chicken pot pie

I came home from work early yesterday in anticipation of an ice storm.

Though we have had very little of what one might call a winter, eight hours of snow and ice and sleet brings this part of the world to a standstill because we don’t have the equipment to clean it up and no one can drive on ice. Since it was early and it was cold, I decided to cook. I made Uncle Milty’s Guinness and Chocolate Chili and then I decided to make a chicken pot pie. I looked at several recipes, but found most of them only had a top crust and I wanted as much flaky pastry as I could get. A search led me to Sally’s Baking Addiction. Thanks to her and Michael Ruhlman’s expert advice on how to roast a chicken, I was in business.

I first got the chicken in the oven, following Ruhlman pretty much to the letter.

1 three to four-pound chicken
1 lemon and/or 1 medium onion, quartered
Kosher salt



Take the chicken out of the refrigerator about an hour before it goes in the oven and rinse it. Stuff it with the lemon or onion, or both. Salt it and set it on a plate lined with paper towels/absorbent paper. 

Preheat the oven to 450°. Set the oven on convection if that’s an option. Put the chicken in an oven-proof frying pan and slide it into the oven.  After one hour, check the color of the juices. If they run red, return the chicken to the oven and check it again in five to ten minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and let rest for fifteen minutes before carving it.

While the bird was in the oven, I made the crust, following Sally’s recipe. The only thing I did differently was I used pork lard instead of vegetable shortening.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
3/4 cup lard (or vegetable shortening), chilled
2/3 cup ice water

Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Cut the butter and shortening using a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture resembles coarse meal. You may still see some flecks of butter; that’s okay.

Measure 2/3 cup of water. Add ice. Stir it around. From that, measure 2/3 cup of water (since the ice has melted a bit). Slowly drizzle in the very cold water, stirring with a large spatula after every tablespoon or two of water that you add. Take your time to see how well the dough is coming together and don’t add any more water than you need. Stop adding water when the dough begins to clump.

Roll out the dough on a floured work surface. The dough should come together easily and should not feel overly sticky. Form the dough into a ball and then divide it in half. Flatten each half into a 1-inch thick disc using your hands. Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and efrigerate for at least one hour.

While the chicken was cooking and cooling and the pie crust was chilling, I began working on the filling.

1 pound roasted chicken meat, pulled from your earlier endeavor
1 cup sliced carrots (about 2 carrots)
2 cups fresh green beans, cut in one inch segments
2 cups small white potatoes, quartered or sliced.
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 and 3/4 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup half-and-half
1 large egg, beaten

In a large saucepan, combine carrots, potatoes, and green beans. Cover them with water and boil for about twelve minutes. Remove from heat, drain, and set aside.

Cook the butter, onions, and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook until the onions are translucent and the butter is lightly browning. Whisk in the flour until it makes a bit of a paste and then add the chicken, chicken broth, half-and-half, and salt and pepper. Cook and whisk until no flour lumps remain, then simmer over medium-low heat until the mixture gets pretty thick. This may take eight or ten minutes. You want it to be a very thick gravy. Taste and add more seasonings if you prefer. Remove from heat and set aside.

Preheat oven to 425°.

Roll out one half of the chilled pie dough on a floured surface. Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle twelve inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth. Place the chicken mixture on top. Roll out the second half of the dough just as you did the first. Cover the pie and trim the extra overhang off the sides. Seal the edges by crimping with a fork or your fingers. Cut a few small slits in the top crust for steam to escape. Brush the crust and edges with  the beaten egg. Bake for 32 - 38 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. I use a pie crust shield to protect the edges from browning too much too soon. Cool for ten minutes before serving.

Peace,
Milton

pimento cheese stuffed pork chops

Yes, you read it correctly.

And yes, it is a bit strange that I've gone months without posting any recipes and now you get two in one day. I am ready to bring this blog back to life and I'm heading into my favorite cooking season of the year, so why not?


This recipe grew out of trying to figure out a way to make dinner out of what I had on hand. Why I didn't think of it sooner, I don't know.

3/4-inch thick boneless pork chops
pimento cheese

flout
egg wash
plain bread crumbs

oil for cooking

Cut a small hole (not more than an inch) in the side of the pork chop. Then carefully move the knife around inside the chop to make a good sized pocket without cutting through the sides. Take your time. You can do it in stages, stopping to put your finger inside the chop to gauge how big the pocket is.

Put the pork chop on a cutting board between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound it gently with the side of a mallet to flatten it to about a half and  inch, again being careful not to puncture the chop.

Then take a small spoon (or you can use a pastry bag if you have one) and push the pimento cheese inside the cavity. You want to get a good bit in there, obviously, but you also don't want to overstuff it. We're talking 3 or 4 tablespoons, probably.

Roll the pork chop in the flout to dust it, then in the egg, and then in the bread crumbs.

Heat the saute pan and add enough oil to cover the bottom. When the oil is hot, place the chops and cook about three minutes a side, until they are nice and brown. Then set them in a 350 degree oven for five or six minutes to let them finish cooking. That part depends on how you like your chop.

I served it with a sweet potato and plantain risotto (recipe forthcoming).

Peace,
Milton

chicken limone

When we lived in Charlestown, this was a regular meal at our house. I found it in a cookbook from one of the North End restaurants. I have since lost the pages from that cookbook, but found a version online that helped me put it back together. The unusual thing about this recipe is the chicken is dredged in flour and then put in an egg wash and then put in the sauté pan – without going back into flour or bread crumbs. It has a crispy, but very light coating.

1-2 lbs boneless chicken fillets, cut into 3-4 oz. medallions of uniform thickness
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 cup butter (1 stick)
4 lemons: slice two and juice two, reserving juice
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

Whisk the eggs and milk together. Spread the flour, seasoned withs alt and pepper, in a shallow dish. Heat half of the butter in a skillet over medium high heat. While the butter is getting hot, dredge the chicken in the flour, piece by piece, and then dip each one in the egg wash, and then into the sauté pan. Cook the chicken about three minutes on each side. If they are pounded thin, this will make sure they are cooked through. (You may have to do this in two batches in your sauté pan.) Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and keep warm.

Add the remaining butter to the sauté pan and increase the heat. With a wooden spoon or spatula, loosen the particles from the bottom of the pan. Add the lemon juice and the lemon slices and the parsley. Let the sauce reduce until it begins to brown and thicken a bit; pour it over the chicken and serve.

Peace,
Milton

sloppy but skinny joes

I cook for a friend in my church who is on a low glycemic index diet, which requires of me to chase down recipes that fit her needs and still taste good. Here's a variation on the comfort food of my youth that is worth passing along.

1 lb lean ground beef
1 cup Diet Coke
2/3 cup reduced sugar ketchup
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/4 - 1/2 cup pureed jalapenos (optional)
salt and pepper

Cook the ground beef in a large skillet, drain and return to the skillet. Add the other ingredients and bring to a simmer; let it cook down until the mixture is thick and without too much liquid.

That’s pretty much it. The jalapenos give the dish a bit more kick.

Peace,
Milton

orange chicken

Ginger is a big fan of orange chicken, when it comes to Chinese food. After finding this recipe, I made my own adaptations, it turned out pretty well.

Whisk together

1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 11 oz can mandarin oranges (juice reserved)
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 low sodium soy sauce **note**
2 tablespoon fresh ginger-minced
4 clove garlic-minced
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes

Set that aside.

2 pounds chicken, cut in bite sized pieces
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons of oil (more, if necessary)

Put cornstarch in a large Zip-lock bag and add chicken; toss to coat. (I guess you could do this in a bowl as well.) Pour oil into a hot skillet and then add chicken; cook over medium high heat until chicken begins to brown a bit -- four or five minutes. Add sauce mixture to the skillet; bring to a slight boil and then lower heat to simmer until chicken is done -- another four or five minutes. Transfer chicken to a bowl and increase heat to let sauce reduce a bit. You can then pour it back over the chicken, or serve it on the side for people to add as they wish.

We had friends over for dinner the other night and I served this. One of them was a vegetarian, so I sauteed a portobello cap that had marinated in the sauce and she loved it.

Peace,
Milton

clementine chicken

This one takes awhile, but it's worth it.

1 6lb. roasting chicken
6 clementines
6 sprigs of rosemary
4 garlic cloves, sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup honey
salt and pepper

Cut three of the clementines in half and stuff them inside the chicken, along with the rosemary and the garlic. Put the chicken in a roasting pan, or on a roasting rack, and rub with the olive oil. Cut the other three clementines and squeeze the juice over the top of the chicken, then put the oranges in the bottom of the roaster. Pour the wine over the top of the bird and then the honey; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook in a 425 degree oven for twenty minutes, then add

1/2 cup chicken stock

and cover, using either the lid to the roaster or aluminum foil. Lower the oven temperature to 375 and cook for 40 minutes. Add another

1/2 cup chicken stock

and cook for another 45-50 minutes, until you get a reading of 165 degrees with a meat thermometer stuck in the inner thigh. Put the chicken on a platter and let it rest 10-15 minutes. Remove the clementines and pour the pan juices into a clear measuring cup; skim off the fat and pour the juices into a large saute pan; turn on high heat and reduce by half. Cut the chicken and top with the pan sauce to serve.

I added some small red bliss potatoes (tossed in oil, salt, and pepper) when I added the last of the stock and let them finish cooking with the chicken. They were awesome. I got the basic idea for the recipe here.

Peace,
Milton

veggie egg casserole

I made this recipe for a house blessing party today, along with the brownies below, and thought it was worth passing along.

Spray a 9 x 13 pan with non-stick spray or butter (your choice) and then layer with

4 slices of cubed bread

I used some leftover wheat hamburger rolls. You want a consistent single layer of bread across the bottom of the dish. Then sauté

2 cups of mushrooms
1 onion, cut in half and then sliced thin
2 zucchini, halved and sliced thin
olive oil
salt and pepper

I let the mixture cook for a good while. I used the veggies I had on hand. You could also add meat – sausage or bacon or chicken – if you wanted. When the veggies were done, I mixed in

1 cup of sundried tomatoes

and spread them evenly across the top of the bread layer. I then added a layer of

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar

Again, use whatever cheese you like. In a bowl mix together

8 eggs, beaten
1 pint half and half
1 1/2 cups milk (I used skim)
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
salt and pepper

Pour over the stuff in the baking dish and cover with plastic wrap. Let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. Take it out an hour or so before you want to cook it to let it warm up a bit and then cook it at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour, until the cheese is browned a bit, the eggs have puffed up, and the casserole is set in the middle.

Let it sit about twenty minutes before serving.

Peace,
Milton

pork for pasta

This recipe grew out of my trip to the Durham Farmers' Market today. And it was good.

1 pound ground pork or fresh sausage, uncased
2 onions, chopped
1 small eggplant, diced small
2 carrots, diced small
3 tomatoes, diced small
fresh herbs (basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano0
salt and pepper
olive oil
1/4 cup red wine
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
parmesan cheese to garnish

In a large skillet or fry pan, cook the pork until it’s done. You may want to add a little bit of olive oil to keep it from sticking. Add onions and continue cooking over medium heat until the onions are translucent. (If you want a more caramelized taste, cook the onions separately to get some color on them and then add them to the pork.) Add the tomatoes, eggplant, and carrots and let them cook until most of the natural juices have been reduced. Add the herbs and about a half a cup of red wine. Stir well and let it continue cooking until the wine is almost cooked away. Add the chicken stock. Stir well and let it continue cooking until the sauce is thick and does not have a lot of liquid left. (If you want a creamier taste, you can add a half a cup of heavy cream and cook for a few minutes more.)

Serve over pasta. Top with cheese.

Peace,
Milton

crock pot roast

I haven't used my crock pot in a while, but decided to see what I could make of what I had available in my kitchen, and here's what I came up with. It was awesome.

1 3 lb. pot roast
flour
baby carrots
red potatoes (small)
green beans
dried ancho chilies
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 can Guinness Stout
salt and pepper

Get a skillet good and hot. Cover the bottom with a thin layer of olive oil. Dredge the roast in flour and sear in the skillet until brown (about three minutes a side). Put the roast in the crock pot and add the other ingredients. Cover. Turn on low for about eight hours. Remove the roast and vegetables and heat the gravy on the stove top to reduce, if you wish.

Peace,
Milton

balsamic berry chicken

This has way more to do with the sauce than it does the chicken.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Grill the chicken or saute it. Remember, we're trying to get to the sauce. If you saute the bird, remove it from the saute pan and set aside. If you grill it, you can start the sauce while the chicken is on the grill. Add

8 oz raspberry fruit spread
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 small finely diced onion

Cook over pretty high heat until it begins to bubble; lower the heat and let the sauce reduce by about half. You can either add the chicken to the skillet to coat, or plate them and pour the sauce over the top.

Note: I found a good deal on fresh raspberries at the grocery store and covered a pint of raspberries with water and added about 3 tablespoons of honey and let it simmer until the berries fell apart. Then I added the balsamic vinegar and finished the sauce.

Peace,
Milton

caponata

I prepared lunch for a denominational workshop last Saturday and came across a couple of good recipes I adapted for the meal, which was different kinds of salads. They felt worth sharing.

2 lbs. eggplant, cubed
salt

Put the eggplant cubes in a colander, sprinkle with salt, toss and set aside to drain.

2 medium zucchini, cubed
1 red pepper, julienned
olive oil
1 sweet onion, julienned

Heat three tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan and cook the zucchini and pepper slices at fairly high heat until the zucchini is slightly browned – about five minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Add another tablespoon or so of oil to the pan along with the onion slices and sauté on medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent – about six minutes. Add the onion to the bowl with the squash and peppers.

Rinse the eggplant and pat dry. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil to the pan, bring it to a fairly high heat and brown the eggplant. You may have to do this in a couple of batches. Add more oil with each batch. Drain on paper towels.

Put everything but the eggplant in a large saucepan or soup pot, bring up the heat and add

1 14 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons capers, drained
1 small jar manzanilla olives stuffed with pimentos (about two dozen)
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted (optional)

Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for about ten mintues. Remove from heat and cool. Cover and leave in the refrigerator for twenty-four hour to let the flavors absorb. Serve at room temperature. Just before serving, taste to season and add salt and pepper as you wish, along with a little more red wine vinegar.

Serves 8.

Peace,
Milton

chicken and rice

I made this dish for a church meal. It's quick and easy and tastes good, too.

Start by making a spice mix of the following:

1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon curry powder
salt and pepper

Put the spice mix in a large bowl and add

8-10 boneless skinless chicken thighs

Toss them until they are well covered with the spices. Put a large sauté pan on the stove and get it hot on high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and let the oil heat up as well. Lay the chicken thighs in the pan and brown, cooking about two minutes on each side. (You may have to do more than one pan full.) Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Sauté

1 medium onion, diced (optional)

until it is translucent. Set aside in a small bowl and turn off the heat. Add

3 cups basmati rice
1/2 cup seedless raisins
1/2 cup fresh pineapple, diced

to the sauté pan and stir to pick up the oil and the flavors. Stir in the onions, if you're using them, and spread the rice mixture in a large baking dish (it needs to be large to hold all the chicken broth). Slowly pour

6 cups chicken stock

over the rice and stir gently to mix. Lay the chicken thighs on top so that they cover the rice completely. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 375°F for 40-45 minutes. (If you don’t want as much rice, reduce the rice by a cup and the broth by two cups.)

Peace,
Milton

saturday night chicken

This was the first meal I ever cooked for Ginger and has become one of the rituals of our marriage.

1 pound boneless chicken breast, cut in thin strips
olive oil
Goya Adobo seasoning (con pimento)
Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
1 pound fettuccine
alfredo sauce

Put a big pot of water on the stove to boil for the pasta. If you are using dry pasta, it will take longer to cook than fresh. Time it so the pasta finishes with the chicken and the alfredo sauce.

Put the chicken strips in a bowl and toss with the two seasonings. I use equal parts of both. We like it hot, so I use a good bit. Experiment to your own taste. You can also add more as you are cooking.

Get a saute pan good and hot and then add olive oil. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the chicken and cook until they are cooked through and a little crispy.

Drain the pasta and put in a large bowl. Pour alfredo sauce over pasta and toss. Put pasta on the plate and the chicken on top. Open a nice bottle of wine and feel the love.

Peace,
Milton

summer steak salad

With summer closing in, here's a dish we served at the restaurant at Duke this semester that was one of the favorites.

6 oz. of steak per person
(we serve a 12 oz. New York strip and I cut a steak in half for this salad.)

Grill or cook the steak in the way that suits you. Once you reach the temperature you want, set aside and let it rest for about five minutes, which will give you time to assemble the salad.

chopped romaine lettuce
bleu cheese crumbles
Granny Smith apples, jullienned
cajun sweet pecans
balsamic vinaigrette

Toss the ingredients together and then add a light touch of dressing and toss again. To serve, place the greens on a plate and then top with the slices of steak.

Peace,
Milton

spinach stuffed salmon

I found this recipe originally at Allreicpies.com.

2 salmon fillets
1/2 (10 ounce) package baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon prepared pesto
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons pine nuts
salt and pepper

Make a slit two-thirds of the way through the center of each salmon fillet making sure not to cut all the way through. Season each fillet with the salt and pepper. In a food processor, combine the spinach, pesto, tomatoes, and pine nuts and pulse until mixed well. Spoon about a third of a cup of the mixture into each slit.

Place the fillets on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until the spinach mixture is heated through.

Peace,
Milton

salmon wellington

We had a special dinner tonight at the restaurant (I found out later I was cooking for Reynolds Price and friends as a part of the celebration of his fifty years at Duke). I needed something I could do that would allow me to serve up thirty plates at once, so rather than grilling the salmon, as we usually do, I opted for this recipe, which allowed me to use the oven. It worked out wonderfully.

First, for the mushroom duxelles:

1/2 onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
16 ounces mushrooms, sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
salt and pepper

Put the onion and the mushrooms in a food processor and blend until they are almost pureed. Heat the oil in a skillet to medium heat and add the onion-mushroom mixture until it is tender (five minutes or so). Turn up the heat and continue cooking until the moisture is gone and the mixture is almost like a paste. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Set aside to cool. (You can even make this a day ahead.)

1 package puff pastry sheets, thawed
4 salmon fillets, about 6 oz. each
1 egg, beaten well

Cut the pastry sheets in half and stretch them out, or roll them to activate the dough. Put 1/4 of the duxelles in the middle of the sheet matching the shape of the salmon fillet. Place the salmon with the best side down, facing the duxelles. Fold in the short sides and then wrap the long sides over to seal. Turn over and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with the other three fillets. Brush tops with egg wash. Cook in a 350 oven for about eighteen to twenty minutes, depending on how well done you like your salmon to be. Let the fish rest for about five minutes before serving.

Peace,
Milton

king ranch chicken

3 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 dried ancho chili, chopped fine
(or 1/2 teaspoon chili powder)
1/2 onion, diced small
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken stock or broth
1 cup buttermilk
salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, and ancho chili and saute until the onion is translucent -- a minute or two. Sprinkle in the flour and stir to mix, making a roux. It should look like a thick paste. Add about 1/4 cup of the chicken broth, stirring quickly to remove the lumps and then gradually add the rest of the broth and the buttermilk. Puree the mixture in a food processor and return to the stove. Continue cooking and stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened to the consistency of gravy. Don't bring the liquid to a boil; keep it simmering. Add salt and pepper to taste. When it reaches the consistency you want, remove from heat and set aside.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion, diced small (the other half)
1/2 green bell pepper, diced small
1 cup mushrooms, finely chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
(or 1 can Ro-tel tomatoes with green chilis)
1 small jar chopped green olives and pimentos
4 cups cooked, diced chicken
1 bunch scallions, finely chopped

Heat the oil in a large skillet and saute the onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, and tomatoes until the onion is translucent. Add the chicken, olives, and scallions. When they are heated through, pour the sauce into the skillet and mix well. Remove from heat.

8-10 corn tortillas
2 cups chicken broth
2-3 cups grated cheddar cheese

Slice the tortillas into 1/2 inch wide strips and soak in broth for a couple of minutes to soften. Grease a 9x13 baking dish or a 3 quart casserole and ladle just enough broth to cover the bottom. Take half the tortilla strips and cover the bottom of the dish. Pour half of the chicken mixture over the tortillas and then top with half the cheese. Repeat the procedure to make a second layer. Cook in a 350 oven for about thirty minutes, until the cheese is nicely browned and the casserole is bubbly.

Serves six to eight -- allegedly.

Peace,
Milton

oven roasted salmon, crisp potatoes, & asparagus

Here's a dinner you can prepare on one baking sheet.

4 yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped

Combine the potato slices, 1 T of the olive oil, 2 cloves of crushed garlic, and 1 T of rosemary in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to make sure the potatoes are well coated. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on a large non-stick baking sheet (or put down a piece of parchment paper) so they blanket the sheet and roast at 400 for about 30 minutes. The potatoes should be browning on top. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and turn it up to 450.

4 skinless salmon fillets (about seven ounces each)
1 bunch asparagus, rinsed and trimmed
salt and pepper

Carefully turn the potato slices over with a metal spatula, and group them into four "blankets".
Toss the asparagus in 1 T of olive oil, divide into four groups and lay on top of each potato blanket. Combine the rest of the olive oil, garlic, and rosemary and spread it over the salmon. Sprinkle everything with salt and pepper and return to the oven for 12-15 minutes, depending on how well done you like your salmon.

Using the spatula, lift each stack on to a plate and serve.

Serves 4.

Peace,
Milton

autumn galette

A galette is a tart made with an unleavened crust -- basically a sort of rustic tart to you and me.

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced (1 stick)
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Pulse the flour and salt together in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add the egg and pulse 1 to 2 times more, until the dough starts to stick together, but don’t let the dough form a mass around the blade. Remove the blade and bring the dough together by hand. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

1 large apple, cored and halved from top to bottom
1 small or 1/2 medium butternut squash
1 small yellow onion, peeled, and cut in half
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons sweet mustard (I used Stonewall Kitchen's Maine Maple Mustard)

Turn the apple cut side down and cut it crossways in 1/4 inch thick slices. Cut the squash so the slices are about the same size as the apple. Lay the onion cut side down and slice it into half moon shapes about 1/4 inch thick. Add the oil, mustard, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper and toss gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper and toss again.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch disk and transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Starting 2 inches from the edge, alternate pieces of apple, squash, and onion in overlapping circles—if you have extra pieces of one or another, tuck them in where you can or double them up to use all the filling. Fold and pleat the dough over the edge of the filling. Bake until the crust is brown and the apple, squash, and onions are tender and caramelized, about an hour. Cool the galette briefly on a wire rack. Cut into wedges and serve.

The pastry can be used for any number of tart ideas; it's really good.

Peace,
Milton

This recipe was adapted from one I found at Food Network Kitchens.

gianni's pasta

Gianni is one of the people I work with in my new job. He's about 19 and came from Italy a year or two ago. He works the appetizer station, but comes around to my side when he gets ready to fix his dinner because I have the burners and the pasta pot he needs. What he does is simple, elegant, and just plain good.

salted water, brought to a boil
pasta (your choice)

Bring salted water to a boil and add pasta. While pasta is cooking, heat a skillet to medium high heat and add

2 tablespoons olive oil
8-10 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
salt and pepper

As the tomatoes cook, they will soften and sort of fall apart. That's what you want. When the pasta is about a minute from being done, take a ladle and spoon some of the pasta water into the tomatoes. The starch in the water helps thicken the sauce. Turn the heat up to help the sauce reduce. At the last minute add

2 tablespoons basil chiffonade

Drain pasta and add to sauce in skillet. Stir together and then put onto a plate. You can also sprinkle with grated cheese, if you like. (I like.)

Simple. Easy. Good. That's hard to beat.

Peace,
Milton