Miscellaneous

Wild Chickens

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wild chickens

Wild Chickens

The Italian Farmer Returning Chickens to the Wild

His chestnut forest is home to thousands of hens.
by Vittoria Traverso
Chickens as we know them are a human invention. The most common chicken species, Gallus gallus domesticus, owes its existence to the domestication of four species of wild jungle fowls, a group of colorful birds that once roamed the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. As early as 10,000 years ago, people began to keep these jungle-roaming creatures for everything from egg-laying to bird-fighting. Today, poultry is the second most common type of meat around the world after pork. But most contemporary chickens no longer enjoy the freedom of their distant cousins . . .

Wild Chickens

The complete article – here –

wild chickens

 

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Seafood, Vegetarian

Michele’s Breaded Deep Fried Gamberetto

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Michele’s Breaded Deep Fried Gamberetto

Michele was the chef at my Uncle Charlie’s restaurant, The Fisherman’s Wharf. This was one of my favorites.

Michele’s Breaded Deep Fried Gamberetto

Michele’s Breaded Deep Fried Gamberetto

Michele’s Breaded Deep Fried Gamberetto

Michele’s Breaded Deep Fried Gamberetto

Rinse the shrimp and blot them dry. Season with salt and pepper. Beat the egg with about two tablespoons of the milk. Dip the shrimp into the egg wash and drip off any excess. Coat with the breadcrumbs and place on a rack for 30 minutes.

Michele’s Breaded Deep Fried Gamberetto

Heat the oil to 375o. If you don’t have a thermometer, drop a few breadcrumbs in the oil, and if it sizzles, it’s hot enough. Deep fry until golden.

Micheles Breaded Deep Fried Gamberetto

Serve with lemon wedges and Heinz Chili Sauce on the side.

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Miscellaneous

USDA Watercolors

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USDA Watercolors

From Gastro Obscura

Between 1886 and 1942, the USDA’s Division of Pomology commissioned thousands of watercolor paintings. These beautiful illustrations helped establish a national register of plants and fruits that documented new varieties and issue research findings to growers and breeders throughout the country.

USDA Watercolors

Why the USDA Hired Artists to Paint Thousands of Fruits

by ROHINI CHAKI
As a child in the mid-19th century, Deborah Griscom Passmore would clamber onto the wide stone windowsill of her ancestral home in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, and paint watercolors of flowers and fruit using the juices from her subjects. Little did she know that one day she would be leading the project to create one of the most beautiful botanical archives in existence. . .

Complete article and pictures hereUSDA Watercolors

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Pasta

Red Wine Pasta

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Decanter on Amazon

Red Wine Pasta

This one is adapted from David Tanis, New York Times – City Kitchen. Don’t use a very expensive wine for this but one at least good enough to drink. You can use Chianti, Merlot or Pinot Noir.
Red Wine Pasta
Red Wine Pasta
Put on a pot of salted water to boil. Add a cup of the wine and lower the heat.

Red Wine Pasta

Sauté the pancetta in the oil. Remove it when it browns. Then add the onion, salt and pepper. Fry the onion until its softened. Add the garlic and tomato paste – stir and coat the onion. Then the bay leaf and the rest of the bottle of wine. Raise the heat and let it reduce – about 10 minutes.
Red Wine Pasta
Bring the pasta water back to a boil and cook the pasta until almost done. Reserve a cup of pasta water and drain the pasta. Add the pasta to the sauce and stir as it absorbs it. Add some pasta water if the sauce is too thick.
Stir in the browned pancetta, the butter, parsley and Parmigiana. Check for seasoning. Serve with more grated Parmigiana.

Red Wine Pasta

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Poultry

Chicken with Vinegar, Raisins and Onions

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Chicken with Vinegar, Raisins, and Onions

Chicken with Vinegar, Raisins, and Onions  – An interesting combination of flavors – with kind of a sweet and sour finish.

Chicken with Vinegar, Raisins, and Onions
Boil the onions in salted water for about 5 minutes. Remove and place them in a bowl. Fry the pancetta in a pot until it browns. Remove and place it in a separate bowl.   
Add the boiled onions to same pot with the pancetta fat and cook until they begin to brown. Add garlic and cook for about 3 minutes. Transfer onions and garlic to bowl with pancetta.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Working in batches, add the chicken to pot starting skin side down and cook, turning, until browned. Transfer to bowl with onions.

Pour off the fat from pot and return to medium-high heat. Add both vinegars to the pot and bring to a boil and deglaze. Add broth, raisins, bay leaves, browned chicken thighs, pancetta, onions, and garlic to pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, until chicken is fork-tender, 25 – 30 minutes.
Remove the chicken and onions to a platter.  Continue cooking the sauce for another few minutes so it reduces. Spoon the sauce over chicken and onions and serve with pasta or rice.

Chicken with Vinegar, Raisins, and Onions

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Holidays

Happy Saint Joseph’s Day – 2019

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Happy Saint Joseph’s Day – 2019

HAPPY SAINT JOSEPH'S DAY - 2019
Sfingi and Zeppole
HAPPY SAINT JOSEPH'S DAY - 2019
Pasta con Sarde
Saint Joseph is highly regarded by Italians and we celebrate his feast day on March 19th. Like a lot of other Italian celebrations, his feast day centers on food. A standard is the Saint Joseph’s pastry – zeppole and sfingi – made by Italian bakeries in March. Another is Pasta con Sarde, with a sauce made from saffron, fennel and fresh sardines. 

HAPPY SAINT JOSEPH'S DAY - 2019

 

Food for Saint Joseph’s Day – 

In New Orleans –

A Saint Joseph’s Altar – 

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Drinks, Holidays

Saint Patrick’s Day

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Saint Patrick’s Day

Saint Patrick's Day
There’s a popular sit-com called The Big Bang Theory. One of the characters, Raj, can’t talk to a woman unless he’s had a drink. His drink of choice, of all things, is a Grasshopper. I’ve heard of them but never had one, so I thought I’d try it.
It’s a simple three-ingredient cocktail –

Saint Patrick's Day

You put all the ingredients together, shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. You get a pretty green drink that I suppose is the same color as a grasshopper. It’s a pretty cocktail for Saint Patrick’s Day.

Saint Patrick's Day

It’s great for a sit-com but I’ll probably never have one again. It tasted just like a Peppermint Patty.

Saint Patrick's Day

FYI – If you replace the crème de menthe with brandy, you have a Brandy Alexander (much better).

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Seafood, Vegetarian

Kristina’s Filet with Seasoned Bread Crumbs

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Kristina’s Filet with Seasoned Breadcrumbs

Kristina's Filet with Seasoned Breadcrumbs

Kristina’s Filet with Seasoned Breadcrumbs – My daughter came up with this one. It was so good we added it to our Christmas Eve seafood menu.
Ingredients:

Kristina's Filet with Seasoned Breadcrumbs

  1. 1 chopped garlic clove
  2. 2 tbsp olive oil
  3. ½ cup plain fine bread crumbs
  4. 1 tbsp lemon zest
  5. 1 tbsp finely chopped Italian parsley
    Kristina's Filet with Seasoned Breadcrumbs
  1. Salt and black pepper
  2. 2 large filets – grey or dover sole, or flounder
Kristina's Filet with Seasoned Breadcrumbs
Mix the first 5 ingredients. Blot the filets dry, season with salt and black pepper and place in an oiled roasting pan. Cook in 350o oven for 12 minutes. Remove and cover with the breadcrumbs and a drizzle of olive oil.
Return to oven for 5 minutes and then under broiler for 3 minutes – just enough to brown the crumbs.Kristina's Filet with Seasoned Breadcrumbs

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Vegetarian, Seafood

Shrimp with Orange Sauce and Salad

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Shrimp with Orange Sauce and Salad

Shrimp with Orange Sauce and Salad

Shrimp with Orange Sauce and Salad – An interesting recipe adapted from Bon Appetit – the mix for the marinade is also used as sauce and salad dressing.

Shrimp with Orange Sauce and Salad

Shrimp with Orange Sauce and Salad
Mix orange juice, Sriracha, honey, soy sauce and ¼ cup oil. Reserve ½ of it to be used as salad dressing and sauce. Add the shrimp to the remaining half. Let it stand 30 minutes, mixing occasionally.

Shrimp with Orange Sauce and Salad

Heat the remaining 2 tbsp. oil in a pan. Drain the shrimp, reserving the liquid and cook them until pink. Remove the cooked shrimp and add the reserved liquid. Boil until slightly reduced, check for seasoning and then ladle over the shrimp.

Shrimp with Orange Sauce and Salad

Serve with rice and salad using the marinade as dressing.

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Meat

Ground Venison Skewers

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Ground Venison Skewers

Ground Venison Skewers

Ingredients:
  • 1 lb. ground venison
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp. finely chopped garlic
  • ¼ cup dried currants (soaked in warm water 15 minutes)
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh mint
  • Olive oil for grill pan and basting
  • Salt and black and red pepper to taste
If you’re using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 20 minutes.
Thoroughly mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Cover and place it in the refrigerator for about an hour to let the flavors combine.
Remove the meat mix from the refrigerator and pull off a piece about the size of a large egg. Form this tightly and evenly on a flat skewer. If the meat is too wet, add some breadcrumbs. Repeat with the remaining mix.Ground Venison Skewers
Place the skewers on an oiled grill pan heated to medium-high. Baste with oil as they are grilling. Carefully turn once. Cook until the outside is slightly charred.Ground Venison Skewers
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Reveries and Recipes