Sophia Loren’s Spaghetti con Pomodoro Crudo

1 1/2 pounds spaghetti
2 pounds tomatoes, not quite ripe, chopped
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
2 medium red or Vidalia onions (or less), thinly sliced
1/4 cup pitted Sicilian green olives, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons drained capers
1/4 cup minced Italian parsley
10 to 12 chopped fresh oregano leaves
    or 1/4 teaspoon dried
1 to 2 cloves garlic, crushed
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly grated Parmigiano cheese (optional)

Cook the pasta until just al dente. While the pasta is cooking, place in a large serving bowl the tomatoes, mozzarella, onions, olives, capers, parsley, oregano, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour the oil over and toss gently.

When pasta is ready, pour it into a colander and quickly rinse it under cold water; drain well and add the warm spaghetti to the bowl. Toss to combine, remove the garlic if desired, and serve. Pass the cheese at the table.

Yields 6 servings.

Sophia Loren’s Pizza alla Napoletana

Dough
1 envelope active dry yeast
1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon olive oil

Toppings
1 cup marinara sauce or peeled, chopped tomatoes, to taste
2 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded or thinly sliced, or to taste
2 ounces anchovy filets or strips of thinly sliced prosciutto, to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, or dried, to taste
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

To prepare dough, dissolve yeast in water. On a clean surface, combine flour and salt. Make a well in center of flour and add the dissolved yeast. Blend together and knead thoroughly. Add oil and continue kneading until dough is smooth and elastic. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl; cover and let stand in a warm place for one to three hours, until doubled in bulk.

Flatten dough and roll out to form a 10-inch circle about one-quarter-inch thick. Place dough on a flat surface sprinkled lightly with cornmeal. (If you don’t have an extra-wide spatula or flat lifter of some sort with which to move the assembled pizza, transfer the dough to a board or the flat side of a tray sprinkled with cornmeal so that the pizza will slide off easily into the skillet.) Spread tomato sauce over top of dough. Add mozzarella, anchovies or other toppings, as desired. Sprinkle with basil, Parmesan and pepper, to taste.

Heat oil in large, heavy (preferably cast-iron) skillet. When oil is sizzling, transfer the uncooked pizza to the hot skillet. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes until crust is golden and topping is bubbly. If needed, cover pizza for a few minutes toward the end of cooking to speed melting the cheese.

Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: Calories, 415; protein, 16 grams; carbohydrates, 55 grams; fat, 15 grams; cholesterol, 21 milligrams; sodium, 1,545 milligrams

Tipper Gore’s Ginger Snaps

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter (at room temperature)
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup molasses
2 teaspoons white distilled vinegar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Mix flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and cloves in large bowl.

In another large bowl, beat butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 1 minute. Gradually beat in sugar; continue to beat on medium speed until combined, 2 minutes.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Beat in molasses and vinegar until combined, 1 minute.

On low speed, beat in flour mixture.

For each cookie, roll 1 rounded tablespoon dough into ball; place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet. With fork, flatten each and make cross-hatch pattern.

Bake in oven 15 to 16 minutes, until slightly browned around edges. Remove cookies.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Tony Randall’s Grilled Veal Chop with Bourbon-Cracked Black Pepper Sauce

6 (10 to 12 ounce) rib veal chops
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup Bourbon
1 stick (8 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
Salt, to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely cracked fresh black pepper

Preheat grill until hot or preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Season the veal chops well with salt and pepper.

If you are grilling the chops, rub them with the oil. Place on the grill, leaving room between. Grill for 7 to 10 minutes per side, turning once. If the chops are 1 1/2 inches thick, cook 9 to 12 minutes per side.

If roasting the chops, heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet over high heat until hot. Add the chops and sear on one side only. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the chops for 10 to 12 minutes more for medium-rare.

While the chops are cooking, make the sauce. In an enamel or other nonreactive saucepan, combine the red and white wines and cook over high heat until hot. Add the Bourbon and cook until reduced by half.

Lower the heat to medium and add the butter, one piece at a time, quickly whisking it in until completely incorporated. Blend each piece of butter in fully, not just melt it, before adding the next. Work quickly but do not increase the heat under the sauce. Season with salt and cracked black pepper, and keep warm in a warm water bath until ready to use. Do no reheat the sauce over direct heat.

Place a grilled chop on each dinner plate and spoon about two tablespoons of the Bourbon sauce over the top. Serve immediately.

Sarah Ferguson’s Chocolate Chip Scones

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips
3 tablespoons orange juice

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. With a pastry blender or a large fork, cut in the butter to make coarse crumbs. (Tip: Make sure butter is well chilled to produce the flakiest texture.) Stir in the chocolate chips. Mix in the orange juice to form a dough.

Turn out the dough on a floured surface. Pat or roll into a 9-inch circle about 1/2-inch thick. With a 2 1/2-inch fluted biscuit cutter, cut out 12 scones, pushing the dough scraps together for the last few, if necessary. Transfer the scones to the baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Makes 12 scones.

Each scone contains 168 calories; 4 points on the Weight Watchers 1-2-3 program.

Walt Disney’s Chili and Beans

2 pounds dry pink (pinto) beans
2 onions, sliced
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 cup chopped celery
2 pounds coarsely ground lean beef
1 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 (28 ounce) can solid-pack tomatoes
Salt, to taste
Optional seasonings for a more
    spicy chili: 1/8 teaspoon each coriander, turmeric, chile
    seeds, fennel, cloves, cinnamon, dry ginger or
    1 small yellow Mexican chile pepper

Wash and sort beans and soak overnight in cold water.

Next morning, drain; add water to cover, 2 inches over beans. Add sliced onions and simmer, covered, until tender, about 2 hours.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large saucepot and lightly brown garlic, celery and beef, stirring. Add chili powder, paprika and thyme. Break up tomatoes with a spoon and mix with meat mixture. Cover and simmer 1 hour.

When beans are tender, combine with meat, stirring gently. Taste and add salt, as needed. Simmer 30 minutes longer.

Senator Robert Dole’s Apple Pie

This 1988 Ladies Home Journal first prize apple pie winner was from the senator’s wife, Elizabeth Dole.

Filling
6 tart apples (Granny Smith, Jonathan
    or Pippin), peeled, cored, sliced
2/3 cup granulated sugar
Water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg

Combine apples, sugar and 1/2 cup water in a large skillet. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then cover and cook 5 minutes. Dissolve cornstarch in 1/4 cup water in a small bowl; stir into apple mixture. Bring to a boil, then cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the butter, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cool.

Pastry
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Beat the butter and brown sugar in mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. With mixer at low speed, beat in the flour and pecans. Press dough into a 10-inch pie plate and refrigerate 10 minutes.

Topping
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon mace
1/4 cup cold butter, cut up

Combine flour, pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger and mace in a medium bowl. With a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Spoon filling into the pastry shell. Sprinkle topping evenly over apples. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Bake for 30 minutes more or until apples are tender. If topping browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil. Cool on a wire rack.