You’re definitely throwing down the gauntlet when you name something the “World’s Easiest Dinner.” the second my FIL received his Esquire and found it, they had to try it. Actually, they emailed everyone a scanned copy of the recipe, and tried it that night. We’re up next.

The instructions are very easy. Take one air-dried chicken between 3-4 lbs (recipe says between 3-3.5 lbs). Rinse and dry very thoroughly. Make sure it’s dry because that’s the key to roasting rather than steaming the bird. We patted it dry and then left it out a little longer just to make sure. Recipe calls for a cast iron skillet — we used a Le Creuset dish because that’s the closest we could come, and it seems to have worked out pretty well. Season with 1 tbsp kosher salt and some freshly ground pepper. (I would use an even better salt next time… maybe some of that great coarse sea salt I have in the cupboard as well as stuff some rosemary and garlic into the cavity for more flavor.) Place in the oven @ 450°F for about 45 minutes or until the juices at the thigh run clear. You can turn it into a full meal by chopping up some veggies like carrots or potatoes and sticking them in the pan about halfway through the cooking, but we skipped that step and sauteed spinach in the chicken fat and boiled some corn (I’m of the less-is-more school: 4 minutes dunked in boiling water).

It may not be the world’s easiest dinner — I definitely think one could argue the point (a steak on the grill next to a couple of potatoes?). That said though, this is definitely the World’s Easiest Roast Chicken, and it delivered on the tasty factor too. Crispy-esque skin, super juicy interior, even better than anticipated. Yum. Definitely recommended.

I know, i know, I’ve been gone and didn’t even post this past week’s foodblog-a-round. Can I use the excuse that I was too busy stuffing my face with Singaporean / Malaysian specialities during a whirlwind trip to Singapore? I was and I’ll see if I can dig up any pics of that for later this week.

In the meantime, we’ve been trying to get back to cooking more at home in the cJ household. Tonight we’re headed out to dinner (I <3 Camino) but I thought I’d throw in a quick bonus post on a lusciously lovely pasta we ate yesterday.

This pasta has hearty flavor and even perhaps a touch of creaminess to it despite no cream. I think it’s the light sprinkling of cheese that gives it a little more depth, plus the lingering essence the vodka that brightens the flavor. It might taste a little like autumn as described here, but it could be dressed up for springtime easily by adding freshly shelled peas or some nice asparagus and a squeeze of lemon. It would make a good main course or side dish (we ate it next grilled rack of lamb and sauteed broccoli rabe… Yum).

Take a healthy portion of fresh mushrooms — I used about a pound but I’d probably recommended closer to 1 1/2 to 2 lbs, remember they will cook down a bit — and slice. Slice several cloves of garlic and a shallot. Heat oil over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and shallots and stir until slightly soft (don’t let them burn) and add the mushrooms. Allow the mushrooms to brown in the pan, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle sea salt and freshly ground pepper over the mushrooms. When the mushrooms are nicely browned, pour in some vodka. Use your own judgement but at least 1/4 cup… Allow vodka to mostly boil off. Taste the mushrooms and add more vodka if desired to up the flavor in the mushrooms. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Add 3 tbs of olive oil (or more) and heat through.

In the meantime, bring a pot of water to a boil to cook the pasta. Grate fresh parmagiano reggiano, roughly 1 cup. Cook the noodles — I chose pappardelle because it is so beautiful and wide and has a lovely drape to it. Pappardelle takes about 5-7 minutes to cook. Drain the noodles and return to pan.

Pour the olive oil, mushroom, garlic and shallot mixture over the noodles. Sprinkle some of the grated cheese on top and toss to combine… Continue adding cheese and tossing to spread the cheese throughout the noodles. Squeeze lemon on top if you like.

A couple of years ago a brown, nutty, slightly chewy grain started appearing in the dishes I’d order at restaurants. It usually came as an accompaniment, a few grains or a small pile amid some fresh vegetables or a flavorful sauce. And maybe once or twice, a bowlful prepared like risotto, rich and cheesy and a bit al dente. I was super curious… what was this curious new grain chefs were sneaking in on the plate?

That grain turned out to be farro. Farro, also known as emmer, is a hulled wheat closely related to (and sometimes mistaken for) spelt. It’s got an ancient history, with evidence of its cultivation as early as 8500-7500 BC. Today it is cultivated particularly in Italy, where it has established itself as a certified crop. Farro is available as the grain itself, as well as in farro pasta and other preparations. It’s available in the US at gourmet grocery stores and pasta shops.

I like farro right now more than any other grain in our pantry – quinoa, rice, amaranth (which we have only cooked once and was definitely not a success). I think it’s the combination of the nuttiness and the slight chewiness that I find really appealing. I cook it up in a pot of boiling water, and then I dress it up lots of different ways — say into a farro salad, or very simply with some olive oil, salt and pepper. My favorite preparation is this one… a little parmaggiano reggiano, a sprinkle of nutmeg or allspice, and a drizzle of olive oil tossed together. It’s luxurious and rich and warmingly satisfying.

Spiced Farro with a Hint of Cheese

• 1 cup semi-pearled farro
• 1/4 cup finely grated parmaggiano reggiano (or more to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg or allspice (or more to taste)
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Boil a pot of water and cook the farro for approximately 25-30 minutes. If you do not have the semi-pearled variety, prepare the farro as it reads on the package — it needs to be soaked for a little while prior cooking (semi-pearled is just that much more convenient but we have both). When cooked, the farro should be slightly chewy but still slightly firm as well, not mushy. Drain the farro. Drizzle with olive oil. While still warm, sprinkle the cheese on top. I usually grate the cheese directly onto the farro, give it a stir and then grate more cheese on top. Sprinkle the nutmeg or other spice. Toss together. Taste, and add salt, pepper, and more of the spice to taste. Serves 3-4 as a side dish.

Update: Food Blogga snuck in with this great recipe for Springtime Farro with Baby Artichokes, Mushrooms and Peas. Dying to make it.

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Spring is sprung, and berries are all over the market (at least here in California… maybe where you are too). And as the weather gets warmer a nice refreshing dessert is in order. This is a great fruit salad — easy to make, not even any chopping or slicing since it’s all berries whole. You can make variations of course with strawberries (I’d cut them in half or quarters in that case) or other fruits. Of course, you want to start with great berries. But the element that brings it all together is aged balsamic vinegar. Make sure to choose a nice, rich and thick one.

Rinse the berries. Here we have raspberries, golden raspberries, blueberries and blackberries, about 2 pints or so. Drizzle the luscious balsamic over the top (I used less than a tablespoon I think, but I didn’t measure). Spoon a little sugar over the top (I used 1 tablespoon, but you can use less if you want to keep it more pristine). Don’t go fully sugar-less however because the sugar helps to bring out some of the juices to stir in with the balsamic, which brings the salad together. Enjoy as a stand-alone dessert, or over some vanilla ice cream.

Quail are small, dainty, and give off a “fancy” feel. Maybe that’s because they can be sort of expensive — at 2 per person for a main. But they’re good as an appetizer (one or half per person) too if you’re having a dinner party and want to kick it off with some mini-poultry. And I love them (this is probably the only blog out there with multiple recipes for grilled quail).

This recipe turned out great — I think that getting the garlic, oil, sage and pepper right up in there in the cavity (and under the skin where possible) real helped the flavor penetrate. Loved it.

Grilled Quail with Garlic and Sage

Recipe scales easily – this recipe is for four quail. When you buy the quail, make sure the butcher takes care of the boning (usually already done when you get them). Slice up a couple of cloves of garlic. In a mortar bowl if you have one (and on a cutting board if you don’t), mash up the garlic with about a teaspoon of coarse sea salt and a teaspoon of peppercorns, and about a quarter teaspoon of dried sage. Mix with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Slather the garlicy mixture onto the quail, including inside the body cavity to make sure the flavor gets everywhere possible. Marinate for at least an hour, longer if you want to. I think you’re actually supposed to tie up the quails’ legs somehow but I’m too lazy to do that and it doesn’t seem to hurt anything (maybe the legs splay out a bit and look funny). Grill breast-side down first, flipping half way through, about 6-8 minutes per side (alternate directions: flip every 3-4 minutes).

(also pictured: farro with parmagiano reggiano and olive oil; spinach and dried cranberry salad)

Here’s where I make good on my promise to share not just the good, but also the bad and the ugly with you. Yep, no fooling you. That picture shows a pretty glorious looking apple tart there in the middle, right? And what’s that all over the edge? Could that be horribly charred something-or-other ringing the entire tart? It could be! Ooops!

Last week I churned up a batch of Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream to go with this apple tart. That was optimistic because I really didn’t know whether either had any hope of turning out. The ice cream turned out great, this tart a little bit less so, but it was good enough to eat (at least mostly — after cutting off the charred parts) and it was completely gone within two days.

Here’s the deal: this tart is yummy and easy. And super easy if you take the cheater route, as I must admit I did, and use frozen puff pastry bought at the store rather than homemade. I didn’t plan far enough ahead, either for the ice cream, or for the pastry. So no self-made puff pastry this time, not even the quick type, but next time, I swear! Really!

Crispy Apple Tart

• One recipe of puff pastry dough or quick puff pastry dough (4 turns) or one box of frozen puff pastry
• 4 large apples, Golden Delicious or local tart (but not Granny Smiths, apparently, according to Paterson)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, sliced thinly

See? I said it’s easy, and with such a short list of ingredients, how hard could it be?

Preheat oven to 425°F; sprinkle water on a 13×17″ sheet pan to keep the bottom of the tart from burning. This didn’t precisely work for me, so next time I’m thinking I’d sprinkle a bit more water. Anyway, roll thd dough out into 12×15″ rectangle and transfer to the pan; trim to 11×14″ and dock — poke with a lot of holes — A LOT — to  keep from puffing up.

Prep the apples: peel, halve, core and slice very thinly. Peterson’s got this classy way of doing it that I’m still working on — leave barely attached on the side away from where you’re cutting, and then cut off that strip later and fan out the slices. Yeah, right. I did do this, but still mastering how to stop the blade from going all the way through, at exactly the same depth for each. Arrange the apple slices in 4 rows along the length of the pastry. Sprinkle the sugar on top and then lay the butter slices on top of that.

Instructions say to bake for about 50 minutes or until the edges are a deep brown. Start checking the tart after 20 minutes to make sure it isn’t puffing up. I’m pretty sure this is where I screwed up a little. I opened the oven early and tried desperately to poke the puff parts to get the puffing to go down. I ended up keeping the oven open too much and the heating element turned back on, so I think that’s why the whole tart burned itself up. (Hubby said… hey, there’s smoke coming from your oven!) But it was done in definitely less than 50 minutes, so if you bake this, watch the tart more closely.

Peterson’s directions do say that it always sticks and usually burns a little on the bottom — and that if you notice any burned parts, just scrape them off. So, I’m thinking this worked out ok. At least all the people who ate it thought so. We just left the burnt parts behind.

(from James Peterson’s Baking)

Here we go, continuing our quest to cook our way through Mark Bittman’s Kitchen Express with Winter recipe #89. The colors are really beautiful, and the combination of the beans, the meat and the toothsome pasta give it some heft as well. Not to mention the addition of the greens, which pretty much means nearly all the food groups are included. Multiple sources of protein and the potential to include whole grains? Healthy, tasty, and fast? (Don’t lecture me on whether the Italian sausage is healthy… substitute your sausage of choice, chicken or even fake sausage, as long as it’s flavorful).

Put some water on to boil with a pinch or two of salt. Cook the pasta. We’re trying to eat more interesting grains and less wheat, so we went with a farro penne, but you can use any pasta you want. I like the short shaped pasta for this dish because it’s easier to grab a forkful off all the stuff together but if you like long noodles, why not? Anyway, cook till done (my farro pasta about 10 minutes), drain and reserve some of the cooking liquid.

While the pasta is cooking, fry up some Italian sausage meat, breaking into small pieces and browning / cooking through. You can either get the meat loose or in sausages and just remove the casings. Bittman recommends “a couple of sweet Italian sausages” — I used approximately a pound of sausage meat. Drain a large can of diced tomatoes as well as a can of chickpeas, and add both to the pan. Add in a tablespoon of crushed fennel seeds and a pinch of red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. The fennel and red pepper help bring the “sauce” to life and give what it really a very simple combination some depth and complexity.

Toss the pasta with a couple of handfuls of greens and let the greens wilt. The recipe says arugula but really any tender green will do, and I used a mix of baby spinach, arugula and radicchio (one of those organic salad mixes). Add the pasta into the sausage mixture, and if you want it a little moister, this is where to use the reserved pasta water. I didn’t use any.

Eat up. It’s hearty. And next time, I would grate some fresh parmigiano on top. What’s not to love about cheese? Plus, adding the dairy food group to make this truly a well-rounded meal.

I think I’m in love. Yes, in love with an ice cream. It’s rich and creamy and just a touch bitter… and maybe a little too sweet. And when I eat a spoonful, I think, ooh, that’s enough, it’s too rich and too sweet, that’s all I need. Until I find myself dipping my spoon back into the container for another spoonful. And another. And it’s almost gone. I might have to make another batch soon. Or another one of David Lebovitz’s awesome recipes. Because this one is just a teaser for all the others. Or is it the culmination? Or perhaps it’s that every time I make one of these recipes it tastes so dreamy? (except for the frozen yogurt, which I didn’t really like and is still actually living in my freezer).

I had no idea when I decided to make this ice cream yesterday that it would be such an unqualified success. I just wanted to make something nice and caramel-y to go with the crisp apple tart I was also baking up for a dinner we hosted last night for Gus’s graduate students. A trip through A Perfect Scoop didn’t reveal the recipe I was looking for but a quick search of David’s website revealed the secret (and a story about why it didn’t appear in the book): Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream.

It’s a little intimidating, because making caramel can be kind of scary, all those stories about it seizing up, getting grainy, burning… but this method (dry caramel) was actually so easy, I think I am now past all caramel fear. My advice? Don’t use a thermometer for the caramel… learn to follow the color and the smell, just past the smoke point when the color has turned a lovely dark rich brown. I was scared at first, but I was actually able to smell the smoke and pull the caramel off the heat and throw in the butter, right at the right moment. And since the recipe has you do it twice, once for the ice cream and once for the praline crunch, I got practice and the second time was even easier.

I’m going to send you over to David’s site to read the recipe rather than recreate it here. Suffice to say, it’s a dreamy mixture (how many times have I used the word “dreamy” in this post?) of homemade caramel, top-quality salt (make sure it’s a good one), salted butter, cream, and whole milk. Not to mention the five egg yolks that turn the whole thing into a custard. And for the custard phase, just like the caramel stage, I love that no thermometer is necessary… just cook and stir until the mixture thickens enough that a line drawn through the liquid on the back of a spoon stays put. And if you’re like me, lick it off your finger just to “check on the flavors.” Ahem.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the fridge. I recommend making up the mixture the day before so it really has time to chill, otherwise you may be stuck like me trying to figure out how to get it cold enough. I split time between the fridge and the freezer. After chilling, churn the mixture in your ice cream machine.

When it’s done, mix in the crumbled up caramel praline pieces  if you want to. The praline gives it a little more salt and a little crunch and texture in the overall silky richness. It was great. But next time I think I’ll try it without. Either way, yum.

Remove from the machine and put into a storage container and then freeze to set up. Enjoy.

I don’t have enough ambition to cook my way through Mastering the Art of French Cooking or through The French Laundry Cookbook or definitely not through the Alinea cookbook. These women are the few and the brave. But the other day after prepping another quick and easy meal from Mark Bittman’s Kitchen Expresss, my husband announced, “Hey, we could cook our way through this book!.” And actually, we are, if in a random, disorganized manner. Now that we’ve set it as an actual goal, watch this space for more and more Bittman recipes.

The other day we whipped up a batch of Saffron Chickpea soup and just didn’t find it flavorful enough. That doesn’t mean it’s off our list permanently because I think with some tweaking it could be better. But with all the other recipes to tick our way through first it will be a long time before we loop back.

Instead today I made the White Bean Stew, which was super speedy and delivered on flavor. And I made just one adjustment, replacing the handful of ham with a handful of bacon. Because, you know, everything’s better with bacon. This recipe couldn’t be easier if you’re ok with using canned beans. And even if you’re not, because you could cook up some beans on the weekend and just save them to use in this dish or any other later in the week.

I really liked this soup — hearty and tasty, and healthy too, covering all the food groups, particularly if you serve it as recommended with some toasted garlic-y bread. Next time I might add some fresh herbs, especially basil, for some additional brightness. Or a squeeze of lemon. But overall verdict: would make again for sure.

Kitchen Express White Bean Stew

Mince a couple of cloves of garlic (I went overboard here and used like 4 or more, but adjust to your taste) and chop up enough bacon to be roughly a handful. The bacon should be a thick-cut type ideally. Warm a little oil in the pot, and saute the garlic and bacon long enough for them to become fragrant. The bacon doesn’t need to crisp up but it should cook a little and let some of its oils out.

Pour in a can of chopped tomatoes, including the liquid. Add a can of white beans (I like Great Northern in this but you could use cannellini or any other white bean) or equivalent of say 2 cups if you’re using home-cooked. Include the liquid from the can too. Add another cup of broth or more bean cooking liquid. Season with salt and pepper and let ‘er rip until she boils. Let the stew simmer away as long or as short a time as you like — a little longer helps the flavors meld together. Throw in a couple of handfuls of spinach or other green until they wilt, and serve.

Shhh… I actually made this on Saturday but if you don’t tell anyone, neither will I!

I know brussels sprouts aren’t most people’s favorites, but for some reason in the past couple of years I have fallen in love with them. They can be a little bitter, but if they’re cooked right (especially golden brown… with bacon) that harshness mellows right out and instead they taste a little caramelized and little like green-vegetable popcorn. Or maybe that’s just my imagination. In this case I shredded the brussels sprouts so they cooked through more quickly, and the lively flavor of the butter, lemon and bacon could get to all the surface area of the sprouts rather than just the outsides. Yum.

And, in theory, they’re healthy. What’s not to like about green veggies? Just don’t think about all the bacon and the butter.

Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Lemon Butter

• Brussels sprouts, say a 1-1 1/2 pounds
• Bacon, 5 slices, but eyeball it, more if you want
• Butter, several tablespoons (I always go overboard because I love butter)
• Lemon, one lemon

Pre-heat the oven to 400°F. Rinse the brussels sprouts. Trim off the bottoms and pull off any old / dirty / icky outer skins. Slice the bulb into 1/4 inch (approximately) thick slices and put aside. Put the bacon in an oven-safe pan on medium-low and render the fat from them. When most of the fat is out of the bacon but before the bacon gets hard and brown, remove the bacon from the pan. If your bacon was super fatty,  you can skip the butter, but I usually throw in a couple of pieces of butter at this stage and let it melt. Squeeze in the lemon juice into the butter being careful not to get the pits into the pan.  Turn up the heat to medium high and throw in the shredded brussels sprouts. Fry until the brussels sprouts begin to get brown. Cut up the bacon into small pieces and add back to the pan and stir in. Move the pan to the oven for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove when the sprouts are nice and brown. The sprouts will be soft and pliable and maybe a little bit dry. Use your own judgment here — because they are shredded they will probably be almost cooked enough even before you put them in the oven, so you’re really just going for what you like. I like ‘em nice and brown and a touch dry. Brussels sprout candy. Yum.