Ingredients

• 1/3  cup butter
• 2/3  cup sugar
• 1/4  cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2  teaspoons baking powder
• 2  eggs
• 1-3/4  cups all-purpose flour
• 4  ounces white baking bar, coarsely chopped
• 3  ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 2  tablespoons shortening (optional)
• 2  ounces semisweet chocolate or white baking bar, coarsely chopped (optional)

Directions

1. Grease a large cookie sheet; set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, cocoa powder, and baking powder; beat until combined. Beat in eggs. Beat in as much flour as you can. Stir in any remaining flour. Stir in the 4 ounces white baking bar and the 3 ounces semisweet chocolate.

2. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a 9-inch-long roll. Place rolls 4 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet; flatten rolls slightly to 2 inches wide.

3. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the centers comes out clean. Cool on cookie sheet on a wire rack for 1 hour. Using a serrated knife, cut each roll diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Lay slice, one cut side down, on an ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake slices in a 325 degree F oven for 8 minutes. Turn slices over and bake 7 to 9 minutes more or until slices are dry and crisp. (Do not overbake.) Transfer to a wire rack; cool.

5. If desired, in a heavy small saucepan combine the shortening and the 2 ounces semisweet chocolate or white baking bar. Cook and stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Drizzle over tops of biscotti. Let stand until set. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week. Makes 32 biscotti.

Chicken cacciatore is an Italian dish of chicken braised in a tomato-based sauce and often includes wild mushrooms. It is frequently referred to as "hunter style" as the word cacciatore means "hunter" in Italian. I don't know the source of the name, but someone mentioned that if a hunter came home empty-handed, his wife would kill a chicken for the meal instead.

For this recipe, we used fresh tomatoes and omitted the mushrooms. But you could easily add mushrooms and vegetables such as zucchini or bell peppers.

• One 3 1/2 pound chicken, cut into pieces
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup thinly sliced onions
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 2 cups peeled and chopped, firm ripe tomatoes (or canned plum tomatoes in their juice)

1 Rinse chicken and pat dry. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat, add the onions and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally. Push the onions to the side. Add the garlic and chicken pieces, skin-side down. Cook until the chicken skin is golden brown, then turn pieces over and brown on the other side.

2 Season chicken with salt and pepper, on both sides. Add wine and simmer until reduced by half. Add the tomatoes, lower the heat and cover the skillet with the lid slightly ajar.

3 Cook the chicken in the simmering liquid, turning and basting from time to time. Cook until the thighs are very tender and the meat is almost falling off the bones, about 40 minutes. If the stew ever starts to dry out, add a couple tablespoons of water.

Serves 4-6.