Spaghetti alla Carbonara

1 pound dry spaghetti
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces pancetta or slab bacon, cubed or sliced into small strips
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 large eggs
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Freshly ground black pepper
1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Preparation

Cook the pasta while preparing the sauce to ensure that the spaghetti will be hot and ready when the sauce is finished; the hot pasta cooks the raw eggs in the sauce, so this is an important step

Boil salted water, then add the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until al dente. Drain the pasta, keeping 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water to use in the sauce if you wish.

Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium flame. Add the pancetta and saute for about 3 minutes, until the bacon is crisp and the fat is rendered. Toss the garlic into the fat and saute 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.

Provencal Chicken

3 lbs. chicken cut into large pieces
1 zucchini
2 tomatoes
1 eggplant
1 clove garlic
1 large onion
2/3 cup oil, plus oil for pan
1 sprig rosemary
2 sprigs thyme
salt

1. Preheat he oven to 400 degrees. Cut the vegetables into slices. Put the eggplant in a colander and cover with salt. Arrange the chicken in a greased pan and bake for 15 minutes.
2. Rinse and dry the eggplant, arrange them around the chicken along with the other vegetables and sprinkle with chopped garlic and sliced ​​onion.
3. Prepare a sauce with the oil, rosemary and thyme. Then pour half of it over the vegetables. Cook for 15 minutes, then pour in the other half.
4. Cook for another 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Orange Carmelized Chicken

1 tbs. butter
4 chicken legs with thighs attached 
5 sprigs parsley
1 orange
3 tbs. honey
salt, pepper

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a pan with butter and arrange the chicken legs. Wash and chop the parsley. Squeeze the orange.
2. In a bowl, mix the orange juice and honey. Add the finely chopped parsley, salt, pepper and stir again.
3. Brush the chicken legs with the orange sauce. Cover the pan with aluminum and bake for 15 minutes. 
4. Water regularly while cooking the chicken with its sauce. Remove the aluminum, bring the oven temperature to 450 degrees and let it carmelize for 10 minutes. Serve warm.
 

Raspberry Tart

13.5 oz. cream
3 drops vanilla mixed with 3 tbs.          sugar
1 lb. raspberries
2 tbs powdered sugar

For the dough
1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
7 tbs. butter
1 yolk
3 tbs. water
zest of 1 lemon

Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the flour, sugar, salt and butter (cut into 1 tbs. pieces) in a bowl for the dough until smooth.
2. Add the yolk, water and zest. Form a ball of dough with a rolling pin and roll it out to line a buttered cake pan.
3. Bake for 25 minutes, then let cool. With the electric beater, whip the cream with the vanilla sugar.

4. Fill the tart with the whipped cream and arrange the raspberries in a circle. With the help of a strainer sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar. Serve cold.

Veal Cordon-Bleu

Okay, so this isn't Italian, but you will still find it if you eat in Italy, particularly in the Northwest where Italy shares a border with France.

4 cutlets of veal
2 oz. fontina
4 thin slices of prosciutto
4 tbs. breadcrumbs
3 tbs butter
salt, pepper

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Beat the cutlets of veal with a meat tenderizer until about 1/4 inch thick.
2. Cut the cheese into 8 thin slices and cover the cutlets with 1 slice of ham and 2 slices of fontina. Roll the cutlets and close them well.
3. Pour the breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl. Then melt the butter and dip the cutlet rolls in the butter. Next, dip them into the breadcrumbs until they are covered. 
4. Place the cutlet rolls on a greased baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. The breadcrumbs should be slightly golden. Serve warm. 

Chocolate Chip Biscotti

3 tbs. vegetable oil
1/4 cup shelled almonds
2 cups sifted flour
1 tbs. paking powder
1 pinch salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. almond extract
2/3 cup chocolate chips

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum and oil the aluminum. Chop the almonds with the knife, pour into a bowl and stir in the flour, baking powder and salt.
2. Mix the eggs and sugar with an electric beater. Pour the vanilla and almond extract, stir in the flour mix a little at a time and then the chocolate chips. Stir.
3.  Knead the dough to form 2 strips 13 cm long that you will place on the plate. Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool then cut the strips into slices 1 cm thick.  
4. Arrange the biscotti on the plate, bake for 10 minutes, turn them and bake for 10 minutes. Prior to eating let cool on a rack.

White and Dark Chocloate Souffle

2.5 oz. dark chocolate 
1 cup milk
3-1/2 tbs. butter
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 oz. white chocolate

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a saucepan, over low heat, melt the chocolate with the milk, stirring with a spoon to get a smooth mixture.
2. In another saucepan, melt the butter over low heat, pour in the flour and cook for 5 minutes, stirring. Add the sugar and then the melted chocolate, then mix well.
3. Break the eggs, separating the whites from the yolks. Stir in the egg yolks one at a time to the chocolate mixture. Beat the egg whites until stiff, then fold them into the mixture. 
4. Pour the mixture into 4 greased ramekins and bake for 35 minutes. With the help of a potato peeler, cut the white chocolate into shavings and distribute them on the souffle just out of the oven. Serve immediately. 

Chocolate Mousse Tart

2 cups chocolate chip cookies
1/4 cup butter
2-1/2 cups dark chocolate with almonds 
2 tbs. sliced almonds
2/3 cup cream
2 egg whites

Preparation:

1. Crush cookies into powder with the mixer. Combine the butter, then use the paste you made to line the molds for tarts, which you need to put in the refrigerator.
2. Melt the chocolate for 4 minutes in the microwave at full power. Let cool for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Whisk the egg whites until stiff.
3. Whip the cream and keep some aside for garnishing. Stir in the remaining cream with the egg whites and pour it over the melted chocolate. Add the almonds. 
4. Let the mousse cool. Fill the bottoms of the tarts with chocolate mousse and top with whipped cream and almonds. Serve immediately.

Chicken Marsala

4 chicken breasts
2 onions
1 cup mushrooms
5 tbs. flour
5 tbs. olive oil
1/3-1/2 cup Marsala
1/3 cup chicken broth 
2 tbs. lemon juice
1 sprig chopped parsley 
salt, pepper

Preparation:

1. Place the chicken breasts between two pieces of parchment paper and flatten with a meat tenderizer until 1/4-1/2 an inch thick. Add salt and pepper. Slice the onions and the mushrooms.
2. Pass the chicken breasts in 2 tablespoons of flour. In a pan heat 2 tablespoons of oil and saute the chicken breasts on medium flame for 2 minutes per side. Put them aside.
3. In the same pan, saute the onions and for 5 minutes with 1 tablespoon of oil. Add 3 tablespoons of flour. Pour in the Marsala wine, chicken broth and lemon juice.
4.Bring the sauce to a boil and let it thicken for 5 minutes, stirring. Put the chicken breasts in the pan and simmer for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. 

Italian Cheese Dumplings

1 cup puff pastry 
1/2 cup taleggio cheese
1/3 cup Swiss cheese
4 sprigs of parsley 
1/8 cup salted butter
pepper

Preparation:


1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Unroll the puff pastry on a flat working surface with parchment paper, and cut it into 4 pieces. Slice the taleggio and cube the Swiss.
2. In the center of each pastry place the two cheeses and distribute evenly. Pepper the pastries and add the parsley.
3. To close the pastries fold into a triangular shape and, using wet fingers, combine the dough of the corners in the center.
4. Melt the butter and brush it over the pastries. Place the pastries
on a backing sheet with parchment paper and bake for about 25 minutes.

Belgian Endive with Cream Cheese

2 heads Belgian endive
1/2 cup red beans
2/3 cup goat cheese
2 tbs. apple cider vinegar
4 fresh chives, chopped
1 small handful chopped parsley
1/2 tsp. sweet paprika 
8 cherry tomatoes
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper

Preparation

1. Clean the endive and get rid of the outside lives. Keep the large leaves and cut the heart a julienne.
2. Boil the red beans in water, let them cool, and then drain them. Afterwards, put them in a food processor with 1 tsp. of oil, and mix in the processor until pureed.
3. In a bowl mix the cheese, the bean puree, chopped chives, chopped parsley, paprika, vinegar and the endive julienne. Then add the salt and pepper to taste.
4. Divide the mixture onto the endive leaves and top with half of a cherry tomato.

If you want, you could also add a shrimp or a slice of smoked salmon for extra flavor.

Avocado Mousse with Smoked Salmon

2 large avocados
1/2 lemon
4 slices smoked salmon
3 tbs. cream
2 sprigs of dill
1 small heart of romaine
4 cherry tomatoes
salt, pepper

Sour Cream

1 tsp. cream
1 dash lemon juice
salt
pepper

Preparation

1. Cut the avocados in half and remove the seeds. Scoop out the pulp and keep the shells off to the side for now.
2. Put the avocado pulp in a food processor. Combine with the juice of the lemon. Add 2 slices of the salmon. Mix in the food processor until well blended.
3. Combine the avocado mix with the cream, salt, pepper and dill in the four "avocado shells." Put in the fridge for 15 minutes.
4. Mix the ingredients for the sour cream in a bowl. Set aside.
5. Slice the salmon and hearts of romaine into long, thin slices. Take your avocado bowls out of the fridge and garnish with the salmon, romaine, and cherry tomatoes.

Tapenade

1-1/2 cups olives
1/2 cups anchovies in olive oil
1/4 cup capers
1/3 cup olive oil
pepper

Preparation

1. Pit the olives and put them in a food processor. Blend until pureed.
2. Drain the anchovies and blend them with the olives.
3. Drain the capers and add them to the mix with the pepper.
4. Turn on the food processor and add the oil a bit at a time. When it reaches a desirable consistency, stop blending and serve with bread or crackers.

Baked Tomatoes

Serves 6

1 3/4 lbs. fresh, ripe tomatoes
3 oz. bread w/out crust
2 oz. black olives, pitted
1/2 oz. capers
4 tbs. grated parmesan
1 tbs. white wine vinegar
1 tbs. breadcrumbs
3 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
salt and chili pepper to taste

Preparation

1. cut the tomatoes in half horizontally, scoop out the pulp, salt slightly and turn face down on a cutting board.
2. Crumble the bread into a small bowl, sprinkle with oil and vinegar and set aside.
3. mince the capers, olives, tomato pulp and combine in a bowl with parmesan and the crumbled bread. Mix thoroughly.
4. Fill the tomato halves with the mixture and put them into a greased baking dish, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and bake at 390 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Mussels au Gratin

Serves 6

2.2 lbs. mussels
3 tbs. breadcrumbs
1 lemon
2 garlic cloves
1 tbs chopped parsley
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
salt and ground chili pepper, to taste


Preparation

1. Scrub the mussels with a stiff brush. Tear off the beards. Rinse thoroughly under running water and then put the mussels into a pan without water; cover and cook over a medium flame until they open.
2. For the stuffing, in a bowl combine the breadcrumbs, the juice and grated zest of the lemon, salt, chili pepper, the chopped parsley and the juice from the garlic.
3. Put the open mussels on a baking sheet, discard the empty half shells.
4. Spoon the stuffing onto each mussel, and put them under the broiler at 390 degrees F; they are ready when a nice golden crust has formed.