Keeping up with a blog on a regular basis is apparently kind of hard. It gets even harder when you buy a house, move into that new house, plan a wedding, and successfully carry out that wedding. Between not having a lot of time to cook, and even less time to write, blogging—especially food blogging—can easily fall by the wayside. And it has. I will strive to do better.
Tag Archives: Chicken
A Flavor of Cincinnati — Grip a Grip of Grippos
9 Jun
Those who know me know that when it comes to Ohio cities, I’m a committed Columbus partisan. For the longest time I considered Ohio’s oldline cities—especially the “C” denominated ones—to be well past their prime. Regionally biased much? Perhaps. But unabashedly so at least.
I must admit however, after several years of being prevailed upon by transplants to Columbus from some of those more far flung regions, that perhaps, perhaps, our fine capital city could learn a thing or two from those others to the north and south of us. Would I say that I was wrong? Of course not. Never. But, I will say without hesitation that Cleveland’s West Side Market is by far the best public market in Ohio. And, I will, if a little more begrudgingly, say nice things about Cincinnati as well.
For example: Grippo’s potato chips are kind of awesome. In the, if you open a bag for a snack you may mysteriously find that you’re holding an empty bag and are now covered in crumbs with no memory of the intervening 45 minutes, kind of way. And there may or may not be an accompanying hit to your self-esteem to boot.
So yeah. If I was listing “good” things about Cincinnati, Grippo’s would definitely be on that list.
Warm and Hearty — Crock-Pot Moroccan Chicken Stew
3 DecIt’s winter time, which means ‘tis the season for hearty meals—like soups and stews. Actually, apparently Mother Nature has made a liar out of me. The calendar may read December, but here in Ohio it feels like anything but. With the warm, rainy, days we’ve had recently it feels more like April than anything else.
This past weekend, pretending that it was winter, I hauled out the Crock-Pot. Crock-Pots (or slow cooker for those of you with models from other brands) seem to be perfectly designed for winter meals. You can get them started, head out into the cold for some exercise or other event, and then return to a ready and waiting meal.
Quick and Comforting — Chicken Thighs with Mushrooms and White Wine
30 Oct
I’ve discovered a bit of a silver lining to the early winter, when winter rolls in and the days get shorter and the nights get colder. That is, because the dark and cold conspire to keep me inside, I’m forced to look elsewhere for evening entertainment and ways to pass the time. While spring and summer is often filled happy hours, patios, and outside activities, I’m not nearly as motivated or willing to leave home on the weekdays after I’ve returned from work.
The result? I end up spending more time in my kitchen preparing evening meals. (If this were the NY Times or another form of modern journalism then I would have used the word “upshot.” For whatever reason, “upshot” is everywhere the past couple of years. Has anyone else noticed the proliferation of the word? Better yet, can anyone explain it? It kind of annoys me to be honest.)
I digress.
The fall here in Columbus ended in traditional style. Which is to say, schizophrenically. Less than a week ago, the high was 80 degrees. This morning, there was snow. And so it was, as much of the east-coast hunkered down at home, involuntarily sheltering in place, I did the same. But unlike them, it was of my own volition.
Not too long ago, I came across a fantastic sounding recipe for Chicken Thighs and Mushrooms. Not only did the picture make it look incredibly appetizing, but the instructions also made clear that it was relatively easy and quick to make. I love elaborate cooking as much as the next guy, but when it’s a cold Monday night, sometimes you just want something that will come together without much effort. If it looks and tastes like it required greater work and skill? That’s just icing on the cake. (Or sauce on the chicken?)
A medley of flavors — Balsamic Vinegar Chicken with Almonds and Peppers
9 Sep
Tania and I have just recently returned from quite the adventurous vacation, and while that experience will inspire several future blog posts, right now I’m just enjoying the comforts of home and of the familiar. In light of that, when the time came to select a recipe for dinner recently, I opted for something tried and true: Balsamic Chicken with Peppers and Almonds.
Originally taken from Cooking Light (I think), this recipe has become a reliable component of my cooking repertoire. The blend of sweet and salty stemming from the combination of peppers, raisins, toasted almonds, and balsamic vinegar make this a recipe that covers all of its flavor bases. Add to that the flavor complexity provided by the Parmesan cheese in the breading on the chicken, and the result is a recipe that is sure to please. As should be obvious, this isn’t an especially fancy or gourmet recipe. But does that really matter when it tastes good?
Pie are Round 