Exploring virtual Cooks & Books series

While I confess to being a bit “Zoomed out” with dozens of online meetings, one of the most enjoyable virtual events has been a series called Cooks & Books. Starting earlier this month and running through December, a team from the Lewes Public Library and Browseabout Books have joined forces to share conversations with authors of recently published cookbooks.

 

The first installment featured Christopher and Kirsten Shockey and their “Big Book of Cidermaking.” They talked about how they began making apple-based hard ciders after a side trip to publish their first book on fermented vegetables. Speaking to us from a comfortably furnished, book-lined room in their Oregon home, they introduced the basic tools and ingredients, then described the relatively easy process of creating tasty cider.

 

Their book is full of gorgeous photos featuring rare apple varieties, lush orchards, colorful ciders and specific pieces of equipment. The instructions are quite detailed and range from the most basic steps for a beginner to the more complex and nuanced techniques for the adventurous and experienced. Toward the end of the hour, they shared their plans for a future excursion into artisanal vinegar.

 

Although I haven’t yet tried my hand at making cider, I will share their secret – you don’t have to pick, sweat, grind and juice your own apples. You can start with a bottle of apple juice or cider from the supermarket’s refrigerated section, so long as it hasn’t been treated with any preservatives like potassium sorbate or sodium benzoate. All you need next is some yeast, but you may want to read the book to get it right.

 

The second installment of Cooks & Books was held this week, where we had the opportunity to visit the Brooklyn kitchen of author Stacie Billis and learn about her new book “Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner.” Written as if she were standing at your shoulder to guide your steps, she encourages readers to experiment with her recipes and expresses the hope that the book’s pages become stained and spattered with frequent use.

 

The collection of 50 recipes is accompanied by photos of each dish and sorted by cooking approach: roasting, grilling, stewing, braising, slow cooking, sheet pan baking and instant pot. One of the most helpful sections is the opening tutorial on tools of the trade with detailed images showing how to cut up a whole chicken and the precise steps involved in carving a cooked bird.

 

When we planned what type of demonstration to include in the hour-long discussion, we decided to have Stacie show the attendees the ease with which you can butcher a whole chicken. She began with “spatchcocking,” or removing the bird’s backbone with kitchen shears. This allows you to flatten the bird to cook both breast and thigh meat evenly.

 

She then reached for her chef’s knife to remove the legs and wings by finding the exact center of the joint where the bones readily separated. Watching how easily she took apart the pieces helped bring home the point she made about how much cheaper this is compared to buying chicken parts already pre-packaged.

 

Stacie went on with the demo, deboning both thighs and breasts, and concluded with the simple but precise process to create boneless breast cutlets, the best starting point for assembling a speedy chicken dinner. If you try only one recipe from her book, I recommend the clever approach to chicken tenders seen in the photo. The crunchy outer layer is a combination of panko bread crumbs, grated Parmesan cheese and olive oil, which crisps up beautifully in the oven. Definitely a winner, winner chicken dinner!

 

 

Preheat oven to 450 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set a baking rack in the pan; set aside. Combine the flour and paprika on a paper plate; set aside. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth; set aside. In a shallow bowl, stir together bread crumbs, grated cheese, olive oil and pepper until combined; set aside. Cut the chicken into strips 2 inches long and about 1 inch wide. Dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off excess. Dip into the egg to coat completely, allowing excess to drip off. Thoroughly coat the chicken with bread crumb mixture, pressing to help it adhere. Arrange the breaded chicken pieces in a single layer on the baking rack. Bake until golden and crispy, about 15 minutes. *Adapted from “Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner” by Stacie Billis.

 

For a complete list of upcoming Cooks & Books events, visit the Lewes Public Library website at lewes.lib.de.us. To order these cookbooks and other titles for upcoming programs, visit Browseabout Books on Rehoboth Avenue or at browseaboutbooks.com.