Mozzarella

A warning: The dining room at Max and Leo's Artisan Pizza, opened in November, is as big as a minute. There are eight bar stools and two tables, yielding a grand total of 16 seats. And the very cozy, friendly spot in Newton Corner, with the warmth of a handsome coal-fired oven and its diffused heat, makes diners want to stay. You have to decide if this pizza is for you. The top of the menu reads: "All Our Pizzas are cooked WELL DONE. " By that, identical twins Maximilian "Max" Candidus and Pantaleon "Leo" Candidus really mean blistered, with plenty of charred...

Serves 4 4 ciabatta rolls, halved, or 1 chewy Italian loaf, cut into fourths and halved 1½ tablespoons olive oil 4 grilled eggplant steaks 1 cup puttanesca sauce 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 8 thin slices 16 large leaves fresh basil Salt and pepper, to taste 1. Brush the exterior of the...

Serves 6 Olive oil (for sprinkling) 10 small summer squashes (yellow and green), thinly sliced 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano 1 cup part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese Salt and pepper, to taste 2 tablespoons butter 3/4 cup bread crumbs 1. ...

A warning: The dining room at Max and Leo's Artisan Pizza, opened in November, is as big as a minute. There are eight bar stools and two tables, yielding a grand total of 16 seats. And the very cozy, friendly spot in Newton Corner, with the warmth of a handsome coal-fired oven and its diffused heat, makes diners want to stay. You have to decide if this pizza is for you. The top of the menu reads: "All Our Pizzas are cooked WELL DONE. " By that, identical twins Maximilian "Max" Candidus and Pantaleon "Leo" Candidus really mean blistered, with plenty of charred...

Serves 4 In our apartment there is a disagreement over the size of crostini: My husband prefers smaller pieces of bread, like those cut from a French baguette, while I favor larger slices from a good country loaf. Either way, they're sensational. Broiling time will vary, depending on how close your baking sheet is to the heat source and how thick your slices of cheese are. In any event the cooking time is short, so keep an eye on the toasts. 4 1/2-inch-thick slices country bread (cut...

1/3 cup olive oil 3 large tomatoes, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped Salt and pepper, to taste 1 loaf French bread 4 fresh balls of mozzarella, thinly sliced 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 handful fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces 1. Turn on the broiler. 2. In a bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of the oil with the tomatoes, garlic, salt, and pepper. 3. Halve the bread lengthwise and slice partially through at 3-inch intervals, making individual servings that can be torn off. Lay bread halves cut sides up on a baking sheet.

Serves 8 Olive oil (for the dish) 3 pounds ricotta cheese 3 eggs 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 1 tablespoon salt 1 teaspoon black...

Serves 6 The twisted pasta called strozzapreti ("priest stranglers") particularly suits this simple ricotta, fontina, and egg mixture, which catches in the curves of each loop. The dish is layered with mozzarella and topped with crumbs, which brown during baking. The end result is lighter than most mac and cheeses. Olive oil (for the pan) Salt and pepper, to taste 1 pound strozzapreti, penne, shells, or other medium pasta 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 cup fresh whole-milk...

Serves 10 Tinkyada brand brown rice lasagna noodles (available at Whole Foods, Stop & Shop, and Shaw’s) have the best heft and chew of any gluten-free noodle Nicole Stefanelli has tried; she thinks they come closest to conventional wheat pasta. Salt and pepper, to taste 1 package ( 10 ounces ) lasagna noodles 2 large containers (16 ounces each) fresh ricotta 1 cup grated Parmesan 1 tablespoon dried parsley 2 eggs,...

I received a recorded phone call from my local supermarket on Saturday telling me that a shredded package of kosher mozzarella cheese I'd recently purchased had been recalled due to possible contamination with listeria. The offender in my refrigerator was packaged by Miller's; Haolam also announced a voluntary recall of its kosher shredded cheese products. Both cheese companies sell their products in Boston and other cities in chain supermarkets as well as kosher grocery stores.

I received a recorded phone call from my local supermarket on Saturday telling me that a shredded package of kosher mozzarella cheese I'd recently purchased had been recalled due to possible contamination with listeria. The offender in my refrigerator was packaged by Miller's; Haolam also announced a voluntary recall of its kosher shredded cheese products. Both cheese companies sell their products in Boston and other cities in chain supermarkets as well as kosher grocery stores.

Serves 4 At Bar Ferd'nand in Seattle, chef Matt Dillon has compiled a simple menu made from high quality ingredients. This green sauce is pesto's perky cousin. At the bar, it is served with mozzarella made from buffalo milk, but it works well with cow's milk cheese too. Preserved lemons, a north African specialty, are cured with salt and lemon juice. Many specialty shops sell them ready for use. 1 small preserved lemon 1 cup coarsely chopped mint 1 cup coarsely chopped parsley 1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped ...

Serves 4 3 large eggplant, cut in ½-inch rounds (to make 36 slices) 1 cup olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste 6 cups fresh tomato sauce 2 cups grated Parmesan 12 basil leaves 1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced 1 ¼ cups unseasoned panko 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley...

Surly Johnson Sports Bar and Grill 524 Broadway, Raynham Open daily, 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. 508-822-8800 surlyjohnson.com Major credit cards accepted Accessible to the handicapped An actual Surly may exist. Then again, he may not. According to the website of Surly Johnson Sports Bar and Grill, Johnson is “the fusty old salt, the muse behind Surly Johnson’’ and “the man you’ve never met, but the ordinary character perched on the corner bar stool at the local watering hole.’’ Such vaporous allusion to a real or imagined character is but one tasty component of...

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent A key part of traveling is delighting in surprises you find. Norfolk, Va., provided that recently on a trip, a place with a terrific culinary, arts and sports scene. I'd gone thinking, "Well, old, southern, mid-Atlantic city, big deal," and came away realizing I'd hit one of the mid-Atlantic's best-kept secrets, at least to us northerners. A great way to explore the city's culinary scene is on a Coastal Food Tours jaunt, where for $55 per person, you walk roughly three miles over as many hours and sample food at five...

Serves 6 Butter (for the dish) 1 tablespoon butter 1 onion, chopped 1 cup fresh skim-milk ricotta 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 5 eggs, lightly beaten Salt and pepper, to taste 4 medium vine or plum...

Serves 4 8 large, ripened heirloom tomatoes (a mix of yellow, red, and green), cored and thickly sliced 3 balls of fresh mozzarella, thickly sliced 8 leaves fresh basil, chopped 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar Salt and freshly...

Makes 10 or enough to serve 2 2 mozzarella sticks 10 round or square wonton wrappers 10 thin slices pepperoni 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoons water 1. Cut the mozzarella sticks in half lengthwise and then cut into 1/2-inch pieces. 2. Line up the wonton wrappers on the counter.

Once upon a time, bars were for drinking and restaurants were for eating. Beer nuts, onion rings, and mozzarella sticks were the middle ground. Bar food was there for you when you needed it, but you didn’t go out of your way to get it. As restaurants became more “chef-driven,’’ and chefs more ambitious, bar food evolved. Today, many bars are dining destinations in their own right. The food offered is increasingly serious — as much a distillation of the chef’s vision as the fare in the dining room.

Serves 6 There are many variations of tomato pie, using an old-fashioned lard crust, as North Carolina resident Mindy Fitzpatrick does, or adding different cheeses, spices, vegetables, even meat. This version uses onion, cheddar, mozzarella, mayonnaise, fresh basil, and crushed Ritz crackers. Use your favorite pastry recipe or a ready-made frozen crust. You can also use 10 plum tomatoes for this pie. 4 large ripe tomatoes, cored and sliced medium-thick Salt and pepper, to taste 6 tablespoons butter ...