When someone has a target on your head, it can be a scary thing. But ever since I wrote that article “Ten Things You Should Never Serve At A Dinner Party,” Craig’s sister Kristin has been out to get me. She first made herself known in the comments: “Dear Amateur Gourmet,
Allow me to introduce you to two of my close friends I call Chicken Piccata and Chicken Marsala. They are delicious when made properly, and if you think they’ll always be dry, leathery, and inedible then you apparently have not spent enough time eating in Steve Johnson’s kitchen.” (Note: Steve Johnson is Craig and Kristin’s dad.) “I don’t get this vendetta against b-less, sk-less chicken breasts, I think it’s entirely too stringent. They’re the blank canvas of the meat world! (I stole that phrase from another blogger.)”
And so it came to pass that on a recent trip to Bellingham, Washington, Kristin totally and absolutely put me in my place.
The first shaming happened at her house, the night after we’d arrived. She invited us over for dinner, which was a lovely gesture in and of itself. It wasn’t until we’d arrived at her house, though, that I realized this wasn’t just a dinner; this was an act of defiance. There, on the counter, were boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
“Oh no! You’re making me dinner to prove a point,” I said.
“Maybe I am!” she responded.
Her mise en place looked promising (lemon juice, lemon slices, capers, parsley):
And then the results spoke for themselves:
My least favorite protein had been manipulated and cajoled into something wonderful. It was super tender, super moist, and super flavorful with all of that lemon juice and the capers. Look at the smug look on Kristin’s face and the happy look on Craig’s:
(Hey Pacific Northwest straight guys, if you want this for dinner, she’s currently single.)
But alas! The shaming wasn’t over. Oh no, no, no. It wouldn’t be enough to just drag me through the lemon and the butter…she had to roll me in flour, flatten me, and roast me on a pizza stone too. A pizza stone that I bought her for Christmas two years ago!
And she did it all in a rustic cabin in the San Juan Islands without any electricity. As usual, it was a delight to spend a few nights on Eliza Island, where we smashed open Dungeness crab and washed it down with white wine on the beach. Here I am with Craig’s whole family:
And here’s the dinner that I made for everyone on my night to cook; a riff on this post about braised chicken thighs (yes, I was making a point too) with olives and cauliflower:
Here’s everyone at the table eating it:
And they enjoyed it, all right, only they didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as they enjoyed the pizza that Kristin whipped up like it was nothing.
She did a smart thing and I was there when she did it: she bought pizza dough from a really good pizza restaurant in Bellingham called Pizza Fiamma. Then all she had to do was flatten it, flip it in the air a few times (she used to work at Pagliacci’s in Seattle), top it with good stuff, and bake it on the pizza stone (THAT I BOUGHT HER) which she brought to the island. Here’s her sausage and mushroom pie, pretty much restaurant-quality:
Look at that crust! And she repeated her act with white cheeses and raw tomatoes that she grew herself:
And a classic pepperoni:
Damn it, Kristin! Why did your pizza have to turn out so good? Why did you have to rub my nose in it?
It takes real humility to admit when you’re wrong but after Kristin’s Bellingham/Eliza Island smack down, I have no choice. This is an official retraction: you can serve boneless, skinless chicken breasts and pizza at dinner parties. Hell, throw in some sorbet for dessert. What do I know? Kristin’s taken my mantle as the official food authority in the family.
I need that pizza dough recipe. Looks amazing.
The pizza smackdown was accidental! The piccatta, however, was entirely intentional.
Kristen, chicken piccatta is my husband’s favorite dinner and I’ve served it to both my mother and to friends with great success. :) Especially with buttered pappardelle, that sauced gets SLURPED. Except that’s gross, really it gets murmurs of appreciative lemony goodness.
Even better with boneless, skinless thighs!
Haha, I was always wondering after reading that post, if someone would challenge you to change your mind. Sometimes I’m limited on family dinners, too, and I’ve had to make due with these two ingredients/dishes! Luckily I’ve got two good traits on my side: an Italian grandmother who taught me how to cook, and a few years experience making pizza (from scratch) in a pizza/Italian restaurant. Looks so good! And that’s the bottom line, isn’t it :) (well, as long as it tastes good too)
<3 dani
http://blog.shopdisowned.com
Haha, I was always wondering after reading that post, if someone would challenge you to change your mind. Sometimes I’m limited on family dinners, too, and I’ve had to make due with these two ingredients/dishes! Luckily I’ve got two good traits on my side: an Italian grandmother who taught me how to cook, and a few years experience making pizza (from scratch) in a pizza/Italian restaurant. Looks so good! And that’s the bottom line, isn’t it :) (well, as long as it tastes good too)
<3 dani
http://blog.shopdisowned.com
Haha, I was always wondering after reading that post, if someone would challenge you to change your mind. Sometimes I’m limited on family dinners, too, and I’ve had to make due with these two ingredients/dishes! Luckily I’ve got two good traits on my side: an Italian grandmother who taught me how to cook, and a few years experience making pizza (from scratch) in a pizza/Italian restaurant. Looks so good! And that’s the bottom line, isn’t it :) (well, as long as it tastes good too)
<3 dani
http://blog.shopdisowned.com
Haha, I was always wondering after reading that post, if someone would challenge you to change your mind. Sometimes I’m limited on family dinners, too, and I’ve had to make due with these two ingredients/dishes! Luckily I’ve got two good traits on my side: an Italian grandmother who taught me how to cook, and a few years experience making pizza (from scratch) in a pizza/Italian restaurant. Looks so good! And that’s the bottom line, isn’t it :) (well, as long as it tastes good too)
<3 dani
http://blog.shopdisowned.com
Haha, I was always wondering after reading that post, if someone would challenge you to change your mind. Sometimes I’m limited on family dinners, too, and I’ve had to make due with these two ingredients/dishes! Luckily I’ve got two good traits on my side: an Italian grandmother who taught me how to cook, and a few years experience making pizza (from scratch) in a pizza/Italian restaurant. Looks so good! And that’s the bottom line, isn’t it :) (well, as long as it tastes good too)
<3 dani
http://blog.shopdisowned.com
Kristin-Your food looks deelicious! Good job w/the smack down, lol and winner winner chicken dinner :-).
Ooh I want her recipe. I also have trouble getting skinless boneless chicken breasts to taste good.
Okay but what about frisee salad? Still forbidden? :-)
chick chick chicken recipe please!
Well I guess I can go back to feeding my friends kale and steamed cauliflower salad with gluten-free croutons, topped with a handful of raw oyster and a nice clamato sorbet.
Um, I want her marsala recipe – and you go Kristin – well done – we use a lot of b/s cb – and a lot of thighs too – but balance is king
Do you have to use a knife and fork when you eat crow, or can you just use your fingers? Sounds like you had some great food – all 3 meals look amazing.
But wouldn’t that chicken marsala have been better with crispy skin or with thighs…? I would guess yes!
Down with boneless skinless chicken breasts!
But wouldn’t that chicken marsala have been better with crispy skin or with thighs…? I would guess yes!
Down with boneless skinless chicken breasts!
But wouldn’t that chicken marsala have been better with crispy skin or with thighs…? I would guess yes!
Down with boneless skinless chicken breasts!
Did not know that La Fiamma sold pizza dough; must investigate.
Still having great weather here; recently we enjoyed crabs with friends who also have a place on Eliza.