Description:
Lasagna, is both a form of pasta in sheets (sometimes rippled, though seldom so in Italy) and also a dish, sometimes named lasagne al forno (meaning "oven-cooked lasagne") made with alternate layers of pasta, cheese, and often ragù (a meat sauce) or tomato sauce.

The word lasagna or lasagne (plural), which originally applied to a cooking pot, now simply describes the food itself. Most English-speaking people follow the Italian usage and use the plural "lasagne" to refer to both the dish and the pasta, but Americans commonly use the singular "lasagna". For example, "Weird Al" Yankovic (an American singer and songwriter) used this spelling for his song "Lasagna", which is as a parody of "La Bamba".

Notable fans of lasagne include Julian Casablancas of The Strokes, who has stated that lasagne is his "perfect meal". Oasis also mentions lasagne in the song "Digsy's Dinner", from their debut album Definitely Maybe.

While the dish is traditionally believed to have originated in Italy[4], the word "lasagna" is derived from the Greek word λάσανα (lasana) or λάσανον (lasanon) meaning "trivet or stand for a pot", "chamber pot". The word was later borrowed by the Romans as "lasanum" to mean cooking pot. The Italians then used the word to refer to the dish in which what is now known as lasagne is made. Another theory suggest that lasagna might have come from Greek λάγανον (laganon), a kind of flat sheet of pasta dough cut into stripes.


Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
6 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press
1/3 pound ground beef chuck
1/3 pound ground veal (see note)
1/3 pound ground pork
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 (28 ounce) can tomato puree
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
15 ounces ricotta cheese (whole milk or part skim)
2 1/2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
12 no-boil lasagna noodles
16 ounces whole milk mozzarella, shredded

Directions:
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Heat oil in large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes; add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and add ground meats, salt, and pepper; cook, breaking meat into small pieces with wooden spoon, until meat loses its raw color but has not browned, about 4 minutes. Add cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates and only fat remains, about 4 minutes. Add pureed and drained diced tomatoes and bring to simmer; reduce heat to low and simmer slowly until flavors are blended, about 3 minutes; set sauce aside. (Sauce can be cooled, covered, and refrigerated for up to 2 days; reheat before assembling lasagna.)

3. Mix ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan, basil, egg, salt, and pepper in medium bowl with fork until well-combined and creamy; set aside.

4. Smear entire bottom of 9- by 13-inch baking dish with 1/4 cup meat sauce. Place 3 noodles on top of sauce. Drop 3 tablespoons ricotta mixture down center of each noodle. Level by pressing flat with back of measuring spoon. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup shredded mozzarella. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce evenly over cheese.

5. Repeat layering of noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, and sauce two more times. Place 3 remaining noodles on top of sauce, spread remaining sauce over noodles, sprinkle with remaining cup mozzarella, then with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Lightly spray a large sheet of foil with nonstick cooking spray and cover lasagna. Bake 15 minutes, then remove foil. Return lasagna to oven and continue to bake until cheese is spotty brown and sauce is bubbling, about 25 minutes longer. Cool lasagna about 10 minutes; cut into pieces and serve.

Description:
The word Ratatouille comes from "touiller," which means to toss food. Ratatouille originated in the area around present day Nice. It was originally a poor farmer's dish, prepared in the summer with fresh summer vegetables. The original Ratatouille Niçoise did not contain eggplant (which would not have been available during the same time period as the other vegetables used). Instead, it used only zucchini (courgettes), tomatoes, green and red peppers (bell peppers), onion, and garlic. The dish known today as ratatouille adds aubergine (eggplant) to that mixture.

French ratatouille is usually served as a side dish, but also may be served as a meal on its own (accompanied by rice, or simple French bread). Tomatoes are a key ingredient, with garlic, onions, zucchini (courgettes), eggplant (aubergine), bell peppers (poivron), some herbes de Provence. All the ingredients are sautéed lightly in olive oil.

There are two common ways to prepare ratatouille. The ingredients can be cooked separately and combined together towards the end of the cooking time; alternatively, the garlic, onions, zucchini, eggplant, and peppers can be cooked together for an extended time over low heat, and combined with the tomatoes when soft and beginning to brown. The key to either method of preparation is making sure the vegetables, and especially the eggplant, are cooked sufficiently.

When ratatouille is used as a filling for savory crepes or to fill an omelette, the pieces are sometimes cut smaller than in the illustration. Also, unnecessary moisture is reduced by straining the liquid with a colander into a bowl, reducing it in a hot pan, then adding one or two tablespoons of reduced liquid back into the vegetables.


Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds tomatoes
8 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
20 leaves fresh basil, torn in half
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 pounds eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 large onions, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
3 assorted bell peppers (green, red, and/or yellow), cut into 1-inch pieces
4 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick pieces
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings
Fresh basil

Directions:
1. Cut an X in bottom of each tomato with a sharp paring knife and blanch together in a 4-quart pot of boiling water 1 minute. Transfer tomatoes with a slotted spoon to a cutting board and, when cool enough to handle, peel off skin, beginning from scored end, with paring knife.

2. Coarsely chop tomatoes and transfer to a 5-quart heavy pot with garlic, parsley, basil, and 1/3 cup oil. Simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes break down and sauce is slightly thickened, about 30 minutes.

3. While sauce is simmering, toss eggplant with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large colander and let stand in sink 30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, cook onions in 3 tablespoons oil with 1/4 teaspoon salt in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer onions with a slotted spoon to a large bowl, then add 3 tablespoons oil to skillet and cook bell peppers with 1/4 teaspoon salt over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes.

5. Transfer peppers with slotted spoon to bowl with onions. Add 3 tablespoons oil to skillet and cook zucchini with 1/4 teaspoon salt over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer zucchini with slotted spoon to bowl with other vegetables.
While zucchini are cooking, pat eggplant dry with paper towels. Add remaining oil (about 1/4 cup) to skillet and cook eggplant over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 10 to12 minutes.

6. Add vegetables, remaining teaspoon salt, and black pepper to tomato sauce and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very tender, about 1 hour. Cool, uncovered, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Description:
Adobo is the Filipino national dish, a little like a non-sweet teriyaki with sauce to flavor the accompanying rice.

With chicken or pork, the sequence is: simmer, fry, boil. The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled. The sauce is to die for; if you're reheating it on a subsequent day, add a little water but don't dilute the sauce too much.

Ingredients:
1 chicken, cut up
soy sauce
white vinegar
handful of black peppercorns
garlic cloves, peeled (5-15)
1 large bay leaf
cooking oil (something bland like canola oil)

Directions:
Simmer: Put chicken, peppercorns and bay leaf in a large pot (dutch oven or large high-walled frying pan). Peel garlic cloves, cut a slice into them, and add to pot. (You can use less garlic, but note that garlic powder does not give the same taste or quality.)

Add soy sauce and vinegar to pot: 5 parts soy sauce to 3 part vinegar. (I just tip the bottle and count "glops" as it pours.) Add some water so the pot is about half full; if you're cooking more, then adjust. Important: the liquid should be pretty brown from the soy sauce, rather than very watered down.

Cover; simmer on medium heat for 15-20 minutes, then remove from heat.

Fry: Pour liquid into a bowl and set it aside. (I do this by slightly opening the top of the pot, tipping and pouring into the bowl.)

Pour some cooking oil into the bottom of the pot and brown the chicken at a high heat. (Cover the pot to keep from splattering.) You may have to take some of the chicken out of the pot to do this easily. You can also brown the garlic lightly.

Remove from heat and let the pot cool. This is important — otherwise, the soy sauce can end up with a burnt taste. You may also want to pour out any residual oil, if you are big on fat-free diets.

Boil: When pot has cooled down, pour the sauce back in. Cover, and boil at medium heat for 45 minutes to an hour. Adobo is done when the chicken is cooked and tender.

Description:
My favorite wings!

Ingredients:
For the Marinade:
1 cup (8fl oz/250 ml) cider vinegar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon Tabasco (hot red pepper) sauce
4 lb chicken wings (about 24)

For the Blue Cheese sauce:
2/3 cup (5fl oz/160 ml) sour cream
1/2 cup (4fl oz/124 ml) mayonnaise
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup (4fl oz/125 g) crumbled blue cheese salt
freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons, more or less, milk
celery sticks

Directions:
To make the marinade, in a small bowl stir together the vinegar, oil, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and Tabasco sauce. Place the chicken wings in a large plastic food storage bag and pour in the marinade. Press out the air and seal the bag tightly. Massage the bag gently, to distribute the marinade. Set in a large bowl and refrigerate for several hours, turning and massaging the bag occasionally.

To make the blue cheese sauce, in a small bowl whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and blue cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add enough milk to make a sauce with the consistency of pancake batter. Cover and refrigerate.

Prepare a fire in the grill. Remove the wings from the marinade and pat them dry with absorbent paper towels; reserve the marinade. Arrange the wings on the grid. Grill, turning frequently and brushing with the reserved marinade, until cooked through, 25-30 minutes. Serve with the dipping sauce and celery sticks.

Description:
Don Henrico's Best Seller Pasta!

Ingredients:
8-10 oz. spaghetti
2 Tbsp. olive oil
5 oz. pkg. frozen chopped onions
10 oz. pkg. frozen green or red peppers
12 oz. pkg. frozen tomato sauce
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. salt
1 lb. frozen pre-cooked shrimp
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, minced

Directions:
Cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking liquid. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onions and saute until tender, about ten minutes. Add green and red peppers, tomato sauce, pepper and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, about ten minutes.

Add the 1/2 cup of pasta cooking liquid to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Add and mix thawed shrimp and cook until thoroughly heated about ten minutes. Add shrimp to sauce. To serve, place pasta on a shallow platter. Pour the sauce mixture over the pasta. Sprinkle with parsley.