Seafood Newburg on Buttered Toast Points

5 tablespoons butter
2 rounded tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup dry sherry (eyeball it)
1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika (eyeball it)
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg (eyeball it)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
12 scallops, muscle discarded, patted dry
12 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 pound lump crab meat
1 teaspoon Old Bay or other seafood seasoning
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
8 slices white sandwich bread
20 blades fresh chives, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

1. In a medium saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, then whisk in the milk and cream and heat through, about 10 minutes. Lower the heat and stir in the sherry, paprika and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes.
2. Preheat the broiler. Season the scallops, shrimp and crab with salt and pepper. Season the crab with the Old Bay. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the EVOO, 1 turn of the pan, over high heat. Add the scallops and cook, turning once, until browned on each side, 4 to 6 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add the shrimp to the skillet and cook for 3 minutes on each side. Add the crab for the last 3 minutes of cooking and heat through. Return the scallops to the pan, pour the sauce evenly over the seafood and remove from the heat.
3. Arrange the bread on a baking sheet and toast in the broiler on each side, then spread with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Halve each piece of toast to make triangles. Place 4 toast triangles on each of 4 dinner plates, spoon the seafood Newburg on top and sprinkle with the chives and almonds

Meatball Loaves with Tomato Gravy and Smashed Potatoes


4 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
Salt
1/2 pound each ground pork, veal and beef
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Pecorino Romano
cheese
1/2 to 3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs (a couple of generous handfuls)
1/3 cup plus a splash heavy cream
1 large egg, beaten
Flat-leaf parsley, chopped (a generous handful)
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (eyeball it) 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice (eyeball it)
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 1/2 cups beef broth

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Place the potatoes in a pot, cover with cold water and cover the pot with a lid. Bring to a boil, then salt the water and cook the potatoes until tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and add them back to the pot.
2. While the potatoes are working, in a large bowl, combine the ground meats with 1/2 cup cheese, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, a splash of cream, the egg, parsley, half of the chopped garlic, the Worcestershire sauce and allspice; season with salt and pepper. Drizzle 1 tablespoon EVOO onto a baking sheet, form the meat mixture into 4 loaves about 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick and place on the baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon EVOO. Bake the loaves for 20 minutes.
3. While the meatloaves bake, in a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium heat. Add the remaining garlic, the carrot, onion and bay leaf and cook until tender, 7 to 8 minutes; season with salt and pepper and the rosemary. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the broth and simmer until thickened. Discard the bay leaf.
4. Add the remaining 1/3 cup cream and 1 cup cheese to the potatoes and season with 1 teaspoon salt; smash to desired consistency. Divide the potatoes among 4 plates and make a small well in the center. Remove the meatloaves from the oven, turn in their sauce and set alongside the potatoes. Spoon extra sauce into the wells and over the meatloaves.

Grilled Chicken and Eggplant Stacks with Fire-Roasted Tomato Sauce

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (eyeball it)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
8 chicken breast cutlets
Leaves from 2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 eggplant, peeled and cut into
8 slices
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
One 28-ounce can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
1 pound smoked mozzarella, sliced into 8 pieces
8 basil leaves, torn

1. Preheat a grill pan or countertop grill to high. Place a baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 250°. Combine the vinegar and 2 tablespoons EVOO on a plate and coat the chicken with it. Sprinkle with the rosemary, season with salt and pepper and set aside.
2. Pour 1/4 cup EVOO into a small dish. Using a pastry brush, paint the eggplant slices on both sides with the oil; season with salt and pepper.
3. Grill the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, then place in the oven to keep warm. Grill the eggplant until tender, about 10 minutes. Add to the chicken.
4. While the chicken and eggplant cook, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion and crushed red pepper; cook until the onion is tender, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes and heat through; season with salt and pepper.
5. Preheat the broiler to high. Remove the chicken and eggplant from the oven. Assemble the 4 stacks on the baking sheet by layering a chicken cutlet, a slice of eggplant, a little sauce and a slice of smoked mozzarella, a second chicken cutlet, another eggplant slice, more sauce and another slice of mozzarella. Broil the stacks until the top layer of mozzarella melts. Sprinkle the basil on top and serve the remaining sauce on the side.

Cheesy Triple-Mushroom and Bread Gnocchi Bake


7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1 loaf semolina bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 6 cups)
2 large cloves garlic - smashed, peeled and cut in half
2 pounds assorted portobello, shiitake and white mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (a generous handful)
Leaves from 3 to 4 sprigs thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (a couple of generous handfuls)
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup Marsala wine
1/2 pound fresh spinach, chopped
2 cups shredded provolone cheese (about 6 ounces)

1. In a large, deep skillet, heat 4 tablespoons EVOO, 4 turns of the pan, and half the butter over medium heat. Add the bread and garlic and lightly toast the bread, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer the bread and garlic to a 9-by-13-inch casserole. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons EVOO, 3 turns of the pan, to the skillet; stir in the mushrooms, parsley and thyme and cook until tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the milk and cook, whisking, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the Parmigiano Reggiano and season with salt and pepper and the nutmeg. Keep warm.
3. Preheat the broiler to high. Stir the wine into the mushrooms for 1 minute. Add the spinach and wilt. Spoon the vegetable mixture into the casserole. Pour the white sauce on top; cover with the provolone. Broil until bubbly, 2 to 3 minutes.

Tuna Puttanesca and Penne

Salt
1 pound penne
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), 1 turn of the pan
Two 6-ounce cans olive oil–packed tuna, lightly drained
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons capers, drained and chopped
Calamata olives, pitted and chopped (a handful)
One 28-ounce can diced Italian tomatoes
Flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped (a generous handful)

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water, add the pasta and cook until al dente.
2. While the pasta is working, heat a deep skillet over medium heat with the EVOO, 1 turn of the pan. Add the tuna, flaking it with a wooden spoon. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the capers and olives and heat until warmed through, 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes and parsley, lower the heat a little and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Add a ladle of the pasta cooking liquid to the sauce. Drain the pasta, add it to the sauce and toss.