Rice is Nice - My Recipe Rotation - Arroz Con Pollo

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Only serendipity can explain how this treasure made it from Latin America to my permanent recipe roster. About a decade ago I was asked to participate in a cooking demonstration for folks receiving food stamps. The dish, obviously, had to be inexpensive and easy to prepare, but I also wanted to come up with something that fell outside the pale of the usual "101 Ways to Cook" recipes. I was thumbing through an unfamiliar magazine looking for inspiration when I stumbled on this recipe by Sarah Jay. It is a no longer buried treasure, and that unfamiliar magazine went on to become a must read --- Fine Cooking. I've served this dish to friends and family for years now, and chances are if you've eaten at my table you've had this at least once. One caution - be sure to remove the skin from the chicken. While the bones help define the shape of chicken pieces, exposure to steam and stock will cause the skin to become limp and unappealing. Arroz con Pollo stole the show at the demonstration and it has remained a favorite of mine. All the ingredients are readily available and it is still inexpensive to prepare. I know you'll like this one. It's great family fare.

Something Different for a Change - Roasted Sausages and Grapes - Salsiccia all’Uva

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...His request was simple. He wanted something different for dinner, and because he is so constant, the request was hard to refuse. The Silver Fox has a reputation for eating anything that does not bite back, but his palate favors the flavors of China and the peasant creations of Tuscany and Umbria. He especially loves pork in any of its myriad forms. I had sausage, good sausage I might add, in the freezer, and an overly abundant supply of grapes sitting on the counter demanding to be used, so I zeroed in on a recipe I hadn't served in years - Salsiccia all’Uva. The simplicity of this dish is legend and while the combination of grapes and sausage seems unusual, it is delicious and simple enough for a teenager to prepare. Make no mistake about it, this is hearty country fare and while it is usually served with a creamy polenta, cheesy grits, pasta or potatoes, such as rosti, should also be considered. A quick glance at the recipe will convince you how easy this dish is to prepare, and if you have a family whose tastes are at all adventuresome, I hope you'll give this Tuscan triumph a try. Here is how the dish is made.