Another great recipe from America's Test Kitchen.  I'm telling you - they don't disappoint.  Their recipes are delicious and they are simple to make.  This one is good.  The crust is really crunchy and the chicken is tender and juicy.  The wing sauce is just spicy enough but not too spicy (I used Frank's hot sauce.)

http://www.cookscountry.com/recipe.asp?recipeids=5394&bdc=64728&Extcode=L0BN1BA00

Boneless Buffalo Chicken
2/2009

In step 3, the fried chicken pieces can be held in a 200-degree oven for 30 minutes before being tossed with the sauce. A relatively mild cayenne pepper-based hot sauce, like Frank’s, is essential; avoid hotter sauces like Tabasco. If desired, serve with our Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing.

Serves 4 to 6

4	boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
1/2	cup buttermilk
1	teaspoon salt
3/4	cup hot sauce (see note)
1/4	cup water
1/4	teaspoon sugar
1	tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2	cups cornstarch
4	large egg whites
1/2	cup all-purpose flour
1/2	teaspoon baking soda
4	cups vegetable oil

1. MARINATE Combine chicken, buttermilk, and salt in large zipper-lock bag and refrigerate 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. Combine hot sauce, water, sugar, butter, and 2 teaspoons cornstarch in saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until thickened, about 5 minutes.

2. COAT Whisk egg whites in shallow dish until foamy. Stir flour, baking soda, remaining cornstarch, and 6 tablespoons hot sauce mixture in second shallow dish until mixture resembles coarse meal. Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Toss half of chicken with egg whites until well coated, then dredge chicken in cornstarch mixture, pressing to adhere. Transfer coated chicken to plate and repeat with remaining chicken.

3. FRY Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until oil registers 350 degrees. Fry half of chicken until golden brown, about 4 minutes, turning each piece halfway through cooking. Transfer chicken to paper towel-lined plate. Return oil to 350 degrees and repeat with remaining chicken.

4. TOSS Warm remaining hot sauce mixture over medium-low heat until simmering. Combine chicken and hot sauce mixture in large bowl and toss to coat. Serve.

MAKE AHEAD: Freeze with Ease
This dish freezes beautifully. In step 3, fry each batch of chicken until light golden brown, about 2 minutes. Drain and cool chicken on paper towel-lined plate, then transfer to freezer. Once chicken is completely frozen (this should take about 2 hours), transfer it to zipper-lock bag and freeze for up to 1 month. (Freeze the sauce separately in an airtight container for up to 1 month.) When ready to serve, heat 4 cups oil to 350 degrees and fry the chicken in 2 batches until deep golden brown, about 2 minutes, turning each piece halfway through cooking. Reheat sauce in microwave or in saucepan over medium-low heat until warm. Toss chicken with sauce as directed. Serve.

 

The street in our neighborhood is plowed - you can see the pavement.  I made the stupid assumption that the roads to the gym - a mere 1.1 miles away - would be fine as well.  I decided to get up to the gym and burn off some energy.  I should also point out that I was motivated by Stewart's mean-little-boy comment.  Last night he asked me, "When you met dad, where you skinny?  You should lay off the nachos."  It was funny when he said it - but then it dawned on me, exactly how many times he has called me "chummy" in the last month.  And it hurt my feelings.  So I went.  Not that this one workout would make me any less "chummy" but I might feel a little bit better about myself.

Getting out of the neighborhood was fine.  But everything else was so not.  The road right outside of our neighborhood was bad.  It was really just ruts in the road.  It was kinda scary.  I wasn't sure what I was going to do if another car started coming down in the opposite direction.  Nevertheless, I made it to the gym.  All was well.  Aside from the 2 staffing the gym, there was only 4 other people there (myself excluded.)  Their TV's were out (Direct TV) and the radio was out as well.  It was really weird, and quiet.  Quiet with the exception of the rhythmic thump thump thump of someone running on the treadmill.  As I was on the treadmill, I reached up to grab the towel to wipe my sweaty brow - this knocked off my cellphone.  It went flying off the back of the treadmill, landing in pieces.  Gym staff picked it up for me and reassembled it.  I finished my workout, sat in the sauna for 5 minutes and put my rubber boots back on.

I got in the car and was all ready to go home.  I was worried about what I was going to tell Bill.  I didn't want him to go running on the roads because they were not safe.  As I turn back onto the road, the road with all of the snow ruts, I see that there is a truck stopped in the middle of the road.  I didn't think he was stuck - I made my second stupid assumption.  I thought someone was taking a picture.  It was beautiful.  As I came around the corner, I could see about 6 cars stopped.  We waited and waited.  I tried to call Bill but realized that my battery was missing from the phone.  (Probably stuck under some treadmill.)  No one moved.  So I got out to find out what was wrong - there was some little car stuck in the middle of the road.  The ruts were too deep and the car wasn't budging.  Not even with big men pushing.  So they decided that we should back up the road because no one was going to be able to get past the stuck car.  This scared me.  This is a hilly road and it's not straight.  I'm not the best backer-upper.  But I thought, "Just go slow.  You can do it!"  well I got stuck - but I managed to unstuck myself.  and then I got stuck again.  This time it required a nice man trying to drive the car while me and another nice man tried to push.  That's right - Me.  In my rubber boots, no coat, capri pants and a long sleeve shirt - out there trying to push my car out of the snow I put it in.  (It's funny, right!)  

While we were doing this - cars and trucks continued to try to go down the road - as I stupidly did - and they got stuck trying to turn around.  Once everyone cleared the way - I got in the car with the guy who was going to back the car up the hill for me.  Well, he got stuck.  Not enough traction to make it up the hill  (note to self: don't try to ride your bike to the gym, the hill is brutal.)  So i got out.  Enter: 2 other nice men.  All three of us pushing the car up the hill.  The man driving, gets it turned around and I drove it and parked it at the gym.  I went inside the gym and FINALLY found the cell phone battery.

I parked the car at the gym and gave in.  I took a few non-essentials out of my gym bag, grabbed my wallet, ipod, and water bottle, and proceeded to walk home.  It was really cold.  I was sweaty from my work out, my legs were really tired, I hadn't eaten, and here I am walking home.  Lucky for me, one of the nice men that helped push the car drove by and he offered me a ride hom.  His house is across the street from our neighborhood.  He was very kind.  When we pulled into the driveway, Bill was outside, cleaning off the Jetta - and the man told him that he (Bill) should give me some driving lessons when it warms up.  "She can't backup!"

I am just a little bit exhausted and tired.  I actually think I was contributing to pushing the car up the hill.  I know I was trying really hard.

Sorry everyone.  I had to turn them off.  The spam comments that get left on my blogs are annoying - epicly annoying.  And it's not like 1 or 2 per day.  It's more like 50.  And it isn't just spam left on my most recent posts - it's all of them from all the way back to when i started.  It's a big waste of my time and did I mention how annying it is to have to go in and delete all of them.

So - they are turned off, probably until we rebuild the site.  You are always welcome to drop me an email. (Which implies that if I actually wanted your comments, you would know how to reach me.)

1.  I have a crappy memory.  I make lists for everything: groceries, bills paid, assignments to do, things to do while on vacation.  I just don't have a good memory.  But I do remember the very first Bath and Body Works lotion that I ever bought.  I was in the 7th grade.  The scent was Pineapple Mango.  It was the beginning of my love affair with overpriced, overscented lotions, cream, and shower gel.  I don't buy much Bath and Body works because I have found other products that I like better (for example, the Margarita shower gel and salt scrub by Phiolsophy smells sooo amazing, it will make you thirsty.  It is the reason why I wanted to try margaritas.  Until that shower gel, I was anti-tequila but the Philosophy product smelled soo good.  You will be tempted to taste it.  Anyway, I digress!)  I still like to walk through the store and look at all of the new scents they are selling - and I always have to ask someone if Happy Daisy will be back anytime soon (Happy Daisy is my all time favorite scent they have ever had.)  So yesterday, parker and I were walking around the mall and as I walked by the Bath and Body Works store, there was this awesome smell, beckoning me to come in.  So I go in, ask if Happy Daisy will be out for the spring (no) and then I ask her what is the smell that I could smell as I walked by.  I assumed it was just a combination of all the smells - and not just a particular one.  She told me it's a candle and this essential oil burner thing they have at the counter.  The smell: PINEAPPLE MANGO!!!!!!  And for just a second, as i stood there with the candle up to my nose, I felt young and careful.  Just for a second.  Parker started grabbing things off the shelf - that quickly brought me back to reality.  There might be a chance for Happy Daisy to come back.  And if it does - I will be buying a lifetime supply of it.

2.  Recipes - I have some ones that I have made but haven't had time to add into my blog.  Chicken Tikka Masala,  Basmati Rice Pilaf, and Slow-cooked Roast Beef.  But - I gotta lay off the cooking for a little bit.  Even with me going to the gym 3-4 times a week, I still GAINED EIGHT POUNDS LAST MONTH!  And I attribute that to all of the rich cooking that I have been doing.  Or maybe I will just make less rich recipes?  I'm not sure.  I am addicted to this new cookbook.  One day, while waiting for Stewart at the busstop, I flipped through it and flagged all of the recipes that I wanted to make.  It's all goodness.

3.  Music - I don't usually buy an entire album.  Of anything.  EXCEPT soundtracks.  (I have blogged before about my weird love of soundtracks.)  Now with iTunes, I can just buy whatever songs I like.  Occasionally I will buy an entire album but it has to be from someone that is on my trusted music list (U2, Marron 5, Carrie Underwood, Vanessa Carlton, Michelle Branch/the Wreckers, Matchbox 20, The Frey, Snow Patrol, Lily Allen, James Morrison, and John Mayer.)  So I was flipping through the cd case that I have in the car and I pulled out a "mixed-tape" that I had labeled at 07-17-08.    It was good music and it reminded me of really good songs that I had forgotten about.  But it also automaticly made me think of summer and warmth and the beach.  There wasn't anything summer specific about the music, and then it dawned on me.  That was a playlist that I made in July!  Somehow just hearing the music made me think of summer and warm thought - probably because I listened to it a TON during the July of 2008.  Funny how the mind works like that.

I just spent the last 2 hours and 15 minutes grocery shopping - standing in line for 20 minutes because the whole entire town decided to show up and shop at the same time and putting up the groceries while trying to remain calm and discipline Stewart - for the third time in a week.  More rowdiness and cussing on the bus.  He also refuses to listen to me.  Today he ate all of his brother's snack, "because i wanted to" after I SPECIFICALLY told him not to.

And he has the freakin nerve to wake up in the morning and ASK ME if I'm cranky or in a good mood.  HE IS THE REASON I HAVE BEEN CRANKY FOR THE LAST 7 DAYS!!!!!!

Breathe.  I need a mantra.

I have no idea why my parents had 4 kids.  None.  And they don't drink.  So i have no idea what they did to get a load off. Ehhhhh . . . I'm starting to wish they did drink because now my mind is wandering to things your own parents aren't supposed to do!  EWWW.  GROSSS!!!  

It's off to make dinner.  We have $300 in groceries and all i want is a good chilli dog and some guac.

Since November, it seems like Parker is just a little bit sweeter, more cuddly - and last week, all last week, he was giving me kisses and randomly saying, "i love you."  And then something happened and he's kindeve a little whiny "Mine" and "NO!" monster.  It doesn't help that Stewart is around to encourage or aggrivate the situation. 

Parker is still having a hard time going to bed at night.  He is soo stubborn.  If we had the patience, he would get up all night long.  He gets up and we go put him back to bed and he gets up and we go pit him back to bed and he gets up - infinity.  Our biggest fear as parents, as a married couple (!) is that he will go the way of Stewart and want to sleep in bed with us all the time.  Stewart only stopped getting in bed with us when Parker arrived.  We aren't having anymore children - Parker could sleep in bed with us forever!  So we don't let him in bed with us - unless it's after 6am.  If he gets up in the middle of the night we go put him back in his crib - which only has to be done once.  It is somehow much easier to get him to go back to sleep than it is to get him to go to sleep in the first place.   

I've stopped fighting with him at nap time - and I will close the blinds and the curtains and turn on some soft relaxing music and let him take his nap in our bed.  Somehow it works.  He doesn't fight it as much - maybe it's because he likes our bed or because he can see me sitting at my desk doing homework.  I can't tell you how much i love his bright red cheeks when he wakes up from his nap.  It's like I rubbed some rouge into his little cheeks - they are so red.  It is such a contrast to his fair skin.   

So this was a really tough weekend for all of us.  Bill and I both had homework.  I spent some time reading with Stewart.  I made a really awesome roast (will post the recipe soon) and I made the white bean and winter vegetable soup.  It was really good.  Not bad for my first time with leeks, escarole, and kale.  Parker and Stewart seemed exceptionally rambunctious.  Boys.  Apparently, while in the basement with dad, they were having a "battle royale" and it involved throwing balls at each other and hitting each other with sticks/swords.  I think dad had to break it up.  But they are both growing and i guess this is all part of having 2 boys.

I hope the terrible twos don't last long.  I don't remember Stewart going through an exceptionally bad or long period of terribleness - but then that probably means that Parker will have the terribles until he's 10.  

Today is a perfect day for soup and this family loves soup.  I was a little hesitant to make use this recipe because I have never cooked with kale, escarole (which is also known as endive and chicory), and leeks.  But I gave it a try anyway.  It looks really pretty - it is a very colorful soup. 

Makes about 4 quarts, serving 10 to 12.   Published January 1, 2001.  

If possible, use fresh dried beans in this soup. For a more authentic soup, place a small slice of lightly toasted Italian bread in the bottom of each bowl and ladle the soup over. To make this a vegetarian soup, omit the pancetta and add a 4-ounce piece of Parmesan rind to the pot along with the halved onion and unpeeled garlic in step 1.

6	ounces pancetta , one 1-inch-thick slice, cut into 1-inch cubes
1	pound dried cannellini beans , rinsed and picked over
1	large onion , unpeeled and halved pole to pole
4	medium cloves garlic , unpeeled
1	bay leaf
1	teaspoon table salt
1/4	cup extra-virgin olive oil plus extra for serving
2	small carrots , medium diced
2	ribs celery , medium diced
2	small leeks , white and light green parts, washed thoroughly, and sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
1	small onion , diced medium
3	medium cloves garlic , minced
4	ounces kale , stemmed, leaves cut into 1/2-inch strips (about 3 cups)
4	ounces escarole , stemmed, leaves cut into 1/2-inch strips (about 3 cups)
2	small boiling potatoes , medium diced
	1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes , drained
1	sprig fresh rosemary

Instructions

1. 1. In large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, cook pancetta over medium heat until just golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add 12 cups water, beans, halved onion, unpeeled garlic, bay leaf, and 1 teaspoon salt; bring to boil over medium-high heat. Cover pot partially; reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans are almost tender, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Remove beans from heat, cover, and let stand until beans are tender, about 30 minutes. Drain beans, reserving cooking liquid; discard pancetta, onion, garlic, and bay leaf. Spread beans in even layer on baking sheet and cool.

2. 2. While beans are cooling, heat oil in now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering; add carrots, celery, leeks, and diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 7 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add enough water to reserved bean cooking liquid to equal 9 cups, add to pot with kale and escarole. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil; cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes. Add potatoes and tomatoes; cover and cook until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Add cooled beans; increase heat to medium-high and bring to simmer. Submerge rosemary sprig in liquid; cover and let stand off heat 15 to 20 minutes. Discard rosemary, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into individual bowls, drizzle each bowl with extra-virgin olive oil, and serve.

America’s Test Kitchen is a 2,500-square-foot kitchen located just outside of Boston. It is the home of Cook’s Country and Cook’s Illustrated magazines and is the workday destination for more than three dozen test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists. Our mission is to test recipes until we understand how and why they work and arrive at the best version. We also test kitchen equipment and supermarket ingredients in search of brands that offer the best value and performance. You can watch us work by tuning in to America’s Test Kitchen (www.americastestkitchen.com) on public television.