Orzo with Chicken and Asiago - Just Like the One You Saw in the Grocery Store Line

If this recipe looks familiar, there may be a good reason for that. This easy Orzo with Chicken and Asiago recipe is from the website myrecipes.com, which is published by Time Inc., the creative force behind all those cooking magazines you thumb through while standing in line at the grocery store.

Time Inc., which publishes the popular periodicals Southern Living, Cooking Light, Sunset, and Real Simple, recently contacted me regarding there new recipe website. They asked me to check it out to see what I thought.

I decided to surf the site as if I was looking for an easy weeknight dinner recipe. I found this Orzo with Chicken and Asiago recipe and decided to give it a try, pretty much as printed. It came out very well, which for many recipes printed online, is a rarity.

I really like how the site is organized, and I encourage you to check it out. I may actually be doing some guest blogging for myrecipes.com, and hopefully I can eventually publish some videos for them.

So, check out this recipe, and for the full, written recipe with ingredients, go to myrecipes.com. Tell’em Chef John sent you. Enjoy!

►

Chicken with 20 Cloves of Garlic - Have a Little Chicken with Your Garlic

There's a famous roast chicken recipe you may have heard of called "chicken with 40 cloves of garlic." While the amount of garlic in that recipe seems impressive, the fact that the garlic cloves are left whole results in a sweet and fairly mild garlic experience.

This chicken with 20 cloves of garlic isn't quite so subtle, and features the "stinking rose" in a pungent one-two punch. The fistful of garlic is first pureed and used as a marinade, then used as a sticky glaze as the chicken roasts. The result is chicken as a very effective garlic delivery system.

As you'll hear in the video, I recommend throwing a handful of chopped Italian parsley on top when you serve this delicious chicken. Fresh parsley really does freshen the breath when large amounts of garlic are consumed. In fact, this is the origins of the ubiquitous sprig of parsley that sits uneaten on so many plates.

By the way, that reminds me of one of the first dirty kitchen jokes I ever heard, and still one of my favorites. Since I get a fair share of minors on the blog, you'll fill in the blanks yourself, but it really shouldn't be too hard.

"What's the difference between parsley and ________? Nobody eats parsley." Enjoy!



Ingredients:
20 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 large whole chicken, cut into serving pieces
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Parsley Photo (c) Flickr User Joylitas

►

Shortcut Green Chicken Enchiladas - Perfect for Your Americanized, Unauthentic Cinco de Mayo Fiesta!

This recipe doesn't pretend to be anything it's not - this is simply a super-fast casserole that shares a few similarities to chicken enchiladas. If you are Mexican, and were/are lucky enough to enjoy authentic enchiladas, this will not remind you of Mom's - or even Dad's.

But having issued the standard ethnic recipe disclaimer, I'll say, these aren't bad. As long as you choose a high-quality green sauce and a decently cooked rotisserie chicken, you should end up with a nice, easy, fast dinner.

Please buy some good cheeses and grate them yourself. You'll see me using a pre-grated Mexican cheese blend, which was me not wanting to waste a product sample I had received for a review (the verdict? Grate your own cheese!)

This low-quality video was posted on YouTube a long time ago, but for whatever reason was never posted here. In fact, I don't even have a decent photo of the final dish, which is why you see this crappy screen shot here. Enjoy!



Ingredients:
1 rotisserie chicken
8 oz Monterey Jack cheese
8 oz cheddar cheese
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
3 cups green enchilada sauce
10 corn tortillas
2 tbsp hot sauce

Photo (c) Flickr user Sung Sook

►

Tuesday Tease: Chicken Roulade

UPDATE: What you are looking at is chicken breast wrapped around a filling of garlic-parsley breadcrumbs, prosciutto, and provolone cheese. The sauce is a roasted tomato and white wine reduction. In the center sits a cold lentil salad.

►

Grilled "Condiment" Chicken with Asian Noodle Salad

I have one more day down here in sunny Arizona, and then it'll be back to cool, breezy San Francisco. I can't wait to see my wife, my kitchen, and my equipment (definitely in that order).

This video for "Condiment Chicken" was named in honor of the few basic, but crucial ingredients I found at the ballpark, which made all the difference with this simple grilled recipe.

One of the best cooking-on-the-road-with-no-stuff tricks ever, is the salad dressing triple play. It's our marinade, noodle salad dressing, and chicken glaze. Spiked with some pilfered hot pepper, ketchup and mustard it was more than delicious.

Anyway, no time for a long, thoughtful post. It's late, and I have to shut it down for tonight - we are leaving early for a game in Scottsdale, then driving north to Flagstaff (any dinner recommendations are welcomed), then it's on the train for an overnight ride to LA, then on to San Francisco, arriving Saturday night.

Since I filmed two recipes, I don't feel too guilty, but I haven’t really been taking many pictures. I will post those I did take when I get back - the train station in LA is really beautiful and I got a few great shots. Enjoy!



Ingredients:
10 chicken thighs
1 bottle Asian sesame salad dressing
2 packets ketchup
2 packets mustard
1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic
1package mung bean cellophane noodles
1 bag shredded carrots
1 bag angel hair shredded cabbage
1/2 cup crushed nut mix (almond, cashew, peanut)
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

►

Black Lemon Chicken - Salty, Sour, Bitter, Sweet

This very simple, roasted chicken video recipe is an example of how appearances can be very misleading in the kitchen. The sauce is built from the caramelized lemon and chicken juices stuck to the bottom of the roasting pan, which take the form of an unappetizing black tar. If you didn't know any better, your instincts would tell you to discard the darkest bits before making the "jus."

That would be a big mistake. While it looks like it would taste like a charcoal briquette, it actually tastes like….taste. To borrow the catch phrase from a currently running soup commercial, "I like the taste of taste." As many of you already know, there are four primary tastes, salty, sour, bitter, and sweet.

If you take a small bit of the black tar from the bottom of the roasting pan, and pop it in your mouth, instead the one-dimensional burnt flavor you may expect, you should get an intense, very intense, combination of all four tastes.

I'm not sure why this is, but when we dissolve this super four-taste-tar with some additional stock, it makes a great dressing/sauce with which to finish the dish. As you'll see, I used romaine, but this same recipe works great with watercress, arugula, or spinach. Also, don't be afraid of a little bit of chicken fat. Think of this sauce as a warm dressing - in fact, this probably has less fat than if you just ate the dry chicken on a fully dressed salad. Enjoy!


Ingredients:
1 big whole chicken
3/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of cayenne
pinch of cumin
1 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 to 2 cups chicken broth or stock
sliced romaine, or other greens like arugula, spinach, watercress
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

* Please help support free video recipes, and visit my new sponsor, MOZO Shoes. Find out why chefs (like me) are buzzing about their great shoes!

►

Green Curry Chicken - That's Hot

For many years hearing the word, "curry" was like fingernails on my culinary chalkboard. Where I'm from, "curry" meant a thick, greasy, bright yellow sauce made with copious amount of turmeric, covering chunks of mystery meat. I know, as good as that sounds, I still didn’t like it.

All through culinary school, and on into my early career in California, even the smell of turmeric made me cringe. It was my Kryptonite.

As the years went by, and my culinary horizons expanded, so did my understanding and appreciation of curries. I learned that the horrible yellow curry from my youth wasn't even really a true curry, and that curries came in almost every color, from countries all over Asia.

My favorite curries today are definitely the Thai red and green curries. Even though it's one of my older, and cruder productions, the Red Curry Beef Stew is still one of my favorite video recipes on the blog.

This green curry chicken recipe was filmed for About.com's Thai site and I was very happy with the results. As usual I take a few shortcuts to make this amazing dish accessible to the average American home cook, but the soul of the dish remains intact.

Traditionally, green curries are considered the "hottest" of all the Thai curries, and as you'll see in the video, the green curry paste, which is the base of the dish, is quite an intense formula.

Having said that, there's plenty of flexibility with how hot you decide to make it, although it should, at the very least, produce a little sweat (along with the accompanying endorphin rush). Enjoy!

Video Player Note: About.com no longer allows videos to be embedded off their site. So, to watch these clips just click on the graphic below and off you go. Just, don't forget to come back!

►

Spicy White Bean and Chicken Chili - A White Chili to Battle the Winter Blues

This white chili video recipe was inspired by a cup of spicy chicken and white bean soup I had during my recent trip back east.

I love chilis (yes, that's how you spell it) of all shades and spices. While beef is most familiar to my chili kettle, pork, turkey, and even lamb do make the occasional appearance. But, what about chicken?

I rarely think of using chicken, so I was glad that cup of soup came along to remind me how great a chili, chicken can make - if you stay away from the horrible ground stuff. For me, chicken makes for a very poor ground meat. It's too lean, too dry, too chalky, and too "I wish this was ground chuck."
The key here is chicken thighs - moist, shapely, boneless-skinless chicken thighs. The difference they make in taste and texture is significant.

By the way, don't substitute chicken breasts. In my opinion, the small amount of fat savings are not worth the step-down in flavor. Enjoy!


 
Ingredients:
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thigh, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ground chipotle pepper
2 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
cayenne pepper to taste
1 red bell pepper, seeded, diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, diced
1 can (10-ounce) diced tomato with green chilies
4 cups chicken broth
2 (15 ounce) great northern, or navy beans, drained
chopped fresh cilantro to garnish, optional


Other Super Cool Chili Recipes:
Spicy Three-Bean Chili
Chicken Chili Verde
Turkey Chili

* Please help support free video recipes, and visit my new sponsor, MOZO Shoes. Find out why chefs (like me) are buzzing about their great shoes!

►

Some Sweet and Hot Mustard-Glazed Chicken Wings for a Buffalo-Free Super Bowl

We know the game will be Buffalo-free, but if your as burned-out on the basic Buffalo-style chicken wing recipe as I am, then this video recipe's for you.

The simple technique is the same as any oven-fried chicken wings, but the hot, sweet, mustardy glaze is a very welcomed change of pace from Frank, and his ubiquitous hot sauce.

Not that you should be thinking of your waistline at a super bowl party, but this recipe also avoids the stick of melted butter found in the Anchor Bar's classic recipe. The secret here is not one, but two kinds of mustard.

That's right, I hope you're sitting down - I use Dijon and yellow mustard in the same recipe - now that's a true culinary rebel. I can't think of a more unusual combination since, um…Buffalo chicken wings and blue cheese dressing. Enjoy!



Ingredients:
2 pounds wings, separated into 2 pieces each
2 tbsp Dijon
2 tbsp yellow mustard
3 tbsp honey
2 tsp cider vinegar
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 tsp hot sauce, or to taste

* Please help support free video recipes, and visit my new sponsor, MOZO Shoes. Find out why chefs (like me) are buzzing about their great shoes!

►

Chicken Cacciatore - The Official Recipe of Bad Italian Hunters

For decades I've made and enjoyed chicken cacciatore without ever realizing what a terrible name it has. Chicken cacciatore basically translates to "hunters-style chicken." So, what's wrong with that you say? What kind of lame-ass hunter settles for chicken??

Are you telling me the proud, cunning hunters of Italy have allowed their official dish to use chicken as the main ingredient? Where's the dangerous wild boar? How about hard-to-shoot pheasant? I mean how hard is it to hunt chicken? My hunting skills are only slightly better than Paris Hilton, yet I could shoot a damn chicken.

Sorry to have to call you out, Italy. Don't feel too bad; you still have your cooks, artists, lovers, and opera singers to be proud of. All that being said, chicken cacciatore is a very delicious dish, and this video recipe shows my favorite version. Enjoy!



Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 whole roasting chicken, cut in quarters
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 large onion, sliced (so they hold together, slice the onions "with the grain" in the same direction as the lines of the onion, instead of across the onion like they are usually sliced)
8 oz fresh mushrooms, quartered
4 cloves garlic, sliced
3 springs rosemary
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
2 red bell peppers, sliced
2 green bell peppers, sliced

* Please help support free video recipes, and visit my new sponsor, MOZO Shoes. Find out why chefs (like me) are buzzing about their great shoes!

►

I Have Met the Enemy, and He is Me - Please Help Me Win $1,000 Cooking with Kraft Salad Dressing!

I just produced the chicken stir-fry recipe below as part of a contest Kraft is having on Youtube. You have to use one of 10 recipes they have listed and, of course, use the Kraft products described in the recipe.

You've heard me countless times pleading with my viewers to make basic things like dressing, dry rubs, barbeques sauces, etc., at home. Better, cheaper, blah, blah…well, that was before I knew I could win $1,000. I'm now rethinking my whole "take down the corporate processed food industry" business plan. Well, maybe not, but I sure could use the money to help keep the site going.

But seriously, as much as I'd like to think I'm changing my viewer's attitudes about buying and using these processed foods, I realize that there are times, and meals where they do make sense. This chicken stir-fry is a great example. It's super easy, tastes fine, and there's no overly complicated, multi-ingredient sauce to make.

So, you foodies just simmer down, this one's not for you, it's for starving students, bachelors, reality show stars, computer programmers, and other "busy" people. It's infinitely better than buying a frozen stir-fry microwave dinner, that's for sure (unless there's a stir-fry microwave dinner recipe contest I haven't heard about). Enjoy!

Help me, help you…Go to this video page on Youtube and vote for my video, and leave an embarrassingly positive comment. Thanks!!



Ingredients:
8 oz. angel hair pasta (capellini), uncooked
2 cups small broccoli florets
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup KRAFT Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 garlic clove
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/3 cup chopped PLANTERS Dry Roasted Peanuts

►

Aunt Mary's Pollo en Crema - Sorta Salvadorian Chicken Stewed in Cream

Aunt Mary's was a popular brunch restaurant here in San Francisco that served a wonderfully homey array of Mexican and Salvadorian dishes. Michele and I used to go every Sunday for a late breakfast (that's what brunch used to be called). She would always get the Huevos Rancheros, and my usual was the Pollo en Crema, which is the subject of today's video recipe.

Sometimes it's fun to cook a recipe that ignores the standard techniques that usually rule the production of my food. This recipe is a simple boiled chicken - no browning, no deglazing, no reducing, and no layering of flavors. As you'll see, you just toss all the ingredients into a pot and simmer it until tender and delicious.

My standard ethic recipe disclaimer applies; I'm not, nor have I ever been, Salvadorian. This is what I used to get at a restaurant that claimed to serve Salvadorian food, and they called it Pollo en Crema. I'm sure those of you in the know will point out if, and how, this varies from the "real" authentic recipe, but what I can tell everyone is that this simple pot of chicken is great food. Enjoy!



Ingredients:
1 big chicken
1 onion
2 red bell pepper
2 jalapeno
2 Roma tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp oregano
1 bay leaf
cayenne
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 cup sour cream, or Mexican crema
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
fresh chopped cilantro

►

Some Good Frickin' Paprika Chicken

My non-fat yogurt kick continues with this yogurt and paprika marinated grilled chicken. The name in the title is an homage to one of the best chicken take-out joints in San Francisco, called "Good Frickin' Chicken." I've always loved the name, so I'm stealing it for this recipe.

While this is a pretty straightforward grilled chicken recipe, the vinaigrette trick you'll see at the end was a last minute touch that worked out nicely. I really like oil and vinegar-based sauces on grilled meats. They work beautifully with the smoky, caramelized exterior. It's this part of the recipe where you can summon your inner chef and decide what oil, vinegar, and other flavorings you'll use to bath your chicken.

I mention in the clip to use a fresh Spanish paprika to get the best results. The cheap, rusty-brown dust in the back of the spice shelf you use to sprinkle on the deviled eggs once a year is not going to cut it. There's really a major difference in taste and appearance - it's like using bacon bits instead of real crumbled bacon. You wouldn’t do that, would you? Enjoy.



Ingredients:
1 cut up chicken
3 cloves garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp paprika
pinch of cayenne
1 tbsp hot chili sauce
6 tbsp plain yogurt
Sauce:
1 tbsp ketchup
dash of hot sauce
pinch of paprika
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

►

Chicken Chili (or Chile) Verde - Celebrating the Mysterious Tomatillo

During culinary school I worked at a Mexican restaurant in Saranac Lake, NY, called Casa Del Sol. Which, as we used to joke, means "Casa of Sol." My favorite dish was the Chile Verde. Large chucks of pork shoulder simmered slowly in an exotic green sauce of tomatillos and chilies. The tomatillos we used were caned - and I was fascinated by the mysterious tomatillo graphics that decorated the label - but it wasn't until I arrived in California that I saw the real thing.
What an odd vegetable, or is it a fruit? As you will see in video, it sort of looks like a green tomato, which it isn't. It has this strange, veiny, paper covering, like a giant green gooseberry - and the flavor is even more perplexing. It's sort of tart, kind of sour, with hints of citrus and green apple. I sound like one of those wine geeks (no offense). Paired with sweet onions, and savory chicken, this recipe a great way to experience tomatillos for the first time.

The real way to spell this recipe is "Chile" verde, not "Chili" verde. But, both spellings are used, and since this particular recipe is more about the chicken simmered in spicy sauce, than the green peppers, I used the Americanized "Chili." Enjoy!



Ingredients:
1 chicken, cut up in 6 pieces
8 tomatillos
2 jalapenos
6 cloves garlic
1/2 bunch cilantro
3 cups chicken stock
1 onion
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp oregano
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 lb potatoes
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
yogurt or sour cream

►

Cutting Up a Chicken with Scissors - Shear Genius?

This video demo, of a chicken being broken down with kitchen shears, was down with the hopes that some of you will start buying fresh whole chickens, instead of previously frozen chicken parts.

Everyone's trying to save a few dollars at the store these days, and what better way than buying a whole chicken; always cheaper than the same amount of chicken parts. If you haven't been buying organic, free-range chicken, because it costs more, this new skill will allow you to get a healthier whole bird for about the same price as the regular package of pieces.

I'm assuming that most people have a bit more experience using a pair of scissors, than a razor-sharp boning knife. So, this method of butchering a chicken is much less intimidating for obvious reasons.

Hopefully for some, the scissors will act like training-wheels on the path to eventually using a knife for this procedure. Sturdy scissor do work nicely, but nothing can match a boning knife for maximum yield. Enjoy!



Photo Credits: chicken guy (c) Fuzzy Gerdes; goatee (c) I'm Claude; chicken case (c) jem

►

Homemade Dry Rubs and the Dry Rub Paradox

If you've done any serious channel surfing lately, especially the foodie channels,you've probably noticed the same thing I have…it's all barbecue, all the time.

There are two common themes in all these shows; whichever town they're in, has "the best barbecue in the country," and if your dry rub is good, "you don't even need a sauce."
This video recipe for a basic barbecue dry rub, features my favorite all-purpose formula.

I really like this recipe because it works nicely on chicken, pork, beef, vegetables, and even salmon or tuna steaks. Of course, half the fun of making your own rubs is playing around with different spice blends, so I hope you'll use this video recipe as a just a starting point.

There are countless commercial rubs out there, but I can't see paying twice the price, and using something that is most likely made using the least expensive ingredients available, when blending you own is so fast and fun. Once you have your homemade rub in a tub, you may be surprised to learn that, paradoxically, it should be sprinkled on, and not rubbed. Why? Clumpification! Enjoy.

Click here for ingredients and transcript

►

REPEAT: Orzo “Risotto” with Chicken, Sausage and Peppers

This video recipe premiered a long time ago, and I'm not sure how many of you newer viewers have seen it, so I thought it would make a great rerun. I'm working on the homemade cheese video, which should be up soon. In the meantime, enjoy this great recipe.

Orzo (also known as melon seed pasta) is one of my favorite choices for pasta salad. I really like the shape and texture, and it makes for a very interesting cold sidedish. Here, I had the idea of using it for a hot dish in the same way one would use an Arborio rice to make risotto. Instead of boiling the orzo in salted water and draining, I thought it would be interesting to cook it the same way risotto is cooked, by adding small additions of flavorful stock until it’s tender (or al dente if you prefer). I made that flavorful stock by braising chicken and sausage, as you’ll see.

This dish is really all over the place; most of the ingredients are kind of Spanish/Portuguese, there are techniques from India and Italy involved, and just to make things even stranger, I use a chili pepper usually found only in Mexican cuisine. But, none of that matters, this dish tastes great and is pretty easy to make. The other good thing is, whoever you serve this to probably hasn’t had it before, so no matter how it comes out you can always say, “yeah, that’s how it’s suppose to be!”

I’ve had many requests for a risotto demo. The reason I haven’t done one is because who wants to watch someone stand at a stove and stir a pot of rice? Well, I tried to edit this to make it somewhat bearable, but the basic technique is the same; slowly adding stock and stirring until its almost absorbed and then adding more. This is a dish that will be great the first time you make it, and REALLY great the second time you make it, as you get the technique down. My orzo took about 15-20 minutes to absorb enough stock to become tender – but that’s just a very rough guide since there are so many factors; the heat, size of your orzo, shape of pot, etc. Be brave and enjoy yourself…you're cooking!

By the way, I didn’t mention it in the clip, but I removed the skin and bones from the chicken thighs once they were cool enough to handle, before I added them back into the final dish. Also, this is one of the VERY rare dishes I didn’t add garlic to. The sausage I used had a lot of garlic in it so I didn’t think it was needed. Enjoy.



Ingredients:
1/2 pound orzo pasta
6 chicken thighs (seasoned with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper)
1 lb. Linguisa sausage (or any spicy sausage)
1 quart chicken stock
1 red bell pepper
1 green Pasilla or bell pepper
1/2 yellow onion
1 tbl paprika
1 tbl cumin
1 tbl Herb de Provence
1 tsp salt
1 bay leaf
fresh parsley

►

Got Crepes? Make Chicken Cannelloni!

As promised, here is what I did with the crepes from the "how to make crepes" video recipe. These thin, almost transparent beauties (crepes are the supermodels of the pancake world) freeze wonderfully. I took them out of the freezer and put them in the fridge to thaw overnight, since the only issue you may have is thawing them too quickly in a hot kitchen may cause the edges to dry out a bit.

I was going to do a video recipe of some dessert crepe like crepe Suzette, or maybe crepe cherry jubilee, but since bathing suit season is right around the corner, I decided to do a savory recipe. Dessert crepes are delicious, but not recommended when you're trying to squeeze into a Speedo.

This very simple chicken cannelloni recipe can be made with a variety of meats, cheeses (but use real ones, like the Parmesan shown here) and sauces, so watch the technique and then freestyle. By the way, before you ask, the difference between a cannelloni and a manicotti, is the later is an open tube of pasta, and a cannelloni is normally closed up as you see here. Many restaurants, however, use the terms interchangeably. I sure hope you make some crepes, and then give these a try. Enjoy!



Ingredients:
6 crepes
2 cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup fresh cheese
4 oz mozzarella
1 egg
2/3 cup grated parmesan
2 tbsp chopped fresh Italian herbs
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of cayenne
splash of olive oil
1 minced garlic clove (my sauce had lots of garlic, so this was not added in the clip)
2 cups tomato sauce

►

I'll Have the Sausage and Chicken Gumbo…Hold the Gumbo

My "Big Easy" cooking kick continues with this delicious sausage and chicken gumbo video recipe. Now, I must admit to serious okra aversion issues. I don’t like the taste, the texture, or the appearance - other than that I think it's a great vegetable. So, you can imagine what I felt like when I learned that the word "gumbo" actually means "okra."

Many people believe that okra is the primary thickening agent in gumbo, but in actuality it's the roux. Sure, the okra does help thicken the stew with its slimy goodness, but it's the brown roux that is the main player. Some recipes call for file powder, which is made from ground sassafras leaves. It's added at the end of the cooking, and not only helps thicken, but adds a interestingly sweet flavor. I'm not using that either.

As a special treat, you'll also hear from famous New Orleans chef, Emeril Lagasse. Apparently, he is a big fan of the site, and his people called my people, and begged me to let him provide some color commentary on a video. Aw, yeah babe. Enjoy!



Ingredients:
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup flour
1 onion, diced
2 ribs celery diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
8 oz Andouille sausage, or other spicy, smoked sausage
3 cloves garlic, crushed fine
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 cups chicken broth, or as needed
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut in 2-inch pieces
1/2 cup minced green onions
Okra photo (c) Flickr user Kanko

►

Clifton Springs Chicken Wings - Oven-Fried with Sticky Ginger Garlic Glaze

My mom lives in a small town in western New York, called Clifton Springs. It was home to a popular spa around the turn of the century, thanks to a natural sulfur spring. People came from all over to soak in the therapeutic water, which was supposed to cure all kinds of things. Unfortunately for the town, medical science was unable to verify these claims, and eventually people realized they were just paying to sit in stinky water. Things have been a little slow ever since. So, I figured the least I could do is name a recipe after the place (and it rhymed).

Whenever I go home to visit, I usually indulge in some Buffalo chicken wings from a place called Emerson's. They have two flavors of wings; Buffalo-style, and sweet and sour. I've only had the later once and wasn't impressed. I'm just a traditionalist I guess. This week I got a craving for chicken wings, and since there isn’t a decent chicken wing place west of the Niagara River, I decided to make some myself.

I don't use a fryer, but have a great method for frying them in the oven. The surprising part was when I went to make the classic spicy sauce to glaze them, for some reason I remembered those sweet and sour wings, and decided to try something new. I came up with what turned out to be a deliciously sticky, ginger and garlic glaze. I really hope you give these a try. But, if garlic and ginger aren't your thing, at least use the oven method I demo, and glaze them with your favorite wing thing. Enjoy!



5 pounds chicken wings
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
3 tbsp Frank's hot sauce
2 tbsp veg oil
flour
For the glaze:
3 crushed garlic cloves
2 tbsp grated ginger
1 tbsp Sambal chili sauce (or 1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes)
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp soy sauce

►