4 inch thick. If you can't find these, buy chicken breasts and pound them to 1/4 inch thick between two pieces of wax paper. I usually take the tenderloin out of the breast before doing this; it's a little hard to make the breasts consistently thin with this flange in the way. You can pound with a rolling pin but never being able to find mine, I went to the hardware store and bought a rubber hammer that makes a perfect tool for this operation.

TURKEY TETRAZZINI

Another request. This time for Turkey Tetrazzini. This is a great way to use lefover turkey from your Thanksgiving dinner. Or, if you want this at other times of the year, buy a turkey breast to cook yourself or ask your delicatessan to give you two pounds of turkey breast in a big hunk that you can then cube at home. Be sure to use the required quantity of chicken broth and be careful not to cook the tetrazzini too long. Otherwise, it may become dry. The great operatic diva, M. Tetrazzini, for whom this dish is named, would not be happy about that!

Tetrazzini is also great with leftover chicken. Using a shallow baking dish without a cover and cooking in a very hot oven will improve both texture and flavor. Don't skimp on the salt and pepper; this dish needs aggressive seasoning. If you want the dish even richer, add 1/2 to one cup of heavy cream to the sauce just before taking it off the heat.

TURKEY TETRAZZINI

serves 8



For the bread crumb topping

1/2 C fresh bread crumbs

pinch salt

1 1/2 T unsalted butter, melted

1/4 C freshly grated parmesan cheese

For the pasta

6 T unsalted butter, plus more for the baking dish

8-oz white button mushrooms, wiped clean, stems trimmed and sliced thin

2 medium onions, chopped fine (or you could use 3 scallions, white part only)

salt and ground black pepper

12-oz spaghetti or other long-strand pasta, strands snapped in half

1/4 C all purpose flour

2 C low-sodium chicken broth

3 T dry sherry

1 1/2-oz (3/4 C) freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/4 t freshly grated nutmeg

2 t lemon juice (from a real lemon!)

2 t minced fresh thyme leaves

2 C frozen peas, thawed

4 C cooked skinless, boneless turkey or chicken meat, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

For the topping

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the bread crumbs, salt and butter in a small baking dish; bake until golden brown and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature and mix together with the parmesan in a small bowl. Set aside.

For the pasta

1. Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Heat 2 tablesppons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat until the foaming subsides; add the mushrooms and onions and saute, stirring frequently, until the onions soften and the liqud from the mushrooms evaporates, 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste; transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta to the boiling water and stir to separate the noodles. Cook until al dente (or follow the directions on the box). Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water, drain the spaghetti and return it to the pot with the reserved liquid.

3. Melt the remaining 4 tablesppons butter in a clean skillet over medium heat. When the foam subsides, whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the flour turns golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisking constantly, gradually add the chicken broth. Increase the heat to medium high and simmer until the mixture thickens, 3 to 4 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the sherry, parmesan, nutmeg, lemon juice, thyme and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the sauce, sauteed mushrooms mixture, peas, and turkey to the cooked pasta and mix well; adjust the seasonings to taste.

4. Turn the mixutre into a buttered 13 x 9 inch baking dish (or other shallow ovenproof dish of similar size), sprinkle evenly with the reserved bread crubs, and bake until the crumbs brown and the mixture is bubbly, 13 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Note: If you don't like peas, leave them out. You can also add 1/2 cup diced canned or bottled pimientos.

TIRAMISU

Since I've been posting Italian dishes - main courses and at least one hor d'oeuvre - it seems only appropriate to include a dessert. So here's a typical Italian dessert, Tiramisu, which translated from Italian literally means "pick-me-up," which it certainly did the first time I enjoyed it, after a morning of joyously scrambling around the ruins of Pompeii, totally mindless of the energy I was expending. The couple I was with, both exhausted, suggested we stop for a quick bite to eat and we ended a very simple lunch with this great dessert. And pick me up it did, for an afternoon pursuit of two of my passions (besides food): history and photography.

Over the many years since then, I've enjoyed many versions of Tiramisu and collected many recipes for it. I've made it and served it many times. The following recipe is touted as the "authentic" version. I'm not sure about that but I am sure that it's very good.

TIRAMISU

serves 8-10



5 C strong cold espresso coffee (you can make this from instant espresso powder)

32 Savoiardi (Italian ladyfingers)

10 egg yolks

10 T sugar

1 lb mascarpone cheese

2 T Marsala wine

2 C heavy cream

3 T unsweetened cocoa powder

1. Pour the cold coffe into a large pie plate, dip 16 of the ladyfingers very quickly into the coffee and line the bottom of a12 x 9 x 2 inch dish with the ladyfingers. (Dip them quickly so they won't become soggy with too much liquid.)

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk (or beat in an electric mixer) the eggs and sugar until frothy, add the mascarpone and Marsala (you can substitute dark, or light rum if you don't already have Marsala, or use brandy or cognac), and whisk (or beat) until well blended and smooth. In another bowl, whisk (or beat) cream until stiff and fold into the mascarpone mixture until well blended and smooth. Using a pastry bag (or spoon and spatula) pipe about 1/2 of the mixture over the ladyfingers. Dip the remaining ladyfingers quickly into the coffee, arrange another layer of ladyfingers over the cheese mixture, and pipe the remaining mixture over the ladyfingers in (if you wish) an attractive design. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 6 hours.

3. When ready to serve, lightly sprinkle the cocoa powder through a fine sieve over the entire surface of the tiramisu. Spoon portions onto individual dessert plates and serve the dessert with large spoons.

Note: be sure to use real Italian ladyfingers that begin as dry and crisp, not those American ones that are already squisky and damp. It's also nice to lay the ladyfingers in one direction in the first layer and then in the opposite direction in the second. The Marsala adds a nice taste (and food is all about layering the tastes) but you can skip it and any other liquor if you prefer..

CHICKEN CACCIATORE

I've had a request from a follower for chicken cacciatore. Odd that I've never made this dish so I'm sorry I can't supply my favorite recipe from personal experience. When I'm in this situation, I consult all my cookbooks to find the recipe I think will be easy to follow and lead to great results. I went first to Giada de Laurentiis, the Food Network's sexy star (watch for her cleavage), who should logically be the definitive authority. But when I consulted my Cook's Illustrated New Best Recipe Cookbook for a second opinion, I learned that there might be some pitfalls in making cacciatore that Giada's recipe did not avoid. So, for you, Dick, here's the recipe from Cook's Illustrated, which professes to supply the very best recipe after having tested many. The key, according to them, is to first brown the chicken thighs but then remove the skin before proceeding with the braising. If you make this, let me know how it turns out.

CHICKEN CACCIATORE WITH PORTOBELLOS AND SAGE

serves 4



If you have a rind from some parmesan cheese, toss that it; it provides body as well as taste. But then skip the last salt in the recipe. An equal amount of minced fresh rosemary leaves can be a substitute for the sage.

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds), trimmed of excess fat and skin

salt and ground black pepper

1 t olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

6-oz (about 3 medium) portobello mushroom caps, wiped clean and cut into 3/4 inch dice

4 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press

1 1/2 T unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 C dry red wine

1/2 C low sodium chicken broth

1 (14.5-oz) can diced tomatoes, drained

2 t minced fresh thyme leaves

1 parmesan cheese rind, about 4 x 2 inches (optional)

2 t minced fresh sage leaves

1. Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper to taste. Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof Duitch oven ovee\r medium high heat until shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes. Add 4 of the chicken thighs, skin side down, and cook, not moving them until the skin is crisp and well browned, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, flip the chicken and brown the second side, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer the browned chicken to a large plate. Brown the remaining chicken thighs, transfer them to the plate, and set aside. When the chicken has cooled, remove and discard the skin (just pull the skin off the thighs). With a spoon, remove and discard all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pan.

2. Add the onion, mushrooms, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the now-empty Dutch oven. Saute over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the moisture evaporates and the vegetables begin to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. (Don't cook the garlic too long or it will turn bitter.) Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute. Add the wine, scraping the pan bottom with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits. Stir in the broth, tomatoes, thyme, parmesan cheese rind (if using), 1/2 teaspoon salt (omit the salt if using the cheese rind), and pepper to taste. Add the chicken pieces and accumulated juices, submerging the chicken in the liquid. Bring to a simmer, cover, and place the pot in the oven. Bake until the chicken is done, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven. (The stew can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Bring to a simmer over medium low heat.)

3. Discard the cheese rind, stir in the sage and adjust the seasonings. Serve immediately.

For a variation:

WITH WHITE WINE AND TARRAGON

Mince 3 large shallots; clean 10-oz white mushrooms and quarter if large, halve if medium, or leave whole if small. Follow the recipe above, substituting the shallots for the chopped onion, the white mushrooms for the portobellos, dry white wine for the red wine, and 2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon leaves for the sage.

OLIVE TAPENADE

This recipe comes from a landscape architect who once worked with me on my garden. It's easy to make and very colorful. Serve it with toasted pita bread, bread sticks or thin slices of toasted baguette. Use the garlic or not, according to your own taste, or that of your guests. This is wonderful with cocktails, especially when served in the garden!

JIM'S OLIVE TAPENADE

makes about 1 cup



1 19-oz can chickpeas

1 5-oz jar Spanish olives drained

1 4 1/2-oz can Progresso Caponata

1 1/2-oz (half of a regular 3-oz) jar of capers, drained

1 T fresh lemon juice

1/4 C good olive oil

1-2 cloves garlic

1. In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, blend 1/3 can chick peas, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic, if using. Pulse until the mixture has the consistency of mayonnaise.

2. Leaving the mixture in the bowl of the food processor, remove the steel blade and replace it with the slicing blade.

3. Slice the remaining chickpeas and the olives.

4. Empty the bowl of the food processor into a mixing bowl and stir in the capers and the caponata until the mixture is well combined.

5. Cover and chill to hold. Allow the tapanade to come to room temperature before serving.

SPAGHETTI CARBONARA

 As long as we're talking pasta, I just have to include a recipe for Carbonara, one of my favorites. Recently, on a trip to Japan, I signed up for a day trip to Mount Fuji and opted out of the optional Japanese lunch served on the tour. When my compatriots went off to their seaweed lunch, I found an Italian restaurant in the hotel where we stopped and had the best Carbonara I've had. Imagine: great Spaghetti Carbonara in Japan!

This recipe comes from Ruth Reichl who used to be the restaurant critic for The New York Times. She later became the editor of my dearly-beloved Gourmet Magazine, jettisoned (I don't know why) by Conde Nast in what I suppose was a cost-cutting measure. The first time I enjoyed this dish, I was at Fire Island where I already thought I'd gone to heaven even before I had this heavenly Italian specialty. Some of my guests have said one should always add white wine to the dish but I like it just the way Ruth does.

SPAGHETTI CARBONARA

serves 3



1 lb spaghetti

1/4 to 1/2 lb thickly sliced good quality bacon

2 cloves garlic, peeled but not cut

2 large eggs

black pepper

1/2 C  grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for the table

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When it is boiling, throw the spaghetti in. Most dried spaghetti takes 9 to 10 mninutes to cook and you can make the sauce in that time.

2. Cut the bacon crosswise into pieces about 1/2 inch wide. Put them in a skillet and cook for 2 minutes, until fat begins to render. Add the whole cloves of garlic and cook another 5 minutes, until the edges of the bacon just begin to get crisp. Do not over cook; if they get too crisp, they won't meld with the pasta.

3. Meanwhile, break the eggs into the bowl you will serve the pasta in and beat them with a fork. Add some grindings of pepper.

4. Remove the garlic from the bacon pan and toss away. If there seems to be too much fat for you, discard some, but remember that you're going to toss the bacon with most of its fat into the pasta to make a sauce.

5. When the pasta is cooked, drian it in a colander and immediately throw it into the beaten eggs. Mix thoroughly. The heat of the spaghetti will cook the eggs and turn them into a sauce. Add the bacon with its fat. Toss again, add cheese and serve.

This is a very rich dish. Add some crusty bread and a green salad and you have a complete meal. I would serve fruit for dessert.

NICK AND TONY'S PENNE WITH VODKA

Since I've been posting pasta recipes, I'd like to include one for pasta with vodka that is one of my absolute favorites. It comes from Nick and Tony's restaurant in East Hampton by way of Ina Garten. I watched them make it on her TV show and I've made it several times to rave reviews. It's not difficult but it takes a little time - 1 1/2 hours in the oven for the sauce. And remember when you take the pan out of the oven that it's very hot. I made the sauce in a cast iron skillet and when I removed it from the oven, I forgot it was hot and grasped the handle, burning my hand so severely that I had to go to Patient First for immediate help and was in a bandage for several days. It took almost a month for the hand to heal properly. So enjoy the pasta but remember the pan is hot.

NICK AND TONY'S PENNE ALLA VECCHIA BETTOLA

serves 5 to 6



1/4 C good olive oil

3 medium Spanish onions, chopped (those large white ones)

3 cloves garlic, diced

1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes

1 1/2 t dried oregano

1 C vodka (you don't have to use Grey Goose but please, don't use Zelco either!)

2 (28-oz) cans peeled plum tomatoes

kosher salt

freshlyu ground black pepper

3/4 lb penne pasta (you could use other pasta but penne holds the sauce nicely)

4 T fresh oregano, finely chopped

3/4 to 1 C heavy cream

grated parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large oven proof saute pan over medium heat, add the onions and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add the red pepper flakes and dired oregano and cook for 1 minute more. Add the vodka and continue cooking until the mixture is reduced by half.

3. Meanwhile, drain the tomatoes through a sieve and crush them into the pan with your hands. (This is very squishy, but fun.) Add 2 teaspoons salt and a pinch of black pepper. Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid or with foil and place in the oven for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. BE CAREFUL, THE PAN IS HOT!

4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente. Drain and set aside.

5. Place the tomato mixture in a blender and puree in batches until the sauce is a smooth consistency. Return to the pan.

6. Reheat the sauce, add 2 tablespoons fresh oregano and enough heavy cream to make the sauce a creamy consistency. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and simmer for 10 minutes. Toss the pasta into the sauce and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in 1/2 cup of parmesan. Serve with an additional sprinkle of parmesan and a sprinkle of fresh oregano on each plate.

PORK CHOPS

One of my followers here has asked me for a recipe for pork chops, complaining that whenever she cooks them they turn out tough and dry. Since I seldom prepare them for myself, preferring pork loin or pork tenderloin so I can feed more guests, I don't have a standard recipe for pork chops. To overcome the usual problem my follower describs, always buy the right cut and the right thickness: center-cut loin chops at least an inch thick. Then cook them, at least partially, in some liquid. Here's a recipe from Mark Bittman that I haven't yet tried but it sounds so good that I may change my mind about pork chops and try it soon.



SAUTEED PORK CHOPS

makes 4 servings



4 center cut loin pork chops, about 1 inch thick, trimmed of excess fat

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 T olive oil, plus more if not using butter

1/2 C dry white wine (you could substitute chicken broth)

1 t minced garlic or 2 T minced shallot, onion, or scallion

1/2 C chicken, beef or vegetable stock, or water, plus more if needed

1 T butter (you can use more olive oil instead)

1 T freshly squeezed lemon juice or wine vinegar

minced fresh parsley for garnish.

1. Sprinkle the chops with salt and pepper. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat for 2 or 3 minutes. Add the 2 tablespoons olive oil; as soon as the first wisps of smoke rise from the oil, add the chops and turn the heat to high. Brown the chops on both sides, moving them around so they develop good color all over. The entire browning process should take no longer than 4 minutes, and preferably less.

2. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the wine and the garlic and cook, turning the chops once or twice, until the wine is all but evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of stock or water, turn the heat to low, and cover. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, turning the chops once or twice, until the chops are tender but not dry. When done, they will be firm to the touch, their juices will run just slightly pink and, when you cut into them (which you should do the first time or two that you try this recipe, until you're sure about your heat and the process), the color will be rosy at first glance but quickly turn pale.

3. Remove the chops to a platter. If the pan juices are very thin, cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the liquid is reduced slightly. If the juices are scarce, add another 1/2 cup of stock or water. Stir in the butter or oil over medium heat; add the lemon juice, pour over the chops and garnish with parsley.

TO COOK WITH APPLES

In step 3, after removing the chops, cook 2 cups peeled, cored and slicedd apples in the remaining liquid, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan as the apples cook and adding about 1/2 cup more liquid (white wine or stock) if necessary. When the apple slices are soft, about 5 minutes, stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice (omit butter), pour over the chops, garnish and serve.

WITH MUSTARD

In step 3, stir in 1 tablespoon or more of Dijon mustard, with the lemon juice. Some capers would also be good here and maybe a dash or two of Worchestershire sauce. Finish as above.

I hope this works for you. If you try it, let me know how it turns out.

VEGETABLE LASAGNA

With the popularity that my two lasagna recipes seem to have generated, I've decided to post another, more complicated recipe for a vegetable lasagna. This comes from a dear friend who loves good food and is a patient cook who doesn't mind the many steps sometimes involved in creating a complicated dish. This recipe is for a lasagna that's another alternative to the usual meat-filled kind and solves the problem of what to serve your Vegan friends. Get them all together at one time and give them this vegetable lasagna. They'll love it - even your rmeat-eating friends will too - and the many steps involved will all be worth it.

BERT'S VEGETABLE LASAGNA

seves 8

For the vegetable filling

1 medium onion, sliced thin

1/2 T olive oil

4 carrots, cut into julienne strips

1 green bell pepper, cut into julienne strips

1 lb mushrooms, sliced

3 medium zucchini, cut into julienne strips

1 C loosely packed spinach leaves, coarse stems discarded, washed well, spun dry and chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 C fresh basil leaves, washed well, spun dry and chopped

2 T chopped fresh oregano leaves, or 3/4 t dried oregano, crumbled (which releases the oils)

1 t freshly ground black pepper

For the cheese filling

4 large eggs whites, lightly beaten

1/2 lb firm tofu, drained and crumbled

2 C nonfat cottage cheese

1/2 C freshly grated parmesan cheese

5 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 t dried hot red pepper flakes

1/2 t freshly ground black pepper

1/2 C fresh basil leaves, washed well, spun dry and chopped

For the assembly

3 C fresh tomato basil sauce (see recipe below)

3/4 lb lasagna pasta, cooked al dente, drained, rinsed in cold water and patted dry

Make vegetable filling

1. In a large nonstick skillet, saute onion in oil over moderately high heat, stirring, until golden. Add remaining vegetable filling ingredients and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until vegetables are just tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer vegetable filling to a colander and drain excess liquid.

Make cheese filling

1. In a bowl, stir together cheese fillling ingredients until well combined.

Assemble

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Barely cover the bottom of a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish with about 1/2 C tomato sauce. Top sauce with one layer of pasta and spread pasta with one half of cheese filling. Top cheese filling with half of vegbetable filling and another layer of pasta (laid in opposite direction from the first). Spread pasta with 1/2 cup tomato sauce, remaining cheese fillling and remaining vegetable filling and top with remaining pasta. Spread remaining 2 cups tomato sauced over pasta. Cover dish tightly with foil, tenting slightly to prevent foil from touching top layer and put on a baking sheet. Lasagan can be made 1 day ahead to this point and held, chilled and covered.

3. Bake lasagna in middle of oven for 1 1/2 hours unti bubbling. Let lasagna stand 10 minutes before serving.

BERT'S TOMATO BASIL SAUCE

makes about 3 cups

There's nothing better than fresh ingredients. Here's a basic tomato sauce that uses the goodness and bounty of the summer garden. It's from my friend, Bert, who takes his cooking seriously and always with a memorable outcome. Use this for the Vegetable Lasagna above as well as for other pasta recipes that call for tomato sauce.

3 1/2 lb vine ripened tomatoes, chopped

1 C chopped onion

5 garlic cloves, minced

6 sprigs fresh thyme sprigs, washed well and spun dry, or 3/4 t dried thyme, crumbled

1 bay leaf

1/4 t dried hot red pepper flakes

1 T tomato paste

1/2 C fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1/2 C fresh basil leaves, chopped

1. In a large heavy saucepan, simmer tomatoes, onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaf and red pepper flakes, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 20 to 25 minutes, or until tomatoes are soft and the sauce has thickened. Discard the bay leaf and stir in the tomato paste. Stir in parsley and basil and season with salt and freshy ground black pepper.

I've made this lasagna only once, as a special dinner for distant friends who were staying with me for the weekend, and some of their (and my) other friends. It wasn't until the lasagna was on the table that the wife told me she was allergic to wheat products. I don't remember what I did. I suppose I filled her up with salad and dessert.

Note: If you want to make this recipe in weather when fresh, vine ripened tomatoes are not available, you can substitue a couple of cans of plum tomatoes.

Note: If you want to make this a total white lasagna, you can substitue a bechamel sauce for the tomato sauce. See other recipes on this blog for bechamel sauces. Flavor the sauce, if you wish, with a bay leaf, some thyme and a little nutmeg.

EASY CHEESE LASAGNA

When you're just really hungry for the gooey richness of pasta with cheese but you're trying to watch your weight, I recommend this lasagna recipe. It uses low fat ingredients and lots of vegetables and it really is healthy. I use mushrooms and red bell peppers but any vegetables will do. You'd never know this lasagna contains no meat.

Equally important to me is that the recipe is easy and really fast. There's no need to cook the lasagna noodles first; they steam in the tomato sauce, and the cheese comes right out of the package. Try this. I promise you'll like it. You'll know at the same time you're satisfying that craving for lasagna that you're also eating something healthy.

A WEIGHT WATCHER'S EASY CHEESE LASAGNA

serves 6

1 jar (28-oz) spaghetti sauce (as plain or as fancy as you like)

6 uncooked lasagna noodles (the kind that need no cooking)

1 container (15-oz) fat-free ricotta cheese

1-2 C sliced or chopped raw vegetables, such as mushrooms, broccoli and bell pepper

1 package (6-oz) shredded low-fat mozzarealla cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375. Spray an 11x7 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Spread 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of the dish and arrange 3 noodles in a single layer over the sauce. Top with another 1/3 of the sauce, all of the ricotta cheese and vegetables and 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese, then remaining noodles in a single layer. Spread evenly with remaining sauce.

3. Cover dish with foil and bake until noodles are tender and the mixture is piping hot, about 1 hour. Remove  dish from the oven, remove the foil and sprinkle the top with the remaininig mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 5 minutes longer. Allow the lasagna to stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

Note: in Weight Watcher's terminology, this lasagna is only 6 points per serving.

LASAGNA

This  is aboslutely the best lasagna I've ever eaten (and I've eaten a lot because I like it so well). It's made with sausage instead of the usual ground beef; that may have something to do with the taste. Some other recipes for lasagna use pasta noodles that require no cooking before assembly but this one is made in the traditional manner. I used to hate the mess that these noodles make and they're slippery and hot and hard to handle. Just put them between damp kitchen towels, as called for in the recipe, and you'll find that part of the job much easier. This lasagna is so good that you'll find the noodles well worth the effort.

LASAGNA WITH SAUSAGE

serves 6-8



3 T extra virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 1/2 lb sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

1 T chopped fresh parsley

1 23-oz can peeled Italian plum tomatoes

1 6-oz can tomato paste

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 t dried basil, crumbled

1 lb fresh ricotta cheese

1/2 C parmesan cheese

1 egg, lighlty beaten

1 lb dried lasagna, preferably curley edged

1 lb fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

1. Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add onions first and then garlic and cook, stirring often until soft, about 5 minutes. Add sausage and cook, breaking up meat with the back of a spoon, until no longer pink, 10-15 minutes. Add parsley and cook until meat is browned, 5-10 minutes more. (It's important to brown the meat; that seals in moisture and flavor.)

2. Drain the grease from the skillet, being careful to retain all the ingredients. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, and 2 cups water and season to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, about 1 1/2 hours. Stir in basil and set sauce aside.

3. Meanwhile, combine ricotta, egg, and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese in a medium bowl and set aside.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water over high heat, stirring often, until just tender, 8-11 minutes (or follow directions on box). Drain, then lay pasta sheets not toucning between damp kitchen towels. You can sprinkle pasta with a little olive oil to keep it from sticking.

5. Spread a thin layer of sauce in a medium deep baking dish (or you can use a traditional lasagna pan), covering the bottom of the pan. Then cover with several sheets of the pasta, covering the sauce completly. Spread one third of the ricotta mixture over pasta, cover with more pasta, spread one third of the sauce over the pasta and arrange one third of the mozzarella over sauce. Repeat layers, ending with ricotta, sauce, then mozzarella. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of parmesan. Bake until sauce is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let lasagna rest 15 minutes before serving.

Note: mozzarella is much easier to slice or shred if you place it in the freezer for about 15 minutes before using.

Note: another way to deal with the pasta is after draining, drape the pasta sheets over the side of the colander. When layering the pasta, lay one layer in one direction and the next layer in the other direction.

A RIFF ON MACARONI AND CHEESE

After apple pie and meatloaf, perhaps the next most all-American dish is macaroni and cheese. Basically, the dish consists of some form of cooked pasta, preferably in a shape that will hold a béchamel sauce, also called a roux, of butter and flour and milk, sometimes flavored; cheese (or cheeses); and a topping. The simplest, and most classic of recipes, looks something like this, a version from Cook’s Illustrated, The New Best Recipe.

CLASSIC MACARONI AND CHEESE

Serves 6 to 8 as a main dish or

10 to 12 as a side dish

Bread Crumb Topping

6 slices good-quality white sandwich bread, torn into rough pieces

3 T cold unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces.

1. Pulse the bread and butter in a food processor until the crumbs are no larger than 1/8 inch, ten to fifteen 1-second pulses. Set aside.

Pasta and Cheese

1 lb elbow macaroni

salt

5 T unsalted butter

6 T all-purpose flour

1 ½ t dry mustard

¼ t cayenne pepper (optional)

5 C milk

8-oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (2 C)

8-oz sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (2 C)

1. Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the broiler. Bring 4 quarts water to a rolling boil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Add the macaroni and 1 tablespoon salt and stir to separate the noodles. Cook until the pasta is tender, just beyond al dente. Drain in a colander and set aside.
2. In the now empty Dutch oven, heat the butter over medium-high heat until foaming. Add the flour, mustard, and cayenne (if using) and whisk well to combine. Continue whisking until the mixture becomes fragrant and deepens in color, about 1 minute. Whisking constantly, gradually add the milk; bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly (the mixture must reach a full boil to fully thicken), then reduce the heat to medium and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened to the consistency of heavy cream, about 5 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the cheeses and 1 teaspoon salt until the cheeses are fully melted. Add the pasta and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is steaming and heated through, about 6 minutes.
3. Transfer the mixture to a broiler-safe 13 by 9-inch baking dish and sprinkle evenly with the bread crumbs. Broil until the crumbs are deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes, rotating the pan if necessary for even browning. Cool about 5 minutes, then serve.

My sister, Barb’s Mac and Cheese, served at all family dinners – Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Fourth of July – was a lot easier to make. Barb insisted that the secret was to use powdered milk and the sharpest Cheddar cheese you can find.

BARBARA CAWLEY’S MAC AND CHEESE

Serves 6-8

1 C (measured dry) macaroni, cooked and cooled

1 C powdered milk

1 t salt

2 T flour

½ lb sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

1 ½ T butter

1 ¼ C water

bread crumbs (optional)

1. Mix all ingredients together well and pour into a casserole dish. Cover with bread crumbs if you like. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

Note: Sometimes Barb jazzed this up with some chopped mushrooms or pimentos.

Ina Garten likes her Mac and Cheese a little more cheesy. And she uses tomatoes on top, under the bread crumbs. (Make this only in summer when tomatoes are ripe; don’t use those cardboard ones available out of season.) Ina also flavors her roux with nutmeg, a tradition in French cooking.

INA GARTEN’S MAC AND CHEESE

Serves 6-8

Kosher salt

Vegetable oil

1 lb elbow macaroni or cavatappi (a corkscrew-shaped pasta by De Cecco)

1 quart milk

8 T unsalted butter, divided

½ C all-purpose flour

12-oz Gruyere cheese, grated (4 C)

8-oz extra sharp Cheddar cheese, grated (2 C)

½ t freshly ground black pepper

½ t nutmeg

¾ lb fresh tomatoes (about 4 small)

1 ½ C fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.
2. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don’t boil it. Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a large pot (4-quart) and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened. (Heating the milk first speeds the process and whisking constantly prevents lumps from forming when cooking the flour. Cooking the roux rids the combination of the raw flour taste.) Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish.
3. Slice the tomatoes and arrange on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on top.

Mark Bittman likes to flavor his milk with bay leaves. And he uses parmesan cheese, which is a lot less expensive than Gruyere. And unlike Cook’s Illustrated, he wants his pasta undercooked. And he cooks his casserole in a much hotter oven for a shorter period of time.

MARK BITTMAN’S MAC AND CHEESE (from How to Cook Everything)

Serves 4 to 6

2 ½ C milk, low fat is fine

2 bay leaves

1 lb elbow macaroni, shells, ziti or other cut pasta

4 T butter

3 T flour

1 ½ C grated cheese, such as sharp Cheddar or Emmenthal

½ C freshly grated Parmesan cheese

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

½ C or more plain bread crumbs, preferably fresh

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
2. Cook the milk with the bay leaves in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. When small bubbles appear along the sides, about 5 minutes later, turn off the heat and let the milk stand. Salt the boiling water and cook the pasta to the point where it still needs another minute or two to become tender. Drain it, rinse it quickly to stop cooking and place it in a large bowl.
3. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter; when it is foamy, add the flour and cook, stirring, until the mixture browns, about 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaves from the milk and add about ¼ cup of the milk to the hot flour mixture, stirring with a wire whisk all the while. As soon as the mixture becomes smooth, add a little more milk, and continue to do so until all the milk is used up and the mixture is thick and smooth. Add the Cheddar or Emmenthal and stir.
4. Pour the sauce over the noodles, toss in the Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Use the remaining butter to grease a 9 x 13 baking pan and turn the noodle mixture into it. Top liberally with bread crumbs and bake until the crumb turn brown, about 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Giada de Laurentiis, the Food Network’s version of sexy cooking, gives Mac and Cheese her own Italian twist. And why not? As the granddaughter of the movie director and his sexy and beautiful wife, Silvana Mangano (See the movie version of Death in Venice), Giada has very good genes. (And nice cleavage!) She flavors her roux with thinly sliced prosciutto (watch the salt) and uses rigatoni for the pasta.

GIADA DE LAURENTIIS’S MAC AND CHEESE

(she calls it “Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel Sauce)

serves 6 as a side dish

1 t olive oil

4 C Bechamel Sauce (see below)

½ lb thinly sliced prosciutto, cut crosswise into thin strips

1 C freshly grated fontina cheese

½ t salt, plus more for taste

pinch of freshly ground white pepper, plus more to taste

1 lb dried rigatoni

3 T unsalted butter, diced

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly coat a 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish with the oil. In a medium saucepan, stir the béchamel sauce over medium heat until hot but do not allow it to boil. Stir in the prosciutto, ½ cup of the fontina cheese, ½ teaspoon of salt, and a pinch of white pepper. Set the cheese sauce aside.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rigatoni and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost tender but still very firm, about 5 minutes. (The pasta will cook further in the oven.) Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Stir in the cheese sauce and season the pasta mixture with more salt and pepper to taste.
3. Spoon the pasta mixture into the prepared dish, then sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup of fontina cheese and dot the top with the butter. (The pasta can be prepared up to this point 8 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Uncover before baking.) Bake the pasta until the top is golden brown and the sauce bubbles, about 25 minutes. Serve immediately.

Giada's Bechamel Sauce

5 T unsalted butter

1/2 C all-purpose flour

4 C warm whole milk

1/2 t salt, plus more to taste

pinch of freshly ground white pepper, plus more to taste

pinch of freshly grated nutmeg, plus more to taste

1. In a  2-quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the warm milk, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps from forming. Simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly until the sauce is thick, smooth, and creamy, about 10 minutes. Do not allow the sauce to boil. Remove from the heat and stir in 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a pinch each of white pepper and nutmeg. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper to taste.

I guess I could go on and on with recipes for Mac and Cheese, or Mac and Cheeses. But I’ll stop here with my favorite recipe, not for the faint-of-heart. This is the ultimate Mac and Cheese and the recipe I would use for my most discerning guests (so long as they’re not worried about calories). The recipe comes from Tyler Florence.

THE ULTIMATE MACARONI AND CHEESE

Serves 6 to 8

Kosher salt

1 lb elbow macaroni

3 T unsalted butter

3 T all-purpose flour

4 C warm milk

5 ½ C shredded sharp white Cheddar

freshly ground black pepper

¼ C chopped flat-leaf parsley

extra virgin olive oil

4 slices bacon, cut crosswise into thin strips

1 large onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, smashed

leaves from ¼ bunch fresh thyme

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the macaroni and cook for 8 to 9 minutes, until al dente. Drain.
2. Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, to keep lumps from forming. Gradually whisk in the milk, and whisking vigorously, cook until the mixture is nice and smooth. Stir in the 4 cups of cheese and continue to cook and stir to melt the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cooked macaroni and the parsley and fold that all in to coat the macaroni with the cheese mixture. Scrape into a 3-quart baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining 1 ½ cups cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
3. While the mac and cheese bakes, heat a 2-count (2 tablespoons) of olive oil in a sauté pan. Add the bacon, onion, garlic and thyme and cook for about 5 minutes to soften the onion. Season with salt and pepper.
4. To serve, scatter the bacon mixture over the mac and cheese. Use a big spoon to scoop out servings, making sure you get some of the smoking bacon mixture on each spoonful.

BEEF BOURGUIGNON

The first food I made from scratch was Toll House Cookies. I liked them a lot so my mother finally let me mix them up and plop them on the cookie sheet. I guess I was about eight years old.

When I was about 14, I went to a summer camp where we had an Indian meal. One of the dishes was "purries," a potato bread heavily kneaded and formed in a circle the size of a biscuit that bubbled up and provided a kind of spoon that could be used to scoop up the other food on the table. When I got home from camp, I insisted on making these for an astonished family, much happier with my mother's wonderful cloverleaf rolls.

Flush with these successes, the nex thing I attempted was beef bourguignon. What chutzpa I had! I don't remember how it turned out (I'm sure I would remember if it had been a disaster) and I'm sure I had a lot of help from Mom. Here's a recipe for this tasty stew, adapted from Ina Garten and reminiscent of a bouguignon that came from a friend who used to have a New Year's Day party where this was always served. Resolve to make it on a cold winter weekend. (I'm actually making it today.) The recipe is heavy on the carrots.

BEEF BOURGUIGNON

serves 6-8



1 T good olive oil

8-oz good bacon, diced

2 1/2 lb beef chuck cut into 1" cubes

Kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 lb carrots, sliced diagonally into 1 inch chunks

2 yellow onions, sliced

2 t chopped garlic (about 2 cloves)

1/2 C Cognac or good brandy

1 bottle good dry red wine, such as Burgundy (I will use a Pinot Noir)

2 to 2 1/2 C canned beef broth

1 T tomato paste

1 t fresh thyme leaves

4 T unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided

3 T all purpose flour

1 lb frozen small whole onions

1 lb mushrooms, stems discarded, caps thickly sliced

For serving

Country bread, toasted or grilled

1 garlic clove, cut in half

1/2 C chopped parsley (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.

3. Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside.

4. Toss the carrots, onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper into the fat in the pan and cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are slightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the Cognac, stand back, and ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol. Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Add the wine plus enough beef broth to almost cover the meat. Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a boil, cover the pot with a tight fitting lid, and place in the oven for about 1 1/4 hours, or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven and place on top of the stove.

5. Combine 2 tablespoons of the butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew to thicken it. Add the frozen onions. In a medium pan, saute the mushrooms in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until lightly bronwed and then add to the stew. Bring the stew to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncoverd for 15 minutes. Season to taste.

6. Rub each slice of bread on one side with garlic. For each serving, spoon the stew over a slice of bread and sprinkle with parsley.

The photograph shows the bourguignon in the cooking carrots and onions stage.