Braised Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic (Fine Cooking) The garlic is good squeezed on baguette slices to sop up the juices. Chicken pieces can be used instead of a whole chicken if you prefer. 3-1/2- to 4-lb. chicken Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper One-half lemon 1/4 tsp. sweet Hungarian paprika 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil 40 cloves unpeeled garlic, separated and any loose papery skins removed (about 2 large heads) 1/2 cup dry white wine 2 sprigs fresh thyme 2 sprigs fresh rosemary 2 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley 1 cup lower-salt chicken broth Toasted baguette slices for serving Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 400F. Trim any excess fat from the cavity of the chicken. Pat the chicken very dry and season inside and out with 2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper. Squeeze the juice from the lemon half and set the juice aside. Put the juiced lemon half in the chicken's cavity. Cross the chicken legs and tie them together; tuck the wings under the chicken. Using a small sieve, dust the breasts and legs with the paprika. Heat the oil in a 3- to 4-quart Dutch oven (large enough to fit the chicken snugly) over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, breast side down, and cook until the skin is browned, about 2 minutes. Turn and cook the back and sides until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and pour off and discard the oil left in the pot. Return the pot to medium-high heat. Add the garlic and wine to the pot, stirring to deglaze the browned bits from the bottom. Return the chicken to the pot, setting it breast side up on top of the garlic. Add the herbs to the pot, pour the broth over the chicken, and bring to a boil. Cover and transfer the pot to the oven. Cook, basting the chicken every 20 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 160F, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Uncover and continue to cook the chicken until the thermometer registers 165 to 170F in the thigh and the juices from the thigh run clear when the thermometer is removed, about 10 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and the garlic cloves to a serving platter; cover both loosely with foil to keep warm. Strain the braising liquid from the pot into a small saucepan; discard the herbs. Tilt the pan so the juices collect in one corner and spoon off and discard as much of the fat as possible. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Simmer until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and some of the reserved lemon juice. Carve the chicken and transfer the pieces to the serving platter with the garlic. Serve with the sauce and the baguette slices.

A Different Sloppy Joe 1 - pound Hamburger 1 - package Sweet Italian Sausage (I use turkey) 1/2 - Onion, diced +/- 1/2 - Red, Yellow, Green or Orange Bell Pepper, diced +/- 1 - 8 oz package Sliced Mushrooms +/- 1 - can Cream of Mushroom soup 1/2 to 1 can - milk, 1/2 and 1/2 or cream 1 - 8 oz package Cheese (your choice)+/- 1/2 cup sour cream The following seasonings to taste: Salt or Seasoned Salt(easy on this, as the cheese will add salt) Pepper Fresh Garlic Paprika Basil Thyme Remove the casings from the Italian sausage and brown with the hamburger. Drain the meat. Add the onions, mushrooms, peppers and seasonings and cook until the onions and peppers are soft. Add soup, sour cream and milk a little at a time until it gets to the desired consistency. Stir to combine and add cheese. Heat until the cheese is melted. Serve on hamburger buns as you would a Sloppy Joe. I don't really measure when I make this, (therefore I put the +/- after some of the ingredients), so you can really put however much of the ingredients in that will make it the consistency and flavor you like. You can also use a taco seasoning packet and serve with tortilla chips. You can add pasta to it also, in which case I would put into a casserole dish, top with cheese and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes to marry the flavors into the pasta. We normally eat it without the taco seasoning, but with tortilla chips or on a bun. This is better the second day!

Cruising had this and it was awesome. GS had to have a bite and didn't give plate back, cause he finished it :o) Goat Cheese Souffle -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 large egg yolks 3/4 cup whole milk 3 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons all purpose flour 2 3-ounce logs soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1/3 cup chopped fresh chives 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 5 large egg whites Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter four 1-1/4 cup souffle dishes. Whisk yolks and milk in large bowl. Melt butter in heavy, medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk mixture. Continue whisking until thick, about 2 minutes. Return mixture to bowl. Cool souffle base slightly. Set aside 1/4 cup of goat cheese. Whisk remaining goat cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan, chives, salt, and pepper into souffle base. Beat whites in another bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold whites in another bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into lukewarm souffle base in 3 additions. Divide mixture among prepared dishes. Top with 1/4 cup goat cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan, dividing equally. Bake until puffed and golden, 25 minutes. Set souffle dishes on plates and serve.

I made these muffins last night. They are pretty good. I'd like them a little sweeter and will try more sugar next time. These are good for breakfast, or with a cup of java, they aren't the sweet cakey type muffins though. Coffee Pecan Muffins 1 3/4 c All-purpose flour 1/2 c Dk.brown sugar,firmly packed 1 tb Baking powder 1/4 ts Salt 3/4 c Milk 2 tb Instant coffee 1 ts Vanilla extract 1/2 c Unsalted butter, melted 1 lg Egg, lightly beaten 1 c Pecans, chopped Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease 8 lg. muffin cups. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a medium-sized bowl, combine milk, instant coffee powder, vanilla extract, butter, and egg. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add mixture to flour mixture and mix "lightly". Fold in pecans. Spoon batter evenly into prepared muffin cups. Bake 20 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove muffin tin to wire rack. Cool 5 minutes before removing muffins from cups, finish cooling on rack.