Chicken parmesan

When I met Rich, he was deeply entrenched in a love affair with chicken parmesan. Nearly every time we went to a restaurant, he would order his favorite food or a variation on it (like a chicken parmesan sandwich). His tastes have since broadened, but he still occasionally craves his old favorite. Thanks to an Italian-American cookbook I received for my birthday, I can appease him. Here's how:

1. You'll need 4 chicken breast cutlets, or just over a pound of chicken breasts, ¼ inch thick. While you're out, pick up a little Parmesan cheese and a jar of your favorite marinara sauce (or mine). Make sure you have eggs (2), flour (½ c) breadcrumbs (1½ cups).
2. 1. Set up 3 shallow bowls (or pie plates). Put a handful of flour in the first, beat two eggs in the second, and a couple of handfuls of breadcrumbs in the third. At the end, set up a couple cake racks. This is your assembly line.
   2. Dry a piece of chicken by patting it with paper towels. Dip the cutlet into the flour, covering both sides and patting to remove the excess. Then dip it into the egg, carefully turning it to avoid rubbing off the flour. Dip both sides into the bread crumbs and pat them so they adhere. Set it on the cake rack and repeat with the others. Let them settle for at least 10 minutes, but up to an hour before cooking. The can rest in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 hours, but let them return to room temperature before you cook them.
   3. Coat the bottom of a frying pan with extra-virgin olive oil and heat it to medium-high. Check the oil by dripping some water into it - if the water sizzles, it's ready, but if the water crackles and splashes, turn down the temperature. Fry the cutlets in batches (I usually do 2 at a time), so that they do not touch each other in the pan. Cook about 3 minutes on each side, until they are golden brown and do not hold on when poked in the center with a sharp paring knife or cake tester. Drain the cutlets on paper towels and top each one with some Parmesan cheese, allowing it to melt.
   4. Serve over pasta with warmed marinara sauce on top.