Another great recipe from America's Test Kitchen.  I'm telling you - they don't disappoint.  Their recipes are delicious and they are simple to make.  This one is good.  The crust is really crunchy and the chicken is tender and juicy.  The wing sauce is just spicy enough but not too spicy (I used Frank's hot sauce.)

http://www.cookscountry.com/recipe.asp?recipeids=5394&bdc=64728&Extcode=L0BN1BA00

Boneless Buffalo Chicken
2/2009

In step 3, the fried chicken pieces can be held in a 200-degree oven for 30 minutes before being tossed with the sauce. A relatively mild cayenne pepper-based hot sauce, like Frank’s, is essential; avoid hotter sauces like Tabasco. If desired, serve with our Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing.

Serves 4 to 6

4	boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
1/2	cup buttermilk
1	teaspoon salt
3/4	cup hot sauce (see note)
1/4	cup water
1/4	teaspoon sugar
1	tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2	cups cornstarch
4	large egg whites
1/2	cup all-purpose flour
1/2	teaspoon baking soda
4	cups vegetable oil

1. MARINATE Combine chicken, buttermilk, and salt in large zipper-lock bag and refrigerate 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. Combine hot sauce, water, sugar, butter, and 2 teaspoons cornstarch in saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until thickened, about 5 minutes.

2. COAT Whisk egg whites in shallow dish until foamy. Stir flour, baking soda, remaining cornstarch, and 6 tablespoons hot sauce mixture in second shallow dish until mixture resembles coarse meal. Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Toss half of chicken with egg whites until well coated, then dredge chicken in cornstarch mixture, pressing to adhere. Transfer coated chicken to plate and repeat with remaining chicken.

3. FRY Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until oil registers 350 degrees. Fry half of chicken until golden brown, about 4 minutes, turning each piece halfway through cooking. Transfer chicken to paper towel-lined plate. Return oil to 350 degrees and repeat with remaining chicken.

4. TOSS Warm remaining hot sauce mixture over medium-low heat until simmering. Combine chicken and hot sauce mixture in large bowl and toss to coat. Serve.

MAKE AHEAD: Freeze with Ease
This dish freezes beautifully. In step 3, fry each batch of chicken until light golden brown, about 2 minutes. Drain and cool chicken on paper towel-lined plate, then transfer to freezer. Once chicken is completely frozen (this should take about 2 hours), transfer it to zipper-lock bag and freeze for up to 1 month. (Freeze the sauce separately in an airtight container for up to 1 month.) When ready to serve, heat 4 cups oil to 350 degrees and fry the chicken in 2 batches until deep golden brown, about 2 minutes, turning each piece halfway through cooking. Reheat sauce in microwave or in saucepan over medium-low heat until warm. Toss chicken with sauce as directed. Serve.

 

Today is a perfect day for soup and this family loves soup.  I was a little hesitant to make use this recipe because I have never cooked with kale, escarole (which is also known as endive and chicory), and leeks.  But I gave it a try anyway.  It looks really pretty - it is a very colorful soup. 

Makes about 4 quarts, serving 10 to 12.   Published January 1, 2001.  

If possible, use fresh dried beans in this soup. For a more authentic soup, place a small slice of lightly toasted Italian bread in the bottom of each bowl and ladle the soup over. To make this a vegetarian soup, omit the pancetta and add a 4-ounce piece of Parmesan rind to the pot along with the halved onion and unpeeled garlic in step 1.

6	ounces pancetta , one 1-inch-thick slice, cut into 1-inch cubes
1	pound dried cannellini beans , rinsed and picked over
1	large onion , unpeeled and halved pole to pole
4	medium cloves garlic , unpeeled
1	bay leaf
1	teaspoon table salt
1/4	cup extra-virgin olive oil plus extra for serving
2	small carrots , medium diced
2	ribs celery , medium diced
2	small leeks , white and light green parts, washed thoroughly, and sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
1	small onion , diced medium
3	medium cloves garlic , minced
4	ounces kale , stemmed, leaves cut into 1/2-inch strips (about 3 cups)
4	ounces escarole , stemmed, leaves cut into 1/2-inch strips (about 3 cups)
2	small boiling potatoes , medium diced
	1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes , drained
1	sprig fresh rosemary

Instructions

1. 1. In large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, cook pancetta over medium heat until just golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add 12 cups water, beans, halved onion, unpeeled garlic, bay leaf, and 1 teaspoon salt; bring to boil over medium-high heat. Cover pot partially; reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans are almost tender, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Remove beans from heat, cover, and let stand until beans are tender, about 30 minutes. Drain beans, reserving cooking liquid; discard pancetta, onion, garlic, and bay leaf. Spread beans in even layer on baking sheet and cool.

2. 2. While beans are cooling, heat oil in now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering; add carrots, celery, leeks, and diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 7 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add enough water to reserved bean cooking liquid to equal 9 cups, add to pot with kale and escarole. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil; cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes. Add potatoes and tomatoes; cover and cook until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Add cooled beans; increase heat to medium-high and bring to simmer. Submerge rosemary sprig in liquid; cover and let stand off heat 15 to 20 minutes. Discard rosemary, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into individual bowls, drizzle each bowl with extra-virgin olive oil, and serve.

America’s Test Kitchen is a 2,500-square-foot kitchen located just outside of Boston. It is the home of Cook’s Country and Cook’s Illustrated magazines and is the workday destination for more than three dozen test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists. Our mission is to test recipes until we understand how and why they work and arrive at the best version. We also test kitchen equipment and supermarket ingredients in search of brands that offer the best value and performance. You can watch us work by tuning in to America’s Test Kitchen (www.americastestkitchen.com) on public television.

Yesterday I made pork potstickers and Thai Green Chicken Curry.  Stewart LOVES potstickers and Bill is always requesting green chicken curry.  I usually just get frozen potstickers and use the thair green curry paste from the grocery store.  But as part of my resolution to try a new recipe a week, I made these from scratch. 

Both of the recipes are from "The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook."  You may have noticed that I make a lot of things from the ATK cookbooks.  Everything I have ever made from an ATK cookbook has always been great.  Not only do they have great recipes - but they also give product reviews (which brand of canned tomatoes is the best) and they also offer tips (how to cut lemon grass.)  Before each recipe there is a short write up explaining how they came to this recipe - the things they tried and why they didn't taste well etc.  It's a lot like Alton Brown's show, "Good Eats."

These two recipes are from the Lets Do Takeout section of the cookbook.  This section had a lot of really great Chinese, Thai, and Indian recipes.

Perfect Potstickers with Scallion Dipping Sauce  from "The Comple America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook" page 300-301

Scallion Dipping Sauce

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons mirin (sweetened sake) or sweet sherry
• 2 tablespoons of water
• 1 teaspoon of chili oil (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 scallion, minced

Potstickers

• 12 ounces napa cabbage (1/2 medium head) cored and minced
• 3/4 teaspoon table salt
• 12 ounces, ground pork
• 4 scallions, minced
• 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
• 4 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced or grated fresh ginger
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 24 round gyoza wrappers
• 4 teaspoons of peanut or vebetable oil

1. For the Sauce:  Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.  (The sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 24 hours.)
2. For the Filling:  Toss the cabble and salt together in a colander set over a bowl and let sit until the cabbage begins to wilt, about 20 minutes.  Press the cabbage gently with a rubber spatula to squeeze out excess moisture, then transfer to a medium bowl.  Stir the pork, scallions, egg whites, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and pepper into the cabbage until combined.  Cover and refrigerate until the mixture is cold, at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
3. Working for 4 wrappers at a time (keep the remaining wrappers covered with plastic wrap), fill, seal, and shape the dumplings using a generous 1 tablespoon of the chilled filling per dumpling.  Transfer the dumplings to a baking sheet.  (The filled dumplings can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours in a single layer on a baking sheet wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or frozen for up to 1 month.  Once frozen, the dumplings can be transferred to a zipper-lock bag to sace space in the freezer; do not thaw before cooking.)
4. Brush 2 teaspoons of  peanut oil over the bottom of a 12-inch nonstick skillet and arrange half of the dumplings in the skillet, with a flat side facing down (overlapping just slightly, if necessary).  Place the skillet over medium-high heat and cook the dumplings, without moving, until golden brown on the bottom, about 5 minutes.
5. Reduce the heat to low, add 1/2 cup of water, and cover immediately.  Cook until most of the water is absorbed and the wrappers are slightly translucent, about 10 minutes.  Uncover, increase the heat to medium-high and cook, without stirring until the dumpling bottoms are well browned and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes.  Slide the dumplings from the skillet onto a paper towel-lined plate, browned side down, and let drain briefly.
6. Transfer the dumplings to a platter and serve with the sauce.  Let the skillet cool until just warm, then wipe out the skillet with a wad of paper towel and reapt with the reamining peanut oil and dumplings.

** Ok - this recipe is pretty simple.  Just a few things I'd like to mention.  I've never worked with napa cabbage before so I had no idea how to "core and mince" it.  It's a big funny looking thing that looks more like bok choy than cabbage.  This video helped me a lot - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDMuvTqEhXI.

The recipe also calls for 24 gyoza wrappers - which I did not find at my grocery store.  So I got the refrigerated won ton wrappers.  If you use these wrappers, put 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling in the middle and then fold over - so it looks like a triangle.  You will need to brush water on the wedges before you squeeze them together.  This recipe made 48 dumplings using won ton wrappers.

Green Curry Paste from "The Comple America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook" page323

• 1/3 cup of water
• 12 fresh Thai, serrano, or jalapeno chiles, seeds and ribs removed, chile chopped coarse
• 8 medium garlic cloved, peeled
• 3 medium shallots, peeled and quartered
• 2 stalks of lemon grass, bottom 5 inches only, trimmed and sliced thin
• 2 tablespoons grated zest from 2 limes
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro stems
• 1 tablespoon minced or grated fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon table salt

Process all the ingredients in a food processor to a fine paste, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the workbowl as needed.

Thai Green Curry with Chicken, Broccoli, and Mushrooms from "The Comple America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook" page 322-323

• 2 (14 ounce)cans unsweetened coconut milk - NOT SHAKEN
• 1/2 cup Green Curry Paste (recipe above) or 2 tablespoons store-bought green curry paste
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and sliced thin
• table salt
• 8 ounces Broccoli (1/2 small bunch), florets cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4 ounces white mushrooms, wiped clean and quartered
• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/4 inch strips
• 1 Thai chile, stemmed, seeded, and quartered lengthwise (optional)
• 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
• 1 tablespoon juice from 1 lime

1. Carefully spoon off about 1 cup of the top layer of cream from one can of the coconut milk.  Whisk the coconut cream and curry paste together in a large Dutch oven, bring to a simmer over high heat, and cook until almost all of the liquid evaporates, 5 to 7 minutes.  Reduce the heat to medium-high and continue to cook, whisking constantly, until the cream separated into a puddle of colored oil and coconut solids, 3 to 8 minutes.  Continue cooking until the curry paste is very aromatic, 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Whisk in the remaining coconut milk, fish sauce, and brown sugar, bring to a simmer, and cook until the flavors meld and the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.  Season the chicken with salt, stir into the sauce, and cook until evenly coated, about 1 minute.  Stir in the broccoli and mushrooms and cook until the vegetables are almost tender, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the bell pepper and chile (if using) and cook until the bell pepper is crisp-tender, about 2 minutes.  Off the heat, stir in the basil, mint, and lime juice.

** First let me say - it took me 2 hours to make the green chicken curry.  as you can see there are a lot of ingredients to chop, slice, and prep.  I think that is what took the most time.  The Green Curry Paste recipe makes enough for at least 3 dishes.  The recipe says it makes about 1/2 a cup - I ended up with at least 1 1/2 cups.

Also - the easiest way to slice chicken super thin - like they do at Thai restaurants - is to put the chicken in the freezer for an hour or so.

The first step was a bit confusing when I read it - so let me just say this: DO NOT SHAKE THE CAN OF COCONUT MILK.  Open it up and slowly pour off the white cream - at the bottom is the clearish liquid.  Stop pouring when you get to that.  In the standard size can of coconut milk, there will be about 1 cup of coconut cream on top.

This is a good recipe.  It's authentic.  I like it because i have the option to put in whatever vegetables I want and I don't have to put in bamboo shoots or water chestnuts, which i can't stand but Bill loves.  

It was good.  The green chicken curry was just as good as the curry we got from our favorite thai place in Herndon.  

So far my second attempt is going beautifully.  The cake is rising so much that I am worried that it is going to come over the top of the pan.  The recipe tells you to use 3 cake pans, to make it a 3-layered cake - but I only have 2 9" round cake pans.  I understand why the recipe tells you to split the batter between 3 cake pans.  

BUT - that is a good problem.  It means the cake has a chance at being light and fluffy - like it is supposed to be.  It was hard for me to chuck my old cake in the trash, but if I can replace it with something RED (not magenta), light and fluffy I will be a happy little faux Magnolia baker.

The recipe for the Vanilla Buttercream icing is much closer to frostings that I have made in the past.  

Vanilla Buttercream from More from Magnolia, 2004

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 6-8 cups confectioners' sugar (I only needed 6)
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl.  Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla.  On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes.  Graduall add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency.  You may not need to add all of the sugar.  If desired, add a few drops of food coloing and mix thoroughly.  (Use and store the icing at room temperatre, because icing will set if chilled.)  Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Makes enough for one 2-layer 9-inch cake, or 2 dozen cupcakes.  if you are icing a 3-layer cake, use the following recipe proportions:

• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 8-10 cups of confections' sugar
• 3/4 cup of milk
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
  

 

Being the perfectionist that I am, it really bothers me that my cake was so crappy.  After thinking about it all night, all morning, in spinning class, and then consulting the recipe again - this is what I did wrong:

1. i used baking powder and not baking soda!  i think this may have been my biggest mistake.
2. i had my buttermilk and milk mixed up.  I used 1/3 cup of milk before I realized my mistake.
3. I used 3.5 cups of cake flour, it called for 3 1/3.
4. I only had 1 ounce of red food coloring - the recipe called for 3.

I am baking a new cake today and I have faith that it will be as light and fluffy and delicious as it should be.  hopefully it will be delicious enough to warrant a picture!

In the spirit of "Julie and Julia", I am going to try to cook 1 new recipe per week.  (I can hear the naysayers, "how long will that last!?"  I just want to branch out.  I don't want the kids to grow up and say I only made five things.  There are soo many great foods out there - all of the different cuisines and everything. 

I've been wanting to bake something sweet.  Last weekend I used one of those Betty Crocker "just add water and eggs" cookie mixes and I made oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter cookies.  They were good.  The person that discovered putting a slice of bread in a bag of cookies is a real culinary genius.  GENIUS.  Adding water and eggs didn't do much for my desire to bake.  So tonight I made a recipe from my new "More from Magnolia" cookbook.  I received the cookbook from Holly - I love that she knows me well enough to know that I really like cookbooks.  It's more than just a cookbook though; her and I went to Magnolia bakery on my most recent trip to NYC.  It was yummy.

I made Red Velvet Cake (page 86-76) with Creamy Vanilla Frosting (page 126).  I went to the grocery store and bought the special cake flour, red food coloring and the other ingredients that I needed.  I even set up the butter, eggs, and milk so they would get room temperature.  I followed the directions to the letter and I honestly expected to have a light and fluffy cake with dreamy creamy frosting.  First problem, I didn't buy enough red food coloring.  I bought one bottle of red - i assumed that would be enough.  But the recipe called for SIX TABLESPOONS of red food coloring - SIX!!!!  That's three ounces, three shots of red food coloring!  I only had ONE ounce.  I substituted with 2 ounces of water.  I don't know if this was the problem, or if my baking powder was old, or if I over mixed the cake, or if I over baked it.  It was probably a combination of all of those things because the cake didn't get light and fluffy like I expected/wanted.  It was dense, almost breadlike.  And it's kindeve magenta.  Magenta velvet cake doesn't have the same ring to it.  

The Creamy Vanilla Frosting is tasty - and came out better than I expected. How do you screw up butter, milk, vanilla, and sugar?  Actually, this recipie started with making what I would call a roux.  I had to take the milk and 6 tablepoons of flour and cook it until it was "very thick."  I have never made a frosting recipe that started with a roux.  But anyway, the frosting is good, the sugar is a little grainy but it is very light and creamy.

Here are the two recipes if you'd like to give them a go.

Red Velvet Cake from More from Magnolia, 2004.

• 3 1/3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 6 tablespoons red food coloring
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease and lightly flour three 9x2 inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with waxed paper.

To make the cake:  In a small bowl, sift the cake flour and set aside.  In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a small bowl, whisk together the red food coloring, coca, and vanilla.  Add to the batter and beat well.

In a measuring cup, stir the salt into the buttermilk.  Add to the batter in three parts, alternating with the flour.  With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overbeat.

In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda.  Add to the batter and mix well.  Using a rubber spatula, scrap down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.

Divide the batter amog the prepared pans. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  Let the layers cool in the pans for 1 hour.  Remove from the pans and completely cool on a wire rack.

When the cake has cooled, spread the frosting between the layers, then ice the top and sides of the cake with Creamy Vanilla Frosting.

Makes one 3-layer 9-inch cake.

Creamy Vanilla Frosting  from More from Magnolia, 2004.

(Be sure to follow the recipe directions exactly)

• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups of milk
• 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups of sugar
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

In a medium-size saucepan, whisk the flour into the milk until smooth.  Place over medium heat and, stirring sontantly, cook until the mixture becomes very thick and begins to bubble, 10-15 minutes.  Cover with waxed paper placed directly on the surface and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

In a large bowl, on the medium high speed of an electric mixer, beat the butter for 3 minutes, until smooth and creamy.  Gradually add the sugar, beating continuously for 3 minutes until fluffy.  Add the vanilla and beat well.

Add the cooled milk mixture, and continue to beat on the medium high spped for 5 minutes, until very smooth and noticeably whiter in color.  Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes (no less and no longer - set a timer!)  Use immediately.

These are super great.  This just kinda came to me while I was trying to recreate these little round "seafood breads" that they have at the chinese buffet.  As you can see, I deviated from the whole "Seafood" thing.  just a bit. 

• 1 can of Grands biscuits 
• Sausage (i used Bob Evans, regular flavor)
• 1 package of cream cheese
• 1.5 cups of finely shredded cheese
• 1 jalapeno - finely chopped

preheat oven to 350.

Spray a regular size muffin pan with cooking spray. Break the biscuit dough into 3 parts (1 biscuit = 3 parts).  Take the dough and press it around the bottom of one of the muffin cups.  Kinda make it like a bowl.

Cook the sausage.  In a bowl combine with cream cheese, cheese, and jalapeno.  Spoon this sausage mixture into the little dough bowls.  When I made this, 1 package of canned biscuits made 20 sausage biscuit thingys.

Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.

These would be better appetizers if made using a mini muffin pan.