A few months ago (before T-day) I vowed to make Chicken
Cacciatore as soon as I got a number of other previously
planned dishes out of the way.

The T-day turkey and subsequent dishes made from the
leftovers (Creamy Wild Rice and Turkey Soup) lasted until
Xmas. Then I had to make Sauerbraten because I'd been
craving it for several months.)

So yesterday I made the C.C. I used Lidia's recipe.
It's unusual in that it uses white wine rather than
red. It also has red and yellow bell peppers in it.
A very nice touch.

I got a nice German Reisling (Spatlese) and had a glass
of the extra wine with my dinner. I served it with
polenta. This was the first time I had ever had polenta
like this. (The only other time I have cooked with polenta
was a breakfast dish of bacon, eggs, and polenta baked in
little individual casseroles.)

CHICKEN CACCIATORE
(Pollo alla Cacciatore)

2 broiler chickens (~ 2½ lb. each)
salt
freshly ground black pepper
flour
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1/4 c. olive oil
1 sm. yellow onion, cut into 1" cubes (~ 1 c.)
1/2 c. dry white wine
1 28-oz. can Italian plum tomatoes with liquid, crushed
1 t. oregano
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2" strips (~ 1 c.)
1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2" strips (~1 c.)

Cut each chicken into 12 pieces. With a sturdy knife or kitchen shears,
remove the backbone by cutting along both sides. Remove the wingtips.
Reserve the backbone, wingtips, and giblets - except for the liver - to
make chicken stock. Or, if you like, cut the backbone in half crosswise
and add it to this dish. Place the chicken, breast side down, on a
cutting board and cut the chicken into halves by cutting through the
breastbone lengthwise. Cut off the wing at the joint that connects it
to the breast, then cut each wing in half at the joint. Separate the
leg from the breast. Cut the leg in half at the joint. Cut the breast
in half crosswise, giving the knife a good whack when you get to the
bone in separate the breast cleanly into halves. Repeat with the
remaining chicken.

Season the chicken pieces generously with salt and pepper. Dredge the
pieces in flour, coating them lightly and tapping off excess flour. In
a wide (at least 12") 5-qt. braising pan, heat the vegetable oil with 2
T. of the olive oil until a piece of chicken dipped in the oil gives off
a very lively sizzle. Add as many pieces of chicken to the pan as will
fit without touching. Do not crowd chicken; if the skillet is not wide
enough to fit all of the chicken, brown it in batches. Remove chicken
pieces from the skillet as they brown, adding some of the remaining
pieces of chicken to take their place. Remove all chicken from the
skillet. Add the onion to the fat remaining in the pan, and cook,
stirring 5 minutes. Pour the wine into the pan, bring to a boil, and
cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and
oregano, season lightly with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Tuck
the chicken into the sauce, adjust the heat to a gentle boil, and cover
the pan. Cook, stirring a few times, 20 minutes. In a large skillet,
heat the remaining 2 T. olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the peppers
and toss until the peppers are wilted but still quite crunchy, about 8
minutes. Season the vegetables with salt. Stir the peppers into the
chicken pan. Cook covered until the chicken and vegetables are tender,
10-15 minutes. Check the level of the liquid as the chicken cooks.
There should be enough liquid barely to cover the chicken. If
necessary, add small amounts of water to maintain the level of liquid as
the chicken cooks. Makes 6 servings. (From Lidia’s Italian-American
Kitchen by Lidia Bastianich.)

(Notes: I didn't use whole chickens. I bought a 10-lb. bag of
leg/thigh quarters at Walmart. I sectioned them and used the
drumsticks for the C.C. I also added garlic, the absence of which I
can't fathom. (It's an *Italian* recipe for cryin' out loud! Isn't it
against the law to make an Italian dish that doesn't contain garlic?
Always excepting dessert, of course.) Much as I love Lydia I don't
agree with her in this case. And I cut the peppers into somewhat
smaller strips so it would be easier to eat - cut them about 1/4" wide
and then in half. And I cooked them over high heat to char them
slightly.)

This dish was awesome. As much as I loved my version of C.C. which I
used to make 45 years ago and have now forgotten how I made it and don't
remember what recipe I used since I haven't made it for maybe 20 years,
this is my new go-to recipe. Although it's a bit more work than some
other recipes I have seen. I really liked the peppers being cooked
separately the way they were. And I'm now a huge fan of polenta.

Ciao
Kate

--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?

On Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:50:44 -0500, Kate Connally
> wrote:

Thanks for the CC recipe, snipped and saved!

> I served it with
> polenta. This was the first time I had ever had polenta
> like this.

What was your recipe for the polenta?

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:50:44 -0500, Kate Connally
> wrote:

> I also added garlic, the absence of which I
> can't fathom. (It's an *Italian* recipe for cryin' out loud! Isn't it
> against the law to make an Italian dish that doesn't contain garlic?

PS: Lidia is one of those Italians who doesn't like garlic and used
to say it frequently on her show. She was born and raised in a
section of Italy that is now modern day Croatia.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:01:03 -0600, Andy > wrote:

> Kate,
>
> I'd eat that but what, no mushrooms???
>
> I know I have low standards but... but...
>
I will add that to my list of "add". Thanks

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

sf wrote:
> Kate Connally > wrote:
>
>> I served it with
>> polenta. This was the first time I had ever had polenta
>> like this.
>
> What was your recipe for the polenta?

As in what texture, right? Or do you mean what added ingredients? For
texture polenta can be prepared to all sorts of textures. Almost like
couscous through almost like cream of wheat. I picture targetting the
coarser end of the texture spectrum for the polenta because I remember
liking CC served on a bed of steamed arborio short grain rice or on a
bed of pasta.

On Tue, 18 Jan 2011 22:06:36 +0000 (UTC), Doug Freyburger
> wrote:

> I remember liking CC served on a bed of steamed arborio short grain rice or on a
> bed of pasta.

No thanks, I'd do one or the other but not together!

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On Jan 18, 2:50*pm, Kate Connally > wrote:
> A few months ago (before T-day) I vowed to make Chicken
> Cacciatore as soon as I got a number of other previously
> planned dishes out of the way.
>
> The T-day turkey and subsequent dishes made from the
> leftovers (Creamy Wild Rice and Turkey Soup) lasted until
> Xmas. *Then I had to make Sauerbraten because I'd been
> craving it for several months.)
>
> So yesterday I made the C.C. *I used Lidia's recipe.
> It's unusual in that it uses white wine rather than
> red. *It also has red and yellow bell peppers in it.
> A very nice touch.
>
> I got a nice German Reisling (Spatlese) and had a glass
> of the extra wine with my dinner. *I served it with
> polenta. *This was the first time I had ever had polenta
> like this. *(The only other time I have cooked with polenta
> was a breakfast dish of bacon, eggs, and polenta baked in
> little individual casseroles.)
>
> CHICKEN CACCIATORE
> (Pollo alla Cacciatore)
>
> 2 broiler chickens (~ 2½ lb. each)
> salt
> freshly ground black pepper
> flour
> 1/4 c. vegetable oil
> 1/4 c. olive oil
> 1 sm. yellow onion, cut into 1" cubes (~ 1 c.)
> 1/2 c. dry white wine
> 1 28-oz. can Italian plum tomatoes with liquid, crushed
> 1 t. oregano
> 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2" strips (~ 1 c.)
> 1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2" strips (~1 c.)
>
> Cut each chicken into 12 pieces. *With a sturdy knife or kitchen shears,
> remove the backbone by cutting along both sides. *Remove the wingtips.
> Reserve the backbone, wingtips, and giblets - except for the liver - to
> make chicken stock. *Or, if you like, cut the backbone in half crosswise
> and add it to this dish. *Place the chicken, breast side down, on a
> cutting board and cut the chicken into halves by cutting through the
> breastbone lengthwise. *Cut off the wing at the joint that connects it
> to the breast, then cut each wing in half at the joint. *Separate the
> leg from the breast. *Cut the leg in half at the joint. *Cut the breast
> in half crosswise, giving the knife a good whack when you get to the
> bone in separate the breast cleanly into halves. *Repeat with the
> remaining chicken.
>
> Season the chicken pieces generously with salt and pepper. *Dredge the
> pieces in flour, coating them lightly and tapping off excess flour. *In
> a wide (at least 12") 5-qt. braising pan, heat the vegetable oil with 2
> T. of the olive oil until a piece of chicken dipped in the oil gives off
> a very lively sizzle. *Add as many pieces of chicken to the pan as will
> fit without touching. *Do not crowd chicken; if the skillet is not wide
> enough to fit all of the chicken, brown it in batches. *Remove chicken
> pieces from the skillet as they brown, adding some of the remaining
> pieces of chicken to take their place. *Remove all chicken from the
> skillet. *Add the onion to the fat remaining in the pan, and cook,
> stirring 5 minutes. *Pour the wine into the pan, bring to a boil, and
> cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. *Add the tomatoes and
> oregano, season lightly with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. *Tuck
> the chicken into the sauce, adjust the heat to a gentle boil, and cover
> the pan. *Cook, stirring a few times, 20 minutes. *In a large skillet,
> heat the remaining 2 T. olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the peppers
> and toss until the peppers are wilted but still quite crunchy, about 8
> minutes. *Season the vegetables with salt. *Stir the peppers into the
> chicken pan. *Cook covered until the chicken and vegetables are tender,
> 10-15 minutes. *Check the level of the liquid as the chicken cooks.
> There should be enough liquid barely to cover the chicken. *If
> necessary, add small amounts of water to maintain the level of liquid as
> the chicken cooks. *Makes 6 servings. *(From Lidia’s Italian-American
> Kitchen by Lidia Bastianich.)
>
> (Notes: *I didn't use whole chickens. *I bought a 10-lb. bag of
> leg/thigh quarters at Walmart. *I sectioned them and used the
> drumsticks for the C.C. *I also added garlic, the absence of which I
> can't fathom. (It's an *Italian* recipe for cryin' out loud! *Isn't it
> against the law to make an Italian dish that doesn't contain garlic?
> Always excepting dessert, of course.) *Much as I love Lydia I don't
> agree with her in this case. *And I cut the peppers into somewhat
> smaller strips so it would be easier to eat - cut them *about 1/4" wide
> and then in half. *And I cooked them over high heat to char them
> slightly.)
>
> This dish was awesome. *As much as I loved my version of C.C. which I
> used to make 45 years ago and have now forgotten how I made it and don't
> remember what recipe I used since I haven't made it for maybe 20 years,
> this is my new go-to recipe. *Although it's a bit more work than some
> other recipes I have seen. *I really liked the peppers being cooked
> separately the way they were. *And I'm now a huge fan of polenta.
>
> Ciao
> Kate
>

I make a Hungarian Chicken Paprikash without the sour cream. It's
similar to a Chicken Cacciatore. Sometimes I make the Paprikash with
sour cream.

> --
> Kate Connally
> “If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
> Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
> Until you bite their heads off.”
> What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?
>

On 1/18/2011 3:01 PM, Andy wrote:
> Kate,
>
> I'd eat that but what, no mushrooms???
>
> I know I have low standards but... but...
>
> Best,
>
> Andy

Absolutely no mushrooms. The recipe did not include them
but if it had I would have just deleted them. Mushrooms!
Yuck! They're *FUNGUS*, people, *FUNGUS*!!!! Related to
things like athlete's foot, fer cryin' out loud. Sheesh!

Kate

--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?

On 1/18/2011 3:16 PM, sf wrote:
> On Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:50:44 -0500, Kate Connally
> > wrote:
>
> Thanks for the CC recipe, snipped and saved!
>
>> I served it with
>> polenta. This was the first time I had ever had polenta
>> like this.
>
> What was your recipe for the polenta?

I just used the recipe on the bag of Bob's Red Mill polenta.
Cook it with water, a little salt, and butter optional (I used
it, of course. Butter in *never* optional :-)) They (or maybe
another recipe I saw, said you could put it in a bowl and let it
set for 10 minutes and then turn it out and slice it. I put mine
in a loaf pan, which is what I always do for mush for frying) but
it was still to soft to turn out after about 15 minutes which was
when the C.C. was done. So I just scrapes some off the top and
left the rest to set up in the fridge. I liked it soft like that.
Last night I had it sliced and reheated in microwave. It still
tasted good but I didn't like the texture as much. But, hell,
I'm not going to make fresh polenta every night. Too much work. ;-)
Oh, well.

Kate

--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?

On 1/18/2011 3:20 PM, sf wrote:
> On Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:50:44 -0500, Kate Connally
> > wrote:
>
>> I also added garlic, the absence of which I
>> can't fathom. (It's an *Italian* recipe for cryin' out loud! Isn't it
>> against the law to make an Italian dish that doesn't contain garlic?
>
> PS: Lidia is one of those Italians who doesn't like garlic and used
> to say it frequently on her show. She was born and raised in a
> section of Italy that is now modern day Croatia.

I watch her show from time to time, not on a regular basis. But
I don't recall her ever saying that. Maybe I just wasn't paying
close enough attention. Anyhoo . . .

I didn't know about the Croatia thing. I thought she was of
mixed ancestry. Bastianich doesn't sound very Italian so I thought
her father might have been something else. She sometimes has her
mother on the show and her mother is *VERY* Italian. :-)

Kate

--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?

On 1/18/2011 5:06 PM, Doug Freyburger wrote:
> sf wrote:
>> Kate > wrote:
>>
>>> I served it with
>>> polenta. This was the first time I had ever had polenta
>>> like this.
>>
>> What was your recipe for the polenta?
>
> As in what texture, right? Or do you mean what added ingredients? For
> texture polenta can be prepared to all sorts of textures. Almost like
> couscous through almost like cream of wheat.

Mine was like Cream of Wheat. Cooked for 30 minutes.

> I picture targetting the
> coarser end of the texture spectrum for the polenta because I remember
> liking CC served on a bed of steamed arborio short grain rice or on a
> bed of pasta.

I used to always serve it on my homemade pasta.

Kate

--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?

On Wed, 19 Jan 2011 13:11:23 -0500, Kate Connally
> wrote:

>On 1/18/2011 3:01 PM, Andy wrote:
>> Kate,
>>
>> I'd eat that but what, no mushrooms???
>>
>> I know I have low standards but... but...
>>
>> Best,
>>
>> Andy
>
>Absolutely no mushrooms. The recipe did not include them
>but if it had I would have just deleted them. Mushrooms!
>Yuck! They're *FUNGUS*, people, *FUNGUS*!!!! Related to
>things like athlete's foot and vaginal yeast infection, fer cryin' out loud. Sheesh!
>
>Kate

On 1/18/2011 6:44 PM, Portland wrote:
> On Jan 18, 2:50 pm, Kate > wrote:
>> A few months ago (before T-day) I vowed to make Chicken
>> Cacciatore as soon as I got a number of other previously
>> planned dishes out of the way.
>>
>> The T-day turkey and subsequent dishes made from the
>> leftovers (Creamy Wild Rice and Turkey Soup) lasted until
>> Xmas. Then I had to make Sauerbraten because I'd been
>> craving it for several months.)
>>
>> So yesterday I made the C.C. I used Lidia's recipe.
>> It's unusual in that it uses white wine rather than
>> red. It also has red and yellow bell peppers in it.
>> A very nice touch.
>>
>> I got a nice German Reisling (Spatlese) and had a glass
>> of the extra wine with my dinner. I served it with
>> polenta. This was the first time I had ever had polenta
>> like this. (The only other time I have cooked with polenta
>> was a breakfast dish of bacon, eggs, and polenta baked in
>> little individual casseroles.)
>>
>> CHICKEN CACCIATORE
>> (Pollo alla Cacciatore)
>>
>> 2 broiler chickens (~ 2½ lb. each)
>> salt
>> freshly ground black pepper
>> flour
>> 1/4 c. vegetable oil
>> 1/4 c. olive oil
>> 1 sm. yellow onion, cut into 1" cubes (~ 1 c.)
>> 1/2 c. dry white wine
>> 1 28-oz. can Italian plum tomatoes with liquid, crushed
>> 1 t. oregano
>> 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2" strips (~ 1 c.)
>> 1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2" strips (~1 c.)
>>
>> Cut each chicken into 12 pieces. With a sturdy knife or kitchen shears,
>> remove the backbone by cutting along both sides. Remove the wingtips.
>> Reserve the backbone, wingtips, and giblets - except for the liver - to
>> make chicken stock. Or, if you like, cut the backbone in half crosswise
>> and add it to this dish. Place the chicken, breast side down, on a
>> cutting board and cut the chicken into halves by cutting through the
>> breastbone lengthwise. Cut off the wing at the joint that connects it
>> to the breast, then cut each wing in half at the joint. Separate the
>> leg from the breast. Cut the leg in half at the joint. Cut the breast
>> in half crosswise, giving the knife a good whack when you get to the
>> bone in separate the breast cleanly into halves. Repeat with the
>> remaining chicken.
>>
>> Season the chicken pieces generously with salt and pepper. Dredge the
>> pieces in flour, coating them lightly and tapping off excess flour. In
>> a wide (at least 12") 5-qt. braising pan, heat the vegetable oil with 2
>> T. of the olive oil until a piece of chicken dipped in the oil gives off
>> a very lively sizzle. Add as many pieces of chicken to the pan as will
>> fit without touching. Do not crowd chicken; if the skillet is not wide
>> enough to fit all of the chicken, brown it in batches. Remove chicken
>> pieces from the skillet as they brown, adding some of the remaining
>> pieces of chicken to take their place. Remove all chicken from the
>> skillet. Add the onion to the fat remaining in the pan, and cook,
>> stirring 5 minutes. Pour the wine into the pan, bring to a boil, and
>> cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and
>> oregano, season lightly with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Tuck
>> the chicken into the sauce, adjust the heat to a gentle boil, and cover
>> the pan. Cook, stirring a few times, 20 minutes. In a large skillet,
>> heat the remaining 2 T. olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the peppers
>> and toss until the peppers are wilted but still quite crunchy, about 8
>> minutes. Season the vegetables with salt. Stir the peppers into the
>> chicken pan. Cook covered until the chicken and vegetables are tender,
>> 10-15 minutes. Check the level of the liquid as the chicken cooks.
>> There should be enough liquid barely to cover the chicken. If
>> necessary, add small amounts of water to maintain the level of liquid as
>> the chicken cooks. Makes 6 servings. (From Lidia’s Italian-American
>> Kitchen by Lidia Bastianich.)
>>
>> (Notes: I didn't use whole chickens. I bought a 10-lb. bag of
>> leg/thigh quarters at Walmart. I sectioned them and used the
>> drumsticks for the C.C. I also added garlic, the absence of which I
>> can't fathom. (It's an *Italian* recipe for cryin' out loud! Isn't it
>> against the law to make an Italian dish that doesn't contain garlic?
>> Always excepting dessert, of course.) Much as I love Lydia I don't
>> agree with her in this case. And I cut the peppers into somewhat
>> smaller strips so it would be easier to eat - cut them about 1/4" wide
>> and then in half. And I cooked them over high heat to char them
>> slightly.)
>>
>> This dish was awesome. As much as I loved my version of C.C. which I
>> used to make 45 years ago and have now forgotten how I made it and don't
>> remember what recipe I used since I haven't made it for maybe 20 years,
>> this is my new go-to recipe. Although it's a bit more work than some
>> other recipes I have seen. I really liked the peppers being cooked
>> separately the way they were. And I'm now a huge fan of polenta.
>>
>> Ciao
>> Kate
>>
>
> I make a Hungarian Chicken Paprikash without the sour cream. It's
> similar to a Chicken Cacciatore. Sometimes I make the Paprikash with
> sour cream.

Without sour cream? Scandalous!!! Sour cream is not optional in
Hungarian food! ;-)

Kate

--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?

On 1/18/2011 8:10 PM, Omelet wrote:
> In >,
> Kate > wrote:
>
>> CHICKEN CACCIATORE
>> (Pollo alla Cacciatore)
>>
>> 2 broiler chickens (~ 21Ž2 lb. each)
>> salt
>> freshly ground black pepper
>> flour
>> 1/4 c. vegetable oil
>> 1/4 c. olive oil
>> 1 sm. yellow onion, cut into 1" cubes (~ 1 c.)
>> 1/2 c. dry white wine
>> 1 28-oz. can Italian plum tomatoes with liquid, crushed
>> 1 t. oregano
>> 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2" strips (~ 1 c.)
>> 1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2" strips (~1 c.)
>> 
>> Cut each chicken into 12 pieces. With a sturdy knife or kitchen shears,
>> remove the backbone by cutting along both sides. Remove the wingtips.
>> Reserve the backbone, wingtips, and giblets - except for the liver - to
>> make chicken stock. Or, if you like, cut the backbone in half crosswise
>> and add it to this dish. Place the chicken, breast side down, on a
>> cutting board and cut the chicken into halves by cutting through the
>> breastbone lengthwise. Cut off the wing at the joint that connects it
>> to the breast, then cut each wing in half at the joint. Separate the
>> leg from the breast. Cut the leg in half at the joint. Cut the breast
>> in half crosswise, giving the knife a good whack when you get to the
>> bone in separate the breast cleanly into halves. Repeat with the
>> remaining chicken.
>>
>> Season the chicken pieces generously with salt and pepper. Dredge the
>> pieces in flour, coating them lightly and tapping off excess flour. In
>> a wide (at least 12") 5-qt. braising pan, heat the vegetable oil with 2
>> T. of the olive oil until a piece of chicken dipped in the oil gives off
>> a very lively sizzle. Add as many pieces of chicken to the pan as will
>> fit without touching. Do not crowd chicken; if the skillet is not wide
>> enough to fit all of the chicken, brown it in batches. Remove chicken
>> pieces from the skillet as they brown, adding some of the remaining
>> pieces of chicken to take their place. Remove all chicken from the
>> skillet. Add the onion to the fat remaining in the pan, and cook,
>> stirring 5 minutes. Pour the wine into the pan, bring to a boil, and
>> cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and
>> oregano, season lightly with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Tuck
>> the chicken into the sauce, adjust the heat to a gentle boil, and cover
>> the pan. Cook, stirring a few times, 20 minutes. In a large skillet,
>> heat the remaining 2 T. olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the peppers
>> and toss until the peppers are wilted but still quite crunchy, about 8
>> minutes. Season the vegetables with salt. Stir the peppers into the
>> chicken pan. Cook covered until the chicken and vegetables are tender,
>> 10-15 minutes. Check the level of the liquid as the chicken cooks.
>> There should be enough liquid barely to cover the chicken. If
>> necessary, add small amounts of water to maintain the level of liquid as
>> the chicken cooks. Makes 6 servings. (From Lidia¹s Italian-American
>> Kitchen by Lidia Bastianich.)
>>
>> (Notes: I didn't use whole chickens. I bought a 10-lb. bag of
>> leg/thigh quarters at Walmart. I sectioned them and used the
>> drumsticks for the C.C. I also added garlic, the absence of which I
>> can't fathom. (It's an *Italian* recipe for cryin' out loud! Isn't it
>> against the law to make an Italian dish that doesn't contain garlic?
>> Always excepting dessert, of course.) Much as I love Lydia I don't
>> agree with her in this case. And I cut the peppers into somewhat
>> smaller strips so it would be easier to eat - cut them about 1/4" wide
>> and then in half. And I cooked them over high heat to char them
>> slightly.)
>>
>> This dish was awesome. As much as I loved my version of C.C. which I
>> used to make 45 years ago and have now forgotten how I made it and don't
>> remember what recipe I used since I haven't made it for maybe 20 years,
>> this is my new go-to recipe. Although it's a bit more work than some
>> other recipes I have seen. I really liked the peppers being cooked
>> separately the way they were. And I'm now a huge fan of polenta.
>>
>> Ciao
>> Kate
>
> Ok, I've stashed this in the recipe file...
> Thanks for posting it! :-)

You are welcome! Enjoy.

Kate

--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?

"Kate Connally" > wrote in message
...
> On 1/18/2011 3:01 PM, Andy wrote:
>> Kate,
>>
>> I'd eat that but what, no mushrooms???
>>
>> I know I have low standards but... but...
>>
>> Best,
>>
>> Andy
>
> Absolutely no mushrooms. The recipe did not include them
> but if it had I would have just deleted them. Mushrooms!
> Yuck! They're *FUNGUS*, people, *FUNGUS*!!!! Related to
> things like athlete's foot, fer cryin' out loud. Sheesh!

lol
--
--
https://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

On Wed, 19 Jan 2011 13:11:23 -0500, Kate Connally
> wrote:

> On 1/18/2011 3:01 PM, Andy wrote:
> > Kate,
> >
> > I'd eat that but what, no mushrooms???
> >
> > I know I have low standards but... but...
> >
> > Best,
> >
> > Andy
>
> Absolutely no mushrooms. The recipe did not include them
> but if it had I would have just deleted them. Mushrooms!
> Yuck! They're *FUNGUS*, people, *FUNGUS*!!!! Related to
> things like athlete's foot, fer cryin' out loud. Sheesh!
>

I love mushrooms. The only mushrooms I will not eat come from a
can.... I won't eat foraged mushrooms either, but for a completely
different reason.


--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On Wed, 19 Jan 2011 13:23:09 -0500, Kate Connally
> wrote:

> On 1/18/2011 5:06 PM, Doug Freyburger wrote:
> > sf wrote:
> >> Kate > wrote:
> >>
> >>> I served it with
> >>> polenta. This was the first time I had ever had polenta
> >>> like this.
> >>
> >> What was your recipe for the polenta?
> >
> > As in what texture, right? Or do you mean what added ingredients? For
> > texture polenta can be prepared to all sorts of textures. Almost like
> > couscous through almost like cream of wheat.
>
> Mine was like Cream of Wheat. Cooked for 30 minutes.
>
> > I picture targetting the
> > coarser end of the texture spectrum for the polenta because I remember
> > liking CC served on a bed of steamed arborio short grain rice or on a
> > bed of pasta.
>
> I used to always serve it on my homemade pasta.
>
Starch on starch? Ugh.


--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On Wed, 19 Jan 2011 13:17:22 -0500, Kate Connally
> wrote:

> On 1/18/2011 3:16 PM, sf wrote:
> > On Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:50:44 -0500, Kate Connally
> > > wrote:
> >
> > Thanks for the CC recipe, snipped and saved!
> >
> >> I served it with
> >> polenta. This was the first time I had ever had polenta
> >> like this.
> >
> > What was your recipe for the polenta?
>
> I just used the recipe on the bag of Bob's Red Mill polenta.
> Cook it with water, a little salt, and butter optional (I used
> it, of course. Butter in *never* optional :-)) They (or maybe
> another recipe I saw, said you could put it in a bowl and let it
> set for 10 minutes and then turn it out and slice it. I put mine
> in a loaf pan, which is what I always do for mush for frying) but
> it was still to soft to turn out after about 15 minutes which was
> when the C.C. was done. So I just scrapes some off the top and
> left the rest to set up in the fridge. I liked it soft like that.
> Last night I had it sliced and reheated in microwave. It still
> tasted good but I didn't like the texture as much. But, hell,
> I'm not going to make fresh polenta every night. Too much work. ;-)
> Oh, well.
>
I love fried mush for breakfast although I rarely make it and have
never made polenta at home. Don't know why, just haven't. The
vegetable store was out of Bob's Red Mill coarse ground polenta, so I
got the finer grind. I'll make that ragu with polenta recipe I've
been eyeing for a couple of weeks tonight and make extra polenta so I
can fry it up another day.


--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On Wed, 19 Jan 2011 13:20:51 -0500, Kate Connally
> wrote:

> I watch her show from time to time, not on a regular basis. But
> I don't recall her ever saying that. Maybe I just wasn't paying
> close enough attention. Anyhoo . . .

She's been on TV a long time and I haven't noticed her saying it
recently, but I don't watch PBS with the regularity I did before
cable.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

sf > wrote:

>On Wed, 19 Jan 2011 13:11:23 -0500, Kate Connally

>> Absolutely no mushrooms. The recipe did not include them
>> but if it had I would have just deleted them. Mushrooms!
>> Yuck! They're *FUNGUS*, people, *FUNGUS*!!!! Related to
>> things like athlete's foot, fer cryin' out loud. Sheesh!

>I love mushrooms. The only mushrooms I will not eat come from a
>can.... I won't eat foraged mushrooms either, but for a completely
>different reason.

I thought it had to have mushrooms (which must be hunted in
the forest) for it to be chicken "Cacciatore".

Lidia's recipe resembles the way I make the dish in some
respects. It am not sure why you need a second pan to
sautee the peppers instead of just making it a one-pan dish.
In any case, I usually brown the chicken in a cast-iron
pan, then assemble all the ingredients in a dutch oven
and place it in the oven.

Steve

sf wrote:


>> On 1/18/2011 5:06 PM, Doug Freyburger wrote:
>>> sf wrote:
>>>> Kate > wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I served it with polenta. This was the first time I had ever had
>>>>> polenta like this.
>>>>
>>>> What was your recipe for the polenta?
>>>
>>> As in what texture, right? Or do you mean what added ingredients? For
>>> texture polenta can be prepared to all sorts of textures. Almost like
>>> couscous through almost like cream of wheat.
>>
>> Mine was like Cream of Wheat. Cooked for 30 minutes.
>>
>>> I picture targetting the
>>> coarser end of the texture spectrum for the polenta because I remember
>>> liking CC served on a bed of steamed arborio short grain rice or on a
>>> bed of pasta.
>>
>> I used to always serve it on my homemade pasta.
>>
> Starch on starch? Ugh.

How is it "starch on starch" to serve chicken cacciatore on homemade
pasta?


Bob

On Wed, 19 Jan 2011 19:29:02 +0000 (UTC),
(Steve Pope) wrote:

> I thought it had to have mushrooms (which must be hunted in
> the forest) for it to be chicken "Cacciatore".

I feel safer hunting for my mushrooms at the grocery store where I
hunt for chicken.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On 1/18/2011 7:10 PM, Omelet wrote:
> Ok, I've stashed this in the recipe file...
> Thanks for posting it! :-)

Every time my mother made chicken cacciatore, we wanted fried chicken,
instead. You know how kids are. It tasted very good, too.

Becca

sf wrote:
> Doug Freyburger > wrote:
>
>> I remember liking CC served on a bed of steamed arborio short grain rice or on a
>> bed of pasta.
>
> No thanks, I'd do one or the other but not together!

Whence the word "or" rather than the word "and". Both have coarser
textures among starches.

On Wed, 19 Jan 2011 14:56:38 -0600, Ema Nymton >
wrote:

> On 1/18/2011 7:10 PM, Omelet wrote:
> > Ok, I've stashed this in the recipe file...
> > Thanks for posting it! :-)
>
> Every time my mother made chicken cacciatore, we wanted fried chicken,
> instead. You know how kids are. It tasted very good, too.
>
Kids like simple meals. Dinner: fried chicken and mashed potatoes.
If it's a picnic, cold fried chicken and potato salad. Vegetables?
What vegetables?


--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On 1/19/2011 1:11 PM, Kate Connally wrote:
> On 1/18/2011 3:01 PM, Andy wrote:
>> Kate,
>>
>> I'd eat that but what, no mushrooms???
>>
>> I know I have low standards but... but...
>>
>> Best,
>>
>> Andy
>
> Absolutely no mushrooms. The recipe did not include them
> but if it had I would have just deleted them. Mushrooms!
> Yuck! They're *FUNGUS*, people, *FUNGUS*!!!! Related to
> things like athlete's foot, fer cryin' out loud. Sheesh!
>

I'm with you on the mushroom thing. Yuck! Thanks for posting your
recipe for CC. I'm going to have to try that.

In article >,
Kate Connally > wrote:

> On 1/18/2011 3:20 PM, sf wrote:
> > On Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:50:44 -0500, Kate Connally
> > > wrote:
> >
> >> I also added garlic, the absence of which I
> >> can't fathom. (It's an *Italian* recipe for cryin' out loud! Isn't it
> >> against the law to make an Italian dish that doesn't contain garlic?
> >
> > PS: Lidia is one of those Italians who doesn't like garlic and used
> > to say it frequently on her show. She was born and raised in a
> > section of Italy that is now modern day Croatia.
>
> I watch her show from time to time, not on a regular basis. But
> I don't recall her ever saying that. Maybe I just wasn't paying
> close enough attention. Anyhoo . . .
>
> I didn't know about the Croatia thing. I thought she was of
> mixed ancestry. Bastianich doesn't sound very Italian so I thought
> her father might have been something else. She sometimes has her
> mother on the show and her mother is *VERY* Italian. :-)

Lidia was born in Istria which has had a mixed Slavic and Italian
population for centuries. Her family strongly identified as Italian and
were forced to leave when the region became part of the former
Jugoslavija. She was around 12 rears old at the time. The "Croatia
thing" would have nothing to do with her not liking garlic. Garlic is
not an uncommon ingredient in that region. There is an Istrian
restaurant in San Francisco called 'Albona'. Their menu can give you
some idea of Istrian food. http://www.albonarestaurant.com/menus.html

D.M.

"Andy" > wrote in message ...

> I didn't like mushrooms for the longest time until I hit on psilocybin
> shrooms in 'Dam. Ever since, I love mushrooms!
>
> Andy

Magic Mushrooms and acid. No wonder you only have 4 brain cells left in
your head.

On Wed, 19 Jan 2011 18:21:46 -0800, Don Martinich >
wrote:

> The "Croatia thing" would have nothing to do with her not liking garlic.

How did you get the idea I said that being from Croatia would be the
reason she doesn't like garlic?

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On 1/19/2011 2:02 PM, sf wrote:
> On Wed, 19 Jan 2011 13:23:09 -0500, Kate Connally
> > wrote:
>
>> On 1/18/2011 5:06 PM, Doug Freyburger wrote:
>>> sf wrote:
>>>> Kate > wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I served it with
>>>>> polenta. This was the first time I had ever had polenta
>>>>> like this.
>>>>
>>>> What was your recipe for the polenta?
>>>
>>> As in what texture, right? Or do you mean what added ingredients? For
>>> texture polenta can be prepared to all sorts of textures. Almost like
>>> couscous through almost like cream of wheat.
>>
>> Mine was like Cream of Wheat. Cooked for 30 minutes.
>>
>>> I picture targetting the
>>> coarser end of the texture spectrum for the polenta because I remember
>>> liking CC served on a bed of steamed arborio short grain rice or on a
>>> bed of pasta.
>>
>> I used to always serve it on my homemade pasta.
>>
> Starch on starch? Ugh.

Uh, the C.C> on pasta, not the polenta on pasta.

Kate

--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?

On 1/19/2011 2:29 PM, Steve Pope wrote:
> > wrote:
>
>> On Wed, 19 Jan 2011 13:11:23 -0500, Kate Connally
>
>>> Absolutely no mushrooms. The recipe did not include them
>>> but if it had I would have just deleted them. Mushrooms!
>>> Yuck! They're *FUNGUS*, people, *FUNGUS*!!!! Related to
>>> things like athlete's foot, fer cryin' out loud. Sheesh!
>
>> I love mushrooms. The only mushrooms I will not eat come from a
>> can.... I won't eat foraged mushrooms either, but for a completely
>> different reason.
>
> I thought it had to have mushrooms (which must be hunted in
> the forest) for it to be chicken "Cacciatore".

No, you hunt the bird not the fungus. But I suppose that while
they were hunting the bird they might have picked up some
fungus to bring back with them.

> Lidia's recipe resembles the way I make the dish in some
> respects. It am not sure why you need a second pan to
> sautee the peppers instead of just making it a one-pan dish.

Because you need to cook the chicken much longer than the
peppers. You could just add them uncooked part way through
cooking the chicken if you didn't want to partially cook
them separately.

> In any case, I usually brown the chicken in a cast-iron
> pan, then assemble all the ingredients in a dutch oven
> and place it in the oven.

That sounds easier. I don't have a dutch oven large enough
that can go in the oven but I guess I could use a large casserole
dish. Or do it in the slow-cooker. I thought about doing that
but decided to do it Lydia's way first.

Kate

--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?

On 1/19/2011 9:21 PM, Don Martinich wrote:
> In >,
> Kate > wrote:
>
>> On 1/18/2011 3:20 PM, sf wrote:
>>> On Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:50:44 -0500, Kate Connally
>>> > wrote:
>>>
>>>> I also added garlic, the absence of which I
>>>> can't fathom. (It's an *Italian* recipe for cryin' out loud! Isn't it
>>>> against the law to make an Italian dish that doesn't contain garlic?
>>>
>>> PS: Lidia is one of those Italians who doesn't like garlic and used
>>> to say it frequently on her show. She was born and raised in a
>>> section of Italy that is now modern day Croatia.
>>
>> I watch her show from time to time, not on a regular basis. But
>> I don't recall her ever saying that. Maybe I just wasn't paying
>> close enough attention. Anyhoo . . .
>>
>> I didn't know about the Croatia thing. I thought she was of
>> mixed ancestry. Bastianich doesn't sound very Italian so I thought
>> her father might have been something else. She sometimes has her
>> mother on the show and her mother is *VERY* Italian. :-)
>
> Lidia was born in Istria which has had a mixed Slavic and Italian
> population for centuries. Her family strongly identified as Italian and
> were forced to leave when the region became part of the former
> Jugoslavija. She was around 12 rears old at the time. The "Croatia
> thing" would have nothing to do with her not liking garlic. Garlic is
> not an uncommon ingredient in that region. There is an Istrian
> restaurant in San Francisco called 'Albona'. Their menu can give you
> some idea of Istrian food. http://www.albonarestaurant.com/menus.html
>
> D.M.

Mmmm. The rabbit sounds very good. Too bad I'll probably never
get to S.F. again. Sigh?

Kate

--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?

On Wed, 19 Jan 2011 23:04:24 -0500, BigBadBubbas wrote:

> "Andy" > wrote in message ...
>
>> I didn't like mushrooms for the longest time until I hit on psilocybin
>> shrooms in 'Dam. Ever since, I love mushrooms!
>>
>> Andy
>
> Magic Mushrooms and acid. No wonder you only have 4 brain cells left in
> your head.

....and they're all at war with each other.

your pal,
blake

On Jan 19, 10:17*am, Kate Connally > wrote:
> On 1/18/2011 3:16 PM, sf wrote:
>
> > On Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:50:44 -0500, Kate Connally
> > > *wrote:
>
> > Thanks for the CC recipe, snipped and saved!
>
> >> * I served it with
> >> polenta. *This was the first time I had ever had polenta
> >> like this.
>
> > What was your recipe for the polenta?
>
> I just used the recipe on the bag of Bob's Red Mill polenta.
> Cook it with water, a little salt, and butter optional (I used
> it, of course. *Butter in *never* optional :-)) *They (or maybe
> another recipe I saw, said you could put it in a bowl and let it
> set for 10 minutes and then turn it out and slice it. *I put mine
> in a loaf pan, which is what I always do for mush for frying) but
> it was still to soft to turn out after about 15 minutes which was
> when the C.C. was done. *So I just scrapes some off the top and
> left the rest to set up in the fridge. *I liked it soft like that.
> Last night I had it sliced and reheated in microwave. *It still
> tasted good but I didn't like the texture as much. *But, hell,
> I'm not going to make fresh polenta every night. *Too much work. *;-)
> Oh, well.
>
> Kate
>
> --
> Kate Connally
> If I were as old as I feel, I d be dead already.
> Goldfish: The wholesome snack that smiles back,
> Until you bite their heads off.
> What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?
>

Leftover polenta is delicious sliced and fried in a little butter,
then served with maple syrup- YUM!

On Thu, 20 Jan 2011 12:25:31 -0500, Kate Connally
> wrote:

> Uh, the C.C> on pasta, not the polenta on pasta.
>
> Kate

I've had polenta on the brain for two weeks... got it out of my system
last night. Sorry.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.