Chicken with Bacon and White Wine Sauce

(or back in the kitchen again)

It has been an incredibly long time since I have last posted about food.  

Imagine that: a food blog without food!

Chicken with Bacon and White Wine Sauce

But I recently found a dish on Pinterest that I knew I had to try.  This dish is from the blog Pinch of Yum.  I made a few minor changes to the recipe, but this is a fairly faithful rendition of the recipe.

Oh, and did I happen to mention that somehow I can miraculously eat chicken again?!  After seven long years of having to avoid chicken for fear of having an asthma attack, my allergy to chicken disappeared as suddenly as it appeared.  But hey, I'm not complaining!

After gathering ingredients and clearing the clutter off my kitchen table, I photographed my mise en place.  Our new organic grocery store recently had bone-in chicken thighs on sale for $0.88 a pound, so I picked up a package.  I had the rest of the ingredients on hand, so this ended up being an inexpensive, but elegant meal. 

Skillet Chicken with Bacon and White Wine Sauce
(adapted from Pinch of Yum)

3 slices bacon
1/2 cup flour
salt
pepper
2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence
1 1/2 - 2 lbs. chicken thighs with skin
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons white onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup vegetable stock
fresh parsley, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat a large ovenproof Dutch oven or cast iron skillet over medium high heat.  Cut the bacon into small pieces and fry for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the bacon grease in the pan.  Turn down the heat before adding the chicken.

Salt and pepper the chicken and add the Herbes de Provence to the flour.  Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour mixture and transfer to the hot pan.  Pan-fry the chicken for a few minutes on each side, until golden brown (but not cooked through).  Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate.

Add the onions to the pan with the olive oil.  Saute for 5 to 10 minutes, until softened and fragrant and golden brown.  Add the wine slowly, stirring to get all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Add the vegetable stock and let every thing cook until it reduces by about half.

Add the chicken and bacon back to the pan and bake for 40 minutes, basting every 10 or so minutes with the pan sauce.  Remove from the oven when the chicken skin is crispy and the chicken is fully cooked (165 degrees internal temperature).

Rather than mixing the salt and pepper into the flour mixture, I prefer to directly salt and pepper the meat.  I find that the meat is better seasoned using this method.  The Herbes de Provence were mixed into the flour and the seasoned meat was lightly coated in the herbed flour.

The first step in the cooking was to brown the bacon pieces in the cast iron skillet.  I added a fourth slice of bacon that would later be added to a side dish of green beans.

After the bacon was browned, the bits were removed from the pan and set aside on a paper towel to drain.  The chicken was placed in the skillet, skin side down, and sauteed until brown on both sides.

The chicken was set aside and the onion was sauteed until soft and translucent.  Then the wine was added to the skillet and the fond was gently scraped from the bottom of the pan.  Next, the vegetable stock was added and allowed to reduce for several minutes.

The chicken and bacon were added back to the skillet and the pan was placed in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes. 

Meanwhile, I prepared freshly picked (or not so freshly picked, as the case may be) green beans from my garden in the microwave.  After cleaning and cutting the end of the green beans, I salted the beans and microwaved them on high for one minute.  Then I added the bacon, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, a splash of extra virgin olive oil, a grind of black pepper, and half a teaspoon of white sugar.  The beans cooked on high in the microwave for another three minutes.

The chicken is ready to be served.

This was a delightful meal.  I can't tell you how wonderful it is to be able to eat chicken again!

Two More Tailgates or Wish You Were Here

Indiana University may not be winning lately,

but they have not been visiting our tailgate, either.

Coincidence?

I think not.

A couple of weeks ago we had our breakfast tailgate.

We prepared Honey Vanilla Poundcake

with berry glaze.

I used Ina Garten's recipe for the pound cake.

Since it can be difficult to find extra-large eggs,

I suggest using large eggs, but adding one extra egg

to compensate.

Do as I say and not as I do.

Follow the directions and take the pound cake out 

after 60 minutes, max.

I hesitated, based upon reviewer complaints 

and left it in for 70 minutes.

It was too well-done.

One cannot determine if a pound cake is done by using a tester.
It will always come out gooey with batter.

Pound cake is a dense cake,

a gooey cake,

not a fluffy cake.

The Foodie Daughter made the berry glaze.

I had also made my world famous 

Good Morning Casserole.

Hearts soared,

crowds cheered

and the Hoosiers still lost.

Guess they should have come to the tailgate.

Coach Wilson, are you listening?

From one Miami alumnus to another...

Miami something, er assistant head coach,
just saying.

Breakfast burritos, courtesy one of our tailgate chums.

I recently had a dip at a Master Gardener meeting

that I just had to get the recipe for.

Artichoke Dip

1 cup mayonnaise (do not use light mayo)
1 8-ounce block cream cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dill
1 garlic clove, grated
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 15-ounce can artichoke hearts

Not shown: paprika

Either in a food processor or with a mixer,

blend together the cream cheese,

mayonnaise, Parmesan, dill, garlic and 

Worcestershire sauce.

Chop the artichoke hearts as finely as desired.

Warning: with some brands it will be necessary

to remove the choke from the artichokes

before chopping.

Stir in the chopped artichokes.

Spread into a 8" round or square baking pan.

Sprinkle with paprika.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes,

or until bubbly and a little brown.

Serve with crackers or on sliced French bread

or another sturdy bread.

Fast forward a week and we find that our spot has

been usurped by Habitat for Humanity.

That tree is our usual spot and if we had set up the

tent there,

then our tailgate neighbors would not have had room to set up.

So we moved over so they would have room.

The tables are set with food.

This week it is a seafood extravaganza

complete with our offerings of

shrimp rolls,

krab bites

and artichoke dip.

Our friends brought 

crab rangoon,

spicy shrimp,

teriyaki shrimp,

cheesy meatballs

and gravy and biscuits.

Our tailgate neighbors had to set up closer to the street.

They were serving up breakfast sandwiches,

with over easy eggs, fried spam and bologna

with fried crispy crowns (think flat tater tots) on top.

They generously offered me a sandwich.

Delicious and filling.

They were also serving up jambalaya,

fried chicken wings, jalapeno poppers

and marinated pork sandwiches.

I hear the jambalaya was good,

but as it had chicken in it, I had to pass.

Fabian Seafood visited town again this week

so I purchased more shrimp.

Lovely shrimp for this delicious and different recipe.

Shrimp Rolls

1 small lemon

2 tablespoons sweet chili aioli*

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons red onion, chopped

1 pound shrimp, sauteed and chopped

1/2 cup celery, diced

2 eggs, hard boiled and diced

salt and pepper to taste

4 hot dog buns or New England style buns

4 lettuce leaves

*For the sweet chili aioli,

combine 2 tablespoons mayonnaise,

2 teaspoons lemon juice, 

1 teaspoon sweet chili sauce

and 1 tablespoon sugar.

Mix well.

This aioli also works well as a salad dressing,

or a condiment for fish.

Grate 1/2 teaspoon lemon rind form the lemon.  

Squeeze lemon to measure 1-1/2 tablespoons juice.

Combine lemon rind, juice, mayonnaise and onion

in a large bowl.

Add shrimp, eggs and celery: toss gently.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Crab rangoon and teriyaki shrimp.

Marinated pork.

Cooked perfectly.

I complemented the chef on a job well done.

But the pork was not well done 

- it was cooked medium -

and that was perfect!

He told me that the pork was marinated in teriyaki sauce.

This is the Habitat for Humanity house 

that was being built across the way. 

They spent just over a week building it 

and it will be moved to its permanent location 

for the proud new homeowners.

The Marching Hundred.

Cheerleaders.

It's a sea of red.

Having fun.

Hair twirling.

I found my husband back here.

I wonder why?

Scottish bagpipers.

Emergency run!

If you've never tailgated, 

you don't know what you are missing.

Go out and support your local sports team,

be it high school, college or pro team.

Even if they lose - again.

A Lunch and a Talk about Cooking and Local Foods

I recently became the chairperson of the Luncheon Club

of the University Club of Indiana University.

That means that I am responsible for getting speakers

for the six luncheons the luncheon club has throughout 

the year.

I also have to help plan the menu.

Fortunately, my predecessors were very helpful

and I was able to find a wonderful co-chair.

In addition, our club manager has been delightful

to work with.

I could not have done any of this without these 

fine people.

Our first luncheon was held yesterday and it 

was mostly a success.

The only glitch was a miscommunication 

about the number of vegetarian entrees that were needed.

That slowed up service,

but eventually all did get fed.

 On the menu was a Bitika Salad of 

iceberg and Romaine lettuces with blue cheese,

bacon, chopped cauliflower and

garlic sweet and sour dressing.

 The choice of entrees were Cornish hen with bread stuffing

or quesadilla with pepperjack cheese with 

sauteed red onions and peppers,

salsa, sour cream and asparagus.

Obviously I had to have the quesadilla as 

I am allergic to chicken and Cornish hens are

a type of chicken.

 Dessert was a cheese cake with cherry sauce.

The food was delicious as always.

Our speaker was Lynn Schwartzberg,

a food writer for the local newspaper.

She also teaches cooking classes.

Lynn is a big supporter of the local food movement

and believes in cooking from scratch at all times.

She says that she is often told,

"I don't have time to cook."

She replies, "What you are really saying

Is that you are choosing to not use your time to cook."

Lynn also points out that our sense of taste is

our least appreciated sense and that 

we often don't eat to gratify our souls.

"Food is supposed to be transformative,"

she stated, after lamenting that if one goes to

a fast food restaurant to eat, one has not

done that.

Lynn then presented a power point presentation,

showcasing several local restaurants

that are part of the local food movement.

These restaurants make a concerted effort

to source local foods.

This ensures that the food is fresh,

the carbon footprint is smaller

and that the source is known.

Lynn also pointed out that it is just as easy and quick

to make foods from scratch as it is to make them 

from a box or a package and that 

you know what you are getting if you make it yourself.

She took questions from the audience and it was 

clear that both the speaker and the audience enjoyed 

the experience.

This was one lunch that made me hungry!

So get in the kitchen and cook

and if you do go out to eat,

support your local restaurants that source local foods.

Dining in Chicago

At last we get to the food.

And there was a lot of food

to be had in Chi-town.

And it was expensive,

at least in downtown.

For our first meal in the Windy City

(named for the politicians, not the weather),

we decided to go to Shula's at the Sheraton Towers

where we were staying.

Make no mistake;

this would be our most expensive meal of the trip.

We both opted for ice water and I asked 

for lemon on the side.

I got four lemon wedges.

This almost passes Rosie Hawthorne's test

as she judges a restaurant on whether 

they will actually give her the five lemon slices

that she requests to go with her iced tea.

After ordering,

our waiter brought out a basket of bread.

Both of us ordered the special of the night;

two 5 ounce petite filets with peppercorn sauce.

I ordered mine rare while my husband

ordered his medium rare.

These were, as usual,

cooked one scale up,

meaning that mine was medium rare

and my husband's was medium.

Remember that when you order a meat dish

at a restaurant.

However, they were delicious and tender.

Prime meat, indeed.

I will have to replicate this sauce at home.

I chose a side of lobster mashed potatoes 

to go with my petite filets.

The flavor of lobster permeated every bite

and there were bits of lobster throughout.

Sublime.

My husband ordered the twice baked potato.

You cannot tell from this picture, 

but this thing was huge.

It was at least eight inches long.

That was a potato on steroids.

This was a delicious meal,

but with tip, it set us back $137.67.

The next morning we headed out to the Navy Pier.

We found out that we were too late to eat breakfast,

and thus began our "tradition" of only eating two meals

a day while in Chicago.

Thus also began our tradition of eating outside

whenever possible as the weather was

absolutely gorgeous while we were there.

We decided to eat lunch at Harry Caray's Tavern.

The Menu

My husband ordered the Holy Cow! Burger

which is their signature 10 ounce sirloin burger

topped with cheddar cheese,

sauteed onions and sauteed mushrooms

on an egg bun.  This came with fries.

All for $13.95.

I ordered the Hawaiian burger.

This was a 10 ounce sirloin burger topped with

thinly sliced Canadian bacon and grilled sliced

pineapple with a side of teriyaki aioli on a brioche bun.

With fries this cost $14.95.

Two beers each, at $5 a glass set us back even more.

The food, it ain't cheap here.

And it is big.

It's a good thing we are doing a lot of walking.

Still feeling the effects of lunch,

we decided on a lighter dinner.

Next to the hotel is an place called

Lizzie McNeill's Irish Pub.

It is right on the river walk and we decided 

to sit outside and enjoy the views.

The menu

My husband ordered the corned beef sandwich

with chips.

I ordered the Burgundy. 

They were out of ciabatta rolls

so they put this on Texas toast.

I also opted for chips as a side.

I ordered a Guinness since I was at an Irish pub.

I was on my own on Monday morning 

and I decided to try the LB Bistro & Patisserie

in the hotel.

It is the first restaurant by renowned pastry chef

Laurent Branlard.

The blown glass sculpture outside the restaurant.

The floor of the restaurant is made of glass mosaics.

After perusing the menu and the prices,

I opted for the full breakfast buffet.

I chose an apple turnover,

an omelet (I got to chose the filling ingredients

and a chef made the omelet for me),

bacon, sausage links

and sauteed potatoes.

The apple turnover was very good

as was the omelet.

But the potatoes were swimming in oil,

which contaminated the bacon, making them greasy.

The absolute worst thing on the plate

was the sausage.

They looked plump and when I cut into them,

they looked juicy.

However, that "juice" was grease

and I couldn't eat much more than a bite or two

of them.

Which is a shame.

Chef?

You NEED my sausage recipe.

You really do.

Have your people call my people and 

we'll work out a deal.

So I'd have to say that this has 

to be my most disappointing meal of the trip.

From that,

let's go on to one of our most pleasant meals.

For our Class Reunion,

one of our class members set up

a dinner at Francesca's.

This restaurant was next to 

the John Hancock Center.

It turned out to be a good thing that I had

checked out where the restaurant was

earlier in the day when I was out because 

our taxi driver

(check off another bucket list item - ride in a taxi!)

missed the turn and we had to walk a block 

back to the place.

The menu changes regularly 

and this was the menu of the day.

While we waited for our orders to be taken

plates of fresh bread and freshly grated parmesan cheese

and small pitchers of herb infused olive oil were

set out for us to enjoy.

These were refreshed several times

before our dinners arrived.

The couple who had chosen the restaurant

ordered an appetizer of calamari fritti,

or fried calamari.

They couldn't eat it all and encouraged us to try some.

I had never had calamari, or squid, before,

so I timidly tried some.

First I tried a ring, or a bit of the body of the squid.

It wasn't bad.

Then they convinced me to try the tentacles.

I have to admit that the tentacles are my favorite part.

They are meatier and more flavorful.

I like calamari now.

And I am so proud of the Foodie Husband.

He also tried the calamari.

Our food arrives!

My husband ordered Spada Escada,

which is pan roasted swordfish with marinated 

red, orange and yellow tomatoes, basil, croutons

and honey balsamico.

$24.99

I ordered the Vitello alla Disperata,

which is roasted veal medallions with peppers,

red onions, wild mushrooms, garlic,

white wine and olive oil.

$29.99.

Our hosts were kind enough to remember my

infamous chicken allergy in not only choosing

this restaurant, 

but also in reminding me 

to not order anything on the menu with "pollo".

Our hosts outdid themselves in picking this restaurant.

The food was wonderful and of course,

the company was delightful.

On Tuesday morning my husband and I headed

down the block and across the river to the 

Corner Bakery Cafe.

The menu.

After ordering,

we found seats outside along Upper Wacker Dr.

Oops, I almost forgot to take pictures.

The Foodie Husband ordered 

the All American Scrambler

with Applewood smoked bacon,

toast and home fries.

I ordered the Farmer's Scrambler with peppers,

mushrooms and onions, toast and home fries.

After going back to the Navy Pier,

I stopped by a corner market and picked up some

food to nosh on before heading back to the room.

This looks like a lovely setting for lunch.

I purchased a honey sausage stick,

a smoked sausage stick a croissant and a

bottle of water.

I decided that I liked the honey sausage very much

and saved the smoked sausage for my husband.

I also decided that we would be stopping at that 

market before heading home.

And for the piece de resistance:

hotel banquet food!

In fact, it was so memorable - not -

that had I not photographed it, 

I would not have remembered it the next day.

That's not to say that it was bad;

just that it wasn't great.

After all the pomp and circumstance that comes

along with these events,

our salads arrive.

Pretty and probably the best part of the meal.

Then came the entree.

Beef, carrots and beans 

and a potato concoction that was rather uninspiring.

Again, not bad as these things go,

but about what you'd expect from these sort of things.

There was dessert in there somewhere

but I didn't care by then.

I said we'd stop by that market and we did.

Just don't ask how we got from here to there.

I got more honey sausage, 

some smoked sausage,

a half pound of mortadella

and a loaf of brioche bread.

We had a wonderful time in Chicago 

and learned that Chicagoans love their food.

It doesn't hurt if you can walk it off, though!