The Yankee Kitchen Connection: Live your life!

I just love my children's philosophy.

Although all three boys have completely different interests and personalities, they are similar in one way: they all have the same advice for me. Here are some of their words of wisdom.

Live your life!

You worry too much!

Nothing's going to happen!
Problem solved!

So, on that note... I'm here to say, enjoy yourself! Live your life!

For instance, the weather is supposed to be beautiful for the next few days.
You could find a spot to sit outside.
Enjoy a little goat cheese with some french bread. How does that sound? Maybe some salad...
How about a nice Sauvignon Blanc to go with that? I recommend Petit Bourgeois. Yum.

Maybe you'd like to browse through your cookbooks while sipping that wine. I like to do that. After looking at cookbooks for a while, sipping that Sauvignon Blanc, I sometimes end up losing my desire to function. I'm still hungry, mind you, but I just don't feel like cooking.

I love to look at Nigella Lawson's cookbooks. What's more, I love to look at Nigella Lawson! Wowza! She is GORGEOUS! What's even better than reading her cookbooks though, is seeing her on TV. Then you can get the FULL Nigella effect with her charming accent and way with words.

Here's Nigella's delicious Slow Roasted Garlic and Lemon Chicken. This will be great with your Petit Bourgeois. If you begin making this recipe after the sipping of the wine, you'll have to wait an awfully long time before you eat. I hope you don't fall asleep while it's in the oven.

Slow Roasted Garlic and Lemon Chicken

Serves 4–6

Ingredients

1 chicken (approx. 3½ to 4 pounds), cut into 10 pieces
1 head garlic, separated into unpeeled cloves
2 unwaxed lemons, cut into chunky eighths
Small handful fresh thyme
3 tablespoons olive oil
10 tablespoons white wine
Black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Put the chicken pieces into a roasting pan and add the garlic cloves, lemon chunks and the thyme; just roughly pull the leaves off the stalks, leaving some intact for strewing over later. Add the oil and using your hands mix everything together, then spread the mixture out, making sure all the chicken pieces are skin-side up.
Sprinkle over the white wine and grind on some pepper, then cover tightly with foil and put in the oven to cook, at flavor-intensifyingly low heat, for 2 hours.
Remove the foil from the roasting pan, and turn up the oven to 400°F. Cook the uncovered chicken for another 30–45 minutes, by which time the skin on the meat will have turned golden brown and the lemons will have begun to scorch and caramelize at the edges.
I like to serve this as it is, straight from the roasting pan: so just strew with your remaining thyme and dole out.

Now if the weather is really warm, some Rosé might be in order.

If you feel like cooking, this dish goes really well with Rosé. It's quite simple to make. And rather good I think. That's something Nigella would say.

This is a recipe of my own creation.

Basque Chicken

3 chicken breast halves, sliced into pieces about 1/2 inch thick

2 cans diced tomatoes

1/2 small onion sliced

1/2 red pepper sliced

1/2 green pepper sliced

2 large cloves garlic minced

2 TB olive oil

1 TB capers

1/4 c. dry white wine

1/2 ts. salt

1/2 ts. pepper

1/2 TB seeded mustard

1/4 c. cilantro

Saute onion, peppers and garlic in olive oil about 2 minutes. Add sliced chicken breast and sauté on both sides for a couple of minutes. Add 2 cans of diced tomatoes. Cook on medium heat, covered, 15 minutes. Add salt, pepper, capers, wine and mustard. Stir, turn heat to low. Add cilantro. Season to taste. Serve with plain white rice.

Maybe you'd like to look through some of your old favorite recipes. Here's a walk down memory lane with some recipes from the Yankee Kitchen... with your host, Gus Saunders.

Now don't go getting all sad and nostalgic on me, especially now that you've had some wine!

You'll recognize these contributors to the Yankee Kitchen.

Here's a recipe from Jeff.

Marinated Flank Steak

1 medium onion -- chopped

1 teaspoon freshly minced ginger root -- (or 1/4 ts. dry)

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons salad oil

2 tablespoons brown sugar

dash of pepper

3 pounds flank steak

Combine ingredients in large dish and let stand 5 minutes. Reserve a small portion of the marinade for basting. Add steak to marinade, cover and marinate overnight or at least 8 hours, turning occasionally. Remove steak, discarding marinade. Broil 5 minutes or less on each side, brushing with reserved portion.

And now.... a tried & true recipe from.... B. Roe! Calamity Jane says, " This brought raves!"

German Cheesecake Pie

CRUST:

11/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup sugar

1 stick butter

1 egg

FILLING:

16 ounces cream cheese -- softened

1 tablespoon flour

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

dash of cinnamon -- optional

Crust: Sift flour and baking powder together. Add sugar and butter. Add egg. Press into a 9" pan. Set aside.

Filling: Combine first 4 filling ingredients together and beat well. Add milk and vanilla while beating. Put crust in oven, THEN pour in filling so it doesn't spill! Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes. Cool and refrigerate.

Now to our next caller, Mrs. Finklestein. Hello Mrs. Finklestein!

Failproof Pie Crust

5 cups all-purpose flour -- unsifted

2 cups vegetable shortening -- (l lb. can)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg

Place egg in measuring cup. Beat and add enough water to make 1 cup. Combine all dry ingredients and cut in shortening until crumbly. Add liquid and form into ball. DO NOT KNEAD TOO MUCH. Shape into 5 or 6 balls. Freeze in separate plastic wrap and bags.

Makes 5 - 9" crusts OR 6 - 8" crusts

Here's something to look forward to tomorrow morning. I hope you have all of these ingredients on hand.

Joining us now is Carmella.

Trade Wind Muffins

20 ounces crushed pineapple in syrup -- drain & save juice

1/2 cup sliced almonds

2 cups sifted flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 oz. pkg. cream cheese -- softened

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 large egg -- beaten

1/2 cup dairy sour cream

Grease very well 16 to 18 muffin tins. Sprinkle with almonds. Mix flour, baking soda and salt. In separate bowl, beat sugar, vanilla, and cream cheese. Add beaten egg and mix well. Add dry ingredients alternately with sour cream. Fold in drained pineapple. Bake at 350° for 35 min. or until golden and done. Cool 5 to 10 min. and glaze.

Glaze: Combine 1 TB. softened margarine, 1 c. sifted confectioner’s sugar, 1 TB. reserved pineapple juice. Blend until smooth. Spread over warm muffins.