So we are prepared to be snowed in for the next three days and my mind is racing with all the possibilities and creativity that can come from our cozy kitchen. I have been to the store now three times and my pantry is in pretty good shape so I should be able to make most anything happen. Now to just figure it out...Day 1 did not disappoint.
Breakfast was homemade sausage gravy and biscuits (a dish we affectionately call hog sweat here in the "usually sunny" South). When I make it I add lots of sage and fennel to the sausage. I only eat this about once a year. I may need to rethink that logic.
For dinner I revisited two recipes. The first, a grilled Caesar Salad served warm. The second, an Italian recipe from Cooks Illustrated 2014 All Time Best Recipes...Chicken Piccata. I had made this for a large dinner party about a year ago and people still talk about it. At the time I thought it was pretty good, but anyone who knows me knows I am very critical of my own cooking when others are partaking. I rated it at the time as "pretty good." For Cooks Illustrated that is a pretty low rating from me. Christopher Kimball is meticulous in his methods and his assessments and he usually nails it. With my scientific background I love to read his logic. Upon revisiting this recipe I must concur with both my friends and the CI team. I rarely order this dish because it never blows me away when I have eaten it out in restaurants. I believe CI has hit the nail on the head when they allude to the fact that people try to "overdo" what should be a simple dish. Or, on the opposite end of the spectrum, it is too floury or too bland. This version is bright and clear and the lemon and capers just "kiss" the chicken. Sometimes the simple recipes remind me that all good cooking does not have to be too difficult or too overthought. I will definitely be making this again. Bon appetit!
 |
|
No comments:
Post a Comment