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Gayle’s Chicken with Carrots & Wine Sauce

Gayle’s Chicken with Carrots & Wine Sauce

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Yield: about 4 servings
Originally adapted from Pillsbury Kitchens’ Family Cookbook

I updated this to use cream and mushrooms instead of cream of mushroom soup.

  • 1-1½lb boneless chicken breast halves
  • 8oz carrots or baby carrots, peeled and cut to 2 in pieces
  • 8oz mushrooms, sliced
  • 8oz heavy cream
  • 2oz white wine
  • 1heaping tsp Better than Bouillon, chicken
  • 4TBS butter, divided
  • 1TBS oil

Trim breasts of any fat or cartilage. If breasts are large, halve diagonally (can do this anyway). Season breasts with salt and pepper.

If the carrots are fresh, microwave in a covered dish with 1 TBS water for 2 minutes.

Heat frying pan over medium high heat. Add butter. When butter stops sizzling, add mushrooms and saute for 6 to 8 minutes until browned. Remove to dish and set aside.

Add 1 TBS oil to pan and heat for 30 seconds. Add chicken to pan. Move pieces around to coat bottom with oil. Fry on first side until light to medium brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn chicken over and continue to fry for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add heavy cream, wine and Better than Bouillon. Stir in center of pan, between chicken pieces to mix in Better than Bouillon. Season well with black pepper.

Return the mushrooms and carrots to the pan and mix everything to evenly distribute. Carrots should be in sauce, but not under chicken. As sauce starts to boil, reduce heat to simmer. Cover, cook for 8 to 10 minutes.  Should be bubbling, but not boiling hard.

Check thickest piece of chicken with instant read thermometer for > 152°F. (Or pull one of the breasts from the pan, cut almost in half and check for doneness. Should not be any pink in center.)

Remove breasts to a serving dish and set aside.

If necessary, increase heat and reduce cream sauce to desired thickness. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Pour over breasts.

Serve with rice.

Gratin Dauphinois

Gratin Dauphinois

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Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Recipe from Elizabeth E. Skipper

This quintessential French dish differs from most potato gratins in that there is no cheese used. Try this and you will never miss the cheese again.

See “How to cook the perfect gratin dauphinois” for more information.

  • 1-2cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1-2TBS butter, softened
  • Kosher salt
  • pepper
  • nutmeg
  • 3-5lbs Russet potatoes (see below for quantity)
  • 1-4cups heavy cream

Press or smack the garlic to get the juice flowing. Rub inside of baking dish with garlic. Let the garlic dry on the dish. Now butter the dish generously.

The size of the baking dish sets the quantities:

1½ quart: 3 pounds potatoes, 1 to 1½ cups of heavy cream

8 x 11: 3 pounds potatoes, 2 to 2½ cups of heavy cream

9 x 13: 5 pounds potatoes, 1 quart of heavy cream

Slice the potatoes thin. Use mandolin or food processor with the slicer attachment, thinner is best.

Place a single layer of potatoes in the bottom of dish. Salt fairly heavily. Add “enough” pepper. Sprinkle on very little nutmeg. Pour on some heavy cream. Continue adding layers, seasoning and cream. Cover the top layer with cream.

Bake: (for 1½ quart baking dish, larger dish may need more time)

325°F oven, 1¾ – 2 hours,

350°F oven, 1½ hours.

400°F oven, 1 – 1¼ hours.

Test with skewer or long tined fork. Should be tender in center, browned on top. If it gets too brown, lower temperature or cover loosely with foil.

Sumac Lamb Chops

Sumac Lamb Chops

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Yield: 2 Servings

Scott Nowell

November 2016: Sumac adds a mild citrus flavor to the lamb chops. It is one of the spices used in za’atar, a popular middle eastern spice.

  • 6lamb chops
  • 1tsp cumin
  • 1TBS sumac
  • salt and pepper


Season lamb chops with salt and pepper.

Mix cumin and sumac. Sprinkle all sides of chops with mixture, rub in to coat. Let rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat grill or broiler.

Grill lamb chops for about 3 minutes on each side. Remove to plate, tent with foil and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

Serve 3 per person.

Medallions of Pork in Milk & Honey

Medallions of Pork in Milk & Honey

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Yield: 3 to4 Servings
Scott Nowell

November 1996: This may be a variation on a Jacques Pepin recipe that I saw on PBS. It’s been so long I really don’t remember, so let’s just say it’s my original. The idea for using Juniper Berries comes from a sauce I was served on venison at Windows on the World at the top of the World Trade Center in NYC in the mid 80’s.

  • ½cup milk
  • 2TBS honey
  • 1½oz gin
  • 12juniper berries crushed lightly
  • 1½lb whole pork tenderloins, trimmed with all silver-skin removed
  • 2TBS olive oil

Cut pork into slices about 3 inches thick. Stand slices one at a time on end in a quart freezer bag and pound with mallet or bottom of pan until about 1/2 inch thick. Move each pounded slice into a gallon freezer bag.

Pour milk into non metallic dish. Mix honey into milk. Honey will mix better if heated for a few seconds in microwave. Mix honey and milk until honey is dissolved. Add gin and crushed juniper berries. Pore milk mixture into pork and marinate at room temperature for 1 hour.

Heat oil in sauté pan over medium high heat until oil is quite hot. It will shimmer in the pan. Drain pork and pat dry with paper towels. Sauté pork medallions at high heat until browned on one side. Turn and cook other side. Pork should be cooked to at least 140°F. Honey will caramelize on pork and form very dark spots.

Serve alone or with accompanying sauce.

Brown Sauce

  • 1TBS butter or oil
  • 2TBS flour
  • 12oz water
  • 1tsp heaping Better Than Bouillon Beef
  • 1tsp heaping Better Than Bouillon Chicken
  • 1½oz gin
  • 12juniper berries crushed lightly

Add butter or oil to pan after removing pork. Melt over medium high heat, scraping bits from bottom of pan. Add flour and cook for a few minutes to form a light brown roux. Add water and BTB and whisk to mix. When sauce boils, lower temperature and simmer for a few minutes, stirring with whisk often. Add some cornstarch slurry to thicken if desired. Remove from heat and stir in a TBS of soft butter.

Serve with pork.

Steak, Reverse Sear

Steak, Reverse Sear

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Serves 2 to 3
Adapted from Serious Eats

February 2015: This is an incredible way to cook steak. For a reverse sear, the steak is roasted at low temperature to rare, then rested and seared to finish.

  • 1½to 2 lb tender steak, (rib-eye or strip).
  • Kosher salt
  • pepper
  • canola oil


Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 250-275°F.

If using a rib-eye, tie steak to retain shape.

Let steak stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

Line small baking sheet with foil. Place rack above.

Season steak liberally with salt and pepper. Place on rack. Insert meat thermometer to center of steak. Place racked steak on middle shelf of oven.

Roast until temperature is 125°F, 45 to 90 minutes depending on thickness.

Remove from oven, cover loosely with foil and rest 12-15 minutes. Temperature should rise to about 135°F.

While steak is resting heat a cast iron or other heavy pan over high heat until very hot.

Add a teaspoon or so of canola oil and the steak to the pan.

Cook about 1 minute and turn steak over. Cook 1 minute on the other side.

Slice, serve, enjoy.

Black Magic Cake

Black Magic Cake

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Yield: 8 to 10 Servings

Hershey’s

This is a personal favorite. The coffee adds an interesting character to this cake.

  • 2cups sugar (HA: 1¾ cups)
  • 1¾cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa
  • 2tsp baking soda (HA: 1½ tsp)
  • 1tsp baking powder
  • 1tsp salt
  • 2eggs
  • 1cup buttermilk** or sour milk* (HA: 1¼ cups)
  • 1cup strong black coffee OR 2 teaspoons powdered instant coffee plus 1 cup boiling water
  • ½cup vegetable oil
  • 1tsp vanilla extract


Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube pan, two 8- or 9-inch round baking pans or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes (Batter will be thin). Pour batter evenly into prepared pan.

Bake:

50 to 55 minutes for fluted tube pan,

30 to 35 minutes for 9″ round pans,

35 to 40 minutes for 8″ round pans,

35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan

or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Loosen cake from side of pan and remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost as desired. Makes 12 servings.

* To sour milk: Use 1 tablespoon white vinegar plus milk to equal 1 cup.

** Saco Buttermilk powder:

Add ¼ cup of powder to the dry ingredients and 1 cup of water to the liquid ingredients.

(HA: ¼ cup plus 2 TBS of powder to the dry ingredients and 1¼ cup of water to the liquid ingredients.)

Quick Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Betty Crocker

My granddaughter says this isn’t enough frosting for a layer cake doing a crumb coat, the middle, top and sides. She also made many colored rosettes for the top. If you need extra frosting for rosettes or other decorations, add another cup of sugar and 1/2 a stick of butter, 1/2 tsp vanilla and more milk.

Note: Be sure to use powdered “cane” sugar. Some powdered sugar comes from beets and can make the frosting grainy.

  • 4cups powdered “cane” sugar
  • 1cup butter (2 sticks), softened
  • 2tsp vanilla
  • 2 to 4TBS milk

In medium bowl, mix powdered sugar and butter with spoon or electric mixer on low speed. Stir in vanilla and 2 TBS of milk.

Gradually beat in just enough remaining milk to make frosting smooth and spreadable. If frosting is too thick, beat in more milk, a few drops at a time. If frosting becomes too thin, beat in a small amount of powdered sugar.

Frosts 13×9-inch cake generously, or fills and frosts an 8- or 9-inch two-layer cake.

Whip-Flop-Glop (Chicken)

Whip-Flop-Glop (Chicken)

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Yield: 4 Servings
Scott Nowell

My quick chicken stir-fry with fresh or frozen vegetables. Frozen is easier/faster, Fresh is definitely better. Great with steamed rice and pot stickers.

Chicken & Marinade

  • 12oz sliced chicken
  • 1pinch salt
  • 1tsp sesame oil
  • 1pinch white pepper
  • ½egg white
  • 1-3TBS corn starch

Vegetables

  • 1lb Asian style frozen vegetables

– or –

  • 1lb mixed fresh vegetables: broccoli, green beans, onions, mushrooms, etc.

Sauce

  • 1cup chicken stock
  • 2-3TBS hoisin sauce
  • 1TBS Shaoxing rice wine (or dry sherry)
  • 1tsp soy sauce

Slurry

  • 1TBS corn starch
  • 2TBS water

Stir-Fry

  • 1clove of garlic, minced
  • 1tsp ginger, minced


Marinate chicken:

In a bowl add sliced chicken, salt, egg white, white pepper, sesame oil.  Mix well and add cornstarch. Mix to coat well and add more as needed. Set aside to  marinate for 15 to 30 minutes.

Premix sauce:

Mix vinegar, Shaoxing wine, hoisin sauce, sugar and soy sauce in a small bowl.

Make slurry:

Whisk together 1 TBS of cornstarch and 2 TBS of water in a bowl.

Stir fry:

Heat a wok to high, add 1-2 TBS oil to the wok and add chicken. Cook on one side until slightly brown, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook for 2 more minutes. Break up and stir fry until cooked through, another 2-3 minutes. Remove to bowl.

Add another TBS of oil to wok and stir fry vegetables for a minutes or two. Add 1/4 cup of water or stock and cover and cook until vegetables are starting to become tender. Add premix sauce to wok and bring to boil. Add slurry a little at a time, bring to boil to thicken and add more to reach desired consistency. Add more of any sauce ingredient to taste. Return chicken to pan and stir to coat. Heat through until all of chicken is done.

Serve with rice.

Fisherman’s Pie

Fisherman’s Pie

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Yield: 6 Servings
Adapted from Chef John / Food Wishes

A good alternative to plain baked fish. I make this with cod because haddock is just about unheard of on the west coast.

  • For potato crust:
  • 3russet potatoes
  • 3TBS butter
  • nutmeg, salt, pepper, cayenne to taste
  • ½cup milk
  • For the sauce:
  • 3TBS butter
  • 3TBS flour
  • 2cloves garlic, minced
  • 2cups cold milk
  • 2tsp lemon zest
  • salt to taste
  • For the rest:
  • 1TBS butter to grease dish
  • salt, pepper, cayenne to taste
  • 2½lb boneless cod or haddock filets
  • 12oz washed baby spinach
  • juice of ½ lemon
  • fresh chives to garnish

Add russet potatoes a large saucepan of water until covered by and inch. Add 1 tsp salt and bring to a boil.  Cook until very tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well. Mash in 3 tablespoons butter until thoroughly combined. Season with nutmeg, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste. Mash 1/2 cup milk into potato mixture until smooth.

Drizzle olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add spinach, and season with a big pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach has wilted, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl lined with paper towels to wick away excess moisture.

Heat 3 TBS butter and flour in a saucepan over medium heat; whisk mixture to a smooth paste. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture has a nutty smell and is slightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add chopped garlic; whisk until fragrant, 10 to 20 seconds.

Whisk 1 cup cold milk into flour mixture; cook until thickened. Whisk in remaining 1 cup milk and lemon zest. Bring white sauce to a gentle simmer, whisking constantly; season with salt. Turn heat to very low and keep sauce warm.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease an 8×12-inch casserole dish with 1 tablespoon butter.

Season buttered pan with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Lay boneless cod fillets into the pan in a single layer. Season tops of fillets with more salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Spread spinach evenly over fish and drizzle with lemon juice. Spoon white sauce over spinach; give casserole dish several taps and shakes to eliminate bubbles.

Drop mashed potatoes by heaping spoonfuls over the casserole and spread smoothly to cover. Place dish onto a rimmed baking sheet to catch spills.

Bake in the preheated oven until bubbling, about 40 minutes. Turn on oven’s broiler and broil until potato crust has a golden brown top, about 2 minutes. Fish should flake easily. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with a sprinkle of chives.

Asian Pickles

Asian Pickles

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Pickled Napa Cabbage, Daikon, and Carrots

Yield: 4 Servings
Chichi Wang / Serious Eats

In this recipe from Susanna Foo, napa cabbage, carrots, and daikon are immersed in a brining solution of vinegar, sugar, and salt. Jalapeno peppers are added for just a touch of spiciness. Though the vegetables must be soaked in the brine for at least a day, the mixture will hold for two weeks. Crunchy and juicy, the julienned vegetables are pleasantly sweet and sour.

  • 3cups water
  • 1cup white vinegar, or 1 ½ cups rice vinegar
  • ¾cup sugar
  • 2TBS coarse or kosher salt
  • 1napa cabbage
  • 1daikon
  • 1small carrot
  • 2jalapeño peppers


Combine the water, vinegar, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool.

Cut off the leafy upper half of the cabbage and reserve for another use. You will only need the bottom ends with the thicker ribs. Cut each ribbed leaf in half lengthwise. Cut again into 1/8 inch strips.

Cut the daikon crosswise into thin, round slices, then cut each slice into a fine julienne. Soak in ice water for 5 minutes; drain.

Cut the carrot into a fine julienne.

Remove the stems from the jalapeno peppers and slice crosswise into thin slices.

Place all of the vegetables into a large bowl and pour the vinegar mixture all over, mixing well. The brine should immerse most of the vegetables; if not, add a bit of water to cover.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and weight it down with a pot of water or a heavy can. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or preferably for a day before using. Immersed in the brine, the relish will keep for up to two weeks in the refrigerator. This recipe can also be halved or quartered.

Quick Pickled Daikon and Carrot

Yield: 4 Servings

This recipe, from Hiroko Shimbo’s excellent book The Japanese Kitchen, is my favorite pickling recipe of all time. Shimbo’s technique is a hybrid process, involving an initial salting followed by a soak in a brining liquid of mirin and rice vinegar. The mirin imbues the vegetables with a winey sweetness that surpasses the abilities of plain sugar. During the summer, I try to have a bag of Shimbo’s pickled daikon and carrots on hand, for any overheating emergencies involving baked goods and tripe.

  • 2garlic cloves, minced
  • 4inches of daikon (3 inches in diameter), peeled and quartered lengthwise
  • 1medium carrot, halved lengthwise
  • 1tsp salt
  • ¼cup mirin
  • ¼cup rice vinegar
  • 2TBS sugar


In a bowl, toss the vegetables with the salt. Cover the vegetables with plastic wrap and weight it down with a pot of water or a heavy can. Let stand for five to six hours at room temperature.

Remove the vegetables from the bowl and place them into a sealable plastic bag, along with the mirin, sugar, and rice vinegar. Leave the vegetables in the bag at room temperature for three to four hours, shaking the bag every so often to distribute the liquid evenly.

Refrigerate the vegetables in the plastic bag overnight, or for up to 3 days.

To serve, cut the vegetable strips into 1/4-inch slices. Serve plain or drizzled with a bit of soy sauce.

Quick & Spicy Asian Pickles

Yield: 4 to 6 Servings
Jennifer Rubell / Epicurious
  • ¼cup rice vinegar
  • 4tsp sugar
  • 1tsp soy sauce
  • 1tsp fish sauce
  • ½tsp dried crushed red pepper
  • 2small English hothouse cucumbers


Whisk rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, and crushed red pepper in large bowl.

DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and Chill.

Slice cucumbers crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Add cucumber slices to vinegar mixture; toss. Cover and chill ten minutes to 1 hour, tossing occasionally.

Vietnamese Quick-Pickled Vegetables

Yield: 4 to 6 Servings
Delspina / Epicurious

This easy quick-pickle is crunchy, sweet and salty. It’s the perfect accompaniment to Asian meat dishes or a colorful addition to salads and sandwiches. If you’re feeling creative, use the pickling mixture with other vegetables like asparagus, green beans or cauliflower.

  • ½cup rice vinegar
  • ¼cup sugar
  • 1tsp salt
  • 2carrots, thinly sliced
  • 2Thai bird or serrano chiles, stemmed and quartered lengthwise
  • 1(½-inch) piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1large daikon, peeled and thinly sliced
  • ½English seedless cucumber, thinly sliced
  • ½red onion, thinly sliced


Put vinegar, sugar and salt into a large bowl and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Add carrots, chilies, ginger, daikon, cucumbers and onions and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to several hours before serving.

English Muffin Loaf

English Muffin Loaf

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Yield: 8 Servings
Jonathan Wood’s friend Gail

Summer 1994:  In between technical stuff, Woody and I talk about food.  He mentioned this great English Muffin Bread and gave me a copy of the recipe and about a pound of semolina out of a big sack that he bought.  I don’t remember the ratio to all-purpose, but it tasted great.

  • 5cups flour
  • 2packages of dry yeast
  • 1TBS sugar
  • 2tsp salt
  • ¼tsp soda
  • 2cups milk
  • ½cup water cornmeal

In a large bowl, mix together 3 cups flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and soda.

Heat milk and water to 100° –115° F. Add to dry ingredients and beat well.

Stir in remaining two cups of flour to make a stiff, sticky batter.

Spoon into two 8½” x 4½” loaf pans that have been greased and sprinkled with cornmeal.

Sprinkle the tops of the loaves with cornmeal.

Cover with a slightly damp cloth and let rise in a warm draft free place for 40 – 45 minutes.

Bake at 400° F for 25 minutes. Makes good toast.