Sunday At the Giacomettis

Came in so late without a plan.  Since we seem to be on the subject of chicken,   I opened the refrigerator and realized I had a whole Organic chicken, cleaned and cut up ready for something, but was not sure what to do.  My husband gets tired of chicken easily so I had to come up with an excuse quickly.  A jar of mixed olives unopened was in the pantry.   A simple combination of great flavors concluded a great dish~Here is a dish that requires very little work. My favorite recipes~ Buon Appetito Ingredients: One whole chicken about 3-4 pounds cut up into small pieces.  flour to coat salt pepper to taste 1 / 12oz jar of mixed Greek and french olives/ drained and set aside. 3 cloves of garlic 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 cup white wine salt and pepper to taste 2 additional tablespoons of olive oil upon the chickens return to the pan in step 2 1. Drain and dry with paper towels your cut up chicken....

I felt the need to comment on this recipe, as I have seen one to many chefs on TV destroy such a classic dish.  Why? I have recently sent a message regarding this to Marcella Hazan.  I need some help settling the matter once and for all.  So, as I await her response, I thought I would comment on my recent experience.  This is the way my mother made it.  It's uncomplicated, classic and oh so good.  I am convinced that even this classic recipe varies regionally in Italy.  My mother is from the Puglia region, my father from Vietri and my husband from Rome.   I imagine that this recipe has Neopolitan routes as my father insisted my mother cook it this way.  My kitchen is always confused, but somehow classic always prevails.   Here is my version.  I have a friend who raises organic chickens.  I love it when she comes for a visit.  The taste reminds me of home.  Thank you Ms. Gina, for ...

Why are we so intimidated by artichokes?  For me,  it's heaven on earth.  This beautiful vegetable has been around since before Biblical time, yet many have not learned how to clean one let alone cook one properly.  I learned a long time ago from my mother.  I could never understand how something so unattractive could taste so good when cooked.    Today, it's even a luxury for me to find them in Memphis TN.  Lately, these out of California have been showing up year round.  Unfortunately, Memphis is 85 miles away, a long way to go for some artichokes.  Here are a few easy steps to consider when cleaning baby artichokes.  Same rules apply when cleaning Globe, the larger variety often found in supermarkets.  It's important to note that the larger the artichoke, the more you will lose when peeling away to get to the edible parts.   If you haven't tried an artichoke yet, pick yourself up some.  It has a ver...

What  wonderful festive pasta for a Friday night dinner.   We don't live in an area where we can find fresh Shrimp.  There are some good quality bags of frozen shrimp out there.  I look always for wild caught, Atlantic/Pacific shrimp.  I picked up several frozen bags of good quality Atlantic shrimp while at the Whole foods Market in Memphis, TN.   I always keep a can of Italian black olives in the pantry.  There are always salted Sicilian capers in the refrigerator.  There is never a shortage of white wine.  I went to the garden to pick some cherry tomatoes,   If you are in a hurry, this sauce is not only fresh, but full of flavor.  You will be making it too. Ingredients:  Serves 4-6 people. About one pint of cherry tomatoes/ rinsed and dried 4 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling one can of Italian black olives, drained and rinsed. one large clove of garlic diced or l...