Grilled Marinated Chicken Breasts with Pasta, Fresh Roasted Vegetables, EVOO & Lemon

This is a recipe I recently created for the 15-20 sophisticated palettes of the ladies Syosset Garden Club located here in New York in the port Town of Oyster Bay.
Over the years I've built a reputation among the local populace for preparing dishes that satisfy...and I didn't want to disappoint these ladies...especially since my wife, Sandy, was the designated head hostess for this day's luncheon.
When one prepares food for groups, one must be cognizant of dietary restrictions. Beyond dietary restrictions, I have found that you must be careful with garlic.
As a result, I decided to update my 2013  Fresche Verdure Arrostite con Olio Extra Vergine D'oliva, Aglio Fresco e Limone recipe, and prepare it without garlic for this event. Another factor in preparing without garlic was this dish was going to be served with grilled marinated teriyaki chicken  and I just didn't think the garlic would work.
What veggies are tasting best at any particular time of year is always a factor in the preparation...thus for this dish this time of year I included a load of mini yellow, orange and red sweet peppers (no green) along with fresh string beans, eggplant, sweet onions, organic baby carrots and broccoli. Roasting can be quite forgiving when veggies are not in season, and the use of carrots and onions (2/3 of a Mirepoix) can sure help sweeten any dish naturally.
The only real work is preparing the eggplant, since you must kosher salt it, drain the bitter juices out, rinse off the salt and then dry it. This step will virtually eliminate any bitter taste and will help prevent the eggplant from soaking up too much **EVOO in the early preparation stages.
The rest is simple. I have reduced the recipe by about 1/2 since the quantity of veggies prepared for 15-20 ladies at the Syosset Garden Club luncheon won't be necessary. This will prepare enough for 8 as a main course or at least 12 as an appetizer.

Here goes...

Roasted Vegetables

*1/2 lb. baby carrots
*1 small eggplant/sliced in half lengthwise with skin on and both halves cut into approximate 2"x1" pieces
*2 heads broccoli / florets only
*2  lbs. peppers/sliced in half lengthwise with pith and seeds removed from inside the peppers. Not removing the pith can create a bitter taste
*1/2 lb. fresh string beans/ends sliced off
*1 huge onion/slice in half and slice the halves into 4 pieces each...thus you will have 8 chunks of onion.    Don't worry if the onion pieces separate
*1/2 fresh lemon / squeezed
*3 tsp. KOSHER salt
*Fresh mill pepper
*1/2 cup **EVOO


-In a very large bowl, mix gently and thoroughly all veggies with 1/2 cup **EVOO, lemon and 2 tsp salt.  The last teaspoon will be used in the final preparation.
-You will need 2 non-stick roasting pans. Place half of mixture in each pan in a single layer. Two pans will help the roasting process be more efficient since less moisture will be created in the roasting process and help prevent steaming of veggies which can make them soggy.
-Place in a 425 degree pre-heated oven for about 35-40 minutes or until the veggies are nicely browned and the broccoli a bit crispy. It's important to toss very gently, especially near the end, every 8-10 minutes.
Gentle tossing will help prevent the vegetables from falling apart.
-I use two large spoons to lift the veggies and flip them so roasting is more even.
-When roasting is finished, let veggies sit aside in roasting pans.

Pasta

*3/4 lb + pasta
*1/4 stick SWEET unsalted butter
*2 Tbsp. **EVOO
*1 tsp. kosher salt
*mill pepper to taste

Pasta suggestion: I blend a few shapes such as farfalle/bow ties, shells and/or rotini twists.You can do whatever shape you like as long as they are relatively small. By that, it means I don't suggest rigatoni.
-Cook Pasta in at least 4 quarts of salted water (you'll need a large pot for blending pasta and veggies) and according to instructions on box. Al Dente is not suggested here because al dente pasta will tend to soak up moisture and dry out the dish.
-When draining the pasta, reserve 1/2 cup of the warm starched pasta water.


Grilled Marinated Chicken

I find the best marinade in the land is Soy Vay Very Very Teriyaki. They make other flavors, however this is my secret. All good ingredients and flawless results. My other secret is "Manodori" Balsamic Vinegar, the best tasting balsamic in the whole wide world...that is, according to me.


*3 LARGE Bell & Evans Chicken Breasts / pounded to 1" thick...no thinner
*1 jar Soy Vay Very Very Teriyaki Marinade...reserve 1/3 cup from the bottle for finishing.
*1 Tbsp "Manodori"  Balsamic
*Marinate chicken for at least two hours in the Soy Vay and Balsamic blend .Toss away and do not use any marinade as  I'm sure you are all aware. You can boil it to re-use as it is safe, however the "ick" factor can turn some off to this process. If you choose to re-use any boiled marinade, you can add some sweet butter in order to smooth out the reduced  and more concentrated flavor created by the boiling and reduction process.
*Grill on B-B-Q...set aside unsliced for 5-6 minutes after grilling
*Slice with the grain 1/4" thick slices on a plate (This will preserve juices. A wood cutting board will absorb some of the juices). I use an electric knife. Very quick and efficient.
*Place in bowl and add the leftover 1/4 cup of  marinade while chicken is still warm and toss gently to coat all chicken pieces.

Final Preparation

- In your large pot on medium heat, add the 1/4 stick of butter until melted
- Add the 2  Tbsp.**EVOO
-Place cooked warm pasta back in pot and turn off heat at this time
-Add veggies to pasta along with the 1/2 cup starched pasta water, fresh mill pepper and salt to taste with  the  left over teaspoon of salt. Toss Gently.
-Place on a platter and cover the entire dish with grilled chicken slices. Optional on top is a garnish of basil  chiffonade
                                                                          

-The dish is served warm and the chicken can be served at room temperature

That's it!

Please read this recipe through first. It will make more sense as it includes some technique and suggestions.

**EVOO = Extra Virgin Olive Oil


Mangia Baby!
Chef Bert

Sara-Beth's Spaghetti with Butter and Ketchup Recipe

I've never published a response to any of my phoodographandfinds entries, however today is the exception. I think most non-believers, after reading Sarah Beth's comment, may be inspired enough to try this age-old recipe. Maybe...just maybe I would get my nephew Jeremy to try my spaghetti with butter and ketchup recipe.
Although he is a big fan of my cooking, he couldn't imagine how such a dish could taste good. Don't worry Jeremy... Your dad will try it and then you will try it...and you'll wonder why you waited so long. Right, Sara-Beth?

Sara-Beth commented...

Oh Bert! What a delight finding you has been. I grew up with spaghetti and ketchup as a traditional family dish. My Russian immigrant grandmother made it for her daughters and the one who was her mother made it for me! To this day, it is my go-to crappy day comfort food!

However, our recipe does not add any pasta water, and we put a shameful amount of butter back into the heavy stockpot in which we boiled the spaghetti and then we squirt the ketchup all over, stirring with a fork to get that butter and ketchup distributed properly into the golden orange color and then we walk away and let it "burn" a little to get these golden (to black) crispy bits which we mix back in and crown portions of this dish with. Depending on how much crispy you got, was how much Mom loved you that night!

I have perfected this comfort dish, that up until today I thought only I ate and only when I was alone, by burning some and then redistributing the pasta on the bottom of the pot to burn more and repeating this until I have the perfect balance of soft and tender with crispy and fried!

YUM! And thanks for making me feel better about this dish - and myself - you took the shame out of my comfort food for me!

January 31, 2014 at 1:52 PM 

'Unstuffed' Stuffed Cabbage Soup

The timing is perfect! This entire first week of the new year 2014 is supposed to be sub freezing in the NYC metro area.
This Friday, January 2nd, the weathermen & women predict a low of 4 degrees fahrenheit and below zero a little bit further up north.
Besides, or in addition to, a blazing fireplace...what better way to keep yourselves warm and cozy but with a nice hot bowl of soup and a loaf of your favorite bread?
In this case, pumpernickel or rye is my choice to accompany this recipe of  Unstuffed Stuffed Cabbage Soup.

The one beautiful thing about this recipe is that all you have to do is put everything in the pot...in almost no particular order...and simply let it cook. The only work is to drain the excess liquid fat out of the beef.


Are you ready? The shopping list/ingredients include:

5 lb. green cabbage...sliced thin and thick. I like two or even 3 widths.
2.5 lb. chopped beef ...cooked/fat drained
1 very large onion ...diced and sauteed
3.5+ quarts water
3 cups white vinegar
4 large lemons/juice squeezed
2.5 cups dark brown sugar
8-10 oz golden raisins
2 large apples/ chopped fine or Cuisinart
1 1/4 cup your favorite white rice (I like Arborio)
1 6oz. can tomato paste
2 28 oz. cans plum tomatoes pureed in a blender or Cuisinart
1.5-2 Tbsp. kosher salt

...and you will need at least a 12 qt. stockpot...20 qt. preferred


Technique:

*On medium high, break up and cook ground beef until pink is gone. Immediately drain off excess liquid fat and set aside
*Saute in same pot one very large chopped onion until translucent
*Put beef back in pot with sauteed onions...add 1/2 Tbsp kosher salt...and stir
*On same medium high setting, add tomato paste to beef and stir. This step colors the beef a more palatable pale orange vs. brown. It's not critical you follow this step, however this is my preference
*Add the pureed tomatoes, water, white vinegar, juice from the 4 lemons, brown sugar, apples, the rest of the salt and sliced cabbage to the pot. I put the cabbage in last. Bring to a light boil and reduce the heat to medium low
*Cook covered stirring once every 15-20 minutes for about 1 hour 45 minutes
After that time add the rice and raisins. This step will thicken the soup and it will require stirring more often (about every ten minutes). Cook partially covered for about 45 more minutes and then taste and determine if you feel a need for more salt. I do!
Stir...turn off heat...and let sit covered for about 30 minutes before serving
*Serve with bread and butter. Yum!

Serves 15-16 as a main course with bread. You can always cut the recipe in half if you don't want to make that much
Depending on how thick you like your soup, you may want to add more water while heating up to serve. That's it!


                                                                   Mangia Baby!


As always, please feel free to comment below. Just love comments!

Hey Hey Ralphie...How 'Bout A Slice O Full Moon And Some Cannoli?

It was a sign! Plain & Simple...

A poster picture I took coming out of the train show in the Botanical Garden.

Sandy, Emma and I started our evening at the Beautiful Anytime of Year Bronx Botanical Gardens to see the annual Holiday Train Show.
The plan was to see the show at the NYBG, get over to Arthur Avenue for some pizza and then head home.
Not so plain and simple for me when it comes to Arthur Avenue.

                                                               NYBG Christmas Tree

What is the Annual Holiday Train Show at the New York Botanical Gardens in the Bronx?
This show features model trains traveling around the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory among the 140 or so replicas of New York City landmark buildings. Other notable landmark structures from around the world are also on display.
The truly amazing thing about this show is that these replicas are created by using only plants and trees.


http://www.nybg.org/

Macy's Herald Square NYC

The Leaning Tower of Pisa

This annual Holiday Train show is popular with families...young and old(er) alike. Kids love watching the trains and finding buildings and landmarks, like Yankee Stadium., while the adults will be impressed with the beauty and detail of them.

What happened next was kismet, or in plain English...destiny.
On September 30th, 2013 @ www.phoodographsandfinds.com, we serendipitously stumbled onto a slice of pizza at Ivana's on Arthur Avenue and wanted to come back for more. However, when we arrived, it was closed. Since there are really no shortage of pizza restaurants in the area, we drove around the block to see if there was a spot that looked like it was for us. Sandy said let's try the one on the corner...Full Moon Pizzeria. That's right, Full Moon...remember? And check out the real moon in the upper left hand corner of the pic.

Lucky for us Gerardo was running the counter.
The reason I say lucky is because this is the kind of fellow who knows how to treat his customers.
I had Sandy and Emma in the car (where we decided to eat)...and needed to prepare these large Full Moon slices of pizza in such a way that they would be the right size for everyone. You know; like mama, papa, and baby bear size slices.
Gerardo was gracious and accommodating as he sliced the slices how I asked, with a smile, into all different percentage sizes.

There was a fellow eating pizza at another table who was having a good time taking all of this in and marveling at what we had going on. We owe it to this unnamed fellow for taking the pictures that Gerardo was again gracious enough to be part of once I let him know I wanted them to write this story.
Bottom line: This pizza was extraordinary.
Again, it's hard to explain what is the best, since it's sooooo subjective. There was something very different about the pizza at Full Moon. It was a thin crust as are many artisanal pizza crusts, and it had a very distinctive and unique flavor that was familiar to me. I realized what it was regarding the crust while returning for one more slice before we left. It was either cornmeal or semolina on the bottom that the pizza pie is prepared with.
I use cornmeal when I make my pizza in order to make sure the pizza slides off the paddle easily. What I found over the years is that it also adds a nice flavor...and...as Gerardo so eloquently put it when I asked him about it, "it adds a nice crunch".
The texture and flavor of the cheese and pizza/tomato sauce on their pie was distinctive as well, however more aligned with the traditional taste of pizza and not the artisanal style. One more thing I loved...and have never seen anywhere else, is the way they serve their red pepper flakes. They're ground in such a way that there are no large visible seeds or flakes to speak of. They  are simply ground into a finer consistency. Fabulous!
As a result, the only thing I can say is that it's a slice of pizza that stands alone and cannot really be compared to others. Now that's exciting!
You simply have to taste it for yourself...and I guarantee you will be glad you made the time to go.
If the timing is right, maybe you'll get to meet Gerardo, who just happened to be the son of  Stan, proprietor and owner of The Full Moon Pizzeria on Arthur Avenue (technically 600 E. 187th Street) in the beautiful Bronx , New York, USA!

www.originalfullmoon.com

On the way out of Bronx's Little Italy , Sandy, Emma and Gramps had an urge for dessert. I'm thinking for Sandy and me...Cannoli...and Tri-Color cookies for Emma. Next stop simply because it was there...and so was a parking space...Egidio Pastry Shop....Celebrating 100 years in business. Can you imagine...100 years?!
                                           

                                 
Upon entering Egidio's, I was nicely greeted by  Perla and proprietor and owner Maria Lucciola...otherwise known to her friends and family as "Carmela".

Everything looked sooo good, however there was no way to try everything. Simply put, I went with plan A.
Cannoli and Tri-Color cookies.Check these out!

                                                                           Egidio's Cannoli

Custard Filled Mini Eclairs

Bottom line...Cannoli were a great as the looked... and Emma "loved" the Tri-Color Cookies.

Another social success.

Thank you Perla and Carmela!

As always, please feel free to comment below.

Mangia Baby!

Bert

Sandy & Chuck @ The Town of Oyster Bay Oyster Festival

                         The most sincere politician I've ever known and Sandy

Short & Sweet...The Best Cannoli In The Land

We're in New York. Everything is supposed to be better in New York...right? The great equalizer, however, is relativity...and what does one think is the best? What this means is that there is no real best of anything. It's what you like...and in this case what I feel extremely confident you will like!
That said, you can trust me when I say I have found "The Best Cannoli In The Land" right here on Long Island.

We know about the venerable and revered cannoli havens in NYC, namely Veniero's on 2nd Avenue and Ferrara's in Little Italy. In the Bronx, there is Delillo's on Arthur Avenue.
In Boston, The Modern Bakery and Mike's Pastry on Hanover St. in the North End (Boston's Little Italy) get kudos for their cannoli...although my hands down favorite in Boston is the cream filled "Lobster Claw" at Mike's.
I'm sure that some of my readers have their favorite baker somewhere in Brooklyn, where the second best cannoli probably live.
I'm not saying all of these places have fabulous cannoli. All you have to do is Google reviews of any of these and you can walk away with a pretty good understanding as to whether or not they live up to their reputations.
Before I announce the Best Cannoli In The Land...let's address what I define as the best.
*I don't like shells that are too crispy since they can crumble.
* They need to have slight crisp texture and a nice bite, yet remain intact.
* The entire cannoli needs to be filled. Invariably, the cream in many instances just simply doesn't make it  makes it through from end to end, thus an almost hollow center exists in many cannoli.
* I also love the little semisweet chocolate bits blended into the cannoli cream.
There is no recipe from me in this entry and I don't think the time will come where I make my own...especially when I can go to the Alpine Pastry Shop in Smithtown, Long Island, New York. Yup folks...plain and simple..."The Best Cannoli In The Land" is at the Alpine.
Chocolate covered or plain? I  gravitate to the plain coated with confectioners sugar, otherwise the chocolate coated ones can obscure the taste of the cannoli cream and compete with the bittersweet chocolate bits I look for.
Bottom line...trust me.
They are my definition of the best...and worth the ride from anywhere on Long Island.

They even make MINI cannoli which you can eat by the half dozen!
Closer to home, Matteo's Italian Restaurant in Roslyn, Long Island offers a wonderful dessert of cannoli cream served with biscotti for dipping. If you go to Matteos, recently lauded by Howard Stern, ask for David and tell him Bert sent you.



                                                                       Mangia Baby!
                                                                              Bert



PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COMMENT. IF YOU HAVE SOMEWHERE THAT YOU THINK IS "THE BEST CANNOLI IN THE LAND", LET ME KNOW!

Phabulous Phood, Phriends and Personality @ Tony's Di Napoli in New York City

When my friend Brad comes to town from his ranch in Texas, along with his friend (and now mine), "Record Man" and Turkey Fryer expert Ernie Phillips from Greenville, Mississippi, it's time to celebrate.

The fact that  the number one social occasion of the world revolves around food...and that the number one food most of the world enjoys is Italian...I chose Tony's Di Napoli family style Italian restaurant on West 43rd Street for our evening soiree. I say soiree, because every time I go to Tony's I feel like I'm being entertained because many of the waiters and waitresses at Tony's are involved in the entertainment world on Broadway. My personal favorite entertainer (and waitress) at Tony's is Kathy. She's phabulous!
What sets Tony's apart from other restaurants besides their food is personality. This is something I always look for in a restaurant and a prerequisite if I am to consider it worthy of an entry into www.phoodographsandfinds.com.
Of course it has it's visual personality, however I'm talking abut the kind of personality that makes one feel as if they are coming home. The scene is set by managing partner Bruce Dimpflmaier and his perpetually smiling dynamic duo of maitre d's, Dreni and Ciro. One gets the feeling that these folks really love what they do...and when you love what you do, it filters down to the staff and the customer feels it. I think you get the picture.
It was exactly one year ago that I experienced a dish at Tony's that inspired me. So much so, it is now one of my favorites and one I prepare for myself and my clients.
They call it Ravioli Bolognese. Simple name for a simple dish? Uh-uh!

Ernie Presents Ravioli Bolognese

What sets this entree apart besides the ravioli (no sources, but I can tell you it's one of  the three in my "Ravioli Bolognese Parmigiano" entry) and Tony's wonderful meat sauce is the baked-on coating of Parmigiano Reggiano, not mozzarella, that is melted on top.Utter perfection!
When was the last time you had a dish of anything baked with this wonderful cheese on top?
My version, which doesn't really veer off of  Tony's recipe, is in the above November, 2012 entry.
Check it out!

Even though I would have liked Brad and Ernie to experience the virtues of  Tony's veal (A veal chop pounded down and served Milanese style with a chopped tomato and onion salad on top), they seemed happy with a Caesar salad and our baked ravioli dish.

I think the biggest surprise came with dessert. Although I know the portions at Tony's are traditionally large...as they are at all "family style" restaurants, we were all surprised and taken aback by the size and presentation of the strawberry shortcake. It was truly Texas size!

Ernie with Tony's Strawberry Shortcake

Oooooh Oooooh Ernie...Can I have some, huh huh?

Brad's Tiny (not really) Cheesecake

 Brad wanted cheesecake and phinished it off his tiny little piece (not really) all by himself, while Ernie and I had a hard time phinishing off half of our excellent last course. No wonder! It was almost 8" long, 5" wide and 5" high with 4 layers of pound cake, vanilla & strawberry ice cream, strawberries and whipped cream.
Wish I could have gotten it to go.
One last thing. You have to know what to order in any restaurant as not all dishes will please all people.
I can only talk about my experiences at Tony's and the dishes I feel excel.
I have just mentioned a few...and as one of my favorite songwriter's*** once wrote...
                                               "I've said my piece and I'll leave it all up to you"...

                               Ernie & Bert...or...errr...Bert & Ernie with another Phood Phind!

                                                                     Mangia Baby!
                                                                           Bert

                                      ***Ok...It was Justin Hayward from The Moody Blues


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