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Tag: Chicken

Easter Books to Usher in Spring

by Siobhan
Animals & Nature + Art & Photography + Humour / April 20, 2011

Growing up in Northern Ontario, I always thought the image of Easter you see on TV was a bit off... I mean, how could you possibly have an Easter egg hunt outdoors when the ground is still blanketed in snow — or worse, slush? (Wearing poufy pastel dresses, no less.)

And then I moved to Vancouver... and now I get it (except for the pastel dresses; I think I may be a bit old for that now). While some (most?) of the country is still bracing for snow, it's feeling quite Spring-like and Easter-y here in Vancouver. The cherry blossoms are out and it's bright and sunny outside. There are daffodils poking up all over the place. Sorry, rest-of-Canada, but it's true.

But there's hope yet. In the spirit of Easter, here are a few books to usher in Springtime, no matter how cold, wet or snowy it may be outside. Just curl up with a book that's full of Springtime goodness, and use your imagination... Chocolate eggs also help.

Chicken and Egg is one of my personal favourites from Chronicle's Spring list. In it, food writer Janice Cole shares her adventures of deciding to take on raising chickens in her backyard. This book is not only lovely to look at (thanks to the crack design team at Chronicle), it's also topical, as allowing "urban poultry" seems to be an issue that's been raised in several Canadian cities in the past couple of years, and also downright delicious... Did I mention that the book also includes 125 recipes for delicious chicken and egg dishes?

Read a guest post by the author on the Chronicle blog.

Read the spread on Chicken and Egg in a recent issue of HELLO magazine (PDF).

Another gorgeous book with a Springtime feel is Nests: Fifty Nests and the Birds that Built Them. This book featuresamazing photography drawn from the collections of the California Academy of Sciences, the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at UC Berkeley, and the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology. Close-up photos of nests are accompanied by short portraits of the birds that constructed them. The variety and detail is fascinating. Here are a few spreads from the book... (Click on the images below to see them larger.)

And for something that's just plain fun(ny), check out One Chick to Another. Full of quips and funny one-liners paired with cute photos of, you guessed it, chicks.

Here’s to a sake New Years!

by Danielle
Excerpts + Food & Drink / December 30, 2009

I thought I'd post a couple of yummy sake recipes from Kathy Casey's Sips and Apps for your New Years celebration. I hope you like them! Enjoy! 

If you do intend to have a few cocktails tomorrow night please do not drive and find an alternative to taking your car.

All the best and here's to 2010!

Sake Sangria
Makes about 4 cups (6 to 8 servings)

1 (750 ml) bottle sake
6 tablespoons honey
2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1 stalk fresh lemongrass, halved lengthwise, then cut into 3- to 4-inch pieces (use the entire stalk)
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
1 small tangerine or orange, thinly sliced
1 large plum or apricot, pitted and cut into thin wedges (optional, if not in season)

In a large pitcher, combine all the ingredients and stir with a spoon, crushing some of the fruit. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, or up to 2 days, to let the flavors marry before serving. Serve over ice, and include some of the fruit in each serving.

Sake Teriyaki Sticky Chicken Wings
Makes 24

Old-school teriyaki chicken wings get a big-flavored lacquery glaze in this low-and-slow method. You can make the sauce a few days ahead of time, but be sure to allow a full hour for cooking the wings.

I cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sake, or substitute dry sherry or dry white wine
2 tablespoons very finely minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
I cup sugar
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions, white and green parts
3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons water
1 dozen whole chicken wings or 2 dozen drummettes, about 2 1/2 to 3 pounds

For Garneshing
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seed
Thinly sliced green onion tops

In a small saucepan, whisk together the soy sauce, sake, ginger, garlic, sugar, pepper flakes, green onions, vinegar, cornstarch, and water. Set the pan over medium heat and bring to a boil, whisking constantly, to thicken. Mixture will be very thick. Let cool. If not using immediately, store, covered and refrigerated, for up to 4 days.
If using whole wings, disjoint the wings and remove and discard tips; you should have 24 pieces. Put them in a large bowl and set aside.
Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F.

Add the sauce mixture to the bowl with the chicken and mix well to coat the chicken evenly. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or lightly oil it. Arrange the drummettes and sauce in a single layer in the dish.

Bake for 30 minutes. Stir and turn the chicken pieces over and bake for 20 minutes more. Stir and turn the chicken pieces again and bake for 10 minutes more, or until chicken is tender and sauce is thick and glazy. Total cooking time should be about 1 hour.

Stir the drummettes in the sauce once more, then transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Spoon some of the extra sauce over the chicken, then sprinkle with the sesame seed and green onions for garnish.