• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 (28- to 32-oz) cans Italian tomatoes in juice, drained, reserving juice, and finely chopped
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

For Crêpes

• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

For Filling

• 2 lb fresh ricotta (3 cups)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/2 cup)
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 lb fresh mozzarella

Special equipment:
2 glass or ceramic baking dishes, one 13 by 9 inches and one 8 inches square.

Heat oil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and sauté, stirring, until golden, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes with juice, water, sugar, and salt and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 30 minutes. Stir in basil and remove from heat.

Make Crêpes

Break up eggs with a wooden spoon in a medium bowl and stir in water until combined (don’t beat). Sift in flour and salt, then stir batter until just combined. Force through a medium-mesh sieve into another bowl.

Lightly brush an 8-inch nonstick skillet with melted butter and heat over moderate heat until hot. Ladle about 1/4 cup batter into skillet, tilting and rotating skillet to coat bottom, then pour excess batter back into bowl. (If batter sets before skillet is coated, reduce heat slightly for next crêpe.) Cook until underside is just set and lightly browned, about 30 seconds, then invert crêpe onto a clean kitchen towel to cool completely. Make at least 11 more crêpes in same manner, brushing skillet with butter as needed and stacking crêpes in 3 piles.

Make Filling and Assemble Panicotti

Stir together ricotta, eggs, Parmigiano-Reggiano, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.

Cut mozzarella lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick sticks.

Spread 2 cups sauce in larger baking dish and 1 cup in smaller one. Arrange 1 crêpe, browned side up, on a work surface, then spread about 1/4 cup filling in a line across center and top with a mozzarella strip. Fold in sides to enclose filling, leaving ends open, and transfer, seam side down, to either baking dish. Fill 11 more crêpes in same manner, arranging snugly in 1 layer in both dishes (8 in larger dish and 4 in smaller). Spread 1 cup sauce over manicotti in larger dish and 1/2 cup in smaller dish. Tightly cover dishes with foil and bake until sauce is bubbling and filling is hot, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve remaining sauce on the side.

Cooks’ note: Manicotti can be assembled (but not baked) 1 day ahead and chilled, covered with foil. Chill remaining sauce, covered, separately. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before baking, covered with foil. Reheat sauce, thinning slightly with water.

Bon appétit

Brice

(recipe by Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez - photo by: Romulo Yanes)

• 2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour or bread flour
• 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour or bread flour
• 3 tablespoons vital wheat gluten flour or bread flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water (105°F to 115°F)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 3 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Additional unbleached all purpose flour (for kneading and shaping)

For Topping

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for brushing
• 6 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, thinly sliced
• 6 ounces fresh chanterelle mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 cup (packed) coarsely grated whole-milk mozzarella cheese
• 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 6 ounces chilled soft fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled
• 2 tablespoons sliced fresh chives

Combine all flours, coarse salt, and sugar in processor. Stir 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water and yeast in 2-cup measuring cup. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes. Stir in 3 tablespoons oil. With machine running, pour yeast-oil mixture through feed tube. Blend until ball of slightly sticky dough forms, about 1 minute.

Transfer dough to lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if very sticky, about 5 minutes. Rub with 1/2 tablespoon oil; place in resealable 1-gallon plastic bag. Seal bag. Let dough rise at room temperature until doubled, about 2 hours. Open bag; punch down dough in bag. Reseal. Chill overnight, punching down occasionally. Divide into thirds. DO AHEAD Wrap pieces separately; freeze up to 1 week. Thaw 2 pieces in refrigerator before continuing. Let 2 wrapped pieces stand at room temperature 1 hour before shaping.

Make Topping

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; sprinkle with salt. Sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Do ahead: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, cover, and chill.

Sprinkle 2 large sheets of parchment with flour. Roll out 2 dough pieces, each on separate parchment sheet, to 10-inch rounds, letting dough rest a few minutes if springing back. Brush with oil; sprinkle each with 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/3 cup Parmesan. Top with mushrooms, then dot with goat cheese. DO AHEAD Slide pizzas on parchment onto baking sheets; cover with plastic. Chill up to 4 hours. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

Position 1 rack in bottom third and1 rack in top third of oven; place heavy baking sheet on each and preheat oven to 450°F for at least 30 minutes. Slide 1 pizza on parchment onto each hot baking sheet. Bake 8 minutes; reverse sheets. Bake pizzas until crusts are brown at edges and on bottom, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with chives.

Bon appétit

Brice

(recipe by Jeanne Thiel Kelley - photo by Pornchai Mittongtare)