This is Why I Love Cooking

PORK AND FIRE!!

And people looking at me like I'm crazy when I start enthusiastically giggling at this.

Chicken and Eggplant Lasagna?

This is what 6 cups of cheese on top of a pan of deliciousness looks like.


A long time ago I had made a lasagna with chicken , spinach, and fried eggplant. Like lasagna usually does it took forever to make. So this time around I decided to use the eggplant as the pasta and do it more as a casserole than a lasagna.


I didn't cook the spinach before adding it to the ricotta, and I had nowhere near enough eggplant to use it as a layering agent. The results are a kinda wet almost stew like dish with fried eggplant, chicken tenders, spinach, ricotta, fresh garlic, and could I say anything else that would make this sound more delicious?

This is a stolen salad from Dewey's Pizza in Newport. Romaine and spinach with tomatoes, bacon, boursin (two of the 4 b's of deliciousness), pumpkin seeds, and a homemade basil and garlic balsamic vinaigrette.

And what dinner is complete without the cat getting hair in everything. It also went really well with Huber's Sweet Marcella wine. The leftovers were really good too.

My Birthday!

I know my birthday is in July, I'm just really bad at the normal blog posting.

Queen of Sheba is an Ethiopian restaurant here in town and since I know nothing about Ethiopian cuisine I really wanted to go for a birthday dinner. I've always been one to go for the meals that are just as much about who your with as the food itself. The menu is primarily a single diner set up but there are a few options for group sample dishes.
Bring on the sampler!


A tasty beef entree, chicken with peppers and onions in an interesting spice blend, a couple of sides including a killer green bean side dish, and your salad all on one plate. How freakin cool is that? The scrolls are an Ethiopian bread made with a flour native to the country. It has a really weird flavor that gets you in the back of the mouth but not in a bad way. It's different. And it's really, really good.


On the menu is the note "forks available upon request." Handi-naps are table side with the sugar packets, and under the glass on the table is a little info on Ethiopia, maps and such. A really cool place, and I look forward to adding it to the list of in town awesomeness right next to Vietnam Kitchen.

Who needs forks?

The Best Philly Steak in Town?

When it comes to hole in the wall food establishments you get one of two options. Either it is so terrible you leave before the food gets there, read cafe 360, or you are pleasantly surprised despite the homely decor.


Stacey and I walked into River City Cafe to about 3 tables, 2 couches, newspapers scattered about, menu hand written on the wall, and 1 extremely bored looking employee watching a portable TV at the counter. Nothing to make me turn around yet, and I'm glad we didn't.

The sandwich came with some thick cut kettle chips, and a can of soda with cup of ice. It was delicious! I'm not going to say it was the best in town, but it was top 3. The bread was where it was lacking. All in all though a great lunch.

Let's start with the basics.

Whole roasted chicken with root vegetables and fresh tomato slices.

This was the first use of my newest kitchen favorite. I would never have thought of a tephlon roasting pan, which is embarrassing because of just how smart and practical it is. I used it later to make bbq ribs (without spraying it down) and the burnt sauce wiped off after a hot water bath. Incredible!

Now to the chicken. Stacey picked up a organic and possibly free range? chicken that was marked down cheap. Frugal and delicious. I threw some fresh herbs under the skin and barded the chicken with about 6 slices of the best bacon ever. The root vegetables were beets, turnips, parsnips, and baby red skin potatoes. We had been hitting up the local vegetable market after finding out that for the quality of their produce, the price wasn't unreasonable. I rolled them in olive oil and fresh garlic, and went pretty heavy handed with the salt and fresh ground pepper. The tomatoes were pretty much just an after thought, but probably the thing that put the dish right over the top.

Hardware:

Lightly greased roasting pan
Large Bowl
Digital probe Thermometer (optional, but worth it for ease of cooking)


Software:

1 whole fryer chicken
2-8 slices of bacon (based on size of bird)
TT fresh herbs and garlic
Root vegetables (I went with 3-4 per person)
Olive oil as needed
Salt and Pepper as needed
5 cloves fresh garlic
Fresh tomatoes

Method:

Preheat over to 350F
Peel and medium dice all root vegetables.
Place in bowl with olive oil, garlic, and s&p and toss. Set aside.

Fold the wings behind themselves, wing tips to shoulders. If you have butcher twine, tie together the legs.
With paring knife peel up the skin over breast but don't remove.
Insert herbs and garlic and pull skin back over.
Place in roasting pan and squeeze the chicken together. The more compact the bird, the less dry it will be later.
Surround with root vegetables and top with bacon.

Cook to 165F or the juices run clear. About and hour or so.

Enjoy!