Munch Munch is Cooking Again!

Wine: Fili Di Seta 2003 – Rosso Di Toscana

We have returned from Japan and because we were still Jet Lagged we decided to cook an easy dinner.

We made a salad and followed it with a simple chicken recipe from the River Café. This recipe is fast to make and delicious.

Roast Chicken Vermentino
2 1/2 ounces (about 2 1/2 cups) dried porcini mushrooms, or mixed dried mushrooms
1/4 up extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 4 1/2 -pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
2 pounds waxy boiling potatoes, like Yukon gold or red-skinned potatoes, quartered
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
1 cup Vermentino, or other crisp, citrusy white wine, like Pinot Grigio.
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bring 1 2/3 cups water to a simmer, and stir in the porcini; soak for 10 minutes. Drain, reserving both mushrooms and broth. Roughly chop the mushrooms.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the garlic and cook until lightly browned. Add the mushrooms and saute for 2 minutes. Stir in the mushroom broth, bring to a boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes, so that it reduces by 1/3. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Trim off excess fat from the chicken pieces. Rinse and pat dry. Place the chicken, skin-side down, in one layer, in a large roasting pan. Tuck the potatoes and mushrooms around the chicken. Sprinkle with the rosemary, wine and remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes. Turn the chicken over, season with more salt and pepper and continue cooking until the chicken and potatoes are lightly browned, 30 to 35 minutes more. Serve with the vegetables and the juices from the pan. Serves 4. Adapted from ''Italian Two Easy: Simple Recipes From the London River Cafe,'' by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers.

Off to Japan and Okinawa

Cathy and I have left for a vacation in Japan and Okinawa you can follow our journey here.

Spring Lamb

Wine: Pago Florentino Tinto 2004

We started with a Baby Artichoke Salad with Lemon Arugula and Pine Nuts based upon a recipe from Zuni Cafe in San Francisco. It is easy and very tasty.

For the main course we made the Rosemary Leg of Lamb recipe from Mark Peel & Nancy Silverton at Home. The lamb is often on the menu at Campanile. We purchased a large leg from Harvey Gus Meats. The recipe calls for a lot of rosemary twigs. Luckly we have several rosemary bushes in our backyard. I picked at least 30 large twigs.

After the meat is browned, you remove the lamb from the roasting pan line then line the pan with rosemary. Replace the lamb on top of the rosemary and completely cover the lamb with additional rosemary. You cook the lamb uncovered in the oven. When the lamb is done you take it outdoors, and light the rosemary surrounding the lamb. It quickly ignites in a blaze. Once the fire is going you put the lid on trapping the smoke in the pan with the lamb, giving it a great taste. Be sure not to burn the house down, or light it indoors!

As a side we once again made the great Fava Bean Potato Hash from Canale Restaurant.

Great dinner! Lots of leftovers.

Shaved Artichoke Salad with Pine Nuts and Parmesan Cheese
Adapted from Zuni Café

10 small artichokes
Juice of ½ lemon
¼ cup flat leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
4 tablespoons pine nuts
½ radicchio thinly sliced
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black Pepper
¼ cup thin shavings of Parmesan Cheese

1. One artichoke at a time, peel away outer tough leaves
2. Cut off stem and spiny tops of leaves
3. Cut artichoke in half lengthwise a remove fibrous choke
4. Slice artichokes as thinly as possible place in bowl
5. Squeeze some lemon juice over the cut artichokes and toss well
6. Repeat process for all artichokes
7. Add parsley, pine nuts and radicchio to bowl.
8. Pour olive oil over mixture, and sprinkle with salt, pepper.
9. Toss to coat salad
10. Add cheese and gently toss



Click below for a quick movie with sound, of the fire!