Harrison, Nicolas, and Jeffrey came over for dinner tonight. We cooked a treasured family recipe that Harrison's great-grandmother got off of the food network's website way back in the old country. Chicken Parmesan (4 huge servings) 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons 1 medium onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 bay leaves 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted 1/2 bunch fresh basil leaves 2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, drained and hand crushed Pinch brown sugar Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts (about 2 pounds) 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 tablespoon water 1 cup dried bread crumbs 1 (8-ounce) ball fresh buffalo mozzarella, water drained Freshly grated Parmesan 1 pound spaghetti pasta, cooked al dente Coat a saute pan with olive oil and place over medium heat. When the oil gets hazy, add the onions, garlic, and bay leaves; cook and stir for 5 minutes until fragrant and soft. Add the olives and some hand-torn basil. Carefully add the tomatoes (nothing splashes like tomatoes), cook and stir until the liquid is cooked down and the sauce is thick, about 15 minutes; season with sugar, salt and pepper. Lower the heat, cover, and keep warm. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Get the ingredients together for the chicken so you have a little assembly line. Put the chicken breasts side by side on a cutting board and lay a piece of plastic wrap over them. Pound the chicken breasts with a flat meat mallet, until they are about 1/2-inch thick. Put the flour in a shallow platter and season with a fair amount of salt and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly. In a wide bowl, combine the eggs and water, beat until frothy. Put the bread crumbs on a plate, season with salt and pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high flame in a large oven-proof skillet. Lightly dredge both sides of the chicken cutlets in the seasoned flour, and then dip them in the egg wash to coat completely, letting the excess drip off, then dredge in the bread crumbs. When the oil is nice and hot, add the cutlets and fry for 4 minutes on each side until golden and crusty, turning once. Ladle the tomato-olive sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with mozzarella, Parmesan, and basil. Bake the Chicken Parmesan for 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. Serve hot with spaghetti. - I think we must have followed this recipe to the letter, because the cooking times were very precise and the chicken was cooked perfectly. We also heated up a sliced loaf of ciabatta, stuck some garlic and olive oil in the slices and oila: garlic bread. Nicolas also brought a fantastic cheese cake. Good Food! Good Company!

At Sonya's Garden . . . . Guests of Sonya often say that a trip to her restaurant is a feast for the senses, where a natural fragrance lingers in the air as a riot of colors come into view; where a tranquil ambience immediately relaxes the body; where the music of nature’s harmony is constantly at play, and where a medley of flavors that seduces the palate awaits. Hers is a simple country cuisine that reflects Sonya’s culinary repertoire—a mixture of Asian and European-inspired dishes served in vintage china. She lets her guests start off with a salad of greens—dill, nasturtium, oxalis and arugula leaves handpicked from her garden—mixed with edible flowers in season. She then advises guests to sprinkle it with a variety of garnishing that includes fresh fruits, crispy broad beans, green peppercorns soaked in olive oil, and grated parmesan. Then there’s her secret salad dressing that is her own recipe, one that she developed from her days as an expat in Europe. This is followed by warm servings of freshly baked wheat bread hot from the oven of her Panaderia, which are enjoyed with a variety of dips. Then there’s pasta with two choices of sauce, one made from sun dried tomatoes and another creamy ensemble of chicken bits and mangoes that is a favorite of those with a sweeter tongue.