Family Dinner with JP

I just don't get it. Risotto. It is a delicious, tender, flavor-infused dish. It is versatile, and can be made seasonal in a moment's notice. It take very little time. It is always a fan favorite. So why aren't people making risottos like constantly?! This is one of those types of dishes that impresses non-cooks immediately. Which is not to say they're wrong - a finely executed risotto is beautiful and delicious and tastes BIG. But there is this mistake or perpetuated myth that a risotto is tough to make. Spoiler: this one is easy as hell! All it takes is two hands - one to hold your wine and one to do the consistent (not constant) stirring. Time and patience and consistency are the keys to succeeding at just about anything in life. Oh ... and wine. Time, patience, consistency, ample wine. The trick to this particular risotto is the tomato water mixture, which you will use to hydrate the rice as well as infuse everything with a wonderful tomato flavor. Thi...

Given that two of the most popular recipes I've posted on the blog are the pickles and the fried chicken recipes, in hindsight this post seems almost inevitable. But no, yet again I turn to the pages of Bon Appetit for inspiration and recipe.  This pickle-brined fried chicken is a signature dish at Rose's Luxury, recently named the best new restaurant in the United States by Bon Appetit (woooo go DC!), and who am I to disagree? Pickles? Fried chicken? Yes please! So I made this once, and my friend Jess made it once as well. We compared some notes on the process, and in the end, I am adapting the recipe just slightly. Here's a statement I never thought I would make: go with chicken breast instead of thighs. I think this is an issue of expectation - when I bit into the amazing fried chicken, I wanted it to be like a chicken tender - juicy white meat. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't like sipping a diet coke that turns out to be an iced tea. But I think I like my b...

Celery and Gin Tonic. Thai Celery Salad. Celery Soup. Layla suggested a challenge for me: a meal, all in one day, where the primary ingredient in each dish is the same. Yes, I thought, we SHOULD do an all-scrapple extravaganza! Note to my readers: This is not the first time my brain has suggested such a scrappling. I once deemed it the Festival of Scrappleclap. Attendance was low to non-existent. But no, Layla wasn't talking about everything from the rooter to the tooter (thanks, Marq, for teaching me that one). She actually suggested a Tomatoing whilst they were still in season. Instead, for a multitude of reasons, I missed the season. (Editor's Note: Turns out I DIDN'T miss the season!) Then the new issue of Bon Appetit arrived ... The thing about celery is, no one actually likes celery, right? Its the vanilla ice cream of vegetables, right? Celery is nothing but crispness, no flavor, best utilized for dips and peanut butter with raisins. Buy it, chop it into ...