marcella hazan's engagement chicken

i'm making this tonight or tomorrow.

Recipe: 'Roast Chicken With Lemons'

by Marcella Hazan
Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking


If this were a still life its title could be "Chicken with Two Lemons." That is all that there is in it. No fat to cook with, no basting to do, no stuffing to prepare, no condiments except for salt and pepper. After you put the chicken in the oven you turn it just once. The bird, its two lemons, and the oven do all the rest. Again and again, through the years, I meet people who come up to me to say, "I have made your chicken with two lemons and it is the most amazingly simple recipe, the juiciest, best-tasting chicken I have ever had." And you know, it is perfectly true.

Serves 4

3- to 4-pound chicken
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
2 rather small lemons

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Wash the chicken thoroughly in cold water, both inside and out. Remove all the bits of fat hanging loose. Let the bird sit for about 10 minutes on a slightly tilted plate to let all the water drain out of it. Pat it thoroughly dry all over with cloth or paper towels.

3. Sprinkle a generous amount of salt and black pepper on the chicken, rubbing it with your fingers over all its body and into its cavity.

4. Wash the lemons in cold water and dry them with a towel. Soften each lemon by placing it on a counter and rolling it back and forth as you put firm downward pressure on it with the palm of your hand. Puncture the lemons in at least 20 places each, using a sturdy round toothpick, a trussing needle, a sharp-pointed fork, or similar implement.

5. Place both lemons in the bird's cavity. Close up the opening with toothpicks or with trussing needle and string. Close it well, but don't make an absolutely airtight job of it because the chicken may burst. Run kitchen string from one leg to the other, tying it at both knuckle ends. Leave the legs in their natural position without pulling them tight. If the skin is unbroken, the chicken will puff up as it cooks, and the string serves only to keep the thighs from spreading apart and splitting the skin.

6. Put the chicken into a roasting pan, breast facing down. Do not add cooking fat of any kind. This bird is self-basting, so you need not fear it will stick to the pan. Place it in the upper third of the preheated oven. After 30 minutes, turn the chicken over to have the breast face up. When turning it, try not to puncture the skin. If kept intact, the chicken will swell like a balloon, which makes for an arresting presentation at the table later. Do not worry too much about it, however, because even if it fails to swell, the flavor will not be affected.

7. Cook for another 30 to 35 minutes, then turn the oven thermostat up to 400 degrees, and cook for an additional 20 minutes. Calculate between 20 and 25 minutes total cooking time for each pound. There is no need to turn the chicken again.

8. Whether your bird has puffed up or not, bring it to the table whole and leave the lemons inside until it is carved and opened. The juices that run out are perfectly delicious. Be sure to spoon them over the chicken slices. The lemons will have shriveled up, but they still contain some juice; do not squeeze them, they may squirt.

Ahead-of-time note:

If you want to eat it while it is warm, plan to have it the moment it comes out of the oven. If there are leftovers, they will be very tasty cold, kept moist with some of the cooking juices and eaten not straight out of the refrigerator, but at room temperature.

From Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan. Copyright 1992. Excerpted by permission of Knopf.

Carrot Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

smitten kitchen for willo's second birthday, in the year of our Lord 2010.

this was quite popular. i didn't ice the cakes because the fellow is significantly allergic to dairy, and they were sweet enough anyway. he had them for breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner, even before the candle and singing, as i baked them a day ahead. but that was okay with mimi. and everyone else had them for the same use, too. good thing it baked 32 cakes. oh, and willo helped me bake them. he loved the batter!

I like to grate the carrots by hand — actually, that’s a lie, I don’t enjoy it one bit — because I want it very finely grated for a soft batter. The food processor works, too, but the pieces are a bit thicker.

Makes 24 cupcakes (or one two-layer cake, instructions at end)

2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups canola oil
4 large eggs
3 cups grated peeled carrots
1 cups coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Line 24 cupcake molds with papers, or butter and flour them.

Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger in medium bowl to blend. Whisk sugar and oil in large bowl until well blended. Whisk in eggs 1 at a time. Add flour mixture and stir until blended. Stir in carrots, walnuts and raisins, if using them. Divide batter among cupcake molds, filling 3/4 of each.

Bake cupcakes 14 to 18 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of one comes out clean. Let cool in pans for five minutes or so, then transfer cakes to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before icing them.

To make a carrot layer cake: Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans instead of cupcake molds. Line bottom of pans with waxed paper. Butter and flour paper; tap out excess flour. Divide the batter between the prepared pans, and bake the layers for about 40 minutes each, or until a tester inserted into center comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans 15 minutes. Turn out onto racks. Peel off waxed paper; cool cakes completely.

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Two (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup

In a stand mixer beat all the ingredients on medium until fluffy. Chill the frosting for 10 to 20 minutes, until it has set up enough to spread smoothly.

The spazzy star decorations were created by putting the maple cream cheese frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and dolloping away. An extra layer of dollops were piped nearer to the center, to create a domed effect.

To assemble a carrot layer cake, frost the top of one cake, place the other cake on top. Frost the sides and top, swirling decoratively. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes to set up frosting.

For the layer cake scenario, you will probably have a bit of leftover frosting, which you can tint and use for decorating, or save to smear on gingersnaps. What, you don’t do that too?

cranberry jalapeno salsa

Total: 2 hours, 10 minutes
Yield: Makes 2 cups
Ingredients

* 1 (12-oz.) package fresh cranberries
* 1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar
* 2 to 3 chopped green onions
* 1 seeded and chopped jalapeño pepper
* 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
* 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* Tortilla chips
* Garnish: lime wedges

Preparation

Pulse cranberries and sugar in a food processor 3 to 4 times or until coarsely chopped, stopping to scrape down sides. Add chopped green onions, chopped jalapeño pepper, grated fresh ginger, lemon juice, and salt; pulse 3 to 4 times or until chopped. Stir in chopped fresh cilantro. Cover and chill 2 to 24 hours. Serve with tortilla chips. Garnish with lime wedges, if desired.

Note: To make ahead, prepare recipe as directed, omitting fresh cilantro. Freeze in an airtight container up to 1 month. Thaw in refrigerator 12 hours. Stir in cilantro just before serving.

spiced pecans

Ingredients

1. 2 teaspoons kosher salt
2. 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3. Scant 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4. 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
5. 1 1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar
6. 5 cups pecan halves (18 ounces)
7. 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a small bowl, combine the salt, black pepper, cayenne, cinnamon and brown sugar. Spread the pecans on a large, rimmed baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes, until fragrant. Transfer the pecans to a large bowl and toss with the butter. Add the spices and toss to coat. Return the pecans to the baking sheet and toast for 3 to 4 minutes longer, until fragrant. Let cool.


Make Ahead
The spiced pecans can be stored in an airtight container for 3 days.

no bake apple walnut tart

This apple tart is a Reader favorite. The healthy date and nut crust allows you to indulge in a delicious healthy dessert without compromising flavor. And one serving of this tart provides an excellent source of those hard-to-find, healthy-promoting omega-3 fatty acids. Enjoy!
No-Bake Apple Walnut Tart Prep and Cook Time: 30 minutes, chilling time: about 1 hour

Ingredients:

* Crust
* 2½ cups walnuts
* 1½ cups dates (Medjool dates work well)
* sea salt to taste
*

* Filling
* 3 green apples, such as Granny Smith, sliced
* juice of 1 lemon in 2 cups water
* ¼ tsp cinnamon
* 1/2 tsp allspice
* 1/8 tsp ground clove
* 2 TBS honey
* ½ cup apple juice
* ¼ cup raisins

Directions:

1. Combine walnuts and dates in food processor. Make sure you remove pits if dates have them and cut off end where stem was. Process until well mixed and ground, but not smooth (about 40 seconds). It should be a coarse texture when done. Press evenly into a 9-inch tart pan. Set in refrigerator while making the filling.
2. Slice apples by cutting into quarters. Cut out core and slice crosswise in ¼ inch thick slices. Put into lemon water while you finish cutting apples. Drain well in colander when done.
3. Place apples in a large skillet with rest of the ingredients and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently on medium heat.
4. Remove apples with a slotted spoon from hot pan to a bowl and cool completely.
5. Reduce liquid to about half the volume and then cool.
6. Spread apples evenly over crust. Brush apple-juice syrup over apples. The tart can be served right away or it will keep in refrigerator until needed. Keep tart covered in refrigerator so it doesn't pick up moisture. Top with a little vanilla yogurt if desired.

Serves 8

Healthy Cooking Tips:

This crust is fantastic if prepared correctly. First of all, it is important to choose dates that are firm and not too gooey. Zahidi dates are usually good for this. When processing your crust you may have to do it in two batches. Combine half the dates and half the walnuts in each batch. Process well, but do not make the mixture too smooth. You should not process more than 40 seconds for each batch. You want to have a coarse texture that is ground enough to hold together when pressed. Take a pinch of crust between your fingers and press it together. If it is over processed the crust will end up pasty and will not be good. If it is not quite ground enough it won't hold together. You can get a good idea of the consistency by looking at our photo.

Baked Ziti

Posted by Elise on Dec 8, 2010

Filed under Budget, Casserole, Comfort Food, Pasta



Now here's a classic midweek meal, or a hot dish to bring to a potluck. Baked ziti is a lot like American lasagna, but easier to make; it has practically the same ingredients but you don't have to fuss with lots of layers or broken noodles. This recipe is a pretty basic version, but everyone who makes baked ziti has their own unique tricks and twists to it. Some vary the cheeses, some the meat, some make meatless versions, and some people leave out the tomato sauce for a truly cheese-tastic casserole.

This version uses bulk Italian sausage, as well as a key fresh herb. In summer, that would be basil. In winter, rosemary. You could also easily use savory, sage, thyme or parsley. Ziti is a pretty common pasta shape in most areas, but you can substitute penne pasta if you can't find it. You want a substantial short pasta shape with places to hold the sauce and meat. You can make this ahead, and either refrigerate or freeze before you do the final baking.
Print Options

If you don't have Italian seasoning in the pantry, use 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil and 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme.
Ingredients

* 1 pound ziti (can sub penne) pasta
* Olive oil
* 1 pound bulk Italian sausage or ground beef or pork
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
* 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary (or basil), minced
* 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
* 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
* 1 large jar of marinara sauce (about 32 ounces) or make your own tomato sauce
* 1/2 pound of mozzarella cheese, grated
* 1 heaping cup of ricotta cheese
* 1 cup grated parmesan or pecorino cheese

Method

1 Bring a large pot of water to a strong boil. Add about a tablespoon of salt for every 2 quarts of water. Add the pasta and boil, uncovered, until the pasta is al dente—edible but still a little firm. Drain the pasta through a colander. Toss with a little olive oil so the pasta does not stick together while you make the sauce.

2 Pour a tablespoon or so of olive oil into a large sauté pan on medium-high to heat. When the oil is hot, add the bulk sausage or ground meat. Do not crowd the pan (work in batches if needed). Break up any large chunks of sausage as it cooks. Brown well. Don't stir that often or it will be more difficult for the meat to brown. If you are using ground beef or pork instead of sausage, add a little salt.

3 When the meat is mostly browned, add the onions and stir well to combine. Sauté everything until the onions are translucent and beginning to brown, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary or basil, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Cook 1 minute, then add the tomato sauce and stir well. Bring to a simmer.

4 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch casserole pan, then dot the surface with half the ricotta cheese. Ladle in some sauce with the pasta, mix it well and add the pasta into the casserole.

5 Pour the rest of the sauce over the pasta, dot the remaining ricotta cheese over the pasta, and sprinkle on top both the mozzarella and the Parmesan cheese. Bake in the oven until the top is nicely browned, about 20 minutes.

Serves at least 8

Swedish Meatballs Recipe

Lingonberry jelly is traditionally used with Swedish meatballs; you can substitute cranberry, red currant or raspberry jelly if you can't find lingonberry jelly.
Ingredients

Meatballs:

* 1 large yellow or white onion, peeled, grated (through a cheese grater)
* 2 Tbsp butter
* 2/3 cup milk
* 4-5 slices of bread, crusts removed, bread cut into pieces
* 2 eggs
* 1 pound ground pork
* 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
* 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
* 2 teaspoons black pepper

Sauce:

* 6 Tbsp butter
* 1/3 cup flour
* 1 quart beef stock
* 1/2 to 3/4 cup sour cream
* Salt
* 2 to 4 Tbsp of Lingonberry, cranberry, red currant or raspberry jelly, more or less to taste (optional)

Method

1 Sauté the grated onion in the butter over medium-high heat until the onions soften and turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

2 In a medium bowl, mix the bread pieces with the milk. Set aside for 15-20 minutes, or until the bread soaks up all the milk. When it does, pulverize the bread in a food processor and pour it into a large bowl.

3 Add the cooled onions to the bowl of milk and bread. Add the rest of the meatball ingredients—eggs, ground pork, ground beef, salt, nutmeg, cardamom, pepper. Using your (clean) hands, mix well for about 2 minutes until the ingredients are well combined.

4 Use a tablespoon to measure out the meat for the meatballs. As you form the meatballs, set each one aside on a sheet pan or plate. You should get 40 to 50 meatballs.

swedish-meatballs-1.jpgswedish-meatballs-2.jpg

5 Heat 6 tablespoons of butter for the sauce in a large sauté pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted, reduce the heat to medium and add some of the meatballs. Do not crowd the pan. Work in batches, browning them slowly on all sides. Be gentle when you turn them so they don't break apart. Do not cook the meatballs all the way through, only brown them at this stage. Once browned, use a slotted spoon to remove them from the pan, setting them aside so you can make the sauce with the remaining pan butter.

swedish-meatballs-3.jpgswedish-meatballs-4.jpg

6 Start the sauce. (Check the pan butter to see if it has burned. If the butter tastes burnt, discard the butter and replace with new 6 tablespoons.) Heat the pan butter on medium until hot. Slowly whisk in the flour. Stirring often, let the flour cook until it is the color of coffee-with-cream; this is a classic roux.

swedish-meatballs-5.jpgswedish-meatballs-6.jpg

7 As the roux is cooking, heat the beef stock in another pot until it simmers. When the roux has cooked until the color of coffee-with-cream, slowly add the hot beef stock a little at a time. Everything will sputter at first, and the sauce will seize up and solidify. Keep stirring and adding stock slowly, and it will loosen up and become silky.

swedish-meatballs-7.jpg

8 Add the meatballs to the sauce and turn the heat down to low. Cover the pot and cook on low heat for 10 minutes. You might need to do this in batches.

9 To finish, move the meatballs to a serving dish. Add the sour cream and mix well. Either add the lingonberry jelly to the sauce or serve it on the side.

Serves 4 vikings, or 8-10 regular people.

apricot glazed chicken

* 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots (2 large)
* 1/4 cup finely chopped peeled ginger
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1/2 cup red-wine vinegar
* 2/3 cup soy sauce
* 1 cup apricot preserves (12 ounces)
* 16 chicken drumsticks (4 1/2 pounds)

print a shopping list for this recipe
Preparation

Cook shallots and ginger in oil in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar and boil until reduced by about half, about 2 minutes. Add soy sauce, preserves, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes.

Purée sauce in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), then cool to room temperature.

Divide chicken between 2 large sealable bags and pour marinade over chicken. Seal bags, pressing out excess air, and marinate, chilled, turning bag over occasionally, at least 8 hours.

Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle.

Line a 17- by 12-inch shallow heavy baking pan with 2 slightly overlapping sheets of foil, then lightly oil foil. Arrange chicken (with marinade) in 1 layer in pan. Roast chicken, turning once, until deep brown, cooked through, and glazed, about 40 minutes total.

Cooks' notes: · Chicken can be marinated up to 24 hours. · Cooked chicken can be kept warm, loosely covered with foil, in a 250°F oven (in lower third of oven if at same time as latkes; recipe follows).


Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Apricot-Glazed-Chicken-240961?mbid=rss_epinr&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+newrecipes+%28Epicurious+-+New+Recipes%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher#ixzz179PUzL5f

Shrimp and Cilantro Shu Mai

Published: December 3, 2010


The Minimalist: Steamed Dumplings: Homemade Is the Way (December 8, 2010)

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 to 3/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1/4 cup roughly chopped scallions, white parts only

10 to 12 round dumpling skins

Juice of 1 lime.

1. Combine the soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil and ginger in a bowl. Put half the shrimp, half the cilantro and all the scallions in a food processor and pulse; add just enough of the soy mixture to create a smooth paste, about 1 to 2 tablespoons. Transfer to a bowl. Roughly chop the remaining shrimp and cilantro, add them to the bowl and stir to combine.

2. Place a dumpling skin on a work surface, moisten the edges with water, and put 1 teaspoon of the filling in the center. Gather the edges of the wrapper up around the filling, squeezing gently, to pleat the sides; some of the filling should remain exposed. Repeat with the remaining dumpling skins and filling, keeping the dumpling wrappers and dumplings covered with damp towels while you work.

3. Rig a steamer in a large pot over an inch of water; bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Meanwhile, add the lime juice to the remaining soy mixture to make a dipping sauce.

4. Put as many dumplings in the steamer as you can fit in a single layer and cover the pot. Cook until the exposed filling turns pink and the wrappers are tender, 4 to 6 minutes, then transfer the dumplings to a serving platter. Repeat with the remaining dumplings. Serve with the dipping sauce.

Yield: 10 to 12 dumplings.

Butterscotch Scotch Eggnog

Published: December 3, 2010

i've been making eggnog using a similar recipe, using rum and/or bourbon and/or brandy and white sugar for thirty years. no, egads! thirty five years. my husband can't stand bourbon, so i've been using scotch instead and we like it. so here we go: i'm trying the brown sugar.


A Good Appetite: Familiar Eggnog Made New (December 8, 2010)
*
Times Topic: Christmas Recipes

12 large eggs, separated

1 cup dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus pinch

2 cups whole milk

1 cup smoky Scotch whisky

1/2 cup brandy

2 cups heavy cream

4 tablespoons granulated sugar

Grated nutmeg.

1. In a large bowl, combine the yolks, brown sugar, vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Using an electric mixer beat on medium-high speed until thick and dark golden, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and slowly drizzle in the milk, Scotch and brandy. Transfer to the freezer to chill while preparing the rest of the eggnog. (Or refrigerate for at least 2 hours before completing.)

2. In a medium bowl, whip the cream on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Set aside. In another medium bowl, using clean beaters, whip the egg whites and pinch of salt on medium-high speed, adding the sugar by tablespoons until soft peaks form.

3. When ready to serve, pour the yolk mixture into a large punchbowl. Fold in a small amount of whipped cream to lighten it, then fold in the remaining cream. Fold in the egg whites. Generously dust the top with nutmeg; serve immediately.

Yield: 12 servings.