Finding My Cooking Mojo

I was thinking yesterday about people who don't like to cook, wondering what potential there might be for them to love creating food. At least to some small extent I can relate to these people; even though I have a serious passion for cooking, I don't always enjoy the process. Imagine the way Anne Shirley loves lakes of shining waters and puff sleeves. If she were to come across a murky pond or deflated sleeves, she'd feel pretty uninspired. That's how I feel when I come across a throw-together recipe or a counter of dirty dishes: completely uninspired.

I don't just want to cook for the sake of having something to eat. I want there to be some romance to it! When I step into the kitchen I want to be wooed by a new man or rendezvous with an old favorite depending on my mood. Then I want to tie on my apron, take Gerard (Dutch cocoa,) Alejandro (poblano peppers,) or Tom (applewood-smoked cheddar) in my grips and show them what I've got.

Ya hear??

So, for those of you seeking inspiration, here are some of my favorite practices that keep me passionate:

2 Ways to Make Stovetop Garlic Bread

One of the easiest ways to spruce up that "darn Dutch Oven Bread that's all over Pinterest" is simply to turn it into garlic bread. There are about 40 ways to do this. Really. You can use a grill, your broiler, a toaster, a frying pan, or, if you live in Colombia you can just slap on the garlic butter and hold your bread under the sun for a few minutes. (This works for all countries along the Equator.) You can use fresh minced garlic, roasted garlic, or go super easy with garlic salt.

For the sake of my readership, I'm only going to show you two of the ways I like to make garlic bread, both using fresh garlic and both on the stovetop.

Ina's Capellini with Tomatoes and Basil

At the beginning of September some of your gardens are still donning several lovely cherry tomatoes. If your gardens aren't wearing these sweet little polka dots, the grocery stores certainly are! For those of you who're done turning them into gazpacho or throwing them over your salads, I have a recipe for you that will give the 'matoes new life while helping you soak up these last weeks of Summer with gusto.

If it's possible for a recipe to be light and indulgent at the same time, Ina Garten's Capellini with Tomatoes and Basil has it nailed. It's one of my all-time favorite main dishes for its freshness, deep flavor, ease of preparation, and capacity to satisfy. Salty, sweet, savory, mildy tart, and the juicy pops as you bite into each ready-to-burst tomato... mlup, mlup, mlup. I have all the ingredients on hand, so I think I'm going to be making this tonight for the fifth time this Summer.

Don't Have All the Money In the World To Throw Dinner Parties?

"If you hear a voice within you saying, 'You are not a painter' then by all means paint... and that voice will be silenced forever." - Vincent van Gogh

After sharing this quotation on my Facebook page yesterday and encouraging everyone who feels intimidated by hosting to muster up the courage to do it anyway, one of my readers expressed a concern about hosting that had nothing to do with confidence and everything to do with finances. It's one thing to be able to silence a negative voice in your head, but when the bottom line of your bank account speaks to you, you have to listen.

Homemade Flour Tortillas

Presenting the next installment to the Cinco de Mayo menu!

I had a good laugh recently when I asked one of my best friends if she happened to own a tortilla press that I could borrow. She thought I was kidding and responded, "The day I own a tortilla press is the day I own a wheat grinder.... and grow my own wheat."

Cafe Rio Style Shredded Chicken

How lucky am I that I went to college 2 miles from the original Cafe Rio? How lucky am I that the first Cafe Rio that opened East of Colorado is 30 minutes from our DC home? And now there's one 15 minutes from our DC home? About as lucky as I am to have a mom who gets me Cafe Rio gift cards for Christmas and my birthday.

Here's my very slight adaptation of their shredded chicken recipe. Actually, it's a copycat recipe by Crumbs and Chaos.

Cinco de Mayo Menu!

¡Buenos Dias! ¡Y Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

As I write this post "Oye Como Va" by Santana plays through my headphones. I never get tired of this song.

I've been wanting to host a Cinco de Mayo party for years. There are just so many fun ways to spend a day celebrating Mexican pride. I'm pretty sure I have zero Mexican in me, but I do speak conversational Spanish, I've been to Mexico three times with Family to Family Humanitarian Expeditions, and I like tacos...? Oo! And paletas! Yum! Aaaand, I LOVE Latin dancing! See? Not too bad! I do hate chili powder on my fruit, though. -1 Mexicana point for me there. -10 Janna points for them.

I Smell Things

Not in an "I see dead people" kind of way, or in an I-have-the-skills-of-a-hound kind of way either. I'm just curious about and like to enjoy how things smell. Not everything. Just things like clean clothes, crayons, pencils, and leaves, and more obvious things like fancy soap and a good bisque.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Globs

I started young. My childhood friends Becky and Cally were older and wiser (and more normal) and helped me to rid myself of any of these sorts of tendencies which might have done long-term damage to my social life or created unnecessary paranoia in those around me. Thanks, Becky & Cally. (Sorry, Mr. & Mrs. R.)

Anyway, I was thinking of this because one of my birthday presents from my thoughtful parents-in-law was the latest cookbook by the ever-reliable Ina Garten. Before setting it on my display shelf of favorites I had to stop and breathe in its untouched pages. New or old, I love the smell of books.

In this instance, I also love the look. I mean, look at those crostinis!

Her dedication goes to her husband. "For Jeffrey, he's foolproof." Too cute.

Crispy English Potatoes

Accidental Turkey

Roasted Asparagus & Prosciutto

Tomato Crostini with Whipped Feta

Sidecars with Dried Cherries

"Foolproof means so many things to me. Clearly, it means the recipe works-that goes without saying. But there's more to it than that. It's a dish that's deeply satisfying to eat; it's a company-friendly meal that can be made in advance to reduce your stress; and it's an outrageously delicious dessert that's so easy to make that it becomes part of your regular repertoire." -Ina

I plan to put her to the test, and to enjoy every bite (and whiff) of it.

Dinner Party Timeline- Menu #7

Last week I had the chance to interview a friend of mine, Cristi Breen, whose hosting skills are sparklingly polished. I'll be writing all about it in February, but for now I'll let you in on one of the things I've learned from our conversation: Her uncanny ability to put on an event with grace is a direct result of her type-A organization habits. Which means that my inability to host half so well as she after years of experience is a direct result of my type-B organization habits. That's oversimplified to some extent, but it remains true that careful planning is the most necessary of the evils required to pull off a successful party. Of course, there's a creative portion of the planning process, which, for many hosts, myself included, is nearly as much fun as the party itself. Developing a timeline, however, is not so much creative as it is something that makes you want to pluck. your. brain. out. of. your. head.

Well, I don't want any of you to miss out on the joys of hosting just because the timeline part is a headache, or because you have a type-B personality, and I certainly don't want any of you plucking out your brains. So, I've got you covered.

I take payment in the form of chocolate-covered pretzels, lavish praise, or high-end cookware. (Currently I'm seeking an immersion blender.)

As you look over this list, the hope is that you won't feel stress but that it will actually have the opposite effect; it should help you to breathe easy knowing that you've covered all your bases, and free you up to enjoy the process and enjoy the party!
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Menu #7- 
Cheese Platter 
Sparkling Apple-Cranberry Juice & Ice Water 
Rosemary Artisan Bread 
Fall Veggie Bisque 
Candied Acorn Squash 
Shawn's Mashed Potatoes 
Chicken Fricassee
Blackberry Cheesecake 
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Three Weeks Before

• Find a co-host and kitchen helper. You may find it very helpful to have two, one to help you with the cooking and one to help you keep the space tidy. (For this party, most of the heavy-lifting, so to speak, will be done on the day before, so you'll likely find an assistant useful during that time as well as on the day of the party. You'll want their help in the kitchen on the day of the party around the time you begin making the main course, about 2 and a half hours before the guests arrive. Make sure they feel comfortable with their responsibilities ahead of time.)
• Arrange for child care if desired/needed. (If you have children, you'll want someone else to be tending them on the day of the party, and possibly for at least part of the previous day while you're cleaning, baking, and engaging in all the prep-work.)
• Send out invitations. Be sure to mention if you desire dressy attire.

One Week-2 Days Before (Do as many of these one week out as possible, because you're going to want to feel rested for all the work you'll be doing on the eve of the party.)

• Deep clean the house.
• Follow up with any guests who have not given an RSVP.
• Choose an outfit and have it ready to go.
• Review recipes and make your grocery list as well as a list of all needed preparation and serving dishes.
• Shop for any non-food party necessities such as unscented candles for the dinner table, matches, cloth napkins, wood for the fireplace, or fresh soap for the guest bathroom. (Be sure to scan the list of serving dishes needed in the Day Before section in case there's anything you'll need to purchase or borrow.)
• If you're going with a playlist other than one you can find on Eats and Beats  make your preparations.
  
• Clear room in the freezer for purchased ice, or make the ice if you're planning not to buy it.
• Charge your camera battery, if needed.
• If you're using an entire bird for the Chicken Fricassee, purchase the chicken and have you butcher cut it into 11 pieces, cutting the breast in half, and keeping the wings attached but the tips clipped. (Do this 2 days out, because you'll want the poultry as fresh as possible.)
• Wash and iron any table and bathroom linens, including bath rugs.
• Make sure all dishes are clean and put away so your cookware and dish washer are ready for tomorrow's baking and prep-work!

Day Before (This is a VERY BIG DAY, so get an early start!)

• Go grocery shopping for ice and all food items, except for any bread you might be using for the cheese platter. That should wait until tomorrow so it's fresh. Pick up any specialty drinks you'd like to include in a beverage station to enjoy while eating the cheese platter.
• Make the cheesecake, including the topping, but do not top the cake until tomorrow or the juice from the berries will begin to soak into the cake slightly.
• Make the bread dough and refrigerate until tomorrow.
• Clean the house. Since you've already done deep cleaning, this should be a bit less time-consuming than it might be otherwise.
• Stock the guest bathroom. Include fresh towels, plenty of toilet paper, tissues, a scented candle, matches, new or refilled soap, (and it wouldn't hurt to tuck away a plunger so your guest doesn't have to request it should they find themselves in need.)
  
• Make sure all dishes are clean and put away so your cookware and dish washer are ready for tomorrow!
• Set the dinner table with place-settings and any decorations.
• Designate a beverage station for your guests to enjoy with the cheese platter.
• Set out serving dishes. You'll need a board for the cheese, cheese knives/spreaders, as well as a small dish for the mixed nuts. You'll need a soup tureen and ladle, water pitcher, ice caddy and tongs (for the beverage station,) and a basket or board for the bread. You'll also need a platter and serving utensil for the acorn squash, (perhaps a platter with a rim for extra support in case you want them all facing directly upward,) a bowl and spoon for the mashed potatoes, a bowled platter such as this one (or other nice bowl,) tongs and a ladle for the Chicken Fricassee, and a cake stand, knife, and pastry server for the dessert.
• Peel, cut and rinse the potatoes. Soak them in a covered, large pot of cold, salted water overnight until ready to boil tomorrow.
• If you're using only breasts for the Chicken Fricassee, now would be a good time to rinse the poultry and trim the fat. Cover securely and re-refrigerate until tomorrow.

Morning Of

• Review the remainder of the timeline, and go over the Chicken Fricassee recipe again if you feel you need to.
• Go shopping for baguette bread if using it for the cheese platter.
  
• Take out butter for the dinner table to be eaten with the bread.
• Place the cheesecake on the cake stand. Cover and re-refrigerate.

5 Hours Before 

• Make the Fall Veggie Bisque, leaving out the heavy cream for now, and allow to cool to room temperature. Place in the refrigerator until later.
• Bake the Rosemary Artisan Bread. I would bake two loaves for any party greater than 6.

3 and 1/2 Hours Before

• Get yourself ready for the party. (At this point I would definitely shower, do my hair, put on jewelry, and have my face ready. If  I were worried about spilling anything on my clothes while doing the remainder of the cooking, I might wait to put on my party clothes until just before the guests arrive. If I were worried I might not be able to pull myself away from the kitchen sometime in the last half hour of cooking, I'd just dress earlier and rely on an apron.)

2 and 1/2 Hours Before (This is Go Time. Make sure your co-host/kitchen helper is with you through this point forward so everything can be done on time! The time will pass quickly!)

• Prepare your mise en place. Get out all of the ingredients for the Chicken Fricassee, except for the chicken and the heavy cream. Pull out all of the ingredients for the acorn squash. There's no need to pull out any ingredients for the potatoes except for the butter. Get out all measuring tools, other prep tools, and cooking equipment. (I like to have a working surface or two and a separate surface for holding the ingredients.)
• Set out the cheeses so they can set to room temperature. Set out the mixed nuts and fruit as well. If you're serving sliced apples or pears, however, wait to slice them until the last minute as the insides will brown if exposed to air. Cover the platter until just before the guests arrive.

2 Hours Before 

• Rinse all the vegetables and fresh herbs for the Chicken Fricassee. This includes the mushrooms. (Alton Brown says you can rinse mushrooms with water, so that's good enough for me! Use your fingers to make sure you eliminated all the dirt!) Chop and measure vegetables as instructed. Prepare and measure all other ingredients as instructed.
• Brown the chicken and continue the process of making the Chicken Fricassee up until the point where you've tied your bundle of herbs and your sauce and chicken are simmering. (You're about to leave this to simmer while making the squash. If you're concerned you might overcook the chicken, leave the squash to check the temperature of the chicken. You do not want to cook the chicken beyond 165 degrees.)

1 Hour Before 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the acorn squash and begin the 45 minutes of baking.

• Make sure the chicken is cooked through to 165 degrees. Complete the remaining steps of the chicken fricassee, and turn the temperature down to low until ready to serve.
• This would also be a good time for your helper to begin cleaning up any dirty dishes or surfaces. 

40 Minutes Before

• Make sure there's only enough water to cover the potatoes and bring them to a boil over high heat.

30 Minutes Before

• Begin to reheat the veggie bisque by bringing it to a low boil over medium heat and immediately reducing the temperature to low.
• Make the butter/sugar/cinnamon mixture for the acorn squash.

10-15 Minutes Before (You're going to need lots of hands.)

• When the potatoes are fork-tender, drain them and complete the recipe instructions.
  
• Spoon the butter/sugar/cinnamon mixture into the acorn squash and along the rim (but not so that it's dripping over the edges) and return to the oven for another 20 minutes.
  
• Set out the bread.
• Set out the beverages and ice on the beverage station, and place sparkling juice on the table
• Uncover the cheese platter.
• Turn on the music.
• Top the cheesecake with blackberries.

10-15 Minutes After Guests Have Arrived

• Remove the squash from the oven and complete the recipe as instructed.
• Transfer all food to respective serving dishes, place on the table, and announce the start of dinner!

After Dinner

• Assess whether or not your guests need a bit of time to digest before dessert.
• When ready, serve dessert.

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Candied Acorn Squash (It'll Convert All You Squash-Haters)

Remember at the end of 2011 when I converted you all to Brussels sprouts with Ina's Roasted Brussels Sprouts recipe, and how you've all been eating these healthy little cabbages like good boys and girls ever since? Well, today we're lovin' another veggie that often gets a bad rap: squash.

Up until two months ago, candied acorn squash sounded like one of the last things I'd be interested in eating. I've never been a big gourd eater, and I don't like the idea of healthy things being "candied." It sounds tacky and gross, and I think, just eat candy and leave the good stuff alone! (Sometimes my thoughts are mean, huh? I'm working on it...)  Further, I've always been a bit perplexed over the idea of serving sweet things as part of a meal instead of following a meal, unless it's fruit or something. Just seems wrong! And really, that's still how I feel about it.

So, why, when my girlfriend Klysta brought over candied acorn squash, was I suddenly very excited to try it? 'Cause it looked like this:

Though the recipe doesn't call for them, I topped mine with dried cranberries for added color, flavor and texture. But don't be afraid to serve them as-is; they're absolutely delicious on their own.

How cool is that! The natural colors are rich and the shape, beautiful. The way that she served it, to me, paid homage to the vegetable. It didn't look like she had turned it into a dessert, it wasn't pummeled with mini marshmallows, and it didn't look like something I'd ultimately have to pry from my teeth. And when I tasted it... Oh, mama! I could still taste the squash flavor, but it had been deepened with the butter and complimented by the cinnamon. Yes, there's a fair amount of brown sugar as well, but for whatever reason it didn't read as super sweet and it just worked with the meal. I knew right away it was going to be the side dish to the Chicken Fricassee on my fancy dinner party menu.

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Candied Acorn Squash

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:
1 medium acorn squash

4 Tablespoons brown sugar

4 Tablespoons butter, melted

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut squash in half lengthwise. Remove and discard seeds. Arrange the squash halves, cut side down, in a baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes.

Turn the squash halves cut side up.

In a small bowl, stir together sugar, butter, and cinnamon. Spoon about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the mixture into each of the squash halves and around each rim. Bake for 20 minutes or until tender. Allow to cool slightly until they're just cool enough to handle. With a fork, gently shred the insides of the squash and stir to combine with the mixture, being careful not to compromise the shape of the gourd. Serve while still hot.

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Rosemary Artisan Bread

In my mind I can see myself in a spacious, industrial kitchen with a brick oven that I know how to use like a pro. I move seamlessly around my clean, efficient space wearing an official-looking apron, baking gourmet pizzas and specialty artisan breads. In my mind I also have effortless, loose curls that I've tied just as effortlessly into a charming ponytail.

I think we should just continue to imagine that, don't you? Well, I will let you in on one of my realities and that is that, even though I LOVE specialty breads, I am just beginning to come out of the dark when it comes to making homemade bread of any kind. I have a few friends who regularly make their own bread and really have a knack for it. One is Nicolina who pretty much always has fresh bread and homemade croutons in her salads whenever we go over there to eat. Another is Beth, who you'll remember is the one who gave us the Fall Veggie Bisque recipe. And she happens to be our benefactor once again with this artisan bread recipe!

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Rosemary Artisan Bread
adapted by Beth Luke & Janna Patterson from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day
Yield: 2-3 loaves
 

Ingredients:

1.5 TBS kosher salt

1.5 TBS yeast (or about 2 of those small yeast packets)

3c. warm water

Handful of fresh rosemary leaves (or other desired herbs)

6.5c. flour and mix

Special Tools: Pizza stone

Directions:

Combine salt and yeast in a large mixing bowl and add water. (I allow the yeast to activate, but it doesn't say you need to in the original recipe.)

Add rosemary and/or other herbs of choice

Add flour and mix. Cover and let rise at least 2 hours, until dough is at least flat on top or even collapsing in.

Cover and put in fridge (Don't cover with anything too airtight.)

When you are ready to bake, cut off a hunk about as big as a grapefruit. I get my hands a little bit wet because the dough is really sticky. Turn it in your hands, kind of smoothing it into a ball, for about 30 seconds and place on a cutting board dusted in cornmeal.

Let rise 40 minutes.

After 20 minutes of rising, start the oven at 450 and put the pizza stone in the oven.

After the whole 40 minutes, dust the top of dough with flour and cut a couple of slits. Put a pan of water into the oven as well. Slide the dough onto the stone.

Bake 30 minutes and cool on a rack.

Notes from Beth: I think this is a pretty flexible recipe. It can rise for more than two hours (I left it for almost 5 once and it made no difference). I've used half wheat flour. It makes three smallish loaves (or probably 2 bigger ones) and I leave the dough in the fridge almost all week and just bake it as we need it.

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Serve alongside the Fall Veggie Bisque as part of the Fancy Dinner Party Menu.

Nobody can resist.

Thanks again, Beth!

Shawn's Mashed Potatoes

I rarely make mashed potatoes, and when I do make them, I don't usually do much more to make them special than add a bit of crushed garlic. But for Shawn, even that is taking them too far. He likes his mashed potatoes "normal." Russet potatoes, butter, milk, salt, and pepper. Sometimes I substitute some of the milk for heavy cream if I really want the potatoes to put us into a coma, but that's the extent to which I mess with them when making them for us now.

Well, Shawn's Mashed Potatoes happen to be the perfect mashed potatoes to compliment Martha Stewart's Chicken Fricassee. Since the chicken fricassee is served on top, with the potatoes absorbing the sauce, the potatoes are really meant to play a supporting role, neither distracting nor detracting from the main dish. Kind of like a bridesmaid: beautiful and important, standing right next to, (or under in this instance,) the bride during her special hour.

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Shawn's Mashed Potatoes

Serves 8

Ingredients:

5 lbs russet potatoes

2 sticks of butter

1/2 cup of heavy cream (can be substituted for milk for a healthier option)

1 1/2 cups milk

1 Tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

Peel potatoes and rinse. Cut potatoes into even pieces (not too small, because the smaller the pieces, they easier it will be to overcook them.) Place in a large pot. Fill with cold water until the potatoes are barely covered. Add some salt to the water for flavor. Bring to a medium boil and continue to boil until the potatoes are soft, or just until they no longer resist a fork. Turn down the temperature to medium low-low. Turn the potatoes and water into a colander and allow to drain. In the meantime, return the pot to the warm stove top and add the remaining ingredients until the butter is melted and the mixture is warm. (Be careful not to boil.) Press the potatoes through a large potato ricer into the pot with the milk mixture. Stir, test for flavor and consistency, and adjust as desired.

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Serve as part of the Fancy Dinner Party Menu!

Fancy Dinner Party Menu: Chicken Fricassee

It's been several months since I've introduced a new menu, so I'm making it up to you by giving you my favorite menu yet. 

In addition to being fun to say, Chicken Fricassee, and Martha Stewart's version in particular, is to. die. for. My mother-in-law made it for us in early Fall and I think I've made it four times since then, maybe five. Tarragon is one of those herbs that I'd always heard about and had eaten here and there at restaurants, but had never cooked with until making this dish, and it turns out I'd been missing out in a big, fat way. Let's not dwell on the sad past, though, but concentrate on our tarragon-filled future instead, shall we?

I knew as soon as I tasted this recipe that it was going to be the focus of my next dinner party menu, but I wasn't sure what surrounding dishes would be worthy of it. Very lucky for me, most of the dishes came to me thanks to my awesome friends who brought us dinner after Louisa was born. As always I'll introduce each dish properly in its own post, but suffice to say for now that your guests will leave thoroughly satisfied and impressed.

Some of the things I love about this menu:
- It's delectable. I know I always say that, but, boy, do I mean it this time.
- We're using all whole ingredients, and, with the exception of the blackberries on the cheesecake, everything is seasonal.
 - A few of the recipes are beyond easy and can be made in advance, saving you a lot of stress (and dishes) leading up to the first doorbell ring.
 - Since the bread will be baked in the morning, the only item that needs the oven during the final hour or two is the acorn squash, so there's no figuring out timing and temperatures for those of you without a double oven.
 -Even though it's an impressive menu, it gives off a very easy, welcoming, communal-type vibe. To me, it's exactly the kind of meal over which you invite someone to "break bread."

Here's what you have to look forward to over the next 2 weeks:

The Menu:
Appetizer: Cheese Platter
2st Course: Fall Veggie Bisque with Rosemary Artisan Bread
Main Dish: Martha Stewart's Chicken Fricassee over Shawn's Mashed Potatoes
Side Dish: Candied Acorn Squash
Beverage: Sparkling Apple-Cranberry Juice
Dessert: Blackberry Cheesecake

Martha's crew really does a beautiful job of writing this recipe.

Such an earthy meal!

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Chicken Fricassee (Fricassee de Poulet a L'Ancienne)
by Martha Stewart, with notes in italics by Janna Patterson

Prep Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Yield Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), cut into 11 pieces (reserve back and wing tips for another use, such as stock) (I think it looks rustic and elegant to use the various chicken parts, but if you don't care to use a whole chicken, 4-6 chicken half breasts will work. For a sizable gathering, I usually multiply the recipe by 1.5 and use 10 half breasts.)

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 small yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice (1 cup)

1 carrot, cut into 1/4-inch dice (1/2 cup)

1 celery stalk, cut into 1/4-inch dice (1/3 cup)

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2/3 cup dry white wine

4 cups chicken broth

2 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

2 large egg yolks, room temperature

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 to 3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh tarragon leaves

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Can't go wrong with butter, cream, eggs and wine!

Directions:

Brown Chicken- Season chicken (or just the breasts if you've elected not to use an entire chicken) on both sides with 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Preheat a Dutch oven or other large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter and the oil to pot. When butter melts and foam subsides, add half the chicken, skin side down, in a single layer; do not crowd pot. (If butter begins to blacken, lower heat.) Fry chicken, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 10 minutes total, and transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Saute Mirepoix- Reduce heat to medium, and add mirepoix (onion, carrot, and celery) to pot, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Saute mirepoix, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown in places, 8 to 10 minutes.

Pretty maids, all in a row. "Mirepoix" sounds fancy, but it's simply a combination of chopped onion, carrots, and celery! See? French cooking isn't always as daunting as it seems!

Cook Mushrooms and Flour- Add mushrooms, and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms darken, become glossy, and begin to release liquid, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in flour, and cook until flour is absorbed by vegetables and is no longer visible, about 1 minute.

Pour in Wine and Broth- Add wine to pot, and bring to a boil, stirring until liquid just thickens, about 45 seconds. Add broth, and stir.

Simmer Chicken- Place chicken, skin side up, in a single layer on vegetables; pour juices that have accumulated on plate into pot. Tie parsley sprigs, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf together with kitchen twine; add to pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover partially. Cook until internal temperature of thickest part of chicken registers 165 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes, (but check at about 20 minutes to make sure you don't overcook the chicken.) Transfer chicken to a clean plate. Simmer liquid, uncovered, until reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Discard herbs.

These are supposed to be tied into a bundle, but my kitchen twine was in the car! Don't ask...

Make and Add Liaison- To make the liaison (sauce thickener), whisk together egg yolks and cream in a medium bowl. Whisking constantly, pour 1/2 cup cooking liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, into liaison to temper it. Stir tempered liaison into pot.

"I see you..."

Finish with Tarragon, Lemon, and Butter Return chicken to pot.- Add tarragon, lemon juice, and the remaining butter. Bring to a simmer, stir gently to combine, and serve.

Cook's Note-

Have your butcher cut the breast in half, keeping the wings attached but removing the wing tips.

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Mediterranean Orzo (You'll Forget It's Vegetarian!)

Every ingredient my friend, Julie, touches turns to edible gold. I've never eaten anything from her that I didn't want to take home and snuggle. I am slightly biased because our food perspective is pretty much the same; we both love to take fresh ingredients and turn them into colorful, healthy dishes. But since she does it better than I do, I find myself really excited and inspired by what comes out of her kitchen.

You love Julie, too! You love her because she introduced me to this knock-out pasta and I'm now sharing it with you. Of all the vegetarian dishes she makes, this is her husband's favorite, and now I know why. Lots of color, little bit of sweet from the bell peppers, little bit of bite from the red onions, little bit of citrus from freshly squeezed lemon juice, savory garlic, crunchy pine nuts, crispy green onions, soft feta, can be served warm, cold, or room temperature... da-dee-da-da-da-LAAAAAAA! 

Just look at the beauties I started off with.

I used 3 green, 2 red, 1 yellow bell pepper, and 1 large red onion.

Here's what they look like when you lean in closer to get a better look.

Here's what they look like shuffling down a crowded NYC sidewalk... wearing olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.

And here's what they look like stopped at the corner waiting for the go-ahead to cross the street.

Aaaaand, here's the recipe. Julie's version.  :)

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Mediterranean Orzo With Roasted Vegetables Julie's version, with notes from Janna

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

6 Bell Peppers, 1 inch diced

1-2 Red Onions, 1 inch diced

2 minced garlic cloves

1/3 cup olive oil

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 15-ounce can of garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed thoroughly, and dried with a paper towel. 

1/3 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice (Requires 1 1/2-2 lemons)

4 scallions minced, green and white
1/4 cup lightly toasted pine nuts
1/3-3/4 cup of feta (depending on how much you prefer. Julie adds less, I add a bit more.)
15 fresh basil leaves, chiffonaded (Here's a great little tutorial on how to chiffonade by The Pioneer Woman.)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Toss together the first 6 ingredients and roast for 40 min, turning once. (Since oven temperatures tend to vary, keep an eye on the veggies and don't be afraid to pull them out earlier if you think you should. You don't want them to come out burned or limp.)

In the meantime, place the garbanzo beans on a separate pan, drizzle them lightly with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roll them around to get a nice, even coating and place them in the oven when there's about 15 minutes to go on the vegetables. 

Once those are in the oven, cook 1 box orzo pasta in boiling salted water. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl.

Add roasted veggies to pasta, scraping liquid and seasonings in. Add the lemon juice and a splash of olive oil if dry. Allow to cool to room temp.

Then add the remaining ingredients and season with extra salt and pepper as needed.

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