Winner! Winner! Circa 1975 Chicken Dijon Dinner

Here is a little recipe that will feed kids and please friends at a dinner party. It's a recipe I grew up with that graced family dinner table, party buffet and even picnic blanket spreads.

Just as a note of nostalgia and pop culture history I would mention this dish originated from the "Grey Poupon" dijon mustard 1970's era. It was a dish that became popular as the company tried to give customers and home cooks a variety of uses for the mustard and published recipes to promote it's sales.

My grandma and mother made this dish as one of the dishes in their arsenal of chicken dishes. My brother and I loved it while my mother loved it cause it was baked and not fried.

Raising children if not an easy thing to be sure. I don't have children but I see my friends work at like it's a job. I mean that's really what it takes to be a good parent.

One thing that I can appreciate is that feeding kids can be difficult. However, many of the families I work with I think do themselves an injustice. I see many of the very privileged mothers I work with bend over backwards to give their kids whatever they want on whatever whim.

I think that they are doing their kids a disservice. When I was growing up there was no choice as to what was for dinner. I mean you ate what there was for dinner or you went hungry. My brother was a much pickier eater than I was but we learned to enjoy a variety of foods because we were forced to eat them. Finding favorites was one thing. However, learning to appreciate all the different things that are out there is another perk of trying to get kids to "eat their veggies"

Of course making things that kids want to eat is easier than forcing them to eat things they don't want to eat so finding different versions of those things is a no brainer and fried chicken in various incarnations is definitely a winner.

This recipe is made with cut up chicken pieces but could be adapted for chicken fingers to please little eaters. And while they are eating it they won't know that's it's better than fried chicken.

Dijon Chicken
(Serves 6)

Ingredients:

12 chicken pieces (I used boneless skinless thighs)
salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder
onion powder
1 jar (8 ounces) Dijon mustard
1 cup sour cream
Italian-flavored panko breadcrumbs

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Sprinkle the chicken pieces well with salt and pepper, garlic powder and onion powder
Combine the mustard and sour cream.
Spread each piece generously with the mustard mixture and roll in the bread crumbs. (because I used boneless skinless thighs I rolled these into small bundles and they turned out really nice almost like a stuffed thigh, though I've made this with regular pieces and they are very easy and delicious, the thighs also cooked longer than the 20 mins. but came out perfect)

Place the chicken on a baking sheet in a single layer and cover with foil
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes at 400. Remove foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until the chicken is golden brown. Don't let it burn.
This may be served hot, warm or cold for a picnic.

BBQ Chicken with Spicy Yogurt Sauce and Blistered Tomato Cous Cous

Every year I go on vacation to Provincetown on the cape in Massachusetts. Now the first thing one thinks about when one thinks about Cape Cod is  probably of course seafood. Well that may well be the predominant flavor profile of the Cape but when it comes to vacationing there or anywhere grilling out is always popular.

American's grill everything these days and so do I. I love the way the grill just flavors up everything from steaks to corn to scallops and eggplant. In fact I think things just plain taste better when they are cooked outside on the grill. And if the current issue of Food and Wine magazine is correct it is chicken, not steak actually is the biggest thing on American's grill favorites list right now.

Growing up partly in Hawaii I have spoken about the Kamato grill before on this blog. Nowadays, marketed as the Big Green Egg, the Kamato is a Japanese style grill that is made of clay and has the perfect shape to not only BBQ and grill things but smoke them as well. It delivered a flavor that is hard to beat and to this day I miss having a grill like that. It was in Hawaii that my Father taught my brother and myself to grill. This tutelage  included how to prep the food as well as how to prep the grill and then how to cook the food, all using the Kamato. It was one of those wonderful father and son moments that are somehow too rare in our lives and the whole "Man, Fire, Food thing seemed to come alive for me.

Now my Dad made many things out there on the Lanai in that Kamato ( yes, I just used the word Lanai)  and I thought that I would share one of the dishes that I have come to love as a result of those grilling lessons long long ago.

Now to say that this recipe came about because of some sense memory about grilling with my Dad years ago would be a stretch. It actually came about in an attempt to cook something for my vacation housemates that would be slightly more on the healthy and interesting side. And again to be truthful this recipe is really about the sauce and not the BBQ'ed chicken. But that's because Life is better with Bacon and Sauce. By the way, that is the working title of the cook book I am working on presently. I will keep you all abreast of any developments there.

So back to the recipe, like all great chicken dishes it starts with the prep of the chicken, this is very simple. Chicken thighs are marinated for about an hour in olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder and dried thyme. Then grilled till just done. Served over couscous that is generously buttered and into which is mixed chopped chives and cherry tomatoes that have been baked in the oven till they pop and the skins blister and dry out a little. This is then smothered in a yogurt sauce that has indian style spices and garlic. Delicious. I will say that it's not complicated but very good. Enjoy Ya'll.

BBQ Chicken with Spicy Yogurt Sauce and Blistered Tomato Cous Cous

For the Cous Cous

Place 1 pint of grape or cherry tomatoes on a baking sheet and toss lightly with olive oil and salt
Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.
Place tomatoes in the oven for about 20 to 30 mins checking occasionally to see if they have split open and are roasting but not drying out or burning.
Remove from oven and hold on the side
Take 1 package 8 to 10 oz Israeli Cous Cous prepared according to the package directions
When finished cooked and still hot stir in 3 tablespoons of RT butter and 1/2 cup chopped chives
Gently stir in the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste

For the Chicken

Place 6 chicken thighs i a shallow bowl season with salt and pepper and dried thyme and pour over 1/4 cup lemon juice and 1/2 cup olive oil let sit for 30 mins up to 4 hours in the fridge.

Remove chicken from the marinade and place on a plate
Over a medium grill
Grill chicken till done and golden brown with a little crusty edge ( make sure it's cooked through)

Place on a clean plate and hold warm till serving.

For the Sauce

1 and 1/2 cup greek yogurt plain
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoon sugar or honey
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoon tumeric
1 teaspoon hot sauce ( Siracha)
Handful chopped chives
salt and pepper to taste
Taste if too bitter for your liking add more sugar and a touch more oil
Mix well and hold

To serve place the cous cous on a serving platter, top with the chicken and then pour  some of the sauce over the chicken serve the rest on the side. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve!
Enjoy Ya'll.

Midwinter English Tale or Driving on the Wrong Side of the Road and Chicken Leek Pot Pie

Right after I graduated from college or University as they like to say in England, I had no clue what the heck I was going to do with my life. I had studied a mishmash of subjects finally earning a BBA in International Business Studies with three minors. Economics, German, and Music. Very confused was I. I also had never had a job outside of food service really and was so uncertain about what I wanted to be when I grew up I was on the brink of despair.

My father asked me what I wanted to do and I think out of confusion and desperation  and not to feel to like a complete loser I declared "I want to go to Europe again and this time have a job". The first time I went was during school, and I had been in Switzerland. This time I wanted to go to the Vaterland! So my father being the man he was called up a business associate with a management consulting company and asked if he could arrange an internship for me with their German office. The guy asked what can your son do, I think my father said nothing really he just graduated! Anyway I got my chance to go to Europe. What was supposed to be a Summer internship turned into 18 months of living and working in Germany as the assistant to one of the firms Principles, who was British. And being that he was a Brit he had several clients that were in England and thus I was sent a number of times to London on errands for the company. On one such trip I was invited by one of the fellows in our office in London to spend a weekend out where he and his wife had a lovely country home. There was just one hitch. I would have to drive myself out to their house. No big deal I said. I could drive in England I told myself and so off from the rental place I went at Heathrow airport map in hand and I must say that I did fine getting out of London and onto the M5 which is the big highway to the north. Now they lived about an hour and a half or so outside of London and all was well until it got dark and I needed to make a pitstop!

So I get off the highway and I find a service station and a WC. it's now gotten quite dark and there are not lots of lights or signs. I am in the country. I get back in my car find the freeway entrance and am back on my way. All of a sudden a car comes at me in the lane next to me. Flashing it's lights and honking. Then another and then another. Now at first I thought that's strange. Then I look over and there are cars in another two lanes across the median going the same direction I am. Suddenly I am overcome with a sinking feeling. Then a touch of terror as another car blows by me flashing it's lights and honking! Then it hits me! I AM IN THE WRONG LANE GOING THE WRONG WAY ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE MOTORWAY!!!

I quickly see an upcoming exit ramp! Well not exactly it's an on ramp but I have little choice it's dark and empty and I take it off the highway just as I encounter another car. I reach the top of the ramp and pull over heart pounding and adrenaline rushing! I get out of the car and survey where I am and locate the on ramp for the correct side of the highway. I get back on the road and make it to my destination unharmed but wow was that scary!

So I finally arrive at my destination. I am enthralled. It's a farmhouse from the 1500's which this couple  had gutted and completely redone. Tudor style exposed wood beams and clapboard floors redone and white thatched walls are amongst the hallmarks of the home. The Modern blended seamlessly with the Old making it very warm and inviting. A large fireplace you could look through dominated the center of the house separating the living room from the dining room. A roaring fire and some good wine greeted me along with tangy english cheese and crackers. I did not mention my driving debacle to my hosts. I did not want to upset them. But that night in the deep damp English winter I feasted on watercress salad with roasted carrots and goat cheese and chicken and leek pot pie and a port poached pear for dessert. Not a bad meal to end a stressful trip I must say, for a Yankee Kid that almost crashed on the M5 motorway.

It may have been there I fell in love with Pot pie. I never really grew up with them. Casseroles I knew from  but not the crusty pot pie! I really enjoyed it! So many years later as I was thinking about what to make for some dear people I know who were coming over for dinner I recalled this pot pie and this story of how I first had this dish. And since I have been on a potpie kick this winter I thought i would try and recreate it!

I made up a recipe based on the fact that one of the guests was lactose intolerant. So it had no dairy in it. Yeah me cooking with no dairy go figure! It came out wonderfully and hearty and tasty so I thought I would pass it on to you all. It will be the last pot pie entry I fear for another year till the winter comes upon us again. But on the doorstep of Spring I will give this one to you! Enjoy Ya'll!!!

Forrest's Chicken, Leek and Mushroom Pot Pie with Tarragon and Dijon. 

12 oz of cooked chicken breast cut into large dice
4 leeks cleaned and chopped into discs
3 cloves of garlic minced
8 oz of sliced bella mushrooms
1/2 cup green peas
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 heaping tablespoons of flour
4 cups chicken stock
2 shallots minced
1 clove garlic minced
4 tablespoons brandy
2 pie crusts
2 tablespoons dried tarragon
2 tablespoons fresh thyme finely chopped
2 tablespoons Dijon
2 good shakes of Worcestershire sauce

Place leeks and mushroom in a pan with a little oil and slowly saute till soft but not mushy
Add 1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon thyme and season with S&P

In another pot heat 4 tablespoons olive oil add shallots and let cook for a minute then garlic.
Add flour and cook stirring for about 2 mins till flour has cooked out the raw flavor.
with a whisk add the stock slowly till thickened and well combined add the mustard.
Add tarragon and the rest of the thyme and season well with salt and pepper.
Add the chicken and the leeks and mushrooms combine turn off heat add brandy and peas and taste for seasoning.
Pour into 4 pot pie dishes and cover each with pie crust, cutting holes with a knife or fork to let the steam escape crimp the edges with a fork if you want and use extra dough as decor on top.
Preheat oven to 400.
Bake for 25 to thirty minutes or until the crust is browned and golden!
Allow to cool slightly and serve!

The Magic Pan Crepes Cordon Bleu and the Summer of Fun

So one of the greatest summers I ever had as a college student was spent working at the Magic Pan restaurant. The Magic Pan was the upscale San Francisco based eatery which had spread out as a national chain in the 1970's and 80's and capitalized on the crepe craze which was evocative of the 1970's fascination with new and trendy foods from Europe and other world cuisines.

Each location was different and had a unique look. But the one staple as well as the one thing that was most memorable was the giant spinning wheel of gas jets over which rotated specially constructed upside down saute pans dipped in crepe batter cooking hundreds of crepes and later in the chains life also serving as a cooking platform for "sauteed" Entrees such as chicken marsala and sesame chicken.

My best friend from high school and I Kai Larsen got jobs there our junior year of college and had a blast working, making really great money and also playing at the beach and all over northern Virginia. It was a summer of fun.

Of course a great deal of it was taken up with the work part. But we didn't mind because the crew we were a part of was awesome. We were 2 of 5 summer employees at the Pan. The rest were all full timers. They were so because for a restaurant job the Pan was a very lucrative place to work. Full all the time it was the favorite of the boozy ladies who lunch of Northern Virginia and young turks taking their dates out on the town for an impressive meal. Families and single ladies in groups all favored the Pan. Quite upscale for the time it had a "She She Fa Fa" reputation for being the place to be. Well that was while the food trends lasted and more and newer competitors were not sucking the customer base away. Which was the end of the Pan.

But this was the 80's and the Pan was still flying high. So for a cash job it was excellent as a student. I loved that summer and really have to say it was the most fun I ever had in a service job.

Now the food at the Pan was awesome I have to say. All freshly made nothing from a central commissary. And while some things were later out a can they were at least prepped on site. That's what eventually was the cost downfall of the chain and it's too bad. Regardless, the food was great. And that's what counts.

There were many favorites but today I will share with you the Pan's signature dish and one of the most popular on it's Menu. The Condon Bleu crepes were the epitome of how creative the chefs were at the Pan. They were basically a deep fried set of crepes filled with Ham Tuckey and Swiss cheese as well as a special herb cheese filling which was the secret to the dish. It was then topped by a mushroom béchamel . In short it was delish! Many would like to know the secret to this recipe and I actually have it from the old kitchen manual from the Pan. And so I share it with you, hope if you get adventurous you will try to make these cause I promise they are great!

Serve this up at your next dinner party and watch them swoon! Enjoy ya'll!

CREPES CORDON BLUE
makes 4 servings You will need:

10 crepes (8 crepes plus 2 extra in case of tearing)

8 oz shaved ham or ham ground in the food processor
8 oz shaved Turkey
8 slices of swiss cheese
Herb Cheese recipe follows
1 eggs whipped for egg wash
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs seasoned with a little salt

Fill 8 crepes with Swiss cheese, shaved ham, shaved turkey and a small scoop of the French herb cream cheese. Fold into a square using the egg wash on edges to hold it together. Brush on the egg wash all over and coat with bread crumbs. 

There you have your Crepes Cordon Bleu. This is deep fried and served on a small oval covered with some sauce on a lettuce leaf with an orange twist/parsley bouquet. The sauce is a béchamel sauce with mushrooms.

FRENCH HERB CREAM CHEESE

1⁄2 lb Cream Cheese 1⁄4 lb Margarine (yes Margarine)  5 parts Garlic Puree 3 parts Thyme

2 parts Marjoram 4 parts Dill

Béchamel Sauce (butter, flour, milk, chives) Make standard roux cooking butter and flour add milk and whisk till thick add cooked mushrooms and chives

Enjoy!

1970's Style Cooking : Winter White Wine Chicken AKA College Chicken

I love the night life...I want to boogie....on the Disco around oh yeah! ....ah the 1970's I don't really remember them. I was so little. However, it seems nowadays people are rediscovering the better parts of the style, furniture, decor, fashions and even foods that made the 1970's what they were. As a very little boy I have fond memories of my mother in big made up hair and long flowing dresses ready for parties with bright makeup and earthen bottles of Lancers rose wine from Portugal. And my Dad in a leisure suit....OK that NEVER happened, but the Lancers wine did!

Check this out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YirLz4urew

See! Oh yeah and speaking of food trends lets talk about crock pot dinners. All day long cooked and braised meals all in one pot! Braising without the oven. And clean up was a breeze!

Now I love a crock pot and I love braised meat dishes in these colder days during the holiday season and on into the Winter months. Actually I love braised foods in general. They are easy and generally call for cheaper cuts of meat mostly beef, lamb or pork, which after long periods of cooking have their proteins broken down and give way to become juicy soft and delicious! Sumptuous indeed!

Virginia was the first State I lived in that had truly colder weather. I went to college in Harrisonburg, Virginia at James Madison University, in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley. It's a small town, well it was then. Even though it was a small rural town, with the University being there, it had a somewhat vibrant and interesting culinary scene. Well... it at least had some good bar food.  In any event, one of the things I learned as a student was that being able to cook and invite your fellow students over made you very popular! I mean who had the money to eat out and who had the time to even cook. And someone else cooking for you, forget about it!

But home cooking in the late eighties in college was not what it was today. There were no television food gurus like Ina Garten and Bobby Flay to lead you through to a successful meal. There was the Frugal Gourmet on PBS. And reruns of Julia Child, but hardly the cacophony of information available today. So what did one do? Well you relied on cook books and on lessons learned at home. And you came up with solutions and ideas on your own.

So it was in college that I conspired with my roommates to prove that braising was a delectable way to prepare roasts and stews. Chop up some meat, some veggies pour in some liquid put on the crock pot and voila! My two roommates were from rural farms in Virginia and had grown up cooking like this in the winters all their lives. I came from the slow cooker suburban world so this all made sense. Together we would pool our resources divvy up the jobs and then cook for the day.

Well all I have to say about cooking in college was it did not matter what it was but it had to be cheap! And lets face it chicken was cheap. So chicken was always being eaten. But after months and months of boring chicken breasts I thought about cooking the chicken like a stew. Hardly original, Coco Vin not withstanding, I still thought I was pretty savvy to come up with this dish back then. Of course since then I have realized that nothing I have ever tried is original. Perhaps I have made things better, but never can I lay claim to inventing a dish someone has not thought of before me. Whew!! Pressure's off!

So what is Winter White Wine Chicken. It's chicken stewed in white wine, bacon, mushrooms and onions and finished with cream and served over buttered egg noodles. Tada! Like I said hardly original but let me add in a few comments that will make you appreciate this dish a little more. Firstly, it is very 1970's Graham Kerr ( aka the Galloping Gourmet). Why you ask? Well it's French in it's essence ( mock Coco Vin) which was very popular in the 1970's in the US. Secondly, it uses white sweet wine which was popularized then in the 1970's ( "chill a cella" or "cella-brate ) Hey, You gotta know what this is. Here...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wd4Zc-HBwyI

Will the fun ever end on this blog! Did you see all the famous actors in that commercial, Wow!

 And thirdly it's a one pot meal that can be served table side which was also a big trend then! So Graham Kerr and the 70's obviously were at work in my head when I made this! Well that's what I might say now!

Of course in college it was because of a need to make things easy and cheap. And remember chicken is cheap! But in any event I got out this old recipe the other day and was reminded that the things I learned in college whether in Marketing class of in the kitchen are still relevant and in this case tasty, so please enjoy Ya'll!

White Wine Chicken over Buttered Noodles ( serves 6)

3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into thirds
3 cloves garlic minced
4 leeks white and light green parts only chopped into disks ( OK in college it was 2 medium onions)
1/4 pound pancetta cubed or 6 strips of bacon chopped
3 bay leaves
1 1/2 lb white button or baby bella mushrooms halved
1 bottle riesling wine
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup heavy cream
1 bunch of fresh thyme tied as a garni
1 tablespoon dried tarragon
1 lb egg country style Pennsylvania Dutch noodles cooked and buttered with chopped chives

Method:

In a heavy braising pot brown the bacon then add the garlic oil and the leeks and cook till soft then add chicken cook slightly then add the bay leaf, the thyme bundle, S&P and the whole bottle of wine. Put a top on the pot and cook for about an hour at a good simmer. Then add the cream and mustard and tarragon and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and let simmer till reduced slightly and the sauce is thickened which takes about another 30 mins. 15 mins before serving throw in the mushrooms. Remove the thyme and the bay leaves.

Serve over the noodles. Enjoy!













  

Mohonk inspired Roast Chicken with Dijon and Parsley Seasoning and the Reason a Roasted Chicken means comfort!

Fall is in the air here in New York. Actually one could say it's flying through the air what with Hurricane Sandy and then the storm that even as I write this is beating at my windows with the first snow fall of the year. I suppose that if we had not just endured the blackouts and the flooding this would just be a big messy storm. But I think everyone is a little bit on edge about the weather.

Fall still remains my favorite time of year. Recently I had the chance to go hiking up at Mohonk with A. It was fall and the leaves had turned half way to colors, the air was cool and crisp. It was stunning!  Mohonk for those of you who don't know is an old Quaker resort and camp which was founded by a Quaker family at the turn of the last century. It is a majestic old hotel set on top of a small mountain which has a crater lake at it's center. It's actually quite the resort these days with a top of the notch spa and a 4 star resort rating. Aside from the hotel itself and the gardens around the property it has winding hiking trails all over the property and into the land reserve next door And there are gazebos everywhere. Yes gazebos! Made of the timbers and branches of the forests that surround them. It really is so  beautiful! It is a peaceful place and affords you the opportunity to meditate and get away from the world a little. A cause the original Quaker owners championed!

                                              This is Mohonk Mountain House

                                            This one of the many gazebos with a vista

So over the years Mohonk has slowly changed from a very conservative and family oriented vacation spot to a more upscale and chic destination. Not that all that much is different. But they do serve alcohol now in a lounge and dinner comes with a option for wine. But the dinning experience at Mohonk remains an interesting experience. For years it featured a large dinning hall and family style meals centered around the idea of breaking bread together and creating community. Now that had been somewhat updated but the seating is still very communal and the vibe is very friendly.

Now you might ask what does Mohonk and roast chicken have to do with one another. Well only that one of the so called heritage meals there is a roast chicken half, served with "marbled" potatoes and onions. And when the fireplace is roaring and the mood is festive you eat that chicken dinner and you recognize why people associate a roast chicken dinner as the homey meal number one in the world. It just feels like comfort and home.

At my house roasting a bird in the oven is a lovely thing! The house fills with wonderful aromas and the warmth of the oven gives the house a toasty goodness wrapped in flavors you can smell. I have decided to find the perfect recipe for roasting chicken this year. So as part of this project, I started to think about how to give a chicken the same attention we give a turkey. And I came up with the brining method of soaking the bird over night in a solution designed to plump up the bird's taste. But that's a commitment and what if you don't have the time? So I thought why not slather the bird with a marinade and let it sit in the fridge a few hours and then roast it. Not exactly brining, but the skin will take in the flavors from slathering it with a marinade and then baking it after it's stood awhile in the fridge to marinate seemed smart. I also wanted to try something other than the "slather it with butter" method so common with roast chicken. It was really good!

So that's what I did and it came out so well I may never make chicken another way again. It's delish. So without further adieu I give you the recipe for your fall table, enjoy Ya'll!

Forrest Ultimate Roast Chicken with Dijon and Parsley Sauce

A couple of notes.

1) I used a 7 pound bird for this you could use 2 smaller ones to feed 4 to 6 people
2) I used Herb de Provence as my herbs
3) I bought a really really strong dijon mustard for this recipe
4) you could brine your chicken overnight in a solution but I did not have the time, it would probably             add a lot to the bird's overall flavor


This recipe could not be easier

Step one:

In a small bowl stir together till it forms a green thick but viscus paste

4 heaping Tablespoons of Dijon Mustard
1 Tablespoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup dried parsley leaves
2 Tablespoons Black pepper
1 1/2 Tablespoons Herbs of your choice dried ( I tried Herbs de Provence for that French flair)
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons rosemary flavored oil ( if you don't have this just increase the regular olive oil
salt to taste

Step two:  wash and clean your chicken then salt and pepper generously inside and out
Step three:  slather chicken well with the sauce
Step four:  place chicken wrapped in plastic in the fridge for 2 hours
Step five: bring out and let come to room temp  and salt and pepper it again
Step six: Heat oven to 375 bake chicken in middle of oven for 60 mins then reduce heat to 350 and  bake for another 30 mins check to see if the leg moves freely to see if it's done
Remove from oven let rest at least 15 mins then carve and serve

The Magic of Tyson's Corner Mall was a Magic Pan

Picture it, Sicily 1945, well not really it was more like Mclean Va., 1983. I was a wipper snapper looking for a job, and needing that pre college money for my year at school. My friend Kai Larson was working at a restaurant in the Mall and got me an interview for the job. It was the summer, it was awesome, it was the Magic Pan at Tyson's Corner Mall!

Now if you have been reading my blog you will know that I have referenced the Magic Pan Restaurant before. But for those of you who have not been a brief story.

The Magic Pan was a restaurant chain started by a Hungarian Couple , the Fono's in San Francisco in the 1970's. The original concept had been an Austrian style crepe restaurant mostly with recipes from Mrs Fono's family background. There were Ham crepes and Spinach crepes and chocolate and Strawberry crepes for dessert.

The business expanded and was purchased by Quaker Oats in the 1980's. They took the concept expanded it to a french country kitchen concept and rolled it out across the nation. The center piece of each Magic Pan was the giant tile enclosed Crepe Wheel which spun around and cooked the crepes and other dishes while the customers looked on. I remember as a 12 year old being taken to the Pan and being just mesmorized by the giant cooking wheel of crepe goodness! It was one of the first "chain" restaurants in the country in a time when the US was just beginning to discover different foods. The Pan delivered that and at a decent price point. It was also a perfect time for a crepe restaurant as like fondue, crepes were all the rage in the 1970's. The thing that was interesting about the Pan looking back was that all of the food was cooked on site with real recipes. This required a staff of cooks to be behind the scenes at all the locations and was not a cheap way to do business. Amongst the many reasons for the demise of the chain was the rise of sit down restaurants like TGI Friday's and Applebee's that offered a full service bar and menu with a central commissary supplying the chain. This meant cost savings on site and guaranteed that that food was the same everywhere. Interestingly enough this concept was pioneered by Howard Johnson's, who with Jacque Pepin at the helm produced frozen entrees which could be uniformly served all over the US.

Eventually through falling revenues and customer base the Pan collapsed. Interestingly enough the last Pan to close was the Mclean Store where I worked. A testament to Sue the manager and eventual owner I understand, who ran a tight ship and kept it afloat!

Even as people turned away from the Magic Pan because of trends so today people are looking back and recognizing the value that the concept had  not only as a novelty but as a place and a culinary experience. Whether the scene of many a boozy lunch by the ladies of Mclean or candle lit dinners for couples in love in the evenings, the quiet elegance and french country charm enveloped the diner in a world beyond the Mall and beyond their own. Upon entering the Tyson's Pan one was struck by the charm and sophistication of the surroundings. The excellent service and of course the tasty and interesting food. Food which for the time was new, foreign, and different. Before food TV, Media, food blogs and the internet., Americans were new to many of the foods the Magic Pan was serving.
And many look back with fondness to the time and place they discovered those foods for the first time. The Magic Pan.

For me the Pan was a great place to work, filled with a fun and interesting cast of characters. I learned a lot form those folks. Many of them were full time employees, I was the summer help but we all got along and they welcomed me and Kai into the fold with open arms. Salty and Rough they were the workers who make this country great. They worked hard and they played hard. But as a group they were awesome to spend that summer with. And this was where I learned that food service comes with a healthy serving of humor, cause people are very funny when it comes to their eating habits and the things they say about food. For example a young couple came in and was obviously on a date. Trying to be proper and order for his date the young man announced to me that... "she will have the St. Jacques "Creepie" and I will have the Beef  and Mushroom "Creepie"", mispronouncing the word "crepe". Well as you can imagine it was hard to keep a straight face, and the crew referred to the crepes as "creepies" the rest of the summer. Lots of milelage from that one. Ah, but it's the little things that make life fun!

Now to the food. There were serveral dishes which made the Magic Pan famous and there are people who would disagree which were their favorites. There was of course the famous Potage St. Germain, or french country pea soup served with a dallop of sour cream and a mini decanter of Sherry wine. There was the Orange Almond salad. Amongst the crepes were the chicken and beef and seafood options and then there was the famous Monte Cristo Sandwich which to this day I have never had duplicated. ( Although I hear Bennigan's ripped off the recipe). Then there were the saute pans, with veal picatta and fettucini Carbonara ( Still my favorite version ever). And lastly the desserts. All excellent washed down with the Pan's excellent Bloody Mary. ( Recipe to come)!

But today I can't think of another crepe recipe I would rather recreate than the famous Chicken Elegante Crepe. Now finding the exact recipe for this would be very difficult indeed. Just looking online leads to many deadends. However, I think that I can recreate this for you and take to the place where is would be just so tastily amazing. So without more adieu I give you...

Chicken Elegante Crepes ( As inspired by the Magic Pan)

You will need:

8 crepes ( you can make these or you can buy them pre-made at the grocery store)
1 cup chicken stock
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons of flour
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons chopped chives
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 egg yolks at room temp.
1/2 cup light cream at room temp.
1/4 cup parmesan
1/4 cup shredded swiss cheese

Saute butter and flour together till browned
Slowly add stick whisking in
Add chicken and next 5 ingredients
In a bowl add the eggs to the cream and slowly whisk together
Add some of the hot sauce to the cream mixture to temper it.
Then add it to the rest of the sauce
add the parmesan cheese

Fill the crepes evenly and place in the bottom of a greased baking dish or in individual baking dishes
sprinkle with swiss cheese and place under the broiler.
Serve 2 per person onto a plate and garnish with some paprika. Enjoy Ya'll!!





    

In Search of the Perfect Fried Chicken, Southern Food's Signature Dish

Fried Chicken. The very mention of the words send excited vibes down the culinary spines of many people. I cannot think of a food that people associate more with the South than fried chicken. It's origin may have been the slave kitchens of the southern plantations, with frying being a very African cooking method. But it soon spread throughout all of America's cookery. Made super famous and almost Iconic by the Colonel's famous fried chicken and Southern gentleman image in popular advertising culture, the South's signature dish is well known and loved everywhere.

Here in NYC. people are Fried Chicken Crazy!!! Since I have lived in NYC and the wave of Southern food hit New York city in the last 5 to 10 years, New Yorkers are nut-so for the crunchy crispy goodness that is the chicken ala fried! For example, The Redhead, a very cute and very big player in this southern restaurant wave, has some of the finest fried chicken in the city. The Cardinal, also has excellent chicken, And if you want to talk "New York style" fried, the matzo crumb coated chicken at Blue Ribbon in a Brooklyn Bowling alley is a revelation. Even the one time Tyler Florence inspired menu at the upper scale, comfort food, trashy/classy Cafeteria in Chelsea offers a fried chicken dish worthy of note.

Yes this is the playing field. But what if you don't want to have to go out for chicken. What about doing it yourself? OK there are two things for me about that. Given that I live in a small apartment with lousy ventilation I can't deep fried stove top. Oh believe me I have done it, but the place smells for days afterwards and since I don't own a deep fry machine, which I could, it's just not too great a thing to do. We are talking mess factor here my friends. The other thing is finding a recipe that gives you an amazing result so you don't want or need to go out for fried chicken. In essence like they say on Tyler's Ultimate on the Food Channel, the ultimate recipe for fried chicken.  In fact it has to be so good that you have your friends asking you to make it for them. So they don't have to go out either!!!

So I return to my roots. Well mine and my friend Fred Tessler ( of the Denver Tesslers). One day Fred and I were talking about growing up and how good the fried chicken we had as youngsters was at home. Why? Well it was funny but we both remember the chicken being brown and tasty and yummy with a nice softish crust, much like the colonel's original recipe texture. And we both discovered during the conversation that both our families had used .... an Electric Skillet! Yes, if you were around in the 70's or 80's almost everyone had one. Big Green or Brown and rectangle in shape it sat on the counter and was the source of the best fried chicken we both had ever had at home. The real deal here is that unlike other heating methods and pans the electric skillet has a very even distribution of heat making it better for frying all the chicken at once without having to worry about so-called "hot spots" in a pan. Plus it has a very quick temperature recovery time when you put the chicken into the hot fat.

So that's were I started. I went to JCP. ( J. C. Pennjais!) and looked for the skillet I remembered. Well, they don't make exactly that anymore. But I found one that would do. Sassy and sleek and black with a glass top that had vents in it ( very important). And it was on sale!!! What a deal, thanks Ellen!!

So now I had the hardware. But what about the most important part of the puzzle, the recipe! Well I had tips and tidbits from my Mom, who has not fried chicken in years and years. I also had online research, cookbook research, and I had what my friend Fred remembers from back in the day about his Grandmother's chicken recipe. So that was the start.

The other element in all of this is what to use to fry in. Crisco was recommended. But so was peanut oil and other things. Plus how much oil to use? Since the whole point of this was not to have "super greasy fry fry" all over my apartment I wanted to use as little oil as possible. I took notes from my fryer's guide. 3/4 cup oil. Did not seem too bad. But I decided to up the ante and use my friend Fred's Grandmother's trick, half peanut oil and half margarine!!! Plus I would increase the total amount to 1 cup. Certainly not the 4 cups Tyler Florence used in his fryer recipe.

Next the flavorings and other ingredients. My Mom and Grandmother used spices and flour, cornmeal, salt, eggs and milk. I decided to start there but not finish there. One chef I worked with in catering here in NYC used a brine overnight for the chicken of salt, water and buttermilk into which he added herbs. I decided to do the same but I would add chopped fresh rosemary, dried garlic powder and dried onion powder, and add a little hot sauce. Something I heard about somewhere.

So for the dry spices I picked on advice of my Grandmother, paprika, dried oregano, and seasoning salt. (Season-All). I also decided to add the cornmeal to the dry mix instead of just going with plain flour. To this I added the spices.

After letting the chicken sit in the fridge in it's brine overnight I took it out. and let it sit on a drip tray covered in the fridge for 2 hours. Then I took made the two mixes, one dry, one wet.

Working in batches I dunked the chicken into the wet mix of eggs, buttermilk and salt. Then dredged in the seasoned flour and cornmeal mix.

Again I placed them back on the drip tray and let them sit in the fridge for an hour. Then I removed them and let them come to room temp for about 30 mins. ( You can skip all these steps if you want but I figured I had read that these steps would help to make a better crust because we are not deep frying and we want a nice crust)

I then brought the skillet to temperature with my oil and margarine per the instructions in the booklet to 350 degrees.

Then one by one I added the chicken pieces trying not to crowd the pieces. Then I covered and cooked for 5 mins with the lid on. Checking the chicken to see if it was golden brown I turned it after about 7 mins. Again covered it. cooked about 7 mins again then uncovered it and turned it again. after 5 mins, I turned again and covered. Then I uncovered it turned it again and cooked it for about 10 mins more to crisp it up turning as needed and added a little water to the pan to prevent any burning.

After about 37 mins my chicken was done. I put in on paper towels to soak up some of the grease. Then went on to make the gravy. I added milk and butter to the chicken drippings lots of black pepper and salt to taste. stirring in a slurry of milk and flour to thicken it up.

Plattered the chicken and Viola!! Perfect Fried Chicken at home, and my place didn't have grease marks on all the walls!!! So I know it seems like a lot reading this but it's really quite simple to do. So give it a try at home and see if you don't find you have made the most delicious homemade fried chicken ever!!! Enjoy Ya'll!!

Forrest's Perfect Southern Fried Chicken ( in an Electric Skillet or Frying Pan)

Ingredients and Method:

1 whole chicken cut up into 10 pieces ( breasts cut in half on the bone)
2 cups water
2 cups low fat buttermilk
1 bunch rosemary roughly chopped
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon hot sauce

Place chicken in container, mix all ingredients and pour over chicken making sure it's covered add water if you must. Let sit in Fridge over night.

When ready to start remove from brine ( discard brine) and place on a dip tray and let sit in the fridge for about another 2 hours.

Remove from fridge

Make wet mix

1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tablespoon Seasoning salt

Make Dry dredge

1 1/2 cups flour
3 tablespoons cornmeal
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
3 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons seasoning salt
3 teaspoons ground black pepper

Remove Chicken from the fridge and dip a few pieces of chicken at a time into the wet mixture then dredge in the dry, you can do this in a paper bag shaking the chicken till coated.

Let sit on a tray in the fridge for 30 mins then remove and let sit out to come back to room temp for no more than 30 mins.

Heat 1/2 cup peanut oil and 1/2 cup shortening in an electric skillet. to 350 degrees and the light goes off on the pan

Add chicken slowly and carefully trying not to crowd the chicken. then cover.

cook for 5 to 7 mins checking at 5 mins, if golden turn and cover again

cook for another 5 to seven minutes and repeat process turn and cover then repeat again turn and cover

watch chicken so it does not get to dark.

The uncover and turn down the heat just so light goes out. Cook another 10 mins turning to ensure that nothing burns. If it gets too dark add a little water to prevent burning.

Remove from the skillet and place on paper towels, keep warm in a oven at 200 degrees

To make gravy add 1 cup milk and 4 tablespoons butter to the chicken droppings, mix 1/2 cup milk with 2 tablespoons flours and stir till smooth. Add slowly to the pan and stir in. Add 2 tablespoons black pepper Cook till thickened and bubbly. about 5 mins. Add salt to taste. Serve with warm chicken.
Enjoy!!

Southern Style Peanut Chicken with Stone Ground Grits and Green Slaw

When I was growing up we ate a lot of chicken. I mean A LOT of chicken. And we ate a lot of rice. Well maybe not as much as some people, because my father had eaten so much of it growing up in the depression era south, that if he never ate rice again it would have been just fine with him. But plenty.

Chicken was cheap and versatile and my mother and grandmother spent hours pouring over cook books and newspaper cooking columns an an attempt to come up with new ways to cook it. Oh we ate it fried. ( which will be the subject of an up coming blog entry) But we mostly ate in in other ways.

One dish that became a family favorite was a dish we called peanut chicken. I can still remember the first time it appeared on the table. We were living in the house on Huntingcrest lane ( we seem to tell time in our family by what house we were living in at the time, there were so many) I was perhaps in 8th grade and this dish appeared on the dinner table. We all asked what it was with it's rich brown red sauce and it's scallion cloak. All my Mom said was try it and tell me what you think.  My brother and I dug in to check out what the new dish had to offer. We were impressed and pleased. It had a smoky somewhat familiar flavor but the the background flavor of the rich creamy sauce somehow eluded us. Finally after not being able to tell what is was my mother proudly announced "Peanut Butter!". Yes peanut butter was the ingredient that had us all stumped. We were big fans of this dish and really enjoyed the mouth feel of the sauce and the yummy manner it mixed into the rice served on the side. What had possessed them to use the great sandwich spread as an ingredient I thought. It was a pivotal moment for me in terms of realizing that there must  be so many alternative flavor combinations that I had ever anticipated. And set me on a quest to try and find more. A quest which is ongoing to this day. For example, did you know that peanut and Parmesan Cheese is an awesome combo. Or Ginger and Goat cheese? There are plenty of others. But the point is that flavors can fuse into something else altogether when combined.

So you might think that was the end of my peanut chicken experience but it is not. Indeed my next experience with a peanut and chicken recipe happened in the most unlikely place of all, Switzerland. You see while I was working as a volunteer during college in Switzerland ( go figure), I was  working with refugees and trying among other things to help them get situated. I met a family from Africa who I got to know very well. We helped them find an apartment and get into several aid programs as well as find part time work. As a thank you they us invited over to dinner one night. We showed up and they had some delicious tidbits of things to eat before dinner and a very sweet milk based beverage that went down almost too easily. Then came the time for us all to sit down for dinner. Out came heaping bowls of rice and stewed greens. Then the main course, another hearty bowl filled with a delicious smelling stew. After we had all been served and grace and thanks was said over the meal we proceeded to dig in. Again the second time in my life I was struck by the taste and flavor which was to me known to me already. Rich meaty stew flavored with the savory tastes of onions tomatoes and what else, peanut! It was the first time I ever had African peanut stew and believe you me not the last.  I enjoy it at African restaurants whenever I go here in NYC.  However, no version has ever come close to that meal. where with wonderful friends, who were so grateful for the help they had received,  gave us a warm and sumptuous feast prepared with love to thank us for whatever small part we had played in their well being and their lives.

I recently thought about that chicken dish from my family table and asked my mother if she still had the recipe. Unfortunately, it seems it was my grandmother who had spearheaded that particular dish and my mother was unsure of it's exact makeup. Nonetheless I started thinking about that dish and how I might reconstruct it. I did some research looking at various African Stew recipes, which seemed a good place to start. I also looked at many home cook versions of the dish entitled "peanut butter chicken" but none had the exact flavor profile I remember. So I decided to make up my own, add in a few southern touches and serve it not with rice and stewed greens but with Stone ground yellow grits and fresh crisp slaw. It is in fact my so called "Green Slaw" recipe that I have worked out last year and think if you are going to eat coleslaw this is the one you should eat! So here is what I came up with I hope you enjoy it Ya'll!!!

Southern Style Peanut Chicken
based on African Peanut stew and Peanut recipes from Colonial Williamsburg

Ingredients:

1 package boneless skinless chicken thighs
flour for dusting the chicken
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
6 tablespoons cooking oil
1 onion finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup salsa
6 tablespoons bbq sauce ( I used Brown Sugar BBQ sauce)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons Sherry wine
2 tablespoon orange marmalade
2 teaspoon curry powder
2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoon ginger powder
1 /2 cup warm water
1 bunch scallions chopped optional
chopped peanuts for garnish optional

Method:

Wash chicken and pat dry
add the S&P and paprika to the flour
Place in a bag and place chicken in the bag shake to coat
Place chicken on a pan and refrigerate for an hour

In a pan ( I used cast iron skillet so it could go right into the oven)  place cooking oil and bring heat up to medium high
Carefully place chicken into hot pan.
Cook for 4 mins a side till brown then remove to a clean plate ( do not reuse the previous platter)
In pan place onions and brown (add olive oil if you don't have enough oil left from the chicken)
In a bowl add the other ingredients( except scallions) peanut butter first
then the warm water and stir to combine, then everything else
Place cooked onions in the sauce bowl and combine, hold
Return the chicken to the cast iron skillet and pour sauce over it and cover.
Place the skillet in a 350 degree oven for 25 mins and bake.

Serve over Stone Ground Grits and with the Green slaw
Enjoy!!

Crispy Chicken Thighs with Vinegar Caper berry and Onion Gravy served with Smokey Mashed Potatoes and Braised Red Cabbage

I LOVE CHICKEN THIGHS!!!! There I said it. I do. Give me the moist meaty goodness of a thigh any day to the dry and chewy mass of breast meat that is served everywhere. YES YES YES!!!

So this recipe came about because one day my artist friend Angelo Musco and his partner Tim were coming over to dinner and I had to make something quick and on the fly. I love cooking for these two because I know if I cook once I will get an invite to their house for a trade in delicious dining and wine drinking! And what yummy things they have made for me. Some of my favorite pastas that I will share on here had their start on the Musco table.

Ok so as I said, I had to come up with a dinner plan pretty fast one day because we agreed late in the day that I would be cooking! What to make on the spur?  I had been reading about this chicken dish that some chef in NYC had done with leeks and such and I thought, OK sure a fanciful chicken dish,  why not! The problem was I am not a big chicken dish aficionado. I did know one dish from home that my Grandmother used to fix. It was a chicken braised in a onion sauce that was thickened at the end with sour cream and was served with rice. You know.....chicken and rice.

Well I did not want to serve that exactly. So between my reading about the chef with the leeks and thinking about my Grandmother with the sour cream sauce. I decided that a sauce with sour notes and an onion flavor would make a good contrast to the rich meat of the chicken thighs I was going to use. Thus, this dish was born.

I also wanted to serve it with some good sides that would stand up to the rich sour taste of the chicken as it melted into them. So I chose smokey mashed potatoes (yum)  and braised red cabbage.

So for this recipe you will need:

8 boneless Chicken thighs with or without the skin
1/2 cup seasoned flour ( flour to which a table spoon of black pepper and 1/2 tablespoon of salt and 1/2 tablespoon of garlic powder has been added
5 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons butter
3 large onions sliced into circles and rings
5 garlic cloves sliced thinly
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup chicken stock or broth
1/2 jar Caper berries cut in half
 3 tablespoons butter

Method:

In a large frying pan heat 3 tablespoons of butter and add onions cook till browned and soft.
reserve.

In an oven proof skillet heat 5 tablespoons of oil
pat chicken dry and dredge in the flour
lay the chicken skin side down in the pan and let cook till golden and crispy 5 mins or so
turn over and place into a 375 drgree oven to finish cooking for about 6 to 7 mins
When done place back on stove and remove chicken hold warm.
Return the pan to high heat and when hot pour vinegar into pan  whisking and deglaze pan
be sure to get all the browned bits up off the bottom.
Reduce vinegar by 1/2 , add chicken stock or broth.
Bring to boil again and reduce by half again, reduce heat.
whisk in remaining butter  caper berries and stir in onions.

Place chicken on plate and spoon sauce over it. Serve with Potatoes and Braised Red Cabbage.


Smoky Mashed: Believe me SOOOOO good! ( I use this recipe a lot)

6 large yellow potatoes diced skin on
2 cloves garlic minced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 stick of butter
1/4 cup Milk
salt and pepper to taste
3 teaspoons of liquid smoke

Method

Boil potatoes with the garlic and thyme in sea salty water ( tastes like sea water it's so salty)
When soft ( a fork pierces them easily) drain into a bowl and mash in the butter and the milk, adding a little milk at a time until you get the right consistently( Don't over mash or your potatoes will get too gummy from the starch) . Add salt and pepper to taste
Then add the liquid smoke 1 teaspoon at a time till you get to the smokiness you like. I like mine pretty smoky. ( just be careful there is a fine line with liquid smoke between just right and too much!!)


Braised Red Cabbage

1 head red cabbage shredded
2 large red onions finely diced
1 gloves garlic minced
2 tablespoon oil
6 pieces bacon finely chopped
Salt and pepper
2 cups cheap red wine
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons lingonberry jam
1/8 cup beet juice for color I like it really vibrant  ( you can use food coloring but ew!)

In a oven ready braising pot:
Turn heat on under cold pan and place bacon in bring to medium heat.
Allow the bacon to render its fat and cook till browned
Add butter and melt
Add onions and cook till soft and translucent
Add garlic cook till it blooms but not browns.
Add the cabbage and cook stirring slowly allowing to combine and wilt.
season at this point to taste
Once wilted and seasoned add liquids
Stir to combine
Taste a again and season more if necessary
Place into the oven and bake for 45 mins to an hour or till liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally

Remove and serve warm with the potatoes and the chicken