I updated you last time on books and movies, so now it’s time for food! (Although I realized I omitted a movie we saw: “Mickey 17,” which stars Robert Pattinson as a “disposable,” meaning he has agreed to allow his body to be modified so that every time he dies, he comes back regenerated. They test drugs on him, send him on dangerous missions, etc., and every time he dies an awful death and then wakes up in a new iteration of himself. Yes, it’s sci fi, but it’s also very dark comedy, and I do really like watching Pattinson. It also stars Mark Ruffalo as an over-the-top narcissistic idiot of a politician (merge our current prez with the Meryl Streep character in “Don’t Look Up” for a rough idea) and Toni Collette as his wife.
And so on to food! We were up in Ogunquit for the weekend and somehow managed to not get lobster rolls! But I did have some splendid fish tacos, and my favorite entree of all time, anywhere, which is the shellfish risotto at the Front Yard, and which I get every single time we go up there. I have never had anything like it anywhere that comes even close.
Oh, and then of course fried clams at Bob’s on the way home, because that’s the law.
And before we get to the recipes, I wanted to share a tip I learned. I was making a recipe (it was meh, so I won’t bother sharing it here) that called for ⅓ cup rice flour. That’s not something I keep at home, and I wasn’t thrilled about buying a whole package for such a small amount. But then I learned that you can simply blitz raw white rice in a blender or food processor until it’s pulverized, then pass it through a fine-mesh sieve. Instant rice flour! It worked great. Too bad the recipe was a downer—but now I’m even more glad I didn’t spring for a whole bag of rice flour at the market!
OK, now I’ll share two recipes that are keepers. The first one I’ve already made more than once—it’s very quick and easy and tasty. I tried Trader Joe’s frozen Spanish-style rice for the first time, and it was a perfect accompaniment—4 minutes in the microwave, and Bob’s your uncle. I don’t have a photo of this dish, but you can use your imagination.
Easy Chicken Tacos (although we did burritos instead)
3 garlic cloves, minced
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon vinegar-based hot sauce (I like Cholula)
1 teaspoon onion powder
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1½ pounds)
For serving: warm tortillas or taco shells, guacamole or sliced avocado, pico de gallo or salsa, pickled red onions, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, more lime juice, more hot sauce, etc.—whatever floats your boat
In a large bowl, combine, the garlic, lime juice, hot sauce, onion powder, 2 tablespoons of the oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper and mix well. Add the chicken and toss to coat on all sides.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook until browned and the edges begin to crisp, 6 to 8 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board. Turn the heat down to medium-low, carefully add ½ cup water, and scrape up all the browned bits with a wooden spatula.
Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and return them to the skillet, still over medium-low heat. Toss to coat in the pan sauce and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 more minutes. Serve on tortillas or in taco shells with all your favorite toppings.
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And here’s something very different that came out swell! Leftovers were excellent too.
½ cup pitted green olives (Don’t be like me and accidentally buy unpitted—what an annoying task pitting is!)
½ cup Italian giardiniera mix, drained (This comes in a jar near the pickles and whatnot. It usually has carrots, cauliflower, celery, peppers, etc.)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
1 (1-pound) ball pizza dough
¼ to ⅓ pound thinly sliced provolone cheese
¼ to ⅓ pound thinly sliced salami
¼ to ⅓ pound thinly sliced ham, capicola, etc.
¼ to ⅓ pound thinly sliced mozzarella cheese
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Combine the olives, giardiniera, garlic, and Italian herbs in a food processor and pulse until chunky and small.
Spread out a large piece of parchment paper and flour it. (I could’ve used more flour, as I ended up with a very sticky situation when it came time to roll the whole thing up.) On the parchment, roll out the pizza dough into a rectangle about 1o x 14 inches. (There are some nice process shots at the link above.)
Top the dough with a layer of provolone, leaving a 1-inch border on three sides and 2 or 3 inches on one short side. Lay the salami on top of the cheese, then the ham. Using a slotted spoon, spoon the olive-vegetable mixture evenly on top. Top with the mozzarella.
Carefully roll up the dough, starting from the short side with the 1-inch border and tucking in anything that falls out. Seal the dough when you get to the end and leave it seam side down.
Brush the beaten egg all over the roll. Cut 3 slits in the top of the roll to help release steam so it doesn’t explode too much. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds.
Transfer the parchment and roll to a rimmed baking sheet and bake until nicely browned on top, 20 to 25 minutes. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then slice into 2-inch portions.
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