weekend dinner party

You may have noticed by now that I'm not big on posting chicken recipes. Bravo if you have. Listen up if you haven't. It's not that I have this weird aversion to chicken. In fact, my favorite dish my mother makes is her chicken with prunes--and funnily enough, I've never even attempted to recreate it on my own. I think it has something to do with not wanting to remember it any other way than when it's made by her, at home, and I'm eight again.

I digress.

It's not that I don't like chicken. It's just that I rarely think about making it. I hardly ever buy it at the grocery store (a crime, I know) and I've never really considered it as an option for serving to company.

You see, this is problematic for many reasons. But allow me to [finally] cut to the chase. For someone who lives to entertain (and entertain on a budget), chicken needs to be part of the regular repertoire. It's a crowd-pleasing, incredibly versatile, tender, juicy, and economical protein that I have foolishly turned the other cheek to for years. Years! Years.

Really, I thought I was brighter than that.

balsamic roasted radicchio with taleggio

Austrian St. Laurent

chicken with roasted grapes and shallots

buttered egg noodles with parsley and chives

2008 Joel Gott Chardonnay (unoaked)

blood orange panna cotta with cardamom

roasted balsamic radicchio - allow to cool then top with torn pieces of taleggio cheese. serve with crusty baguette.

chicken with roasted grapes and shallots

blood orange panna cotta with cardamom

Image above courtesy of Lisa Hubbard for Bon Appetit

austrian winemakers tasting at blaue gans

On Monday night, a group of wine bloggers gathered at Blaue Gans in Tribeca to have a meet and greet with a handful of Austrian Winemakers. And, of course, to taste our way through their wines. It was an evening (unintentionally) devoted to Gruner Veltliner--a varietal of which we were able to experience its full spectrum. A beautifully diverse and eye-opening representation of what Austria can do. There's no pigeon-holing to be had here.

Szigeti Sparkling Gruner Veltliner: Super fine bubbles that coat your mouth entirely, crisp green apple, white pepper spiciness on the finish. Have a bottle of this at home and look forward to popping and enjoying its vibrancy again.

2009 Weingut Stadt Krems Gruner Veltliner Kremstal: Fresh dill on the nose mixed with wet stone. Razor sharp acidity balanced by juiciness. Great minerality presence. This is Gruner Veltliner at its finest.

2009 Loimer Gruner Veltliner: Golden delicious apple with lemon zest. Clean nose. Some ginger ale aspects to it. This is the kind of Gruner that could be a game changer for conservative white wine drinkers. Undeniable delicious factor. Sweetness for sure, but nicely balanced. The acidity comes across as a subtle frissante quality. Beautiful transition white into fall. Evokes memories of apple picking season.

2007 Prager Gruner Veltliner: Almond butter, apple sauce, and golden raisins on the nose. But yet again, shows amazing balance on the palate. Strikingly sweet aromas but fresh, and acidic in the mouth.

2008 Blaufrankisch: Cranberry, brown sugar, and raspberry cobbler on the nose. Light but vibrant on the palate. Subtle black pepper notes but no lingering spice. There was a flavor on the finish that tasted like the striking of a match which I found quite intriguing.

weekend dinner party

In continuation of keeping things simple, this weekend's dinner party menu is nearly effortless--but with plenty of pay-off. A classic French comfort food dish of chicken with a mustard-tarragon cream sauce which can be made the day before, or the day of (depending on your schedule). And as the nights (regrettably) begin to turn slightly chilly, I can't imagine a better dish to cozy up to.

chicken with mustard-tarragon cream sauce

served over steamed white rice

bibb lettuce salad with lemon-chive vinaigrette

2009 Forstreiter Gruner Veltliner

As for the wine alongside, might I suggest a bottle of Gruner Veltliner from Austria? I was playing around with the bottle below this past weekend and think the slight frizzante quality and decent acidity would play particularly well with the creamy and anise-flavored sauce. The white flowers, nectarine, and undeniable green-ness that was wafting from my glass could have convinced me to pair this with almost anything. Pool side lounging could quite possibly be this wine's best pairing. But chicken with mustard-tarragon cream sauce will fit just as pleasantly.

Anyone notice my (dare I say admirable) attempt at floral arrangments? You did, didn't you? Your mind has been blown. I can tell. All I did was add a handful or two of small rocks to the bottom a glass cup then filled it up half way with water. I then cut off a few small bunches of hydrangeas and placed them in the glass. Place a few of these arrangements down the center of the table. Flowers: Done.

I bet you're wondering what other amazingly impressive tricks I have up my sleeve. To which I say: stay tuned.

Chicken with Mustard-Tarragon Cream Sauce

Recipe Courtesy of Martha Stewart

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 ounces each)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine, or chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1-1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken; saute until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes, turning once. Transfer to a plate; keep warm.

Pour wine into hot skillet; cook, stirring, until reduced by half, about 1 minute. Whisk in cream, mustard, and tarragon. Cook, whisking, until thickened, about 2 minutes.

Pour any accumulated chicken juices into sauce. Right before serving, drizzle cream sauce over chicken.

Serve over steamed white rice.

Lemon-Chive Vinaigrette Recipe