The Bon Appétit Cookbook: Paprikás Csirke (Hungarian Paprika Chicken) and Spätzle (German Egg Noodles)

I loved Hungary. Absolutely loved it. It's charming and modern and ancient and romantic. I only spent two days there, but it was enough. I hope to go back again. But until I can, I have pictures and memories.

One of the nights in Budapest, I went with several friends to an amazing restaurant called Sorforras. The food and the atmosphere were equally amazing. I remember that the dish I ordered was an amazing take on the traditional chicken paprikas, but I believe they had named it Empress Chicken after Empress Sissy.

I have always hoped to find some sort of recipe for the dish I had that night, but my memory is getting a little difficult to resurrect, so it's now or never.

Paprikás Csirke (Hungarian Paprika Chicken)
Loosely adapted from The Bon Appétit Cookbook

1 ounce dried wild mushrooms, such as porcini or chanterelle
2 cups warm water
4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1½ ounces rendered duck fat or unsalted butter

1 medium shallot, chopped fine
8 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced
5 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika
1 cup sour cream

In a medium bowl, add warm water to dried mushrooms, and allow to sit for at least twenty minutes.

Cut each chicken breast width-wise into angled slices. Heat half of rendered fat in a large frying pan and add chicken. Brown on both sides until light golden. Remove to separate platter. Chicken may need to be browned in two batches. Add remaining fat, shallots, and all mushrooms. When onions and mushrooms are slightly limp and browning, add chicken back in, along with paprika and chicken broth. Let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until sauce is reduced by at least half. Add sour cream and heat through. Serve over egg dumplings, spätzle, or pasta.

Makes 2 to 4 servings

Spätzle (German Egg Noodles)

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
½ cup cold water
Dash ground nutmeg
Sea salt

Combine all ingredients.  Push the dough through a spätzle maker into boiling salted water. The spätzle are ready when they pop to the surface.

Bon Appétit: Parmesan-Crusted Lemon Chicken

What to do for dinner on a Thursday night in July with the hot Texas sun still beating down? Good question. And I can guarantee you that the answer does not include "turn the oven on".  After working all day and then slogging home to an empty refrigerator, the last thing I want to do is think too much, so I need something simple and delicious. And something that will use up the pile of lemons sitting in my fridge.  This recipe certainly fits the bill.  Tender, juicy, fabulous.

Parmesan-Crusted Lemon Chicken
From Bon Appétit magazine, December 1991

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 large eggs
1¼ cups dry breadcrumbs
½ cup grated Parmesan
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter
Lemon wedges

Pound each chicken piece to thickness of ½-inch between sheets of waxed paper.  Place chicken in baking dish.  Pour 4 tablespoons lemon juice over chicken and turn to coat.  Let stand 10 minutes.  Beat eggs with remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice in medium bowl.  Combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and lemon peel in a shallow dish.  Dip 1 chicken breast into egg mixture.  Dip into breadcrumbs to coat; gently shake off excess.  Season with salt and pepper.  Repeat with remaining chicken, egg mixture, and breadcrumbs.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add a third of chicken to skillet and sauté until golden brown and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side.  Transfer to a platter and keep warm.  Repeat with remaining chicken in 2 more batches, adding 1 tablespoon of butter with each batch.  Garnish platter with lemon wedges and serve.

Makes 6 servings

Gourmed: Kaymakli Kayisi (Turkish Cream Filled Apricots)

I'm always interested in desserts from other countries.  Occasionally I get tired of chocolate for a brief, brief period of time.  BRIEF.  But during these intervals, I get to explore other sugary options.  I was actually pretty impressed with how these turned out.  Candied apricots stuffed with cream and nuts?  Winner.

Kaymakli Kayisi (Turkish Cream Filled Apricots)
From Gourmed

1 pound dried apricots
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
½ lemon
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
Pistachios (optional)

Soak apricots in warm water for 2 hours to soften.  Drain.

Combine sugar, water and lemon half.  Boil until syrupy, 225°F to 230°F on a candy thermometer.  Add the apricots and simmer 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Whip cream until stiff.  Fold 1 cup almonds into cream.  Pull apricots apart into halves and arrange apricot halves in single layer, inner side up.  Dollop cream mixture onto half of the apricot halves.  Cover with the other halves, like a sandwich.  Sprinkle the remaining almonds and pistachios over the top.

Makes about 75, if small apricots are used

Mediterranean Cooking: Farareej Mashwi (Lebanese Lemon Chicken) and Glutton Cat: Salata Adas (Warm Lentil Salad)

I would say Middle Eastern food is a bit of a stretch for most people. In fact, most people probably didn't even know where the Middle East was until the Gulf War in 1990 (and most probably still don't). Well, shame on those people, because they sure know how to cook a fabulous grilled chicken in Lebanon.  And forget the fussiness of French lentils.  Lemon makes all the difference.

Farareej Mashwi (Lebanese Lemon Chicken)
From Mediterranean Cooking by Paula Wolfert

1 small chicken, quartered, skin on
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Combine garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and parsley in a shallow dish. Roll chicken quarters in the mixture to coat, and then allow them to marinate in the dish for at least an hour.

Make sure the top oven rack is about seven inches from the coil in the top of the oven. Preheat the broiler. Cover a cookie sheet with foil and set a flat rack on top to keep the dripping fat away from the chicken. Spray the whole thing lightly with cooking spray. Drain the chicken, but reserve the marinade. Place the quarters skin side down on the rack, and broil for ten minutes. You must baste the chicken with the reserved marinade every 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the chicken over and broil for ten minutes longer, again, basting as you go. When the skin is nice and golden and crispy, it's done!

Makes 4 servings

Salata Adas (Warm Lentil Salad)
From Glutton Cat blog

1 cup dried green lentils
4 cups cool water
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley
Juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
Feta cheese, crumbled (optional)

Soak the lentils in the four cups of water with the cinnamon stick and the bay leaf in a small pot for an hour. When the time's up, add the salt and turn on the burner. Bring the water to a boil. Turn down the heat, and simmer the lentils for about 15 minutes, or until soft. Drain any remaining water and dump the lentils into a serving bowl. Add the onion, parsley, lemon juice, turmeric, and ground cumin.

In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil and then add the cumin seeds. Toast them in the oil for a minute or two, and then pour both the oil and seeds over the lentils. Stir to combine. Add the feta right before serving.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Noobie Blogger Takes on Gastronomy

Like most good white Anglo-Saxon children, I was raised on traditional American dinners. My mother is a wonderful cook, and I remember fondly her meatloaf, scalloped potatoes, and pumpkin pie. The food wasn't terribly adventurous, but it was warm and comforting. Since my mother was a homemaker for most of my early childhood, I could always look forward to one of her dinners each night, and we always sat together around the table.

Unlike most WASP daughters in today's America, however, my mother actually taught me to cook. She believed that even if you didn't end up as a homemaker, you would also need to be able to feed yourself. Most of my friends growing up didn't get the same education, so I'm grateful for the lessons. I remember making cookies at Christmas, with my mom doing the stirring at the end when the dough was too sticky for my little hands. I also remember going through my mother's cookbooks, in awe of the crystal clear gelatin molds and ornate crown roasts that filled the 1950's-era books, wishing I could make something that stunning.

Now that I'm older, and the US has undergone a kind of cooking revolution, I have many more options when it comes to dinner each night. As each new immigrant group has entered the US, they have brought their amazing food with them, and I am more than happy to try it all. This means plenty of new cookbooks, ingredients, and sometimes even cooking classes. And I'm loving it all. This blog is my attempt to capture my growth as a cook, as well as the growing repertoire of foods and dishes that are available to the everyday American. I hope you enjoy it!