Chicken Cacciatore 2 ways

I always thought Chicken Cacciatore needed sauce. Not this (first) one! The second is more like what most people think.
The other one I found and tried that has good rating (9/10) is from Emeril Lagasse. It is blander then the first but still quite good.

The first dish I tried made roasted tomato sauce. I combined it with this recipe and it is amazing.My rating
9.9/10


This is one amazing dish!
Buy the book at Amazon.com low price. “ On Top of Spaghetti” and try the restaurant. Many different, out of the ordinary and superb recipes.
Eric Flescher (dreric1kansas@aol.com)
Olathe, KS
Kansas City Traveling Gourmet blog
<http://cpmputergourmet.blogspot.com/>

let me know what you think!

Spaghetti and Summer Chicken Cacciatore
adapted from On Top of Spaghetti by Johanne Killen and George Germon (P.147-8) Al Forno

8 medium ripe tomatoes
8 chicken thighs (my option: or use 2-4 chicken breasts)
2 tblspn olive oil
2 oz pancetta (option I skipped this)
4 cups chopped yellow onions
3 cups chopped celery with leaves
1 jalapeno pepper finely minced
1/8 tspn red pepper flakes ( more if you want more heat)
1 or 2 tspn sea salt ( I used kosher salt)
1 sprig fresh rosemary (I used powder dried 1 tspn)
2 fresh bay leaves or 1 1 dried bay leave
1/4 cup coursely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 lb spaghetti
4 tbls butter or margarine
2 cups mushrooms (optional
parmesan cheese ( I left this out)

(1) Boil water and and drop tomatoes into it for 30 seconds.
(2) Remove tomato to cutting board , cut in half and the take off the skin.
(3) scoop out pulp and strain the seeds out and discard them leaving pulp and juice.

option: I actually did not do this . I used one of their other recipes to roast the tomatoes for in oven after cutting them (I use halves cherry tomatoes in stead of big tomatoes). Roast for 20 minutes at 400 f. I then blended them until smooth.

(4) Heat olive oil in dutch oven (caste iron skillet) Add the chicken and saute brown over high heat. Turn and keep browning Transfer chicken to plate.

(5) (Optional) Cook Pancetta if desired until browned then set aside

(6) Stir the onions, celery, jalapeno, pepper flakes, 1/2 the salt, rosemary, bay leaves and parsely.

(7) add the pancetta if desired. Lower heat.

(8) Stir the mixture and scrap the browning bits from the chicken etc and keep stirring for 10 minutes. \

(9) add wine , raise the heat and cook unti the wine is evaporated.

(10) Return the chicken and juices that have collected on the plate into the dutch oven with the vegetables.

(11) Add those tomatoes and juices cover the oven/pot, Lower heat and simmer gently for 40 minutes.

(12) During last few minutes test and add more salt if needed.

(13) Remove bay leaf and rosemary spring (if fresh used) .

(14 ) Keep warm on low heat.

(15) Use butter and add with mushrooms and cooked.

(16) Cook spaghetti Al dente drain expect leaf a small amount of water in a cup (1/2 cup). This extra cooked water can be used to freshen the spaghetti if needed and unloosen strands of spahghetti that stick.

(17) Toss and combine the mushrooms to the vegetables mixture and chicken on to a plate.

(18) optional - add parmesan cheese.

(19) Left over vegetable sauce and spagehetti for leftovers, lunch dinner or snack. Great too!!

***

Chicken Cacciatore with Spaghetti

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2005

Show: Emeril Live:
Ingredients

* 1 whole chicken, about 5 to 6 pounds, cut into 8 pieces
* 1 cup flour
* Creole seasoning, recipe follows
* 1 cup olive oil
* 2 cups chopped yellow onions
* Salt
* Crushed red pepper
* 1 pound shiitake mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed and sliced
* 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
* 1 cup dry white wine
* 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded
* 1 cup tomato sauce
* 2 cups chicken stock
* 1 bay leaf
* 4 sprigs fresh thyme
* 1/4 cup chiffonade basil
* 1/2 pound cooked fettuccine or spaghetti (tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper)
* 4 ounces grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
* 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Season the chicken with Creole seasoning. Season the flour with Creole seasoning. Dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour, coating completely and shaking off the excess. In a large Dutch oven, over medium-high heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and brown for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken and set aside.
Add the onions.
Season with salt and red pepper.
Saute for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic.
Season with salt and red pepper.
Continue to saute for 2 minutes.
Stir in the wine, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and stock. Bring the mixture to a boil. Stir in the bay leaf, thyme and basil.
Add the chicken back to the mixture. Reduce the heat to medium and cover. Simmer for 1 hour or until tender. Mound the pasta in the center of each plate. Lay the chicken over the pasta.
Spoon the sauce over the chicken.
Garnish with cheese and parsley.
Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

* 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
* 2 tablespoons salt
* 2 tablespoons garlic powder
* 1 tablespoon black pepper
* 1 tablespoon onion powder
* 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
* 1 tablespoon dried oregano
* 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

**
I come from Providence, RI. A famous restaurant Al Forno is located close to the downtown area near my brother's furniture store. The husband and wife team, both from the Rhode Island School of Design, (they have been on Emeril Lagassi's show) inspired the wood fired pizza craze and made it popular. But they also have many other spectacular Italian inspired dishes.

I have been to Al Forno once but thought I could find some other recipes to try in a cookbook. Their fires book " Cucino Simpatica" has won rave reviews. Now their second one "On Top of Spaghetti" is out and after reading the reviews, I bought my first Italian cookbook after many years.

What I like about this book has recipes which are unusual, different that take Italian recipes to a different level. Also the introduction to each recipes that tells about how each recipe came to fruition.

Indian recipes on the internet

This site has some very nice India oriented recipes that I have tried. These recipes are similar to some Indian recipes that I have had at Paradise India and Korma Sutra in Overland Park, KS and Rasoi in Pawtucket (next to Providence, RI)
http://www.asianonlinerecipe.com/


Recipes to go with Paradise India review

Spinach Dhal Recipe
Many different types of dhal are eaten in India and each region has its own specialty. This is a delicious, lightly spiced dish with a mild nutty flavor from the yellow lentils, which combine well with the spinach



I n g r e d i e n t s : ( S e r v e s 4 )

1 7 5 g / 6 o z / 1 c u p c h a n a d h a l o r y e l l o w s p l i t p e a s

1 7 5 m l / 6 f l o z / æ c u p w a t e r

1 5 m l / 1 t a b l e s p o o n o i l

1 . 5 m l / º t e a s p o o n b l a c k m u s t a r d s e e d s

1 o n i o n , t h i n l y s l i c e d

2 g a r l i c c l o v e s , c r u s h e d

2 . 5 c m / 1 i n c h p i e c e f r e s h r o o t g i n g e r , g r a t e d

1 f r e s h r e d c h i l i , f i n e l y c h o p p e d

2 7 5 g / 1 0 o z f r o z e n s p i n a c h , t h a w e d

1 . 5 m l / º t e a s p o o n c h i l i p o w d e r

2 . 5 m l / Ω t e a s p o o n g r o u n d c i l a n t r o ( c o r i a n d e r )

2 . 5 m l / Ω t e a s p o o n g a r a m m a s a l a

2 .205 m l / Ω t e a s p o o n s a l t



M e t h o d :

W a s h t h e c h a n a d h a l o r s p l i t p e a s i n s e v e r a l c h a n g e s o f c o l d w a t e r . P u t i n t o a b o w l a n d c o v e r w i t h p l e n t y o f w a t e r . L e a v e t o s o a k f o r 3 0 m i n u t e s . D r a i n t h e p u l s e s a n d p u t t h e m i n a l a r g e p a n w i t h t h e w a t e r . B r i n g t o t h e b o i l , c o v e r a n d s i m m e r f o r 2 0 - 2 5 m i n u t e s , o r u n t i l t h e y a r e s o f t .



M e a n w h i l e , h e a t t h e o i l i n a l a r g e , h e a v y p a n a n d f r y t h e m u s t a r d s e e d s f o r 2 m i n u t e s u n t i l t h e y b e g i n t o s p l u t t e r . A d d t h e o n i o n , g a r l i c , g i n g e r a n d c h i l i a n d f r y f o r 5 - 6 m i n u t e s u n t i l s o f t e n e d b u t n o t c o l o r e d .



A d d t h e s p i n a c h a n d c o o k f o r 1 0 m i n u t e s o r u n t i l t h e s p i n a c h i s d r y a n d t h e l i q u i d h a s b e e n a b s o r b e d . S t i r i n t h e r e m a i n i n g s p i c e s a n d s a l t , a n d c o o k f o r 2 - 3 m i n u t e s . D r a i n t h e s p l i t p e a s , a d d t h e m t o t h e s p i n a c h m i x t u r e a n d c o o k f o r a b o u t 5 m i n u t e s . T r a n s f e r t o a w a r m e d s e r v i n g d i s h a n d s e r v e i m m e d i a t e l y .

**
Lentils and Rice Recipe
Here, lentils are cooked with whole and ground spices, potato, rice and onion to produce a tasty and nutritious meal. Red split lentils are widely available in most supermarkets. Before cooking they are salmon-colored and they turn a pale, dull yellow during cooking. They have a mild, pleasant, and nutty flavor. Soaking them in water speeds up the cooking process but isn't strictly necessary.



I n g r e d i e n t s : ( S e r v e s 4 )

1 5 0 g / 5 o z / æ c u p t u v a r d h a l o r r e d s p l i t l e n t i l s

1 1 5 g / 4 o z / Ω c u p b a s m a t i r i c e

1 l a r g e p o t a t o

1 l a r g e o n i o n

3 0 m l / 2 t a b l e s p o o n s o i l

4 w h o l e c l o v e s

1 . 5 m l / º t e a s p o o n c u m i n s e e d s

1=2 0. 5 m l / º t e a s p o o n g r o u n d t u r m e r i c

1 0 m l / 2 t e a s p o o n s s a l t

3 0 0 m l / Ω p i n t / 1 º c u p s w a t e r



M e t h o d :

W a s h t h e t u v a r d h a l o r r e d s p l i t l e n t i l s a n d r i c e i n s e v e r a l c h a n g e s o f c o l d w a20t e r . P u t i n t o a b o w l a n d c o v e r w i t h w a t e r . L e a v e t o s o a k f o r 1 5 m i n u t e s , t h e n t r a n s f e r t o a s t r a i n e r a n d d r a i n w e l l . P e e l t h e p o t a t o , t h e n c u t i t i n t o 2 . 5 c m / 1 i n c h c h u n k s . U s i n g a s h a r p k n i f e , t h i n l y s l i c e t h e o n i o n a n d s e t a s i d e f o r l a t e r .



H e a t t h e o i l i n a h e a v y p a n a n d f r y t h e c l o v e s a n d c u m i n s e e d s f o r A 0 2 m i n u t e s , u n t i l t h e s e e d s a r e b e g i n n i n g t o s p l u t t e r . A d d t h e o n i o n a n d p o t a t o c h u n k s a n d f r y f o r 5 m i n u t e s . A d d t h e l e n t i l s , r i c e , t u r m e r i c a n d s a l t a n d f r y f o r a f u r t h e r 3 m i n u t e s .



A d d t h e w a t e r . B r i n g t o t h e b o i l , c o v e r a n d s i m m e r g e n t l y f o r 1 5 - 2 0 m i n u t e s u n t i l a l l t h e w a t e r h a s b e e n a b s o r b e d a n d t h e p o t a t o c h u n k s a r e t e n d e r . L e a v e t o s t a n d , c o v e r e d , f o r a b o u t 1 0 m i n u t e s b e f o r e s e r v i n g .




***
S o u t h I n d i a n L e n t i l s a n d V e g e t a b l e s R e c i p e

S o u t h I n d i a n L e n t i l s a n d V e g e t a b l e s R e c i p e P u l s e s a r e p e r f e c t f o r e a s y a n d i n e x p e n s i v e m e a l s . C h o o s e a s e l e c t i o n o f y o u r f a v o r i t e v e g e t a b l e s , s u c h a s p o t a t o , c a u l i f l o w e r , c a r r o t s a n d b e a n s f o r t h i s t a s t y d i s h . Z u c c h i n i ( c o u r g e t t e s ) , e g g p l a n t s , b e l l p e p p e r s , s n o w p e a s a n d b r o c c o l i w o u l d a l s o t a s t e w o n d e r f u l i n t h i s c u r r y .


I n g r e d i e n t s : ( S e r v e s 4 - 6 )

6 0 m l / 4 t a b l e s p o o n s v e g e t a b l e o i l

2 . 5 m l / Ω t e a s p o o n m u s t a r d s e e d s

2 . 5 m l / Ω t e a s p o o n c u m i n s e e d s

2 d r i e d r e d c h i l i e s

1 . 5 m l / º t e a s p o o n a s a f o e t i d a

6 - 8 c u r r y l e a v e s

2 g a r l i c c l o v e s , c r u s h e d

3 0 m l / 2 t a b l e s p o o n s d e s i c c a t e d ( d r y u n s w e e t e n e d s h r e d d e d ) c o c o n u t

2 2 5 g / 8 o z / 1 c u p m a s o o r d h a l o r r e d s p l i t l e n t i l s

1 0 m l / 2 t e a s p o o n s s a m b h a r m a s a l a o r g a r a m m a s a l a

2 . 5 m l / Ω t e a s p o o n g r o u n d t u r m e r i c

4 5 0 g / 1 l b m i x e d v e g e t a b l e s , i n b i t e s i z e p i e c e s

6 0 m l / 4 t a b l e s p o o n s t a m a r i n d j u i c e

4 f i r m t o m a t o e s , q u a r t e r e d

6 0 m l / 4 t a b l e s p o o n s v e g e t a b l e o i l

2 g a r l i c c l o v e s , f i n e l y s l i c e d

H a n d f u l f r e s h c i l a n t r o ( c o r i a n d e r ) , c h o p p e d



M e t h o d :

H e a t t h e o i l i n a h e a v y p a n . F r y t h e m u s t a r d s e e d s , c u m i n s e e d s , d r i e d r e d c h i l i e s , a s a f o e t i d a , c u r r y l e a v e s , c r u s h e d g a r l i c a n d d e s i c c a t e d c o c o n u t u n t i l t h e c o c o n u t b r o w n s .



M i x i n t h e m a s o o r d h a l o r r e d l e n t i l s , s a m b h a r m a s a l a a n d g r o u n d t u r m e r i c . S t i r i n 4 5 0 m l / æ p i n t / s c a n t 2 c u p s w a t e r . S i m m e r t h e m i x t u r e u n t i l t h e l e n t i l s a r e m u s h y . A d d t h e m i x e d v e g e t a b l e s , t a m a r i n d j u i c e a n d t o m a t o e s . C o o k s o t h a t t h e v e g e t a b l e s a r e c r u n c h y .
I n t h e o i l , f r y t h e g a r l i c s l i c e s a n d f r e s h c i l a n t r o . P o u r o v e r t h e l e n t i l s a n d v e g e t a b l e s . M i x a t t h e t a b l e b e f o r e s e r v i n g .

**
C u r r i e d C a u l i f l o w e r R e c i p e

C u r r i e d C a u l i f l o w e r R e c i p e I n t h i s d i s h t h e c r e a m y c o c o n u t s a u c e c o m p l e m e n t s t h e f l a v o r o f t h e s p i c e d c a u l i f l o w e r . T h e s a u c e a l s o g o e s w e l l w i t h b r o c c o l i . F o r a p r e t t y p r e s e n t a t i o n u s e w h o l e m i n i a t u r e v e g e t a b l e s .



I n g r e d i e n t s : ( S e r v e s 4 - 6 )

1 5 m l / 1 t a b l e s p o o n g r a m f l o u r

1 2 0 m l / 4 f l o z / Ω c u p w a t e r

5 m l / 1 t e a s p o o n c h i l i p o w d e r

1 5 m l / 1 t a b l e s p o o n g r o u n d c i l a n t r o ( c o r i a n d e r )

5 m l / 1 t e a s p o o n g r o u n d c u m i n

5 m l / 1 t e a s p o o n m u s t a r d p o w d e r

5 m l / 1 t e a s p o o n g r o u n d t u r m e r i c

6 0 m l / 4 t a b l e s p o o n s v e g e t a b l e o i l

6 - 8 c u r r y l e a v e s

5 m l / 1 t e a s p o o n c u m i n s e e d s

1 c a u l i f l o w e r , b r o k e n i n t o f l o r e t s

1 7 5 m l / 6 f l o z t h i c k c o c o n u t m i l k

J u i c e o f 2 l e m o n s

S a l t t o t a s t e

L i m e w e d g e s , t o s e r v e



M e t h o d :

P u t t h e g r a m f l o u r i n a s m a l l b o w l a n d s t i r i n e n o u g h o f t h e w a t e r t o m a k e a s m o o t h p a s t e . A d d t h e c h i l i , c i l a n t r o , c u m i n , m u s t a r d , t u r m e r i c a n d s a l t . A d d t h e r e m a i n i n g w a t e r a n d k e e p m i x i n g t o b l e n d a l l t h e i n g r e d i e n t s w e l l .



H e a t t h e o i l i n a f r y i n g p a n , a n d a d d t h e c u r r y l e a v e s a n d c u m i n s e e d s . A d d t h e s p i c e p a s t e a n d s i m m e r f o r a b o u t 5 m i n u t e s , s t i r r i n g f r e q u e n t l y . I f t h e s a u c e h a s b e c o m e t o o t h i c k , a d d a l i t t l e h o t w a t e r .



A d d t h e c a u l i f l o w e r f l o r e t s a n d t h e c o c o n u t m i l k . B r i n g t h e m i x t u r e t o t h e b o i l a n d t h e n r e d u c e t h e h e a t . C o v e r w i t h a l i d a n d c o o k u n t i l t h e c a u l i f l o w e r i s t e n d e r b u t s t i l l r e t a i n s a b i t o f a c r u n c h ( i f y o u l i k e y o u r c a u l i f l o w e r m o r e t e n d e r , c o o k f o r a l i t t l e l o n g e r ) . A d d t h e l e m o n j u i c e , m i x w e l l a n d s e r v e t h e c u r r y h o t w i t h t h e w e d g e s o f l i m e t o s q u e e z e o v e r .

Culinary Explorations - I was not in Kansas but in Providence

I came out East last week to watch my son play a recital for his senior year at Juliard Music School in New York City. Before that happened , I flew back into Providence, to visit family and sampled several of its great restaurants in and around Providence. There were new places to try and one from last year that I only found out last year Apsara Palace.

I love Apsara Palace.There are several reasons for me to come back to a restaurant: reasonable prices, food that is a level above your ordinary fare, varied menu, good service and ambiance. This place meets all of those criteria points and we love it.

For the second time, my good friends from Newton, Mass met us for another memorable feast. The food is so good and the menu so expansive, its just a lovely place to tantalize your taste buds. So why not because they love it too.
We had crispy vegetarian spring rolls, vegetarian There is a little art to making your food for these little duck sandwiches so I photographed each step with information at this link. (I will post a link soon)

There are quite a few eateries on Hope Street from Wickeden Street (near my brother's store Atomic Appliances and Flescher Furniture) and goes North towards the
On Hope Street restaurant row, I ducked into this gourmet food shop and bought a spicy condiment that I had never heard of make primary from spicy plum and other spices. It is a national condiment and called Tkemal. It comes in yellow, bright green and a darker hue. All give a real plum sour taste. Well spoken for, I had to buy it and try it. It is great on chicken, vegetarian burgers and more . It's great.




I had tried Cambodian recipes and I wanted to discover what it had for lunch.


I was looking for a more authentic Cambodian dish.A rather small but personable place, very intimate looking with nice tones inside. I decided to do take out. I spied the menu to decide which dish to take. The lemon grass- basil chicken seemed a good bet as I did not want to try a curry dish at this time. I love basil and this might have a different twist on its theme with the red pepper and lemongrass. I love the delicate flavor of lemongrass.
The green jalapeno gave the dish a little heat which stayed on my lips. The lemon grass flavored the chicken well. The big basil leaves did not add much to the dish but there was a subtle flavor.

When I came to Providence my brother mentioned this place.I knew of the restaurant India a few blocks away but I did not see dishes that I thought were unusual.
I wanted someplace to lunch on Sunday.

I had passed Chef Pascal. It is rated very highly. I might try it someday but not now. The fare is not my usual style and its more fine dining with a high price tag to match . Still maybe someday. But I headed for the Indian restaurant just over the line in Pawtucket.



I had never seen as Rasoi as it is tucked a little ways from the street, clustered in the middle of a vegetarian restaurant and a BBQ place and a pizza place. I am glad my brother mentioned this place because it has some fine dishes on the buffet. What better way to try a number of dishes? I really like to find and eat new and different ethnic cuisine and this place handled that assignment eloquently.

The inside has this azure blue coloration on the floors with more muted tones on the walls.

The buffet rims the side window near the front door and has quite a few tasty dishes. Going clockwise, I passed on the regular salad greens and went for the mushroom soup and then the entrees.

There were quite a few so I actually had to make another pass to get the others I missed going clockwise. I quickly found that the entrees had all types of flavors and textures, colors and were from different regions of Indian as it seemed. I have sought out and sampled Indian food at restaurants New England, Washington DC, the West Coast and many other places, besides making my own dishes at home, but this creative restaurant offered several entrees I had never heard about.

I spooned some mushroom soup into my cup. It was very interesting because it was actually mushroom - chicken soup. The chicken soup added a more velvety and smooth flavor to the soup. My young nephew loved it too. I will have to find some recipes for this mushroom soup refinement. Onward to the entrees.
There was the regular Naan bread which we loved (left). At another table we spied another more cracker like bread that does not come with this buffet (maybe we will try this in the future).

That big white object (on the right bottom) is a big hard boiled egg that sits in the middle of the egg curry.
A winner was also the potato vegetarian dish with its intricate flavors.The curry was also excellent. There was also a shrimp dish too.

I could not pass on the yellowish bread pudding (I loved bread pudding- top right hand corner). What made it unusual was the yellowish hue on the top that made it a butter bread pudding. Smooth it caped off a memorable buffet and Sunday brunch.
The service was efficient and they constantly filled our glasses so I could clean my thirst and palate.

I can see that quite a few people have already frequented this place. The price ($12) was very reasonable for the amount and excellent quality. Plus the dishes some like the potato dish and egg curry were different then I had ever seen and. When a place offers offers food "a level above ordinary (Indian) fare well I am impressed. I rate this places very high and will come back. I believe the dishes rotate so next time I will sample more and write about them again.



Going down Hope Street again , I ducked into Blaze to see what it was all about . Quite an eclectic menu with items from different parts of the world. My mother has eaten Salmon here and liked the meal. This place is a combination bar and cafe restaurant. I talked with the waitress, looked over the menu and decided on a small snack to go. I love jerk spiced items and there was a fried jerk chicken with a coconut sauce that seemed unusual The chicken were mildly crisped and not too overally fried, which was good. I was surprised that instead of a whitish sauce it was muddy brown. I dunked the chicken into it and tasted it. It was more like a tamarind type sauce with a slightly tangy lemony flavor.

I then headed down to Wayland Square to check out some of the other restaurants for future reference. La Laiterie at Farmstead had good reviews (but it would have to wait for the future for sampling). People like the authentic Asian fare at Hakura East. I can see why. It has sushi, Japanese and other Asian items. I would like to try this pricey bistro or at least one item sometime in the future too.
Also there was>, a breakfast shop with mostly American breakfast menu. I see that is has won several awards and my mother she has been here. Its quaint and maybe someday for breakfast. But my target was a Vietnamese restaurant I heard about.




I heard a lot about Pho Horn'. Last but not least, Vietnamese was on the menu before I left for Kansas. I had found that this Vietnamese restaurant was near where many years ago, I did weekend bowling. Now there is a little strip mall just West. Instead of defunct Chinese Buffet nearby there is a thriving and well spoken for Vietnamese restaurant which for all indications should be around for for along time. Here's why!

Upon entering this small area, one can't but notice the nice tropical aquarium with a huge carp or is it a goldfish? A constant stream of people constantly shuttled in to sample the Asian food, Vietnamese flavors transform chicken, beef and more into flavor nevertheless and packs good flavor, many different then regular Chinese fare. I was particularly interested in finding different Vietnamese entrees, soups etc that might be a little different from the great restaurant in Kansas City near Westport, MO and downtown. My main intent was to not to Kansas City restaurants or food but find different entrees in this case Vietnamese/ Asian fare. I am always looking for different flavors. I am also always searching for different recipes to try at home too and find other resources. In quest of tastes that cause me to say "aha" called "satori (japanese).

From the reviews this place seemed to tell me that my mother and I would like this restaurant as the Phoenix RI magazine has reviewed it favorably. The menu has plenty to choose from for myself and my mother.

I tried the marinated chicken wings with the pink colored duck sauce. The 8 wings were lightly fried has a pink duck sweet sauce with it . I finished the wings while I waited for the soup and entrees.

The unusual sweet and sour soup has to be something that I had to try. I chose the salmon.Huge chunks of the salmon swam in the pineapple sweetened and red pepper spicy soup broth. There was also bean sprouts, basil and more .

The salmon was succulent with many small bits intermingled with beansprouts, vegetables and more. I added rice to the little bowls. The broth was sweet but had a hint of heat which lingered on my lips. It was a little sweeter then I thought (maybe due to the pineapple) but it was good and very different.

My mother decided on the fried whole flounder. The one thing we should have done was ask how much it was going to be ($24).

Nevertheless, it was delicious and we feasted on almost all of it! The slightly sweet brown sauce melded well with the fish. We had to pick through the bones which was a chore but it was worth it.

I liked chewing on the fried bones and much of the rest of the fish, besides the flesh which was rather crunchy. There were tomatoes and more to go with it. Pancakes would be been good to stuff with the fish and would have made it even better.
We were stuffed so no dessert for us. Another memorable meal.

Now where can I find the recipes?
I passed by the Blue Cottage which I might try in the future for breakfast. Then it was time to head to New York City.

Restaurants are cutting back because of economy- which ones and how?

First one up was that at Ruby Tuesday, one person did not like that they are cutting corners at this restaurant (at least at this particular one) by not bringing out the whole steak sauce bottle but just some.
Last week we again went to RT in Olathe, KS as their 2:1 coupon for specials and steaks can’t be beat and the salad bar is awesome (It is now in my top 3 salad bars in Kansas City). My wife does not take sauce but I usually get A-1 or some other sauce to go with the steak. However this time I did not as the steak came with a cheese- mushroom sauce (I decided to try something different).
Some restaurants (PF Chang’s in this article) are cutting corners by not putting out steak knives cutlery but we were brought ours for our steak dinners.
At one Outback, they are not serving a dinner salad and it is extra. At RT, there are veggies with certain entrees but many entrees include the salad bar. I decided not to get some other entrees because the salad bar is extra for some entrees so I stuck with the steak which came with the entree plus had mashed potatoes and some veggies and tiny onion ring bits which were nice and crunchy (seems like little bits of Bloomin Onion from Outback Steakhouse which I have always wanted to get but the cholesterol and the calories are so high these are not recommended. But little bits would not hurt!).
There are 58 slides to go through this slide show (haven’t you noticed how AOL and others are doing things like slide shows and videosto increase revenues to make you stick around longer , looking at the ads on your desktop so that they can charge more for their services to the companies?) .
I don’t have time to go through all of them now but you can. If you noticed any of these “cutbacks” or others let me know.
http://www.walletpop.com/specials/i-spy-restaurant-tricks

What's a frappe anyway?

I grew up with this Creamery which used to be on Wayland Square. The long counter and more made for a great place to stop for ice cream or more at any time. The coffee shakes were and still are fantastic. The Awful frappes (I always let the people know they are called this moniker and not shakes).are great. Think, creamy they are something else. I didn’t remember ordering anything but that .Want to find out more about these dessert/drinks- here you go. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milkshake

This Thai fare is just average for this Providence place

I have eaten Thai all over the US and Thai is my favorite food. This place is just OK and is not spectacular. It did not really stand out for me. Definitely did not take Asian fare to a different level for me at all which is what I need to taste for me to rate it as good or great. It has to be a little different and this place did not do it for me. For example compared to Aspara on Hope Street, this place pales in comparison. (Maybe someday I will see if there is sometime on the Sawaddees menu that is better ).

Tasty pickles, awesome chocolate cake, good fish and huge menu

This place has family and "regular" food fare. That and the fact that it is mini chain with 4 places around RI, is another one of reasons why I don't normally frequent a place like this, while traveling the country. But my brother and his family are regulars here so when I came into town, I went for a ride. Supposedly it's a mainstay has it had wholesome food, good prices and a variety of dishes of all sorts. As a gastronomic explorer, I wanted to get an idea of how the food tasted and whether it was better then regular fare.
They have the signature yellow green chip like pickles which were dished out when we arrived. Crisp, tangy and different. There's lots to choose from and that is a good problem as I have hard time making up my mind looking for something new or unusual to try (soups, appetizers, salads, burgers, sandwiches, dinner favorites, Gregg's favorites, sandwiches, RI traditions, clubs, pastries/cakes, deli , pasta dinners, cakes and homestyle pies and cheesecakes, and even low fat entrees). Since it's RI and New England and I remember when I used to eat baked scrod in Providence restaurants, i chose that. It was moist, with flakey crust nicely baked with the sweet potato and rice. We share the huge piece of their premier chocolate cake and it was amazingly moist and chocolate laden. There is much to like about this place, the menu, the variety of fare and the prices. I have vote this place thumbs up because of this. However it's not my type of place to come again as I look for fare that takes food to other levels. But if my brother wants us to come I will. There is enough variety to find regular food again.

I love Lemon grass so the chicken wings caught my eye

Originally from Providence but now living in Kansas, I come back home to visit family but also to hunt for different types of food and restaurants to sample. When I was back here, I was around the Zoo area on my way back to the East side. I spied this restaurant and decided to give a try as I had never seen it before. I found the menu had quite a few Thai, Vietnamese and other Asian fare. Noodles, Pad Thai, soups . noodle soups, luncheon specials, mooshi (their spelling) pancake dishes (with chicken , veg, shrimp) , appetizers and more so there is lots to choose from. The Bahn Hoi looked interesting ( Bun is standard rice noodle vermicelli while I found that Bahn Hoi is a thinner rice noodle, but it is cooked in small, thin, flat panels. The bahn hoi takes more time and effort to prepare so its a little more time intensive to prepare). But I just wanted a snack so since I like Lemon Grass, I thought I would try the Lemon Grass chicken wings which are a Thai specialty ( I thought they would be Vietnamese but no matter the menu said Thai). Lemongrass has a nice fragrant lemony taste subtle then strong lemon juice but distinct. With the peanut sauce it was a good combination and I was happy to try something different and taking flavors to a different level). Sometime when I go back and in the area, I will have to try the soup and other Asian entrees as see if the rest of the food is as good as chicken wings and Lemongrass ( P.S.Since I like to try out later, while cooking, what I find in restaurants try lemongrass. It comes in thin stalks, make sure you crush or hit the stalks to make the fragrance come out and then cut them into little tiny strips . You can also try the paste.)

When I was growing up in Providence, RI, my parents would always come to this place because they liked the food but also could count on running into someone. I was there once or twice while they were here a lot more. My brother and his family still comes here (I live in Kansas) and he likes it too. I know that the place burnt down once but it came back and is still going strong. It has good food at reasonable prices. When I get back I will have to check it out again.

Gourmet House: this is not gourmet no way

I grew up in Providence, went to URI and now live near Kansas City. I have been all over the US and Canada searching for good Asian food. When I come back to visit, I hunt for Asian fare. I have seen this place for years and have eaten twice. I was not impressed at all. I was so unimpressed I can't even tell you what food I did eat. I like Asian that takes eating to the next "level". This place doesn't have it. The food is quite "boring" I am sorry to say. I won't ever come back here again and will go a few doors south which I discovered. Now that place has great Asian food.


Aspara Palace : Best Asian food I have found in Providence

I grew up in Providence, went to URI and now live near Kansas City. When I return to visit, I hunt for Thai or Asian fare. Some places were okay or mediocore/poor (including Gourmet House). Then walking by I finally noticed this place just south. I have been coming back and forth to Providence and did not know about this great place which was just around the corner from us! I found it rivals any Asian restaurant that I have eaten in different parts of the US. This restaurant is not to be missed. I checked out this place before inviting my friends from Mass. The chicken dish (forgot which one was excellent). I liked the look of the place. Their menu is extensive. I was glad I picked this place . The food is awesome. My cousin who comes here all the time walked in as we were there and she never told me about this place ( they come here all the time). The service is great. The menu is extensive and there are specials. They even let you bring your own wine. The salmon green curry soup was superb and had the right amount of spiciness and had lots of salmon chunks. My friends suggested Peking Duck (which I never had before and I love duck). They responded that it was as good they said as is made in Beijing where they have been several times. The rest of the meals and appetizers all were great and we had a great time. Even my mother who is not a Chinese/ Asian eater, raved about it. You can bet I will be back here when I come to Providence. If you like Thai or Asian or etc you need to try this place. You will be hooked as I am . It is that good!

Al Forno's is one of my favorite restaurants for several reasons

I grew up in Providence and went to URI. A number of years later when we went to live in Kansas, I came back (as I always do once or twice a year) to visit family and friends. One time we went to Al Forno (actually in its other part called Lucky's ?). It was nice and rustic place. I can't tell you what I had but it was not one of their wood fired pizzas for which they are known. All I remember is the fiery "harissa" orange sauce with a chicken dish I believe. It was amazing hot (even for me and I like hot foods). So while I hope to go back sometime soon, I wanted to bring some of the Al Forno dishes to Kansas without waiting.
I recently found out about the couples new book (their 2nd) while checking out a different food forum. It is named On Top of Spaghetti. The reviews were excellent and foodies in Providence said it was a must to have. So I thought I would take a chance and buy my first Italian cookbook (I have dozens of others), with many of their recipes, so I could try more. I sure am glad I did as it has literally changed the way I think about Italian cooking and making recipes.
This handsome book not only has recipes but has valuable insights into their cooking methods. I really enjoy reading recipes the introduction to each recipe and their thoughts, their travels throughout Italy man years ago that transformed their palates as this book is doing to mine. Their ideas transformed their eating habits, recipes, styles and their Italian cooking. The photos are nicely done but its what is inside that is the real deal.
Each recipe includes the background relating to when and how the couple came about obtaining each of the recipes. These are for the most part different from your "ordinary Italian fare". The recipes make even regular Italian fare a gastronomic delight. This is orchestrated through their methods, simple ingredients, different condiments that make an ordinary recipe exquisitely better and more.
The recipes themselves are not too time intensive and use for the most part, ingredients you can find in local groceries. There were so many I wanted to try. I chose the made from scratch roasted tomato sauce. It was truly amazing!! The roasting of the tomatoes makes every difference in the world and it was not that difficult to make. On to more difficult dishes.
I had very good Chicken Cacciatore while in Montreal. How would this recipe stack up? Wow even better.
Their recipe was so good, I gave it one of my highest rating ever, 9.9/10. And I tell everyone how good it is. There are so many more to try and I am slowly making my way through. So I have Al Forno type recipes now here in Kansas. Until I get back to Providence and Al Forno, I can subsist on their cooking by reading and using their superb recipes. Their recipes are "on top of Italian " in my book!

Go fish: Eating Fish everywhere

Tonight, there is a Sturgeon battle between Iron Chef America Michael Symon and Toronto chef and chef for the FN series which I have grown to like, Restaurant Makeover.

I had sturgeon aboard a train from Moscow to St. Petersburg. It was quite good. I remembered I had seen huge sturgeon in special ice glasses in tanks at the Worlds Fair in Montreal in 1963 when I was young.

I grew up in Rhode Island and we had fish all the time at home and when we went out to eat. I ate a lot of flounder too as well fish and chips. In NC and in Ann Arbor, MI where I worked and went to school as well, I ate in restaurants. When I got to Kansas, at first some fish was difficult to get but after a few years it was commonplace to find most fish.

I had butterfish (Barrundi) at Ming Tsai's place and the dish was amazingly good. In Mazatlan, Mexico, I had swordfish for breakfast. I love tuna but only recently have learned to cook it rare. Swordfish is also great on grill while Orange Roughy really tastes good if you marinate it in tomato juice for while first before barbecuing or putting in oven. Talapia I've had in several ways and cook it at home quite often. Red Snapper is real good and

Of course I love salmon, grilled in everyway. I also love lox, with creamcheese, a bagel, onion, capers, tomato. I also like kippers, smoked fish, sardines in tomato sauce or other ways.

I have had fish with Thai, Chinese, in chowders. I have not had a lot of ceiche but that is probably next. I like gefilte fish, had cioppini fish stews in San Francisco and different fish dishes including blackened (I love the spiciness) redfish in New Orleans. I've had other fried fishes too.

Go fish!

Al Forno's On Top of Spaghetti- now that's Italian

I come from Providence, RI. A famous restaurant Al Forno is located close to the downtown area near my brother's furniture store. The husband and wife team, both from the Rhode Island School of Design, (they have been on Emeril Lagassi's show) inspired the wood fired pizza craze and made it popular. But they also have many other spectacular Italian inspired dishes.

I have been to Al Forno once but thought I could find some other recipes to try in a cookbook. Their fires book " Cucino Simpatica" has won rave reviews. Now their second one "On Top of Spaghetti" is out and after reading the reviews, I bought my first Italian cookbook after many years.

What I like about this book has recipes which are unusual, different that take Italian recipes to a different level. Also the introduction to each recipes that tells about how each recipe came to fruition.

I always thought Chicken Cacciatore needed sauce. Not this one! The first dish I tried was roasted tomatoe sauce. I combined it with this recipe and it is amzing.

This was one amazing dish- Buy the book at Amazon.com low price. Many different, out of the ordinary and superb recipes.
Eric Flescher (dreric1kansas@aol.com)
Olathe, KS
Kansas City Traveling Gourmet blog


let me know what you think!

Spaghetti and Summer Chicken Cacciatore
adapted from On Top of Spaghetti by Johanne Killen and George Germon (P.147-8)

8 medium ripe tomatoes
8 chicken thighs (my option: or use 2-4 chicken breasts)
2 tblspn olive oil
2 oz pancetta (option I skipped this)
4 cups chopped yellow onions
3 cups chopped celery with leaves
1 jalapeno pepper finely minced
1/8 tspn red pepper flakes ( more if you want more heat)
1 or 2 tspn sea salt ( I used kosher salt)
1 sprig fresh rosemary (I used powder dried 1 tspn)
2 fresh bay leaves or 1 1 dried bay leave
1/4 cup coursely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 lb spaghetti
4 tbls butter or margarine
2 cups mushrooms (optional
parmesan cheese ( I left this out)

(1) Boil water and and drop tomatoes into it for 30 seconds.
(2) Remove tomato to cutting board , cut in half and the take off the skin.
(3) scoop out pulp and strain the seeds out and discard them leaving pulp and juice.

option: I actually did not do this . I used one of their other recipes to roast the tomatoes for in oven after cutting them (I use halves cherry tomatoes in stead of big tomatoes). Roast for 20 minutes at 400 f. I then blended them until smooth.

(4) Heat olive oil in dutch oven (caste iron skillet) Add the chicken and saute brown over high heat. Turn and keep browning Transfer chicken to plate.

(5) (Optional) Cook Pancetta if desired until browned then set aside

(6) Stir the onions, celery, jalapeno, pepper flakes, 1/2 the salt, rosemary, bay leaves and parsely.

(7) add the pancetta if desired. Lower heat.

(8) Stir the mixture and scrap the browning bits from the chicken etc and keep stirring for 10 minutes. \

(9) add wine , raise the heat and cook unti the wine is evaporated.

(10) Return the chicken and juices that have collected on the plate into the dutch oven with the vegetables.

(11) Add those tomatoes and juices cover the oven/pot, Lower heat and simmer gently for 40 minutes.

(12) During last few minutes test and add more salt if needed.

(13) Remove bay leaf and rosemary spring (if fresh used) .

(14 ) Keep warm on low heat.

(15) Use butter and add with mushrooms and cooked.

(16) Cook spaghetti Al dente drain expect leaf a small amount of water in a cup (1/2 cup). This extra cooked water can be used to freshen the spaghetti if needed and unloosen strands of spahghetti that stick.

(17) Toss and combine the mushrooms to the vegetables mixture and chicken on to a plate.

(18) optional - add parmesan cheese.

(19) Left over vegetable sauce and spagehetti for leftovers, lunch dinner or snack. Great too!!

It's a jewish food trip around the world and I am still touring.

This Jewish Cooking in America (book )by Joan Nathan (from my hometown of Providence RI) is a handsomely written book which not only has great recipes but is intertwined with the Jewish people, cultures and history. This masterfully written book is one I bought many years ago and the book has everything including very interesting recipes. The recipes come from all over the world and are not just your ordinary set of recipes.

I have tried many and these were some of the best (but they were all good); The chicken, lime and tortilla soup (9.6/10) comes from Mexico ; spinach and cheese kugel (9.4/10) ; cholent (beef barley stew (9.6/10). The index is very nice and I am still searching for more. I will also want try some of the more unusual recipes like spinach rubarb soup Poland, stuffed grape leaves, meat pies , and more.

It's a jewish food trip around the world and I am still touring.

I buy my first Italian cookbook after all these years

Anyway I am not much on Italian as when I was growing up in Providence we many times went to either Italian or seafood places either on the East side or out near the Airport. I always ate the same old stuff in Providence when I grew up. What did I know? I liked it as a kid, the meatballs, spaghetti and the spumoni ice cream with claret sauce raspberry sauce on it. It was good but that is all I remember eating. Not a variety at all.

I just don't understand fine Italian cooking what makes Italian food better. I mean I don't understand paying for the same Italian stuff for twice the price or more which a lot of Italian places do. Do people like to eat the same Italian stuff at these restaurants so they can say they paid an exorbitant price? I don't know but for me Italian is Italian unless I find variety, quality and different types of Italian.

When I got to Kansas have not eaten much Italian until recently. I found that I liked the Overland Parks, Kansas Cinzettis the best not only for the variety, the quality. I think there is a plenty of good Italian food at this place.

One of these , Sue went to recently with her girl friends, is called North near the JCC in Overland Park. Very pricey. She got a veal dish which she said was good but nothing special. It must have been a small order too as she did not bring me any back to sample like she usually does ! I hate it when the restaurant is so "uppity" that sides are not included with the entree. I am still smarting from the day our group went to Buco Beppi in Kansas City and it was horrible.

While I have some Pizza and some other Italian type fare cookbooks, in all these years, I have never bought an Italian cookbook. I have tried recipes from food channel, Mario Batali etc. But I was looking for a special Italian book.

I grew up in Providence, RI. I knew about Al Forno and Lucky's restaurant when I came back. It is about a mile away from my brother's store in Providence next to the river.

Johanne Killeen and George Germon the couple that have inspired wood oven pizzas and much more. I were there before 1991 but all I can remember is a very hot orange harrisa sauce. Can't remember much else except we ate in Luck's upstairs and not in Al Forno side. Very good but I know I did not eat pasta, lasagna or something of the kind.

I was looking for special Italian dishes. I have not been to Lidia's in Kansas City (can't afford it) but I watch her TV show. My mother likes to try some of her recipes from the book I sent her. However, my mind stil drifted back to the very highly regarding Italian restaurnts in Rhode Island. While there are many, the one that stands out is Al Forno's .

While looking up what people thought about Al Forno's on Yelp and other sites for my blog (most said nothing but the best) , someone mentioned the latest new cookbook "On Top of Spaghetti" which was published in 2006. While I considered their first one Cucino Simpatica (which has become a classic) this new one sounded so good . Why?

What I liked about this book was the impressive different entrees that the couple placed in this book based on their travels, cooking experiences and trying out real different recipes and ingredients. On Amazon, I got the book for almost half.

It arrived. You know when Billy Joel and Danny DeVita and Rera Pearlman rave about the chefs and the recipes then there is something great going on inside.

When I review a book, I start looking for many things. In this case, besides the interesting recipes, each one had a background, where and how they came to know this recipe. Special ideas about the ingredients, tips of all sorts abounded throughout the book. I immediately look through all the recipes to see which ones I want to try. I wan't try at least half of them but where should I start?

I has a bunch of cherry tomatoes so I started with Spicy Roasted Cherry Tomatoes. Roast the vegetables and peppers, I decided to puree them and toss with spaghetti. Very tasty. 9.4/10. So what is the next way to kick it up a level.

I wanted to make something that was different then what I have made before but has a different spin in their book. I chose Sgaghetti and Summer Chicken Cacciatori. Not to difficult to make it did not use tomato sauce but just tomatoes. I was skeptical. I did not use panecetta but included everything else, I let it go for 40 minutes. It came out awesome.

The chicken was juicy and the tomato and the ingredients permeated the chicken. I would rate it 9.8/10. While I did not include spaghetti this time, I will use the sauce and left over vegetables for tomorrow. This makes a fine spaghetti sauce. I might not want to buy canned spaghetti sauce again (well almost).

Wood fired pizzas are all the rage in Kansas: Rhode Island helped make them a signature entree all over

Wood Fired Pizzas
I first learned about wood burning fired pizza AL Forno's in Providence, where I grew up and where these fire pies started and became the rage in the US.
www.alforno.com
The couple chef team Johanne Killeen and George Germon, also opened Lucky's, which is a less expensive, less upscale but still fantastic restaurant with Italian fare as well. Here is a run down of how they got started and developed their gourmet concepts and more.

http://www.providencephoenix.com/archive/features/00/03/23/ALFORNO.html

When I ate at Al Fornos many years ago, as far as I remember, we did not eat pizza. All I remember was the fiery hot harissa orangey condiment, one of the hotest and spicest I have ever eaten.

I found many reviews of this place at
http://www.yelp.com/biz/al-forno-restaurant-providence

In some of the reviews I learned about the chefs cookbook which featured many of their own Italian creations and not the "run of the mill" Italian fare found all over. Now that's right up my alley as I am not really up for Italian most of the time except when we go to (to my liking Cenzetti's in OVerland Park, KS) which is an all you can eat buffet with all of the best Italian fare in one place with quality.

http://www.amazon.com/Top-Spaghetti-Macaroni-Linguine-Penne/dp/0060598735

I posted my take on reviews for this book

http://www.amazon.com/review/RQNORKKJWJHO5/ref=cm_cr_rev_detup_redir?%5Fencoding=UTF8&cdPage=1&newContentID=MxJ36TPO2P7DED#Mx1LO3AXOM0VL8L

Your post, in reply to an earlier post on Aug 21, 2008 7:46 AM PDT
Eric Flescher says:
I originally come from Providence (now live in Kansas) and have eaten at Al Forno's in the past. I have watched the Food Channel and also the name of shows and recipes that include their name and feel a little proud of that even though I have eaten there once. They must being doing something right to start/ elevate this wood fired pizza trend all over , from Providence. I also saw on Yelp a review that included this book so I looked it up because it seemed to tell that the book less then your average Pizza recipe fare which is what I always look for. I also look for the reviews to find substance, ideas and whether I should buy the book. Some have dissed the major reviewer (Mr. Marold) in this thread, whom I do not know. I agree that unless you tell which of the recipes you have actually tried in the book (as I do and place on my blog) then you are not doing the review justice. In reviewing my dozens of cookbooks for my blog, I always include which recipes I have tried ,with my ratings). I feel that this gives authenticity to my reviews (good, bad or indifferent) , recipes, my take on the recipes and the book itself. I also do the same for my technology hardware, software and book reviews because you have to know the "insides" of the book and try them. So I am glad others have chimed in. I will try and get the book soon and try some of the recipes myself. Thanks very much for posting this thread and review and comments

Meanwhile this place has a review in the Kansas City Star 8/21/2008 and received a 3/4 rating.
The Blue Grotto is a new wood fired pizza place
http://www.pitch.com/locations/blue-grotto-679683/

On of their recipe salads includes ( I don't have the quantities)

whole leaf romaine
straw cut apples
red onions
blue cheese crumbles
candied nuts

I found a good recipe for the
lemon vinaigrette

Bon Appétit | December 1998

Servings: Makes about 3/4 cup.
subscribe to Bon Appétit
Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Preparation
Whisk all ingredients in bowl to blend. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Bring to room temperature before using.)