"The goal was compatibility with Israeli white and red wines and also with a Passover Seder menu. It was a simple one, achieved with dark meat chicken, which goes with either choice and can stand up to slow cooking. I made a pesto with escarole. Among Ashkenazi Jews the bitter herb, or maror, on the ceremonial Seder plate is usually horseradish. But for Sephardic Jews, it is usually a green vegetable like escarole, which Ashkenazi Jews may sometimes include. I spread the pesto on the boned thighs, then enclosed the filling. Matzo meal encouraged a golden crust. The chicken needs no tending during the Seder service. It's a good idea to pray for leftovers, because the chicken, sliced into rounds, is delicious for lunch." — Florence Fabricant
"Priorat, near the Mediterranean coast of Spain and a stone’s throw from Barcelona, produces wines with dark fruit flavors, spice, bold complexity and ample alcohol. To compete with reds like these, the food alongside must take no prisoners.It would have been simple enough to sear some rib-eyes, lamb chops or lusty sausages. But I looked across the Mediterranean to North Africa and came up with a tagine in which chicken is coated with robust spices and becomes more than mere white noise. Eggplant and olives round out the dish, and a splash of sherry vinegar brightens the sauce.If you have yet to equip your kitchen with a genuine terra-cotta tagine, you can cook the dish in a covered sauté pan or a fancy-pants tagine of enameled cast iron." — Florence Fabricant
"Start with a chicken, cut up and ready to sauté, and it’s easy to follow many routes to a finished dish. Here the meat is bathed in a sauce with a musky, chile-fueled bite that is made to behave by plump, sweet prunes. But the dish could also use a vehicle for its abundant, complex sauce. Mashed white or sweet potatoes, soft polenta, tender white beans or plain steamed rice would all be suitable choices." — Florence Fabricant
As far back as 1529, records of chili seasoned stews have been prepared by the Aztecs in Tenochtitlan, now modern day Mexico City. The term “chili con carne," combining the Nahuatl “chili” and spanish “con carne” or with meat, find its origins from writings about the Mexican-American war in 1857, where the army would prepare dried beef, suet and, and dried chilis and salt and dry into bricks to preserve and transport easily and then rehydrate in pots with water to simmer and serve to the soldiers.
This recipe sits among the greatest in memory. Legend says it goes back to when contemporary France was ruled by the Gauls, but curiously, written record of it only dates back to the early 20th century. Julia Child championed the recipe for the American audience in the 1960s.
Just as a little saffron, garlic and paprika can conjure the flavors of Spain, so too will preserved lemons, cumin, mint and olives evoke Morocco. This salad and the accompanying couscous can be doubled or tripled to anchor a generous buffet. Both can be assembled a couple of hours in advance and set aside on a kitchen counter. Serve them at room temperature. — Florence Fabricant
Versatility is what you get with this dish, which borrows its flavors from the Italian staple saltimbocca, a combination of veal, prosciutto and sage. Here, the dark meat of chicken takes the place of veal, and instead of meat slices topped with the ham and herbs, there are plump bundles with the sage inside. Boneless chicken thighs make for easier slicing. Leaving the skin on to brown, provides more flavor, especially with some of the sage tucked underneath. Fingerling potatoes simmer as the chicken braises, and fresh peas contribute a touch of spring for a one-pot meal, not instant but hardly demanding. A final, judicious splash of balsamic vinegar intensifies the sauce. — Florence Fabricant
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