1 ciabatta loaf (about 8 by 14 by 2 in.)

1/2 cup store-bought black or green olive tapenade

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 pound thinly sliced Genoa salami

1/4 pound thinly sliced spicy Italian cold cuts, such as coppa, capocolla, or hot salami

3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto

8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced

1 roasted red bell pepper, chopped

6 leaves fresh basil, torn into bite-size pieces

Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Cut ciabatta in half lengthwise. Spread bottom half with tapenade. Drizzle cut side of top half with vinegar and oil.

2. Arrange salami on top of tapenade, followed by cold cuts, prosciutto, mozzarella, red pepper, and basil. Sprinkle with pepper to taste and place top half of loaf on filling.

3. Wrap sandwich thoroughly with plastic wrap. Place a heavy cutting board or other flat object on top of sandwich and weight it down with a 2- to 4-lb. weight (such as a large pot or six-pack of soda). Let sit 30 minutes to 2 hours. Unwrap, cut into eighths, and serve.

Makes 8 servings

For the meatballs:

3/4 pound ground chicken

1/2 pound chicken sausage, casings removed

2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs

2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving

3 tablespoons milk

1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons good olive oil

1 cup minced yellow onion

1 cup diced carrots (3 carrots), cut into 1/4 inch pieces

3/4 cup diced celery (2 stalks), cut into 1/4 inch pieces

10 cups homemade chicken stock

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 cup small pasta such as tubetini or stars

1/4 cup minced fresh dill

12 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. With a teaspoon, drop 1 to 1 1/4-inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (You should have about 40 meatballs. They don't have to be perfectly round.) Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.

In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan.

Makes 6 cups

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

2 dried bay leaves

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional

In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5-10 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer uncovered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.

Add half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.

If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to six months.

1/4 cup plain bread crumbs

2 tablespoons whole milk

2 large eggs lightly beaten

3/4 cup grated Romano

1 pound ground turkey

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

5 cups tomato sauce, recipe follows

1 pound penne uncooked

In a large bowl add bread crumbs milk and mix until well combined. Mix in eggs and 1/2 cup romano and mix well. Add turkey and gently combine, being careful not to overwork the meat. Season with salt and pepper. Shape into golf-size balls.

In a large skillet heat the oil over medium high heat. When almost smoking, add meatballs and without moving or turning the meat, allow it to brown for about 3 minutes. Turn meatballs and brown other side. Continue to cook until all sides are golden brown, about 8 minutes total. Add tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Lower heat and heat meatballs  for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and keep warm on stove. Be careful not to overhandle the meatballs since they are soft and fragile.

In a large pot, bring to a boil 6 quarts of salted water. Add pasta and cook until, about 8 minutes.  Do not rinse pasta with water since you want to retain the pasta natural starches so that the sauce will cling to the penne.

Remove meatballs from sauce and place in serving bowl. Pour sauce over meatballs, but leave about 1 cup of sauce in skillet. Place the cooked penne into the skillet with the remaining sauce and toss well. Pour sauced pasta into a large serving bowl. Serve alongside the meatballs.

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup minced onion

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 cup fresh lemon juice

1 cup fresh orange juice

2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

2 tablespoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons onion powder

2 tablespoons freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Salt

One 5-pound, bone-in Boston butt (pork shoulder, butt end)

INGREDIENTS

2 large jalapeños, seeded and coarsely chopped

2 large garlic cloves, smashed

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

2 tablespoons minced white onion

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/4 cup water

1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro

Salt

In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the lemon and orange juices and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the vinegar. Transfer half of the mojo to a blender and let cool. Refrigerate the remaining mojo.

Meanwhile, in a jar, shake the garlic and onion powders, ground pepper and cumin. Add 2 tablespoons of the dry rub to the mojo in the blender. Add the Worcestershire and 1 tablespoon of salt and puree the marinade.

Put the pork in a resealable 1-gallon plastic bag and add the marinade. Seal the bag, pressing out the air, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours, turning occasionally. Bring the pork to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 350° and set a rack in a roasting pan. Remove the pork from the marinade and pat dry. Rub the meat all over with the remaining dry rub and set it on the rack. Roast for 3 hours, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 150°. Reduce the oven temperature to 275° and roast the meat for about 3 hours longer, until very tender and an instant-read thermometer registers 180°. Remove the roast from the oven and cover with foil; let rest for 30 minutes.

Sauce

In a blender, puree the jalapeños, garlic, ginger, onion, lime juice and water until smooth. Add the mayonnaise and cilantro and pulse a few times. Season the sauce with salt and serve.

Shred the meat, discarding the bones and excess fat. Serve the roast with the remaining mojo and the Creamy Cilantro-Lime Sauce.

Serves 6

1 small garlic clove, mashed into a paste (optional)

3 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted

2 cups coarse, fresh breadcrumbs, lightly toasted

kosher salt

2 Tbs. finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or pecorino (optional)

4 Tbs. unsalted butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3-1/2 cups whole milk

1 teaspoon allspice

5 oz. finely grated Monterey Jack

5 oz. finely grated sharp Cheddar

1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

kosher salt

1 lb. elbow macaroni

2 cups diced ham

1-1/2 cups bite-size broccoli florets, steamed

Make the Topping

Make the Topping

If using the garlic, stir it into the butter. Put the breadcrumbs in a medium bowl and drizzle the butter over the crumbs. Add a pinch of salt and the Parmigiano-Reggiano or pecorino (if using). With your hands, toss well to combine. Set aside.

Make the Macaroni

Make the Macaroni

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a heavy-duty 3- to 4-quart saucepan. Whisk in the flour and continue to whisk over low heat for 3 minutes, the butter and flour should gently bubble and froth without coloring. Slowly add the milk, while whisking constantly. Be sure to whisk around the edges of the pan to get all the lumps. Whisk until the sauce is smooth and has the consistency of heavy cream, about 6 minutes. Raise the heat to medium and bring the sauce to a simmer, whisking constantly. Lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, whisking occasionally, for 10 minutes.

Turn off the heat and gently whisk in the Monterey Jack, Cheddar, and Parmigiano. Season to taste with salt. Keep warm.

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the macaroni and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 1 minute less than indicated on the package. Drain well and return to the pot.

Add the cheese sauce, broccoli and ham to the pasta and gently stir to combine.

Transfer the pasta mixture to a 9x13-inch baking dish and evenly scatter the reserved breadcrumbs on top. Bake at 350 degrees F until the top is golden, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

                           2 whole boneless chicken breasts, skinned, split into halves, and trimmed

                           2 ounces thinly sliced uncooked country ham or prosciutto

                           4 ounces Gruyère cheese

                           Dijon mustard

                           1/4 cup all-purpose flour

                           1 large egg

                           1 1/2 cups dry bread crumbs

                           Peanut oil, for frying

One: Wash the chicken and pat dry. Place the chicken breasts skinned side up on a sheet of waxed paper or plastic wrap. Cover them with a second sheet of paper or wrap and, with a flat (not textured) wooden mallet, lightly beat them until flattened to a uniform thinness of less than 1/4 inch. Set aside.

Two: Cut the ham and cheese into thin slices 1/2 inch wide and 2 inches long. Break the egg into a shallow bowl and beat until smooth. Spread the crumbs on a second shallow bowl. Spread the flour on a dinner plate.

Three: Lay the chicken pieces on a flat work surface skinned side down. Lightly spread the inside of each breast with a little mustard (don't use too much or the mustard will overpower the other flavors). Stack 2 slices of cheese and a slice of ham (2 if they are very thin) in the center of each breast. Fold over the small side of the breast, then fold each end up, like an envelope, and finally fold over the large side. Make sure that the filling is completely encased. Roll the chicken first in the flour, shake off the excess, and dip each breast in the egg, allowing the excess to flow back into the bowl. Lay it in the crumbs. Roll it carefully so that it doesn't open up (crumbs should not get inside the folds or they won't stay closed when it cooks), patting the crumbs into all sides. When the piece is coated, lay it on a clean, dry plate and repeat until all the pieces are breaded. Set aside for at least half an hour to allow the breading to set. (You may make them several hours or even a day ahead up to this point. Cover and refrigerate, but take them out at least half an hour before cooking.)

Four: Fill a deep Dutch oven, or a deep-fat fryer with enough peanut oil to come halfway up the sides, at least 2 inches deep. Over medium-high heat, bring the oil to 375°F (hot but not smoking). Add the chicken and fry until golden brown, maintaining a temperature of 365°F, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Five: Drain well and serve at once.

                           2 whole boneless chicken breasts, skinned, split into halves, and trimmed

                           2 ounces thinly sliced uncooked country ham or prosciutto

                           4 ounces Gruyère cheese

                           Dijon mustard

                           1/4 cup all-purpose flour

                           1 large egg

                           1 1/2 cups dry bread crumbs

                           Peanut oil, for frying

One: Wash the chicken and pat dry. Place the chicken breasts skinned side up on a sheet of waxed paper or plastic wrap. Cover them with a second sheet of paper or wrap and, with a flat (not textured) wooden mallet, lightly beat them until flattened to a uniform thinness of less than 1/4 inch. Set aside.

Two: Cut the ham and cheese into thin slices 1/2 inch wide and 2 inches long. Break the egg into a shallow bowl and beat until smooth. Spread the crumbs on a second shallow bowl. Spread the flour on a dinner plate.

Three: Lay the chicken pieces on a flat work surface skinned side down. Lightly spread the inside of each breast with a little mustard (don't use too much or the mustard will overpower the other flavors). Stack 2 slices of cheese and a slice of ham (2 if they are very thin) in the center of each breast. Fold over the small side of the breast, then fold each end up, like an envelope, and finally fold over the large side. Make sure that the filling is completely encased. Roll the chicken first in the flour, shake off the excess, and dip each breast in the egg, allowing the excess to flow back into the bowl. Lay it in the crumbs. Roll it carefully so that it doesn't open up (crumbs should not get inside the folds or they won't stay closed when it cooks), patting the crumbs into all sides. When the piece is coated, lay it on a clean, dry plate and repeat until all the pieces are breaded. Set aside for at least half an hour to allow the breading to set. (You may make them several hours or even a day ahead up to this point. Cover and refrigerate, but take them out at least half an hour before cooking.)

Four: Fill a deep Dutch oven, or a deep-fat fryer with enough peanut oil to come halfway up the sides, at least 2 inches deep. Over medium-high heat, bring the oil to 375°F (hot but not smoking). Add the chicken and fry until golden brown, maintaining a temperature of 365°F, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Five: Drain well and serve at once.

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 small shallot, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

3 cups half-and-half

1 to 2 teaspoons smoked paprika

2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

1 cup grated sharp white cheddar cheese

1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish with 1 tablespoon butter. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan. Once the butter foams, add the shallot and garlic and saute until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add the half-and-half, smoked paprika and potatoes. Bring to a low simmer and cook for 5 minutes.

Pour half of the potato mixture into the buttered casserole dish. Shake the pan to arrange the potatoes in a single layer. Sprinkle half of each of the cheeses on top of the bottom potato layer. Add the remaining potatoes and shake again to arrange in a layer. Sprinkle on the remaining cheese, cover with foil and bake 45 minutes, or until bubbling. Remove the foil and place back in the oven for another 15 minutes, or until the potatoes and cheese are golden and browned. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Serves 4 -6

12-inch) piece day-old baguette, cut into 1/3-inch slices, then slices halved crosswise (4 cups)

3 cups half-and-half

1/2 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

10 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped

6 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

5 oz dark chocolate bits left whome

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits

Generously butter a 2 1/2- to 3-quart soufflé dish. Put bread in dish.

Heat half-and-half, sugar, and salt in a 2-quart saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved and mixture is hot but not boiling. Remove from heat and add chocolate, then let stand 2 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Lightly beat eggs together in a large bowl and slowly add chocolate mixture, whisking until combined. Stir in vanilla. and chocolate chips. Pour mixture over bread and let soak at room temperature, pressing bread down occasionally, 1 hour.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325°F.

Dot top of pudding with butter bits. Bake in a water bath until edge is set but center still trembles slightly, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool pudding to warm in dish on a rack. (Pudding will continue to set as it cools.)

Makes 1 1/2 cups

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons powdered cultured buttermilk blend*

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons finely chopped celery leaves

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

3/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon dried dillweed

Whisk first 3 ingredients in large bowl. Mix in remaining ingredients. Cover and chill at least 1 hour to blend flavors. (Dressing can be prepared 5 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.)