En Papilote and a few odds and ends

Well it seems that running a cooking school takes the life out of blogging but I felt it was time to stop by and update on my world in a nutshell.

The transition of the business continues to move along.  I'm hoping to have all the loose ends tied up before the easter bunny comes hopping through. It's all just a matter of paperwork and signatures and agreements. Lots of great things are happening though, classes are going well, new business ideas are taking seed, potential 3rd kitchens are being plotted, espresso machines are arriving, satellite radio continues to enthrall me daily with cheesy 1970's pop hits making 10 hour days far more enjoyable than one would think.

Cooking dinner has a become a challenge since getting home at 8:00 really doesn't leave much time to prepare a full blown meal, but I have rediscovered the joys of cooking en papillote, a fancy term for cooking in a pouch.  Just give me some foil or parchment a few ideas and 10 minutes in the morning and I can make something that just gets tossed into the oven when we get home and 25 - 30 minutes later we are sitting down to dinner. Lay a heavy duty piece of foil down, place the ingredients listed below on top.  Place another piece of foil on top.  Roll up the edges to make a pouch.  Heat the oven to 400F.

A few recent successes are:

Mediterranean: chicken boob, boneless, skinless.  Toss on some salt and pepper, a few capers, some black olives, sun dried tomatoes, thyme sprigs, Valbresso feta, Aleppo pepper flakes and a drizzle of olive oil. Bake the aforementioned 25 - 30 mins. Serve on some nice egg noodles with a touch of truffle butter.

Chicken Vesuvio: peel a russet, cut in oven fry shapes, sauté until brown in olive oil.  Remove.  Toss in 20 pieces of garlic, sauté until beginning to brown, pour in some white wine, sizzle, reduce by half. Pour over a boneless skinless chicken boob seasoned with garlic powder and oregano. Lay the potato slices on top, sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes, pour in a bit of chicken stock. Bake. Serve with a side of peas.

Chicken and chorizo: Again, lather, rinse, repeat. 1 boneless skinless chicken boob, season with salt and pepper, toss some slices of chorizo on top.  Add some strips of roasted red pepper, a few cloves of garlic slivered. Mince up some red onion and sprinkle this on top with some crushed red pepper flakes.  Add some chicken stock and serve the whole lot over rice.

That is some fast, moist and delicious dinner with the easiest clean-up ever.

How busy is busy you ask?  That picture above of my birthday dinner in November is effectively the last food photo I have taken.  I really need to remedy that. 

Cookbooks

I've been perusing some new cookbooks lately that i think are worth a look.

The Italian Slow Cooker by Michele Scicolone - I made her pork ragu and served it over oven baked polenta for me and fresh rigatoni for him. I also made a big batch of Giant White Limas in the crockpot with sage and garlic.  Both worthy of a repeat.

I'm finally getting around to reading Simon Hopkinson's Roast Chicken and other Stories. Gorgeously written.  I've made his Cod and chips for my Englishman and the chicken liver terrine with my homemade lardo.

Washoku: Recipes from a Japanese Home Kitchen by Elizabeth Andoh

Back with some real cooking soon.

Comments

[Janet]

chicken boob :-)

I've really been getting into food photography lately...two of my favorite things!

[Karan]

We make your Chicken Vesuvio all the time...except I can't ever remember to call it Chicken Vesuvio so we call it Volcano Chicken instead. Thanks for sharing the recipe. It is deelicious.

[Dawn]

I can empathize with you on this one Jo. I run a cooking a cooking school in St. Petersburg, Florida and find dinner a scarcity at our house. I have been trying to remedy that putting in something to braise at the school before class so it is ready to transport home or, like you, keep those quick and easy dishes for late nights. I am fortunate that my partner does all of our photography so he gets the shot ready while I finish the dish, he whisks it away for a photograph and we eat. It isn't always the hottest but it beats fast food. P.S. We made caramelized bananas in papillote in a class the other night. Students love the novelty of this cooking technique!

[Tinky]

Great ideas; I will definitely start being a pouch potato very soon.

So glad everything is coming along for you..........

[pam]

Glad to see you're back. Love cooking in a pouch, easy and all that great flavor that gets sealed in!

[Kat in Texas]

Just bought "The Italian Slow Cooker" cookbook. It's fabulous. Thanks for sharing the pouch recipes. One of my favorite ways to prepare a meal since it makes clean up a breeze.

[Blue Witch]

Glad things are going along well. There's nothing to beat 70s music. I think there's a second volume of the Roast Chicken Hopkinson book.