Famous

 

My aunt described this dish to me as the famous chicken. The illustrious and all-consumed chicken (besides vegetarians). It's like that event or holiday that you can always remember going to because they make sure to always prepare that famous something. There's an annual First Pitch Dinner my baseball team holds at the Marriott and I know we all look forward to it because of the unlimited Caesar salad, penne vodka, steak and mashed taters. Whether its meatballs or lobster linguine or corn on the cob, a smile is on everyone's face with the pure enjoyment of food. 

And so it leads me into my aunt's famous rice with meat and chicken. It's a classic Middle-Eastern dish with simple flavors that never disappoint. 

The ingredients I used to make this dish are: salt, pepper, butter, olive oil, lemon, all spice, 7-spice mix, cinnamon, pine nuts, whole chicken, ground beef, and white rice. 

Start by preheating your oven to 420 degrees. 

Then, take out 2 whole chickens and place them in a sheet. Rub allspice and 7-spice mix onto the chicken so it is evenly distributed. Throw on some salt and pepper as well. Finally, squeeze adequate lemon juice and drizzle olive oil onto the chicken and around the pan. Place that into your preheated oven and let it cook. It should take around 45 minutes. Keep an eye on it!

Next, grab 2 pounds of chopped ground beef and season it with the same things: allspice, 7-spice mix, salt and pepper. Place it in a pan that's already sizzling with butter and cook until the meat is brown and tender. Drizzle in some lemon, too, it tastes great. Drain the meat in a colander and let it sit until you need it again. 

In another pot, get water boiling and put in enough rice for about 8 people. That will take about 15 minutes to cook through. Make sure to continually mix so nothing sticks to the pan. Drizzle in some lemon, too, it tastes great. 

When the chicken is done cooking, take it out of the oven (use mitts!) and place the pan on a safe surface. With a sharp knife and large fork, begin to pull the chicken meat off the bone. It should rip off easily, the smells should be great and the meat should look juicy.

Now that all three components of the dish are complete, throw them all into one large pan. Mix it all around and drizzle some more lemon atop and some more spices too.

As you can tell, it's a simple dish in terms of ingredients. 

One last thing… warm up pine nuts in a pan (no butter, no nothing) for about five minutes until they're a nice golden-brown. When that done, throw them in. A perfect addition, you'll see. 

All this makes for an amazing dish that some would call, famous. I hope you enjoy!

 

 

Did these sprouts come from Brussels?

It’s taken me some time to jump back on the cooking train- senior year of college is hectic. Plus, when your kitchen doesn’t have a dishwasher, it sure is hard to cook knowing you have cleaning ahead of you. So, as a suggestion, if you’re interested in cooking often, have a dishwasher in your home. I might be the only home this side of the Mississippi without one.

Anyway, the meal we’ll be exploring tonight is a mixture of a suggestion from a friend, and, conventional college eating. It delves into what vegetarians consider normal: filling, tasty, and healthy meals that do not involve meat. I have to involve meat though; I’m cooking for 4 of my friends who aren’t satisfied without protein.

The long overdue meal suggested by a friend was a concoction of Brussel sprouts. It is to be doused in an Asian sauce that tingles the palate’s senses. I learned how to make it righttt… here.

The ingredients to be used in making the Brussel sprouts are: salt, pepper, sugar, water, vegetable oil, fish sauce, garlic, shallot, lime, chili pepper, and, of course, Brussel sprout.

Prepare your kitchen area with a cutting board and knives, and, a garbage of sorts to keep organized (there will be many scraps). Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Crush and chop 2 cloves of garlic. Slice about 1 ½ chili pepper (depending on how much heat you want) evenly. Then throw that and about 1 tbsp. of sugar into a mortar. If you don’t have a mortar, no big deal, just use a bowl and the back of a sturdy spoon. Crush that together until it looks like you’ve done something right. Combine that mixture with ½ cup of water; add the juice of about half a lime and a tbsp. of fish sauce. Place it in the fridge to gather flavor.

Grab about 1 ½ pound of your sprouts and begin to cut the butts off of them, and then slice them once through the middle. Also, chop up 2 shallots. When you’re finished doing that, throw them into a pan and add salt, pepper and oil. Toss it around and that’s it. Throw it in the oven for about 1 hour, and, occasionally drizzle a few drops oil water into the pan to make sure nothing gets burnt.

In the meantime, you can get started on the protein of the meal. I’ve decided to make a guaranteed dish of chicken and bacon. It’s as simple as simple gets, but, it always keeps eaters happy. However, I added some of the same ingredients into this part of the dish so that there was similarity- not just two contrasting flavors.

To make this part of the meal, I used: salt, pepper, vegetable oil, fish sauce, lime juice, chicken breast and bacon.

Heat up a pan and pour a healthy amount of oil in. Then throw in your chicken. Quickly season the chicken with salt and pepper, if you have not already, so that the flavor blends in. Next: bacon. Fit in as much as you can and make sure to add pepper again. Let the meats cook together and, whenever you’re ready, add in small amounts of fish sauce and lime juice. Gently score the chicken so that it cooks evenly. I cut but meats into small, bite size pieces so that there was consistency in size between the meats and Brussel sprouts.

Hopefully, when you’ve finished cooking the meat, the sprouts will just be finishing in the oven as well. Make sure that the Brussel sprouts are not hard as soon as you take them out of the oven. If they are, throw them back in- your diners can wait.

Pour the sauce that’s been chilling in your fridge atop the sprouts and serve it as soon as possible.

Plate the two parts of your meal onto plates and see your diners enjoy a wonderfully delicious collection of flavors from smoky to zingy. Goodnight!

Old Timers' Chicken

Let's take it way, way back. Back when colonials put their meat over an outdoor fire and ground herb seasoning was the only flavor to boot. Back when people harvested their own meat. Back when conventional variety was hard to come by and simple potato soup connoted delicacy. Back when food was more so eaten as necessity than entitlement. 

Well, maybe not that far. My methods of cooking won't be so old-fashion -personally killing animals isn't part of my daily routine- but the meal I'll be making was a staple of colonial-America. 

The rustic chicken on-the-bone accompanied by potatoes, carrots and celery is a hearty meal that screams simplicity. 

I can remember eating this dish at many family occasions. It's so easily made so I understand why many prepare it. The only thing is I think I've had more terrible versions of it than good ones. Hopefully I can make it well. 

The ingredients I used for this meal were: olive oil, dry white wine, salt, pepper, cumin, rosemary, thyme, parsley, paprika, garlic powder, carrots, potatoes, celery, and chicken legs and thighs. 

First, take out a clean cutting board and utensils and wash the vegetables, then get prepared to work. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Dice ample amounts of carrot, celery, and potato. Season lightly if you'd prefer.

If you desire, you can boil the carrot and potato slightly so they are sure to not be hard after cooking in the oven. 

Disregarding exact measurements, mix the spices together so that they will cover the chicken entirely. Use salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme the most. Second most, throw in cumin, parsley, and garlic powder. Then, lastly, add in small doses of paprika for spice. Have your chicken in a large bowl and then rub in your spices so that it is equally portioned.

It would be very smart to score your chicken so that the inside meat is properly cooked. 

Throw your chicken and vegetables into an oversize pan, add in 1/2 cup of dry white wine and cover with tinfoil. Then, with mitts, place the pan into the oven for about an hour. 

In the last half hour, make sure to check on it every 10 minutes or so.

And that is all. A classic, simple dish is prepared for all to enjoy!

A seasonal sandwich

The weather during the fall is peculiar. Sometimes it’s hot, sometimes it’s cold; sometimes it hails bricks and is sunny 10 minutes later. It’s like all the seasons are fighting for attention in a time of change.

But, as always, it gets cold and stays cold through the winter. 

And that’s what happened to the chicken salad I made today. It got cold, and stayed cold.

And, just like the weather which doesn’t have a constant state, the cold chicken salad was introduced to a warm and easy-to-make sandwich where each flavor fought for my attention.

I’d never eaten such a thing before, but after doing a Google search I saw that I had made a common BLT chicken salad sandwich. The ingredients I used were:  olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, scallion, celery, dried cranberry (Craisin), lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, mustard, bread, bacon and chicken.

The chicken should be prepared before anything else. I must say cooking chicken is becoming second-nature; drizzle olive oil into a pan and once it gets hot add 4 cloves of chopped garlic. Then, place slices of chicken breast into the pan (I had 6). Add salt and pepper and flip it over a few times. When the chicken is getting crisp on the outside yet is still juicy inside, start to cut each piece into bite-size squares with a large fork and a sharp knife. When you’re finished, dump all of your chicken into a Ziploc bag, place it in a fridge and let it sit for a few hours. 

After the wait is over, go ahead and cut about 3 stalks of celery and 5 shoots of scallion. You can put all your chicken, celery, scallion and a small handful of Craisins into a large bowl. Then add 1 ½ cup of mayonnaise and 3 tsp. of mustard and mix it all around. That’s how simple chicken salad is. 

Set that aside and heat up a pan with olive oil. When it’s hot enough, place your strips of bacon in. You can add salt or pepper if you’d like, too. When there’s a nice crisp to your bacon strips, take them out.

Next, place 2 slices of bread into that same pan so it can absorb all those juices while it also gets toasted.

Make sure to have your finely cut tomato slices and lettuce ready, and that’s all for cooking; now you just have to construct your sandwich.

Whatever order you put it, a BLT chicken sandwich is a wonderful culmination of hot-and-cold ingredients worthy of any food lover’s palate.

I consider myself a man of many sauces

The modern-day food truck has permanently clung to the sidewalks of New York City. 

Twenty-five years ago, there was only the common pretzel and hot dog stand, #MisterSoftee or #Nuts4Nuts. Now, a cultural outburst of flavor has seduced city-dwellers into the tasteful world of non-traditional foods. 

Chefs from distant lands pack themselves into tiny kitchens-on-wheels to serve-up delicious, cheap, and quick dishes. The plethora of food trucks serve not only its consumer's demand, but it serves as a form of competition, where product quality determines survival. Only top-of-the-line food gets a spot in front of Grand Central Station or in the middle of Union Square. If New Yorkers aren't enjoying your food, you'll know – they'll be on the line across the street waiting for some Jamaican beef patties. 

The trucks usually stay in the same areas because of street permits, so if you simply do a little research, you can find exactly what you're in the mood for. Up-to-date websites literally #tag a food truck on 32nd and Lexington, for example, to let people know that's where it was last seen. 

If you can't make it into the city, #noworries, turn on the Food Network or Cooking Channel. Their producers have enjoyed it so much too, in fact, they've created shows like The Great Food Truck Race and Eat St. 

With all these trucks to choose from, though, it's hard to determine which one to visit on your trip to NYC. Some choices include: Souvlaki GR, which sells traditional Greek cuisine; Kimchi Taco, which serves contemporary Korean BBQ and puts it in tacos or heroes; Urban Lobster Shack, whose catch of fresh lobster, shrimp and scallops land on buttered rolls; Old Traditional Polish Cuisine, serving grilled kielbasa, potato, meat and cheese pierogis; Tacos Morelos, handing out steak burritos or chicken tortas; or finally, The Cinnamon Snail, a vegetarian truck that sells portobello carpaccio and an ancho-chili seitan burger. 

Anyway, all these are great, but they are not my favorite. 

When I go to The City, I almost always find myself standing on the line of The Halal Guys on 53rd and 6th. They specialize in chicken, lamb and yellow-rice platters. Their popularity has spawned countless imitators to join the Halal food surge onto the streets of NYC. 

On their website they write, "Part of the secret to this delicious meal is in the white sauce. Nobody knows what it is, but everybody knows to ask for lots of it!"

The purpose of this blog is to debunk that statement. After having eaten there numerous times, I've decided to make my own white sauce. I also made the classic chicken and rice platter, but that is besides the point; I want to perfect the illustrious white sauce. 

Here's how to make it:

Grab a couple spoons, some measuring cups and a big bowl. Scoop out 1 cup of mayo, 1/3 cup of plain Greek yogurt and 1/3 cup of sour cream; this is the base of your sauce. Next, throw in 2 tbsp. of prepared white horseradish, 1 tbsp. of lemon juice and 3 tsp. of dry dill weed; the "zing" to your sauce. Next, add in 1/4 cup of white vinegar. Then, put in 1/2 tsp. of salt and cracked black pepper, and 2 tbsp. of white sugar. Lastly, and probably the most important, is Ranch dressing. You should put around 3/4 cup of Ranch, but the problem is the taste is so strong, you must go slowly to make sure to not over do it. #Cookingtip: you can always add but never subtract from what has already been put in (usually related to salt). And that is all. Make sure to mix and taste-test throughout and after you're  done, throw it in the fridge to solidify and gather its flavors. 

My first attempt at this sauce came out, surprisingly, delicious. I placed it atop a bed of rice and chicken breast that I seasoned with cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne pepper, and oregano.

In addition, I went to a local Halal shop called NYC Platters that serves, to their best attempt, exactly what the The Halal Guys serve in New York City. When I put their white sauce up against mine the following evening (I had much extra), my roommates could not tell the difference. 

Success. 

The First Meal

Salutations,

Tonight I made a chicken with white wine sauce accompanied by rice and spinach. It took a total time of 50 minutes to make, but could definitely be done quicker on a second or third try. This dish is traditionally found in Italian and French restaurants.
 

I needed to pick up some groceries at the local #farmersmarket before beginning. There, I bought chicken stock, basil, spinach, rice, lemons, garlic, mushrooms, parmesan cheese and two chicken breasts. Not bad, it only cost me $12. The other ingredients I used could be found in my cupboards, they were: salt, black pepper, paprika, oregano, rosemary, flour and olive oil. Finally, I used a #Moscato I found in the fridge, but I'm sure you can use any white wine of your choosing. 

First things first, when I get ready to cook a meal, I like to fully prep the kitchen-area. The pots and pans are all in place on the stove, the oven is pre-heated at 350 and the knives are aligned and ready to work. I'd like my meal prepared sans surprises, please. 

So, take out that cutting board and your sharpest knife and get to chopping. I used 2 garlic cloves which I crushed and then chopped into very small pieces. Next up was spinach and basil; you don't need to do much to them, just measure it out and take away any undesirables. Then, with mushrooms, Portobello and Cremini to be precise, I cut thin slices vertically. Lastly, cut that lemon in half, you're going to need its juice. 

It would be smart to measure out 1 cup of rice now, so you don't have to do it later. Keep in mind, 1 cup of rice equals 2 cups of water. 

The last preparation you'll need to do is that of the chicken. Grab a ziplock bag of ample size and throw in enough flour to cover the chicken. Add in as much salt, pepper, and paprika as you'd like. I also put in rosemary and oregano; I thought the flavors would mix well. 

Now we're ready to cook. Heat up the stove and pour some olive oil into the pan. When it's hot enough, throw in your garlic. Drizzle in some lemon juice while you're at it.  When you get a slight sizzle on the garlic, go ahead and throw in the mushrooms. Don't wait too long before putting in 3/4 cup of chicken stock and 1/2 cup of white wine. When all the ingredients in the pan start to boil, you can put in your chicken. Cook the chicken for about a minute and a half on each side. 

Then, wrap the pan with foil and put it in the oven, which should be at 350, for 25 minutes. 

While your chicken is undergoing #theroast, it's the perfect time to get your rice started. Pretty simple strategy to cook rice: don't put too much, or too little, water, and don't overcook or undercook . I wanted to incorporate the spinach into the rice instead of having two separate pieces. So, using my #mathskillz, I understood that it takes rice about 12 minutes to cook and about 3 for spinach. When my rice was almost finished, I threw in the spinach and then waited for the two components to be ready together. Also, salt, pepper, and any other spices are up to your choosing for the rice. 

Lastly, take out your chicken and throw it back on the stove to get a light brown color on its outer layer. Then, throw in a pinch or two of parmesan. This helps bring the liquid together, making it a thicker sauce. 

That's it. You're ready to plate your chicken with white wine sauce together with rice and spinach. Just throw some of your   basil leaves on top to give a fresh feel, and you're ready to dig in. 

I hope these directions prove useful; my meal came out quite well and I hope yours does too. Until next time; I'm sure we could make it even better.