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Mamma mia
By Ann | February 15, 2008
We usually stay home on Valentine’s day, rather than risk overcrowded restaurants and food cooked by the B team. Apparently, we’re not alone — as evidenced by this thread on Chowhound! We enjoyed some champagne and I made chicken parmagiana, inspired in part by Lidia, but more by the tomato sauce left over from this week’s pizza puzzle. Here’s how the evening unfolded (ingredients follow, just in case you want to make this yourself):
6.05 pm: Screaming children at local library force me to pack up things and head home. Curse librarian for throwing kiddie “Valentine’s Party,” thereby fueling temper tantrums with unnecessary refined sugar.
6.08 pm: While checking out books, librarian asks if I’m leaving because of the noise. Grit teeth, smile and lie.
6.12 pm: Walk home.
6.20 pm: Appreciate blissful silence of home.
6.30 pm: Wash hands and start trimming chicken breasts, wincing at their icy cold sliminess. Fight with roll of plastic wrap but manage to tear off two adequate pieces.
6.43 pm: Begin pounding chicken breasts. Excellent for getting out aggression, though am fearful of the glasses rattling with every heavy blow of my meat tenderizer.
6.50 pm: Chicken breasts 1/2 inch thick instead of 1/4 inch. Should continue to pound thinner but stop as am fearful the neighbors will think I am killing someone.
6.54 pm: Prepare flour, egg wash and breadcrumbs. Start dipping. Panko breadcrumbs everywhere. Start heating saucepan over medium flame.
6.57 pm: Crunch, crunch, crunch underfoot from spilled panko.
7.01 pm: Pan now hot. Add olive oil and shimmy it around. Add one coated chicken cutlet and listen to it sizzle.
7.04 pm: Flip chicken. Pause to admire glorious golden, crisp crust. Love the panko. Brand called Ian’s, found at Whole Foods, has turned me from panko skeptic, into panko convert. Long live panko!
7.07 pm: Oops, forgot to preheat oven. Turn on to 400 degrees and marvel at the ease, unlike scary Beijing oven that required at least 12 minutes with matches and scary Sylvia Plath-like gas odors. Start spooning thin layer of tomato sauce into shallow baking dish.
7.09 pm: Flip golden chicken breast into baking dish. Add more oil to pan and start browning other chicken breast.
7.10 pm: Chris calls and says is on way home. Frantically run around, throwing shoes, clothes and papers into dark closet. Shut door.
7.15 pm: Sh*t! The chicken! Race back to kitchen. Flip to other side. Chicken looks golden. Panko = miracle product!
7.18 pm: Start cutting slices of Fontina cheese. Mmmmmm…. creamy.
7.20 pm: Slide chicken cutlet #2 into baking dish. Top with sauce and Fontina cheese. Worry that sauce will make crisp coating soggy.
7.33 pm: Chris home. Pop champagne — hurrah!
7.36 pm: Drinking champagne.
7.43 pm: Start baking chicken for 20 minutes, or until sauce bubbles and cheese is golden.
7.45 pm: Boil water for side of whole wheat spaghetti. Saute spinach.
7.55 pm: Spaghetti cooking now.
8.00 pm: Plate food. Looks v. cozy. All we need is red-checked tablecloth.
8.01 pm: Sit down to eat.
8.02 pm: Phone. Work call for Chris.
8.05 pm: Eating now. Chicken’s breadcrumb coating is soggy, as suspected. But maybe that’s how it’s supposed to be? Chicken v. tender, though could be thinner. Hearty, comfort food-y, tomato-y flavor.
8.20 pm: Chris proclaims chicken parmagiana as one of his favorite meals, on par with spaghetti and meatballs!
8.37 pm: Indulge in giant chocolate chip cookie (yummy gift from friend) and tiny brownies (Whole Foods).
8.44 pm: Chris does dishes.
9:03 pm: End evening nodding off in front of Fawlty Towers.
Ingredients for Anna Maria’s chicken parmagiana (serves two):
1 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut in half
1/4 cup flour, seasoned with ground pepper
1 egg
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 cups tomato sauce
1/4 lb Fontina cheese
Topics: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
February 15th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
1.03pm following day: Rejoice in leftover chicken parmagiana and spaghetti at office! Endure envious glances from colleagues. Refuse to share. Too delicious. If only I could open a bottle of champagne at my desk …