Our daily bread.....

The following peasant bread recipe came from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, a book I highly recommend. Although I have made more complicated breads in the past, I am now asking myself, does bread making have to be a pain in the patoot to be considered artisanal?....

I have copied this recipe (almost verbatim) from The Splendid Table on public radio. Be sure and read my thoughts at the bottom.

* 1-1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast (I use instant yeast)
* 1-1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
* 5-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting dough
* 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
* 1/2 cup rye flour
* 3 cups of room temperature water

In a large plastic resealable container, mix yeast and salt into 3 cups of water. Using a large spoon, stir in flour, mixing until mixture is uniformly moist with no dry patches. Do not knead. Dough will be wet and loose enough to conform to shape of plastic container. Cover, but not with an airtight lid.

Let dough rise at room temperature, at least 2 hours and up to 5 hours. (At this point, dough can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks; refrigerated dough is easier to work with than room-temperature dough, so the authors recommend that first-time bakers refrigerate dough overnight or at least 3 hours.)

When ready to bake, place a broiler pan (no glass!) on bottom rack of oven, place a baking stone on the middle rack and preheat oven to 450 degrees, preheating baking stone for at least 30 minutes.

Sprinkle a little flour on dough and on your hands. Pull dough up and, using a serrated knife or kitchen shears, cut off a roughly 1 pound piece. Working for 30 to 60 seconds (and adding flour as needed to prevent dough from sticking to hands), turn dough in hands, gently stretching surface of dough, rotating ball a quarter-turn as you go, creating a rounded top and a bunched bottom. This is called "cloaking."

Place shaped dough on a piece of parchment paper, and on top of a pizza peel, if you have one, and let it rest, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough or refrigerate it in lidded container. Even one day's storage improves flavor and texture of bread.

Dust dough with flour. Using a serrated knife, slash top of dough in a cross pattern. Slide dough onto preheated baking stone. Pour 1 cup hot tap water into broiler pan and quickly close oven door to trap steam. Bake until crust is well-browned and firm to the touch, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven to a wire rack and cool before slicing.

A few of my thoughts on the bread….
This is a very wet dough, and very different to work with compared to traditional artisan bread recipes. I use King Arthur bread flour almost exclusively, due to the high gluten content, and mix it in a standing mixer. Food processors with dough attachments work well too, from what I’ve read. If you don’t have a pizza peel, just pick up the bread on the sheet of parchment paper and place it on top of your baking stone, the latter of which I think is essential for baking breads and/or pizzas at home. But, if you don’t have a stone, try using an inverted cast-iron skillet, or a cast iron griddle. I check the bread’s internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer, and shoot for 200-210 degrees.

Marinated and roasted eggplant.....

Although I seldom eat out, when I do I want it to be something that inspires me to try and replicate the dish at home. With this in mind, one of my favorite places to eat is Giacomo's Italian Market in Greensboro. I ate a sub there one night that was made with soppresatta, fresh mozarrella, roasted red peppers, marinated and grilled eggplant, and oil and vinegar. It was tasty, and inspired me to prepare the eggplant at home as a side dish. The following is a recipe I dug up online. You can roast it, grill it, broil it, or cook it in a sauté pan. Enjoy!

4 large cloves of minced garlic
3 tablespoons fresh basil, or 2 tablespoons dried
2 tablespoons balsamic (or red wine) vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 medium eggplants, cut into thin slices
Grated Parmesan cheese to taste

Combine the first 5 ingredients in bowl, and stir well. Marinade the eggplant in it for 30 minutes or so. Heat grill, broiler, oven or pan. Add eggplant slices in one layer and cook on both sides until lightly browned and tender, about 10 minutes depending on method used. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. Allow to cool before eating.

Everyday

I swiped the following poem from Milton Brasher-Cunningham's blog, Don't Eat Alone. Enjoy.
.......................................
If it’s going to be fresh
then it must be done
everyday: today and
tomorrow and the day
after that. most of what
we think of as life and
cooking is preparation,
or at least that’s what
we call it. in fact, the
chopping and peeling,
the slicing, marinating –
all of those things we
think of as “the getting
ready” are really the
show: one long act of
love and labor that
puts the plate on the
table or makes room
for the moment when
we get to say, “I love you”
to one another -- fresh
everyday.

Italian soup for the soul.....

I put together this recipe one day while fighting a cold. I had spent much of the week horizontal on the sofa. Cough syrup, saline solution, Vicks rub, a humidifier, and Celestial Seasoning’s Sleepy Time tea had been my nourishment and/or daily companions. I did have one afternoon when I felt good enough to throw together a decent supper, an Italian soup. Fortunately, I had all the ingredients on hand, except for the cabbage, which was only 5 minutes away. I found a recipe online, and modified it, a mix of canned and fresh vegetables. My modifications are in italics.
…………………………………………
INGREDIENTS-
1 pound ground beef
1 cup chopped onion (1/2 large onion went into my pot)
1 cup chopped celery (3 stalks in mine)
1 cup chopped carrots (3 carrots)
2 cloves garlic, minced (I probably used 4 or 5 cloves)
1 (14.5 ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes (I used 6 fresh Roma’s)
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce (I used a small can of paste)
2 (19 ounce) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups water (I started with 1 1/2 quarts of turkey stock and added water to cover everything)
5 teaspoons beef bouillon granules (didn’t use this)
1 tablespoon dried parsley (I used Italian seasoning for all the spices)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
2 cups chopped cabbage (1/2 small cabbage, chopped)
1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn
1 (15 ounce) can green beans
1 cup macaroni (I used some other kind of squiggly-shaped pasta, boiled it separately, and added it to the soup as it was served)
DIRECTIONS-
1. Place ground beef in a large soup pot. Cook over medium heat until evenly browned. Drain excess fat. Stir in onion, celery, carrots, garlic, chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, water and bouillon. Season with parsley, oregano and basil. Simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Stir in cabbage, corn, green beans and pasta. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer until vegetables are tender and pasta is al dente. Add more water if needed.
I didn't cook mine exactly like this, but heck, it's soup, you can do whatever you want and it will probably turn out delicious!

Gai Pad Khing.....

If anything, I'm a creature of habit. I invariably order Gai Pad Khing in Thai restaurants. Having eaten it in quite a few restaurants, and having done a little research on the Web, I've come up with this basic, simple recipe, which can easily be modified. Just like with any stir-frying, it's essential to have everything ready to go before you put the heat under the wok. As quickly as this cooks, you don't want to be farting around chopping, slicing, dicing and measuring ingredients after you start cooking!

list of ingredients:
3 TBL of peanut oil
1 TBL chopped garlic
1 cup of chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
3 TBL of grated (or very thinly sliced) fresh ginger. Use less for less zing.
pinch of sugar
6 TBL of scallions (or onions), cut into less than bite-sized pieces
ground black pepper, to taste

sauce ingredients:
2 TBL of fish sauce
2 TBL of dark soy sauce
2 TBL of oyster sauce

vegetable options:
Slivered hot peppers, mushrooms, thinly sliced carrots, pea pods, celery, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, cabbage, bell peppers, bean sprouts, sliced succhini and/or squash, baby corn, etc. Just remember, keep it simple, and colorful. Keep it simple so the different ingredients retain their individual tastes, and so you won't have to spend hours in prep time. Keep it colorful because it presents itself well, and will have a higher nutritional value.

Begin by chopping, slicing, and dicing all ingredients into bite-sized pieces, and put them aside in small bowls. Mix the fish, soy, and oyster sauces together in a small bowl. Keep everything near your wok ready for use. Heat the oil until it begins to smoke in your wok. We're talking high heat here. Add the chicken and garlic, and stir until the chicken begins to change color. Don't overcook. Add the sauce and stir until it begins bubbling. Then add the remaining ingredients and stir until the chicken is done, and the vegetables are done enough for you. Serve with Thai rice.

Jean McCall Gray's banana bread.....

I've never been big on bananas, unless they're made into ice cream or banana bread. This recipe comes from my step mom, Jean McCall Gray, and is one she and Slate prepare together when my folks visit. Enjoy!

1 1/2 cups Bisquick
2 or 3 bananas - mashed
1 egg (if you have it)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter - melted
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Optional ingredients: nuts, nutmeg, vanilla

Prehat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients. Pour into a greased 9 by 9 baking pan. Bake for about 30 minutes. Test by sticking a toothpick into the center. It is done if the toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan for about 10 min.

Kabobs (aka hobo packs).....

When I was about 12 years old, someone in my scout troop discovered this simple meal, which became a favorite of mine on camping trips due to it's simplicity and ease of clean-up. I have modified that old recipe so it can be cooked in the oven, and all the ingredients can be easily expanded upon, depending upon how hungry you are.

roughly 1/3 pound hamburger per person
1 large potato per person (sliced)
1 medium onion per person (sliced)
salt and pepper to taste
2 sprigs of rosemary per person

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Slice the onions and potatoes as thinly as possible. Press the hamburger into 1/3 pound patties for each individual. On a sheet of aluminum foil large enough to "enfold" all ingredients, layer the ingredients in the following order; half of an onion, half of a potato, 1 sprig of rosemary, the hamburger pattie, then the other sprig of rosemary, potato half, and onion half. Salt and pepper to taste. Fold the aluminum foil so that no juices escape, place one "package" per person on an oven-safe baking dish, and bake for roughly 45 minutes. That's all there is to it. An excellent side dish for this is drunken beans.

Note: Finely chopped garlic and a few dashes of worchestershire sauce are pretty tasty too.

Salsa.....

This is a great all-purpose salsa - delicious as a condiment with chips and veggies, spooned on top of eggs, pureed and used as a marinade, you name it.

12 tomatillos
12 Roma tomatoes
7 or 8 garlic cloves
5 or 6 chiles (or more! if you like heat. I use chipotle chiles in adobo sauce)
1 cup of cilantro (more or less), chopped fine
1 Tbs. honey
salt, to taste
Juice of one lime

Peel and wash, then dry roast the tomatillos, along with the cherry tomatoes, in a skillet, about 5-6 minutes; then flip and roast the other side. Dry roast the garlic cloves (in their paper skins) in a skillet. This takes about 15 minutes for them to get nice and soft. When everything is done, remove the paper skin from the garlic, chop and/or dice everything until they are a manageable size, then grind all the ingredients in a mortar and pestle for use as a condiment, or toss into a blender and puree for use as a cooking sauce. Add a little water, if necessary, and blend until you reach the desired consistency. You can always add raw or grilled onion too. If you use raw onion, be sure and chop it up and give it a little cold water bath first, so you won't be tasting them several hours later.

Since I first developed this recipe, I have found one option that you may want to try, adding a can of black beans to the mix. I rinse the beans in a colander first to rid them of all the liquid they are packed in, and add a little more cilantro, garlic, and chipotle chiles to balance out the flavors.

Pizza with tomato sauce.....

We take pizza pretty seriously around the Gray household. Anyone that is hanging around the kitchen when pizza building time comes along is invited to become involved. The recipes here were gleaned from American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza by Peter Reinhart. Enjoy!

The Dough
5 cups unbleached bread flour
1 1/4 tsp. of active dry yeast or 1 tsp. of instant yeast
2 tbs. olive oil
1 3/4 cups water (room temperature)
1 tbs. honey
2 tsp. salt
Makes 4 - 10 oz. balls

This dough recipe makes a thin, crispy crust with small air pockets. First dissolve the yeast with a little of the room temperature water, then add all the other ingredients, mixing them well for about 4-5 minutes. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes, then come back and mix for 3-4 more minutes. If it's too sticky, add more flour, too dry, add more water. The "wetter" the mix, the crispier the crust. Divide the dough into 4 separate pieces, shape them into balls, rub with olive oil, and place them in individual ziplock bags. After letting them "rest" for 15 minutes inside the bags, refrigerate until the next day, or place any balls you do not plan on using immediately into the freezer. If you're going to use them the same day, turn that 15 minutes rest into one hour, then take them out of the bag, punch it down, reshape into a ball, put it back in the bag, and refrigerate for 2 hours. Take whatever you intend to use out of the fridge 2 hours before use, and allow to reach room temperature. Shape and stretch into roughly a thin 9"-10" circle, or whatever shape you can manage. This dough is somewhat elastic, and has the tendency to spring back into a smaller shape. It is finicky to work with, and I work it on a countertop with a thin sheen of olive oil; olive oil being very good for you, and assists the crust in browning. Some folks use water on the counter, or a light dusting of bread flour. I allow it to rest after the initial shaping and stretching, then come back and do it again. I have found it easier to build the pizza on top of a 12" x 12" piece of aluminum foil, on top of a pizza peel, once the dough has been shaped and stretched. I keep an old 1" thick kiln shelf in my oven, on the middle shelf, and preheat the oven at it's highest heat setting for about an hour before sliding the pizza (on the foil) directly on top of it. Baking time in our oven is approximately 7-8 minutes. When the cheese is bubbly, and the bottom of the crust has browned somewhat, it's done!

The sauce
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil or 1 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano leaves
1 tablespoon granulated garlic powder or 5 cloves fresh garlic, minced or pressed
About 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice, or a combination, to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
Makes 4 cups

Mix together all the ingredients and let stand several hours to let flavors blend. No cooking is necessary. I sometimes measure out the (dried) herbs and grind them all together in a mortar and pestle prior to adding them to the sauce. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze for several months.

The Toppings
Here is where you can get creative! Just remember that sometimes simpler is better, and just because you have a dump truck load of toppings on your pizza doesn't mean it will be delicious. Instead of gastronomic overload, think balance - a balance between the crust, sauce, and toppings, all 3 receiving equal attention. With this in mind, I try to hold it down to no more than 3 toppings as the crust above is not intended for deep dish, heavily overloaded pizzas. The following items provide plenty of variety - precooked hamburger, bacon, sausage, ground venison, ground pork, grilled and shredded chicken, thinly sliced ham, summer sausage, bratwurst, Italian sausage, Canadian bacon, salami, pepperoni, Mozzarella, Provolone, Cheddar, Gouda, and Feta cheeses, mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, green or ripe olives, basil leaves, onions (raw, grilled, marinated or sauteéd), asparagus, zucchini, squash, spinach leaves, thinly sliced bell peppers, banana peppers, hot peppers, and garlic slivers.

The best bbq chicken.....

All good recipes, especially those that have been passed down (or laterally) among family members, have a story. Here's one that came to me by way of my mom and dad, to them by way of my uncle Sam, and before him.....well, here's the story.

Back in the 50's, my uncle Sam was a NC state trooper. One Saturday night a month, he would get together with other Halifax County law enforcement officials at a cabin out in the country, and they would all dine on bbq chicken. Today, we would call that "networking", but back then it was probably just an opportunity for peers to get together, tell stories, knock back a few cold ones, and eat the best barbecue chicken you can imagine. The cabin, and the large tract of land it rested on, was owned by the Eastman family, you know, the ones affiliated with Kodak. There was an African-American gentleman from Hollister who cooked the chickens for these gatherings, and, as far as I know, the recipe began with him. Of course, he shared it with my uncle Sam, who shared it with my mom and dad, and they with me. So, here it is, the best barbecued chicken I've ever tasted. Keep in mind, this is more of a jumping off point than it is an absolute recipe.

Recipe:
The original recipe calls for whole chickens, cut in half, and cooked on the grill, preferably charcoal, and broth made from cooking the livers, necks, gizzards, etc. in water. I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or sometimes thighs, and cook them on a gas grill. Canned or boxed chicken broth works OK too, but I prfer making my own stock.

Chicken broth, enough to cover and simmer your grilled chicken in.
1/2 stick of butter per chicken.
The juice of one lemon per chicken.
2 tablespoons (plus) of vinegar per chicken.
2 tablespoons of Worchestershire sauce per chicken.
Texas Pete, Tabasco, etc. to taste.
Red pepper flakes to taste.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Grill chicken halves, or breasts, until done. While chickens are grilling, put all the ingredients above into a sauce pot. When the chickens are done, toss them in a sauce pan or stock pot with enough sauce to cover the chickens, then, simmer in the sauce for about half an hour. After plating the chicken, be sure and drizzle some extra sauce on top.

Addendum: I use the same sauce and techniques when I smoke and/or grill pork loins or shoulders (Boston butts) too. I sometimes add a few squirts of ketchup, and maybe a little Dijon mustard too.

Mom's baked fish.....

Before my mom passed away in 1989 she put together recipe boxes for my sister and me. The boxes contained a handful of recipes that we were both fond of, and that mom had prepared many, many times throughout our lives. One of my favorites was this baked fish recipe. I'm not sure where she got it from originally, but it quickly became a family favorite. Although mom always used fresh Flounder, I have tried it with fish as strong tasting as Bluefish, and it was still tasty. Like many of mom's recipes, the ingredient amounts were based on personal taste and preference, vs. absolute measurements.

2-3 pounds of fish fillets, preferably fresh
1 stick of butter
lemon juice
white wine
salt
pepper
paprika
parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400-500 degrees and (meanwhile) melt the butter in the same baking dish you plan on baking the fish in. Salt and pepper the fillets, to taste. Place the fish fillets in the dish (skin side up) on top of the melted butter, and bake until almost done. 15-20 minutes is a rough guess, depending on your oven and the type and thickness of the fish. Take the dish out of the oven, flip the fillets over, sprinkle with a liberal amount of white wine, a little lemon juice, and then the parmesan cheese and paprika. Pop the dish back into the oven and bake (usually 5 minutes or so) until the fish is done and flakes easily with a fork.

South American stew beef.....

This is a great winter time recipe! I'm not sure whether it's origins are really South American or not, but it seems like it would be even if it's not.

1 lb. of stew beef
1 Tbs. olive oil
3 or 4 garlic cloves (diced)
7 or 8 small potatoes
5 or 6 small onions
1 cup of cilantro (diced fine)
carrots and mushrooms (optional)
1 can of cream of mushroom soup (or vegetable or meat stock)
1 can of beer
seasonings*

Brown the stew beef and garlic in the olive oil in a skillet. When done, remove to a stock pot. Add all the other ingredients and simmer (covered) until the potatoes are soft. *Seasonings-although I sometimes use whatever is on hand, I have recently become a big fan of (canned) chipotle chiles in adobo sauce. One or 2 chipotles, a little salt and cumin to taste, and that's all this recipe needs.

Cilantro soup.....

This recipe is courtesy of Hank Goodman. Hank is not only a phenomenal potter but an excellent chef as well. Normally I don't care for squash of any kind, so for me to like it is saying a lot!

1 lb. zucchini (diced)
1/2 onion
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 stick butter (optional)
1 cup tightly packed cilantro
2 Tbs. cornstarch

Cook the zucchini, and onion in 6 cups chicken broth until the squash gets mushy. Throw in the butter too if you like. Cool off. Puree the zucchini, chicken broth mixture in a blender, along with 1 cup of tightly packed cilantro and the cornstarch. This may take several blender batches. Reheat, and salt to taste. Can be served with green chiles and queso panela chunks as garnish. A splash of crema Mexicana is a great touch, but not particularly heart-healthy, but then neither is the cheese :-( Serve up in my soup/cereal/chili bowls as part of a meal your guests won't forget!

Drunken beans.....

I swiped a few recipes from the web, condensed/combined them, and this is what I came up with. It's pretty darn tasty, makes a good side dish with stew beef, or by itself with a few tortillas. Start off the meal with cilantro soup, and you have a wonderful, healthy meal.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped tomatoes (or diced canned tomatoes)
2 large green onions, chopped (or half a small white onion)
2 16-ounce cans of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup beer (some recipes call for a couple of shots of tequila instead)
1/3 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1 or 2 minced chipotles in adobo sauce, or minced jalepeño, chopped fine
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet heat the oil over medium heat; sauté the green onions and tomatoes until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Simmer the mixture covered over a low heat for about 30 minutes. If too much liquid remains, uncover and cook until the mixture thickens as desired. Oh yeah, a little crumbled cheese on top really adds something to it. Although I love Monterey Jack and cheddar, feta is pretty tasty too, and probably healthier.

Low-country boil.....

This is a great summer-time recipe. Cover the old picnic table with newspaper, invite over some friends, dump it all out on the table and dig in!

Ingredients:
1/2 pound of sausage, pre-cooked (per person)
For a heart-healthy alternative, try turkey sausage, kielbasa, etc.
1/2 pound raw shrimp in shell (per person)
3 small new potatoes (per person)
1 or 2 ears of corn (per person)
Garlic, bay leaves, Old Bay seasoning, black pepper
2 small onions (per person)

Boil water in a great big pot on an outdoor cooker. Add your favorite seasonings from the aforementioned. Add potatoes, sausage and onions. Boil until almost tender. Add corn-on-the cob and boil for 5 minutes longer. Add shrimp and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes more, or until shrimp barely turn pink. Don't overcook the shrimp! Drain water and serve.

Applesauce cake.....

This has been one of my family's favorites for many years now, especially around Christmas time. My dad shared the recipe with me, and his sister Mildred shared it with him. Before Aunt Mildred, I'm not sure of it's origins. The spicy aroma that permeates our home while this is baking spells C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S to me!

1 15 oz. pkg. raisins
1 stick margarine or butter
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups apple sauce
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. allspice

Put all ingredients above in sauce pan, and heat slowly until sugar melts and ingredients become homogenized. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then add 1 tsp. of baking soda, 2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans and/or walnuts. Mix together thoroughly. Pour into your preferred baking pans and bake at 300 degrees for approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hrs. The type of pan you bake this in, and your oven, has a major impact on cooking times. Check it from time to time using the "toothpick test". I split this recipe between 2, 9 X 5 loaf pans, and bake for about an hour. My dad splits and bakes his for 1 1/2 hours in 2 old stoneware 1/2 pound cake pans I made years ago. Another option I use is to toss in about a handful of dried cranberries, a splash or 2 of orange juice, and the zest of one orange. After you cool the cakes, store in plastic bags or cookie tins until you serve. Give the cakes a day or so for the flavors to merge. I soak a tea towel in red wine and wrap around the cake for a few days, or add some apple and/or orange slices to the bag or tin for added moisture.

Chicken with red wine reduction

Pan seared chicken breasts with a red wine reduction sauce is one of those dishes that will have your friends and family applauding. It's amazing what a difference a simple sauce can make. Although it tastes like it came from a little corner bistro, it's extremely quick and simple.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and black pepper
Flour for dredging
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil

Red wine and mustard sauce
1/4 cup of chicken stock
1/4 cup red wine
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Put a good handful of flour in a bowl, pie plate, or deep dinner plate, and keep it near the stove. Mix the sauce ingredients together and keep handy also.

Heat 2/3 of the butter and the olive oil in a large skillet (12") over medium heat. Test the oil/butter heat by flicking a little of the flour into it. If it sizzles and turns brown pretty quickly, it's ready to cook the chicken breasts. Dredge one of the chicken breasts in the flour, coating both sides well. Increase the heat of the pan to medium high when you place the first breast in the pan, dredge the next one and place in the pan, and so forth until all are in the pan. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes, then flip them in the same order as you placed them in the pan, and cook for 3 or 4 more minutes.

When done, move the chicken breasts to a plate and keep them warm in the oven. Turn heat to high, add the chicken stock, red wine, mustard mixture to the pan and boil. Be sure and stir it well, all the time scraping up the bits of chicken, flour mix, etc. from the bottom of the pan. Tilt the pan to one side, and mix in the remaining Tablespoon of butter. Spoon the sauce over the chicken breats and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Balsamic vinaigrette.....

This recipe came to me by way of Jean Wilder, a customer who popped into my shop one day while searching for a cruet. I've used this for salad dressing ever since, to the exclusion of all others. It's also good for pasta salads and as a marinade for grilled meat (like catfish) or vegetables (esp. eggplant).

1 1/3 cups olive oil
2/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 - 2 cloves crushed garlic
1 1/2 tsp. honey
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. Worchestershire sauce

Spaghetti with meat sauce.....

Spaghetti with meat sauce is the ultimate comfort food for me. This is what mom almost always prepared for my birthdays when I was a kid, and when I visited home after I had moved away. This is "anticipation food", simmering away for hours, the smell pervading every room in the house. Toss together a fresh garden salad, and serve with fresh bread on the side.

1 lb. of hamburger - ground turkey or venison both work well, and are leaner and healthier
1 lb. of sausage - I've used Italian, sage, turkey, and venison sausage, they all taste good!
70 oz. of canned tomatoes - tomato sauce, whole or diced tomatoes, or any combination
5 or 6 garlic cloves, diced fine
1 or 2 onion(s), diced
2 or 3 bay leaves
Italian seasoning, salt and red pepper flakes to taste
ketchup - a couple of good squirts
Optional:
A "palmful" of sliced mushrooms
1 bell pepper, diced

This as simple as good food gets! Brown the hamburger and sausage, and be sure and throw in the diced onions and garlic and fry them a little too. While the meat and stuff is browning, empty the cans of tomatoes into a stew pot, or crock pot, along with the ketchup and bay leaves. When browned, drain the meat, onions and garlic, and put them in the pot as well. Bring the sauce up to a boil, if using a stew pot, then simmer for several hours, stirring, adding seasonings, and tasting occasionally. In another pot, boil water for the spaghetti, and cook the spaghetti until it's as done as you like, then drain in a colander. I think you can handle it from here :-) This recipe serves 6. Enjoy!

Chili con carne.....

I remember the first time I ever cooked a pot of chili. I came home from school one day to find a note on the kitchen counter from my mom, "Tommy, there's a pound of hamburger in the fridge, a bag of chilo-o mix on the counter.......etc" Other than cooking hot dogs and hamburgers on camping trips, that was the first "real" dish I ever prepared. My chili recipe has gone way beyond hamburger, beans and a bag of commercial chili seasoning since then. I hope you enjoy this recipe. It's been "fine tuned" for about 40 years now :-)

This recipe is large enough to feed 8-12 folks, depending on how cold it is outside and their appetites, and depending on whatever else you're grazing on, so adjust the recipe accordingly.

2 lbs. of stew beef (diced up chicken breast works well too)
6-8 (15 oz.) cans of beans (rinsed and drained), black or kidney, or both
4 (28 oz.) cans of tomatoes, peeled and whole or diced
1-2 onions, diced (medium white)
2 oz. Baker's unsweetened chocolate
4-5 garlic cloves, diced
1-2 Tbs. of olive oil
chili peppers to taste (jalapeños, chipotles, etc.)
cilantro, one or 2 good handfuls, chopped fine
ketchup, a real good squirt or 2
salt to taste

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Cook the onions and garlic for several minutes (until onions are translucent), then remove to a large stew pot. Brown the stew beef in the skillet, using the remnants of the oil, then throw that in the stew pot. Add the tomatoes, beans, cilantro, chocolate, ketchup, salt, and chiles to the stew pot and simmer for several hours. Stir occasionally to keep it from sticking to the pot's bottom, or cook it in a crock-pot and just leave it alone for several hours. Serve in individual bowls, and top off with any of the following - cilantro, sour cream, green onions, cheese. Serve with tortilla chips and pico de gallo and/or guacamole.

Grilled fish tacos.....

In 1998 I went to the Pacific coast of Costa Rica on a surfing trip with an old college buddy. While there we discovered an abundance of good waves, and good food. One night our host's cook prepared fish tacos made from fried, fresh sea bass, with pico de gallo. I have had many "peak food experiences" during my lifetime, and that night's meal ranked pretty close to the top of the list. Ever since then I have searched out restaurants that prepare fish tacos, and make them at home as well.

1 lb. fresh, mild white (firm) fish (snapper, halibut, dolphin, etc.)
1 dozen small corn tortillas
1 cup cabbage, shredded (green, purple or combo)
1 bunch radishes, sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
limes, preferably key or Mexican
sea salt
your favorite bottled hot sauce and/or salsas

Prepare a medium-hot grill (coals, electric or gas grill, not a "flat grill" or griddle). Cut fish into chunks that will be easy to handle with spatula. Marinade fish briefly in lime juice and a little sea salt. Pam or otherwise lightly oil the grill. Grill fish, turning once; do not overcook. When done, set fish aside in warm oven while you flip-flop tortillas on grill until hot. Make tacos by breaking up fish and placing in hot tortilla, garnished with the fresh veggies, lime squeeze, and sea salt. This recipe serves 2.

Variation: Use catfish that has marinated in a sauce made from roasted tomatoes or tomatillos. Puree all the ingredients in a blender or food processor, then marinade fish for an hour or so. Also, marinating the cabbage and radishes in vinegar, olive oil, oregano, and red pepper flakes is pretty tasty too.

Variation 2: I love fried fish, although my arteries don't, but if you prefer your fish tacos with fried fish, then try this. Prepare the fish chunks by first dipping them in raw eggs, then shaking them up in a paper bag with flour, salt and pepper. Put enough oil to cover the fish chunks in a skillet, and fry them up. They should start to "float", at least a little bit, when done. Place in a paper towel lined plate to soak up any excess oil, then follow the directions above regarding the tortillas, vegetables, salsas, etc.