Chicken Marsala

I don't think I actually grew up eating chicken marsala. Strange to some people, I suppose, but I cannot think of a single time I had it until one night 2 years ago at my friend Rob's house. He made dinner and it was delicious and I thought, well why hasn't this been in my repertoire? And since then I have been reading recipes and experimenting with good old chicken marsala.
This time was not without slight mistakes, I should have made more sauce for the amount of pasta I cooked, but it was still delicious. And John loved it, even though I think he loves everything I make (except brussel sprouts).

This time i made some steamed broccoli on the side, a real departure for me since all I ever seem to do is roast my veggies, and the meal was complete. It was delicious. I actually think that I might add some sundried tomatoes into the sauce next time, and perhaps some capers. The reason I say this is because there's a restaurant in Hayes Valley, in San Francisco, called Il Borgo and every time I go I get the Fettucine del Borgo, yes not very imaginative. It is homemade fettucine (something I'll probably never venture upon) and chicken, sundried tomatoes, capers and a lovely sauce that I am sure contains more butter than I would like to think. But it is just so yummy. Ok, I have completely changed the subject. Actually that makes me want to go to Il Borgo for dinner tonight. I'll let you know tomorrow if I get there!

American Wife

Oh, by the way, I am reading the best book. Amazing actually. I am so completely absorbed by it I wish i could just stay home and read it all day. Ok, full disclosure, I wish I could stay home and read every day, but this is particularly enjoyable. It is "American Wife" by Curtis Sittenfeld. It is one of those long, old fashioned, readable novels, the type I just love. I have about 100 pages left, it's long, almost 600 pages, and I can't decide whether I want to sit and read it all in one sitting or draw it out longer. i know I'll be at a loss as to what to read when I am finished. Actually that reminds me of "Marjorie Morningstar" by Herman Wouk. I actually felt like I was in mourning when I finished. How did I move on??

I'm Baaacckk

I have been the worst blogger ever. I won't make excuses, but I am back and hopefully won't go away for that long again!
What have I been eating and cooking? Well, lots of tasty treats, but I only have a few to share. The other night I made a lovely dinner for John and myself. Sometimes meals are absolutely delicious, and sometimes you learn from them. This was more of a learning meal.

I took chicken tenders and wrapped them in in prosciutto and a sage leaf. Now I almost never buy boneless, skinless chicken. It is more expensive, but more importantly, I think that when you cook chicken with the skin and bones it comes out soooo much moister and more flavorful. I think I could have cooked these for a few less minutes and then perhaps they wouldn't have been quite as dry. Oh well, I'll try next time. I think this might be better with chicken thighs, since the meat is darker and less likely to dry out. On the side I made roasted brussel sprouts and some wild rice from Trader Joe's. For some reason I sort of suck at rice. Huh?? you say? How can one suck at rice? Well perhaps it has something to do with my inability to follow instructions. I am sure that the rice wouldn't have burned if I had actually read what to do with it instead of sticking it into a pot of boiling water and then jumping in the shower. Oh well, better luck next time.

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