You are in the midst of a spring cooking explosion. You are inspired by the longer days, the greener grass, the birds chirping and the blossoms on the trees. You have at least a dozen boneless chicken breasts in the freezer since the day you thought it was a good idea to buy 24 in one large package for such a great price! Now what to do with all this chicken?
Last week I gave you a recipe for Chicken Piccata, a classic restaurant dish offered at your local Italian eatery. Now, here we go again, this time it’s for Chicken Marsala, another staple on menus in so many restaurants. Once again, for mere pennies (well, maybe a bit more) you can serve four people for less than the cost of one of these entrees, if dining out. Great way to use up those chicken breasts that you thought were such a bargain back when but are now taking up too much room in the freezer. I know of what I speak because I, too, am guilty of such a hasty purchasing decision and now am faced with a glut of chicken to defrost and with which I must create magnificent dishes.
And as a side dish, everything goes with smashed potatoes, especially when infused with herbed cheese. Garnished with chives and/or rosemary, freshly picked from the garden, introduces the diners to what surprise ingredient is in the potatoes. Easy. Fifteen minutes from start to finish.
I am in the “create a cocktail” mode too. ‘Tis just about time of the year to sit on the patio and sip a 5 o’clock cocktail before dinner, noshing on nuts and cheese and crackers. Here is my latest little pick me up. Pear juice, cucumber slices, vodka, elderflower liqueur, shaken until chilled perfectly, then served in precious martini or cocktail glasses. Welcome spring!
And for dessert, what can be more in tune with the season than a strawberry layer cake, festooned in a wreath of herbs and flowers, looking more like a special occasion cake than a Sunday Supper dessert. I created this glorious ode to spring last weekend for my family dinner. I even had friends who stopped by because they saw a picture on Instagram which enticed them to partake in the cutting of the cake. It’s so easy, so gorgeous, so creative, and perfect to make an impression for those who are dining at your table. Do it. There will be a chorus of ooohs and aaaahs applauding your genius in the kitchen.
Read through the recipe at least once to get a visual on what you need to do to prep for the cake. Don’t be intimidated by the page-long instructions. It’s just about 1 hour of cooking and prep time. Honestly!
And here’s something to do this weekend if you are in the mood for a splendid movie. Go see “City of Gold” documentary which follows the most gifted food critic LA is fortunate to call their own. Jonathon Gold is a remarkably talented man in many areas, not only his pinpoint reviews which put so many unknown out of the way places to dine on the LA food scene map, but his previous endeavors which led him to this career. One movie to avoid like a warmed over taco is “Burnt.” Did you need the money that badly Bradley? Yes, now I do movie reviews too. Multi-faceted.
NOTE: NEW SUMMER CLASSES ARE NOW POSTED on my website. YEAH! You can sign up anytime. The summer classes fill up very fast, so visit today! Classes begin July 6th on the patio with the New Nordic Cooking Class. Nordic cuisine is hot. And I am just returning from a three week sojourn through the area. Learn first-hand what those crazy Nordics are dining on now! Think Noma…the number one restaurant in the universe…Copenhagen, Denmark.
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