April 23, 2013: Some friends check in! This ‘n that! Let’s get cookin’!

Well, look who it is.  Yes, it’s writer/director/producer/Golden Boy Martin Gero, recent winner of the 2013 WGC Screenwriting Award for Best Writing in a TV Drama (The LA Complex: “Down in L.A.”).  This pic was sent to me via my good friend, Anne-Marie Perrotta (who picked up a Writers Block Award on the same night) who, I’m guessing, orchestrated Martin’s kidnapping and transport from Los Angeles to Toronto for the gala.  I see the Writers Guild of Canada spared no expense in the accommodations.  That’s an Imperial Cell Suite.  It comes with free newspaper and Continental Beating.  But I would suggest passing on both.

I also heard from my former Toronto nemesis, Tara Yelland (tarayelland) the other day.  She’s been busy of late, working on a series, booking a commercial, and generally missing yours truly.  But the most interesting thing about her email was the discovery that her middle name is Ashley.  Ashley!  My Vancouver nemesis’s first name is Ashleigh!      Coincidence?  I would say yes but if the internet has taught me anything over the last few days, it’s that there’s a conspiracy in absolutely everything, no matter how asinine the theory.

Over the past couple of months, I’ve attended a number of dining-related events.  Most required the purchase of online tickets, usually through Eventbrite,”a provider of online event management and ticketing services”.  Today, I received an email from Eventbrite that included some suggested upcoming “Event Picks” chosen just for me.  I assume it’s sort of like Amazon recommendations.  If you liked THIS novel, you’ll probably enjoy THAT novel.  So, given my recent attendance of a foie gras feast and offal dinner, Eventbrite assumed I would be interested in a Women in Mining Annual Cocktail Reception, My Dream Wedding/Spring 2013, and, of course, a Strolling Tour of the Sex Work History in the West End.

Hey, look who’s been cast in the new series Carl Binder is show running: Teryl Rothery Cast in Hallmark’s Cedar Cove

Well this is interesting: Johnny Mnemonic TV Series In Development

Okay, who’s ready to do some cooking?  We’ve got eight recipes of YOUR recipes to test out, so let’s get crackin’ – in the case of the desserts, otherwise, choppin’.  First up is

Sparrow_hawk’s Chicken Breast with Brown Butter and Fried Sage Leaves

Step 1. Toasted Pine Nuts

½ cup pine nuts (pignolli) (or more if you love them)

Heat a frying pan over a medium high heat. Add the pine nuts and heat for about 5 minutes until lightly browned. Set aside. Hide them so you can’t nibble on them while you cook.

Step 2. Fried Sage Leaves

20 sage leaves

1 Tbsp milk

1 Tbsp flour

½ cup olive oil

Rinse and pat dry the fresh sage leaves.

Heat ½ cup olive oil in the frying pan.

While the oil is heating, dip the sage leaves one at a time in the milk then dredge in the flour.

When the oil is hot, add the sage leaves and fry until lightly browned. The light flour coating keeps the sage leaves from getting overdone and bitter. Drain on paper towels. Don’t eat them all before you finish cooking the chicken.

Step 3. Parmesan Chicken Breast

16 oz boneless Chicken Breasts (about 3)

2 Tbsp flour

1/2 cup Italian Flavored Bread Crumbs

4 cloves Garlic

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 egg

1/2 cup Grated Parmesan

4 Tbsp unsalted butter

1. Cut the chicken breast into 4 oz. pieces and pound to about ½ inch thickness.

2. Beat the egg with about 1 tsp. water and place in a shallow bowl.

3. Combine the bread crumbs and grated Parmesan in a second shallow bowl in preparation for breading.

4. Put the flour into a plastic bag and add a couple of pieces of the chicken breast. Shake to coat.

5. Dip the chicken pieces in the egg and then then crumb/Parmesan mix to coat.

6. Lay on a plate for about 15 minutes to let the coating set.

7. Repeat until you have coated all the chicken pieces.

8. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat.

9. Give the garlic cloves a whack with the flat of a knife and remove the skin.

10. Put the garlic in the oil and butter and heat until lightly browned then set aside.

11. Saute the chicken pieces until golden brown on each side (about 5 minutes on a side) and cooked through. Don’t crowd them or they won’t brown well. You will probably need to do this in three batches.

12. When the chicken is cooked, place on the serving platter and keep warm.

13. Add the last 4 Tbsp of butter to the pan and return the garlic; heat over medium high heat for about 3 or 4 minutes until the butter just starts to brown. Add a little of the olive oil you used to fry the sage leaves and put into a bowl.

14. Toss the pine nuts over the chicken and arrange the sage leaves around the border of the platter. Serve with the brown butter.

Sounds tasty, no?  You have all this week to prepare.  We’ll compare and discuss the results next Tuesday when I’ll also be posting our next recipe.