A Top Cook friendship circle of recipes

THIS IS Carol Purfield's easy way to feed a crowd. She often serves this with homemade brioche rolls, but any kind of good "sopping" bread will do. She also saves the leftover stock to make black-bean soup later in the week.

PULLED PORK IN A CROCK-POT

1 pork shoulder (8 to 12 pounds)

7 garlic cloves

Dry rub mix: 2 tablespoons each of chili powder, salt, sugar, pepper, garlic powder

2 large onions, sliced

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup water

Large dash Worcestershire sauce

1 bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Make slits all over the pork shoulder; insert garlic cloves. Combine spices and coat meat with dry rub.

Place a layer of onions in the bottom of the Crock-Pot, top with prepared pork shoulder, add another layer of onions and pour cider vinegar, water and Worcestershire sauce in Crock-Pot.

Turn Crock-Pot on high and cook for 12 hours, or until meat pulls easily from the bone. Take meat out of the pot, cool, and separate meat from all the fat and bones. Remove the leftover liquid from Crock-Pot.

Return meat, onions, about half a cup of the stock, the bottle of barbecue sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Cook on high for another 2 hours. Serves 10-12.

Source: Carol Purfield

Simple ingredients, often in the pantry, make this a quick go-to for spontaneous entertaining.

OUR MOTHER'S LASAGNA RECIPE

Olive oil

2 cans (28 ounce) Tuttorosso crushed tomatoes

2 to 3 cloves fresh garlic

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Pepper to taste

3 fresh basil leaves or a teaspoon dry basil

2 cups ricotta

3/4 cups Pecorino Romano cheese, grated

12 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

1 box no-boil lasagna noodles

To make the marinara sauce: Coat the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart pan with olive oil and brown the garlic. Empty the cans of crushed tomatoes into the pot and season with salt, pepper and basil. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.

To make the lasagna: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix ricotta cheese, 8 ounces of the shredded mozzarella and a 1/2-cup of the Pecorino Romano cheese together. Set aside.

Cover the bottom of a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking pan with a layer of sauce. Arrange a layer of noodles on top. Drop cheese mixture by tablespoons dollops on the noodles, spaced about an inch or inch-and-a-half apart.

Top with more sauce and repeat, ending with a top layer of noodles and some sauce.

Top with the remaining mozzarella and Pecorino Romano. Cover with aluminium foil and bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Makes six servings.

Source: Mary Lane Vellucci and Carol Purfield

Debra Runyan adapted this from an "America's Test Kitchen" recipe. The finished dish presents beautifully.

STUFFED CHICKEN

4 to 5 boneless chicken breasts (4 to 6 ounces each)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup chopped red or green pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion

12- to 16-ounce package fresh spinach

1/4 pound prosciutto, sliced very thin

6 ounces cream cheese, softened

3 ounces shredded jack or pepper jack cheese

Flour

Bread crumbs

2 eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon oil

Trim fat off chicken breasts, pound flat and lay on paper towel.

Sauté peppers and onions in olive oil until tender. Add spinach and mix until spinach is wilted. Cool slightly, then squeeze dry using paper towels. Coarsely chop and add to the cream cheese and jack cheese. Mix well.

Place a piece of prosciutto on a flattened chicken breast, spread cheese mixture on top and roll chicken.

Wrap each rolled piece tightly in aluminum foil. Chill for at least an hour until cheese is firm. (Overnight is fine, too.)

Remove chicken from refrigerator, remove foil. Dredge in flour (make sure all surfaces are covered). Dip in egg mixture, then roll in bread crumbs.

Cover a baking sheet with foil and place a cooling rack on top. Put coated chicken rolls on rack and let sit in refrigerator for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Meanwhile, heat cooking oil in a large pan until it shimmers but doesn't smoke. Place chicken rolls seam side down in pan and fry for about 2 minutes, until nicely browned. Turn and cook 3 minutes or so more.

Return rolls to the rack on the baking sheet. (You can refrigerate at this point and bake before serving.)

Bake chicken until the internal temperature is at least 155 degrees. Allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. Serve over rice or mashed potatoes. Serves 5 or 6.

Source: Debra Runyan

This is a recipe from the website for Fante's Kitchen Shop, in South Philadelphia, that is designed to be used with the large loaf pan that they sell. Ida Macri uses the recommended Fante flavorings, but vanilla and/or almond extract could be substituted.

MARIA'S POUND CAKE

1 pound butter

8 eggs

4 cups flour

3 cups sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon Fante's Pound Cake Natural Flavor Blend

1 teaspoon Fante's Crème Bouquet Flavor

Juice of 1 lemon or orange, to taste

Nonstick spray (or softened butter and flour)

Note: All the ingredients should be at room temperature before mixing.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix with a mixer for about 20 minutes.

Spray the inside of a large (16-by-4-by-4) Fante's Loaf Pan with nonstick spray, or coat with butter and flour.

Place batter in the pan and bake for 90 minutes, or until your cake tester comes out clean.

Invert onto a rack for cooling before serving. Serves 16.

Source: Fante's