MC

The best gratification a cook can ever get is when you are able to get a huge smile or a “wow..this is so good!!” from your closest friends after preparing a scrumptious meal. I honestly believe that cooking for your friends is so much more satisfying than working at a top restaurant where chefs are almost always taken advantage of and never properly recognized for their continued efforts and constant ability to produce an amazing meal. Since I have been living in my new apartment in Eastern Market I love having dinner parties and hosting my friends at my place– I get so excited when it’s time to cook! Two weeks ago my roommate Nicole and I had a housewarming party where we invited some of our co-workers and closest friends to celebrate our recent move to the Evelyn. For our hors d’oeuvres I made my Nanny’s homemade corn dip, the simplest yet delectable baked brie and some prosciutto date cigars (cream cheese, olive oil, salt & pepper and a date wrapped inside a piece of prosciutto). Everything was a hit! I didn’t even get to really try any of the food because it was all gone by the time I finished- always a good sign 🙂 A lot of our guests kept checking on me to make sure I was ok- I was a little machine in the kitchen- but I don’t think people understand what cooking truly does for me.. it’s one of the biggest therapeutic stress releases, at least for me anyways. I can’t explain it- I just love to do it and make people happy! This past Wednesday night I prepared a birthday dinner for one of my closest friends here in D.C. Maricarmen is really more like the older sister I never had, and I cherish her dearly– she let me live with her in her tiny apartment for four months!! She always made sure I was fed every night I was home- ella es mi hermana que siempre me cuidaba. I am so grateful to have her in my life ❤ Anyways- I invited her to my home on Wednesday to celebrate her birthday with delicious food and delightful conversation. I decided to keep the menu somewhat simple, yet comforting. This was my first real attempt to cook chicken- I hardly ever order or eat chicken when I’m out, mainly because I always prefer fish or red meat (chicken is normally so bland :P), yet I was determined to be successful and produce a delicious plate for my friend. Here was the menu for the evening: Spinach salad with fresh strawberries and goat cheese, Chicken Marsala with pancetta and cream, Glazed baby carrots and for dessert– homemade oreos. I find most of my recipes online- my favorite sites are Huffington Post (you go to the Life & Style tab, and then Kitchen Daily), Simply Recipes, Epicurious and Food Network.com. Below you will find some recipes and photos!

Chicken Marsala with Pancetta and Cream

Ingredients:

• Olive Oil
• 2 oz. pancetta (about a 1/4 in. thick slice), cut into 1/4 in. cubes
• 1/2 medium onion, diced (or you can use chopped shallots)
• Flour for dredging (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 lb. of skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut or pounded into thin cutlets (I actually bought the chicken at Trader Joe’s, and they wrap individual cutlets- so I just made 3 instead of a whole pound)
• Kosher Salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 3/4 cup of dry Marsala wine
• 6 Tbsp. of heavy cream
• Minced fresh flat leaf parsley (this is optional- it’s called to be used as a garnish)

Method:

• STEP 1: Coat a large skillet lightly with olive oil and set it over medium high heat. Add the pancetta and cook until just crip and lightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pan, and set aside. Add the onions to the pan and cook until translucent and slightly browned, 5-10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pan, and set aside.

• STEP 2: Put the flour on a plate. Pat the cutlets dry. Season them on both sides lightly with salt and amply with pepper. Heat the skillet with the pancetta fat over medium high. Add more olive oil, if needed, to get about 2 Tbsp of fat in the pan.

• STEP 3: When the fat is hot, dredge a cutlet through the flour on both sides. Shake off the excess flour and immediately put the cutlet in the pan. Do the same with as many cutlets as will fit in the pan without touching. Sauté the cutlets, turning once, until browned on both sides. If thin, they should cook through in just a few minutes total. Transfer the cooked cutlets to a plate and continue sauteíng the rest, adding more oil if necessary. Transfer these to the plate as well.

• STEP 4: Pour off the excess fat. With the pan over med-high heat, add the Marsala and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the Marsala is reduced by about a quarter. Stir in the cream and boil until you get a nicely thickened sauce.

•  STEP 5: Return the chicken, onions, and pancetta to the pan and turn the cutlets over to coat. Let them reheat for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Serve with the sauce and a sprinkling of parsley. (I didn’t use parsley for my version)

Glazed Baby Carrots

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of small shallots
• 4 tablespoons of butter
• brown sugar (as desired)
• salt
• 1 lb. of baby carrots
• 1/4 cup of water

Method:

• STEP 1: Cook 1 cup of shallots with 2 tablespoons of butter and a pinch each of brown sugar and salt in a skillet until light brown (about 4 min.)
• STEP 2: Add 1 lb. of baby carrots, 2 more tablespoons of butter and 1/4 cup of water (simmer about 5 min).

Homemade Oreos

Ingredients:

FOR THE DOUGH:

• 1 1/3 cups of Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups of granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

FOR THE FILLING:

• 1 stick of unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup of vegetable shortening
• 3 cups of confectioner’s sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Method:

• STEP 1: Prepare the dough: Sift together the cocoa powder, flour and salt in a large bowl.
• STEP 2: Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla, incorporating each ingredient before adding the next. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
• STEP 3: Divide the dough into 2 pieces; place one piece between 2 lightly floured sheets of parchment paper and roll into a 1/4-inch-thick rectangle. Repeat with the other piece of dough. Refrigerate both rectangles, covered with the parchment sheets, until firm, at least 1 hour or up to several days. (I left my dough in the fridge over night)
• STEP 4: Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut the dough into 64 circles. (You can reroll the scraps once.) Place the cookies about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets and chill for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• STEP 5: Bake the cookies until they are set and slightly darker around the edges, about 20 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks.
• STEP 6: Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Using a mixer, cream the butter and shortening until fluffy. Beat in the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla.
• STEP 7: Flip half of the cookies upside down and top each with 1 level tablespoon of filling. Press the remaining cookies on top to make sandwiches.

From the looks on Maricarmen and Nicole’s faces, I could tell that this meal was a success! The chicken was really good- I was worried there might be too much cream but it was balanced out perfectly by the Marsala. It’s amazing how literally just following a good recipe can really produce scrumptious results. I look forward to cooking many more meals in my amazing little kitchen- if you are ever in the D.C. area and are in need of a home-cooked meal, let me know!

~

“In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little, yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face, is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new.”