Chicken Piccata? Ya, Gotta!

And, Introducing… À Noter!

Ciao, friends and Happy New Year (we can still say that, yes?)!

I hope you had good holidays in whatever way that means to you. 

Welcome, too! There are many new subscribers and I am so happy you found your way here. I promise we will have fun. 

OK, on with the good stuff and new things for 2023. 

An Event! 

I will be hosting a very fun trivia night with my friend Elettra Wiedemann, the executive director of Mama Farm in Brookhaven, Long Island on Saturday, February 4. We are cooking a family-style meal from my book, plus there will be beer and wine. Tickets are $75 and we can accommodate 20 people. To reserve your spot, please email info@mamafarm.us. 

À Noter

During a lovely New Year’s Day celebration next door, my friend Phoebe suggested that I include a few things that make me tick with each installment of this newsletter. And, while I have done my best to share recommendations, I thought it would be fun to put some structure around it, so please meet my new column “À Noter,” which translates to “Of Note” in French - it’s more fun to say that way…  Each week, I will share three things that are on my radar and I think should be on yours.  Here we go! 

Eating:

I’m obsessed with shrimp chips and specifically these which are simply called Shrimp Snacks.  They are wafer thin, perfectly salty and are great dip chips. I make a lot of soup this time of year and I bet they would also be wonderful crunched overtop a bowl of spicy noodle soup. 

Drinking:

Not much as I’m doing dry January, but I drank this Thomson and Scott Noughty Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Rosé on New Year’s Day and was shocked by how much I enjoyed it! I promptly ordered 6 bottles to get me through. Coincidentally, it pairs well with the above shrimp chips, but any bubble would. 

I’m also using the Sunnyside app, which promotes mindful drinking, and keeps me accountable. If you’re looking to modify drinking habits in 2023, I highly recommend it. 

Reading:

The New Year is also a good time to set intentions. In my opinion, they are more realistic than resolutions. My dear friend Laura, who writes A Few Good Mentions,  also picks a word each year that resonates with her. Mine for 2023 is RESTORE. If you feel like sharing yours, please drop it in the comments.

My other lovely friend Leigh Patterson is the author of the very wonderful and popular Moon Lists books. She just released hers for 2023 and you can download it here. Moon Lists is an incredible tool for getting out of a creative rut. It uses the moon as a metaphor and offers prompts with wildly creative questions, monthly journaling and more. It’s the perfect time to start. 

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A Recipe

Chicken Piccata

When I can't get something out of my head, I tend to make it for myself, which is how this recipe came to be! I love making bright dishes this time of year to combat the gray days. Meyer lemons are in season, so I’ve called for them here, they are sweeter and a bit less acidic than normal lemons and you can eat them rind and all. Regular lemons work too if you can’t find Meyer ones. This is the perfect comfort food for January. I’d serve it over rice pilaf or polenta. Enjoy! 

Serves 4

Time 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS 

1 ½ pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts 

1 ½  teaspoons kosher salt

½ cup all purpose flour

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more if needed 

½ cup dry white wine or vermouth 

1 Meyer lemon (if available), half thinly sliced, half juiced, which should yield ¼ cup 

½ cup chicken broth 

¼  cup capers, drained 

4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces 

¼ cup loosely chopped basil

Flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper for serving (optional) 

METHOD

Slice the chicken breasts in half crosswise into 4 cutlets and lightly pound each piece between sheets of parchment paper until they are about ½" thick. Season with the salt. 

Place the flour in a large shallow bowl. Working one at a time, dredge each cutlet through the flour to coat. Shake off any excess flour and transfer to a plate.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. With tongs, working in batches not to crowd the pan, add the cutlets away from you. Cook until they begin to brown on the bottom, 3 minutes. Flip and cook for an additional 2 minutes, until just cooked through. Transfer to a platter.

Turn heat to medium. Add the wine and bring to a simmer, scraping up any of the brown bits that have formed on the bottom of the pan Add the chicken stock, lemon slices and juice and capers and simmer until reduced by half, about 2 minutes.

Whisk in the butter until the sauce is glossy. Spoon over the chicken and top with the basil. Season with flaky salt and black pepper if you like.

Have a wonderful rest of your week!

With love,

Colu