recipes

we did try the zeppole (or however it was spelled) recipe and it was pretty good. i couldnt taste the olive oil taste. they seemed to be a little moist on the inside as though they were undercooked but they were getting really dark on the outside. they tasted good especially with the whipped cream, but it made a lot and we couldnt finish them... dont know how good they were the next day. jill said not bad, but she did throw some away.
in terms of recipes i want to try, im intrigued by this cheesecake you speak of. but i dont think we have a springform pan. also! thinking of your lemon cake, they SELL lemon curd in like the jelly/jam section at our grocery store. i was amazed.

for things for you to try:
jill and i have made this a few times (and i think we should make it again!!). we added pasta once (those little star type pasta that youd get in chicken and stars soup) and it made it better, in my opinion. we also tried rice, but we added a bit too much to the soup. quite good, you should make it.



Chicken Stew

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 stalks celery, cut into bite-size pieces
1 carrot, peeled, cut into bite-size pieces
1 small onion, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
1 (14-ounce) can low-salt chicken broth
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 chicken breast with ribs (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
1 (15-ounce) can organic kidney beans, drained (rinsed if not organic)

Serving suggestion: crusty bread

Heat the oil in a heavy 5 1/2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the celery, carrot, and onion. Saute the vegetables until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in the tomatoes with their juices, chicken broth, basil, tomato paste, bay leaf, and thyme. Add the chicken breasts; press to submerge.

Bring the cooking liquid to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently uncovered until the chicken is almost cooked through, turning the chicken breasts over and stirring the mixture occasionally, about 25 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the chicken breasts to a work surface and cool for 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Add the kidney beans to the pot and simmer until the liquid has reduced into a stew consistency, about 10 minutes.

Discard the skin and bones from the chicken breasts. Shred or cut the chicken into bite- size pieces. Return the chicken meat to the stew. Bring the stew just to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Ladle the stew into serving bowls and serve with the bread.