A handy, helpful, and always-delicious roast chicken is a weeknight meal time-saver. I make two at a time on a weekend, so I have one for midweek recipes. And if you don’t cook on the weekend, those grocery store rotisserie chickens are perfect for making a quick dinner.
This recipes was provided by Michael Cimarusti, Executive Chef at Providence in Los Angeles. You can hear more from Cimarusti on his favorite fish techniques and dock-to-dish philosophy in his conversation with contributor Russ Parsons.
I came upon a fantastic marinated artichoke bar there, and the thought just struck me how tasty marinated artichokes might be in a pasta.
How can this gnarled and knobby vegetable offer such elegance? This soup deserves a pedestal, as the creamy alabaster liquid mingles with the equally regal pistachio oil and brilliant green toasted pistachios. The soup elicits looks of surprise from guests,followed by sounds of happy pleasure.
Baked this way, artichokes turn almost silky, while the stuffing browns to a nice crust. Try experimenting with this stuffing; chopped green olives are good, too.
On a glorious trip to Venice over a decade ago, I discovered the extraordinary affinity spring vegetables like baby artichokes, feathery wild asparagus, peas, leeks, and tiny onions have for each other, how their flavors can link and complement. Home again, this Venetian lesson in spring led me to devise a simple approach—half sauté, half stew—that would accommodate whatever combination of vegetables I happened to find in the farmers' market or my own inclination of the moment. Sometimes I replace the artichokes with new potatoes, or use sliced sugar snap peas if I can't find regular peas. If I am feeling lazy, I pare it down to just asparagus, leeks, and pea shoots, the tender leafy tendrils of the pea plant. Once the vegetables are prepared, the stew takes very little time to cook.
Adapted from A New Way to Cook by Sally Schneider (Artisan, 2001). Copyright 2001, Sally Schneider.