Monthly Archives: February 2012

Hosting this blog

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*sigh*

I decided to move this blog from the confined efficiency of the WordPress servers in search of something with a bigger kitchen. With any move, there are hiccups and other unexplainable anomalies that go on, especially as I venture into the “unknown”. I am currently screaming, “Where did that go!?!?” and “How do I do that?”.

Pardon the mess as I unpack and sort my utensils.

Braised Chicken and Mushrooms – Williams-Sonoma

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Last night, for Valentine’s Day I made this dish. It is a slightly modified version of the dish on Williams-Sonoma’s website found HERE. I will repost the recipe, as I made it last night, for your reference. I did double the recipe, because I like leftovers and it is more economical.

The recipe is one we go to occasionally, but we agreed to make it last night. Since we pre-planned this, I decided to take shots along the way and record my notes for this blog entry. As usual, I have included step by step photos, with instructions, so you can follow along.

Ingredients:

  • 3lbs chicken leg quarters – leg and thigh separated and trimmed of excess fat and excess skin
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 6 Tbs. unsalted butter
  • 2 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 lb. wild and/or cultivated mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/2 cup dry sherry
  • 2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 Tbs. chopped fresh tarragon

Directions:

Brown the chicken
Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. In a large fry pan over medium-high heat, melt 4 Tbs. of the butter. Add the chicken and cook, turning once or twice, until golden brown on both sides, about 8 minutes total. Transfer the chicken to a plate.Cook the vegetables
Melt the remaining 2 Tbs. butter in the pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until barely softened, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté until their juices are released, about 5 minutes. Stir in the Madeira and Worcestershire sauce.Braise the chicken
Return the chicken and any juices from the plate to the pan and spoon the mushrooms over the chicken. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and braise the chicken until opaque throughout, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in the tarragon and season with salt and pepper.
Divide the chicken among dinner plates, spoon the mushrooms over the chicken and serve immediately. Serves 4.

My review of this recipe with pictures (after the jump):

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LEM #8 .35hp Electric Meat Grinder – Review

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Relatives were kind to me this Christmas. I received enough money to buy the top item on my list – an electric meat grinder. If you know anything about me, you know I don’t take shopping for items lightly. I want the most bang for my buck, so I shopped the issue diligently and came to rest between two brands, LEM and Cabela’s. This isn’t to say that there aren’t other wonderful brands out there, because there are, but these two offered units that were well within my price range, offered great warranties and had many good reviews published online.

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