Thomas Keller is an American chef, restaurateur, and cookbook writer. He and his landmark Napa Valley restaurant, The French Laundry in Yountville, have won multiple awards from the James Beard Foundation, notably the Best California Chef in 1996, and the Best Chef in America in 1997. The restaurant is a perennial winner in the annual Restaurant Magazine list of the Top 50 Restaurants of the World.

In 2005, he was awarded the three star rating in the inaugural Michelin Guide for New York for his restaurant Per Se, and in 2006, he was awarded three stars in the inaugural Michelin Guide to the Bay Area for The French Laundry. He is the only American chef to have been awarded simultaneous Michelin stars for two different restaurants.

Keller’s latest restaurant, ad hoc, opened in September 2006 in Yountville with a different fixed price comfort food dinner served family style everynight. ad hoc is a wonderfully surprising experience and a must-go. Originally intended to be a temporary project while Keller planned his lifelong dream restaurant of serving hamburgers and wine, ad hoc received overwhelming success and Keller chose to make it permanent and find a new location for the hamburger restaurant.

ad hoc boasts an ever-changing daily prix fixe menu that tempts the inner culinarian in all of us. One exception exists, however, and repeats every other Monday – Buttermilk Fried Chicken. I have experienced meals at restaurants ranging from The French Laundry to McDonald’s Drive-Thru (sadly, I admit it) and I have had chicken fried every which way you can think of. Hands down, I will promise to you, that you will never have a piece of chicken quite like this one. Brined in-house for 12…yes 12 hours, the crunchy exterior houses fall-off-the-bone, melt-in-your-mouth, juicy chicken that bursts with flavor.

Lucky for us, less than average cooks, Thomas Keller has published a cookbook titled, ad hoc at home. In this book, you will find the recipe for this seductive dish, along with many other must-try recipes. If any of you ever get the chance to visit the Napa Valley, please, please give ad hoc a try. You can check the daily menu by going to the website.

 **Note that the temperature of the oil when frying poultry is very important. Having a proper temperature gauge will help ensure you are not consuming uncooked or raw chicken. You can usually find a high heat thermometer at your grocery store down the baking isle.

Buying and Brining the Bird

The recipe calls for 2-1/2 to 3 pound chickens. As Keller suggests, cooking smaller chickens, typically found in farmers’ markets and smaller grocery stores, gives the optimum meat-to-crust proportion, which is critical to excellent fried chicken.

Cut the whole chicken into 10 pieces: 2 legs, 2 thighs, 4 breast quarters, and 2 wings. Keller is a huge advocate of buying whole chickens.  It’s a way to become more intimate with the act of cooking, he says and I agree.  For those who have not attempted to cut a whole chicken before, let me forewarn you: it is not easy.  But I guess like anything else, practice makes perfect.  For the faint of heart, you can always buy a whole chicken and have it butchered before taking it home (recommended!!!)

For the Chicken Brine

5 lemons, halved
24 bay leaves
1 bunch (4 ounces) flat-leaf parsley
1 bunch (1 ounce) thyme
1/2 cup honey
1 head garlic, halved through the equator
1/4 cup black peppercorns
1 cups (10 ounces) kosher salt
2 gallons water

Combine all the ingredients in a large pot, cover, and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring to dissolve the salt. Remove from the heat and cool completely, then chill before using. The brine can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Pour the brine into a container large enough to hold the chicken pieces, add the chicken, and refrigerate for 12 hours.  The chicken may be too salty if you brine the chicken for more than 12 hours.

Remove the chicken from the brine, rinse with cold water, pat dry with paper towels and let it rest at room temperature for over an hour.

Dredging and Frying the Bird

Keller recommends peanut oil for deep frying, but if you cannot find it, canola oil will do just fine.  Fill the pot with at least 2 inches deep of oil and heat to 320 degrees F.  If you have the luxury of two large pots and a lot of oil, you can cook the dark meat in one pot and white meat in another pot.  Otherwise, cook the dark meat first, and then turn up the heat and cook the white meat.  Note that the oil should not come more than 1/3 of the way up the sides of the pot.

For Dredging and Frying

1 quart buttermilk
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
peanut or canola oil

For the Coating

6 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup garlic powder
1/4 cup onion powder
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp paprika
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp cayenne
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl.

Transfer half the coating to a second large bowl. Pour the buttermilk on a third bowl and season with salt and pepper. Set up a dipping station: the chicken pieces, one bowl of coating, the bowl of buttermilk, and the second bowl of coating.

Start with the chicken thighs.  Just before frying, dip the chicken thighs into the first bowl of coating, turning to coat and patting off the excess.  Dip them into the buttermilk, and then dip into the second bowl of coating.  Carefully lower the thighs into the hot oil.  Adjust the heat as necessary to keep the temperature of the oil at 320 degrees F.  Turn the chicken pieces carefully around in the oil and monitor the temperature.  Fry until the chicken is deep golden brown in color, cooked through and very crispy.  The recipe recommends 11 to 12 minutes of frying but, seriously, one important thing I realized is that if you follow the recipe (or any recipe for that matter) to the dot and you get too consumed about details you end up burning the chicken!  Frying for 11 to 12 minutes is not set in stone.  The deep golden brown color, I think, is a better gauge of completeness.

Keller recommends skimmers and spiders instead of tongs when handling the chicken pieces.  Lifting food from below, rather than pinching onto it, allows you to work the food gently. If you don’t have a skimmer or a spider, tongs will do the job but watch out for breaking the skin as that releases the beautiful juices locked inside.

Transfer the fried thighs to a cooling rack skin-side-up to allow excess fat to drain.  Make sure that the oil is at 320 degrees F.  Coat and fry the chicken drumsticks.  Turn up the heat and set the oil temperature to 340 degrees F.  Coat and fry the chicken breast and wings.  Make sure to carefully lower the chicken pieces into the hot oil and fry until golden brown and cooked through.

Arrange the chicken on a serving platter.  Add rosemary and thyme sprigs to the oil. Let them cook and crisp for a few seconds and use them to garnish your chicken.

A final Keller note is that to let the chicken rest for 7 to 10 minutes after it comes out of the fryer.  If the chicken has rested longer than 10 minutes, keep the chicken in a 400 degree F oven for a minute or two to ensure that the skin is crisp and the chicken is hot. (Letting the chicken rest lets the juices settle in the meat and cooling help the flavor profiles to fully develop)

OK- the recipe. This one is “super simple” and YUM-O (can you tell I’m addicted to the Food Network?)!! I’ve already told you how much I love pasta and that my weekly studies have been on broccoli and it’s family members so I thought I’d close out the work week with a dish that combines the two! If you don’t count the chopping boards, and holding bowls, this is a one-pot meal which makes things much, much easier for clean up.

If you have kids that aren’t too big on pepper flakes, you can definately omit them. On the contrary, if you are a big fan of heat, try adding a dash of cayenne pepper.

Ingredients 

Yield: 4-6 servings

•  2-3 boneless, skinless chicken  breasts, cut into 1-inch squares 
•   Table salt and ground black pepper
•  3 tablespoons olive oil
•  1 medium onion, minced 
•  4 medium cloves garlic, minced 
•  ½ teaspoon dried oregano
•  ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes 
•  12 ounces ziti
•  4 ¼ cups water
•  2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
•  4-5 cups broccoli florets (depending on how much broccoli you want) 
•  ½ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed and chopped coarse 
•  ¾ cup heavy cream
•  ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese or asiago
•  1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Cut your chicken breasts into one inch squares, seasoning them with salt and pepper and cooking them in a nonstick heated skillet coated in oil for about 1 minute without stirring. Then stir and continue to cook until most of the chicken is lightly browned about the edges, 2 more minutes. Transfer to bowl. Next,add some oil to pan and add your onion and salt. Saute untill softened. Stir in the garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes, cook till fragrant. Toss in your pasta, 3 cups of water, and broth. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the liquid is very thick and syrupy about 12 minutes. Add your broccoli, sun dried tomatoes, and remaining 1 1/4 cups water and cook until the broccoli turns bright green and is almost tender, 3 minutes or so. Uncover, return the heat to medium high. Stir in your heavy cream, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, reserved chicken with juices. Uncover and Continue to simmer until thickened and chicken is cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Off heat stir in lemon juice, salt and pepper.

In school, I just started a Product Knowledge class. We break down all produce, meats, and dairy, to taste and learn the difference between varieties. Today we looked at lettuces, greens, and cabbages. This includes broccoli and broccoli is an incredibly nutritious vegetable. I have always considered stir-fry to be a fun method of cooking and this one focuses around broccoli.

Notes:The garlic and ginger can be chopped together in a mini chopper to save time.

Scallion greens can also be used to garnish, if you like that extra onion-y flavor and you want to use up the scallions.

The broccoli stems are used (love all that fiber) to add textural contrast and also to help bulk up the dish, and why waste them?  

Ingredients

• Marinate the chicken while you prepare the rest of the ingredients
• 1 pound chicken breast (about 2 breasts), cubed
• 3 scallions, whites only, thinly sliced on an angle
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, minced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry
• 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
• About 1/3 cup water
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 5 to 6 cups broccoli, trimmed sliced stalks and medium florets (keep the 2 cuts separate)
• 3/4 to 1 teaspoon red chili flakes, optional
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• Garnish: toasted sesame seeds, optional
• Serving suggestion: Jasmine rice

Directions

In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with the scallion whites, about half the garlic and ginger, the soy sauce, sugar, 1 teaspoon of the cornstarch, 1 teaspoon of the salt, the sherry, and the sesame oil. Marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes. Mix the remaining cornstarch with 1/3 cup water.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and heat. Add the broccoli stems, and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the florets and the remaining garlic, ginger, 2 tablespoons of water, and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Stir-fry until the broccoli is bright green but still crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Get the skillet good and hot again, and then heat 2 more tablespoons oil. Add the chicken and chili flakes if using. Stir-fry until the chicken loses its raw color and gets a little brown, about 3 minutes. Add the hoisin sauce, return the broccoli to the pan and toss to heat through. Stir in the reserved cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil to thicken. Add more water if need to thin the sauce, if necessary. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if you like. Mound the stir-fry on a serving platter or divide among 4 plates and garnish with sesame seeds; serve with rice.

We have had the most beautiful 70+ degree weather and nothing says warm weather like the grill! Grilling your food is a great way to add flavor, color, and texture to your food. This recipe is easy but extremely flavorful and well balanced. I like to serve this with rice, but any type of roasted potatoes would be a nice alternative. You can also just stick with the protein and vegetables. Although, I know some people who have to have starches with every meal. Its up to you!

You can make the marinade the same day, or prep the night before and let the meat sit over night.

Makes 5 Servings.

Beef Teriyaki

• 1-2 lbs skirt steak
• 1/2 lb snow peas
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 10 white mushrooms, medium-sized caps
• 1/2 lb bean sprouts
• 1 tsp salt

Marinade

• 4 fl oz light soy sauce
• 4 fl oz sake
• 3 fl oz mirin
• 2 oz sugar
• 1/4c grated apple

In a medium stock pot, combine soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar and bring to a boil. Add the apple, mix well, and cool completely. Pour marinade over the steaks and put in the refrigerator for 8 hours, and up to overnight.

1. Cut the snow peas in 2 or 3 pieces diagonally
2. Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushroom caps, bean sprouts, and snow peas and cook until just tender. Season with salt. Reserve warm
3. Preheat the grill. Allow any excess marinade to drain from the beef before grilling.
4. Put steaks on the girl undisturbed for about 2 minutes
5. Turn steaks over and complete cooking to your desired doneness; about 5 minutes for rare, 61/2 for medium rare, 8 minutes for medium, and 11 minutes for well done.
6. Remove steaks from the grill, cover with foil and allow them to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
7. Slice steak and serve with vegetables.

I apologize for getting behind on the recipe posts. This is a lot more work than I thought it was going to be. In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, and because I’d rather eat dessert than the meal, I thought chocolate chip cookies would be fun! I was introduced to this recipe from a friend and I laughed at her when she said said it called for shortening instead of butter…”WHAT?? Shortening in a chocolate chip cookie? You must be crazy!” Everyone expects something different from their cookie and everyone alters their recipe to achieve their desired results. These shortening cookies were quite a nice surprise. They are wonderfully crispy on the outside, yet chewy in the centers. I don’t hold this recipe quite as high as my own -just kidding LB – but they are definately in my catalog of keepers.

Chocolate Chippers

• 3/4c shortening
• 2 eggs
• 1c brown sugar
• 1/2c white sugar
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 1tsp salt
• 1tsp baking soda
• 2c +2tbls flour
• 1 pkg (12oz) chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl) whip together sugars and shortening until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Add vanilla. Sift together dry ingredients and add to wet mixture in 3 parts, fully combining after each addition. Mix in chocolate chips.

Place dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment, using a #30 ice cream scoop. Bake for 16 minutes. Let cool on cooling rack.

I think I secretly came from Italian blood because I LOVE pasta! I have yet to find a pasta dish I will turn away from. Unfortunately pasta is not something that can be eaten on a regular basis unless you avidly exercise or don’tmind loosening your belt a few notches. This recipe incorporates pasta and a variety of vegetables that are good for you and taste great which make it a dish that you can feel good about eating, especially if paired with a side salad of your choosing.

**It calls for zucchini AND summer squash… I realize that zucchini is technically classified as a summer squash but for this recipe, think Crookneck and Straightneck squash or Patty Pan squash. I realize that because we are still in February, these may or may not be available in your grocery store. If necessary, you can just double the amount of zucchini.

**Also, some people find smoked mozzarella overpowering. You can use regular mozzarella, a different type of cheese or omit it all together.

Ingredients

• 2 red peppers, cored and cut into 1-inch wide strips
• 2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 summer squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes**
• 4 cremini mushrooms, halved
• 1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch strips
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1 tablespoon dried Italian herb mix or herbs de Provence
• 1 pound penne pasta
• 3 cups marinara sauce (store bought or homemade)
• 1 cup grated fontina cheese
• 1/2 cup grated smoked mozzarella**
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/3 cup for topping
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

On a baking sheet, toss the peppers, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and onions with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and dried herbs. Roast until tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for about 6 minutes. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is still hard. Drain in a colander.

In a large bowl, toss the drained pasta with the roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, cheeses, peas, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix, until all the pasta is coated with the sauce and the ingredients are combined.

Pour the pasta into a 9 by 13-inch pan. Top with the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan and butter pieces. Bake until top is golden and cheese melts, about 25 minutes.

My mom’s birthday happens to be in the the middle of the fall and is usually getting colder and colder with each day. For her birthday this last year my brother and I decided to make her a home-cooked meal. My brother and I had so much fun and my mom LOVED them! 

Pot pies can be a bit tasking due to the crust, so for this post I used frozen puff pastry. I prefer to make the crust from scratch, but it also adds to workload and prep time. Either way, they both work! One really cool thing about recipes like this is the amount of room for change. I put peas and carrots in my pot pie but if you dont like them, add something you do. The possibilities for a pot pie are endless.

Chicken Pot Pie:

• 4 sheets frozen puff pastry
• 1 egg, beaten
• 4 chicken breast halves
• Seasoned salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 cup butter
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 quart heavy cream
• 1/8 cup chicken base
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 small yellow onion, minced
• 1 cup frozen green peas, cooked
• 1 cup chopped cooked carrots
• Pinch fresh grated nutmeg, optional

Special equipment: 4 (2-cup) individual baking dishes

Crust:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut out 4 circles of dough large enough to cover the top of the pie. Brush beaten egg onto each circle. Bake for 5 minutes, or until dough has risen and turned light golden brown. Set aside until ready to assemble pies. Leave oven on at 350 degrees F.

Filling:

Season chicken with seasoned salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and saute until cooked through. Remove from heat and cut into chunks. Alternatively, you may use precooked chicken.

In a large saucepan, melt butter and then slowly add flour, stirring until consistency of peanut butter, but not brown like a roux. Slowly add cream and keep stirring. Add chicken base, garlic, and onion and stir until thickened. Add peas, carrots, nutmeg, if using, and cut up chicken. Remove from heat. Fill 4 individual oven-proof bowls with chicken mixture and then top each with a pre-cooked pie top. Bake for 5 minutes or until bubbly. Any remaining pie filling may be frozen.

This is another great meal if your short on time because it all goes in the same pot and you just let it cook. Also, a big hit with the little ones!!

This makes enough for 4-8 people depending on portion sizes. You can choose to cut in half, but makes great leftovers!

 Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts, bonesless and skinless
• Italian seasoning
• 2 large cans Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom*
• ½ – 1 large can frozen orange juice concentrate*
• White rice for 4-8 people

In a large stock pot, season and brown chicken on both sides until cooked thuroughly (you want the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan, similar to making gravy). Remove chicken and deglaze the pan using the orange juice. Let the juice start to bubble and add 1/2 can filled with water. Add both cans of soup and bring to a simmer.

Meanwhile chop chicken into bite sized pieces; add to soup. Cover and let simmer until ready to eat.

Serve over rice.

*The amount of concentrate used reflects how sweet the sauce will be. I take into consideration who I am servng to help determin how sweet I make the sauce

*You can choose to use the low sodium type, but know that the consistancy of the sauce will change.

I really wish the rain would let up… I like winter but I’m definitely ready for the sunshine. However, one good thing about winter is the produce it brings! I am a huge fan of butternut squash! I love it in soups, pastas, or by itself roasted with some butter. This is a great recipe that doesn’t take much effort and has great flavor! I’m particularly fond of this soup because i think the curry really compliments the sweetness from the squash.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 medium butternut squash (approx. 2 lbs)
• 2½ cups vegetable broth 
• 1 clove garlic, crushed 
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• Salt and ground black pepper
• Toasted pumpkin seeds (optional garnish)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the squash in half, lengthwise and remove the seeds. Roast the squash, face up on a baking sheet for about 25 minutes, or until it is fork tender. Scoop flesh out of the butternut squash with a spoon.

In a large saucepan, add butter, onion, garlic and gently satué. When the onions become semi-translucent combine broth, flesh of butternut squash, curry powder, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes.

Carefully puree soup with an immersion blender, or ladle into a stand-up blender, until smooth.

I like to top it with roasted pumpkin seeds to add some texture. You can top with parsley, shaved coconut, plain yogurt, scallions, sour cream…anything really.