Welcome to my new and improved website! I want to share some pics with you from a couple recent classes so you can see how fun they are. I’m so very thankful to get to help you learn how to cook; the look on someone’s face when their pain disappears or when they can finally sleep in priceless. Huge thanks for letting me help, and I hope you get some good stuff from this new website too. Onward citizens! 
WHITE BEAN HAND SALAD
This is a super fun and easy way to enjoy a salad, plus I love the play of soft beans
and crunchy lettuce. This can be served either on endive or wrapped in the
lettuce – whichever way works for you is good. To serve four, you’ll need:
2 cans cannellini beans, well drained
3 oz. good dry salami, sliced into teeny strips
3 Tb. olive oil
¼ C. minced parsley or basil leaves
1 shallot or ¼ small red onion, finely diced
2 Tb. fresh lemon juice
1 Tb. grated lemon peel (optional)
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper
Butter lettuce leaves or endive spears
In a large bowl mix all of the ingredients except the lettuce leaves. When the
salad is all combined and you’ve corrected the seasonings, either mound on the
endive or wrap in the leaves. This is a fun way to eat salad and can be hilarious
after a few glasses of wine. Either way, it’s delicious!
www.maryjwhite.com
TUNA BALLS in WINE SAUCE
This wonderful appetizer comes from Penelope Casas and is sooooo good – plus
it's inexpensive and quite simple. For approx. 12 pieces, you’ll need:
5 Tb. plain dry breadcrumbs
10 Tb. chicken broth
6 Tb. dry white wine
1 can best quality white tuna in water, drained and flaked
1 hardboiled egg, finely chopped
1 raw egg, lightly beaten
3 Tb. parsley, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt, pepper
Flour for dusting, olive oil for the pan
In a bowl, moisten the crumbs with 3 Tb. of chicken broth and 1 Tb. wine. Mix in
the tuna, both eggs, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper. Form this into balls and dust
with flour. Heat the oil in a large skillet and brown the balls on all sides. Add the
rest of the wine and chicken broth and taste for seasoning. Cover and simmer for
30 minutes, adding more chicken broth as needed. These are great to start a
seafood meal or just as a tapa – so good!
www.maryjwhite.com
STRAWBERRIES with BALSAMIC REDUCTION
This is a lovely way to enjoy delightful fresh strawberries – elegant and simple. To
serve 4, you’ll need:
2 pints fresh strawberries
1 C. balsamic vinegar (makes enough for 12 servings so you’ll have leftovers)
1 tsp. sugar
Freshly ground black pepper
In a stainless steel or other non-reactive pan bring the vinegar to a boil, then
simmer till it’s reduced to about ¼ cup. This will take about 30 to 40 minutes.
While the vinegar is reducing, hull and slice the berries and put in a big bowl with
the sugar. Refrigerate for about an hour, by which time your syrup will be reduced
and cooling. When the syrup is all the way cool, put the berries in cute bowls,
drizzle 1 tsp. syrup over, and top with a generous grind of black pepper. Garnish
with some mint and viola – you’re a genius!
STUFFED MUSHROOMS with BECHAMEL
This recipe from the incredible Marcella Hazan is wonderful! For 6 people you’ll
need:
12 large mushrooms, wiped clean, stems removed and chopped
2 Tb. butter
1 Tb. finely chopped onion or shallot
3 Tb. chopped prosciutto or ham
Salt and pepper
Béchamel sauce made with 1 1/2 Tb. flour, 1 ½ Tb. butter, salt, 1 C. milk
3 Tb. grated parmesan
Fine dry breadcrumbs – unflavored
Preheat your oven to 500. In a skillet sauté the chopped onion in 2 Tb. butter over
medium heat till pale gold. Add the chopped prosciutto and sauté for about a
minute, then add the chopped stems, salt and pepper. Cook and stir for about 3
minutes then tilt the skillet and draw off most of the fat. In a bowl, mix the
contents of the skillet with the béchamel, add the Parm and mix again. Place the
caps bottoms up in a greased baking dish. Sprinkle lightly with salt, fill with the
béchamel mix, sprinkle with crumbs, and dot with a little more butter. Bake in the
preheated oven for 15 minutes; let cool a little, and devour!! So. Good.
www.maryjwhite.com