Crispy and Sticky Chicken Thighs with Squashed New Potatoes and Tomatoes

Another great recipe from Jamie Oliver. I go heavy on the oregano.

Directions

This is a simple pan-baked chicken dish - the sort of food I absolutely love to eat. As everything cooks together in 1 dish, all the beautiful flavors get mixed up. This is what it's all about! With a green salad, it's an easy dinner.

Ingredients

1 3/4 pounds new potatoes, scrubbed

12 boned chicken thighs, skin on, preferably free-range or organic

Olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 1/4 pounds cherry tomatoes, different shapes and colors if you can find them

1 bunch fresh oregano, leaves picked

Extra-virgin olive oil

Red wine vinegar

Put the potatoes into a large saucepan of salted boiling water and boil until cooked.

While the potatoes are cooking, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Cut each chicken thigh into 3 strips and place in a bowl. Rub the meat all over with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, then toss.

Heat a large frying pan, big enough to hold all the chicken pieces snugly in 1 layer, and put the chicken into the pan, skin side down. If you don't have a pan that's big enough, feel free to cook the chicken in 2 batches. Toss and fry over a high heat for 10 minutes or so, until almost cooked, then remove with a slotted spoon to an ovenproof pan or dish.

Prick the tomatoes with a sharp knife. Place them in a bowl, cover with boiling water and leave for a minute or so. Drain and, when cool enough to handle, pinch off their skins. You don't have to, but by doing this they will become lovely and sweet when cooked, and their intense flavor will infuse the potatoes. By now the potatoes will be cooked. Drain them in a colander and lightly crush them by pushing down on them with your thumb.

Bash up most of the oregano leaves with a pinch of salt in a pestle and mortar, or a Flavor Shaker if you have one. Add 4 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, a good splash of red wine vinegar and some pepper and give everything another bash. Add to the chicken with the potatoes, the tomatoes and the rest of the oregano leaves. Toss everything together carefully. Spread out in a single layer in an appropriately sized roasting pan, and bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven until golden.

Lovely served with an arugula salad dressed with some lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil, and a nice glass of white wine.

Greens and Beans

This is a recipe we got from Cafe Cappriccio in Albany. It is simple but very good. We have adapted it by using a little more stock and a little more garlic.

We also like to make this with a piece of broiled or sauteed fish on top - delicious.

Ingredients:

On head escarole, cleaned and chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons garlic chopped fine

3 ounces of bacon or pancetta cut in small pieces

2 Tablespoons olive oil

16 ounces chicken broth

1 can (12 ounces) white beans (Great Northern)

Pecorino or pamigiano cheese

Directions:

Sautee bacon or pancetta in olive oil until just crispy and brown. Add escarole and sautee for 3-4 minutes, turning a few times.

Add garlic and cook 2-3 minutes.

Add broth and beans, cover and bring to a boil and cook 3-5 minutes, until beans are soft and greens are tender.

Server in a bowl and grate fresh cheese over top.

Jean's Apple Pie

Lib's Mom's apple pie......mmmmmmm.......apple pie....

Filling:

Apples

1 cup sugar

3 Tablespoon flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 Tablespoons butter cut into 6-7 pieces

Crust:

2 cups flour

2/3 cup crisco

1 teaspoon salt

7 Tablespoons ice water

Cut apples and mix with sugar, flour and cinnamon.

Mix flour, criso and salt together until crumbly. Add ice water and mix together until semi-consistent. Knead dough and roll out with a rolling pin.

Line pie dish with half the dough and add apples. Top apples with cut butter. Top with rest of dough and cut slits to let out steam. Bake at 400 degrees for 40-45 minutes (use cookie sheet under pie dish to catch drippings).

Beautiful Zucchini Carbonara

This is from the Food Network/Jamie Oliver - a very good and tasty recipe.

Beautiful Zucchini Carbonara

Directions

Carbonara is a classic pasta sauce made with cream, bacon and Parmesan and is absolutely delicious. Try to buy the best ingredients you can, as that's what really helps to make this dish amazing. I'm using a flowering variegated variety of thyme but normal thyme is fine to use. When it comes to the type of pasta, you can serve carbonara with spaghetti or linguine, but I've been told by Italian mammas (who I don't argue with!) that penne is the original, so that's what I'm using in this recipe.

Ingredients

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 medium green and yellow zucchini

1 pound penne

4 large free-range or organic egg yolks

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 good handfuls freshly grated Parmesan

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil

12 thick slices pancetta or lean bacon, cut into chunky pieces

A small bunch fresh thyme, leaves picked and chopped, flowers reserved (if you can get hold of flowering thyme)

Optional: a few zucchini flowers

Before you start cooking, it's important to get yourself a very large pan, or use a high-sided roasting pan so you can give the pasta a good toss.

Put a large pan of salted water on to boil. Halve and then quarter any larger zucchini lengthwise. Cut out and discard any fluffy middle bits, and slice the zucchini at an angle into pieces roughly the same size and shape as the penne. Smaller zucchini can simply be sliced finely. Your water will now be boiling, so add the penne to the pan and cook according to the package instructions.

To make your creamy carbonara sauce, put the egg yolks into a bowl, add the cream and half the Parmesan, and mix together with a fork. Season lightly with salt and pepper and set aside.

Heat a very large frying pan (a 14-inch is a good start - every house should have one!), add a good splash of olive oil and fry the pancetta or bacon until dark brown and crisp. Add the zucchini slices and 2 big pinches of black pepper, not just to season but to give it a bit of a kick. Sprinkle in the thyme leaves, give everything a stir, so the zucchini is coated with all the lovely bacon-flavored oil, and fry until they start to turn lightly golden and have softened slightly.

It's very important to get this next bit right or your carbonara could end up ruined. You need to work quickly. When the pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving a little of the cooking water. Immediately, toss the pasta in the pan with the zucchini, bacon and lovely flavors, then remove from the heat and add a ladleful of the reserved cooking water and your creamy sauce. Stir together quickly. (No more cooking now, otherwise you'll scramble the eggs.)

Get everyone around the table, ready to eat straightaway. While you're tossing the pasta and sauce, sprinkle in the rest of the Parmesan and a little more of the cooking water if needed, to give you a silky and shiny sauce. Taste quickly for seasoning. If you've managed to get any zucchini flowers, tear them over the top, then serve and eat immediately, as the sauce can become thick and stodgy if left too long.

Cheat's Pappardelle with Slow-Braised Leeks and Crispy Porcini Pangrattato

This is a great recipe from Jamie Oliver. The link from the Food Network is:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jamie-at-home/cheats-pappardelle-with-slow-braised-leeks-and-crispy-porcini-pangrattato-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

5 big leeks, outer leaves trimmed back, washed

Olive oil

3 good knobs butter, divided

3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced

A few sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked

A small wineglass white wine

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pint good-quality vegetable or chicken stock

12 slices ham, preferably Parma

2 (8-ounce) packages fresh lasagne sheets

All-purpose flour, for dusting

2 handfuls freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving

For the Pangrattato:

1 small handful dried porcini mushrooms

1/2 ciabatta bread, preferably stale, cut into chunks

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 sprig fresh rosemary

Directions

Halve the leeks lengthways and cut at an angle into 1/2-inch slices. Heat a wide saucepan, add a splash of oil and a knob of butter, and when you hear a gentle sizzling add the sliced garlic, thyme leaves and leeks. Move the leeks around so every piece gets coated. Pour in the wine, season with pepper and stir in the stock. Cover the leeks with the slices of Parma ham, place a lid on the pan and cook gently for 25 to 30 minutes. Once the leeks are tender, take the pan off the heat.

To make the pangrattato:

Whiz the mushrooms and bread with a pinch of salt and pepper in a food processor until the mixture looks like bread crumbs. Heat a generous glug of olive oil in a frying pan. Add the garlic cloves and the rosemary and cook for a minute, then fry the bread crumbs in the oil until golden and crisp. Keep shaking the pan - don't let the bread crumbs catch on the bottom. Drain on paper towels, discard the rosemary and garlic and allow the bread crumbs to cool.

Bring a big pan of salted water to the boil. Lay the lasagne sheets on a clean working surface and sprinkle with a little flour. Place the sheets on top of each other and slice into 1/2-inch strips. Toss through your fingers to shake out the pappardelle, then cook in the boiling water 2 minutes or until al dente.

Remove the Parma ham from the saucepan, slice up and stir back into the leeks. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in the Parmesan and the rest of the butter. Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the cooking water, and add the pasta to the leeks. Add a little of the cooking water if need be, to give you a silky, smooth sauce. Serve quickly, sprinkled with some pangrattato, extra Parmesan and any leftover thyme tips. Serve the rest of the pangrattato in a bowl on the side.

Miss Albany Breakfast

I haven't been to the Miss Albany Diner in years. For whatever reason, I had a very light morning last week and decided to grab breakfast there to see what it is like. I was craving my old standby, the huevos rancheros.

The place is the same - same random smell, as if something burned an hour ago. Same random customers truly from all walks of life. Same random stuff hanging on the wall and the miles to other cities posted on the board in the rear.

Much to my dismay, the rancheros were not on the menu, but many of the old standbys were. I settled on two over easy, homemade corned beef hash and rye toast.

I was very happy when my breakfast arrived. The eggs were perfect - runny yolks, firm whites. Potatoes were nice and crispy. Rye bread toasted with butter. But the hash, it was, well, surprising - definitely different from anything I had. First bite was a big hit of sage, along with a nice chunk of corned beef and some potato. It took me a few bites to get used to it, but once I did I was in love. The best is breaking that yolk and you get creamy yolk and hash and potato and egg and toast.......oh yeah. Before I knew it it was all gone. And I mean all gone - I was a member of the clean plate club! Oh, and they bring jars of jam to the table - it could just be Smuckers, but its a great touch.

Definitely will be going there again now that we have been reunited.

The Best Thing I Ever Ate...

This is actually a pretty interesting show on the Food Network for any foodie. I find it insightful that most chefs prefer pretty simple food for the most part (Bourdain likes to mention that a chef's favorite dishes are typically simple, rustic stews).

It got me thinking - what are some of the best meals and dishes I have had over the years? So, the result is the list below, in no particular order. I'm sure I'll be adding to this over time in new entries.

Marrow Bones, Blue Ribbon Bakery, NYC - I was there with friends, and ordered the marrow bones to an "ewwww" from my table mates. I told them they could skip it - I'll have it myself. By the time the fresh bread hit the table, those yummy marrow bones showed up and I ended up having to defend my turf for a short while, finally acquiescing and then ordering a second round. Being an aficionado of all things marrow, these were excellent, as was the ox tail marmalade that accompanied them.

Pigs in a Blanket, Brooklyn Diner, NYC - This diner is in mid-town, and has overall good food. BUT, no matter if I am there for breakfast, lunch or dinner, I have to get me an order of the pigs in a blanket. The kielbasa-style sausage, delicate pastry and spicy mustard are all just perfect.

Beef Wellington, Plumbush, Cold Spring, NY - This is a restaurant that has changed hands over the years, and did again as recently as a few years ago. Though I have not been there under the new owners, my memories still drift to the Beef Wellington, which was a Saturday-only special. Perfectly tender beef, crispy pastry dough and a killer liver pate ring around the meat - I can almost taste it now.

Warm Mushroom Salad, Cella Bistro, Niskayuna, NY - Warm Mushroom Salad + Loaf of Bread = A VERY happy John. This is just plain killer. Some portobello, wild mushrooms, shallots, garlic, a touch of chilis, roasted tomatoes and cheese. Holy cow. A seriously good dish that I could eat every day of the week.

Eggs and Corned Beef Hash, Justin's on Lark St., Albany, NY - Justin's does Sunday brunch, and the only dish to get is the Casted Hash and Eggs. Order the eggs over easy and skip the hollandaise (its good, just unnecessary in my opinion). Served in a hot cast iron skillet, there are huge chunks of corned beef, crispy potatoes and then the gooey yolk from the eggs.....heaven on a plate.

Eggs and Pastrami, Eisenberg's, NYC - Eisenberg's has become the adopted home for board meetings for one of my companies. To me it is the quintessential NYC deli - surly servers, small crowded dining room, a lot of quirks and some really fatty, really good pastrami. Combine that with two over medium and some rye toast or a bialy and, well, it just can't be beat. I look forward to these board meetings...

Ca Chien (Whole pan-fried flounder), My Linh, Albany, NY - This is a restaurant that is special to me and Libbie. Our first date. A famously great Valentine's dinner. Where we ate the night we got engaged. So, you can argue that I may be biased, but this dish is just fantastic. Whole fish, eyes staring at you and all, super crispy skin, nuoc mam, vegetables and rice. This is one of those dishes you just can't recreate at home. My mouth literally waters every time I think of it.

Burrito Espinaca, El Loco, Albany, NY - Another local restaurant, and another that Libbie really likes (as do I). Whenever we go, I just have to get the burrito espinaca. A perfect soft burrito topped with melted cheese and stuffed with this perfect combo of sauteed spinach, mushrooms and artichokes. Its just great.

Porterhouse, Keene's Steakhouse, NYC - Keene's, of all the great steakhouses, is one of my favorites, not only for the meat, but for the ambiance. The steak is just great - tender, juicy and flavorful. With a side of creamed spinach and mushrooms, you just can't go wrong. There are a lot of great steaks in NYC, but this is just one of the most memorable.

Calamari Appetizer, Cornell's, Schenectady, NY

This is one of those incredibly simple dishes that just plain works, and which you wish you could replicate at home! The calamari is always cooked perfectly, it has mushrooms, onions and a light red sauce that probably includes a lot of cream and a pound of butter! The sauce accepts the delicate calamari flavor just right, and I have been known to down nearly a loaf of Italian bread with the dish!