A “top chef" friend made a dish called parmigiana bianca that he read about in a recent issue of the Art of Eating [1]. It was a layered dish of grilled eggplant, breadcrumbs, fresh mozzarella, Pecorino, parsley and basil baked in the oven. If you like eggplant, it is one of the best dishes you will ever eat. It is easy to make and can be served hot, warm or even cold the next day. When a another friend called and asked if she could grill corn [2] ahead in the morning to serve for dinner that night, we wish we had this recipe to pass on.

Do-ahead Summer Menu for Friends:

Parmigiana Bianca [3]
Heirloom Tomato Salad [4]
Grilled Mahi Mahi drizzled with Olio Piccante [5]
Garlic Bread
Chocolate Chip Cookies [6] with Vanilla Ice Cream [7]

Menu inspired by our Cook the Book club [8] pick Mario Batali's new Italian Grill [9].