Dish it out.

The bruschetta at Rossini in Ridgeland is fresh and delicious and appears to be a dish that could be made at home. Please ask Chef Tony for the recipe.

Max McDaniel

Jackson

BRUSCHETTA MIX

One loaf French bread
1/2 cup olive oil
12 tomatoes
1/2 purple onion
3 ounces fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Slice French bread into 1/4-inch slices, brush with olive oil, and bake for about S minutes or until crisp. Finely chop tomatoes, onion, and basil, and mix together with the remaining olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon mixture over toasted slices of French bread, and complement with grated parmesan cheese.

Rossini Cucina Italiana is a casual yet elegant Italian restaurant with a wide variety of choices. A mural of an Italian street cafe near the entrance sets the tone. It is owned by chef Tony Spreafico and his wife, Lori banks Spreafico.

Rossini offers good value as well as good food. Complimentary crostini is served while guests are browsing the menu, and sorbet is presented between the included salad course and the entree. The most popular appetizers are portobello mushrooms and a bisque made of lobster, shrimp, and crab. Entrees include seven veal listings, chicken Marsala, and pasta and seafood dishes. Outstanding is a seafood pasta with lobster, shrimp, mussels, and scallops it? Alfredo sauce. Favorite desserts are tiramisu and chocolate cannoli.

Rossini is open for dinner Monday through Saturday from 5-10 p.m. Although lunch is not served daily, private luncheons may be scheduled. The restaurant is located at 1060 E. County Line Rd. in Ridgeland; telephone [phone].

Please try to get the recipe for the crab casserole (it has another name, named for a grandchild) from Germaine's Restaurant in Ocean Springs. It is wonderful, and we go every chance we get.

Carol Ingrain

Hattiesburg

CRABMEAT SHAWN MICHAEL

1 tablespoon butter, melted
4 ounces lump crabmeat
2 ounces Cheese Sauce (recipe follows)
Crushed Ritz crackers

Stir together melted butter and crabmeat. Spoon into a buttered ramekin. Spread Cheese Sauce over top. Sprinkle with crushed Ritz crackers. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Yield: 1 serving.

CHEESE SAUCE:

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated
2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon sherry

Melt butter, and stir in flour to make a roux, cooking 3-4 minutes on low. Add milk slowly. Keep reducing until thick. Slowly stir in cheeses, salt, cayenne, and sherry. Cook on low until cheese is melted. Allow to cool before spreading over crabmeat.

Germaine's has beer? purchased by Vikki McElhose and is now named Chandler's. Crabmeat Shawn Michael was formerly called Crabmeat Anna Scott. The new owner has preserved the atmosphere and menu of Germaine's, which was originally Trilby's. The same antiques and grandfather clock are in place, and paintings by local artists share wall space with historic Ocean Springs memorabilia. The only charade made by McElhose is an emphasis on casual dress.

Every dish is prepared to order. Standouts include crab cakes, cream of crab soup, panned veal, and crab, shrimp, and oyster entrees. A dessert favorite is meringues filled with vanilla ice cream and raspberry sauce.

Chandler's is open Wednesday from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-10 p.m., Saturday from 5-10 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m.- 7 p.m. Private parties may be scheduled on Mondays and Tuesdays. The restaurant is located at 1203 Bienville Blvd. in Ocean Springs; telephone [phone].

I would love to have the recipe for Keegan's Salmon Rios. I can't order anything else when I go there. It is my favorite restaurant in Jackson, and since I don't live there, I would love to be able to try this at home. My husband even likes this dish, and he is not a big fan of salmon. Thanks so much!

Connie Black

Greenwood

KEEGAN'S SALMON RIOS

4 (7-ounce) salmon filets
2 tablespoons house seasoning
  (salt, pepper, garlic, and Cajun
  seasonings to taste)
2 jars Rose's Lime Marmalade
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons minced pickled jalapenos
Black Bean Salsa and Chimichangas
  (recipes follow)

Brush fish with oil, and season for grilling. Over low heat, melt marmalade until smooth. Add Dijon mustard and jalapenos, and continue to cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Grill salmon on a hot mesquite grill for 2 minutes per side or until cooked medium.

To serve, place Black Bean Salsa on each plate. Place cooked salmon filet leaning on salsa pile, and coat with the jalapeno/lime glaze. Cut cooked Chimichanga in half at a 45-degree angle, and place halves on either side of salmon, cut side down. Drizzle glaze around edge of plate. Yield: 4 servings.

BLACK BEAN SALSA:

2 ears sweet yellow corn, cooked and
  cut off the cob
1 cup black beans, cooked
1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup poblano pepper, diced
1/4 cup cilantro, de-stemmed and diced
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix together ingredients. Chill for 3 hours.

CHIMICHANGAS:

1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced large
1/4 cup green bell pepper, diced large
1/3 cup yellow onion, diced
1/3 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
4 (6- to 8-inch) flour tortillas

Mix together peppers, onions, and cheese. Place 1/4 of mixture on each tortilla, wrap, and secure with a toothpick. Deep-fry for 4 minutes at 375 degrees.

Chris Jacobs is owner and executive chef of Keegan's, a casual family-style restaurant with creative dishes and reasonable prices. Entrees average $15.95, including salad.

Seafood is the specialty, delivered fresh daily from New Orleans. Keegan's signature dish is Southern Pie, a cornbread bowl filled with crab, scallops, shrimp, crawfish, and spinach in a cheese sauce. Outstanding among meats is Sugar and Spice Pork Tenderloin topped with sugared figs, chipotle sauce, and onions. Keegan's is also especially proud of its sandwiches; a standout is Philly Cristo, pan-fried with a filling of thinly sliced prime rib, horseradish, and melted Swiss cheese. Desserts, made in-house, include chocolate espresso creme brulee and key lime pie in praline crust.

Keegan's is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m.-10 p.m, Saturday from 4-10 p.m., and Sunday for brunch beginning at 10 a.m. The restaurant is located at 7040 Old Canton Rd. in Ridgeland; telephone [phone].

WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE RECIPES FROM YOUR FAVORITE MISSISSIPPI RESTAURANTS?

Send your request to Food Editor Mary Leigh Furrh, and the recipe could appear in our Dish It Out column. Send request via e-mail to [e-mail] or in writing to Dish It Out, 5 Lakeland Circle, Jackson, MS 39216. (Please note that recipes from chain restaurants may not be available.)