This started out as a collection of recipes and tips for my friends in the Pines who are always asking me for recipes, or cooking lessons, and is growing into a Pines food household and survival guide. My hope is that you will change and adapt everything I describe, and make it your own. Quantities and exact measurements are as useless as dancing or love-making instructions, I expect you will see cooking as another expression of your individual freedom, and use it to please yourself, and your loved ones.

Every ingredient here can had from the Pines Pantry, and the Marina Meat Market, bless 'em. My friends from The Grove all shop there when they need something special.

This is dedicated to the friends who have always been generous in their assistance to me when I knew absolutely nothing, which is often, notably are 'Mom' LaFountaine ("take time to smell the roses"), and Peter Candreva, who always put quality and customer satisfaction at the top of his priorities. I know you guys are up there still looking out for me. Also high on my list of thanks are Mark and Eric Schraeder, who have created a world class grocery store here.

KITCHEN BASICS
You should have a copy of the best kitchen book I know of, "The Joy Of Cooking". There's a new edition just printed, it surpasses anything I have seen. The recipes all work, and it answers tons of questions. Buy yourself a copy, you'll have it for years longer than that designer tee shirt you bought, and it will do lots more for you.

Always keep the following handy:
fresh parsley, in a glass of water in a corner of the fridge, (cut the stems off, wash well, stick in a glass with some water, like they were flowers) and they will be there whenever you want some.

Fresh lemons, never underestimate the power of fresh grated lemon zest in most dishes. Bottled lemon juice sucks, it’s filled with sulfites. Throw it out.

Kosher or coarse salt, I use this for almost all of my cooking, and I have to (sadly) keep it in an airtight jar (plastic not metal cover), because of the moist air out here. If your salt gets klumped up, you can leave it, like the crackers, in the oven with the flame off, the pilot light will keep it dry.

Basil-garlic sauce - for the freezer - almost a Pesto, but not -- you leave out the cheese and the pine nuts. it will live next to the Haaagen Dazs in your freezer, and will make an ordinary meal something great.

Use the blender for this: don't tell me you haven't got one.
Use around one head of peeled garlic cloves (trim off the base) and add a hefty pinch of coarse (kosher) salt. cover the garlic with oil and blend to puree. fill the container with clean basil leaves, no stems, and add olive oil. Continue blending until the sauce is just pourable. Corn oil may be used for economy - no one would know with all that garlic. I always add some olive oil at the end of cooking a dish anyway to give it a ‘true Italian flavor’. Place in a plastic container and freeze. it won't freeze solidly, and you will be able to spoon out as much as you need for pastas, salad dressings, pork pr lamb chops, tomato salads, whatever you like.

Fresh Ginger - keep in the fridge immersed in a jar of vinegar, lasts and lasts! You can also store the ginger root in dirt, or sand in the fridge.

Breading or stuffing mix: Keep in a zip bag in the freezer, it is useful for many things and is nice to have at a moment's notice: do this in the food processor: one cup of chopped flat parsley, 3/4 cup grated cheese, 2 cups FRESH, not dried  bread crumbs (cuisinart), 1/2 tsp oregano, ground black pepper, 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg.

FRESH HERBS: You may have a black thumb like me, but anyone can grow fresh herbs in pots on a sunny spot - here are some wonderful ones which are easy to do:
mint, sage, thyme, oregano, rosemary, check with any local plant store, (I don't grow basil or parsley because I use them in such abundance) One note on fertilizing, it makes herbs grow, but try to avoid the toxic ones, as the herbs are to be eaten. Hey, you are on Fire Island, things grow here, put a few pots out on your deck. Have fun.

Get 2 big Teflon coated skillets, 10-inch and a 12 also. a heavy one which will hold the heat and not burn your food. and swear that you will never ever use metal on it, or scour it. Kill anyone who does. That way it stays always nonstick smooth and will last for years. Rinse with water, minimal soap, use a "dobie pad", plastic, non scratch,
Buy some wood spatulas (sold at the store) they will be your best friends. they will look old, and will remember all the wonderful meals you made with them. If you use metal on your nonstick pans, you will scratch them and they won't work for you very long.

Knives -- make sure you have at least one good one, and keep it sharp. If it's a carbon steel knife, i.e., it discolors, be sure to wipe it off after each and every use. I often forget this, and need to clean the stains off with the flat side of a cork, and scouring powder. If you can't sharpen your knives, bring them to me, I'll do it for free. Eddie our wonderful butcher will also do it for you.

KITCHEN ESSENTIALS -- spring pantry shopping CHECKLIST:
things you must have in your kitchen, get them early in the season, you will be glad you did!

MEATS for the freezer
bacon
chicken (thighs) frozen
sausages for the freezer

SPICES & HERBS
allspice, whole
bay leaf, dried - they grow wild here
cinnamon, ground
garlic powder
nutmeg whole with a grater!
oregano dried - grows fresh
peppercorns, black
salt kosher
thyme dried - you can grow this fresh

GROCERIES
bagels (slice n freeze)
bananas
barbeque sauce
broccoli
butter sweet
canned beans, white, garbanzo, red & black
capers
cereal, dry
cheese, grated parmesan
chocolate
cocoa
coffee
coffee filters
corn meal
cream cheese
eggs
flour all purpose
garlic fresh
ginger root
ice cream
jam
ketchup
kosher salt
leeks
zmatches
mayonaise
milk
mustard
oatmeal
O-J frozen
onions red
onions spanish
pasta - dried -
pasta flour
pickles
pita bread
potatoes
relish
rice
sugar
sugar brown
tomato paste
tomato sauce
tomatoes canned
tortillas flour
tuna canned
yeast dried
yogurt

cat food
dog food
toilet paper

A NOTE ON RECIPES: (How To Cook) In my restaurant, The Black Sheep, which I owned for twenty years, my cooks would ask me "give me a recipe" and I'd say, "taste - and use your instincts - then taste again" some would go away scratching their heads - others would come back beaming " I did it! " they were on the way to learning how to cook - not merely to follow recipes. Many of my former cooks are now restaurant owners and chefs in their own right. I know they appreciated my unconventional training, I proudly see my "stolen" dishes in their restaurants! If you have any interest, I am certain I can make you into a good cook.

CHICKEN THIGHS, BRAISED
Chicken thighs are wonderful for the freezer, they thaw and cook up wonderfully, and they are sooo versatile! NOTE: I am terrible with quantities - I teach good cooking, and never tell anyone how much of anything to use - my ideal for feeding people is to cook like a grandma - use instincts, learn to develop them, and don't be afraid to screw up - after all everyone is so glad you are doing the work, they'll be grateful, and eat your mistakes - no one cooks with measurements - baking might be slightly different -

Here’s a technique for foolproof chicken thighs. braised
"Braising" is just a fancy word which means you brown the meat first then slowly cook, covered, in a little bit of liquid. It develops a wonderful flavor and is perfect for tougher cuts of meat. That's also the way stews and pot roasts are done.

Pull off the skin and chop the thigh in half - use a cleaver (you don't have to do this, it just makes it nicer to eat - be sure to warn your guestys about bones!) this dish uses a lot of garlic, plus paprika, cumin, and onions, also celery, and parsley as the main seasonings. you will also slip in (tell absolutely no one ! )- some ground cinnamon, a few crushed cloves, and a pinch of dried oregano)

You will also need rice, Carolina long grain or Uncle Ben’s is best, some white wine, or a few ounces of white vermouth, and some chicken stock, bouillon cubes are okay too. I always use concentrated chicken "base" - who has the time to make stock in The Pines?

Grab a big heavy pot, one you can cover with a tightly fitting lid - you've been wanting to use that all summer, haven't you? This is a filling dish to warm the soul, so pick a day with a chill. Wine? Red wine, Italian, of course, or a Merlot.

Season the chicken heavily with paprika, ground cumin, big pinch of ground black pepper, salt, and pinches of cloves and cinnamon. add some oil to the preheated pot and gently cook the chicken for a few minutes on each side, while the chicken is browning, stir twice only, over-stirring does no good. --

Technique note: when browning meats, the less you move it around, the better your browning  nwill be. Trust the fire and the pot. You are trying to get caramelization for color and flavor. This is the essence of good braising.

Slice or chop 8 or 12 cloves of peeled garlic, and a few onions, chopped medium, and a few coarsely chopped stalks of celery, remove the chicken, or, put a few ounces of oil in the pot, heat the pot first, then the oil, then the onions and celery, then the garlic. stir a few times, to allow the vegetables to become translucent, and to get some color, which means you do not stir too much. tomatoes, fresh, paste or sauce are a welcome addition, but not essential. I always add a tablespoon of tomato paste to the pot while the onions are frying. I keep the can in the freezer.

Now add back the chicken, if it was removed, plus a whole handful of chopped fresh parsley, and add some raw rice, around a cup or so, sprinkle it among the other ingredients, and stir the rice in, letting it fry with the rest of the food, now add the wine, bring the pot to the boil, and add the liquid. you can even use water. you will probably add two - to three cups of liquid, to one cup of rice, you can always add more water if it seems to be too dry, or the rice isn't cooked. the clue to when the dish is done is the rice. keep tasting, check the seasonings, and cover the pan and set it over the LOWEST FLAME until the water is almost absorbed.

Have you noticed? This is a lot like a Paella. I didn’t tell you because I don’t want to scare you away, but you can also add a few pieces of sausage, plus, towards at the end of cooking, shrimp, some clams, or mussels.

Grilling things: side dishes: grilled barbecued veggies -- that means zucchini, eggplant, onions, steamed acorn or butternut squash green tomatoes, steamed leeks or endives, -- all brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with s&p, and some herbs, and slightly charred over the grill. be sure the slices are thick, so they will retain shape, and the fire is real loooowww so the time factor helps develop flavor. most barbeques are too hot - you want to cook not burn the food. take your time - what's the hurry?
The herbs you use - thyme, oregano, whatever you or your neighbors are growing, dried ones work too, don't be afraid of dried herbs, but throw away the ones from last year, or the year before, and treat your self to some new ones at The Pantry so your food will taste up to par. almost hurts to do that, you'll be glad you did!

have you ever grilled apples? use the green, hard ones, and slice them in half, peeling the top and bottom, and place on a not-too-hot corner of the grill - unripe peaches are good grill candidates too - they are in the store on Friday, but never really ready until Monday, and the weekend is over - grilling is the answer. serve with dessert -

fiddlehead ferns: these cute-looking ferns have no special wonderful taste of their own, well, it's subtle, and you can always dip it in a light tempura batter, because everything in batter is loved and wonderful, but this is the island, and you are not here to work hard, and deep-frying is work, isn't it! so steam them, toss them with olive oil and lemon, salt, pepper, and do over a salad. alternatively, cook them in some very strong chicken broth, lemon juice, butter. and serve with other greens on the plate with dinner..

EASY BRAISED LEEKS: serve them as a first course, or with a lunch, and they are best served warm, not very hot, which means you can do them way way ahead, go to tea, and come home and serve them. You can even pour over a mustard-y vinaigrette, but I like them plain: Now you know you have to wash them well, there's mud and sand where they grow, so split them down their middle, the long way, then hold under running water to wash them. spread out the leaves to make sure they're clean. ok. now take that skillet, and lay the leeks cut side down in the pan -- it's okay if you cut them in half, of course cut the dry tops and the roots off, the rest is all edible - if you have teeth. Remove the leeks from the pan, you only placed them there to measure them. Now you will place a knob of butter in the pan, and a sprinkle (tb) of sugar, melt the butter, lay down the leeks, and cook at medium heat for a minute or so, add S&P, then add chicken stock to almost cover, bring to a boil, and lower to a bare whispering simmer, cover the skillet tightly, and go away and do something else. the liquid should almost evaporate - watch it doesn't burn - and they should be meltingly tender with a hint of sweet, and perfect.

BEST BRUSSELS SPROUTS
This is one vegetable that likes it best when you "hammer it", as we say in the kitchen at the restaurant; cook it way beyond al dente. Julia herself taught me that she hated undercooked vegetables. Trim, and cut an "X" in the base, and place in a pot of gently boiling very salted water. let them cook around five minutes, then lift them out to cool. cut them in half top to bottom. In that heavy skillet place some butter, some sugar, the sprouts, cut side down, and some chicken stock. Add salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar, and cover while the sprouts simmer till they are very very tender. and the liquid is almost gone. Variations: at the start, add diced pieces of bacon or ham, flavors the broth. also a third white wine 2/3 stock is optional.

My own favorite for fast sprouts is to slice them so they are all thin and give them a stir fry. Mince garlic, of course a lot, by now you know me, and put some olive oil in the pan and add a knob of butter, the garlic, and after half a minute the sliced up sprouts. Pinch salt and pepper, and a big pinch of sugar, (don't tell!) Let them cook, then toss, then cook, etc. till the sprouts are wilted, and have ready a cup of chicken broth to moisten them, and let the liquid almost evaporate. You will call me and thank me.

need some help carrying a heavy bag home? the store delivers, the price is worth it, but if you want to carry your things home, and don't want your hand to get strangled by the plastic bag, find a thick twig, and use it as a handle. easy to find, always some around.

For those of you who are bicep conscious, get the store to divide your purchases into two bags, and do curls on the way home. I swear it works wonders and is a great time saver.

root vegetables - all summer and into the fall
potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, turnips, rutabagas (yellow turnips), parsnips, (look like blond carrots, and sweeter) and beets.

they all love to be baked with a small amount of moisture, and then "finished" with some butter and a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and even sugar in the case of the carrots and rutabagas. I love to braise them, make cubes, chop up onions and celery, add a few smashed cloves of garlic, no, a lot, and fry the vegs in some oil until the onions become translucent. now you add some brown sugar, (a big Tb. is okay) and continue to saute, and now add some STOCK , season with s&p, a big handful of chopped Italian parsley, and cover and lower the fire to a whisper. you want the vegs to soften, the liquid to almost evaporate, and you've got an amazing side dish for almost any dinner on a cool summer evening.

I don't want to preach health at you, but the greens of beets are incredible to eat, ask any boy from the south, if you are lucky enough to find one. Cut the tops off and rinse them, and chop them coarsely, Take that heavy skillet, one you can cover, and put some oil and a sliced up onion, and a few cloves of garlic, and a small handful of sugar, and fry the onions, then add your greens and let them wilt. I slip in a few tablespoons of cider vinegar, some salt and pepper.. Cook 'em to death. You'll be the envy of everyone you know

Roast Fowl
Roast The Bird! - Standard Stuff
You can feed four with this, and easily, just get one of those Purdue oven stuffer things and rinse it inside and out, pull out the bag of giblets, (yes dear, that thingy inside the bird) wash those too, dry it with paper towels, take out that old heavy roasting pan, cover the bottom with the wing-tips, the giblets, except the liver. Now add a few stalks of celery, coarsely cut, an onion, sliced, half a head (yes!) of garlic cloves, peeled and sliced thick, a big pinch of fresh thyme, or dry, don't skimp! and salt and pepper. Rub it generously with salt and ground black pepper fresh always if you can, and put the roaster on the stovetop, pulling out the fat from the bird, lay the fat on the hot pan, let it render a bit, add a tablespoon of oil, then add the cut up vegetables, (called "aromatics" ) You want to cook the veggies a bit, tossing them in the oil, then lay the chicken on top, breast side up, and place in a hot oven (375) place a piece of foil on the top, for 25 or so minutes, then remove the foil and continue to roast until the bird doesn't quite look done . There is a plug to tell you when it is done -- don't believe this plug, it will make you overcook the poor creature, the juicy meat will become dry and your efforts will be lost. Almost at the end of the cooking, add half a bottle (12 oz) of red wine, the kind you are drinking. and let it continue to roast with the bird, which will now be removed. pierce the thigh with a barbeque fork, deeply, and look at the juices. they should run very pale pink to clear, ideally - the bird will continue to cook after you remove it from the oven -- this is the secret of roasting. Remove it BEFORE it is done. like taking your foot off the gas before you want your car to come to a stop.

MAKE BREAD
Rainy day thing - no one will believe it! neither will you , it's so darn easy, and if you don't believe me, look at the people who make it. Every poor housewife all over the world. Buy a bag of flour, the recipe is always on the bag, they want the thing to work out, so the results are a sure bet - it's bread for dummies, like me. In a bowl, take about a cup of very warm water, not hot honey, you are going to bring these little yeasts to life, not scald them! open a package of dried yeast and add it to the water, with a tablespoon of sugar. When the stuff starts to fizz ("it's alive!") you know you are half way there. now onto a big bowl, which you will bless and christen as your bread mixing bowl henceforth, place around 5 or 6 cups of flour. mix in a tablespoon of salt, kosher is always best at our house. now add around 2 cups of warm water to the yeast, and slowly work the liquid into the flour. if you are real trash, you will do as I do, and use your well-washed hands, don't worry, you've done worse with them. You will want to work that ugly sticky mess around and around, like the red hot pasta mamma you really are, till it begins to gather into a sticky mass. If it is way too sticky, sprinkle some flour, and now. now the real work begins, remember those weights at the gym? Here they get some use. you will knead this baby around and around like this: fold it in half, give it half a turn, push away from you, fold again, turn again and push again. Sorta like sex, isn't it? This is all I have left to get out those anxieties. I pretend it's someone I don't especially like. the stuff begins to get soft and elastic you get ecstatic. You are done with phase one. Lube that bowl lightly, use oil, and put it in with a cover, and place it in the oven (turned off of course, dear) and go away and clean up the mess in the kitchen. an hour later, come back and VOILA! it has doubled in size, (don't we all wish!)

So you put it back on the table, and do the kneading thing again, for at least 5 minutes - it won't kill you. now do the let it rise again, and then it is ready for shaping into a loaf or two. or rolls, or pizza, or even foccaccia. (sp?) well, if you want foccacia, you have to add a few tablespoons of good (no cheating) olive oil to the water for the dough, and bake it on an oiled sheet - flat sort of. while the stuff is rising (out of the oven). You turn on the oven to 350 degrees, and let the oven warm while the loaf of bread rises, and you clean the kitchen again. Loving this aren't you! I told you to do this on a rainy day, didn't I? you know by now that anyone can do bread - but not everyone adds herbs or pepper or extra salt, or garlic, or cooked chopped sausage, or even cheese to the dough, getting the picture? This stuff is, like many of us, VERSATILE!

useful stuff: Flour Tortillas - they are around 10 inches (really!) and wrap around just about anything you can think of.
scrambled eggs with chili
chili and beans
thin-pounded steak, pan seared -
(I keep these in my freezer, and they are bashed so thin they thaw on no time, and fry up tender buy cube steaks, then pound them some more. pretend they are that number you hate.
salads, with cheeses, ham, salamis,
well, hon, use your imagination!

breakfast made easy, and cheap!
avoid those cereals which cost a fortune, The D'Ags in my neighborhood in the village is more expensive than The Pantry, but still, honey, cereal is for millionaires. make oatmeal. At The Black Sheep in Exile we serve oatmeal and we add peanut butter to it, and some hot sauce, and a dash of cinnamon, some brown sugar, and always some fruit.

HOMEFRIES:
I love potatoes, and will just KILL for home fries with my morning eggs. You have to do a little work with this: the micro will do most of the real work for you, if you get up early, and everyone else is still in bed, well, you can use the oven, but with the price of gas out here, I try to avoid using gas unless it's essential!

peel an onion, and cut it into dice, now don't worry, it doesn't have to be perfect, no one's checking for size here. and peel a load of garlic, or grab the garlic powder from the spice rack. Garlic powder, not garlic salt! peel the potatoes, they should be Idaho's, cut them into small cubes, and put them into the microwave. add a bit of water, a few tablespoons, to keep the spuds from drying out, and let them cook for a minute. Also add the onions and garlic, cook along everything, to the point when the potatoes offer little resistance to the tip of a knife. This is when they are mostly cooked, and the rest of the cooking is in the skillet, to brown them and give the flavor, and will be a breeze. the rest of the seasonings are
ground black pepper (plenty)
kosher salt (then go get some!)
paprika (makes it taste good)
chopped fresh parsley (if you have it)

Here's a typical lunch I did for friends:

Grilled marinated chicken use breasts with the bone, remove the skin, rub heavily with kosher salt, and sprinkle heavily with fresh ground black pepper. Let stand a few minutes, then marinate in the following: one sliced Jalapeno pepper, juice of one lime, and one lemon, lemon zest, grated garlic, grated ginger, 1/4 cup olive oil, Tabasco (use the Jalapeno flavor).

Cooking tip: Keep the breasts cold, marinate for half an hour, turn often. Place over the preheated grill, but low fire, let the chicken cook, turn, finish cooking but do not overcook. Chicken will continue to cook after you remove it from the grill, so if you want juicy chicken, undercook slightly. Add some sliced scallions to the marinade, reduce the marinade by boiling a minute, drizzle over the chicken. and Serve at room temperature.

Roasted Eggplant Salad - this is a middle eastern specialty: "baba-ganoosh" Roast the eggplant, let the skin char, gives that special flavor, make a slit or two to let steam escape, turn so all sides char evenly, you want the interior to be mushy, if you use an oven place some water in a sheet pan to let the cleanup happen more easily, my grandmother used to do this over an open flame on the stove - it still tastes the best. My late lover Bart always said it smelled like burning boxes, but he was from Kansas. Let the eggplant cool, carefully remove and discard the skin, chop or mash the eggplant, drizzle with good olive oil, lemon juice, add salt pepper, ground cumin, coriander seed, chopped parsley, a spoonful of Tahini, (sesame paste) (optional) and a shot of Tabasco. I like to let the fresh lemon juice dominate the dish. Use it as a dip.

Syrian warm potato salad - boil small "new" potatoes in well salted water until you can pierce them easily with a sharp knife. Drain and cut into chunks while still warm.
It is important to do this step while the spuds are warm, so they absorb the dressing: Drizzle generously with olive oil, salt and fresh ground black pepper, ground cumin, cinnamon, ground coriander, (my grandmother used to use allspice) chopped fresh parsley, lemon, lemon zest. A few chopped leaves of fresh basil are a nice option in the summer. There should be some oil and lemon dressing in the bottom of the bowl of potatoes, that's how you know you have dressed the potatoes with enough dressing. This is one salad where you can season heavily and never go wrong. Make plenty, there will never be leftovers.

grilled zucchini and yellow pepper salad - (You will cook the zucchini and add to the cooked peppers, and let them marinate together). Slice the zucchini lengthwise, so you get thick-ish strips, marinate the sliced zuc first, salt pepper and oil, then grill to color lightly, toss with wine vinegar and sauteed red and yellow peppers, saute the sliced peppers with only a tiny bit of oil use a non stick pan, toss with the zucchini. Dress with fresh chopped parsley, basil, chopped mint.

roasted sweet peppers - open a can, these are okay if you find a good brand, Mancini are the best. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, red vinegar, olive oil, and add a spoonful of capers.

Cole Slaw lower fat
Of course you take that old cabbage and core it then slice it thin as you can, and yes it's tedious, but you also add some carrot peelings, some raisins, buttermilk, celery seed, mustard, sugar, salt, pepper, paprika, fresh mint, and a dash of hot sauce (optional)

That Rhubarb compote: you must do this in the spring when the stuff is available, It's another thing for the freezer, keep it all summer for topping (excuse me) vanilla haagen dasz. Take off the top leaves, (they're toxic, oxalic acid!) and clean the bottoms, then wash the rest and coarsely dice. Make a sugar syrup by heating sugar in a teflon pan till it starts to caramelize, then add the rhubarb, and toss until the vegetable just barely cooks, but doesn't turn to mush, you want to retain the shapes of the pieces in the compote. I'm not sure about quantities, but be ready to add more sugar, it won't kill anyone, and you'll only be using it in desserts, over ice cream, over cakes, you can even add rum or vodka or tequila to it and make a summer cooler. I like to add blueberries to it, too, when I'm serving it, that is....

Breaded Fried Eggplant: But you can do this with any thing from pork, to chicken, or even zucchini, this is the breading lesson. Please bear with me while I pontificate, here's where I tell you how much I hate dried bread crumbs and dried parsley. There, that wasn't difficult, avoid both whenever you can. Make fresh bread crumbs, store them in the freezer till you need them, fresh bread crumbs are simply better. Dried parsley is junk, never use it.

This can really can be great, try this:
peel an eggplant, and cut it into thick 1/2 inch slices.
Take a large non stick skillet which you can cover. A good idea is to lay the slices into the pan so they fit, cut them when necessary, so they do fit, then remove them and lay on your board. I like to use a slit-open plastic shopping bag from the Pantry, so cleanup is a cinch. Salt, pepper, and dust lightly with flour, then do the other sides the same way. Bang off the flour, then brush on a beaten egg, then pat each side with the following bread crumb mixture: Get out the Cuisinart. Fresh bead cubes, fresh Italian (flat) parsley, some dried oregano, salt, pepper, grated cheese, be generous with the cheese and parsley. Process till you have a crumbly mixture and press the crumbs very firmly onto the egg washed eggplant pieces. Push way hard, you want the crumbs to stay on the eggplant - both sides, remember. The skillet gets heated with oil, olive if you can afford it, keep the heat moderate. Lay the food on the pan, and fry until they color then turn them over. Cook until they color some more. They will still be undercooked. bake or cover for a few minutes, and serve with a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

You can also use the fried eggplant pieces in a lasagna

The other day we did the same thing with a pork chop, pounding it thin, and also last week with a boneless chicken breast. Dynamite. Last night it was a bone-in chicken breast, skin off of course, we loved it.

LASAGNA this is a bullet-proof dish you can easily do ahead and have ready when High Tea is over. There is no one way to do Lasagna, this is only one variation, I expect you to be original dear, and come up with your own special twists.

you will need:
1 pound mozzarella cheese, a block of tofu, some grated parmesan cheese, fresh chopped parsley, a large eggplant, some fresh bread crumbs, (not the dried kind, but fresh), one container of ricotta cheese, a few eggs, a bag of spinach, washed drained, and par boiled for one minute and drained well, A pound of lasagna noodles, and a half pound of other pasta, you can use any shape you like, my favorite is linguine, broken into thirds. Salt, pepper, grated nutmeg. Two (2) big jars of home made style tomato sauce. Okay it sounds complicated, I mean, there seem to be a lot of ingredients, but it isn't. Lay everything out, you'll see. You can omit the spinach, or the eggplant, but the two make the dish much more interesting. Slice the cheese, and the tofu, set aside. Peel and slice the eggplant, lay them on a baking sheet with some water and oil, salt & pepper, and turn to wet the eggplant with the oil. Bake in a 350 oven for five minutes, or until the eggplant starts to soften. Remove and set aside. Break the lasagna into manageable sized pieces, (bend it against the baking pan and it will snap clean where you want it to). Boil the pasta in heavily salted water to al dente, drain and set aside. Open the jar of sauce. Mix the Ricotta cheese with some salt pepper and grated nutmeg, and the eggs to the ricotta cheese and mix well, add the parsley and bread crumbs. Set the mixture aside.

Oil the bottom of a deep baking pan, spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom. Now, from the bottom up, layer as follows: Lasagna, sauce, ricotta cheese mixture, and tofu, spaghetti, spinach, ricotta cheese mixture, be festive spread things around, there are no rules, you are Jackson Pollock. Top with more sauce, the rest of the pasta and the mozzarrella cheese, cover VERY LOOSELY with foil, and bake, an hour or so. Remove the foil, lower the heat to 300, and bake another half hour. Remove from oven, set aside to cool slightly, and serve whenever you like., Keep some extra sauce on the low burner to serve on top, and more grated cheese too!

STEAMERS, MUSSELS, ETC. not for everyone,
If you ask Eddie, he'll get you a bag of steamers, clams which you steam, dip in the broth, eat with crusty bread and understand why The Pines is called Paradise. Here's what I do: Wash them well in cold running water, place in a bucket with water, salt, some flour, and corn meal, a tb of each. Let them sit for half an hour, then drain the clams, toss any with open or broken shells, this is important since you don't know when the critter died and only want to eat and cook live ones. Find a pot with a tight fitting lid, one which will hold all the clams at half full. They will expand when you steam them, so leave room. Put a cup of white wine in the pot and a cup of chicken broth. Add a handful of chopped red onion, chopped Italian parsley, some salt, pepper, and a few cloves of minced garlic. Put the pot on the fire, let the broth come to a boil, add the clams and cover tightly. Peek in after a few minutes, if they are open they are done, if not, let them cook covered some more, toss a few times to shake the flavorings into the clams, don't overcook them they'll be tough. Lift out the clams into a bowl. Give everyone napkins. Carefully pour off the broth being careful to leave the sand in the bottom of your cooking pot. Dip each clam into the hot broth to shake off any sand, and enjoy them. The black 'sock' on the tube is not for eating, but the rest of it is. Oh - of course you use your hands, this is food to be had with close friends, and if you aren't already, you sure will be.

MUSSELS: The best mussels are from Prince Edward Island, (PEI) ask Eddie when these will be coming in, and if they are PEI's you will be blessed with clean plump wonderful mussels which will need no work at all to prepare. Order them ahead, it's a sure bet they'll go quickly. I recall when I had to spend hours scraping the shells just to get a small meal. Follow the clam recipe above, but don't dip the mussels in broth. instead just add some cream to the broth, or a pat of sweet butter, and serve in bowls with that wonderful crusty bread.

Another wonderful (and easy) thing to do is to take a jar of that home-style italian tomato sauce (of course from the store) and pour it into the pot before you steam the mussels. Serve the whole batch over linguine. No grated cheese here, Italians say it would kill the flavor of the shellfish. I use it on everything, so do whatever you like!

Stuff things, like mussels, Put the mussels in a pot, add a glass of water, cover add steam till they open. Remove the top "lid" of each mussel, and press some of the stuffing on top of each mussel. Bake for ten minutes, and top with good store bought tomato sauce.

use the cheese, fresh bread crumbs, parsley, pepper, nutmeg oregano combination, chop and top the steamed mussels with the mixture, some of that jarred tomato sauce (yup!) and bake ten minutes. Can be served at room temperature and cooked ahead.

MESA BBQ SAUCE:
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1/2 medium red onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 plum tomatoes, coarsely diced
1/4 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons dark molasses
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder (available at Hispanic or specialty markets)
1 tablespoon pasilla chile powder (available at Hispanic or specialty markets)
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and sweat the onion and garlic until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and simmer 15 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer 20 minutes.

Puree the mixture in a food processor, pour into a bowl, and let cool at room temperature. May be refrigerated up to 1 week or frozen.

3 cups red leaf lettuce, roughly torn
3 cups romaine lettuce, roughly torn
1/2 pound American blue cheese, crumbled
1 large avocado, peeled, pit removed and thinly sliced
1 Vidalia onion, peeled and sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices and grilled
2 plum tomatoes, quartered
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Arrange lettuce on 4 plates, top each plate with a chicken thigh. Garnish with blue cheese, avocado, onion and tomato. Drizzle with the buttermilk dressing.

Yield: 4 servings

Buttermilk dressing:
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup buttermilk
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and season with salt to taste.

CRUDITES:
From Charles Chevilot -
I jar heinz chili sauce
I cup mayonaise
a green bell pepper seeds removed
an onion, juice of a lemon
tabasco to taste
salt, pepper,
blend in a processor or blender till it's a sauce, taste for seasonings, Excellent with crudites

Black Sheep Secret Aioli Sauce
in a blender:
Teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 to 6 cloves of garlic
juice of a lemon
pinch salt
2 eggs
Blend well.
then pour in while blending,
1 cup of olive oil,
1cup vegetable oil.
Taste, season with tabasco sauce to taste.