Italian Mussels in White Wine

2      tablespoons olive oil
2      pounds (or quarts) mussels, cleaned and debearded
1/2    cup dry white wine
2      cloves garlic, minced
1/4    cup minced parsley

        Put olive oil into a wide-bottomed pan that has a lid, and turn heat to
medium.  Add mussels.  Cover while mussels steam for one minute or so, then
uncover and stir them.  Remove any that have opened.  Continue this until all
the mussels have opened.  Remove top shells and place mussels on a platter.

        Strain the liquid that the mussels have released into the pan through a
piece of cloth or paper towel to remove any sand.  Clean out the pan and return
the liquid.  Add wine, garlic and parsley.  Stir over high heat until the
mixture starts to thicken slightly, then spoon over mussels.  Chill thoroughly.
Makes four first-course servings.


Greek Meatballs with Egg and Lemon Sauce

1 1/2  pounds ground lamb or beef
1      medium onion, grated or minced
1      clove garlic, minced
1/3    cup uncooked rice
2      tablespoons minced parsley
1      teaspoon dried basil or mint
1      teaspoon dried oregano
       Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
3      eggs
2      tablespoons vegetable oil
       Chicken or beef stock
1/4    cup lemon juice, or to taste
       Cooked rice
       Minced parsley

        Put meat into a bowl with onion, garlic, uncooked rice, herbs, salt and
pepper.  Beat two of the egg whites until they froth and add them as well.
Reserve yolks and the other egg for the sauce.  Gently mix with a fork or your
hands, and form walnut-size balls.

        Fry meatballs in vegetable oil over low heat.  When lightly brown,
remove with a slotted spoon to a saucepan.  Add enough stock to cover
meatballs, and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.  Pour off stock through a
sieve, and measure it.  You will need 1 1/2 cups for the sauce.

        To make the sauce, beat reserved egg yolks and the whole egg together
until quite frothy.  Whisk in lemon juice bit by bit, then whisk in hot stock
bit by bit, beating steadily.  Pour over meatballs, and cook, stirring, over
low heat until sauce thickens.  Do not let it come to a boil, or it will
separate.  Serve on a bed of rice, sprinkled with parsley.  Makes four
servings.


Hunter's Chicken

1      chicken, cut up
3      tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
2      cloves garlic, flattened slightly and peeled
1 1/2  teaspoons dried rosemary
       Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4    cup white wine vinegar
1/2    cup dry white wine

        Pat chicken dry with paper towels.  Put oil and garlic in a frying pan
large enough to hold all the chicken pieces.  Cook over medium heat until
garlic cloves are golden, then discard garlic.  Fry chicken until golden on
both sides, adding rosemary, salt and pepper as it cooks.  When chicken is
golden, add wine vinegar.  When bubbling stops, add wine, and let it bubble up
and die down.

        Cover pan, lower heat, and cook 20 to 30 minutes, or until chicken is
tender.  Remove to warm plates, and cook pan juices down until they make a
golden sauce.  If the juices have cooked down too much, add some water, and
stir over high heat until the same effect occurs.  Makes four servings.


Curried Carrot Fritters

1/2    cup flour
1/4    teaspoon salt
1      egg, slightly beaten
       Vegetable oil
1/2    cup flat beer
1      teaspoon curry powder
1      egg white
1/2    pound carrots, scraped and coarsely grated

        Combine flour, salt, egg, 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and beer to
make a smooth batter.  Cover with plastic wrap for several hours at room
temperature, the longer the better.  (It can also be refrigerated overnight).

        Stir in curry powder.  Beat egg white until stiff and fold it into the
batter.  Gently fold in carrots.  Drop large spoonfuls of mixture into
375-degree vegetable oil, and cook about one minute on each side.  The oil
doesn't need to be more than one inch deep for this.  Remove fritters with a
slotted spoon, and let them drain on paper towels.  Serve hot.  Makes four
servings.


Onions a la Grecque

36     small pickling onions
1      cup water
1      cup beef stock
1/2    cup olive oil or vegetable oil
1/2    cup dry white wine
1      teaspoon dried tarragon
1      teaspoon dry mustard
1      teaspoon mustard seeds
4      whole cloves
       Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2    cup raisins
1      teaspoon sugar
1/4    cup minced parsley

        Drop onions into a pot of boiling water, and drain after 30 seconds;
then slip off their skins.  Return onions to the pot along with water, stock,
oil, wine, tarragon, dry mustard, mustard seeds, cloves, salt and pepper.
Simmer, uncovered, about 20 minutes, until just tender.  Add raisins and sugar
and cool to room temperature.  Chill in refrigerator.  Serve sprinkled with
parsley.  Makes six to eight servings.