Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese Bonbons

Ingredients
100 g Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (for bonbons, it is advisable to use Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese with 18-20 months maturation.)
100 g bitter chocolate
Method

Cut the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese into pieces having the size of half a walnut. Melt the chocolate bain-marie.
 Dip the cheese pieces into the melted chocolate using a fork. Let them dry on a sheet of waxed paper, then serve.

Asian Turkey Burgers

Ingredients
1/4 cup bulgur wheat
1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 seedless cucumber, sliced 1/8-inch thick, 1 cup
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
12 ounces lean ground turkey
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 scallions, chopped
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 clove garlic, grated
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, plus 1/4 cup whole leaves
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
4 whole wheat hamburger rolls

 Put the bulgur in a medium bowl and add the boiling water. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand until the bulgur is tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whisk the vinegar and sugar with a generous seasoning of salt and pepper until dissolved. Add the cucumber and onion, toss well and set aside to marinate for about 30 minutes.
In a separate small bowl combine the yogurt and chili garlic sauce. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Drain the bulgur and put into a large bowl. Add the turkey, hoisin, scallions, ginger, garlic and chopped cilantro and mix until just combined. Form into 4 equal sized patties.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until very hot. Lightly brush both sides of each patty with oil and place in the skillet. Cook, turning once, until just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
Drain the pickled vegetables and toss with the whole cilantro. Spread some spicy yogurt sauce on the top and bottom of each bun and top with a burger patty and some pickles.



Calories 186; Total Fat 4 g (Sat Fat 0.4g, Mono Fat 0.7g, Poly Fat 1.5g) ; Protein 18g; Carb 23g; Fiber 3g; Cholesterol 23mg; Sodium 421mg

Southern Fried Chicken

Ingredients
3 eggs
1/3 cup water
About 1 cup hot red pepper sauce (recommended: Texas Pete)
2 cups self-rising flour
1 teaspoon pepper
House seasoning, recipe follows
1 (1 to 2 1/2-pound) chicken, cut into pieces
Oil, for frying, preferably peanut oil



Directions

 In a medium size bowl, beat the eggs with the water. Add enough hot sauce so the egg mixture is bright orange. In another bowl, combine the flour and pepper. Season the chicken with the house seasoning. Dip the seasoned chicken in the egg, and then coat well in the flour mixture.
Heat the oil to 350 degrees F in a deep pot. Do not fill the pot more than 1/2 full with oil.
Fry the chicken in the oil until brown and crisp. Dark meat takes longer then white meat. It should take dark meat about 13 to 14 minutes, white meat around 8 to 10 minutes.

House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder

Mozzarella in Corozza

INGREDIENTS
 8 slices American-style sandwich bread, crusts removed
 1 pound fresh mozzarella di bufala, cut into four 4-by-3-inch chunks
 7 eggs, 3 of them separated
 1 cup whole milk
 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
 1 teaspoon kosher salt
 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
 2 tablespoons unsalted butter



DIRECTIONS


 Top each of 4 slices of bread with a piece of mozzarella. Cover with the 4 remaining slices of bread to form sandwiches. Trim the bread to within ¼ inch of the cheese.

 In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk the 4 whole eggs and 3 yolks together. (Reserve the whites for a healthy omelet.) Add the milk, thyme, and salt and whisk well. Dip the sandwiches into the egg mixture 1 by 1 to coat.

 In a large non-stick sauté pan over medium high heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and wait until it’s smoking. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and cook until the sizzling subsides. Place 2 sandwiches in the pan and cook slowly until golden brown on the first side, about 2 minutes. Flip each sandwich and cook on the other side for 2 more minutes. Remove the sandwiches and set aside in a warm oven. Repeat the process with the remaining oil, butter, and sandwiches. Serve immediately.

Banh Mi Bites

Ingredients
1 cup chicken or pork mousse pate (10 ounces), at room temperature
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon grated peeled ginger
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 baguette, split open and cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Finely grated zest and juice of 1/2 lime
Kosher salt
1 large carrot, cut into matchsticks
1/2 small daikon radish, cut into matchsticks
Sriracha (Asian chile sauce), for topping
Fresh cilantro, for topping

Directions

 Beat the pate, mayonnaise, ginger and soy sauce in a bowl with a mixer until light and airy, 1 to 2 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Arrange the baguette pieces on a baking sheet and bake until slightly toasted, about 10 minutes; let cool.
Meanwhile, make the dressing: Whisk the vinegar, vegetable oil, lime zest and juice, and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Add the carrot and daikon and toss.
Spread some of the pate mixture on each piece of bread; top with Sriracha, the carrot-daikon salad and cilantro.

Creamy Garlic and Herb Spread

Ingredients
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream
1/4 cup mixed chopped fresh herbs, such as chives, parsley and dill
1 small clove garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup walnut halves, very finely chopped
Assorted crackers, for serving
Directions

 Beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and slowly beat in the heavy cream. Increase the speed to medium and beat until smooth. Beat in 1/2 cup of the sour cream. Beat in the herbs, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Line a medium strainer about 7 1/2 inches in diameter with a few layers of cheesecloth, letting the ends hang over the edges of the strainer. Set the strainer over a bowl. Pour the cream cheese mixture into the strainer and fold the ends of the cheesecloth over the top. Gently flatten with your hands and shape into an oval football. Gather the edges of the cheesecloth up and twist until tight, trying to keep the oval shape of the spread. Place the strainer and bowl in the refrigerator 8 hours or overnight.

To serve, unwrap the spread and invert onto a serving dish so the rounded side is facing up. Use the cheesecloth to gently reshape the oval and taper the ends to look like a football, then discard the cheesecloth and any liquid in the bottom of the bowl.

Put the walnuts in a medium skillet set over medium heat and cook, stirring, until they are toasted, about 5 minutes; watch carefully so that they do not burn. Remove from the heat and cool. Sprinkle and press the nuts into the spread so it is covered. Put the remaining 2 tablespoons sour cream in a small resealable plastic bag and snip about 1/8 inch off the end of one corner. Pipe the sour cream over the spread to create the laces of a football. Serve with assorted crackers.