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ALCS Epilogue

Sunday Saucer — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 13:30:11 +0000

So they lost. So we are hurting. One friend explained in his infinite wisdom how he still had to wake up this morning and clean his bathroom. I get it. I’ve been a baseball player, a baseball coach and a baseball fan for as long as I have had human consciousness and I understand you can’t win em all. In the spirit of good sportsmanship I offer a recipe to the Texas Rangers for their impressive victory over my beloved home town team. I will have to concede though, that if they do indeed play the SF Giants in the Series, that I will have to root against them. SF is my left coast home town. I have family there and have been visiting since I was a boy. If they play the Phillies, the boys from Arlington will have my support. It’s against the rules for any New Yorker to root for any team from Philly…look it up.

So congratulations Rangers (at least you have the same name as my favorite hockey team)…and don’t forget to send Cliff Lee to play in the Bronx next year. Goodbye, Yanks.

South Texas Roadmeat Chili

3 green peppers, chopped med.
3 yellow onions, chopped med.
2 fresh jalapenos, seeded and chopped fine
1 stalk celery, chopped med.
1/4 cup cooking oil
4 lbs chuck, coarsely ground
5 lbs venison, coarsely ground (or use all beef if you must)
3 oz. Gebhardt’s chili pwd.
1 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
6 dashes Tabasco
1 7oz. can diced green chiles
2 14oz cans stewed tomatoes
1 can beer
water, salt and pepper

1. Chop veggies, heat oil in a well seasoned iron pot. Sizzle veggies in pot
with oil.

2.Add meat and brown. Stir in remaining ingredients and cover with
an inch of water. Cook slowly about 3 or 4 hours.

3.Skim of grease after an
hour or two.

ALCS Chicken Recipe #6

Sunday Saucer — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 20:48:41 +0000

The tough love we showed the Yanks during our Game 5 offering may have breathed some life into our hopes and superstitious hearts. The Yanks, tonight with Hughes on the hill, will have to remain the hunters if they are to force a Game 7. Cacciatore means “hunter” in Itailan…so here is to the hunters who we hope have enough fight left to keep the dream of a 28th World Championship alive. Go Yanks!

Chicken Cacciatore

by Lidia Bastianich

2 broiler chickens (about 2 1/2 pounds each, preferably free-range)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small yellow onion, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup dry white wine
One 28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes with liquid, crushed

1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably the Sicilian or Greek type) dried on the branch, crumbled
2 cups sliced white or shiitake mushrooms, about 8 ounces
1 red and 1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch strips (about 2 cups total)

1.Cut each chicken into 12 pieces. With a sturdy knife or kitchen shears, remove the backbone by cutting along both sides. Remove the wingtips. Reserve the backbone, wingtips, and giblets — except for the liver — to make chicken stock. Or, if you like, cut the backbone in half crosswise and add it to this dish.Place the chicken, breast side down, on a cutting board and cut the chicken into halves by cutting through the breastbone lengthwise. Cut off the wing at the joint that connects it to the breast, then cut each wing in half at the joint. Separate the leg from the breast. Cut the leg in half at the joint. Cut the breast in half crosswise, giving the knife a good whack when you get to the bone in separate the breast cleanly into halves. Repeat with the remaining chicken.

2.Season the chicken pieces generously with salt and pepper. Dredge the pieces in flour, coating them lightly and tapping off excess flour. In a wide (at least 12-inch) 5-quart braising pan, heat the vegetable oil with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until a piece of chicken dipped in the oil gives off a very lively sizzle.

3.Add as many pieces of chicken to the pan as will fit without touching. Do not crowd chicken; if the skillet is not wide enough to fit all of the chicken, brown it in batches. Remove chicken pieces from the skillet as they brown, adding some of the remaining pieces of chicken to take their place. Remove all chicken from the skillet.

4.Add the onion to the fat remaining in the pan, and cook, stirring 5 minutes.Pour the wine into the pan, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.

5.Add the tomatoes and oregano, season lightly with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Tuck the chicken into the sauce, adjust the heat to a gentle boil, and cover the pan.

6.Cook, stirring a few times, 20 minutes.In a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and peppers, and toss until the peppers are wilted but still quite crunchy, about 8 minutes. Season the vegetables with salt.

7.Stir the peppers and mushrooms into the chicken pan. Cook covered until the chicken and vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Check the level of the liquid as the chicken cooks.

There should be enough liquid barely to cover the chicken. If necessary, add small amounts of water to maintain the level of liquid as the chicken cooks.

Makes 6 servings.

ALCS Chicken Recipe #5

Sunday Saucer — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 13:55:37 +0000

You know when you give and you give and you get very little effort in return? You know frustration and anger and disappointment? The myth that Chicken has brought good luck to the Yankees is starting to wear out its welcome. I’m very disillusioned with its power. I feel that the Boggsian superstition has either run out of juice…or is testing us. Either way I’m feeling as good about it today as I am about the Yankees chances of pulling off a miracle and digging out of the 3-1 hole they find themselves in.

I joked last night that all they were going to get today was a chicken salad sandwich on white…I’ve rethought that…they don’t deserve the dressing. The myth says eating chicken brings good luck on the diamond…this one…like the men in pinstripes has a lot to prove to us tonight if they are going to be blessed with the efforts of our faith again. We’ll eat chicken…we will…but hold the mayo. go yanks.

Andrew’s Put Up or Shut Up Chicken Sandwich

3 Slices of Deli Chicken (one for each soul melting loss)

2 slices of white bread (untoasted, preferably dry)

Slap that thing together, put on a brave face, and eat. If it works we’ll be back on Thursday. If not, we eat pasta tomorrow.

ALCS Chicken Recipe #4

Sunday Saucer — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 14:12:00 +0000

“I’m just sad that it’s not baseball season. This one would be good for an 8 game winning streak.”

Those were the words I wrote when I posted this recipe back in December 2009. Of all the chicken I ate and shot last year I called this one by Martha Rose Shulman the ” Chicken Recipe of the Year” and documented it in a video I made while preparing it…well…an 8 game winning streak is one game more than we need to take home #28…but why risk it.

Last night was pretty brutal to watch and AJ has had a very tough year but I believe he is a very proud player with tremendous talent. I also believe that he realizes that he can erase an awful lot of bad pitching this year and get his team even and energize the fans with one good outing today. That is a lot of motivation. I say we are back here tomorrow singing AJ’s praises…Go Yanks!

Chicken Bouillabaisse for a Crowd

4 1/4 pounds cut up chicken (drumsticks, thighs, breasts – 16 pieces), skinned

1/2 cup Pernod or Pastis (anise flavored aperitif)

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 generous pinches saffron threads

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 medium onions, sliced

2 medium carrots, peeled and diced

2 stalks celery, diced

6 large garlic cloves, minced

1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with liquid

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed in a mortar and pestle

A bouquet garni made with a bay leaf and a couple of sprigs each thyme and rosemary

1 quart chicken or turkey stock

1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold or new potatoes, scrubbed and sliced

1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and broken in half

A handful of chopped fresh parsley

1. Cut chicken breasts in half for smaller pieces. Season all of the chicken with salt and pepper, and toss in a very large bowl with one pinch of the saffron and the Pernod or Pastis. Transfer the chicken pieces to a large resealable bag, pour in the liquid from the bowl and seal the bag. Place the bag in a bowl, and refrigerate overnight. If possible, move the chicken around in the bag from time to time.

2. Remove the chicken from the marinade, and pat dry with paper towels. Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat, and add 1 tablespoon of the oil. When the oil is hot, working in batches, brown the chicken on all sides, about five minutes per batch. Remove to a baking sheet or bowl.

3. Heat a large, heavy casserole or Dutch oven over medium heat, and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring often until they soften, about five minutes. Add the carrots and celery and a generous pinch of salt, and cook, stirring, until tender and fragrant, five to eight minutes. Stir in the garlic, cook for another minute until fragrant, and then add the tomatoes, thyme and salt to taste. Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant, about 10 minutes. Add the dark meat pieces to the pot, along with any juice that has accumulated in the bowl or sheet pan. Add the crushed fennel seeds, the stock, bouquet garni and potatoes, and bring to a simmer. Season to taste. Add the remaining pinch of saffron, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Add the breast meat pieces, and simmer another 30 minutes. Check to see that the potatoes are tender. If they are not, simmer for another 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. If serving the next day (recommended), use tongs to transfer the chicken pieces to a bowl, and cover tightly. Remove the bouquet garni and discard. Refrigerate the chicken and the broth with the vegetables overnight, and skim off the fat from the surface of the broth the next day. Return the chicken to the pot to reheat.

4. While the chicken is simmering, or while reheating, blanch the beans for five minutes in a medium pot of boiling salted water. Transfer to the chicken stew. Taste and adjust seasonings. Stir in the parsley and serve in wide soup bowls.

Yield: Serves eight to 10.

Advance preparation: This benefits from being made at least one day ahead and will keep for three or four days. It is best to cook the beans shortly before reheating.

ALCS Chicken Recipe #3

Sunday Saucer — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 14:47:37 +0000

With the Game 2 loss and the prospect of a tough game against Lee…I’m countering with Chang. David Chang has taken the downtown restaurant scene by storm over the past few years and like the Yanks he is pure NY. I first ate at Momofuku Noodle Bar just weeks after it opened and have been a big fan ever since. One of my favorite dishes in Chang’s arsenal is his chicken wings. Chang admits in his book that it is the “world’s longest recipe for chicken wings“, so I’m using the simplified version that CHOW concocted for the home cook. Eat wings…Go Yanks!

Momofuku Chicken Wings

20 chicken wings with wing tips attached
8 cups lukewarm water
1 c. sugar
1 c. kosher salt
2 strips smoky bacon
1/4 c. vegetable oil
5 c. rendered pork or duck fat
1 c. mirin
1 c. sake
1 c. light soy sauce
Ground black pepper
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
5-6 pickled chiles
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced

1. Separate wings into 3 pieces (tips, wings, and drumettes) by cutting at both joints. Reserve wing tips for the tare.

2. Combine water, sugar, and salt in a large container with a tightfitting lid or a large resealable plastic bag (at least 4 quarts) and stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Add chicken wings and drumettes to brine mixture, cover, and refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours.

3.To make the tare, heat the oven to 400°F. Combine wing tips and 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large oven-safe pan and toss to coat. Roast until wing tips are dark golden brown, about 1 hour.

4.Remove the pan from the oven, place over medium heat, and slowly add sake and soy sauce, scraping up any browned bits with a flat spatula. Simmer over medium heat until reduced by 1/2, about 40 minutes. Strain and set tare aside (discard the wing tips).

5.Once chicken wings and drumettes have finished brining, heat duck or pork fat in a large pot with a tightfitting lid over low heat until fat is 190°F to 200°F. Drain wings and drumettes from brine and pat dry with paper towels.

6.Add wings and drumettes to hot fat and cook, covered, over very low heat until just cooked through, about 30 to 40 minutes. (Don’t overcook the chicken; there should still be texture and bite to the meat.) When wings and drumettes are done, remove to a baking dish or baking sheet using a slotted spoon and reserve fat for another use.

7.When ready to finish wings and drumettes, heat the broiler to high and arrange a rack at the top. Broil wings and drumettes, rotating the pan halfway through, until skin is crisp and golden brown, about 5 minutes.

8.Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Once shimmering, add garlic and chiles and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. (Make sure the garlic does not brown.) Add mirin and cook until the alcohol smell is gone, about 2 minutes. Add tare and reduce sauce to a light syruplike consistency, about 10 minutes.

9. Add wings and drumettes and pickled chiles and toss to coat, top with sliced scallions, and serve.

ALCS Chicken Recipe #2

Sunday Saucer — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 13:07:22 +0000

I kept checking in on Twitter last night during the game to see how fans were reacting to the nightmarish beginning to the ALCS . The thing that is so impressive about Yankees fans that like the team they love so much they displayed no panic and kept the faith. The Yankees play all 27 outs and you will need to fight to get every last one to beat them. The 8th inning last night was a testament to just how resilient and resourceful they are. From Gardner’s slide to Marcus’ broken bat, the shots from the dugouts told the whole story…cool, calm, confident and collected on the away bench as the home team were wringing their hands in wild eyed disbelief of what they were witnessing. The Yanks dismantled the Texas bullpen, owned the last third of the game and ripped the game away from the Rangers for a 1-0 series lead.

My request on social media sites landed us our Texas Blackened Chicken for the opener (rather apropos wouldn’t you say) as well as this one from a collaboration of 3 new Twitter friends. Big Yankee fans @jaz_nycgirl, @lovelylanvin and @love-japanese put me onto this recipe which was posted on lovelylanvin.com. The Tweeps were believing hard during last nights thriller and I’m sure will be camped in front of the tube, munching some chicken and live blogging the game this afternoon…check this one out…Go Yanks!

Tori no Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken)

1 pound boneless and skinless chicken breasts/chicken thighs (cut into small pieces/cubes)
3 teaspoons grated ginger
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons sake
3 tablespoons mirin
Japanese potato starch (katakuriko) or cornstarch to coat the chicken
Canola or Vegetable Oil for deep frying
Coarse sea salt
Lemon wedges (optional)
Quick Dipping Sauce:
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup tonkatsu sauce
1 teaspoon curry powder (optional)

1. Using paper towels, pat chicken pieces dry and transfer to a medium sized bowl. Add sake, mirin, grated ginger, soy sauce and marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature (can marinate up to overnight in refrigerator if you wish to make the next day). Transfer the chicken pieces out of the marinate and coat them evenly with the potato starch (or corn starch). Shake off excess.

2. Fill large, heavy bottom pot half way with oil. When the cooking oil is hot enough for frying, drop the chicken pieces into the oil and fry, turning over once, do not crowd the pot, fry in 2-3 batches. When chicken is cooked through and is golden brown, transfer onto a plate lined with paper towels and sprinkle evenly with coarse sea salt immediately. Serve with the dipping sauce or just a squeeze of lemon.

ALCS Chicken Recipe #1

Sunday Saucer — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 13:50:39 +0000

I put out a request on Twitter and Facebook for Yankees fans to make chicken recipe suggestions for the ALCS beginning tonight against the Texas Rangers. Within minutes, rabid Yankee fan and former grade school classmate of mine, Stephen Nebel responded with a clever suggestion both delicious and suggestive of what we Yankee fans would love to see…the charred remains of the Rangers season blackened on a skillet. So, we arrive at this recipe with both a hunger for something spicy and for an opening night win for the Pinstripes. Thanks, Stephen…Go Yanks!

Texas Blackened Chicken

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet. Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat for 5 minutes until it is smoking hot.
Mix together the paprika, salt, cayenne, cumin, thyme, white pepper, and onion powder. Oil the chicken breasts with cooking spray on both sides, then coat the chicken breasts evenly with the spice mixture.
Place the chicken in the hot pan, and cook for 1 minute. Turn, and cook 1 minute on other side. Place the breasts on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 5 minutes.

ALDS Chicken Recipe #3

Sunday Saucer — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 11:58:07 +0000

. With their 5-2 victory over the Twins Thursday night the Yanks return to NY with a commanding lead, new stars Granderson and Berkman leading the offense and Core Four members Pettitte and Rivera providing the pitching heroics.

Last month I shot a story about using your food processor to make chicken meatballs..Italian style. I was skeptical. But just as the skeptics in the sports world should never bet against experience, I should have learned that lesson. Mark Bittman is the crafty veteran who always seems to have yet another unexpected gem to share with the fans. These meatballs will satisfy even the fussiest meatball purist. Make these with some pasta and a simple tomato sauce or even just as a pre-game appetizer, bare. They are fantastic. Go Yanks!

Chicken Meatballs, Italian Style

1 pound boneless chicken thighs, cut into one- to two-inch chunks and frozen for about a half-hour
1 small chunk (about one ounce) not-too-hard Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
1 small onion or 1/2 medium onion, cut into chunks
1 egg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
All-purpose flour for dredging
Lemon wedges.

1. Put chicken in freezer while you prepare other ingredients. Put Parmesan, parsley and onion in a food processor and process until everything is finely chopped. Add egg, chicken and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper, and continue to pulse until the chicken is coarsely ground — finer than chopped, but not much. Shape into one-inch meatballs, pressing no more than necessary.

2. Put the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. One by one, dredge the meatballs in the flour and add to the oil. Cook, turning as necessary, until nicely browned all over, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature, with lemon wedges.

Yield: 8 servings.

ALDS Chicken Recipe #2

Sunday Saucer — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 17:37:03 +0000

Tex in the 7th, Mo in the 8th and 9th and we are off and running again. With their opening come-from-behind victory over the Twins the Yanks picked up where they left off last October. It seems our opening combo of Chicken recipe from a New Yorker, a friend I work with, who happens to have a new cookbook out, was pretty successful…so back to well we go.

Martha Rose Shulman’s new book The Very Best of Recipes for Health arrived in bookstores in August and is loaded with terrific recipes and pictures from your’s truly . Martha’s Caesar Salad is a personal favorite. This one is simple to make, so with a 6pm start this evening it won’t take you long to get it ready before first pitch. Go Yanks!

Chicken Caesar

For the salad:

1 head of romaine lettuce

1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast, poached and shredded (about 2 cups shredded chicken) [editor: link shredded poached chicken breasts]

1 cup garlic croutons (see below)

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan or shaved Parmesan

Chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, chives, marjoram

For the dressing:

1 small garlic clove

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 anchovy, soaked for 5 minutes in cold water, then rinsed and drained on a paper towel

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon wine or sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 coddled egg yolk (optional: see below)

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1. Remove the tough outer leaves of romaine and discard. Wash and dry the remaining leaves. Tear into medium pieces and place in a salad bowl with the chicken, croutons, and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan.

2. Place the garlic in a mortar and pestle with a little salt and mash to a past. Add the anchovy and mash together with the garlic. Stir in the lemon juice. Add the vinegar, mustard, coddled egg yolk, salt, and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil. Shortly before serving, toss the dressing with the salad. Sprinkle on the herbs and remaining Parmesan, and serve.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

Notes:

To make garlic croutons, lightly toast slices of French or country bread. Remove them from the toaster and immediately rub with a cut clove of garlic. Cut into small squares or break into pieces.

To coddle the egg yolk, bring a small pot of water to a boil, slowly add the egg in its shell, and cook for 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice water, then carefully crack the egg and remove the yolk.

Advance preparation: The poached chicken breasts will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator. The dressing can be made several hours ahead.

ALDS Chicken Recipe #1

Sunday Saucer — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 13:43:07 +0000

Last October, when the Yankees were making their run to their 27th World Series Championship we piggy-backed onto the famed superstitions of former Yankee third baseman Wade Boggs (note here the omission of those other teams Boggs played for) for good luck.

Boggs believed that eating chicken brought him good juju with the Baseball Gods. We began posting chicken recipes during last year’s ALDS against the Minnesota Twins to fall into good favor with the supernatural forces all baseball fans pay homage to. We did so every game until they raised the trophy in their victory over the Phillies. The Yankees begin their title defense against none other that those Twins again tonight…so…here we go again.

We will open the series with a recipe from my friend and colleague Melissa Clark’s New cookbook, In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite. Melissa is admittedly not a baseball fan…but she is a New Yorker and this recipe is a cross cultural New York favorite. My grandma made one that is almost identical when I was kid. Make this one tonight. Go Yanks!

Not-My-Grandma’s Chicken with Lemon, Garlic, and Oregano

Time: 40 minutes

1 1/2 pounds chicken drumsticks

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning

Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed (but use a lot)

5 garlic cloves

Freshly squeezed juice of 1 large lemon

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1. Preheat the broiler. Rinse the chicken, pat dry with a paper towel, and place in a 9 x 13 inch pan. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Broil the chicken, turning once, until light golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.

2. While the chicken is broiling, make a garlic paste by either using a mortar and pestle to pound the garlic with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or mincing the garlic with a heavy knife, then using the flat side to smear and mash the garlic and salt into a paste. Alternatively, you can make the paste in a blender, if your blender can handle such a small amount. Stir the lemon juice and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper into the garlic paste.

3. Lower the oven temperature to 425° F. Using a pastry brush or spoon, slather chicken on all sides with one-third of the garlic mixture, a sprinkling of the oregano, and a drizzle of oil. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, slathering on more of the garlic mixture, oil, and oregano in 2 more additions (approximately every 7 to 10 minutes). The chicken is done when it’s golden brown and cooked through. Serve with the pan juices or the tasty sludge on the bottom of the pan.

Serves 2