Aurora's 'Famous' Pepperoni Chicken

Please tell me I'm not the only person on the planet who remembers Seems Like Old Times with Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn.

This movie is so 80's it makes me want to roll up my shirt sleeves and curl my bangs. Goldie Hawn drives a station wagon, Chevy Chase is still handsome, and haute couture cuisine is pepperoni chicken. Specifically - Aurora's Famous Pepperoni Chicken - their housekeeper's signature dish that she makes for VIP guests.

I've wanted to make this dish for years. The only problem was there was no recipe. A quick Google search revealed other 80's fans like me who had looked for it in vain. Luckily the major players in the recipe are in the name.

I started with the most obvious, the chicken, flattening boneless skinless breasts and seasoning them with salt, pepper and dried oregano. I then sprinkled them with lots of shredded parmesan and added a layer of pepperoni over the top. I rolled the breasts up like a burrito, staked them shut with spaghetti noodles and baked them in a bath of tomato sauce and red pepper flakes. In the last couple minutes, I added thin slices of fresh mozzarella over the top and browned them under the broiler.

I have no idea if what I concocted was at all like the recipe in the movie but I was shocked at how good it was. What started as a joke-slash-kitchen-therapy resulted in a new favorite dish. I too would serve this to senators and head judges, just like they do in the film.

Thanks Aurora!



Aurora's 'Famous' Pepperoni Chicken
* You can assemble the entire dish ahead (sans the mozzarella) and refrigerate for up to 8 hours before baking. Just put into a cold oven uncovered and bake as directed.


Ingredients:
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
1 cup shredded parmesan
salt and pepper
onion powder
dried oregano
1 package pepperoni slices
red pepper flakes
1 ball of fresh mozzarella, cut into thin slices
1 (16 oz) jar of your favorite marinara sauce (mine is Rao's)
spaghetti or toothpicks for securing the chicken


Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375. Spray a large baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.

To each flattened chicken breast, season 1 side (the topside) with salt, pepper, onion powder and a good pinch of dried oregano each, scattering it evenly over. Next add a layer of shredded park - just a light but solid layer (you don't want too much or it will be hard to roll them.) Finally add a layer of pepperoni, just overlapping them slightly. Again don't go doubling up the pepperoni or it will be too hard to roll.

Starting at the wide end, carefully roll up the chicken trying to keep all of the filling in. If any squeezes out, just stuff it back in with your fingers. Use toothpicks or spaghetti (broken into 3" pieces) to stake it into place. Season the tops of the chicken lightly with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, add the jar of sauce to your baking dish. Scatter over a generous pinch of red pepper flakes, optional. Nestle each chicken roll in the sauce spreading them out evenly across the dish.

Bake for 20 minutes, if normal sized breasts, 25 if they are the really large kind. Remove and layer the top of the chicken with mozzarella. Put back in the oven on the highest rack and bake another 8 minutes or until the top of the mozzarella has begun to turn golden. If need be, you can kick the broiler on to help it along.

Remove and let cool for 5-8 minutes before serving.

Halloween Recipe Pairing - Eleanor's (Dough) Nuts for The Haunting

"No one lives any nearer than town. No one will come any nearer than that." - Mrs. Sanderson from The Haunting, 1963.

Happy Halloween, y'all! Today's post is inspired by the 1963 version of The Haunting, and comes from The Noble Pig, a gorgeous food blog you can find in my list of favorite blogs. I changed the flavor of doughnuts from banana to pumpkin for Halloween and nick named them 'Eleanor's 'Nuts' for the character Eleanor in the film. As you can guess, the woman is a few cards shy of a full deck, and the genius of the film is watching her lose what's left of her sanity, scene by scene, inside of a reportedly haunted house. Again I'm talking about the original - the remake was a pile of horse poo.

Switching topics, when I was growing up in Houston, we had a neighbor who made homemade doughnuts for the neighborhood kids every Halloween. As you can imagine, they had a steady line outside of their house from the time the kids got out of school until 10 p.m. And in my memory, you could smell those fried beauties for blocks and blocks - the scent of cinnamon and vanilla tossed up like confetti into the crisp, fall air.

Don't get me wrong - I adore Halloween, even children on Halloween, but I don't think there's enough wine in the whole world to keep me standing over a deep fryer for 8 hours straight. God bless those old neighbors!

Did you have any neighbors when you were growing up who made anything special for trick or treaters?

By the by - this is my 13th post for October...spooky :O

Eleanor's (Dough)Nuts!
(Really baked pumpkin doughnuts from The Noble Pig), Adapted from Bake Sale Recipes.

8 oz pumpkin puree
2 egg whites
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup packed brown sugar
1-3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons chopped walnuts

Beat pumpkin, egg whites, oil and brown sugar in a large bowl. Add flours, baking powder, baking soda and pumpkin pie spice. Mix until well blended. Let stand for five minutes for dough to rise. Scoop out heaping tablespoonfuls of dough onto a greased baking sheet.

With the tip of a butter knife round out the doughnut holes in the center of the dough. Then use the butter knife to smooth outside edges of dough into round doughnut shape. Repeat until all dough is used.

Sprinkle with granulated sugar and walnuts. Bake 6 to 10 minutes (mine took 8) in a 425 degree oven or until tops are golden.

Remove from pan and place on a wire rack to cool.

* Noble Pig says - I decided to drizzle some icing on them as well. It was the perfect addition. I used a 1/3 cup powdered sugar and 2 Tablespoons of milk.

Halloween Recipe Pairing - Seventh Sin Pie and Dragonwyck

In the 1946 classic movie Dragonwyck, Vincent Price plays an eccentric land owner in upstate New York who begins courting his own cousin while still married to his gluttonous wife. (SPOILER ALERT!) In fact, in an effort to speed up the process of this courtship, he feeds his wife a piece of poisoned cake. "More cake, Johanna?..." Twisted yes, but if you like old films and even historic films I recommend this one. I think it's one of Vincent's best (as a side bar - Vincent was quite the gourmand himself having published two cookbooks and hosting his own cooking show...)

The movie directly triggered the invention of this pie. I wanted to make something so over the top and decadent that it could lure even the most sweet resistant person to their downfall. I call it Seventh Sin Pie. And since the topic is already morbid, I'll go ahead and say I'm taking it to the grave as one of my most proud accomplishments along with my pork enchilada recipe and my ability to chew gum imperceptibly during meetings.

The pie begins with a graham cracker crust then has a layer of pumpkin pie filling, then a layer of rich, thick chocolate custard, followed by a layer of vanilla and oreo custard, then a layer of semi sweet chocolate chips, then a layer of fresh sweetened whipped cream and finally (are you still with me?) - a layer of toasted coconut. Obviously, you can leave out any layer that doesn't ring your bell and substitute with something else, or just use the entire recipe for the pumpkin filling (you'll have leftover that you can either make into a smaller trifle or pie. I would have cut the recipe in half but what's the point in saving a half a can of pumpkin?)

Serve this to someone you love...or despise.

Seventh Sin Pie
* You'll need a 10 inch deep dish pie dish for this. I use my Emile Henry which is a brand I highly recommend.
Makes 1 (10 inch) Pie.
* I hereby give you fair warning that this recipe is a time sucker so baker beware. The saving grace is that you can prepare the pie up to the vanilla custard layer then let set in the fridge overnight before finishing. That way all you have left is to sprinkle over the chocolate chips, spread the whipped cream over, and top with toasted coconut...
* The chocolate custard is Nigella's recipe, halved.

Graham Cracker Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham crackers, crushed
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 375.

In a small bowl, combine the crumbs and sugar; add the butter and blend well with a fork. Spray your pie dish with nonstick spray, then carefully dole out the graham mixture evenly over the bottom. Ideally, using a soup ladle (I find this helps me not pack the crumbs too heavily as with my fingers so you don't end up with a baked graham cracker brick), evenly and gently press the crust into the bottom and up the sides of the plate. You'll think it'll never make it up those sides, but it will, just keep at it patiently but sternly like you would a stubborn child. If any crumbs break off, just carefully pick them up and press them back into the walls of the crust at the top. Once formed, bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the crust is lightly brown. Cool on a wire rack before filling. While the crust bakes, then cools, you can start the first layer of pumpkin on the stovetop, as follows.

Layer 1 - Pumpkin Pie:
* You'll only use half of the prepared recipe for your pumpkin layer - unless you decide to omit one of the other layers.

1 (.25 ounce) package unflavored gelatin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree

In a heavy saucepan combine gelatin, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Stir in condensed milk and beaten eggs, mixing well. Let stand one minute, then place on burner over low heat, stirring constantly for about 10 minutes, or until gelatin dissolves and mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in pumpkin, mixing thoroughly, and pour mixture into the prepared graham cracker crust. Place in the fridge to chill while you start your chocolate custard (you can cover lightly with a sheet of plastic wrap if desired.)

Layer 2 - Chocolate Custard:
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, minimum 70 percent cocoa solids, chopped
2/3 cups plus 1/2 tablespoon milk
2/3 cups plus 1/2 tablespoon heavy cream
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup plus 1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/6 cup cocoa

Melt the chocolate on low to medium heat in the microwave, checking after 1 minute, though it will probably need a little more. Or you can place it in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Once the chocolate is melted, set it aside while you start the custard.

In a saucepan warm the milk and cream over low heat, being careful to not let it form a skin (stirring prevents this.) Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and cocoa in a large bowl. Pour the warm milk and cream into the bowl in three batches, swiftly whisking it into the yolks and sugar mixture to prevent the eggs from curdling. Stir in the melted chocolate, scraping the sides well with a rubber spatula to get all of it in, and pour the custard back into the rinsed saucepan. Cook over a medium heat until the custard thickens, stirring all the time. Make sure it doesn't boil, as it will split and curdle. Keep a sink full of cold water so that if you get scared you can plunge the bottom of the custard pan into the cold water and whisk like mad, which will avert possible crisis. Once thickened (your spoon should leave a wake in its path), set aside and let cool for 15 minutes (stirring a time or two) before carefully spreading it over the pumpkin layer. Return the pie to the fridge while you start the next pudding layer.

Layer 3/4 - Vanilla Custard with Crushed Oreos:
* Aha! You caught me. I cheated and used a boxed vanilla pudding mix. Of course you can make your own from scratch, but with all the other layers being made from scratch, I gave myself a tiny break here. And to be honest once you stir in the crush oreos, does it really matter? Finally the reason this layer is labeled 3/4 is that originally I kept the pudding and cookies separate, then decided they tasted better combined.

1 box vanilla pudding, such as Jello brand
2 cups whole milk
1 cup crushed Oreo cookies

In a thick bottomed, medium pan, stir the pudding powder into the milk. Bring to medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture begins to boil. At this stage, DO NOT walk away and continue to stir until it thickens - about another 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Give a good stir and cool another 5 minutes before stirring in the Oreos. Let cool for 15 minutes before spreading over the chocolate layer. Cover with plastic wrap and return to the fridge to chill for at least 5 hours to let all the layers set before adding the chocolate chips.

Layer 5:
1 cup Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips, sprinkled evenly over the vanilla and oreo layer after it has set.

Layer 6:
1 cup of chilled heavy cream, whipped with 1 tablespoon sugar until stiff and spreadable, then spread out evenly over the cooled, set pie (or you can use cool whip)

Layer 7:
1 cup toasted sweetened shredded coconut (baked on 325 for 5 minutes), cooled and spread gently and evenly over the whipped cream layer.

Decoration (OPTIONAL): Freshly grated chocolate, sprinkled in any patter over the pie, or evenly over to finish. Plastic spiders to warn friends and family what they're in for!

Halloween Recipe Pairing - Butternut Squash Salad with Basil and Pumpkin Seeds for It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!

What would Halloween be without Charles Schulz's classic animated feature - It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!

This little short has been a part of my life since I can remember. I'll never forget the thrill of waiting for it on TV when I was little, constantly hounding my mom about when it would be on until AT LAST - it arrived (thank goodness we had VHS so she could record it and to be fair I'm sure my first few memories of it were pre-recorded on this now defunct form of capturing cellouloid...)

I watched it diligently, all throughout childhood and the arrival of hormones (when I abandoned my first and true love - horses) then even through college and all the way up to right now. In fact - I'll never forget the time my brother came to visit me at UT and we had to wait until it came on before we headed out to the infamous 6th Street to commence with our October debauchery. It was that important, to both of us.

Poor little Linus and his feverish anticipation for the Great Pumpkin signified fall to me. And tradition. And...life - with all its buildups and occasional disappointments.

And even though I have it on DVD now, I'd still rather catch it on TV. It just feels more special. I think the magic of this little film is that it captures the feeling of fall. Fall, unlike the hedonistic abandon of summer whose seduction is obvious (an excuse to wear less and stay awake longer), is finicky. It is far more bewitching with its blustery winds, crimson colored leaves and whispers of apple pies and roasted turkeys. In essence - it's the redhead of seasons. Even if it's not your cup of tea - you still find yourself caught up in its web. And happy for it.

Well, if there's a recipe that captures the feeling of fall - it's my roasted butternut squash, basil, goat cheese, and pumpkin seed salad. Long list of ingredients, maybe, but SO easy you'd be a fool not to try it. That said - I'm a complete hypocrit as I like to purchase the already cut up butternut squash found in the veggie refrigerated section of my grocery store. Yes, it might be a little dried out compared to a freshly hacked up bit of squash, but you can always trim off any dried ends with your handy paring knife. And roasting forgives so many imperfections, much like a tanning bed;)

Few salads have the power to move me in this way - I get a bit emotional over this one and it's embarrassing. Something about the sweetness of the caramelized roasted squash against the sharp tang of the goat cheese and balsamic... It's a flood to the senses. Which is what fall is all about, right?

Butternut Squash Salad with Basil and Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients:
1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks (or a package of precut butternut squash - about a 1/2 pound)
2 teaspoons olive oil, plus 1/2 teaspoon
kosher or sea salt for seasoning
3 oz goat cheese, broken up with your fingers
pinch red pepper flakes
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1 large handful fresh basil leaves, rinsed and dried and torn if desired
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
sea salt or kosher salt, optional

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 (375 if your oven runs hot.)

Spray a large, rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray and add your cut butternut squash to it (pan should be large enough so that each chunk has its own space to brown.) Drizzle over your 2 teaspoons of olive oil, a good pinch (1/2 teaspoon) of kosher or sea salt, and red pepper flakes (to taste) and mix all around with your hands making sure each piece gets anointed with the oil and seasonings (you might need a touch more oil - use your judgement.) Place in the oven for 20 minutes then remove and carefully flip each piece to the other side with a spatula. Return to the oven for another 15-20 minutes, until deep and dark on the other side (I even like them a little 'blackened' but you might not so check early and often.)

Remove from the oven and transfer to a large salad bowl. Add in the goat cheese, pumpkin seeds and basil then give a light toss. Drizzle over the balsamic vinegar and oil (and more salt if desired), toss again and serve.

Ode to Julie and Julia - Poached Eggs in Red Wine Sauce

I finally saw Julie and Julia!

I loved it, of course. Meryl Streep as Julia Child?!!?? I mean get out of town on a hot catfish! I could watch Meryl play an embryo and be entertained for hours, much less the larger than life Julia!

The movie got me thinking about different types of cuisine and people's loyalty/fascination with them, as in Julia's real life obsession with everything French. The truth is, I don't think I could pick a favorite type or genre of food. Obviously, I'm head over heels for the simplicity and comfort of Southern American cuisine as well as Italian. But then again, I adore Mexican (both Tex Mex and Interior Mexican) as well as the exotic flavors of Asian and Indian food. The thought of not being able to change things up night after night gives me heart palpitations and makes me want to hide under the bed.

Of course, it's hard not to be seduced by the richness and all out indulgence of French food. In fact, Julia was so clearly in love with France itself, it makes total sense that she adopted the food as her own cuisine. Food after all is the shortcut to home, wether genuine or adopted.

My 'ode to Julie and Julia' recipe comes from a wonderful cookbook I received one Christmas from my mom in law, Charlotte, titled The Country Cooking of France. It's written by the modern day Julia Child (though not in personality - she's actually a quiet, elegant English woman by the name of Anne Willan.) And it's a gorgeous, gorgeous book - the kind that takes you to the land itself where the cows and lamb and vegetables grow and thrive versus just listing recipes.

The recipe is Oefs en Meurette - Poached Eggs in Red Wine Sauce. I followed the recipe for the most part but used Julia's gut bolstering wisdom (make no apologies) taking a liberty here or there. And because I wanted it to be dinner versus breakfast, I added a mushrooms on toast recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks, Mustard's Grill Cookbook.

I hope the flavors of France, or at least the Joie de vivre that seems to accompany the food, people, and culture, find you often.

TIP: Poaching eggs can actually be just as unglamorous and frustrating as the scene of Julie attempting it in the movie. It takes practice, and even after you've mastered it - I suggest having more eggs than the recipe calls for at the ready in case of accidents. One trick that helps me is to first crack each individual egg into a coffee cup, then carefully dip the edge of the cup into the simmering water where bubbles have formed, carefully but swiftly letting the water enter the glass and carry the egg out and into the water - hopefully in one piece. If you strike out, simply try again, removing the broken up sacrificial egg with a spider. It's not the end of the world.

Poached Eggs in Red Wine Sauce
Adapted from The Country Cooking of France, by Anne Willan
Serves 2 as a main course.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 tablespoons flour

1/2 bottle Pinot Noir (preferably French:)
1 cup veal or beef broth
4 eggs
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 carrot, thinly sliced
1/2 celery stalk, thinly sliced (I subbed 1/2 teaspoon celery salt)
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1 bouquet garni (simply a couple of fresh thyme, rosemary, and parsley sprigs tied together with cooking twine)
1/4 teaspoon peppercorns
1 peanut sized chunk of bittersweet chocolate, chopped
salt and pepper
chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

bowl of cooled water, on standby for poaching the eggs

Instructions:
Bring the wine and the broth to a vigorous boil in a medium, rimmed saute pan (you need the liquid to be deep enough for the eggs to float, so use your judgement.) Break the eggs, one by one, into the part where the liquid is bubbling so that the bubbles 'spin' the eggs. Lower the heat and poach them at a very gently simmer until the yolks are firm but still soft to the touch, about 3 to 4 minutes. Carefully lift the eggs out with a slotted spoon and immerse them into a bowl of cool water while you prepare the sauce (after a couple of minutes, you can gently lift the eggs out to trim uneven edges with scissors, then put them back into the water.)

Meanwhile, add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, bouquet garni, peppercorns, and a pinch of kosher or sea salt to the wine mixture and simmer until it is concentrated and reduced, about 20 to 25 minutes total.

Meanwhile, crush the butter and flour together in a small bowl using a fork to work the flour into the butter to form a soft pace (what the French call a Beurre Manie.) Bring the wine reduction back to a boil, and whisk in the beurre manie A PIECE AT A TIME, until the sauce coats the back of your stirring spoon lightly. You might not need all of the paste. Using a large sieve, strain the sauce into a separate, heat proof bowl or pot, mashing the veggies into the sieve getting all of the flavor you can extract out of it. Transfer this BACK to your original pan and stir in the chocolate until it melts and incorporates into the sauce. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.

Reheat the eggs by placing them in the microwave for 5-10 seconds (just a flash to warm through or they'll cook), then transfer carefully to your serving plate and spoon the sauce over. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.