That would be half a cannoli from the pastry shop off the beaten path, guaranteed to have no line when Modern and Mike's are 20 people deep down Hanover Street: Bova's. I've raved about them before and I'll continue to do so further. Last night I hosted a family dinner party. Living in in the heart of Italian greatness, the fact of the matter is, out-of-town guests are always going to want cannolis after dinner. There is absolutley no need to stand in line for an hour on a Tuesday evening with the rest of the out-of-towners to get one. At Bova's I ordered a large cannoli and could only finish half. Since I was going to indulge in the other half for breakfast it seemed only fitting that I splurge on coffee to go with. 
At 7:30 am, there was no line at Modern Pastry. The counter staff (same woman, as always) was pleasant and prompt. So last night's dinner party I was cooking for six, including Adam and myself, which is no small feat in my tiny kitchen. Same goes for my guests eating crowded around my living room table. 
Meanwhile, I haven't turned on the oven all summer. Even with the AC blaring, it was a sweatbox. But regardless, my family and I made it work. In attendance was my Mom, my Aunt Joyce - who flew in from The Great Plain State of Iowa earlier that afternoon, my sister Leah, and her boyfriend Tray. After I chatted, entertained, served drinks and appetizers, and opened myself a cold Hoegaarden, it was time for the cooking to begin. 
Obviously, I am cooking from a recipe, because rarely am I creative enough to concoct something on my own. Enter my Top Chef Cookbook. I decided I wanted to make Harold's Pan-Roasted Chicken with Potato Gnocchi. Since the recipe serves 1, I had to alter it dramatically. In general, it didn't have too many steps or look very difficult to execute. I also substituted a few ingredients. Daisy's Baked Chicken with Potato Gnocci. Serves: 6.
Ingredients:
-16 ounces fresh potato gnocchi
-1 cup sliced shitake mushrooms
-2 cups sliced crimini mushrooms
-1 large can sweet petite peas
-1 cup chicken stock (In hindsight I might even use a little more.)
-2-3 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
-salt & pepper
Directions:
Daisy's plate:
The bone and skin on Harold's chicken, as well those unobtainable hen of the woods mushrooms, add an element of presentation, and I am sure taste, that mine is lacking. Not to say it made a huge difference, because while the looks of my chicken was rather plain, and haphazardly plated (gimme a break, I had six, he only had one!) my dish as a whole was bursting with flavor. The thyme (fresh from Mom's garden) and the stock enhanced the juicy chicken and the other texturally diverse ingredients. 
Thick chewy potato gnocchi, tiny bursts of sweet peas and soft savory mushrooms combined for a memorable dish which I would definitely recommend for your next dinner party, or a dinner for one. 
I served the meal with a simple side salad that consisted of Olivia's Organics Spring Mix, avocado, yellow tomato (Mom's garden), Red tomato (Leah's garden) and Athenos feta cheese. It goes without saying, no family gathering is complete without photo shoots. 
One session before dinner when it was still light out, and one after dinner when it was dark, before we made our way out for cannolis. The below shot shows the full effect of the auto timer set up - we had to get everyone in one pic!
-4 tablespoons Olive Oil
-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts. (5 and not 6, because some were monstrous in size.)-16 ounces fresh potato gnocchi
-1 cup sliced shitake mushrooms
-2 cups sliced crimini mushrooms
-1 large can sweet petite peas
-1 cup chicken stock (In hindsight I might even use a little more.)
-2-3 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
-salt & pepper
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 425°.
2) Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil - 1 each in dueling medium oven-safe pans over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, and brown for about 6 minutes. Season with salt & pepper. Flip chicken, and transfer pan to oven. If you don't have an oven safe pan (like me) transfer chicken using tongs into baking dishes. The reason I call for dueling pans is it keeps everything even. I can cook all 5 chicken breasts at once, rather than 2 at a time if I was only using one pan.3) While chicken is roasting (about 25 minutes), add the remaining 2 tablespoon olive oil - 1 in each pan over medium-high heat. (I am using the same pans I used in step one here. One pan really isn't enough for all that gnocchi.)
4) Add the gnocchi and mushrooms, and cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are softened and gnocchi is browning, about 7 minutes.
5) Add the peas, then chicken stock and thyme. Cook until the mixture is thickened, and season with salt and pepper.
To serve: Place the chicken on the plate and surround with mushroom, pea and gnocchi mixture. Pour the juices over the chicken and vegetables. Harold's plate: (source)
4) Add the gnocchi and mushrooms, and cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are softened and gnocchi is browning, about 7 minutes.
5) Add the peas, then chicken stock and thyme. Cook until the mixture is thickened, and season with salt and pepper.
To serve: Place the chicken on the plate and surround with mushroom, pea and gnocchi mixture. Pour the juices over the chicken and vegetables. Harold's plate: (source)Daisy's plate:
The bone and skin on Harold's chicken, as well those unobtainable hen of the woods mushrooms, add an element of presentation, and I am sure taste, that mine is lacking. Not to say it made a huge difference, because while the looks of my chicken was rather plain, and haphazardly plated (gimme a break, I had six, he only had one!) my dish as a whole was bursting with flavor. The thyme (fresh from Mom's garden) and the stock enhanced the juicy chicken and the other texturally diverse ingredients. 
Thick chewy potato gnocchi, tiny bursts of sweet peas and soft savory mushrooms combined for a memorable dish which I would definitely recommend for your next dinner party, or a dinner for one. 
I served the meal with a simple side salad that consisted of Olivia's Organics Spring Mix, avocado, yellow tomato (Mom's garden), Red tomato (Leah's garden) and Athenos feta cheese. It goes without saying, no family gathering is complete without photo shoots. 
One session before dinner when it was still light out, and one after dinner when it was dark, before we made our way out for cannolis. The below shot shows the full effect of the auto timer set up - we had to get everyone in one pic! 
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