| A Time to Celebrate
Wine has always been an intricate part of our
family tradition. We consider wine a food and a
necessary part of our daily meal, a part of our
family social structure. Never were we denied
wine in either my husband's family or my family
as we were growing up. Therefore there was
no strong desire to overindulge. Wine is a food
and that is how wine is to be consumed;
nothing more, nothing less. Our parents were
always there as role models showing us how to
appreciate wine with food. We were taught
how to enjoy wine and how to respect it for all
its good qualities. We have in turn taught our
children the same values.
Compiling the recipes and family history has
been work, but fun also. We've learned how
difficult it is to measure ingredients. All those
years we've been using a handful of this and a
pinch of that. That's how Mom does it. We
didn't realize how difficult it is to put a handful
of this down on paper. How easy it is when
someone is standing next to you and you can
literally show them how much and how the end
product should taste. Writing the instructions
down on paper is an entirely different story. It
took several revisions of the recipe instructions
because of misinterpretations. For instance,
when we were trying to tell Arlene how we
make Filozes, we said, gesturing with our
hands. "Do it like this." She nodded "yes" but
until we actually did the recipe with her
watching, we weren't able to get the proper
words on paper. (Arlene and I have put on an
extra ten pounds of weight but we've enjoyed
the project.)
The gathering of the recipes in this cookbook
has given us many rewards. We've rekindled
old friendships and have made some new ones.
Some recipes that have been lost will now be
saved for the future generations. We
experimented with the recipes and improved
upon some of them. By publishing this
cookbook, we've piqued the interest in cooking
the old recipes by the younger relatives. We
feel interest in cooking the old recipes by the
younger relatives. We feel confident our family
traditions will at least survive another
generation.
We've also noticed the rippling effect it's had
on the friends and relatives we've asked to
critique our recipes. They are beginning to
recognize how important tradition is to them as
a family. This caused them to investigate their
own family food treasures.
It is our plan to continue collecting family
recipes. We've become so much more aware
of the foods family members prepare that we
have long taken for granted. I've taken to
observing and writing those observations down
before all is lost.
|
Roast Chicken
Boiling Water
1 Whole Chicken (3 to 3-1/2 pounds)
2 Lemon
2 Garlic Cloves, Crushed
Paprika
Sesame Sauce
Boil water. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
Rinse chicken in cold water and dry quickly.
Rub skin and cavity of chicken with lemon half
and garlic cloves. Place both in cavity. Put
chicken in shallow roaster, breast side down.
Sprinkle generously with paprika. Pour boiling
water into roaster (but not on chicken) to a
depth of one inch. Place on top rack of oven.
On lower rack, fill a shallow pan or pie plate
with boiling water.
Roast chicken for 15 minutes at 475 degrees.
Turn chicken and lower heat to 350 degrees.
Cook for an additional 40 to 45 minutes. Keep
at least 2 inch of water in roaster and ample
water in lower pan. Serves 4.
Wine suggestion: California Rose of Cabernet.
Rowdy Chicken
1 Chicken (about 3 pounds), Cut Up
1 Tablespoon Dried Rosemary
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
4 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1/3 of 2-Ounce Can of Anchovies in Oil
3/4 to 1 Cup California Dry White Wine
3/4 Cup Heavy Cream
Dredge chicken pieces in rosemary. Heat oil
and sauté garlic until it begins to brown. Add
chicken and fry until brown, turning often.
Mince anchovy fillets and mix with 2 cup wine.
Pour over chicken and simmer uncovered 30 to
40 minutes. Baste occasionally with sauce,
adding remaining wine.
Remove chicken to heated serving plate. To
create sauce, add 3/4 cup heavy cream to
skillet, stirring to loosen particles at bottom.
Serves 4 to 6.
Add boiling new potatoes, a green salad and a
lemony dessert and you'll feel transported to
Greece.
Wine suggestion: California Petite Sirah. Wine Food & the Good Life, Copyright
1993, Delicato Vineyards, published by The
Wine Appreciation Guild, San Francisco.
|
