Chicken Marbella

In recent years, we've served Chicken Marbella (mar-bay-ya) at Wickwood as an appetizer. This updated version is made with boneless/skinless chicken breasts in bite sized pieces and much more of the good stuff so that everyone gets their fair share. We bake it covered so that the chicken doesn't dry out and then flash it under the broiler to brown it just a bit. The leftovers, re-heated with their juices separately reduced, are wonderful over arugula as a lunch or dinner entrée salad. And, thus the secret of why cooking is so intriguing to me ... it satisfies an insatiable curiosity.

The key to this dish is the overnight marination which is essential to its moistness, especially when you're using only chicken breasts. And, the chicken keeps and improves further if you marinate it longer. It's a great dish for entertaining, a week night dinner, or a picnic. It stars in any company it keeps, but especially Nutted Wild Rice and Carrot Cake Cupcakes. Serves 8.

In The Beginning ...

This recipe has become a classic ever since it was first created by the late Sheila Lukins and I while we were cooking for a dinner party in the Spring of 1976, This was long before our partnership, The Silver Palate Shop, or Cookbooks were ever even imagined.

It was all serendipity. Sheila was cooking for my "on again off again" beau” late one afternoon when I suddenly met her for the first time in his kitchen (obviously he and I were unexpectedly “on again”) as she was beginning to cook a dinner for 8 from "found ingredients" out of cupboards I was all too familiar with. She was a caterer who specialized in helping out bachelors. Sheil was their secret ingredient.

Once I understood what was going on, I pitched in as time was growing short and guests would be arriving any minute. We frantically searched for ingredients and immediately bonded over our shared loves of food and travel amidst mountains of almost hysterical laughter.

We'd both recently visited Marrakech and Andalusia and luckily the boring chicken quarters we were facing became inspired by both of those wonderful cuisines. We were desperate. We began to transform them into treasures dotted with flavor gems ... green Spanish olives, capers, prunes and oregano until they began to sparkle. We name it Chicken Marbella after the magnificent Club Marbella, a place we both loved.

The dish won raves that night and has continued to do so ever since. It is a combination of slightly sweet and tart accenting magnified flavors that titillate the palates of just about everyone. It seems to always be the star attraction at a dinner.

"No winter lasts forever. No spring skips its turn."  --- Hal Borland

A Medley of Grains with Herbs, Nuts and Raisins

This dish began as Nutted Wild Rice and has become more interesting over the years as we enjoy an ever expanding array of grains in our cooking. You begin by cooking two cups of your favorite combination of rices be it wild or brown rice, basmati, wild pecan, wheat pilaf, quinoa, black or mahogany Japonica. The more the merrier. Then you add dazzling flavors by the handfuls and magic begins to happen. We serve this warm, or at room temp, in every season of the year. It’s addictive and adapts well. Upon a whim we’ve been known to add generous dashes of Grand Marnier, Calvados , Poire William, Brandy, Smokey Scotch or dry sherry for a bold accent. Serves 8.

1. Macerate the raisins in the orange juice while you cook the rices in the broth and butter according to the instructions on the packages. Be sure to cook them separately and do not overcook.
2. When the rices are done, place them in a large bowl and mix. Drizzle with some of the orange juice, mixing well, and several tablespoons of the olive oil. Then add the raisins, the liquor if you wish, pecans, scallions and mint, seasoning well with salt and pepper. Taste. Add additions of whichever you like. Note: Occasionally we’ve added fresh apples, pears, tangerines to this, or used it as a base for a duck, smoked chicken, dried sausage, or sautéed shrimp salad. The variations are endless.

"The world is mud-luscious and puddle wonderful."   --- e.e. cummings

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Cream

This particular Carrot Cake recipe is a treasure. It was originally Sheila's Mother, Berta's, beloved favorite and over the years we’ve adapted it a bit. Cupcakes are a lighter, yet still very moist, choice to a two- layer cake. Now, we top them with a less sweetened Cream Cheese Cream and they taste more modern. We seem to never tire of this classic and these cupcakes are always on hand for our birthdays. Makes 22-24.

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place paper cup cake liners in a muffin pan.
2. Sift the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and cinnamon into a bowl. Add the oil, eggs and vanilla. Mix well by hand. Fold in the pineapple, carrots, coconut and walnuts.
3. Pour the batter into the cup cake liners, set into a muffin tin, filling almost to the top. Bake for 50 minutes until a toothpick when inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly.
4. Meanwhile, in a medium sized bowl cream together the cream cheese and confectioner's sugar, making sure there are no lumps. Then, gradually add the heavy cream until smooth. Dollop generously over cupcakes as you serve them. Yum. Refrigerate any extra.

"Spring is Nature's way of saying 'Let's Party!'"   --- Robin Williams
 

WE HAVE SPRING FEVER IN SAUGATUCK!

"A little Madness in the Spring is wholesome." --- Emily Dickenson