Bruce Moffet's Chicken Cacciatore

Whole Chicken cut into 8 pieces

3 Garlic cloves sliced thin

1/2 onion diced

Red pepper, julienned

Yellow pepper, julienned

carrot, halved and cut on bias

Wine

Chicken stock

1 can whole tomatoes

Rosemary and thyme stems tied together with twine

chili flakes

Sear chicken on both sides. Remove from pan. Lightly brown garlic. Add onions, peppers, carrots saute a few minutes. Deglaze pan with wine (1/2-1 cup). Add tomatoes (slightly crushed with hands) and chicken stock to almost cover chicken. Add rosemary and thyme stems and chili flakes. Allow to simmer, uncovered on stove 1hour - 1.5 hours. Season with S&P. Serve over fresh fettuccini.

Chicken and White Bean Chili
1lb of dried small white beans
8 anaheim chiles(cubanelle is good also)1lb
1/4 cup butter
2 chopped large onions
1/3 cup of all purpose flour
4 cups chicken broth (low salt)
3 cups 1/2 and 1/2
4 cups shredded cooked chicken
1T of chili powder
1 T hot pepper sauce
1 T ground cumin
2 t. salt
1/2 t. of white pepper
garnishes:
1 1/2 cups of monterrey jack cheese
1 cup sour cream
chopped cilantro
tomatillo or green chile salsa

~Put beans in pot and cover with cold water. Let stand overnight. Char chilis over gas flame or broiler. Blacken all sides. Put in paper bag for 10 minutes. Peel, seed and chop chilis.
~Drain beans and return to pot. Add cold water and cover by 3". Simmer for 1 hour until beans are tender. Drain well. Set aside.
~Melt butter in large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onions and saute until tender. Add flour and stir 5min. Do not brown.
~Gradually whisk in 1/2 and 1/2 and broth. Simmer until thickened, 10 min. Add beans, chilis, chicken and next five ingredients. Simmer for 20 minutes.
~Add cheese and sour cream to chili and stir until cheese melts. Garnish with cilantro and salsa.

Notes: I have used the cheese and the sour cream as a garnish and it has been delish. I think it is rich enough...also easier to reheat if you don't add cheese and sour cream.
I also serve with large mouth fritos.
This is my friend Sims' recipe. I am not sure of its origins but it is GOOD!

Chipotle Black Beans and First Posts

My first sojourn to the blog o'sphere. I love the photos! The one of BB and the blender in the soup should be up for an award.

My only noteworthy food epiphany of late is the Chipotle Black Beans recipe from that Bride and Groom cookbook. I'll post the recipe if anyone wants it, but I feel like everyone has the book. I made it for dinner on Monday and I'll damned if my children, all THREE, at them until there were none left. Served them with rice and grilled chicken breasts. You would have thought the beans were ice cream, the way the kids devoured them (and they are seriously picky eaters.)

Is this what I'm supposed to be writing on our blog???

p.s. Barrie, will you post your chicken chili recipe? I am dying to make it.

Thought I posted it, but made a comment instead. This isn't easy.

Vaynerchuk wine site

Have y'all seen this website- daily 15 - 20 minute videos about wine, usually with notable guest tasters. This guy hails from WAY north of the MD line, but seems very knowledgeable about wine and I think it is an entertaining show. Check out his review of the Trader Joe's 2 buck Chuck series.... tv.winelibrary.com

Donna Hay's Salmon with Salsa Verde and Lentil Soup

Salmon Baked in Salsa Verde is simple and yummy. I asked the butchers at the Fresh Market to get the Alaskan Sockeye Salmon frozen in the package. Which is really what they have in the case but not thawed. It is always the freshest, I think.

1 large Filet of Alaskan Salmon 2lbs(made fish sticks for kids with a 1/2 lb

salsa verde:

1/3 cup dill roughly chopped

1/3 cup flat parsley r. chopped

1/3 cup of mint r. chopped

2 cloves garlic r. chopped

1 T of dijon mustard

8 anchovy fillets

3 T capers, rinsed and drained

1/3 cup olive oil

2 T lemon juice

preheat oven to 400. To make salsa verde. Process the first 7 ingredients until smooth in a food processor. Add the oil and the lemon juice until combined. Place the salmon in a baking dish and spread with the salsa verde. Bake for 6-10 min or until the salmon is medium rare. Serve with steamed greens but I chose Lentil and Leek soup. Brush teeth. Repeat.

Lentil and Pancetta Soup

1 T of oil

2 leeks, chopped

8 slices of pancetta(I used the 4 oz box of diced pancetta from the HT deli section)

14 oz of lentils

6 cups of chicken stock

s and p to taste

Place oil in large sauce/soup pan over medium heat. Add pancetta and leeks. I added pancetta and let it brown a bit before I added leeks. Add the stock and the lentils. Let soup boil rapidly for 15-18 minutes.

While soup is cooking, grill or broil two thin slices of pancetta until crisp. Set aside.

Ladle into bowls. Add crisp pancetta to top and serve with lemon wedges to be squeezed over soup or a dollop of creme fraiche.

Crying While Eating

I am reading a fabulous new cookbook that Liz gave to me......The Splendid Table's HOW TO EAT SUPPER........I am going to have a multitude of good recipes from it to share, I am sure. There was mention of a website that I thought some of you would like. The book contends that "Nothing puts a bad mood in its place like cryingwhileeating.com ". Check it out and let me know what you think.

Gourmet cheese straws- revisited

OK I tried the cheese straws again (recipe in our Gourmet Thanksgiving packet) - major improvement over the well-blackened version at Haley's! I skimped a bit on the cheese and shouldn't have- they don't taste cheesy enough. BUT very flaky, tasty and I bet will be a crowd pleaser. Also so easy if you just set the timer!! The two layers started to come apart when I was twisting them but it didn't seem to matter much. The recipe says not to bake too far ahead, but I am thinking a minute or two in the oven, wrapped in foil and they should be good as new for at least a few days!