entrees Archive

  • 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....

    Esquire’s “World’s Easiest Dinner” Roast Chicken

    Posted on 2010.05.09 | 1 Comment
    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....

    Continue Reading...

  • 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...

    Grilled Quail with Garlic and Sage

    Posted on 2010.03.21 | 1 Comment
    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...

    Continue Reading...

  • 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...

    Pasta with Garbanzo Beans, Sausage and Greens

    Posted on 2010.03.10 | 2 Comments
    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...

    Continue Reading...

  • 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...

    Kitchen Express White Bean Stew

    Posted on 2010.03.03 | No Comments
    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...

    Continue Reading...

  • On Sunday it was rainy and dreary and we just didn't feel like heading out for lunch. All the fresh ingredients in the house were destined for other meals this week. So I decided to put my "semi-homemade" hat on and see what I could whip up just from what was in the pantry. The result was farro spaghetti tossed in brown-butter-sage-butter-fried white beans and butternut squash sauce. It was luscious, rich and hearty… with a touch of sweetness from the squash, and nuttiness from the brown butter. Actually, it tasted sort of like inside-out butternut squash ravioli. Yum. Quick...

    From the cJ Pantry: Butternut Squash Brown Butter Sage Love

    Posted on 2010.01.24 | No Comments
    On Sunday it was rainy and dreary and we just didn't feel like heading out for lunch. All the fresh ingredients in the house were destined for other meals this week. So I decided to put my "semi-homemade" hat on and see what I could whip up just from what was in the pantry. The result was farro spaghetti tossed in brown-butter-sage-butter-fried white beans and butternut squash sauce. It was luscious, rich and hearty… with a touch of sweetness from the squash, and nuttiness from the brown butter. Actually, it tasted sort of like inside-out butternut squash ravioli. Yum. Quick...

    Continue Reading...

  • Tonight: Grilled quail, one of my favorite discoveries of this year. Super easy and seemingly always good. And people always seem impressed because quail is one of those “fancy” food items you don’t usually think about doing at home. But it’s fun. What’s not to like about eating the miniature bird? The meat is tender and moist, and full of flavor. The skin too, especially with the tasty marinade below. Recipe from Bones. Quail purchased today from the meat shop at Cafe Rouge on Fourth St in Berkeley. Quail were pre-butterflied (split open) but it’s easy enough to do at...

    Sunday Dinner: Grilled Quail with Sage Butter

    Posted on 2009.11.08 | No Comments
    Tonight: Grilled quail, one of my favorite discoveries of this year. Super easy and seemingly always good. And people always seem impressed because quail is one of those “fancy” food items you don’t usually think about doing at home. But it’s fun. What’s not to like about eating the miniature bird? The meat is tender and moist, and full of flavor. The skin too, especially with the tasty marinade below. Recipe from Bones. Quail purchased today from the meat shop at Cafe Rouge on Fourth St in Berkeley. Quail were pre-butterflied (split open) but it’s easy enough to do at...

    Continue Reading...

  • Last year we read about goat and where to buy it in the Bay Area (I’m not sure if this is the main article, but it’s one of them), and early this year, when we finally got around to it, we stopped by Cafe Rouge and picked up some goat and made it (I think I have some video which I still haven’t edited together). That was fun and turned out well, but wasn’t exciting enough to move us to keep going back for more. Yesterday we spotted goat at the Berkeley Farmers’ Market and picked up a piece of...

    Sunday Dinner: Braised Goat Shoulder

    Posted on 2009.11.01 | No Comments
    Last year we read about goat and where to buy it in the Bay Area (I’m not sure if this is the main article, but it’s one of them), and early this year, when we finally got around to it, we stopped by Cafe Rouge and picked up some goat and made it (I think I have some video which I still haven’t edited together). That was fun and turned out well, but wasn’t exciting enough to move us to keep going back for more. Yesterday we spotted goat at the Berkeley Farmers’ Market and picked up a piece of...

    Continue Reading...

  • Picked up some pork shoulder at the Berkeley Farmer’s Market yesterday — and braised it up today with some Guinness, bay leaves, thyme, carrots, onions and celery. First, get a nice sear on the pork shoulder on all sides. Then, put the Guinness, the herbs and the vegetables in a Dutch oven or other heavy pot, and bring to a simmer. Turn the temperature down and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove the pork shoulder and reduce the remaining liquid until you like the consistency of the sauce. Or – if as for us – the power goes...

    Sunday Dinner: Beer-braised Pork Shoulder

    Posted on 2009.10.25 | No Comments
    Picked up some pork shoulder at the Berkeley Farmer’s Market yesterday — and braised it up today with some Guinness, bay leaves, thyme, carrots, onions and celery. First, get a nice sear on the pork shoulder on all sides. Then, put the Guinness, the herbs and the vegetables in a Dutch oven or other heavy pot, and bring to a simmer. Turn the temperature down and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove the pork shoulder and reduce the remaining liquid until you like the consistency of the sauce. Or – if as for us – the power goes...

    Continue Reading...

  • Simple dinner tonight brought to us by Fatted Calf — chanterelle-and-sausage stuffed quail. Since they were pre-seasoned / stuffed, they were super easy. First step, get them out of the fridge and bring them to room temperature. Oven pre-heated to 425 degrees, per instructions of the nice guy @ the farmers’ market. I buttered a sheet to make sure they wouldn’t stick, and then placed them breast side down and let them go for about 8-9 minutes. I flipped them over and then let them go the balance of the time to a total of roughly 25 minutes (so maybe...

    Sunday Dinner: Stuffed Quail from Fatted Calf

    Posted on 2009.10.11 | No Comments
    Simple dinner tonight brought to us by Fatted Calf — chanterelle-and-sausage stuffed quail. Since they were pre-seasoned / stuffed, they were super easy. First step, get them out of the fridge and bring them to room temperature. Oven pre-heated to 425 degrees, per instructions of the nice guy @ the farmers’ market. I buttered a sheet to make sure they wouldn’t stick, and then placed them breast side down and let them go for about 8-9 minutes. I flipped them over and then let them go the balance of the time to a total of roughly 25 minutes (so maybe...

    Continue Reading...