Want to stretch your skills? Two new books will bring you in different, yet interesting directions.

A Tavola! by Gianni Scappin and Vincenzo Lauria (Lebhar-Friedman, $29.95) is part of the Culinary Institute of America’s Dining Series. These Recipes and Reflections on Traditional Home Cooking are a compilation of the authors’ favorite recipes from different regions of Italy.

I especially like the dishes that aren’t meant to be elegant. Stuffed Crispy Ravioli Snacks use a bit of this and a bit of that and leftover scraps to create a flavorful treat. A spaghetti pizza is the perfect way to use leftover pasta from the night before. Poor and Lazy Stewed Peppers require few ingredients. Chocolate Salami are cookies that start with dried out leftover sweets.

Cook’s Country Best Lost Suppers tickles a cook for another reason: memory. Subtitled Old-Fashioned, Home-Cooked Recipes Too Good to Forget, the book comes from the editors at America’s Test Kitchen ($29.95). Now the great thing about having old-time recipes published by this group is they fix them up. I’ve heard stories about the Meat-za Pie of my husband’s youth, but I’m sure the one in this book tastes as fine, but doesn’t give one heartburn.

These recipes are guaranteed to work but they also have soul. That’s because they came from home cooks around the country. None from Rhode Island however, I looked. It’s a taste of history with all the stories included with each recipe, 117 in all.

From noodle casseroles to Sicilian Canoli, everybody’s memory may well be tweaked in these two books.

How to make chicken and rice1

MOM’S CHICKEN AND RICE DISH

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed

Salt and pepper

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced thin

1 onion, minced

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped

1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 can (14.5-ounce) diced tomatoes

1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook the chicken until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes, flipping halfway through. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

Heat 1 tablespoon more oil in the pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add the mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook until the mushrooms have released their juices and are brown around the edges, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, carrot, bell pepper and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the rice, garlic and thyme and cook until the grains are translucent around the edges, about 3 minutes. Stir in the broth and tomatoes, scraping up any browned bits.

Nestle the chicken into the rice. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the thickest part of the breasts registers 160 to 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 25 to 30 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a plate, brushing any rice that sticks to the chicken back into the pot. Stir the rice, cover and continue to cook until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes longer.

When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces and fold it into the rice with the peas and reserved mushrooms. Cover and let sit off the heat until heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve.

Serves 4 to 6.

From Cook’s Country Best Lost Suppers

How to make lemon pudding cake1

LEMON PUDDING CAKE

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons grated lemon zest

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (4 lemons)

5 large eggs, separated

1 1/4 cups whole milk, room temperature

Pinch cream of tartar

Confectioners’ sugar

Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish. Place a kitchen towel in the bottom of a roasting pan, arrange the prepared baking dish on the towel and set aside.

Whisk the flour and cornstarch together in a bowl. In a large bowl, beat 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar, the butter and lemon zest together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 6 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks, once at a time, until incorporated. Reduce the mixer speed to low, add the flour mixture and beat until incorporated. Slowly add the lemon juice and milk and mix until just combined.

In a medium bowl, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar with the electric mixer on medium-low speed until foamy. Increase the speed to medium-high and gradually whip in the remaining 3/4 cup granulated sugar until the whites form stiff peaks, 1 to 3 minutes.

Whisk one-third of the egg whites into the batter, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites, one spoonful at a time, until well combined. Spoon the batter into the prepared baking dish. Place the roasting pan in the oven and carefully pour enough boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake until the surface is golden brown and the edges are set (the center should jiggle slightly when gently shaken), about 1 hour.

Remove the baking dish from the water bath, transfer to a wire rack and cool for at least 1 hour. Dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar and serve.

Serves 8.

From Cook’s Country Best Lost Suppers

How to make stewed peppers1

PEPERONATA POVERA E PIGRA POOR AND LAZY STEWED PEPPERS

4 green bell peppers

2 red bell peppers

2 yellow bell peppers

2 1/2 cups extra-virgin oil, plus as needed for drizzling

3 red onions, sliced thin

2 carrots, sliced 1/4 inch thick

4 celery stalks, trimmed, sliced 1/4 inch thick

1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 fresh bay leaf

1 cup chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned, peeled and seeded

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed

2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves

1 tablespoon chopped oregano leaves

Wash the peppers, cut them in half, and remove the cores and stems. Cut them into large pieces and set aide.

In an ample pan with a cover, warm the olive oil. Add the onions and sauté over low heat until they are very soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the peppers, 1/4 cup of the parsley, and the bay leaf and stir for about 5 minutes to marry the flavors. Add the chopped tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cover and continue to cook over very low heat until the peppers are soft, about 45 minutes. Mix in the basil, oregano, and the rest of the parsley; if desired, drizzle with additional olive oil at the table.

Serves 4.

From A Tavola!

STUFFED CRISPY RAVIOLI SNACKS1

STUFFED CRISPY RAVIOLI SNACKS

For the Dough:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

7 tablespoons butter, room temperature

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup water, or as needed

For the Stuffing:

8 ounces cooked meat (any type)

2 egg yolks

Fresh chopped herbs (oregano, thyme, marjoram or other), as needed

1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed

4 cups mild-flavored oil, or as needed for frying

Combine the flour, butter and salt in a bowl. Add enough of the cold water to blend the mixture into a smooth dough. Mix the dough quickly to avoid overworking it. Gather the dough into a ball, cover, and let rest in the refrigerator at least 20 minutes before rolling it out. (This dough can be made ahead and stored, tightly wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days).

Cut the meat into strips or dice, removing any fat or gristle. Use a meat grinder or food processor to grind the meat. (If you are using a food processor, use the pulse button to run the machine in short bursts. The meat should look finely ground, not pasty.) Transfer the meat to a bowl and use a wooden spoon to mix in the egg yolks, the herbs and the cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper; set aside.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to the same thickness as a silver dollar and cut it into 16 circles, about 3 inches in diameter. Place 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center of each circle of dough. Lightly brush the edges of the dough with a little of water, fold the dough in half over the filling, and press the edges together to seal.

Add enough oil to a heavy saucepan to fill it to a depth of about 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches 350 degrees. Add about 5 or 6 rissole to the hot oil and fry them until they are evenly browned, turning them to get an even color. Lift the rissole from the oil with a slotted spoon and let them drain on paper toweling. Continue frying the rissole in batches until they are all fried. Serve hot.

Serves 4.

From A Tavola!

How to make spaghetti pizza1

Pizza di Spaghetti is a great way to use leftover pasta.

PIZZA DI SPAGHETTI

6 ounces dry spaghetti

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, as needed

8 ounces mozzarella

18 black olives, any good quality

6 oil-packed anchovies

8 ounces peeled San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand

2 teaspoons dry oregano

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the spaghetti in plenty of salted water until very al dente. Drain well, sprinkle with half the olive oil, and toss slightly. Place the spaghetti into small casserole dishes for individual servings or in two 8-inch casseroles that have been lightly oiled. Make sure the spaghetti is flat by lightly pressing it into an even layer.

Cut the mozzarella into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

Pit the olives and then slice them thin.

Cover the top of the spaghetti with the mozzarella slices. Divide the anchovies between the casseroles, and then spread the crushed tomatoes on top followed by the olives, oregano, salt, and pepper. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil.

Bake for about 20 minutes until the mozzarella has completely melted. Serve very hot.

Serves 6

From A Tavola!

gciampa@projo.com