2 pounds (about 6 medium) potatoes
1 onion, minced
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
White pepper to taste
Approximately 1/2 cup quick-cooking (not instant!) oats,
(Mizzi’s “trick 17”), or enough to absorb any excess liquid
Shortening for frying

Wash and peel the potatoes. Cover them with cold water, and drain them well. Grate the potatoes and place them into a cheesecloth-lined sieve and press out the liquid.  Turn the grated potatoes out into a dry bowl.
To the potatoes add the minced onion, beaten eggs, salt, pepper, and oats. Mix well.
Heat enough shortening in a heavy skillet to cover the bottom well. Spoon
in the potato mixture - about 2 generous tablespoons per pancake. Pat lightly
to spread to desired thickness.  Sauté slowly until the pancakes are crisp and golden on both sides. Drain the pancakes well and keep them warm in a low oven while continuing to sauté the rest.
Serves 1 hungry teenager, or 6 adults as a side dish

For red pepper tomato sauce:
1 pound hot and/or sweet Italian sausage,
removed from casings
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound white mushrooms, sliced
2 cups finely chopped onion
3 large garlic cloves, minced
3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
a pinch dried hot pepper flakes
4 red bell peppers, sliced thin
2 pounds plum tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, or to taste

For wild mushroom mixture:
1 1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms*
1 1/2 cups hot water
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups milk
freshly grated nutmeg to taste

six 7-inch squares instant (no-boil) lasagne*
2 cups coarsely grated mozzarella cheese (about 8 ounces)
2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 6 ounces)

Make red pepper tomato sauce:  In a heavy skillet measuring at least
12 inches across the top cook sausage over moderate heat, stirring and
breaking it up, until cooked through and transfer with a slotted spoon to
a bowl. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet and add 1 table-
spoon oil, the white mushrooms, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook the
white mushrooms over moderate heat, stirring, until all liquid given off
is evaporated and add to sausage. Add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet
and cook the onion with garlic, rosemary, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste until softened. Stir in bell peppers and tomatoes and cook, covered, over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until peppers are very soft, about 20 minutes. In a blender or food processor purée tomato pepper mixture in batches, transferring to a large saucepan as puréed, and
stir in the vinegar. Add the sausage mixture to the sauce and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. and oil a 13- by 9-inch baking dish.
Make wild mushroom mixture: In a small bowl soak porcini in the hot water 30 minutes and drain liquid through a sieve lined with a rinsed and squeezed paper towel into a measuring cup. reserve 1/2 cup soaking liquid and chop porcini fine. In a heavy saucepan melt butter over moderately
low heat. Add flour and cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes. Add milk and reserved soaking liquid in a stream, whisking, and bring to a boil, whisking. Stir in porcini, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste and simmer over low heat, whisking occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes.
In a large bowl of cold water soak lasagne squares until softened, about 15 minutes. Drain squares and pat dry between paper towels. In a small bowl toss together mozzarella and Parmesan. Spread enough red pepper tomato sauce in prepared dish to coat bottom. Over sauce in dish layer in this order:
 2 lasagne sheets (cut to fit in one layer), a third wild mushroom mixture, a third cheese, and a third remaining red pepper tomato sauce. Repeat twice, reversing order of red pepper tomato sauce and cheese at end of last round
of layering so that cheese is on top.
Bake lasagne in middle of oven 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden, and let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serves 6 to 8 as an entrée.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease an 8 1/2 x 12 1/2 x 2-inch
nonreactive baking pan.
In a medium-sized saucepan over high heat, combine cream and milk
and heat to scalding. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, egg yolks, sugar, salt, and
vanilla extract. Temper the eggs by slowly adding 1 cup of the warm milk
and cream. Stir in the remaining milk and cream and strain. Add ginger
and let infuse for 10 minutes.
Trim the ends from the loaves of pound cake and slice into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place the slices side by side lengthwise in the prepared pan. Tuck
pears between the cake slices. Strain the ginger from the custard, and tuck
the ginger between the cake slices with the pears. The cake and pears
should be layered vertically. Pour the custard over the pound cake and
pears to cover. Sprinkle nutmeg and almonds on top.
Place pan in a larger roasting pan and fill the roasting pan with water
two-thirds of the way up the pound cake pan. Bake for 1 hour and 45
minutes to  2 hours, until set. Serve warm.