cooking

Have you heard this business about Engagement Chicken? I gather if you make it, your boyfriend will propose to you because its so delicious he will want to be your husband so he can eat it forever... Its a lemon chicken, which is always nice, no doubt. But I do think if you are looking for something that might snare a man, you're going to want to put in a little more effort than roast chicken. Well, I guess it depends on the man.
This isn't the easiest recipe to assemble, unless you are in Rome in the spring, but if you can find everything, it will work on really serious, smart (MIT level genius type) men...

1 dozen zucchini flowers (go out and plant some zucchini right now and you can make this by mid-August)
1/2 cup freshest possible ricotta cheese
1/2 cup stale Italian bread (good bread, not supermarket Italian bread)
some chicken stock to wet the bread
a shake or two of garlic powder
black pepper
salt or an anchovy or two
savory
parsley
thyme
other fresh herbs
eggs and flour for dredging

Mix all your ingredients except the flowers in a bowl. Use around two or three tablespoons of herbs. The flowers have a pretty delicate flavor which you don't want to lose to the herbs... Spoon the filling into the flowers. Dredge the flowers in flour seasoned with a bit of pepper. Fry in about 1/4" of oil until coating is browned. Serve immediately with a crisp white wine (Orvieto). Watch smart man become slightly dazzled by you...

Fredo is the brother in the Godfather who Michael has to do away with because he betrays the family to Hyman Roth. Alfredo is a restaurant in Rome which claims invention of the sauce. Alfresco means outdoors, or an excellent place to eat your fettucine alfredo.

I have no idea where my father got the recipe for his alfredo, he might have made it up. Its luscious. I can't tell you how to make it, but I'll give you a tasty recipe which is not even close so no one can accuse me of giving away family secrets...

1 stick of butter (yes the whole stick- forget about eating this altogether if you are on a diet)
1 pt. heavy cream
2 cloves garlic
1 cup of romano cheese
salt & pepper to taste

The important thing to remember about making this is DO NOT LET IT BUBBLE AT ALL EVEN ON THE EDGES OF THE PAN (Critical).

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan, press the garlic cloves but do not let them cook, just swirl them around. Whisk in the cream slowly and warm the mixture. Whisk in the romano until it is just melted. Add your salt & pepper. Pour over hot pasta. Cut some basil over the top to serve. Some people are very opinionated about pink sauces, I just throw a few tablespoons of marinara into this to make pink sauce which is very pleasant with tortellini.