Phil's Manicotti

Start with Mamma Schirmenti's key ingredient for Lasagna, Cheese, cheese, and more cheese.Get a discontinued electric crepe maker on sale at J.C. Penny five years ago.Or buy Manicotti shells, although I've never used them so I won't be any help there.

The cheese for 140 crepes

15 lbs. Mozzarella
1 lb. Parmesan
1 lb. Romano
1 lb. Asiago
1 lb. White Cheddar
1 lb. Provolone
1 lb. Crumbled Feta or goat cheese
6 lbs. Cottage - (low fat - just so you can claim you are health conscious)
3 lbs. Ricotta

• Grate the hard cheese or buy it in those big bags at Sam's and mix it with the cottage & Ricotta
• Add an beaten egg or two or 12-14 depending on how much you're making.
• Add Salt and Pepper, and some Italian herbs - Mix well
  

If you can make crepes do it - Crepe Manicotti is the way to go - or like I said get the shells and do whatever the package tells you

• Stuff the shells or roll the crepes
• Put in baking dish
• Cover with sauce in the case of shells but bake crepes without and serve with sauce
• Bake at 350 for about 15 - 20 minutes
• Serve with - you guessed it - fresh parmesan cheese

Basic Tomato Sauce
Always start with fine diced something - like onions, carrots, celery, garlic tossed into hot, but not burning, olive oil. Let it sizzle while you stir quickly to release that wonderful smell and then quickly reduce and cook it on medium until soft. This is the key foundational layer of taste in any sauce.

Add tomatoes - the main ingredient - It's always best to peel and seed otherwise that skin gets between your teeth and who wants that. Use fresh Roma tomatoes from that Vegetable stand on Belknap. To peel a tomato you core that top bit, cut a cross into the bottom drop into boiling water for 10 seconds or so immerse in cold water to stop it from cooking and peel. And that's why I buy canned tomatoes for the café - but at home use fresh.

Stir in some sugar, Italian herbs, salt & pepper. Bring it up to heat and then reduce to low and cook a long time. I always