Striped Bass Marechiaro 

(for two)

2 Thick pieces of Striped Bass

    Pure Olive Oil

3 or 4 Whole Cloves of Garlic (Peeled and cracked)

1 8oz. can of Italian Tomatoes

8oz. Chicken Stock or Water

Fresh Parsley leaves (if available)

Parsley Stems ‑ chopped (garnish)

Salt and Pepper

1. Cover the face of the sauté pan with Olive Oil.

2. Sauté the cloves of Garlic until lightly browned.

3. Remove pan from stove. Add Tomatoes breaking them up slightly with a wooden spoon. Add the Water or Stock, Basil, Parsley Leaves, Salt and Pepper to taste.

4. Return pan to stove and let simmer, partially covered for 10 minutes.

5. Add Striped Bass to sauce.

6. Cover the pan and simmer 7 minutes or until Striped Bass is done. Do NOT overcook.

7. Remove Striped Bass from pan with slotted spatula and spoon some sauce over the fish. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Clams Posilippo

 With linguine (for two)

                 A good summertime dish is one which is quickly prepared yet

satisfying and does not require an oven. "Clams Posilippo with Linguine" is a delicious one ‑step recipe in which the sauce from the clams is used on the pasta.

Because this sauce is mixed with the linguine, the clam shells

must be well scrubbed with a food brush to remove all grit. Use only

clams with tightly shut shells. To ensure tenderness and succulence in

the clams, be certain not to overcook them. As soon as their shells open

the clams are sufficiently cooked.

You can substitute mussels for clams in this recipe.

2 dozen medium sized clams (shells well scrubbed)

5 oz. pure olive oil

5 cloves of garlic (peeled and cracked)

1/4 cup fresh, finely chopped parsley

2 cups canned Italian Plum Tomatoes

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup dry white wine

Salt, pepper, oregano, crushed red pepper to taste.

Parsley stems, chopped (for garnish)

1/2 lb. Linguine

1. Cook Linguine until al dente (firm) in salted, boiling water.

2. Rinse pasta with cold water and drain in a colander. Set aside.

3. Put olive oil and garlic in a large sauce pot. Sauté over a low flame until garlic is light golden.

4. Carefully add clams and let simmer for 2 minutes.

5. Add tomatoes, water, wine, parsley and spices. Cover and let simmer until all clams are open.

6. Toss clams and sauce. Spoon clams and a bit of sauce into two dinner bowls.

7. Add linguine to remaining sauce, raising the heat and mixing until pasta and sauce are hot and well incorporated. Fork linguine into bowls, spoon over remaining sauce and garnish with chopped parsley stems.

Linguine white Clams Sauce 

(for two ‑ appetizer portions)

My customers often ask me how I manage to serve such tender, large clams in my clam sauce. For tenderness' sake, other recipes call for chopping up the clams in tiny pieces, or using littlenecks. To my mind, fine chopping sacrifices the key element of texture; and littlenecks have less flavor than the large top-necks I use.

My approach to preserving tenderness and flavor demands that clams be heated as little as possible. So, instead of steaming them open, which other recipes call for, I shuck them open as you would clams on the half shell. Then only at the last minute do I add the clams to the cooking sauce. The guiding principle to keep in mind is the less heat the clams are exposed to, the more tender and tasty they will be.

Preparing the Clams

First, scrub the clams thoroughly with a stiff brush in order to remove all grit. Then place the clams in a bowl of water and ice for about 1/2 hour. The cold water will "anesthetize" the clams and make them easier to open. Then, using a clam knife, gently but forcefully ease open the shell. Once you get the knife just barely into the crack of the shell, angle the knife like a pry, forcing the shell open; then slice down and out, following the contour of the bottom shell and severing the muscle. Be careful not to slice through the clam. Working over a clean bowl which catches the clam liquid, detach the clam from its top shell and put aside.

When all the clams are shucked, strain the clam liquid through cheesecloth or a coffee filter to remove any sand or grit. Return clams to liquid and refrigerate until you are ready to use them.

1 dozen freshly shucked top-neck clams, cut in half, and 1/4 cup of their

    liquid (add water if necessary).

4 tablespoons pure Italian Olive Oil

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and cracked.

2 oz. dry white wine or water

1/2 teaspoon fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1/2 teaspoon fresh basil (do not substitute dry)

Pinch of crushed red pepper.

Salt and black pepper to taste.

6 oz. linguine (linguine fini #8 if available)

1. Cook linguine until al dente (firm) in salted boiling water. Rinse with cold water and drain pasta in a colander. Set aside.

2. In a saucepan, sauté garlic in olive oil until light golden.

3. Remove pan from stove carefully, add clam liquid, wine or water, parsley, basil, red pepper, salt and black pepper.

4. Return pan to stove and bring mixture to a simmer. Let cook for 1 minute tasting and adjusting salt, pepper and red pepper.

5. Add Clams to mixture and let simmer for one minute. Do not overcook or clams will toughen.

6. Pour liquid into a saucepot. Add cooked, drained linguine, turning and lifting until pasta is hot and well coated with sauce. Fork pasta into two heated bowls. Spoon over

     clams and serve.

Bluefish Livornese

For cooking purposes, fish can roughly be divided into 2 categories: oily and white. White fleshed fish, such as sole, generally have a more delicate flavor that requires a correspondingly delicate sauce. But oily fish, like Bluefish, need a strong sauce to standup to their more robust taste

One such sauce is Livornese, created in the city of Livorno in Tuscany, the premier olive producing province of Italy. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that olives constitute the essential ingredient in Livornese sauce. The pungency of black olives serves as a perfect foil to the rich flesh of bluefish, mackerel, or tuna.

Though you can use domestic canned olives, far better are imported Gaeta olives from Italy. These can be found at Italian and other ethnic delicatessens.

                While olives are indispensable to Livornese sauce, tomatoes are

not. So if you prefer to eat fish with a white sauce, simply omit the

tomatoes from the recipe.

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, peeled and cracked

1/2 small onion, peeled and sliced thinly into

half moons

1 stalk celery (preferably tender, white center (rib)

12 black olives, pitted and cut in half (preferably gaeta olives)

2 anchovy filets, chopped

1 tablespoon capers, rinsed in water and patted dry

1/4 cup white wine

6 peeled and drained Plum Tomatoes (fresh or Italian canned)

1/2 cup water

Pinch of crushed red pepper

1 teaspoon fresh basil, chopped

2 teaspoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon butter

Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Sauté garlic in olive oil until slightly golden. Add celery and sauté for a minute. Add onion and saute until translucent. Add anchovies, capers, olives and wine. Bring to a simmer, mashing the anchovies and reduce liquid by about half

2. Add tomatoes, water, crushed red pepper, basil, 1 teaspoon of parsley and butter. Bring to a simmer and cook until tomatoes are soft and break up easily with fork, about 2 minutes. (more if fresh tomatoes are used). Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Add bluefish filets. Cover skillet and simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until done ‑ depending on the thickness of the filets. DO NOT overcook.

4. Remove fish from skillet onto warm dinner dishes. Quickly reduce remaining sauce to desired consistency and spoon over fish. Serve garnished with chopped fresh parsley.

Scampi Sal Anthony's

Although, technically speaking, scampi is a Mediterranean crustacean, in America it has come to stand for shrimp, and, generally, any shrimp recipe that includes garlic and butter. To create a more delicate flavor, at Sal Anthony’s we prepare this dish with only two cloves of garlic and cut the butter with olive oil. Also, we sauté the shrimp extremely fast in order to keep them juicy.

As far as the shrimp themselves are concerned, we use only those that live in the waters of South Mexico. This catch has a whiter color and lacks the occasional iodine flavor found in those taken from the seas off New Orleans, Florida, and Mexico. While the iodine flavor may taste unpleasant, it doesn't mean the shrimp is spoiled. When a shrimp is spoiled it has a peculiar odor that smells like bleach. The size of the shrimp is a matter of preference. At Sal Anthony's we use large shrimp which are called "Under 12" Under 12 means that there are only 12 shrimp to a pound. Under 15 means that there are 15 to a pound, The higher the number runs, the smaller the shrimp. We recommend the bigger shrimp.

(for two)

1 pound shrimp (about 12) shelled, and divined

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 garlic cloves, peeled and cracked

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup white wine

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon basil, finely chopped (fresh if available)

1 tablespoon fresh, chopped Italian parsley

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon of butter

salt and pepper to taste

1. Be sure shrimp are thoroughly washed, free of grit and dry.

2. Sauté garlic in olive oil until lightly golden. Add shrimp and cook briefly in oil until they change color, turning each shrimp once.

3. Remove shrimp and garlic from skillet. Drain most of the remaining oil from the pan.

4. Add to skillet water, white wine, oregano, basil, Italian parsley, lemon juice, butter, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine.

5.  Return shrimp and garlic to skillet. Bring ingredients to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for about 3 minutes, or to desired doneness of shrimp.

6.  Remove shrimp to heated plates.

7.  Reduce remaining sauce over high heat for about 1 minute, tasting for flavor* until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.

      8.   Spoon sauce over shrimp and serve with a lemon wedge

*At this point you can adjust the recipe to your taste:

Too bland ‑ add salt and pepper

Too thick ‑ add wine, water, or lemon

Too thin ‑ add butter and reduce

Surprisingly enough, it's my simplest side dishes‑the vegetables ­that draw the most requests for my "secret recipe". My "secret" is simple: absolutely fresh vegetables, thoroughly washed, fine olive oil and a unique Italian way of cooking called "affogato". This method combines the flavor sealing property of sautéing and the quickness of steaming. Although the following instructions call for escarole, I also prepare in the same way, spinach, broccoli de rape, cabbage and just about any other vegetable suitable for sautéing.

A main course that draws praise equal to the escaroles is striped bass marechiaro. Like "affogato", "marechiaro" signifies a style of cooking, so you can apply it with equal success to red snapper, grouper, tilefish or any firm, non‑oily fish. Fishermen in Naples still prepare their catch by the same recipe that I'm offering you.

Escarole Affogato

(for two)

2 Heads Escarole

Pure Olive Oil

3 or 4 whole cloves garlic (peeled and cracked)

1 1/2 Cups Water

Salt, Black Pepper, Crushed Red Pepper to taste.

1. Wash Escarole thoroughly to remove all sand. Tear each head into 3 pieces and let drain slightly.

2. Cover the face of a 3 quart sauce pot with about 1/4 in. olive oil.

3. Sauté the cloves of garlic until lightly browned.

4. Remove pot from stove and add 1 1/2 cups of water and salt and pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste.

5. Return pot to stove and add Escarole turning until it begins to shrink.

6. Cover and let simmer for 5 minutes.

7. Remove Escarole from pot with a large fork and serve.

Fusilli Broccoli di Rape

Pastas with cream sauces or tomato sauces are deservedly popular, but we'd like to introduce you to a unique method of preparing pasta.

Fusilli Broccoli di Rape sounds exotic; actually it is an easily prepared dish. Pure Italian Olive Oil and fresh whole cloves of garlic is the base into which Fusilli, corkscrew shaped pasta and broccoli di rape, a slightly bitter Italian green, are sautéed together. This particular pasta vegetable duo is a favorite amongst our customers and you can vary the combination according to your taste:

Ziti                                             Zucchini

Linguine                                     Escarole

Penne                                        Cauliflower

Fettuccini                                   Spinach

Whole Wheat                            String Beans

We've listed some of the popular pastas and vegetables above.

Any of these can be interchanged. The rich but light olive oil and garlic

base highlights the freshness and flavor of the vegetables and the texture

of the pasta.

(for two)

Spaghetti

2 cups fresh Broccoli di Rape, wash

and trim stems short

Pure Olive Oil

3 or 4 whole cloves garlic (peeled and cracked)

1 1/2 cups water

Salt, Pepper, and Crushed Red Pepper to taste

1/2 pound Fusilli

1. Cook Fusilli until al dente (firm) in salted, boiling water,

2. Rinse and drain pasta in colander. Set aside.

3. Cover the face of a 3 quart sauce pot with about 1/4 inch of olive oil.

4. Sauté the cloves of garlic until lightly browned.

5. Remove pot from stove and add 1 1/2 cups water, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste.

6. Return pot to stove and add Broccoli di Rape, turning it until it begins to shrink.

7. Cover and let simmer for five minutes.

8. Remove cover and add Fusilli. Toss and turn pasta and vegetable until fusilli is hot and the two are evenly mixed. Serve with a slotted spoon, and then pour some of the liquid on top.

Chicken olive oil and garlic

Chicken, Oil, Garlic and Red Pepper is a dish that truly represents the regional cooking of the province of Benevento, outside Naples, Italy. It is simple but rich fare. The recipe may take you a few attempts before fully mastering the subtleties of creating moist, crisp chicken with just the right balance of oil, garlic, and spices. However, this dish is well worth learning to make because it figures among everyone's favorites ‑ mine, my family's (even the non‑Neapolitans), and Sal Anthony's patrons.

I've prepared a menu for you around chicken, oil, garlic, and red pepper, but the chicken is delicious simply to eat with your fingers, accompanied by a loaf of crusty Italian bread, and a robust red wine.

(for two)

1 ‑ 2 1/2 lb. chicken, chopped (approximately 16 pieces)

Pure Olive Oil (enough to fill a 12" skillet, about 3/4")

6 cloves of garlic, each peeled and cut into 3 pieces

Salt, Pepper, and Crushed Red Pepper to taste.

1. Put olive oil into 12" skillet. Heat oil over low flame. When oil bubbles gently around a piece of garlic, add all the garlic. Use one piece at a time to test.

2.  Let garlic cook until only lightly golden. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside.

3.  Pat pieces of chicken dry with paper towels. Gently, carefully and slowly add chicken pieces to hot oil, one piece at a time. By this procedure you avoid the risk of splattering the hot oil and you won’t overly reduce the temperature of the oil.

4.  Flame must be kept medium‑low and constant. Cook until submerged side of chicken is fairly crisp. Turn each piece using a fork.

5.  When the other side of the chicken begins to turn crisp, add cooked garlic, crushed red pepper, salt and black pepper (cooking takes from 12‑18 minutes, depending on the intensity of the heat of your stove).

      6.   When the other side of chicken is fully crisp, remove chicken pieces and garlic   from oil using a slotted spoon. The oil that remains with the chicken and spoon        carries the essential flavors of that dish. Discard the oil that remains in the skillet.

Stuffed Eggplant alla Sal Anthony's

Stuffed Eggplant alla Sal Anthony's presents a delicious alternative to the usual heavily breaded eggplant dishes. Fresh local eggplant is available at the market this month.

Our method of lightly flouring, dipping in egg, then sautéing the eggplant accentuates it's fresh and sweet flavor. This sweetness is complimented by the delicate richness of the ricotta filling. The contrasting textures ‑ slightly chewy eggplant and creamy ricotta ‑ the neat little rolls and the finishing touches of pungent tomato sauce make this dish a delight to the palate and to the eye.

(for two)

One large eggplant, peeled and cut lengthwise into 6 quarter‑inch thick

slices. (Discard small end slices).

1/2 cup flour

4 eggs

Vegetable Oil (preferably peanut or soy)

2 lbs. Ricotta Cheese

2 cups grated Italian parmagiano cheese

3/4 cup chopped mozzarella cheese

6 thin slices mozzarella cheese

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 1/2 cups tomato sauce

Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Scatter flour onto a large plate. Beat 2 eggs in a low wide bowl. Lightly dredge slices of eggplant in flour, then egg. Heat vegetable oil about 1/4" in a sauté pan. Add eggplant slices and sauté on both sides until light brown. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Slices should be flexible enough to roll, not stiff or mushy. Let cool.

2. Combine 2 eggs, ricotta cheese, 1 1/2 cups parmagiano cheese, 3/4 cups chopped mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix until well incorporated. Mixture must be smooth and spoonable; if it seems too runny, add more parmagiano cheese to bind.

3. Lay out flat cooked slices of eggplant. Using a pastry bag or spoon place about 3 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture on the upper end of the slice. Beginning at the upper end, roll the eggplant towards you, jelly roll style. Repeat for all slices.

4. Using two metal baking dishes spread 1/4 cup tomato sauce on the bottom of each. Moisten tops of eggplant with more tomato sauce and sprinkle lightly with partnagiano cheese. Top each roll with a slice of mozzarella cheese. 'Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until hot and until the mozzarella cheese browns.

Steak Pizzaiola

The Steak Pizzaiola recipe explained here is also an exciting method of cooking other meats besides steak: pork chops, veal chops, veal scaloppini, chicken, etc. This method, I suspect, may have humble origins. A long simmering in a Pizzaiola tomato sauce has a tenderizing effect on inexpensive, tough cuts of meat.

I've adapted this recipe, using tender prime beef, thereby limiting the need for long simmering. We add mushrooms and peppers to bring freshness to this quickly prepared dish. Steak Pizzaiola is a classic example of the peasant teaching the prince how to eat.

(for two)

2 small shell steaks, each about 1” thick, trimmed of fat

4 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and cracked

1/2 cup of onion sliced into half moons

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 bell peppers, sliced lengthwise in 1/4 “strips, steamed for one minute

1 cup sliced, fresh mushrooms

1 1/2 cups peeled, roughly chopped tomatoes

1/2 cup broth or water

2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

Salt, Pepper, and Oregano to taste

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet. Brown the steaks over high heat, 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Remove steaks from skillet and set aside on a warm platter.

2. Reduce heat and add garlic, cooking until lightly golden. Remove garlic and set aside.

3. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add tomato paste, cooking and stirring with a wooden spoon until paste blends with oil.

4. Add mushrooms and sauté for 1 minute. Add peppers and sauté for another minute.

5. Add cooked garlic, chopped tomatoes, broth, parsley, salt, pepper and oregano. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 5 minutes.

6. Add steaks to skillet and partially cover with a lid cook over medium heat, turning steaks once, for about 5 minutes, depending on the degree of doneness desired.

7. Remove steaks from skillet onto dinner plates. Spoon over with sauce, mushrooms, peppers and serve.

Linguine Sal Anthony's

I experimented with dozens of ideas and recipes for several months before developing a pasta dish to carry the name "Sal Anthony". I sought to create something simple, yet rich and appealing. For a while my attempts were based either on a Southern Italian tomato sauce or a Northern Italian cream sauce. One day, in a fit of eclecticism, I combined the two and achieved delicious results.

Linguine Sal Anthony's incorporates a pungent tomato sauce made from imported Sicilian tomatoes with silky, delicate fresh cream. To this mixture mushrooms, peas and prosciutto are added to lend an interesting, chewy texture.

I think you will enjoy this dish as much for its case of preparation as for its deliciousness.

(for two)

1/4 lb. Linguine

2 tablespoons pure olive oil

2 garlic cloves, peeled, and cracked

1 cup mushrooms, washed and sliced thin

1/4 cup prosciutto, sliced thin and diced

1/4 cup peas

3/4 cup chicken or veal stock

3/4 cup tomato sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons grated parmagiano cheese

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon butter

1 tablespoon fresh or 3/4 tablespoon dry basil

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook linguine until al dente (firm) in salted, boiling water. Rinse, cool and drain pasta in a colander. Set aside.

2.  Sauté garlic in olive oil until golden. Then remove.

3.  Add mushrooms and sauté over medium flame for 2 minutes. Add prosciutto and peas, and sauté for another minute.

4.  Add stock; bring to a simmer and let cook for one minute.

5.  Add tomato sauce, basil, and pepper to taste, cheese, butter and cream. Bring to a simmer and let cook 3 minutes.

6.  Spoon out about 1/2 cup of the liquid from the sauce into another saucepan. Add salt to taste. Heat this liquid and add linguine, turning and lifting until pasta is hot and well coated with sauce. Fork pasta into two heated bowls.

      7.   Reduce remaining sauce to desired consistency. Add salt to taste.

            Spoon over pasta. Serve.

Minestra Maritata

When a customer of mine smelled Minestra Maritata she exclaimed with delight "This aroma takes me back twenty five years". So you might be surprised to learn how many people are made fidgety by the mere description of this dish. The name means literally "Marriage of the Greens", but it's not the Savoy cabbage, escarole and Swiss chard that elicit such strong reactions. Rather the culprit is a humble ingredient beloved by peasants and gourmets alike, spurned by Americans brought up on blander and richer cuts of meat. This ingredient is pig's feet. Contrary to what you might expect, pig’s feet are not only extremely tasty, but also very lean. The concentrated flavor of the bone serves as a perfect foil to the pungency of the greens. That and the grated cheese "marry" the greens in a way you will find unforgettable. But first, you'll have to try it.

(for four)

6 small fresh pigs feet, chopped in half

1 small head Savoy cabbage

1 head escarole

1 bunch Swiss Chard

Grated Parmagiano Cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Boil pigs feet in plenty of water for 30 minutes. Remove pig’s feet and discard water.

2. Wash pig’s feet under cold running water to remove any remaining grit.

3. Bring to a boil 1 gallon of water. Add cleaned pigs feet and let simmer for 30 minutes, skimming the surface of the water from time to time.

4. Wash each vegetable thoroughly to remove all sand. Cut each vegetable into 3 " wide pieces. One at a time steam each vegetable until tender but crisp.

5. Add vegetables, salt and pepper to the simmering broth. Simmer for another 15 minutes.

6. Distribute pig’s feet and vegetables into four bowls and ladle over with broth.

      Sprinkle each portion with plenty of Parmigiano cheese.

Caesar Salad

You might be surprised to learn that Caesar salad is named not for a Roman emperor but for its creator, an Italian chef who lived in the border town of Tijuana, Mexico. The proximity of the United States accounts for the presence of Worcestershire sauce and mustard powder in the salad; but it took the versatile genius of the Neapolitan kitchen to incorporate these ingredients into a dish that bears an authoritative Italian stamp.

Because this is a fundamentally simple dish, the quality of all the ingredients must be impeccable. Only the tender, light green leaves of Romaine lettuce should be used. In some cases this means sacrificing up to one half of the head. Dense, day old Italian bread cut into cubes and fried in olive oil yields the best croutons. Anchovies bought loose from the top half of a five gallon tin convey less salt and more sweetness than those dredged from the bottom or purchased in a small tin.

(for two)

1 large head Romaine lettuce, top 2" trimmed off

washed and cut into bite size pieces. Dry thoroughly.

1/3 cup Italian olive oil

2 cloves garlic, peeled

1/2 Lemon

5 Anchovies chopped

Dry Mustard

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

1 Egg Yolk

1 cup croutons

1/4 cup grated Parmagiano cheese,

1. Mash garlic and 1 teaspoon of oil in the bottom of the salad bowl. Remove most of the garlic.

2. Squeeze in the juice from the lemon, remove seeds. Add a pinch of dry mustard, the Worcestershire sauce, anchovies, and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Muddle anchovies with a wooden spoon until ingredients are well combined and creamy. Only a few small bits of anchovy should be visible.

3. Add egg yolk and stir, slowly adding remainder of olive oil. Do not stir vigorously or whip, otherwise the mixture will congeal.

4. Add lettuce, croutons and sprinkle with the Parmagiano cheese. Toss thoroughly; grating over fresh black pepper to taste until dressing coats the lettuce and the croutons become very slightly soft on the outside. Put onto 2 cold plates to serve.

Fettuccine Alfredo

(for two)

6 oz. Fettuccine pasta

1 1/2 cups heavy cream (at room temperature)

1 Egg Yolk

1 teaspoon chopped fresh Italian parsley

1/3 cup Parmagiano cheese

2 teaspoon butter

Salt and fresh black pepper to taste

1. Cook fettuccine until al dente (firm) in salted boiling water. Rinse with cold water, drain in a colander and set aside.

2. Using a wire whisk, mix cream and egg yolk until well combined. Do not over mix. 3. Place cream ‑egg yolk mixture in a saucepan and add parsley, cheese, butter, salt and pepper. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring gently until ingredients are well incorporated. Do not boil or the cream may curdle. Let simmer until creamy and rather thick, about 2 minutes.

4. Add fettuccine to sauce pan, turning and lifting until pasta is hot and coated with sauce. Fork pasta into two heated bowls.

5. Reduce remaining sauce over medium high heat briefly. Add salt to taste. Spoon sauce over pasta. Discard excess sauce. Add grating of fresh black pepper. Serve.

Veal Scaloppini Piccante

It's a culinary axiom that the simpler a dish, the higher the quality of the ingredients must be. Without complicated sauces or an overpowering array of spices, each ingredient must stand on its own. So it follows that in a simple yet elegant preparation like veal piccante, the quality of the veal must be outstanding.

The best veal comes from grain fed calves ‑ "plume de veau". It should show a faint rose, almost white color. Because this kind of veal is so tender, the side of a fork will easily slice through a properly cooked scaloppini.

To obtain genuine “plume de veau”, you should patronize a first rate butcher. The additional cost will be more than compensated for by the succulent outcome.

(for two)

1/2 lb Veal Scaloppini (6 pieces) pounded very thin

Flour

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

Juice of two lemons

1/2 cup veal stock or water

2 teaspoons fresh chopped Italian parsley

Salt and white pepper to taste

1.      Dredge the pieces of veal in flour until well coated, and then shake off excess flour.

2.       Heat the olive oil in a skillet which is large enough to hold all the veal scaloppini in one layer. Add the veal and brown briefly on both sides.

3.      Remove veal from pan. Discard the fat and oil which remain in the pan. Add the butter, lemon juice, veal stock, parsley and a pinch of salt and white pepper. Return the veal to pan.

4.       Return pan to heat and cook, stirring to coat the veal with the lemon butter sauce; for about 5 minutes.

5.      Remove veal onto heated dinner plates. Briefly reduce remaining sauce, adding more salt and white pepper to taste. Sauce should be "tight", almost the texture of cream. Pour over veal and serve.

* The veal stock or water is the medium with which you control the consistency of the dish. If the sauce is too "Light" or oily or lemony, add more stock. If the consistency is right but the lemon is too strong, add a small amount of butter.

Mozzarella in Carozza

When Anthony Dias Blue of CBS news reviewed Sal Anthony's Restaurant he raved about our Mozzarella in Carozza . He described it as "one of my favorite Italian appetizers" and certainly he speaks for many people.

The preparation of Mozzarella in Carrozza follows the tradition of using the most elementary ingredients to achieve the greatest effect. A slice of white bread, the type we use for toast and sandwiches, and a slice of Mozzarella cheese are dipped in flour, egg and Parmigiano cheese, and then fried. The resulting golden brown crust gives way to melted white cheese when cut open. The dish is simple, rich and flavorful. At Sal Anthony's we make our own mozzarella. We salt it lightly and use a whole milk curd. Store bought mozzarella will do just as well for this recipe.

(Appetizer ‑for two)

2 slices white bread, crusts trimmed

1 loaf of mozzarella cheese (about I pound ‑ preferably fresh)

1/2 cup flour

3 eggs

1 cup finely grated Parmagianto cheese

Vegetable Oil

1. Cut each slice of bread in half diagonally into triangles. You will have four triangles.

2.  Slice four pieces of mozzarella cheese 1/4" thick (about the same thickness of the bread" and trim the slices to match the bread triangles.

3.  Scatter the flour onto a large plate. Place the parmagiano cheese into a bowl. Beat the eggs in a low wide bowl. Set the three items in front of you.

4.  Lightly dredge on both sides a triangle of bread in flour, then egg, (do not let the bread sit in the egg and become soggy).Place the triangle in the bowl of Parmagiano cheese. Only one side of the slice should touch the cheese.

5.  Dredge on both sides a slice of mozzarella cheese in flour then egg, Place the mozzarella on top of the slice of bread sitting in the Parmagiano cheese. Gently cover the bread and mozzarella with the parmagiano cheese; do not pack or press. Remove the triangles (which are now stuck together evenly and coated with Parmagiano) from the cheese bowl and set aside.

6.  Prepare the remaining triangles, following steps 4 and 5. You will end up with four cheese and bread triangles.

7.  Pour vegetable oil to a depth of at least 2 inches into a heavy skillet. Heat the oil to 350 degrees or until the oil bubbles when a piece of cheese is dropped in.

8.  Gently lower the triangles into the oil and fry until golden brown on one side, then turn and brown the other side.

9.  Remove the triangles from the oil with a slotted spoon, pat away oil with a paper towel and serve immediately with marinara or anchovy sauce.

Ziti Arrabiatta

Loosely translated, arrabiata means "fast and furious". This name is not surprising since the featured ingredient of this dish is dried, hot peppers. While you can buy dried hot peppers at ethnic specialty stores, I find homemade dried peppers far more flavorful. Drying hot peppers is a simple operation. Simply string fresh peppers like a necklace and hang them in a dry, airy place. When the peppers are somewhat shriveled but still flexible, they are ready to use. Depending on the weather, this should take anywhere from 3 to 7 days.

Occasionally, a pepper will develop a green mold on the inside. Such peppers should be discarded. You can reduce the risk of green mold by buying absolutely unblemished peppers.

(6 appetizer portions)

18 oz.' ziti

12 dried, hot "frying" peppers, cut into 1/2" pieces

12 oz. pure olive oil

12 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

24 soft, ripe plum tomatoes; peeled and seeded (12 chopped/12poured)

18 oz. water

1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley

Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Cook ziti until al dente (firm). Rinse, drain, and set aside.

2.  Heat olive oil in large heavy bottom pot. Lightly brown garlic, do not burn. Remove and set aside.

3.  Add peppers to oil and brown slightly. Remove and set aside.

4.  Carefully add chopped and pureed plum tomatoes, water, parsley, salt and pepper. Simmer for about 5 minutes.

5.  Add ziti, garlic, and peppers and toss until sauce and pasta are hot and well incorporated.

6.  Spoon ziti onto plates and remaining sauce on top.

Fusilli al Pesto

            Basil, the quintessential summer herb, is the heart and soul of this recipe for Fusilli al Pesto. Pesto is a "paste" made of basil leaves and high quality Italian virgin olive oil. Finely chopped in a food processor or pounded with a mortar and pestle the aromatic pesto is then blended with other ingredients, heated and tossed with fusilli pasta. Our recipe for Fusilli al Pesto includes garlic, pignoli nuts, parmigiano cheese and cream cheese. The garlic highlights the basil flavor while the cheeses and pignoli nuts smooth the herbal mixture texture. Pesto can be frozen very successfully. Freeze only the basil and olive oil paste; the other ingredients (garlic, pignoli nuts, cheese) do not freeze well. A dish of Fusilli al Pesto in January reminds you that summer will come again.

1 pound Fusilli

1/2 pound Basil leaves, washed and patted dry

1/2 bunch fresh Italian parsley, washed and patted dry, all main stems removed

1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

1/2 teaspoon white pepper (or to taste)

Salt to taste

3 tablespoons cream cheese

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup chicken or veal stock

1. Cook fusilli until al dente (firm), drain, rinse and set aside.

2. Finely chop basil leaves and parsley in food processor.

3. While machine is still running add the olive oil and garlic.

4. When olive oil and garlic are thoroughly incorporated with basil and parsley, add Parmigiano cheese and pine nuts to machine.

5.  Add salt and pepper to taste and remove pesto from processor. If mixture seems very thick, add olive oil and blend by hand.

6.  In a sauté pan over low heat, dissolve cream cheese in water or stock. Add pesto and butter and blend together.*

7.  Add fusilli, mixing and tossing until pasta and sauce are hot and well incorporated.

8.  Spoon fusilli into heated bowls and spoon remaining pesto on top.

*If sauce seems too thick, add water or stock: too thin, reduce over heat.

Note: If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a blender or a mortar and pestle. However, you will have to make the pesto smaller