Decadent

Karla made this flourless chocolate cake when I went to her house for a barbecue.  Then she made it again when I went to her house for an African Bazaar.  Then she made it again for HSC Thanksgiving.  Then it was actual Thanksgiving, and I was planning to make pumpkin pie, until my Grandma Ginger called and asked if she could make it.  Being agreeable, I said yes, but then I was dessertless... until I got this recipe from Karla.  And it saved the day.  As my aunt Sharon said, it's like something you'd get for dessert at a little restaurant in Newport.  Or anywhere that delicious dessert is served.

KARLA'S FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

Melt in double boiler:

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• 8 oz semisweet chocolate
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 sticks butter

Stir til melted.
Take off heat.
Transfer to a bowl.
One at a time, whisk in

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• 4 eggs

Pour into greased pan.

Bake in a pan of water at 325 degrees F for 1hr15min.

Fresh

This is probably one of the first dishes I cooked.  I felt accomplished, I was in high school-- now I'm a few years older and it's still delicious, though not the most complicated thing I can cook.

Angel-Hair Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce

1 clove of garlic

3 lb of tomatoes (i usually use less)

2 Tblsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar (optional)

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 lb capellini (or any pasta you like)

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Serve with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and a drizzle of olive oil if you like

Mince garlic and mash into paste with a pinch if salt using a heavy knife.

Core and coarsely chop 2/3 of the tomatoes. Halve the remaining tomatoes crosswise and rub them against large hole on a grater into a large bowl. Discard the skin. Toss the grated tomato pulp with the chopped tomatoes, garlic paste, lemon juice, salt, sugar (if using) and pepper. Let stand at least 10 minutes or until ready to use ( not more than 2 hours at room temp.)

Cook past in a 6-8 quart pot of boiling, salted water - uncovered -- until al dente (about 2 minutes -- longer of using something other than capellini). Drain past in a colander and immediately add to tomato mixture, tossing to combine. Sprinkle with basil. Makes 4-6 servings.

Eggplant parmesan... the way food should be

Here's a recipe from my friend Scott from Maine (the way life should be)

Slice up the eggplants to about quarter to half-inch thickness. Obviously, thicker will be meatier, thinner will be crispier.

Lay them out on a cloth/paper towel.

Lightly salt them.

Cover them with another cloth/paper towel and press them a little bit. They'll need to sit for 10-15 mins.

(this is all to remove a bit of moisture so the oil/flavor gets in better)

Stir up a little egg wash in a bowl. Whole eggs or just whites are fine. You can add a little lemon juice, but it's not necessary.

In another bowl mix 2 parts bread crumbs to 1 part flour, with some salt and pepper. I like to toss in some oregano/basil here to make the eggplant look pretty.

Saute some garlic in olive oil until lightly brown.

Dip eggplant slices on both sides in egg wash, then in the bread crumb mix, then fry them in the pan until nice and crispy brown.

Now, the sauce is what makes a dish like this. You can buy the jar stuff, but it'll kinda suck. I'd recommend buying a can of *crushed* tomatoes (not diced, peeled, paste, or sauce. very important). In a saucepan/pot, saute some garlic and hot peppers in olive oil, pour in the tomatoes, mix with a good splash of wine (more than you think), add some salt, pepper, basil, and oregano, and let it simmer for a good long while.

In a bake pan, layer your fried eggplant, then mozzarella, then sauce, then parmesan, until its all used up. Cover the top in the bread crumbs and parmesan.

If you want, save some sauce to serve with the side of pasta. Pasta with just olive oil, garlic, and parmesan is good too.

Bake for about a 25-30 minutes. It might take less time depending on the amount.

Good luck. God bless ya