Ingredients:

1 lb. beef steaks, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons flour, for dredging
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves of garlic peeled and crushed
1 14 oz. can of Italian plum tomatoes with their juices, hand crushed
2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
salt & pepper to taste

Procedure:

Trim excess fat from the steaks and notch the edges slightly with a sharp knife to keep steaks from curling while cooking. Pat the meat dry and dredge lightly in the flour. Throw away any flour that is not used. In a large heavy skillet heat 2 tablespoons of oil with garlic over medium heat. As soon as the cloves are golden, raise the heat to high and push them to the side. Place the meat in the skillet and brown quickly on both sides. Remove meat from pan and reserve. Add the tomatoes to the pan with the remaining oil and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for about 10- 15 minutes until the liquid has thickened and reduced. Discard the garlic cloves and return steask to the pan. Cover them with the sauce and then with a lid and cook for 4-5 minutes more or until steaks are cooked through. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

4 swordfish steaks
1 large clove of garlic chopped fine
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup olive oil
juice of 3 lemons
1/2 cup white wine
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

Combine oil, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, lemon juice and white wine in a small bowl. Place swordfish in a lightly oiled baking pan and cook under broiler for around 10 minutes until just done. Pour marinade over fish and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer swordfish steaks to serving plates, spoon marinade on top and serve. Makes 2 servings.

In Italy, raw mushrooms are a great  favorite in salad dishes - they have a fresh, almost creamy flavor.

Ingredients:

150 grams firm white mushrooms
4 tablespoons virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
5 canned anchovy fillets, drained and chopped
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram
salt and pepper

Procedure:

Gently wipe each mushroom with a damp cloth or damp paper towels in order to remove any dirt. Slice the mushrooms thinly, using a sharp knife and place in a bowl. To make the dressing, whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice. Pour the dressing mixture over the mushrooms. Toss together so that the mushrooms are completely coated with the lemon juice and oil. Stir the chopped anchovy fillets into the mushrooms. Season the mixture with pepper to taste and garnish with the fresh marjoram. Set the mushroom salad aside at the room temperature for about 5 minutes before serving to allow all the flavors to be absorbed. Season the mushroom salad with a little salt and then serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Cook’s Tip:
Do not season the mushroom salad with salt until the very last minute as it will cause the mushroom to blacken and the juices to leak. The result will not be so tasty, as the full flavors won’t be absorbed and it will also look so unattractive.

Ingredients:

2 lobsters, 1 1/2 - 2 pounds each
1 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup fish or chicken broth

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Fill a pot with water place over high heat, bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Cut each lobster straight down the center from head to tail, and remove guts. Remove the claws, and add to the simmering water, cook for 8 minutes. Remove meat from the claws, and chop coarsely. Toss the claw meat together with the bread crumbs, parsley, 2 tablespoons of the extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Place lobsters in a baking pan and stuff the cavities with the bread crumb mixture. Put 1 tablespoon butter on each lobster tail. Add broth and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pan and bake in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until the stuffing browns and tail meat becomes opaque. Serve with lemon wedges. Makes 4 servings.