We should all be loosening our belt buckles a notch or two in preparation for celebrating “National Eat What You Want Day” on May 11. Oatmeal and fruit for breakfast? Nah, let's have pasta carbonara and a hot fudge sundae with lots of whipped cream and a cherry for dessert. (Dessert for breakfast? Why not?)

Tired of that healthy, low calorie salad for lunch every day? Well, how about we choose deep fried fresh clams and yes, tartar sauce, French fries and coleslaw. And we still have the dinner menu to decide on.

I think I'll start with a cup of creamy wild mushroom soup followed by prime rib (rare please), a slice or two of French bread (yes, with butter) and sure I'll eat my veggies, but think I'll have them in the form of a salad tossed with lots of creamy blue cheese dressing.

And for dessert? My fave combo of raspberries and chocolate all in one decadent bar. Oomph! The button on my jeans is feeling a little snug just writingabout all those calories.

It's fine to splurge once in awhile and enjoy a special treat, but don’t over-do it. This week's recipes are some of my favorite indulgences, any one of which would perfect for celebrating "National Eat What You Want Day.” Enjoy!

Creamy wild mushroom soup

• 1 lb. mixed wild mushrooms (I used shiitake, Portabello and crimini)
• 5 cups low sodium vegetable stock
• 1 sprig fresh thyme plus 1 tsp. finely minced thyme leaves, divided use
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups chopped leeks (white and light green parts only, about 2 large leeks)
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Clean mushrooms; remove stems and reserve. Chop mushrooms about 1/4-inch thick and if very large (like the Portobello’s*) cut in half or quarters.

Place vegetable stock in a large pot; add reserved mushroom stems and sprig of fresh thyme. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to simmer and cook 10 minutes. Strain, discarding solids. (You should have about 4-1/2 cups of stock.)

Place butter in a Dutch oven or large soup pot set over medium low heat. When melted, add leeks and cook for 15-18 minutes or until they just begin to brown. Add sliced mushroom caps and cook for another 10 minutes or until tender and golden brown. Sprinkle with flour; cook 1 minute stirring constantly.

Add white wine; stir 1 minute, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the stock, minced thyme leaves, salt and pepper; increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add half-and-half, heavy cream and parsley and heat gently; do not let soup boil. Season with additional salt and pepper as desired. Yield: 6 servings.

*I like to scrape and remove the gills from Portobello mushrooms. This helps avoid a “muddy” color of the soup.

Creamy blue cheese dressing

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. ground white pepper
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise with sour cream, vinegar, sugar, white pepper and garlic. Beat until fluffy. Fold in blue cheese. Transfer to a covered container and store in refrigerator for up to 5 days. Yield: about 1-1/2 cups dressing. (Note: This can be made with reduced fat mayo and sour cream with excellent results.)

Pasta carbonara

• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten and at room temperature
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 6 oz. sliced bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 12 oz. spaghetti
• Salt

Combine eggs, Parmesan, mascarpone, parsley and black pepper in a large bowl, whisking to blend. Set aside.

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp and browned. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a small bowl. Pour off and discard all but 1 Tbsp. of the fat from the skillet and set aside.

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the skillet and cook over high heat for 1 minute, tossing until coated with the bacon fat.

Working quickly, transfer the pasta to the bowl with the egg mixture, along with 2 Tbsp. of the reserved pasta cooking water, and toss until creamy and the pasta is well coated, adding more of the cooking water if needed. Season with salt and more pepper and add the bacon. Serve immediately, passing additional cheese at the table. Yield: 6 servings.

Mom's best hot fudge sauce

• 4 squares semi-sweet chocolate
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• 1-1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 1 can (5-1/2 oz.) evaporated milk
• 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla

Combine chocolate and butter in a heavy saucepan set over medium heat. When mixture is melted and smooth, add sugar and stir well. Add evaporated milk; increase heat to high and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer 5-7 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Serve warm over ice cream. Yield: 1-2/3 cups

Chocolate raspberry bars

• 6 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• Topping (Recipe below.)

Combine chocolate, butter and jam in a medium saucepan set over low heat. Whisk until smooth; remove from heat and let cool.

Whisk eggs in a large bowl until foamy. Add sugar, vanilla and salt; whisk until thoroughly blended. Stir in the chocolate mixture. Add flour and mix until just blended. Spread batter into a 13x9x2-inch baking pan lined with buttered foil. Bake in a preheated 350° F oven for 30 minutes or until a tester inserted near the center comes out with very few moist crumbs attached. Cool completely in pan on a rack before adding topping.

Topping

• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 pint fresh raspberries
• Powdered sugar

Combine cream, jam and butter in a medium saucepan. Simmer over low heat stirring often until mixture butter and jam melt. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and stir until smooth. Let stand until cool but still spreadable, about 30 minutes. 

Spread topping over bars and top with raspberries, arranged in rows. Chill until cold. Using the foil as an aid, lift the bars from the pan, fold down the sides, trim the edges and cut. Sift powdered sugar on top and serve immediately. Yield: 15 bars.

Paula Anderson is a freelance journalist specializing in food, entertaining and nutrition. She writes for several newspapers, as well as Maine Food & Lifestyle Magazine. She divides her time between Scarborough and Big Pine Key, Fla., where she lives with her husband Peter. Correspondence can be addressed to her at the Boothbay Register, P.O. Box 357, Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538 or the Wiscasset Newspaper, P.O. Box 429, Wiscasset, ME 04578. You can also write to her directly via email at pander@maine.rr.com.