Torta alle nocciole (Piedmontese hazelnut cake)

For ➑
200 g shelled hazelnuts, toasted*
150 g flour
3 eggs
200 g sugar
125 g butter
8.5 tbs strong coffee (12.5 cl)
8.5 tbs whole milk (12.5 cl)
1 tbs olive oil
2 tbs rum or Marsala (optional)
1½ tbs baking powder

Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Pulverise the toasted hazelnuts until very fine. Combine with the flour and baking powder.
In a food processor or with beaters, beat the butter and sugar together until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one by one until well combined. Incorporate with the dry ingredients and mix well. Add the milk, coffee, olive oil and rum and mix until just combined.
Pour into a greased and floured  26 cm cake tin with a removable bottom.**
Bake for about 35 m or until golden brown and springy.
Allow to cool and serve as desired.
Serve with a simple drizzle of honey, a ganache of melted chocolate*** and cream or a simple espresso icing. Or dust with powder sugar.

*To toast hazelnuts, put them in a single layer on a baking sheet in a 180°C oven for about 10-15 m or until lightly browned and the skins look cracked. Watch them carefully as hazelnuts can turn bitter if toasted too long. Remove from the oven and wrap the hazelnuts in a kitchen towel to let steam for a couple of m. Then rub them together to loosen and remove as much of the skin as possible. Cool completely.
**The cake should be 2-2.5 cm thick. A good way is to wrap the mixture in oven aluminum foil completely, then gently press it with your hands into the mold to make it into a nice even round shape.
***To cover the cake in chocolate glaze: gently heat 15 cl heavy cream just to the boiling point and pour over finely chopped 150 g bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (or a combination of the two). Stir slowly until combined. Pour evenly over cake.

Pollo Marsala (chicken Marsala)

For ➍
2 boneless chicken breasts with skin, halved***
1 tbs olive oil
2 tbs unsalted butter
1 onion, sliced thin
200 g mushrooms, sliced thinly
10 cl (dry) Marsala*
20 cl chicken broth**
2 tbs fresh parsley leaves, minced

Pat chicken dry. Season with salt and pepper. In a large heavy skillet heat oil and 1 ½ tbs of butter over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Brown chicken in 2 batches, transferring with tongs to a large plate as browned.
Discard all but 1 tbs fat from skillet and sauté onion and mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until the liquid from the mushrooms is evaporated. Add Marsala* and cook mixture, stirring, until Marsala is almost evaporated. Add broth** and chicken with any juices that have accumulated on plate and simmer, turning chicken once, until cooked through, about 15 m. Transfer chicken with tongs to a platter.
Simmer mushroom sauce until liquid is reduced to about 10 cl. Remove skillet from heat and stir in ½ tbs of butter***. Salt and pepper to taste, stirring until butter*** is just incorporated. Spoon mushroom sauce around chicken and sprinkle with parsley.
Serve with fresh egg pasta, or with a fresh green salad or aspargus in season. And a glass of spicy white wine, or a fresh red Sicilian wine.

*Replace broth and Marsala with 20 cl Marsala and 10 cl dry sherry.
**Replace ⅓ of the Marsala with dry sherry or crisp white wine to cut the sweetness.
***Replace butter with heavy cream for a thicker, creamier sauce.
****Replace chicken with thin veal or even pork.

Marsala is a fortified wine from the Sicilian city of Marsala, similar to port. It was developed by the British trader John Woodhouse in the late 18th century. Being fortified, it could easily be transported to England and the colonies. It became popular as a cooking wine in, because it could be stored open for a longer time than other wines. Chicken Marsala is much more an American favourite than an original Italian dish.
Picture shows an ad from Ingham Marsala wine.
Read the chicken cooking tip.