A Better Grilled Chicken

 There is nothing as tasty or versatile as grilled chicken.It makes for a tasty sandwich on a kaiser roll, with naoy,.It's perfect in Caesar salads.It;s just good on its own, with a few veggies on the side. The problem with it is that it can also get dried out while cooking .Thsi results in tough,stringy meat. Yet there are ways to combat this.

Regular contributor and chef Genevieve KO gives tips and hints in her article in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday section. There is also a recipe that will be perfect for this easy to make classic. It starts with the bird itself. Home chefs could go to chicken farms and get a small bird around four to eight ounces.Commercially s9old breasts are larger which means more meat but much less flavor.It isn;t only the lack of fat that gives them no flavor but also the monotony of texture , the inch or more of uniform threads and a cottony dryness. Still these can be tasty - surprisingly. The ideal option is a chicken that;s been recently slaughtered.Supermarkets wont have this info so look  the latest sell by r use by dates Also looks for terms :fresh" and keep refrigerated which means the meat is not frozen.Also how it;s cut matters .Cut the breast to a third of its' original height by slicing two shutters. Start with a deep slit from the center of the meat Thus can be done on the other side too. Once cut the chicken breast can be smacked into a thin layer Use the palm of the hand for this.The fibers are now not only shortened but also run in different directions which makes for a good chew.

The next step is to marinate quickly.It bolsters flavor but only gives flavor to the outside.A thin breast only needs fifteen to thirty minutes to fully marinate . Ms Ko's recipe has olive oil, lemon juice and garlic. This ensures the meat tastes well and browns perfectly.There are also two cups of mixed ,fresh herbs such as parsley, cilantro basil and mint,The herbs char nicely and bring freshness.Adding kosher salt keeps the meat tender and moist. The grill should be hot. The heat is right when a hand is held three to five inches above the grate .On a gas grill it's should be on the higher side of medium high and with charcoal the lumps should be asked over and glowing red beneath a grey white surface.Remove the meat earlier.If it;s still raw it can go back on the grate to cook more.These breasts should be done in only five minutes and should be opaque without with just the faintest tinge of pink like a faint blush.T o check for doneness, put the meat on a plate cut open so the top and bottom are exposed. It can be placed back on the grill for only a minute if it['s still too raw.

A good chicken breast should be juicy and flavorful. Following these steps will ensure such. It will be a great dinner,full of juicy ,tasty meat.

Good Bye TO An Era Donahue's Closing

 Restaurants lasting almost eight decades in New York City is a rarity.Yet Doanue's managed just that until recently. This classic Manhattan eater y is shutting it's kitchen and closing it's dining room. Despite this , it gave thousands upon thousands of New Yorkers and tourists great food and drink.

Regular contributor and the paper's restaurant critic Pete Wells, wrote about this sad occurrence in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday Food section. The eatery started in 1950 when Irirsh immigrant Martin Donahue born in Country Galway built four restaurants for each of his four sons. Only one, run by his son Martin until he died in 2000, and now his granddaughter Maureen Donahue-Peters. ran it.However the city was not as it once was. it has become too crowded and noisy and Ms. Donahue -Peters would rather be at her second home in Westhampton.  Still he has kept all the charming touches that were with the eatery during it;s first year. There is still the original early 1950's phone on the wall along with the checkerboard floor and blue glass engraving behind the bar of an elephant looming over a cocktail as if it were a mouse. Orders are still written up by hand. There is nothing electronic like what modern restaurants have. Even the menu is pure Americana. Yes there is steak and filet mignon but there is also Maryland turkey and gravy along with BOston scrod and Hawaiian ham steal.Hot turkey and roast beef sandwiches were also popular,.

Seventy-five years brought the famed and the regular tooIt was the hangout of such famed CBS journalists Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather as well as NBC's Matt Lauer . Former mayor Michael Bloomburg often dined at Donahue's as did Cardinal Timothy DOlan.Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy was a regular in the old fashioned black vinyl booths.  It even brought in such famous writers as the famed Tennessee Williams and Gay Talese. Even the infamous con man Bernie Madoff spent a few meals there. Yet it was also a neighborhood place. Diners like Brooke Emmerich has been coming to the eatery since childhood. She and her family lived around the corner and ate there every Thursday always enjoying Donahue; famed corned beef and cabbage.It never took long for non famous regulars t be treated like stars.Bartenders and servers knew their drink and meal preferences down pat.Unfortunately Donahi=ue'sw ontl be picked up by a new owner. Another type of restaurant will probably be moving in and with it a raise in rent. Not to worry though, Ms. Donahue=Peter has opened up a Donahues in Westhampton.The menu is more or less the same. There are chicken pot pies and steak dinners but also trendy salads to fit the diets of the posh East End/

Every good thing must come to an end. Sadly this is the case with Donahue's. It will live on in history and people's beloved memories of the place.

The Coolest Summer Meal.

 The days are going to become unbearably hot,Cooking and even food shopping should be kept to a bare minim um.Yet can a meal and a dessert and a mocktail be made under these skimpy conditions? Yes! A full course meal, light yet filling can be made.

Regular contributor and chef David Tanis wrote about and created recipes that require only a trip to the pantry in today's New York Times  Wednesday section. The salad is as simple mix of charred white beans and seared tuna steak,taken from classic Italian antipasto.The tuna is seasoned with a special mix of sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, coriander and fennel seeds.Cayenne can be added for some heat if desired. The tuna is seared in a cast iron skillet and the interior will be rare. A vinaigrette always makes a salad and Mr. Tanis gives a great one. This is a mix of red wine vinegar and olive oil along with a finely diced red onion and two tablespoons of Dijon  mustard.Everything is mixed with the vinegar first, left to stand and then the olive oil  is added in.Thembeans are marinated inthe dressing for twenty minutes while the tuna is being seared. Keep in mind to have the rare steak each one is only seared for two minutes on each side or until lightly browned.It's then cut crosswise into half inch thick pieces, The veggies and beans are assembled fist with the tuna piece being artfully arranged on the sides

Dessert is a refreshing  lemon ricotta cake. This is a very lemony and moist cake that Mr. Tanis bakes the night before.It can be baked the morning of the dinner.It is a very buttery cake using twelve tablespoons of butter.It is also very creamy thanks to the addition of one pound of whole milk ricotta. Two lemons, their juice and zest are needed along with almond extract for more flavoring. Four eggs are also added for body.The whole mix is whipped in a standing mixer.It's baked in a Springform pan and the finished cake is brush with warm apricot jam . The dinner deserves a palate cleansing mocktail too. This is blended cucumber ,green apple and grated fresh gingerThis is blended in a blender with  two and a half cups of ice water.One teaspoon of sugar is added to emphasize the other flavors.Once, thoroughly blended add only a speck of cayenne for some zing along with the juice from two limes. Salt and peer is added to taste as well as a shot of seltzer for fizz. Ice cubes should be tossed in to give it a refreshing chill.

A summer meal should be both delicious and easy.Try these three recipes to achieve just tha.tThey are perfect on a hot day.

Not Your Typical Outdoor Fare

 This is the time for eating out and having barbecues.Yet burgers and hot dogs may seem too ordinary to celebrate warm days and dinners outside. Instead try a Greek or Turkish twist.It gives that al fresco meal and extra lift.

Regular contributor Dave Tanis gives this exact spin  for his recipes seen today in The New York Times Wednesday Food section. He gives some lift to tje average salad. He does what many Greek andTirkish chefs and home chefs do - adding some pickled veggies. he makes pickled beets with a sweet -sour  brine of coriander and cinnamon .Hard boiled eggs are also added to his and they come out a delightful bright pink color.  Since these and the beets are already pickled fresh lettuce and cucumber spears are also added. The salad can keep for a week in the fridge.What would follow thos? Think a veggie pie, not made with spinach like typical spanokopita but one rife with Swiss chard,and softened leeks. Creamy cheeses such as ricotta and feta give it body and protein It;s wrapped in a buttered phylo dough which makes for a crispy crust.Nutmeg and sesame seeds give it a more Hellenic twist.

Dessert isn;t the typical smores.Mr. Tanish gives wamut truffles , again walnuts play an important part in  Greek baking.This only has a dusting of cocoa, so it;s not the typical fudgey truffle.It also has coconut and sweetened with honey and sugar. The spicing is cinnamon and cloves along with ginger for bite .There is a dose of Gran Marnier , much like other truffle bite.Olive oil moistens the whole mixture. Everything is first pulsed Ina food processor the olive oil is applied to the hands which moistens the mixture. They're rilled int tablespoon sized balls and can be rolled into coconut or cocoa powder. Refrigerate over night or just  a  few hours.Pull out of the fridge and hour before serving. The spices could be varied so one flavor isn;t as overwhelming. There should be about three and a half cups of walnuts used for this.Keep in mind that this could also be made for any other barbecue too.

There's nothing like a Greek spin on outdoor foods. Try bring a taste of the Eastern Mediteranean to the back yard. It'sa great way to celebrate the warm weather,