Valencian Chicken and Bouncing Raisins

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...After a weekend of barbecue and finger food, I decided to pull out a few stops, toss my original menu and make the Silver Fox a real dinner, complete with tablecloth, candles and flowers. The Valencian Chicken I'm featuring tonight comes from an old recipe that I created years ago for a contest. It was a winner then and now. We both love the food of Spain and while this dish has a decidedly Spanish flair it is easier to make than most Spanish entrees. While the ingredient list looks long, the herbs and spices give it that appearance, so don't let its length deter you from giving the recipe a try. I love the meld of flavors that come from the orange-sherry, olive-raisin combinations in this dish. The raisins provide a hint of sweetness, the degree of which depends on the type of raisin used. I prefer Malaga, but California raisins will do nicely. Regarding raisins, I have a dubious bit of cooking lore to share with you - legend has it that the first raisin crop was the result of a heat wave so intense it dried grapes on the vine. Another fascinating fact, this one verifiably true - a raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will repeatedly bounce from the bottom to the top of the glass Try it, you'll see I speak the truth. I always plump the raisins I use in cooking. They act as sponges in their dry state, but if they're soused before cooking your sauces will be more predictable. The microwave has made short order of this task and can be used if your recipe does not give instructions for plumping. Simply put the raisins in a microwave container with 2 teaspoons of water and nuke, lightly covered, for 1 minute on HIGH power and you're done. Use a dry sherry and fresh orange juice to assemble the sauce for this entrée and you're on your way to a visually spectacular dish that I know you will enjoy. I served our chicken with yellow rice and a shaved asparagus salad. Here is how the chicken is made.

Braised Carrots with Thyme - A Make-Ahead Vegetable for Company

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I make it a point to test and feature outstanding vegetable recipes whenever I find them. These carrots were a last minute addition to my Christmas menu that I found late on Christmas Eve, when I learned that our head-count for the big meal had changed. I discovered the recipe, which is a creation of the renowned Daniel Boulud, on the Food and Wine site, and to be truthful, I honed in on it because it could be made ahead of time and simply rewarmed for serving. It was ideal for my holiday kitchen and it was so well received that I served it again on New Year's Day. I want to pass it on to you, because it is both easy and inexpensive to make, and while you will appreciate its simplicity, your family will enjoy its flavor. I do hope you will try the recipe or keep it in mind for your next company meal. The carrots add wonderful color to the table and almost everyone enjoys them, so they are sure to be a hit. Here is how they are made.

James Beard - Smothered Pork Chops

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...How can you not love a man who when asked about cannibalism said, " I might manage if there was enough tarragon around."

I wanted to take some time this week to focus on another gentleman who was instrumental in the careers of many of the women who are on the Gourmet Live list of Women Game Changers in Food. James Beard is considered by many to be the father of American cooking. Even his detractors will admit he was a champion of American food and his writing reflected his delight in its abundance and variety. He was born in Portland, Oregon to an English mother who ran the Gladstone Hotel and his experience there certainly influenced his love of food and the theater. He went to England at the age of 19 to study opera and then came to New York City to become an actor. He opened a catering shop to keep from starving. The business was successful and three years later he published his first cookbook. He was able to channel his love of food with a flair for the dramatic and used his talents as a showman to bring drama to the American table. He also is credited with being the first food personality to introduce French food to the American middle class. He went on to publish more than twenty books, as well as writing numerous articles for newspapers and magazines. He became a leading food expert, championing American cuisine and helping to place it on a par with the foods of Europe. He was one of the first food writers to appear on television and he opened a new-type of cooking school whose goal was to teach home cooks to enjoy and take pleasure in the food they prepared. He effectively taught Americans, who had survived the Depression and the austerity of war, to have fun with their food and enjoy the abundance of the land in which they lived. His meals were eclectic because he believed that cooks, not culture, made food interesting. In 1986, his house became the headquarters for the James Beard Foundation, a place where chefs from around the world came to showcase their skills. Julia Child, a good friend, assisted by Peter Krump of cooking school fame, spearheaded the effort to raise funds needed to create the foundation. The mission of the foundation is to celebrate, nurture and preserve America's diverse culinary heritage and future. Through events such as the annual celebration of Beard's Birthday and the prestigious Beard Awards for members of the food industry, his foundation has established a generous scholarship fund and a national network of chefs, writers, and restaurateurs. Despite changes in the way America eats, the Beard Awards keep his name alive and within the food community he is remembered with great fondness and respect.

Because he was such a champion of American food, I wanted to feature a recipe that epitomized his style. These pork chops came to mind. They are simple, easy to prepare and decidedly American. When the onions are properly cooked, this recipe is delightful. They should be cooked until they have softened and browned without becoming mushy. The onions should hold a recognizable shape. I found mine needed 15 minutes to cook and release their sweetness. I know that those of you who make the pork chops will be very pleased with the results. Here's the recipe.

Smothered Pork Chops...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of James Beard

Ingredients:
4 pork loin chops or 4 pork chops, 1 to 1-1/2 inches thick
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon oil
salt & freshly ground black pepper
3 large sweet onions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup Madeira or dry sherry wine

Directions:
1) Combine 1 tablespoon butter and oil in a large heavy skillet. When sizzling add chops and brown well on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
2) Season chops with salt and pepper. Remove to a platter while onions cook.
3) Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter to pan. Add onions and cook until soft and golden brown, turning as necessary to prevent burning.
4) Return chops to pan and arrange onions on top of them. Reduce heat, cover pan and simmer for 10 minutes. Add wine and simmer until chops are tender, about 10 minutes longer. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.


Be sure to stop by tomorrow. I'll be featuring the dish voted to be the most delicious in the world.









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Braised Kale with Pasta

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I have in my lifetime been called many things. Au courant has never been has never been one of them. That probably explains how it happened I "discovered" Gojee months after the rest of the blogging community had been seduced by its photography and hand-curated recipes. The site houses a really special collection of dishes that I found while doing a search for recipes that use kale. Gojee pointed me back to a recipe that had been developed by Molly Wizenberg for Bon Appetit Magazine. As it happened, I didn't have all the ingredients I need to make her dish, but I had enough of them to fashion a pasta that was close to it. Bob is still recovering from surgery, so a trip to the store was out of the question and I had to go with what I had on hand. Similar would have to be good enough. Molly's pasta sounds delicious and you can see her original recipe, here. My version of the dish appears below, but before you skim through it I want to issue a warning regarding the use of salt. Proceed with caution. The pancetta and Parmesan are both salty. Do no additional salting until you taste the completed sauce. Remember you can always put more in, but once it's there you're stuck. Nuff said! Here's the recipe.

Braised Kale with Pasta...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Molly Wizenburg via Gojee.com

Ingredients:
1 bunch lacinato kale,washed, large center ribs and stems removed, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
8 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4-oz. diced pancetta
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pound spaghetti

Directions:
1) Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy pot set over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until soft and translucent, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Add sliced garlic and diced pancetta and cook for 5 minutes longer. Add kale. Drizzle with reserved tablespoon olive oil and cook until leaves wilt. Add water and cover pot. Cook, covered, over medium-low heat until kale is tender, about 20 minutes. Add lemon juice. Sprinkle with cheese and toss well. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
2) Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Add cooked spaghetti to kale mixture in pot. Moisten with 2 tablespoons reserved cooking liquid; toss to combine, adding more liquid by tablespoonfuls if dry. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.








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