Chicken Provencal

This is an absolutely great recipe for Chicken Provencal. The recipe is from The New York Times. You can get the recipe from our blog of: April 6, 2015. Click the date to get the recipe. I love this dish, especially the way the onions cook down and blend with the chicken. With the Chicken we served Garlic Mashed Potatoes from The Balthazar Cookbook. You can get the recipe from our blog of: November 12, 2012. These are absolutely the best mashed potatoes!

Onion Soup

Our friend Guillermo was visiting Los Angeles and he stopped by. We were making Onion Soup so we invited him to join Scott and Tom for dinner.  We love the rich flavour of this soup. We always use the same recipe from TheBalthazar Cookbook by McNally, Nasr, Hanson. You can find the recipe on our blog of: December 15, 2014. Click the date to get the recipe.

Wagyu Beef from Japan

We thought we would indulge as the year was coming to an end. McCall's Meat and Fish was selling Wagyu Beef A5 Grade imported from Japan. This is the real deal. You can't eat a lot it is so fatty. To cook it you heat a skillet very hot with no oil needed because of the fattiness of the meat. Sauté for 2 minutes and flip to sear the other side. It is so rich it looks like Foie Gras. We served the meat over Arugula seasoned with vinegar to cut the richness of the meat.

With the meat we served Garlic Mashed Potatoes. These are extremely rich potatoes - the best ever. You can get the recipe from our blog of: November 12, 2012. Click the date to get the recipe.

Pork and Prunes

Winter calls for stews. This one, Pork Stew with Prunes and Onions  is from the cookbook: The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen by Paula Wolfert. We served it over Polenta. You can get the recipe for this delicious dinner can be found on our blog of: Sep. 26, 2007. Click the date to get the recipe.

Our neighbor, Kazue dropped off some Persimmons. We made a Salad with the Persimmons and Candied Walnuts. Thank you Kazue!

Risotto of the Vigil

One of our Year End traditions is to make Risotto of the Vigil. We love this hearty dish! I had the foresight that when we picked up the various meats at McCall's Meat and Fish to ask Nate to cube the  Pancetta (which we substitute for the salt pork). It is very hard to cut into small pieces and he has a real butchers knife (and a lot more experience). I need to remember this for next year. You can get the recipe for the risotto on our blog of: December 22, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe. 

Baked Ziti with Vegetable Sauce

There are some dishes that are so good that I actually think that I could become a vegetarian. Baked Ziti with Vegetable Sauce is one of them. It is wonderful, with a kick. I highly recommend this dish. You can find the recipe on our blog of: Oct. 21, 2014. Click the date to get the recipe.

We started the dinner with a salad of Shredded Radicchio with Anchovy Vinaigrette, Bread crumbs, & Sieved Egg. You can get the recipe for this favorite salad of ours from our blog of: January 31, 2007. Click the date to get the recipe.

Risotto Crab Cakes

We had left over Crab Risotto. I decided to make Risotto Crab Cakes. One always worries if the cakes will fall apart when cooking. We knew we had to fry them in a cast iron skillet, we also used Grape-seed Oil, allowing us to fry at a higher temperature. The real secret however was we coated the risotto cakes in Rice Flour. It is perfect for this use. I simply took the left over risotto formed it into a patty then dragged it through the rice flour. Couldn't have been simpler or better!

Crab Risotto

We decided to make Crab Risotto. We had a frozen Lobster Stock which we used to make the Risotto. When ever we eat at Newport Seafood (our favorite Chinese Restaurant) we bring home the Lobster Shells from our dinner and make a Lobster Stock which we then freeze for future use. The stock intensely flavored the risotto. We used our traditional Risotto recipe and at the very end stirred in the Crab Meat. Yummy! We started with a Date, Parmesan and Hazelnut Salad.

You can get the Risotto recipe from our blog of: April 21, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe. Obviously leave out the Pork and Mushrooms substituting the Crab at the end.

Cheese Spoufle

Guillermo brought us Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese from Italy. One of the many uses we put it to was a Cheese Soufflé. We follow the Julia Childs recipe and the magic usually works. Tom had stopped by and joined us for dinner. You get the recipe from our blog of: Feb 15, 2013. Click the date to get the recipe.

Daniel Boulud’s Chicken Tagine

We love Tagines. This one from Daniel Boulud Chicken Tagine is a winner. Any dish with olives is an added bonus. We served the Tagine over Cous-Cous. We started with a Date and Parmesan Salad. I have switched to using Maldon Salt in salads, I think it adds an intensity that brings out the best flavors.

Daniel Boulud’s Chicken Tagine
New York Times

This recipe for an elegant North African stew comes out of the kitchen of Boulud Sud, Daniel Boulud’s sophisticated Mediterranean French restaurant in New York. It is a dish steeped in the flavors of North Africa, but also of France. Chicken serves as the protein, bathed in a blend of North African spices — cinnamon and coriander, turmeric, ginger powder and cardamom — combined with tomatoes, saffron and a little stock. Preserved lemons and olives added at the end provide bite. Tagines are often cooked with root vegetables and dried fruits. Boulud, who famously grew up on a farm, in Lyon, uses cauliflower. ‘‘It is maybe a little more French approach to the tagine,’’ he said. Blanching the cauliflower and tomatoes before cooking them may cause some cooks to blanch themselves. But the effort is worth it.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE SPICE MIX

3 ½         tablespoons sweet paprika

1         teaspoon garlic powder

2         teaspoons cinnamon

3         tablespoons ground coriander

1         tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1         tablespoon ginger powder

½         tablespoon ground cardamom

2 ½         teaspoons ground allspice

FOR THE TAGINE

8         chicken thighs, approximately 3 pounds

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2         tablespoons spice mix

⅓         cup extra-virgin olive oil

3         Roma tomatoes

1         head cauliflower, cut into bite-size florets

1         large white onion, diced

3         cloves garlic, diced

1         tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1         pinch saffron

1         tablespoon tomato paste

2         cups chicken stock, homemade or low-sodium

3         tablespoons preserved lemons, approximately 2 lemons, roughly chopped

1         cup green olives, like Castelvetranos

½         bunch cilantro, leaves picked and stems discarded.

PREPARATION

1.   Combine the spices in a dry sauté pan set over low heat, and toast them gently until they release their fragrance, 2 minutes or so. Transfer to a bowl, and allow to cool.

2.   Preheat oven to 350. Season the chicken thighs with the salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of the spice mix, along with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.

3.   Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat, and set a large bowl of ice water to the side. Core the tomatoes, and score an X on their bottoms. Boil the cauliflower florets in the water for 3 minutes, then submerge them in the ice water. Boil the tomatoes for 20 seconds, and chill them in the ice water as well. Remove the cauliflower when it is cold, and pat the florets dry. Peel the skin off the tomatoes, then cut them into quarters lengthwise. Trim away the seeds to make petals.

4.   Heat the remaining olive oil in a large sauté pan set over medium heat, and sear the chicken in batches, starting skin-side down, until the thighs are browned. Remove the chicken to a large Dutch oven or tagine pot. Remove all but two tablespoons of the fat in pan, then return it to the heat, and brown the cauliflower and add to the chicken.

5.   Reduce heat below the pan, and add the onion, garlic, ginger and saffron. Cook, stirring, until the onions are translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and chicken stock, and simmer until reduced by 1/3.

6.   Pour sauce over the chicken and cauliflower, cover the pot and transfer to oven for 20 minutes. Remove, stir in the tomatoes, preserved lemon and olives, then cover the pot again and cook for an additional 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Serve the chicken in the pot, garnished with the cilantro leaves, with couscous. Reserve remaining spice mix for the next batch or another use. It keeps well in a sealed container.

Crab Dynamite

Crab Dynamite, everyone's favorite

We made Crab Dynamite for Marybeth.  Everyone and I mean everyone loves it! The recipe can be found on our blog of: Sep. 5, 2010. Click the date to get the recipe.

Tom stopped by on his way home. It wasn't hard to convince him to join us,

Thanksgiving

Notice the Wire Trussing

Squash and Lentil Soup

Turkey served over orange flavored Noodles

Robert's Chocolate Cake

Thanksgiving dinner for our friends is an annual event at our house. We always make the Renaissance Turkey recipe. It is served over Orange Flavored Noodles. I always rotisserie the Turkey. This is a very unusual presentation of turkey and it is definitely a winner. Our friends expect it! You can find the recipe on our blog of: November 23, 2012. Click the date to get the recipe. We were happy that we were able to use for the first time our new dinner plates. It was a fitting introduction for them.

We worried about the correct size of turkey. We wanted enough turkey for 10 guests and with leftovers. Nate a McCall's Meat and Fish suggested a 12 pound turkey. It was the perfect size.

I figured out something good this year, that I will always use in the future. When the Turkey is spinning on the rotisserie sometimes the filling spills out. I could never adequately the openings at the front and rear of the turkey. This time I wired them shut! It worked like a champ. I will always do the same from now on.

Cathy made a new soup recipe: Puréed Winter Squash and Red Lentil Soup, we found it in the New York Times. It was excellent.

Robert baked an incredibly rich Chocolate Cake. It was the perfect ending to an indulgent meal.

Puréed Winter Squash and Red Lentil Soup

New York Times

Here the tawny hue of the cooked lentils blends well with the sweet yellow-orange winter squash. If you’re looking for Halloween colors for a dinner main dish or starter, look no further.

INGREDIENTS

2         tablespoons grapeseed oil

1         medium onion, minced

2         garlic cloves, minced

1         tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

3         teaspoons yellow mustard seeds

2         teaspoons cumin seeds

½         teaspoon turmeric

1         medium butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled, seeded and diced (about 5 cups diced squash)

1         cup red lentils, rinsed

Salt

Black pepper

2         teaspoons butter or ghee

Plain yogurt, for garnish

Chopped cilantro, for garnish (optional)

PREPARATION

1.   Heat oil over medium heat in large, heavy soup pot. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, 1 teaspoon mustard seeds and 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute.

2.   Stir in turmeric, squash, red lentils and 2 quarts water. Turn up heat, add salt to taste and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, skim off foam, cover and simmer 35 to 45 minutes, until squash and lentils are tender. Taste and adjust salt.

3.   Purée soup using an immersion blender or, working in batches, in a blender (pull a towel down over the top of blender to avoid hot splashes). Return to pot if using blender. Add black pepper, taste and adjust salt, and heat through.

4.   Just before serving, heat butter over medium heat in a small skillet or saucepan and add remaining 2 teaspoons mustard seeds and 1 teaspoon cumin seeds. Cook, stirring, until seeds are lightly colored and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir into soup.

5.   Serve with a generous dollop of yogurt and a sprinkling of cilantro if desired.

Sausage and Polenta

We are talking hearty winter dinner. We love Sausage and Polenta. We always get the Fennel Sausage at McCall's Meat and Fish. The Mushrooms add a depth of taste that is amazing. This is a super cold weather dish. I love it. You get the recipe from our blog of: June 9, 2014. Click the date to get the recipe.

Thai Pork Fried Rice

Left over Pork. Thai Fried Rice. You have read about it many times on the Blog. Question: Have you tried this recipe? We make it often for a reason - it is delicious! You can find the recipe on our blog of: April 4, 2013. Click the date to get the recipe.

Braised Pork with Red Wine

Colder fall nights call for hearty dinners! We have been finding an amazing amount of new recipes for us in The New York Times. We are looking for easy dinners with lots of leftovers. Braised Pork with Red Wine was an excellent new dish for us. The more the meat cooked the thicker and richer the sauce became. Persimmons at this time of year are at their peak and this year they are especially sweet. They make a great Salad.

Braised Pork With Red Wine
Mark Bittman
New York Times

INGREDIENTS

2         pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into large chunks

Salt and pepper

2         cups fruity red wine, like Beaujolais or Burgundy (pinot noir)

1         cup good stock, or water

1         pound fat carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

10         cloves garlic, more or less, peeled

2         tablespoons butter

Cooked egg noodles for serving

Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish

PREPARATION

1.   Combine pork, salt and pepper to taste, wine, stock, carrots and garlic in a saucepan, Dutch oven or slow cooker. Bring to a boil, then adjust heat so that mixture simmers steadily but not vigorously. (If using a slow cooker, just turn it to ''high'' and let cook for at least three hours.)

 .

2.   Cook, stirring every half-hour or so, until meat is very tender and just about falling apart, at least an hour and most likely a bit longer. Use a slotted spoon to remove solid ingredients to a bowl, then turn heat to high. (If using a slow cooker, transfer liquid to a saucepan for this step.) Reduce to about a cup, or even less. Taste and adjust seasoning, then lower heat and stir in butter.

3.   Add solids to sauce and reheat. Serve over egg noodles, garnished with parsley

Steak!

Sparks from the Fire

Bone-in Ribeye

When we returned from Japan we were ready for a good old American Juicy Grilled Steak. We purchased two big Bone-in Ribeye Steaks at McCall's Meat and Fish. We knew we would have leftovers. There are two secrets to a great steak: excellent meat and dry Rub from the Babbo Cookbook by Mario Batali. When you use the dry rub there is no need to spend the extra money for dry-aged steak because the dry rub will be the dominate seasoning. You can get the recipe from our blog of: August 10, 2014. Click the date to get the recipe.

Garlic Chicken In A Pot

Another keeper from The New York Times! We liked this Garlic Chicken Recipe on a cold night.

Garlic Chicken In A Pot

New York Times

WHEN I was just starting out in the kitchen -- a young woman with expensive pots, no experience and an ambition to cook in the grand manner -- a friend of mine, an older, wiser man who had notched decades behind a stove, gave me this advice: ''Before you attempt soufflés and flambés,'' he said, ''master one no-matter-what recipe.''

My friend's definition of a no-matter-what recipe was simple: it was a dish that would be good no matter what the occasion (and with whom you were sharing it); no matter what you added or subtracted (No potatoes? Skip them or use turnips) and no matter what little mistakes you made (like forgetting it in the oven for an extra half hour).

The foolproof recipe I chose, which I have been playing theme-and-variation with ever since, is chicken with 40 cloves of garlic. It is a version of the time-honored chicken in a pot, in which the entire meal -- chicken, vegetables and resulting sauce -- is cooked in a pot and, if you like, served in the pot, the better to keep all those dunkable cooking juices hot. It is a dish made for crusty bread and a lot of wine, and one for which the term comfort food might have been invented.

The first chicken in a pot I made came from Richard Olney's cookbook ''Simple French Food'' (Atheneum, 1974). Mr. Olney, an American painter who moved to Provence and became an almost cult culinary figure, gives a recipe for garlic chicken, instructing the cook to put a cut-up chicken in a casserole with 40 cloves of unpeeled garlic, two-thirds of a cup of olive oil, salt, pepper, dried herbs and a bouquet garni.

The casserole is sealed with a flour-and-water paste and slid into a 350 degree oven to cook for one hour and 45 minutes. When the seal is broken at the table, that first puff of fragrant steam is intoxicating.

I loved that dish. I could put it together blindfolded in 10 minutes and it was always delicious. But it became even more delicious when I started tweaking it. One day I added potatoes, the next carrots. When I had leeks, they went into the pot, as did green beans, red peppers, shallots, celery root, parsnips or fresh herbs. Sometimes I would add one vegetable, sometimes lots more.

I was certain I had savored garlic chicken in every guise imaginable when I came across a version by Antoine Westermann, the Michelin three-star chef from Alsace, France. In his incarnation, the chicken is whole, and it and the vegetables are browned before they are nestled in the pot. The liquid for the dish is white wine, chicken broth and olive oil, the herbs are fresh, and everything is enlivened by small squares of zest from a salt-preserved lemon, a genius addition to the recipe. This dish looked better than the original when the lid was lifted, and the lid was lifted in less time: Mr. Westermann's chicken cooks at 450 degrees for just 55 minutes. I dabbled with the new recipe as well, and I realized again how flexible this dish is. There are five variables -- the pot, the chicken, the vegetables, the liquid and the temperature -- and if you stay close to the spirit of the original with each, the recipe will be a success.

For the pot, look for heft and a lid. My favorite chicken-in-a-pot pot is Le Creuset's casserole made of enameled cast iron, but any lidded Dutch oven or large heavy pot, even an earthenware casserole, will do.

Your choices for the chicken are basic: whole or cut up. I think a whole bird looks a little dressier than pieces, but a whole chicken needs to be quartered before serving, while pieces go from oven to table nonstop. Pieces have another advantage: You can fit more than one chicken in a pot. Whichever you choose, you can brown the chicken before you cook it -- or not.

The vegetables are the most variable of variables, both in terms of kind and quantity. In general, root and hearty vegetables are best for this dish; think carrots, potatoes (white or sweet), some kind of onions (shallots or cippoline or quartered yellow onions), turnips, parsnips, celery root, winter squash or artichoke hearts (peeled Jerusalem artichokes work well, too).

I tend to go overboard on the vegetables because I like the way they cook to a sweet, caramely softness and am happy to have double-size portions to spoon out.

Of course, you can also follow Richard Olney's recipe, which has no vegetables (although artichokes are an option).

As for the liquid, you can keep it simple and use just olive oil, or go with my new favorite, Mr. Westermann's oil, broth and wine mélange. Similarly, I've decided I like Mr. Westermann's high-temperature cooking method. In fact, I liked everything about Mr. Westermann's rendition of my beloved chicken in the pot so much that the instant I read the recipe, I ditched my plans for dinner that night and made his dish.

As I passed a plate to a friend, he said, ''Doesn't this remind you of Richard Olney's garlic chicken? I think you should call it garlic chicken, the next generation.''

He was right, but if it is the next generation of anything, for me it is the next generation of a great no-matter-what recipe.

INGREDIENTS

½ salt-preserved lemon, rinsed well (see note)

¼ cup sugar

⅓ cup olive oil

16 small peeled potatoes (white or sweet) or 2 large peeled potatoes, each cut into 8 pieces

16 small onions or shallots, peeled and trimmed

8 carrots, peeled and quartered

4 stalks celery, trimmed and quartered

4 heads garlic, cloves separated but not peeled

Salt and freshly ground pepper

3 sprigs fresh thyme

3 sprigs Italian parsley

2 sprigs rosemary

1 chicken, whole or cut up

1 cup chicken broth

½ cup white wine

About 1 1/2 cups flour

PREPARATION

1.   Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Remove zest from preserved lemon and cut zest into small squares; save pulp for another use. Bring 1 cup water and the sugar to a boil, drop in zest and cook 1 minute; drain and set aside.

2.   Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add vegetables and garlic, season with salt and pepper and sauté until brown on all sides. (If necessary, do this in 2 batches.) Spoon vegetables into a 4 1/2- to 5-quart lidded Dutch oven and stir in herbs and lemon zest.

3.   Return skillet to heat, add another tablespoon of oil and brown chicken on all sides, seasoning it with salt and pepper as it cooks. Tuck chicken into casserole, surrounding it with vegetables. Mix together the broth, wine and remaining olive oil and pour it over chicken and vegetables.

4.   Mix flour with enough hot water (about 3/4 cup) to make a malleable dough. On a floured surface, work dough into a sausage; place dough on rim of casserole. Press lid onto dough to seal casserole. Bake 55 minutes. To break seal, work the point of a screwdriver between pot and lid. If chicken is whole, quarter it. Chicken may be served in the pot or arranged with vegetables on a serving platter.

Monkfish with Ginger/Crime Fraiche

We had Tom over for this FANTASTIC dish. I went wild for the sauce. I want to make it again! There  was a sourness to the sauce that I loved. Definitely try this dish!

Monkfish with Ginger/Crime Fraiche, and Seared Greens
Spice Flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean by Ana Sortun

Monkfish has a dense structure, like lobster, scallops, or tenderloins of pork or beef, so it can be cooked with powerful flavors such as ginger and is perfect for high-heat cooking and sweet fall flavors.

Try serving this dish with some roasted apples, figs, or peach slices. Brush some fresh-split figs or thick slices of apple or peach with extra-virgin olive oil, and then grill, or roast the fruit in a 350 ° F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until tender.

Try a non-oaky chardonnay, such as chablis, with this dish.

Serves 6

2         pounds monkfish, skinned (ask your fishmonger to clean them for you)

Salt and pepper to taste

2         pounds green or red Swiss chard (about 4 small bunches)

2         tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2         tablespoons butter

4         tablespoons finely chopped garlic (about 8 cloves)

1         tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger

2         cups creme fraiche

4         tablespoons flour

¼         cup vermouth or dry white wine

1         lemon, cut into 4 wedges for serving

1.   Cut monkfish into 6 equal portions, each about 5 ounces, and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Set them aside or refrigerate them while preparing the rest of the dish.

2.   Trim the stalks from the Swiss chard and reserve them for another use or discard them. Wash the chard well and place it in a colander to drain.

3.   Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet or deep-sided pan with a fitted cover. When the butter begins to brown, add the garlic, stirring constantly, and cook until the garlic turns golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the chard immediately and cover. Cook for about 8 minutes, until the chard is limp and becomes tender. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the ginger and creme fraiche and season if needed. Keep warm.

4.   In another large skillet or saute pan over high heat, heat the remaining i tablespoon oil and butter, until trie butter starts to brown. Dredge the fish in the flour and shake off any excess. Fry the fish until it is golden brown both sides, about 5 minutes a side. If the fish is very thick, turn the heat down and cover the pan to brown it more slowly and cook it all the way through.

5.   Add the vermouth to the pan and let it cook down to almost nothing. This should take less than a minute and should glaze the fish, by pulling up any sugars that may be stuck to the bottom of the pan.

6.   Remove the chard from the pan, leaving the juices in the pan, and smother the fish with it.

7.   Bring the liquid from the chard to a simmer and cook on medium low heat for about 5 minutes, until the sauce becomes thick enough to coat a spoon.

8.   Pour the sauce over the fish and chard and serve with lemon.