Lunching with Laurie David Recipes

Author Laurie David joined the co-hosts for lunch today and served a few of her favorite dishes. Laurie was married to Curb Your Enthusiasm star Larry David and -- although they are divorced -- they still make it a priority to have family dinner together.  Laurie was here to talk about what she makes so everyone is happy during dinner time. Here are a few of her recipes from her new book, The Family Dinner. For more information, visit thefamilydinnerbook.com.

Cesar Pita Pie
Have a pita pizza party for your best friend—or your whole family! The best part is that you get to pick your own toppings. . . you can even put a Caesar salad on top of the pizza, making it a crunchy, munchy Caesar pita pizza pie.
Makes 6 Small Pizzas

You Need:

Pita Pizza:
6 pita breads
Olive oil
1½ cups tomato sauce (page 65) or your favorite jarred pizza sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Optional Toppings:
Pepperoni
Chopped tomatoes
Thinly sliced onions
Sliced mushrooms

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

Put a baking sheet on the bottom rack of your oven. Brush both sides of the pitas with olive oil, then spread the tops with tomato sauce and sprinkle with the mozza­rella and any topping you please.
Using pot holders, take the baking sheet out of the oven and gently place your pizzas on it (you might need a grown-up to help you with this). Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until you think they are perfect.

Cesar Salad
Makes 6 Servings

You Need:
2 heads romaine lettuce, inner leaves best, torn into bite-size pieces.
Bunch of croutons
½ cup Parmesan cheese

For the Dressing:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Put all the salad dressing ingredients into a large bowl and whisk, whisk, whisk until smooth.

Now take a lettuce leaf, dip it into the dressing, and see how it tastes. Does it need more salt? Or lemon? Make it taste exactly how you like it best, then toss with the lettuce, croutons, and cheese.

Crunchy Chicken Schnitzel (or You May Call It a Large Chicken Nugget) with Big Peas and Little Peas and Tangy Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
Makes 6 Servings

Kids Can:
Remove the tails and tips of the sugar snap peas.

You Need:
3 cups panko crumbs (or unseasoned bread crumbs)
1 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup flour seasoned with salt and pepper, for dredging
4 large eggs, beaten
1½ pounds thin-cut boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed, preferably kosher and/or organic
Vegetable oil, for sautéing
2 lemons, sliced

Mix the panko crumbs and Parmesan in a wide, shallow container. Fill another wide, shallow container with flour and a third container with the beaten eggs.

Dredge the chicken breasts in flour, pat or shake off the excess, and then dip them in egg, letting any excess drip off. Coat the cutlets in the panko mixture by pressing them hard down into the crumbs, then flipping them and pressing the other side into the crumbs.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over a medium flame and drizzle in enough oil to cover the bottom. Gently sauté the cutlets for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until golden and just cooked through. You might have to do this in a few batches; just keep the finished ones warm in the oven.

Serve the cutlets garnished with a lemon slice.

Recipes from THE FAMILY DINNER by Laurie David with recipes by Kirstin Uhrenholdt.  Copyright © 2010 by Hybrid Nation, Inc.  Used by permission of Grand Central Publishing.  All rights reserved.

^{Photo Credit: ABC}

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