Don Silvers

3 1/2 pound frying or roasting chicken(organic free-range preferred), cut into 8 pieces

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 small carrot, minced

1/2 medium onion, minced

3 tablespoons minced Italian parsley

8 fresh sage leaves, or 8 dried whole sage leaves

Shredded zest of 1 large lemon

1 large clove garlic, minced

Pinch of ground cloves

3/4 cup chopped ripe fresh tomatoes (peeled and seeded) or thoroughly drained chopped canned tomatoes

2/3 cup water or liquid from the canned tomatoes

5 to 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Garnish

2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley

The chicken can be made 1 day ahead and stored overnight, covered, in the refrigerator. Undercook by 10 minutes and do not add the final 3 to 4 tablespoons of lemon juice until just before serving.

Rinse and thoroughly dry the chicken pieces. Heat the oil in a heavy 12-inch saute pan over medium-high heat. Slip in the chicken pieces, skin side down, arranging them so they do not touch. Brown over medium heat or lower, adjusting the heat so the chicken colors slowly, taking about 15 minutes to reach a rich amber color. Sprinkle the pieces with a little salt and pepper as they cook, turning them with two wooden spatulas. Remove the browned chicken to a platter. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat. Set the pan over medium heat and saute the carrot, onion, parsley and sage, 8 minutes, or until the onion starts to color. Stir in the lemon zest and continue sauteing, stirring often, 3 minutes, or until the onion is deep gold. Take care not to burn the brown glaze on the bottom of the pan. Blend in the garlic, cloves, tomatoes, and water, scraping up the glaze. Add the chicken and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice. Bring to a gentle bubble. Cover the pan. Cook 15 minutes. Uncover and cook about 10 minutes, turning the chicken pieces to moisten them. The sauce should thicken and cling to the chicken.

Have a platter warming in a low oven. Sprinkle the remaining 3 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice over the chicken, and taste for salt and pepper. Pile the chicken on the platter, moistening the meat with the pan juices. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Serves 4-6

1/4 pound unsalted butter

1 medium yellow onion, minced

4 medium cloves garlic, minced

1 cup very thinly sliced celery

3 green or red bell peppers-seeded, deveined, and cut into long julienne

4 to 5 semi-hot yellow finger peppers-seeded, deveined, and cut into long julienne

3 medium tomatoes-peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced

2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and with tails intact

1 cup Fish Stock or shrimp stock

Salt and cayenne pepper

In a large skillet, melt the butter over moderate heat. Wilt the onions in the butter. Add the garlic and all of the vegetables and simmer over low heat. When the vegetables are still slightly crisp, add the shrimp and the stock. Bring to a simmer, season to taste, cover, and cook for about 5 minutes, until the shrimp are just cooked through. Do not overcook the shrimp.

Serves 6

This is one of Alton Brown's favorite recipes.

1 whole chicken (broiler/fryer) cut into 8 pieces or 10 chicken thighs

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil

10 peeled cloves of garlic

10 shallots, peeled and split in half from stem to root

Several sprigs parsley, sage, and thyme (sorry, rosemary would put it over the edge)

Large ovenproof saute pan with tight fitting lid (straight sides are needed. If you don't have such a pan you may need to brown the chicken in one pan then finish the dish in a casserole.)

Tongs for handling meat

Preheat oven to 350

Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil and brown on both sides in wide frying pan or skillet over high heat. Remove from heat, add garlic, shallots, herbs, and remainder of the olive oil (there's no reason to chop the herbs, just distribute them around and in between he chicken chunks.) Cover and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Yield: 6 servings

4 cups frozen rhubarb

2 cups Dole Fresh Frozen Whole Strawberries

1 1/4 cups orange juice

1/2-3/4 cup sugar

Almond Macaroons (recipe follows)

In medium saucepan, heat rhubarb, strawberries and orange juice to boiling. Reduce heat; cook 10 minutes or until fruit is tender. Remove from heat. Add sugar, to taste. Cool slightly. Put half fruit mixture in blender or food processor. Cover; blend until smooth. Repeat with remaining fruit. Refrigerate soup, covered. At service, garnish with additional strawberry slices, if desired. Serve with Almond Macaroons.

Almond Macaroons

3 oz. almond paste

3 T. + 1 t. sugar

1 oz. egg white

Combine almond paste and sugar in food processor. Cover; pulse to blend well. Gradually add egg white; blend until smooth and dough has formed. Put batter in medium-size pastry bag fitted with small round tip. Pipe into small circles on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 325F 10-12 minutes, or until edges begin to brown. Cool briefly; loosen with spatula.

3 T canola oil

3 lbs. yellow onions, thinly sliced

1 lb. red cabbage, shredded

1 1/2 lbs. Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, medium dice

2 cups chopped dried apricots

2 t. kosher salt

1 t. cracked black pepper

1 cup vegetable broth

2 T caraway seeds, toasted

1/3 cup chopped parsley

2 T. orange zest

Heat oil in large saute pan or rondo. Add onions; stir well, coating with oil. Cook 8-10 minutes on medium-high heat. Add cabbage, apples, apricots, salt and pepper; cook 4-5 minutes. Add vegetable broth and caraway seeds; stir to blend. Cover pan; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in parsley and orange zest. Serve warm.

This recipe is courtesy of National Onion Association.

The book that this recipe comes from is a small lovely book of truly wonderful sauces. Within the book there are some very delightful recipes including the following.

Mirepoix:

Onions

Carrots

Turnips

Celery

Leeks

Little garlic

1 chicken

bouquet garni

a few cloves

zest of a lemon

water

salt

coarse mignonette pepper

1/2-1 oz. flour

1/ - 1 oz. butter

1 pint (1 1/4 pints) clear stock

2 yolks of eggs

juice of small lemon

4 fl. oz. (1/2 cup) double cream

tiny onions

mushrooms

Fry the mirepoix in butter until it colours lightly, then add the meat cut in pieces, the bouquet garni, cloves and zest of lemon. Add the water. (The main difference between my father's method and that of Escoffier is that the latter used light stock and proceeded from there on, much as is done for a pot-au-feu, using carrots, onions stuck with cloves and so on.) Season with salt and a little mignonette pepper. Bring to a boil, strain and cook on low heat until it is well done. This is most important. I have often said that this means virtually taking it to the point of its being overdone.

Take out the pieces of chicken and keep them hot in the pan with the merest breath of heat. Make a roux in the proportions of 1/2oz or 1 oz each of flour and of butter to a pint of clear stock. Add the liquid while cooking the roux. Bring to the boil, and let it cook for a few minutes. Blend with 2 eggs to each pint of sauce, the juice of a small lemon, a little cayenne pepper, more salt if necessary and 4 fl. oz. (1/2 cup) double cream.

Contrary to general opinion, after the sauce is blended with the utmost care, boil it hard. This is to stabilize the sauce and make it smooth and creamy. then pour over the chicken, bring to boiling point and keep hot. Serve garnished with tiny onions and mushrooms prepared in court-bouillon.

I have chosen these three recipes to indicate how wonderful it is to have a pasta without the ubiquitous tomato sauce.

Spaghetti with Garlic and Oil

14 ounces fresh or dried spaghetti

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2-4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 dried red chile

1 small handful fresh Italian parsley, coarsely chopped

salt

Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, adding plenty of salt to the water.

Meanwhile, heat the oil very gently in a small frying pan or saucepan. Add the crushed garlic and whole dried chile and stir over low heat until the garlic is just beginning to brown. Remove the chile and discard.

Drain the pasta and turn it into a warmed large bowl. Pour on the oil and garlic mixture, add the parsley and toss vigorously until the pasta glistens. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

Pasta with Mushrooms

1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms

3/4 cup warm water

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, freshly chopped

1 handful fresh Italian parsley, coarsely chopped

2 large pieces drained sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, sliced into thin strips

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 cups cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 cups vegetable stock

4 cups short pasta shapes, e.g. ruote, penne, fusilli or eliche

salt and ground black pepper

arugula and/or fresh Italian parsley, to garnish

Put the dried porcini mushrooms in a bowl, pour warm water over and allow to soak for 15-20 minute. Turn into a fine sieve set over a bowl and squeeze the porcini with your hands to release as much liquid as possible. Reserve the strained soaking liquid. Chop the porcini finely.

Heat the oil and cook the garlic, parsley, sun-dried tomato strips and porcini over low heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes.

Stir in the wine, simmer for a few minutes until reduced, then stir in the cremini mushrooms. Pour in the stock and simmer, uncovered for 15-20 minutes more, until the liquid has reduced and the sauce is quite thick and rich.

Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package.

Taste the mushroom sauce for seasoning. Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the cooking liquid, and turn it into a warmed large bowl. Add the mushroom sauce and toss well, thinning the sauce if necessary with some of the pasta cooking water. Serve immediately, sprinkled liberally with chopped arugula and/or parsley.

Serves 4

Fettuccine with Butter and Parmesan

14 ounces fresh or dried fettuccine

1/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed

1 1/3 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese

salt and ground black pepper

Cook the pasta in a pot of salted boiling water according to the instructions on the package. Drain thoroughly, then turn into a warmed bowl.

Add the butter and Parmesan a third at a time, tossing the pasta after each addition until it is evenly coated. Season to taste and serve.

This is a new cookbook that just came out and it covers four centuries of the cooks, writers, and recipes that made the modern cookbook what it is today.

This recipe dates back to the seventeenth century

Serves 4-6

2 chickens (about 3 pounds)

2 tablespoons butter, more if needed

Salt and Pepper

4 ounce piece bacon, cut into small dice

4 onions, chopped

5 or 6 garlic cloves chopped

1 cup full bodied red wine, more for sprinkling

1/4 cup red wine vinegar, more for sprinkling

2 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon aniseeds,/p> 2 teaspoons black pepper, more for serving

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Large pinch of saffron threads

1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Kitchen string

To roast the chickens: Heat the oven to 400. Wipe the chickens inside and out with damp paper towels, then truss them with string. Set them, breast side up, in a roasting pan just big enough to hold them. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter, brush it over the chickens, and sprinkle them with salt and pepper.

Roast the chickens until they start to brown 15 to 20 minutes. Turn them breast side down and continue roasting, basting often and brushing with more butter if they look dry, about 45 minutes. Turn the birds again onto their backs, baste them, and continue roasting until they are done, 10 to 20 minutes longer. To test if the chickens are done, lift one of them with a two-pronged fork and carefully pour the juices from the cavity; they should run clear, not pink. Transfer the chickens to a cutting board. Leave the oven on, and keep the roasting pan handy, as it will be reused. (The chickens can also be roasted on a spit.) Let the chickens rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile fry the bacon in a frying pan over low heat, stirring often, until the fat runs, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the onions and continue frying gently without browning until very tender, 8 to 10 minutes longer. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Remove from heat.

Cut each chicken into quarters (2 leg and 2 breast pieces), discarding the backbone. Pack the chicken pieces back in the roasting pan, overlapping them. In a small bowl, mix together the wine and vinegar. Spoon the mixture over the warm chicken pieces so it is partially absorbed. Spread the onion mixture on top. Pour enough broth down the side of the pan almost to cover the chickens, and dot with 1 tablespoon butter. Return the pan to the oven and bake until the broth boils and the chicken pieces are very hot, 10 to 15 minutes.

To finish: While the chickens are baking, crush the aniseeds in a mortar with a pestle or the end of a rolling pin, then stir in the pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg and saffron and pound them all together. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the chicken pieces and return them to the oven until hot and fragrant, about 5 minutes longer.

Transfer the chicken pieces to a warmed platter, cover with aluminum foil, and keep warm. Skim any excess fat from the roasting pan and place the pan on the stove top. Boil the cooking juices over high heat until reduced by half. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley. Taste and adjust the seasoning with a little more wine and vinegar to pick up the flavor.

Spoon the sauce over the chickens and sprinkle more pepper on top. Serve hot.

On Thursday, June 7th Chef/Owner Josh Silvers and Chef De Cuisine Ben Davies perform a 6-course SWAN SONG Ode To Sonoma Foie Gras

Seating will be limited for this singular event. Please call 707 568-4002 to make your reservations. Cost is $125 per person. Not inclusive of beverages, sales tax or gratuity

AMUSE

Bon Bon, Chip with Powder, Creme Brulee

FIRST COURSE

Mediterranean Flavors Frozen Shave Foie

SECOND COURSE

Duck Soup Foie & Duck Ravioli tureen with Petite Salad

THIRD COURSE

Seared Foie with Brioche

Peach Gastrique & Pickled Peach Salad

FOURTH COURSE

Squab & Foie Liquid-Filled Arancini

Peas & Carrots, Madeira Jus

FIFTH COURSE

Braised Short Rib, Wild Mushroom & Foie Ragout

Potato-Foie Foam, Asparagus

DESSERT

Life Without Foie...

Salted Caramel/Sauterne Gelee/Macaron with Berries

Petite Syrah

Dinner everyday beginning at 5:00pm

205 5th St. Santa Rosa, CA

707 568-4002

This cookbook covers over twenty years of recipes from the White House from LBJ to the Reagans.

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

6 pork chops, 1 inch thick

2 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon mixed fresh thyme, rosemary, and oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried

3 tablespoons flour

Grated rind of 1 lemon

3 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups dry red wine

A bunch of fresh watercress

Mix salt and pepper; season pork chops on both sides.

Press garlic and mix with herbs; rub into pork chops on both sides.

In a heavy saute pan melt butter over medium-high heat and brown pork chops for 5 minutes on each side.

Add half of the wine, cover, and simmer slowly for 20 minutes.

Turn pork chops over; add remaining 3/4 cup wine and simmer, covered for 30 minutes more, or until fork tender.

Arrange pork chops on a deep serving platter. Strain pan juices over chops

Garnish platter with watercress. Server very hot with Braised Red Cabbage. Recipe to follow.

Serves 6

Braised Red Cabbage

8 strips bacon thinly sliced

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 large onions, finely sliced

2 small heads red cabbage, shredded

2 apples peeled and sliced

1 tablespoon salt

A pinch of freshly ground white pepper

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

A pinch of cinnamon

1 tablespoon sugar

2 cups dry red wine

Om a 6 quart pot, heat bacon with oil over medium heat. Add onions, cover and simmer for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally (do not brown onions)

Add half of the shredded cabbage; cover with apple slices and top with remaining cabbage

Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon and sugar. Pour wine over all.

cut a circle of wax paper, the same diameter as the pot; place over cabbage and anchor with a heatproof plate about the same size. Cover pot and simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove coverings, and stir carefully with a long fork until well blended.

Cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes; stir again with the fork.

Cover, and cook for 15 minutes more, or until juice is almost completely reduced. Serve hot.