FOODIE FRIDAY: CHICKEN PAPRIKASH

This is a close and delicious relative of beef goulash but with a few tasty additions and of course the obvious use of chicken instead of beef.  A robust and flavor-rich dish just perfect for fall and winter yet it is light and subtle.  I like to serve this over wide egg noodles or with potato pancakes.  Warm, sweet pickled red cabbage is an obvious accompaniment to balance the zip of the spices.

INGREDIENTS:

1 frying chicken cut into 8 pieces

1/2 cup a.p. flour

1 medium onion, diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 sweet red bell pepper diced

2 cups chicken stock

1/4 cup quality sweet paprika

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 clove garlic, smashed

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper [optional]

12 ounces fresh sliced mushrooms

1/3 cup oil for frying

1/2 cup good red wine

METHOD:

Lightly brown the onions, bell pepper and garlic and move to a casserole dish.* While the onions are browning, dredge the chicken in flour. Add the chicken pieces to the oil and lightly brown on both sides over medium high heat.  Move the chicken to the casserole dish.  Now saute the mushrooms just until wilted and then add the paprika, salt and black pepper.  Transfer the seasoned mushroom mixture [with the liquid] to the casserole.  Add the remaining ingredients to the casserole dish.  Cover and bake in a 350* oven for 2 hours.  

Remove from oven, remove chicken to a platter.  Stir the sauce and serve over noodles.

*can be made in your slow cooker on high for 4 hours.

"SAUCE WARS"

Last weekend I had the honor of being one of the judge's for my hometown's first annual "Sauce Wars" tomato sauce competition.  When I got the call to participate I thought "this should be fun!".  I must admit that I haven't been very involved locally since the days when I owned my regional theater here: The Westchester Show Place. I grew up here.  I'm "third generation" Italian American Peekskillite and this competition was to be part of a three day Italian festival.

When I got off the phone it occurred to me that I hadn't asked for any details beyond when and where I was to show up.  I had no details about the competition rules or requirements or even how many people would be submitting their sauce. I watch FoodTV and the Travel Channel.  I'm a "foodie".  I know good sauce.  What more did I need to know? I figured I would taste a few sauces, be social, have some fun and do my part for the community. How hard could this possibly be?

Competition day arrived and the weather was picture perfect.  What a great day to spend outdoors with friends.  Predictably irreverent, I donned my favorite apron which is imprinted with "DON'T MAKE ME HAVE TO POISON YOUR DINNER" across the chest, and showed up at the address with which I had been provided.  The meeting place was a nice small office adjacent to the festivities.  I was greeted by old friends and familiar faces.  I soon realized that we were going to be doing the bulk of the judging in this space and not outside in the beautiful weather.  We would do the preliminary judging inside and then be joined by the local "celebrity" judges for the final round of three sauces.  Hey, wait a minute.  I'm not a "celebrity"?  My ego isn't too bruised.  

Lesson number one: when you get asked to judge a food competition, ask for details!  

I am quickly introduced to the other two non-celebrity judges, given a name badge and a clipboard and we are briefly instructed as to how we were to score and judge.  This is where we first learn that the competition had been such a success that  there had been 82 entries in the competition, some from as far as New York City.  82 different sauces to taste!  We were to judge 10 at a time and then our results would be tabulated and the second round would be narrowed to 20.  After that, 12 and then be joined by the "celebs" for the final 3 on stage.

Let's stop and do the math.  82 + 20 + 12 +3.  When it was over we will have tasted 127 samples!  127 tastings with only water for palate cleansing.  This was going to take a long time.

Lesson number two: when you create a food competition make some rules and guidelines for the entrants. 

The first set of 10 jars is placed on the judging table along with a large supply of plastic spoons.  "OK, begin".  With my first taste I discovered that the sauce was cold.  After I made my "unattractive face" I ask about the temperature and was told that "there was no way to heat them up but that they had been left out of the refrigerator for a while to warm up to room temperature".  Cold tomato sauce!  How do you judge COLD tomato sauce?  It's neither fair to the contestants nor [especially] to the "non-celebrity" judges being asked to sample 127.  Temperature completely throws off the taste balance, acidity and viscosity.  Not to ignore the fact that cold, oily sauce is off-putting. I wouldn't even want to taste my own [wonderful] sauce cold!

As I make my way through the first set of cold, oily sauces something else has revealed itself to me and my fellow judges:  there were no guidelines for the sauce.  If it was red it's in the competition.  The sauces were with or without meat.  I'm sure a few had fish in them.  Some had vegetables.  Some were so spicy that water would not cleanse the palate.  Other entries tasted more like Mexican salsa or burrito sauce.  The competition should clearly have been broken down into categories.

By the time I had tasted 40 very different sauces I was turning a little green.  Not "with envy" green.  Just "how the hell am I going to taste 87 more samples?" green.  I think it was around this time that my mind began to wander to the inevitable thoughts of  "I wonder who made these" and "is there a cure for botulism?" and "I wonder if I'll ever again be able to smell tomato sauce without getting nauseous".  

By the time we finished the first round of 82 I was in the groove.  The bulk of the judging was behind us and we knew what we were in for for the rest of the rounds.  We had already tasted all of them.  The rounds should get much easier if you don't factor in the cumulative effect.  I spent a lot of time suggesting to the people in charge that next year it should be a cannoli contest instead!

The "celebrity" judges arrived and to their credit decided to join us "nobody" judges for the final 12 round.  They were lovely, gracious and fun.  I took a great deal of pleasure watching them jump in and take spoonfuls of the cold, oily sauces.  When they heard how many samples we had already tasted they were very complimentary and no doubt grateful that they hadn't arrived any earlier in the process.

We did it.  Somehow we narrowed the sauces down to the final 3.  The top 3.  We were escorted outside to the stage where we were announced, introduced and seated.  It was great to be outside.  The fresh air was very welcomed.  We did our final judging in front of the audience and the winner was announced.  

It was a fun day.  It was a good experience that I surely won't soon forget.  Unfortunately the competition more closely resembled "Bizarre Foods" with Andrew Zimmern than "The Next Great Chef"!  

That evening I went home to eat some crackers,  brush my teeth and gargle several times followed by a nice dinner at my favorite Indian restaurant!

FOODIE FRIDAY RECIPE - ITALIAN VEGETABLE STEW

GIAMBOTTA

[Italian Vegetable Stew]

Late in summer when local vegetables are abundant and gardeners are begging their friends to relieve them of some of their zucchini, tomatoes and string beans, it's time for Aunt Gloria's hearty giambotta.  You can get the necessary vegetables year round now but nothing compares to local garden-fresh.  This peasant dish is a close relative to the French ratatouille but less condensed and minus the eggplant.  This is a flexible dish so feel free to adapt to taste.  Aunt Gloria always put potatoes in her stew and served it as a side dish.  I generally omit the potatoes and serve the stew over pasta as a main course.  Either way, you can't miss.

Ingredients:

4 cups diced ripe tomatoes

[or canned crushed tomatoes]
2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 cups large-diced zucchini

1/2 cup diced celery

3/4 cup diced carrots

1 diced bell pepper

1 minced clove garlic

2 diced medium onions

1 pound string beans

4 large potatoes, peeled and diced [optional]

3 cups water or chicken stock

1 tablespoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

6 to 8 fresh basil leaves

3 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup good red wine

Method:

Preheat oven to 330*.

Clean and prep all the vegetables.  I find it helpful to scrape some of the skin from the zucchini with a serrated knife before cutting.  Heat the oil in a heavy Dutch Oven and lightly brown the onions, celery, carrots and pepper.  After a few minutes add the garlic and remove from heat.  Add all the remaining ingredients, cover and return to medium heat to bring to a simmer.  

Give the stew a quick stir and then move it from stovetop to preheated oven.  Let it cook in the oven for 2 or even 3 hours.  The stew is done when all the vegetables are soft to the fork.

Serve over prepared farfalle or orecchiette pasta and enjoy with a loaf of really great peasant Italian bread!

FOODIE FRIDAY RECIPE - CROCK POT STEAK PIZZAIOLA

Steak Pizzaiola is a family favorite here at the Lanni household.  When you order it in an Italian restaurant it is usually made with a shell, strip or sirloin steak as these are firm, tender cuts.  At home, we have always made it with bone-in chuck steaks.  The chuck steak is an inexpensive but very flavorful choice but it can be tough.  I decided to experiment and adapt the recipe for crock pot cooking and the result is an amazingly tender dish with really big flavor.  

Ingredients:

1 large [2-3#] bone in chuck steak, 1" thick

1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

one 8 oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts, rinsed

1 large can crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup red wine

1 tablespoon dry oregano

1/2 tablespoon dry basil

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes [optional]

Method:

In the bottom of the crock pot combine all ingredients and stir.  Cut the steak into 3 or 4 pieces to fit your crock and submerge them in the sauce mixture.  Cook on medium for 6-7 hours until fork tender.  Remove the meat to a serving platter and serve the sauce over white rice or pasta and top with grated romano cheese.  

FOODIE FRIDAY RECIPE - CRUNCHY OVEN "FRIED" CHICKEN

Simple and delicious, this is a variation on "fried" chicken that's sure to please.  The recipe is flexible enough to adapt to your own personal choice of herbs but I prefer a straight forward approach with few, if any, herbs.  The chicken is crisp and tasty with a hint of sweetness provided by the corn flake crumbs.  I like to serve it with mashed potatoes and the optional "gravy".

This is a dish that is sure to impress.  You can keep the fact of how easy it is to make just between us!

Ingredients:

1 chicken cut up into 8 pieces

2 cans of cream of mushroom soup

1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika 

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

2 cups corn flake crumbs 

1 stick of butter, melted

Method:

Preheat oven to 425* and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a rack in the pan.  Spray with cooking spray.  

Wash and dry the chicken parts.

In a wide bowl combine 1 can of soup with 1/2 cup milk and the pepper.  Whisk until smooth.

In another bowl combine the corn flake crumbs, salt, onion powder and paprika.

Dredge the chicken pieces in the wet mixture and then in the dry mix.  Place on the prepared rack and bake and drizzle with the melted butter.  Bake for 40 minutes.

"GRAVY"

Combine 1 can of soup with 1/2 cup of milk.  Whisk until smooth and heat until simmer.  Yes, that's all there is to it!  

FOODIE FRIDAY RECIPE - CAPE MAY LOBSTER SANDWICH

Best ever lobster & cheese sandwich!

I recently had the pleasure of a short trip to the New Jersey shore.  No trip to the shore would be complete for me without spending some quality time in Cape May.  Beautiful Cape May is located at southernmost tip of the Garden State and is home to some of the most beautiful historic Victorian homes in the United States.  

For me Cape May is a journey back to my youth.  I have been vacationing there since I was 5 years old.  The beauty of the town is that it never changes.  Businesses come and go but the structures remain intact and as charming as they ever were.  In fact, I think it looks better every year.  I'm rooted in Cape May.  When I'm on the tiny, pristine boardwalk smelling the aroma of roasted nuts from Marrow's Nut House and gazing out across the white sand to the ocean I feel as though time has stood still.

I feel the presence of my parents all around me when I'm in Cape May.  They loved it there.  I watched the first moon landing on a portable black and white TV with my dad while sitting  the steps of the Lafayette Motel which is still there.  The first mini golf courses which sparked my obsession still sparkle.  The church that my mother dragged me to on Sundays, when I would have preferred to be swimming, still watches over the quaint pedestrian mall in the center of town.

On this trip we found ourselves in a local beachfront restaurant for lunch.  This was never one of my "hangouts" as it was usually boisterous and a little too loud with live music and pitchers of beer everywhere but it was convenient and air conditioned.  I looked over the menu and decided on something which sounded odd and oddly interesting.  My Foodie Friday recipes have always been my own or family recipes which have been handed down to me but this week I'm going to share the recipe for that unusual but amazingly delicious lobster & cheese sandwich. This is more about the idea of combining ingredients that you wouldn't necessarily pair and having a truly great surprise.

Ingredients:

good quality grain or ciabatta bread

lobster meat [cooked]

brie

fresh mozzarella

fresh basil leaves

russian dressing

butter

Method:

Make a sandwich by covering the insides of two pieces of bread with the two cheeses.  Top one of the pieces of bread with a lump of lobster meat and then a few leaves of fresh basil.  Add about a tablespoon of russian dressing over the basil and close the sandwich.  Butter the outsides of the sandwich with softened butter and brown in a skillet until toasted on both sides.

This sandwich was halved and arranged on a plate with potato chips and a cup of tomato soup for dunking.  I found the soup to be completely unnecessary and overpowering.  The flavors of the melted cheeses with the hint of sweet from the lobster and Russian dressing work so well with the crisp clean bite of the fresh basil.  This is a gooey, savory elegant sandwich.

FOODIE FRIDAY RECIPE - LOBSTER FRA DIAVOLO

Lobster fra diavolo is a sure-to-please summer favorite of mine.  Piquant and light, I prefer to serve mine over a heaping bed of mafalde pasta.  Mafalde is best described as narrow lasagna noodles.  They stand up well to the spicy sauce and yet they're delicate.  You can adjust the heat factor of this devil's dish from mild to torturous.  I prefer mine on the medium to hot side.  

Ingredients:

One 32 ounce can of good quality tomato puree, preferable San Marzano tomatoes.  

4 medium lobster tails*

1 small onion minced

8 ounces sliced mushrooms

one 8 ounce jar of roasted red peppers

salt

pepper

2 teaspoons dried oregano

6 leaves fresh basil

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes [to taste]

1/4 cup red wine

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 clove minced garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound mafalde pasta

Method: 

In a small saucepan lightly brown the onion in olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and garlic and remove from heat.  Add tomato puree, 1/2 tomato can of water, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, oregano and 5 basil leaves.  Reserve one leaf of basil to chop and sprinkle over cooked dish.  Return sauce to heat and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.  

While the sauce is simmering par boil the lobster tails in salted water with the white vinegar for 4 minutes.  Immediately remove the tails to a cold water bath to cool for handling.  

When the lobster is cool enough to touch, cut the tails in half lengthwise with a sharp knife and remove the meat.  Now I like to cut the meat into bite-sized pieces but you can leave them halved.  Set aside until sauce is done.

Now bring a large pot of salted water to boil and prepare the mafalde according to the package directions.

Drain the roasted peppers and slice into medium strips.

At the 45 minute mark remove the sauce from the heat and add the lobster, peppers and wine and return to the heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and serve on a platter over the cooked pasta.  Sprinkle the basil leaf over top and enjoy!  

* you can easily substitute cleaned, raw shrimp or even calms.