Zinful

Yesterday we had burgers for Indoor Date Night since KK was not working. So, of course with a free night, we often think of wine. My fall schedule seriously curbs my wine intake, but any night I'm not working, my thoughts lean towards what wine I'll have with what food.

Burgers mean different beverages to different people. Some people love them with a super fizzy Coke, or Coke-like product; others always grab a beer. Me, I find nothing better with burgers than a good zinfandel. Lots of peppery spice and ripe fruit! We found a sale at World Market on Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel for about $8. That was a great wine for what we needed. Weekday wines should not blow the old budget, and not be too wimpy that we have to think really hard what they are trying to do with themselves. This Bogle O.V.Z. was not the pepperiest wine, but for $8, I'd do it again.

Bulgarian Potatoes

I knew this would not photograph well, but nothing can stop me. We made this recipe from Gourmet from a series they did on flashback recipes. This one is from 1959, but I found it just as yummy today. Or, last weekend.

We had it with some baked Arctic Char, and a Pinot Grigio. I think it would be even yummier with a Sauvignon Blanc. This recipe is sort of like tangy scalloped potatoes.

Bulgarian Potatoes

2 c 4% cottage cheese (1 lb)
1 stick unsalted butter,melted and cooled slightly (I'd use less next time)
1 1/4 t salt
3/4 t black pepper
3 lb russet potatoes (6 medium, or 3 large)
2 large eggs
1 c plain whole-milk yogurt (8 oz)

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 375 degrees. Butter a 9x12 baking dish. Get out your food processor and mandoline slicer (if handy).

Puree cottage cheese in food processor until very smooth, about 1 minute, then add melted butter, 1 t salt and 1/2 t pepper and blend until combined well. Peel potatoes and slice on a mandoline (or by hand, really carefully, and really thin, like 1/8 inch). Spread one third of the potatoes evenly in one layer in dish and top with one third cottage cheese mixture. Repeat two more times. You should be ending with the sauce, not the potatoes. Cover tightly with foil and bake until potatoes are tender, 60-75 minutes.

Whisk together eggs, yogurt, and remaining 1/4 salt and pepper in a bowl. Pour over potatoes and bake, again, but uncovered, for about 20 minutes or until custard is set. You can even let the top brown a bit.

This can baked one day ahead, cooled completely, then chilled covered with foil. Reheat, covered, in a 375 degree oven until hot, about 30 minutes.

Chicken Paprikash

I saved several recipes from our old Cooks Illustrated magazines before we tossed them. Turns out, I saved this one to try when it got cooler. It didn't really get that much cooler, but Saturday we had the remnants of Hurricane Ike which turned out to be a whole day of dribbling, drooling rain. It felt like fall enough to try this.

Note: This requires a dutch oven, which we do not have. I used a Calphalon, oven safe pot and it worked just fine going in the oven. If you don't have an oven-safe pot to cook in, I think this could be done entirely on top of the stove.


Chicken Paprikash
(serves 4, can be made in advance without the sour cream)
(best with buttered egg noodles, but rice will do)

8 bone-in chicken thighs, about 3 lbs (I hate thighs, even my own, so I used skinless breast meat cut in chunks to look like thighs)
salt and ground black pepper
1 t vegetable oil
1 large onion, halved and sliced thin
1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, halved, sliced 1/4 inch strips
1 large green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, halved, sliced 1/4 inch strips
3 1/2 T sweet paprika
1/4 t dried marjoram
1 T all-purpose flour
1/2 c dry white wine
1 can (14.5 oz) dived tomatoes, drained
1/3 c sour cream
2 T chopped fresh parsley

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat to 300 degrees for later. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil on stovetop in a dutch oven or large oven-safe pot on medium high until shimmering but not smoking. Brown chicken (in batches if necessary) on both sides until medium brown, about 5 minutes per side for large chunks. Transfer to a plate.

If there is a lot of chicken fat in the pan, drain off most of it. Then cook the oven, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add red and green peppers, stirring occasionally, until onions are browned and peppers are soft, about 3 minutes. Add 3 T of the paprika, marjoram and flour; cook until fragrant, stirring constantly about 1 minute. Add wine, scraping bottom of the pan to get any stuck-on bits, then stir in tomatoes and 1 t of salt.

Add chicken pieces (submerge 'em) and any juices that have accumulated in the plate, put a lid on it, and toss the whole thing in the oven. Cook until chicken is completely cooked, about 30 minutes (or less if using just white meat). Remove pot from oven. (If making ahead, let it cool to room temperature and refrigerate. Warm it up slowly and proceed when ready.)

The recipe now says to remove the chicken and put on individual plates, then cream up the hot sauce, then spoon over the chicken. I say, come on, let's just make a simple stew. I shredded our chicken and kept it in the pot. But do as you wish.

Combine sour cream and remaining 1/2 T paprika in a small bowl. Add some of the hot sauce into sour cream and stir, then add to the pot. Serve over hot buttered noodles and sprinkle with parsley.

This is very yummy with a Viognier. It balances the sweet and smoky stew beautifully.

Thin Crust Pizza

Several of you know, first hand, our favorite local pizza source. Zuroma is the only place we order from for witnesses (guests), since it is pretty dependable. And they have this signature thin crust that is cracker-like so you can eat more of it and not get full.

Wait, that is a lie. Every time we order from them we get a large and pretty much split it between the two of us. I regret it afterwards everytime, but never while I'm eating it. They have several signature pizzas, and we've tried several of them, but our regular request is the veggie. It just tastes the best to us. Lots of olives! But it is the unique crust that keeps us coming back. We request our pizza raw so we can freeze it and bake it later right on the oven rack.

I've tried to replicate the crust many times, and searched the internet for recipes to try to get that thin style that does NOT taste like Pizza Inn. I finally put "cracker" in my search and got this pizza crust recipe.

I needed it fast and didn't wait the 24 hour rise required, but I've got to tell you: It was the yummiest pizza I have ever made. Now, you have to like the cracker thin style to agree with me. (Dad, I know your heart belongs to thick crust.) I'll do it again and start the night before letting it rise in the fridge like they ask. Several times during the process I thought it would bomb, but it rolled out very easy and very thin, and baked up like a champ.

Friday nights were made for pizza. And your loved ones deserve the best: a homemade pizza. (Except for Chris and Beth, who have amazing pizza delivery options.)

It is Finished.

I decided to spend today indoors working on the mural and finished it in about 6 hours. Not to underplay the masterpiece Shaw is working on in the kitchen (installation of under-cabinet lights), I am rather pleased with the results. Either way, everyone who comes in our house and sees it will either love it or hate it and lie. I don't care. No one else has a mural like mine.

And if we hate it in a year, I can always paint over it. I still think it is cheaper than putting furniture there.

Just In Case...

I might not ever finish this mural I'm painting in the entryway. Perhaps if I put the roughed out preliminary on the web, it might just guilt me into finishing it. My goal is to finish it by the time September ends.

Here it is with just the background colors and sketched out subject. It should have many more colors and much more texture when it is finished.