What’s Cooking Over at The Good Life

It’s been busy at my day job, which means not a lot of time to dine out. Or cook for that matter. But stay tuned:

With Hudson Valley Restaurant Week (March 15-28th) fast approaching, there are some write-ups in the pipeline: I’m booked at X20 Xaviars on the Hudson in Yonkers, La Panetiere in Rye, and Harvest on Hudson in Hastings on Hudson.

I’m also doing my best to finish an entry on Eleven Madison Park, which Eileen and I visited back in December—the entry got away from me with all the intricate little courses that dotted the meal… and the alcohol that was consumed. But I’ll pull something together—the dinner was certainly an experience worth writing about.

In cooking news, my mom, grandma and I have been experimenting with soba—we’re trying to create the authentic Okinawan variety of the noodle (there is a secret ingredient that takes the dish up a notch). When we get there, we’ll share the recipe so you can make your own and knock your friends on their behinds.

Finally, I’ve created a fan page for this here blog on Facebook! Click here for the link and to become a fan. Thanks so much to all who have already joined. At last count, I was up to 54, which is 52 more fans than I anticipated (I only accounted for me and my mom). Feel free to leave comments or post questions to other foodie fans when you’re in need of restaurant suggestions.

I leave you with an easy-peasy Lemon Chicken recipe (pictured above). It’s mind-bogglingly simple, with only a handful of ingredients, but it’s a good one nonetheless; the coating of the chicken has a moist, spongy consistency that melts in your mouth. Give it a try if you’re looking for quick, mid-week comfort food. (I’d place it up there with my anchovy pasta). It’s also the dish I’m planning to make for m’boy Todd on Wednesday night.

Lemon Chicken
Sprinkle salt and pepper on 1 ½ pounds thinly sliced chicken breasts (or chicken pounded flat so that the scallops are roughly ¼ inch thick). Dust the scallops with flour, and shake off the excess.

Melt roughly 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. (Throw in some thinly-sliced cloves of garlic at this point if you like garlic – I can’t get enough of garlic. I should call this recipe “Lemon Garlic Chicken.”) Add the chicken, and cook for about 2 minutes, or until they’re golden brown. Remove the chicken and set aside.

Pour off any of the fat that’s accumulated in the skillet, and add about ½ cup of chicken stock. Scrape up all the nice brown bits at the bottom of the skillet, and then place the chicken back in the skillet. Add thinly sliced lemon slices on top of the chicken (you don't have to slice your lemons so that they look like stop signs like in my picture above). Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Serve your chicken with brown rice, some mushrooms and asparagus. Enjoy!