Truth: Instead of a switchblade, I used a mandolin slicer to cut peeled sweet potatoes for my doomed gratin. It was supposed to be like the quinoa-potato gratin at Juventino, a restaurant down the street from my apartment, but I a) couldn’t get the potatoes sliced thin enough, b) used too much quinoa, and c) didn’t use enough milk and seasonings.

So pretty, but then…

Lesson learned.

I did roast a pretty successful chicken, though. Dorie Greenspan’s method in Around My French Table worked well. In short, put the chicken in a pot or roasting pan, put half of a head of garlic and fresh herbs in the cavity, place the other half of the garlic and more herbs in the pot next to the chicken, add a few tablespoons of olive oil, season, and roast.

Ninety minutes later, the bird is done. (I think I could have cut it down to 75 because of the bird’s weight.)

I found the recipe for the b’stilla in Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table and didn’t adapt it at all, so you can check it out in this handy Google Books preview version of her fantastic cookbook. You can also find photos from and lessons learned during my pie preparation after the jump.

B’stilla Lesson #1: Chicken thighs come in many sizes. I picked up some scrawny chicken thighs at the store and didn’t end up with as much for the filling as I would have liked. In fact, I may have had more diced onions than chicken, so choose your chicken thighs wisely. If you end up with too much filling, make a mini-b’stilla to go with your big one.

B’stilla Lesson #2: Pastry brushes are a wise kitchen investment. Dorie’s recipe calls for sheets of phyllo brushed with butter, so make sure to have them on hand.

B’stilla Lesson #3: Don’t forget the coriander. I forgot to pick it up at the store, but remembered that my lovely friend Allie had not only given me whole coriander seeds as a wedding gift, she also hauled a mortar and pestle from Seattle to the east coast for me to grind them with.

Here’s a not-quite-successful action shot in natural light by the window:

B’stilla Lesson #4: If the phyllo dough starts browning too much, cover it with aluminum foil. My crust was on the verge of burning 25 minutes into baking, so make sure to check it periodically (preferably with an oven light so you don’t let out the heat).

B’stilla Lesson #5: Be prepared to eat it for a few days. Dorie’s recipe says that it serves six and no accompaniment is needed, but if you pair it with a salad, this pie could last you and your significant other for three days of dinners and lunches.

I promise to get back to creating recipes and taking photos next week once I’ve readjusted to full time employment. It’s strange to return to a regular 8-hour workday after ten months of pyjamas and working from home.

The time has come for the first Apartment Dining Challenge. This month’s challenge comes from Jon and Kellie. Jon writes:

Kellie and I enjoy making tacos in our apartment. We both like to eat them in different ways. Kellie likes to break up the hard shells and make a taco salad; I like hard or soft shell tacos the traditional way. We usually make them together – one person cooks the meat and shells while the other cuts veggies – so it’s a fun team effort. We also make them to get rid of leftover steak or chicken. What are your thoughts on tacos?

I have always been a fan of tacos, particularly chicken or those with more uncommon ingredients, such as chorizo or roasted vegetables. I think the key to making tacos at home on a regular basis is mixing it up with new ingredients or meat cooking methods. Keeping cooking time in mind (Jon and Kellie are two very busy folks), I wanted to put together a simple recipe that added some interesting ingredients and could also lend itself to a taco salad.

Enter the tomatillo.

The tomatillo is similar to a tomato, however it is wrapped in a papery husk that is removed before use (you should also rinse the unwrapped tomatillo before use as there is a sticky residue on the skin left by the husk…I realize how unappetizing that sounds, but trust me, they’re good). They have a tart, apple-like flavor when eaten raw, or you can roast them.

Chicken Tacos with Fresh Tomato and Tomatillo Salsa
Salsa (amounts can be adjusted based on your taste)
-3 tomatillos, husk removed, rinsed, and diced*
-2 tomatoes, diced
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1 small jalapeño, minced**
-1/2 red onion, diced
-4 tbs. cilantro, chopped
-1 tbs. oil
-2 tbs. fresh lime juice
-Salt and pepper to taste

1) Mix ingredients together in a container, cover, and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Then serve as desired.

*If you want to mellow the flavor of the tomatillos a bit, place them under the broiler until they just begin to char. Allow them to cool, then dice and add to the salsa.

**Take precautions while cutting the jalapeño to avoid getting the juice on your skin, or just be very careful not to touch your face or eyes for a while after. A glove is great, but a sandwich-sized ziploc bag works in a pinch.

Chicken:
-2 chicken breasts, cut into 1″ x 1″ cubes
-1 small yellow onion, diced
-2 tbs. oil
-1 tbs. cumin
-1 tsp. corriander
-Salt and pepper to taste
-Soft corn tortillas

1) Add 1 tbs. oil to large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until done, stirring occasionally. Set aside on a plate and pour out any liquid.

2) Return the skillet to the heat and add the other tablespoon of oil. Add the diced onion and cook until tender, stirring often. Next, add the chicken back to the pan and stir in the spices. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the chicken is heated through.

When it’s time to put the tacos together, heat a small skillet over high heat and warm each tortilla for 8-10 seconds before topping with chicken and salsa. You can also add a small dollop of sour cream. If making a salad, chop your lettuce and then top with chicken and salsa.

Click here for other taco recipes.

I had every intention of posting an Apartment Dining Challenge entry today. The meal was cooked over the weekend, I took plenty of photos, and even promised it in my recent Facebook and Twitter updates. Well, things have been a bit crazy since Monday and in anticipation of my new job starting next week, I decided to escape to the Adirondacks for a few days to recharge and refocus. I completely forgot to grab the AD Challenge photos off of my hard drive, so Tuesday was my first night here and my mother made one of her mother’s dinner staples: rice krispie chicken.

I asked my mother for the recipe, and not only did she provide me with it, she also pulled out my Grandma Mangan’s recipe book (she of giblet gravy fame). It’s a Home & Garden cookbook bursting with small pieces of loose leaf paper, newspaper and magazine clippings, pieces of prepared food packaging, and paper scraps with recipes ranging from spaghetti pie to chicken marsala. She had a separate set of index cards with her own recipes (or those from Dom DeLuise), but I’m fascinated by the recipes from other sources she chose to save over fifty years of cooking.

All of this—along with my lack of a printer for my computer—inspired me to go out and purchase a three-in-one printer/scanner/copier so that I can document these clippings and not have to deal with the Staples Copy Center on a regular basis. I will be spending much of Thursday scanning my favorite items so that I can create a feature here called “Grandma’s Recipes” where I post the clipping, prepare it myself, and share the results.

I wasn’t able to find the actual clipping for the rice krispie chicken, however my mother was able to write it out from memory.

Rice Krispie Chicken
-4 cups Rice Krispies (or similar generic cereal brand)
-1 tsp. kosher salt
-1/2 tsp. black pepper
-1/2 cup butter
-6 chicken legs and 2 breasts, rinsed and patted dry

1) Pre-heat oven to 350º.

2) Put Rice Krispies, salt, and pepper in food processor and process until they are the consistency of sand. Pour into shallow dish.

2) Melt butter in a medium bowl.

3) Lightly grease a baking sheet and create a small assembly line on your counter. Dip the chicken in the butter, roll in the cereal, and then place on the sheet. Repeat the process until all of the chicken is coated.

4) Bake for 1 hour. Can be eaten plain, or if you’re anything like my sister, enjoy with ranch dressing on the side for dipping.

Photo by Ramsey (he stole my camera while I was in the kitchen and took the best shot of the evening)

Most people cite family members as having the most influence over their personal taste and culinary development, but for me, that person is my friend Vince. We’ve known each other since I was born, and without him, I would have never experienced such a wide range of foods and cooking styles over the years. He’s managed to track down every wonderful restaurant off the beaten path in our declining upstate NY hometown, including Korean restaurants hidden in strip malls, Thai restaurants on residential side streets, small restaurant/bars serving cocktails and sticky toffee pudding. He researches new restaurants in New York and is always ready with a recommendation when he is in town (he took me to Momofuku Ssäm Bar for the first time). The man even gives me cooking supplies and candied chestnuts as gifts on holidays.

Culinary finds aside though, I believe what’s had the most influence on me is Vince’s attitude towards food: he works hard to find the best and shares it with those around him. Meals are meant to be shared with friends and food is a glue that holds together the social fabric of a circle of friends, or brings together new ones.

One of Vince’s finds during our college days was a dish listed on a menu as “Awesome Chicken” at a Thai restaurant in Buffalo. It was chicken with peanut sauce over rice, but as I discovered during one of my visits to the city, the restaurant was correct in their assessment. I tried to recreate it last night, and while I don’t think it reached “awesome” status, I’d dub it “pretty good.”

Thai Peanut Chicken
-3 tbs. creamy organic peanut butter
-2 tbs. rice vinegar
-2 tbs. soy sauce
-1 tbs. brown sugar
-1 tsp. chili powder
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-3 chicken breasts, sliced into thin strips
-2 tbs. scallions
-2 tbs. vegetable oil
-1 cup jasmine rice, cooked according to package directions
-cilantro for garnish

1) Mix together peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, and chili powder in a medium bowl and set aside.

2) Heat oil in a large skillet and add garlic. Stir until fragrant, then add the chicken and cook over medium-high heat until almost cooked though. Add peanut sauce and scallions and reduce heat to medium. Cook for five minutes, stirring often.

3) Serve over rice and top with a sprinkling of cilantro.

Stir-fried Bok Choy and Red Pepper
-3 large stalks of bok choy, cut into chunks
-1 large red bell pepper, chopped into 1.5″x1.5″ squares
-1 clove garlic, minced
-1 1/2 tbs vegetable oil
-1/2 tsp sesame oil
-1 tsp. soy sauce

1) Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute), then add the bok choy, bell pepper, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Cook until tender, approximately 5 minutes (you may need to remove the bok choy leaves from the pan before the stalks to avoid burning them).

There are two food superstars in Western New York. The first and most famous is the Buffalo wing, created in the kitchen of the Anchor Bar back in the 1960s. The second is the lesser-known Garbage Plate of Rochester, beloved by drunk college students, locals, and anyone looking for three pounds of greasy goodness. Nick Tahou Hots, home of the Garbage Plate, describes the dish as “a base of any combination of home fries, macaroni salad, baked beans, or french fries topped by your choice of meats and dressed to your liking with spicy mustard, chopped onions, and Nick Tahou’s signature hot sauce.  Each plate comes with two thick slices of fresh italian bread and butter.” Essentially, it’s everything you might find at a backyard barbecue piled on one plate.

With unique (and heart-stopping) foods like these, it’s no surprise that the chicken finger sub is one of the most overlooked Western New York delicacies. This sandwich, featuring chicken fingers dipped in Frank’s Redhot sauce, can be found in almost every sub shop, the occasional pizza place, and at certain Wegmans locations. I even made variations of the sub while working at the on-campus sandwich shop in college, where weight-conscious sorority pledges would get all of the fixings in a wrap to cut down on carbs (including the blue cheese dressing).

Despite its popularity in the streets of Rochester, Buffalo, and everywhere in between, the chicken finger sub is virtually impossible to find in New York City. Its scarcity may be a blessing to the waistlines of transplanted upstaters, but for a dedicated few, it’s a call to take matters into their own hands.

Tonight, Ramsey and I decided to make the subs from scratch (almost) and you can find the recipe and photos after the jump.

Chicken Finger Sub
-1 12″ sub roll
-3 chicken fingers (store bought frozen or for a more health-conscious version, crispy chicken strips made with melba toast or panko bread crumbs)
-Lettuce
-Tomatoes, thinly sliced
-3 slices of provolone cheese
-2-3 tbs. blue cheese dressing
-Frank’s Redhot, enough to coat the chicken fingers

1) Bake the chicken fingers according to bag or recipe directions.

2) While the fingers cool, cut the sub roll in half and spread the provolone slices on the top half. Lightly toast the roll in the oven at 400° for 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

3) Dip the chicken fingers in a bowl of Frank’s Redhot to coat them completely. Set aside. (Ramsey took care of this part, as pictured below.)

4) When the roll is done toasting, remove from the oven and spread the blue cheese dressing on the bottom half. Place the chicken fingers on top of the dressing, then the lettuce and tomato.

5) Top with the other half of the roll and slice down the middle.

I’ve been trying to keep food bills to a minimum the past few months, so Ramsey and I have been eating a lot of chicken and pasta. There are endless pasta variations that can be easily improvised, but I’ve been searching for more ways to prepare chicken beyond my standbys of roasting and pan-searing. A quick flip through my cookbook library yielded a technique I had never tried in my kitchen before: braising. It calls for searing meat and/or vegetables in a bit of oil, then slowly simmering them in flavorful liquid until they’re cooked through. It’s easy, delicious, and best of all, it’s cheap.

Braising is best for poultry and tougher cuts of meat, as the slow-cooking allows for a breakdown of connective tissue and an infusion of flavor. You can also braise vegetables alone by sauteing them for a few minutes, then adding vegetable or chicken stock and simmering, covered, for an additional 2-3 minutes. I decided to braise both chicken and vegetables with this adapted recipe from Alice Waters’ The Art of Simple Food.

While this recipe doesn’t technically have only five ingredients, it does call for a number of common ingredients you may already have in your pantry (oil, bay leaves, salt, pepper, garlic), so I’m counting it as a Five Ingredients entry.

Braised Chicken Legs
-4 chicken legs (with skin)
-2 tbs. olive oil
-1 red onion, diced large
-1 yellow onion, diced large
-4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
-2 bay leaves
-1 rosemary sprig (keep whole, don’t remove the leaves)
-1 12 oz can whole tomatoes, diced (make sure to include the juice)
-1 cup chicken broth

1. Season the chicken legs with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in the bottom of a large saucepan (that you have a lid for) over medium heat and place the chicken legs in the pan, skin side down. Let them cook about 12 minutes, or until crisp and well browned. Flip and cook for an additional four minutes.

2. Remove the chicken and place on a nearby plate. Add the diced onions to the saucepan and cook until translucent. Add the herbs and garlic and cook for two minutes, stirring often.

3. Add the diced tomatoes and juice, then scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to pull up any brown bits that are still holding on.

Cook for 5 minutes and then place the chicken in the pan, skin side up, on top of the tomatoes and onions.

4. Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Cover and cook for 45 minutes.

5. Pour the braising liquid into a medium bowl, remove the bay leaves and rosemary sprig, and skim the fat. This can be done by tilting the bowl to one side, then using a large spoon to scoop out the fat that has collected. Discard the fat by placing it in a small bowl and allowing it to congeal, covered, in the fridge (yes, it’s a bit gross). Once congealed, scrape out the fat and throw it in the trash, unless you want to use it in place of cooking oil in a dish the following day. This will avoid any unfortunate clogs in your kitchen sink.

6. Return the braising liquid to the pan and serve the chicken, topping with the onions and tomatoes and a spoonful of liquid.

I woke up extra early on Sunday morning to do some cooking. At 10 AM, you would assume I’d be up making a dish for brunch or perhaps baking muffins, but instead I was prepping and roasting a whole chicken. It was a component for that evening’s dinner, the ultimate comfort food: chicken pot pie. The combination of flaky pastry, seasoned gravy, and vegetables that appeared on plates throughout my childhood make it an ideal winter Sunday meal. 

The whole chicken provided not only the meat for the pie, it also provided the chicken broth after a few hours of simmering the carcass on the stove with vegetables and seasonings. The best part was that the three pound free-range organic chicken cost only ten dollars and some change at the store the previous day, which is a bargain in Brooklyn. 

A guide to making chicken broth and the pie are after the jump.

Chicken Broth
-1 chicken carcass, cooked meat removed
-2 carrots, roughly chopped
-2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
-1 small yellow onion, cut into large chunks
-2 bay leaves
-any additional seasonings of your choice
-salt and pepper to taste 

1) Place vegetables and chicken in a large pot and fill with water until it covers the chicken completely. 

2) Add seasonings, stir, and turn on heat. Simmer for 4-5 hours, occasionally removing any foam or large amounts of fat that rise to the surface. 

3) Remove pot from heat and remove the bones, then strain the remaining stock. Discard the vegetables and bay leaves. 

4) Set aside 2 1/2 cups for the chicken pot pie and then refrigerate or freeze the rest for future use. 

Chicken Pot Pie

Crust
-I used Mark Bittman’s tart crust recipe and didn’t add sugar. I also added a a few teaspoons of finely chopped fresh rosemary and marjoram.

Filling
Mo Note: The key to making sure all of your filling components are evenly cooked is cutting them all to about equal sizes. I kept everything about 3/4″ thick. 
-3 tbs. unsalted butter
-2 1/2 cups chicken broth
-2/3 cups flour
-2 large carrots, chopped
-2 large celery stalks, chopped
-1 potato, cubed
-1/4 cup frozen peas
-1 small yellow onion, diced
-2 1/4 cups cooked chicken meat, cut into bite-sized pieces 
-1/8 cup chopped parsley
-2 tsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped, or 1 tsp. dried
-2 tsp. fresh marjoram, finely chopped, or 1 tsp. dried 
-Salt and pepper to taste

1) Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped onions, stirring often until they become translucent. 

2) Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Add flour and stir constantly for 2-3 minutes, or until it is fully incorporated and starts to thicken. 

3) Add rosemary, marjoram, and dashes of salt and pepper. 

4) Add cubed potato and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrot and then add celery 2 minutes later. Pre-heat your over to 375º at this stage. 

5) Once vegetables are tender, add parsley, peas, and chicken. Season to taste and remove from heat. Let cool for a few minutes and then pour into your pie plate. 

6) Roll out your crust and then place on top of the filling, cutting a few vents to allow moisture to escape. 

7) Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until top crust is golden brown.

“…and after all of the broth was absorbed, the rice was still raw!”
“…but then I stirred the rice to find the bottom was COMPLETELY BURNED.”
“…by the time I was done, I had finished the rest of the bottle of wine and just fell asleep.” 

(That last one is a lie, but still, a possible mistake while making this dish.)

I consulted a number of different sites and a few of my cookbooks to put together what would be my first attempt at the dish this afternoon. The result was a Risotto with Thyme Chicken and Mushrooms. You can embellish risotto with just about anything, use vegetable broth for a vegan or vegetarian option, or even sweeten it for dessert. Here’s the recipe.

Risotto with Thyme Chicken and Mushrooms for Two
-6 cups chicken broth (homemade or low sodium pre-made)
-1 medium chicken breast
-1 tbs. olive oil
-1 tbs. balsamic vinegar
-2 portobello mushroom caps (the ideal is porcini mushrooms, but I couldn’t track any down today and didn’t want to hike into Manhattan)
-The leaves of 4 fresh thyme sprigs (about 2 tsp.) 
-1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
-3 tbs. unsalted butter
-1 1/2 cups Aborio rice
-1/2 cup dry white wine
-1/2 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
-Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 

1) Mushrooms: To avoid having to multi-task while stirring rice later, I recommend preparing the mushrooms before beginning the risotto. Chop the mushrooms into almost bite-sized pieces (they will shrink when cooked). Heat a saucepan over medium heat and then add the 1 tbs. olive oil. Once heated, add mushrooms and stir often. After a minute, add balsamic vinegar and continue cooking until mushrooms are slightly browned. Place in a bowl, cover, and set aside. 

2) Chicken: Salt and pepper chicken breast on both sides. In a small pan over medium heat, melt 1 tbs. butter. Once melted, add 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, stir, and let simmer with the butter for about 30 seconds. Add chicken breast and cook over medium-low heat, about 6-8 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. When done, cut into pieces about the size of the mushrooms. 

3) In a medium saucepan, bring chicken broth to a boil and then reduce heat to low, keeping it at a gentle simmer. This is to ensure the broth is close to the temperature of the rice as you add it later. 

4) While the broth is heating, melt 2 tbs. butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat and add shallot, stirring often until translucent. Increase heat and cook shallot until slightly browned, but not burned. 

5) Add rice and continuously stir until it becomes almost opaque, taking care not to brown or burn it, about 4 minutes. 

6) Add 1/3 cup of the white wine and stir until absorbed completely by the rice. Then, add 1/2 cup of the chicken broth and stir often until absorbed. Continue to add chicken broth in 1/2 cup increments, waiting until it is completely absorbed before adding the next batch and stirring often. Try the rice occasionally and once it reaches a tender, but slightly firm texture in the center, it’s ready (this will take around 20 minutes of so). It will have an overall creamy consistency. 

7) Add the last bit of wine, lemon zest, thyme and stir, cooking for another minute or two until the wine is absorbed. 

8 ) Lower the heat and add the cheese, stirring until fully incorporated. Add the mushroom (reserving a few pieces for plating) and chicken and stir until warmed. 

9) Finally, add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve in bowls topped with an extra sprinkle of parmesan cheese and remaining mushrooms.