marcismile's blog: "recipes"

Ingredients: 1 (5 to 6-pound) roasting chicken Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 large bunch fresh thyme 4 lemons 3 heads garlic, cut in 1/2 crosswise 2 tablespoons butter, melted 1/2 pound sliced bacon 1 cup white wine 1/2 cup chicken stock Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Place the chicken in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the thyme, reserving enough thyme to garnish the chicken dish, 1 lemon, halved, and 2 halves of the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Cut 2 of the lemons in quarters and scatter the quarters and remaining garlic around the chicken. Lay the bacon slices over the chicken to cover. Roast the chicken for 1 hour. Remove the bacon slices from the top of the chicken and set aside. Continue roasting the chicken for an additional 1/2 hour, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove to a platter and cover with aluminum foil while you prepare the gravy. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the bottom of the pan. Add the wine and chicken stock and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, or until reduced by half. Slice the chicken on a platter. Garnish the chicken platter with the bacon slices, roasted garlic, reserved thyme and 1 lemon, sliced. Serve with the gravy.

1 lb bittersweet chocolate, chopped 1 stick unsalted butter 9 large eggs, separated 3/4 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon 2 cups heavy cream, cold Confectioners' sugar, for dusting Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Put the chocolate and butter into the top of a double boiler (or in a heatproof bowl) and heat over (but not touching) about 1 inch of simmering water until melted. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar in a mixing bowl until light yellow in color. Whisk a little of the chocolate mixture into the egg yolk mixture to temper the eggs - this will keep the eggs from scrambling from the heat of the chocolate; then whisk in the rest of the chocolate mixture. Beat the egg whites in a mixing bowl until stiff peaks form and fold into the chocolate mixture. Pour into the prepared pan (spray the bottom with nonstick spray) and bake until the cake is set, the top starts to crack, and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out with moist crumbs clinging to it, 20 to 25 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes, then unmold. While the cake is cooking, make the whipped cream. Whip the cream until it becomes light and fluffy. Dust the cake with confectioners' sugar. Serve at room temperature with the whipped cream.

For the lemon oil: 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 lemon, zested For the pasta: 1 pound linguine pasta 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 shallots, diced 2 garlic cloves, minced 16 ounces frozen shrimp 1/4 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons) 1 lemon, zested 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 3 ounces arugula (about 3 packed cups) 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley For the lemon oil: Combine the olive oil and the lemon zest in a small bowl and reserve. For the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until pink, about 5 minutes. Add the cooked linguine, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine. Turn off the heat and add the arugula. Using a mesh sieve, strain the lemon zest out of the reserved lemon olive oil and add the oil to the pasta. The zest can be discarded. Add the chopped parsley to the pasta and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Ingredients 36 slices (1/2-inch thick) baguette bread, about 1 loaf 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 8 ounces Gorgonzola, sliced 3 tablespoons honey Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Method: Arrange the sliced baguette on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil. Bake until the bread is pale golden and crisp, about 10 minutes. Arrange the cheese on the toasts and bake until the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes. Drizzle the toasts with honey. Place on a serving platter and serve immediately. (trust me, this one is really good.)

Ingredients: 2 pounds ripe Bosc pears (4 pears) 2 pounds firm Macoun apples (6 apples) 1 teaspoon grated orange zest 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg For the topping: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal 1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Method: Peel, core, and cut the pears and apples into large chunks. Place the fruit in a large bowl and add the zests, juices, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch oval baking dish. For the topping: Combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for 1 minute, until the mixture is in large crumbles. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit, covering the fruit completely. Place the baking dish on a sheet pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is brown and the fruit is bubbly. Serve warm. (sooooo yummy! try with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, too)

Ingredients: 1 lb dried linguine 1 Tbs olive oil 8 oz rindless pancetta, chopped 4 eggs 5 Tbs light cream 4 Tbs freshly grated Parmesan cheese salt and pepper Method: Bring a large, heavy-bottom pan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, return to a boil and cook for 8-19 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottom skillet. Add the chopped pancetta and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 8-10 minutes. Beat the eggs with the cream in a small bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water, and return pasta to the pan. Tip the contents of the sikillet, then add the egg mixture and half of the Parmesan cheese. Stir well. If sauce is too thick, add some pasta water to desired consistency. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Serves about 4 people. (squisito)