By Denise J. Dubé

Chicken cacciatore simmering "on the range."

Growing up chicken cacciatore – or hunter’s stew – was frequently served at our house. It was filling and held large chunks of chicken, Mom’s tomato sauce, green beans and potatoes. It was a satisfying meal that filled the tummies of a larger-than-average family.

It’s been decades, but I still remember the distinct flavor created from the simmering chicken as it melded with the tomatoes and spices.

At the time I remember being annoyed with the constant interruptions caused by bits of bone and joint cartilage. And, I could have done without the potatoes.

Its flavor was incredible though and as the years and my mother passed, I thought about how many dishes she created in her small Waltham kitchen.

Like sauce, everyone’s has a varied nuance, one that was never duplicated in my kitchen – well, not until last week.

I searched online for something that looked like Mom’s version.  There were four recipes and none resembled hers. She never used wine or peppers, which was an ingredient in all that was found.

Factoring in the time, my mother’s need to scrimp and use whatever was on hand, and her ingenuity with food, I started cooking.

Instead of boneless thighs, breasts and legs I bowed to Mom’s chicken pieces, bones and cartilage.

Admittedly, I veered off the path and removed the skin, something that wasn’t done in the 1960s.

I peeled, prodded, pulled and cut the skin from each piece. Reproducing her dish was key, but so is my cholesterol count. Admittedly, I left a ribbon of fat on each piece just for flavor.

The chicken pieces were lightly salted and peppered before hitting the sizzling olive oil that bubbled in my over-sized sauté pan. I watched them carefully for about 5-10 minutes.

While the chicken sautéed I took another pot and added chopped onions and extra virgin olive oil, one that came from my grandmother’s homeland.

Each piece of browned chicken was added to the larger pot.

The bottom of the chicken pan was browned and crusty and just what the stew needed for more flavor.

Instead of wine, I deglazed the pan with almost two cups of chicken broth and poured the bubbling beige elixir through a strainer and into the bigger pot with the chicken pieces and onion.

Lots of garlic slivers, one or two cups of marinara sauce, basil and just a little more salt and pepper were added.

When it burped hot bubbles of red sauce I turned down the heat and covered the pan, leaving a space to evaporate excess fluid.

The green beans and potatoes were left out – and in hindsight that was probably a mistake.

A few hours later, when the chicken was falling off the bone, and the house smelled like decades past, I tasted the cacciatore.

This was my mother’s stew – minus the veggies.

Rotini was boiled, oiled and placed in a bowl on the counter as the stew base and in place of the potatoes.

Smells and tastes bring back memories and as I ate my ambivalence over the cacciatore resurfaced.

The boned chicken is necessary for a hearty and flavorful stew; but it’s also a huge pain to stop eating the meal every few seconds to remove a piece of bone or cartilage.

I’m an adult now and have a little more patience, not a lot – but enough. As an adult I’m quite capable of stopping every few seconds to nibble the meat off a bone or discreetly remove a bit of cartilage – and make this dish again and again.

Welcome to globalfoodie.com!

August 19, 2010

Yesterday, I made one of my favorite sandwiches. Egg salad with whole grain bread. Then I read about the egg recall. My eggs were not on the recall list, but I threw them away anyway and bought a new dozen. Better safe than salmonella.

Make sure your eggs are not on the list:  www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2010/08/19/US-recall-of-suspect-eggs-widened/UPI-95351282241439/

August 13, 2010

My ricotta and mozzarella cheese-making kit arrived yesterday and I’ve already devoured the instructions, watched videos (thank you Barb Freda) and purchased supplies. My reward, if I finish two stories that have been sitting on the proverbial back burner, is cheese. Maybe I’ll make marinara too. With more time and a little semolina  I’d make pasta. Unfortunately, as we all know, you can have it all — just not at the same time. So,  I’ll report back on Monday and let you know if (and how) the cheese making went … and how well I wrote those stories.

My best to you, –Denise (Globalfoodiegal)

July 30, 2010

The summer is moving too fast for me. How about you? It’s almost August and I’m still in an April/May mode. The blooms are off the perennials and the garden is starting to produce.

July 2010

Yes, it’s been awhile since I posted here. It is becoming easier as I learn to navigate this site. This month Vivienne wrote about Marula trees, Peter Francis Battaglia shared his cooking expertise, Susan McKee served cognac and Rosemary reviewed New Hampshire eatery.

I’ve been traveling, cooking and reading. Quebec City restaurants were memorable — and were matched by Montreal’s exclusive offerings. I must admit Jardin Nelson in Saint Jacques Cartier was probably one of the most impressive dining experiences in the last year. The award-winning gardens, a kitchen that has won awards for its cleanliness and spectacular food made even the hottest day in Montreal more than bearable. I’ll be writing more about Quebec, Montreal and France in the coming months.

My next foray is to Geneva for a new travel show. I’m just the writer behind the camera, but it is fun — and I get to sample food, which gives me fodder for more magazine (and globalfoodie) stories.

Off to finish a deadline. Talk to you soon.

–Denise AKA Globalfoodiegal

August, 2009

Greetings! Our site keeps gettting better and better, so bear with us as we work through the small web-world glitches. We’re writers, so only one side of our brain works. The other side — the one that figures out the cyber universe– is missing a few beats. Even so, we’re moving in the right direction; just a little slowly.

Take a look at a few of our stories. Shannon Hurst Lane’s story, “Grits” is funny and educational. Keith Kellett always keeps me entertained with his UK stories.  His “Aussie Pies” and a visit up Snowdonian’s peak are great, so take a look.  Deston Nokes explains why North Carolina biscuits are so popular in Oregon and Richard Frisbie takes us to the French country side.

There’s more to come. Susan McKee has two stories on deck and Deston promises to tell a few more tales. Rosemary has another book review and is writing about Pamela’s gluten-free products.

There are two winners in our now bi-monthly cookbook contest. Congratulations to Roberta Beach Jacobson, from Greece, and Tera Crain, from Austin, Texas. We’ll get those out as soon as possible.

We are still collecting recipes, so send in whatever you have. Include its history and family ties. Eventually we’ll have our “Recipe Center” up and running.

We’re almost into September and we foodies know that means it’s time to enjoy your local bounty. Peaches, tomatoes, corn-on-the-cob, herbs, lettuce, you name it, your local farmer has it all and more.  Although supermarket offerings are fine, the local farmer’s market or farm stand is the only way to go this time of year.

Talk to you soon,

Globalfoodiegal, Denise

Hastings Seafood and Wine Festival
Sept. 19 – 20, 2009

An estimated 50,000 visitors are expected at the fourth annual Hastings Seafood and Wine Festival this September. Hastings won “Flavour of the South East” category in Tourism South’s 2008 East ExSellence awards.

Hastings, of course, has an indelible place in British history as the chosen landing spot of Duke William of Normandy during his Norman Conquest of 1066, but, these days, it’s noted for its food.

Craig Sams and Jo Fairley are a fixture at Judges Bakery; and the fishing fleet is accredited by the Marine Stewardship Council. On the outskirts of Hastings, Roy and Irma Cooke run the oldest organic vineyard in the UK, (Sedlescombe Organic).

Noted restaurants, all serving good modern British, include: Maggie’s Fish and Chips on the beach; Pomegranate in Hastings Old Town; Dragon Bar in George Street (where else?); and on the outskirts, The Wild Mushroom at Westfield.

Taste of Rye
October 9-18, 2009

No, not  rye whiskey, Rye, an East Sussex English town. In mediaeval times, it was a busy port, but due to silting, is now actually two miles from the sea.

A Taste of Rye food festival runs from October 9-18, 2009 and showcases the skills of top restaurants by creating menus that use locally sourced fish, meat, game, fruit and vegetables. Cooking demonstrations and cookery schools will teach new skills; gala dinners are planned; farmers’ markets will sell delicious local treats on the Strand Quay.

A packed events programme includes The Ship Inn Foraging Experience; Cookery Escape at The Place at the Beach in Camber; and Try Before You Buy, at Rye Bay Fish on Simmonds’ Quay.

A leading consumer magazine recently voted Rye one of the UK’s top 10 visitor destinations. The best restaurants, historic pubs and award-winning guest houses and hotels are found in along Rye’s picturesque cobbled streets. Rye is one of the most perfectly preserved medieval towns in England, and is renowned for its fine antiques and cosy tea shops.

For more information visit:

www.visit1066country.com/hastings/events/seafoodfestival

www.tasteofrye.org.uk

Bavaria spatzle, Germany’s white asparagus, and Norwegien salmon are only a few of the specialties I’ve savored during the last few years. But there’s a place much closer to my New England home that brings mouthwatering joy to rivals those international delights.

Since we’ve almost hit summer, rather than book an airline ticket to a gastronomic paradise take a small road trip to your favorite farm stand. There’s no jet lag and luggage only involves shopping bags.

Wilson Farm in Lexington, Massachusetts is my particular favorite, preferred by New Englanders for more than one hundred years. It began in 1884 when two brothers from Ireland bought and farmed 16 acres there. After harvesting their crops the boys packed the produce in a horse-drawn cart and traversed suburban Boston’s winding dirt cow paths and stagecoach roads all the way to Quincy Market where they sold the fresh edibles.

Eventually they started selling from a stand in front of the Lexington farm. Four generations later the fields have more than doubled and the “stand” is now an oversized, barn filled with vegetables, hen-house eggs, dairy and cheese, freshly cut flowers and plants. They even have a 37,000-square-foot greenhouse, which insures fresh veggies all year.

Wilson’s is close, so I tend to visit regularly just to get lost in the aroma that comes from fresh vegetables plucked from rich dark soil only hours earlier. Freshly baked breads, rolls, pies, eggs and homemade jams and jellies kitchen tempt me too.

I depend on Wilson’s during the fall, winter and spring. During the summer, I go there to buy what I can’t grow. While my own garden tomatoes go from green to brilliant red I visit Wilson’s and buy what is in season and daydream over what’s to come.  Waiting for those fresh tomatoes, the fruit, and especially the corn, is agony. I dream of Wilson’s peaches, so ripe and sweet even a handful of napkins won’t stop the juice from dribbling down my arm.

I have foodie fantasies about Wilson’s rich yellow and white corn-on-the-cob, usually ready by late July. It’s best boiled for a few minutes and slathered with fresh butter and a dash of salt. Although only a few minutes, it seems like hours before the ear is cool enough to safely bite into the those lovely yellow kernels. Wilson’s ears are so fresh there is an entire kiosk dedicated to the lines of customers who, like me, yearn for the freshly picked treasures. The hefty offerings are partially shucked, its corn silk hanging over the peeking kernels like feathery babies’ bangs. It’s the stuff of family traditions. Our family sometimes boils a dozen and makes it a meal in itself. (Before putting the ears in boiling water, my mother-in-law always added a dollop of milk. I’m not sure why, but I do it too.)

It’s June, so my fresh veggie thoughts really are fantasies. I’ll have to wait at least six weeks before Wilson’s staff starts tempting corn junkies.

While I dream of Wilson’s produce why not look for a farm stand or Farmer’s Market in your local neighborhood.

Denise can be reached at: Denise@globalfoodie.com.

Denise Dubé, globalfoodie’s creator and editor, is a food writer who travels – or a traveling foodie who writes. Foods preparation, its origin, smell and presentation are a passion (and obsession) and she enjoys tasting and writing about its cultural nuances. globalfoodie is her baby and food is her muse. It’s also the main reason she needs to lose a few extra pounds. Her work has appeared in Intermezzo, travelgirl, MSNBC.com, National Geographic Traveler and the Boston Globe.  Reach Denise at: Denise@globalfoodie.com.

Ami Hooper is globalfoodie’s creative designer and the cyber brains behind the site. She can be reached at: Ami@globalfoodie.com.

Peter Francis Battaglia:

Maureen Costello is a Boston-based freelance journalist who loves writing about food and has  sampled appetizers, main courses, beverages and desserts from almost every ethnic group.  Maureen is passionate about food various flavors and forms,  its cultural meaning, tradition and preparation and is thrilled to share her finds with globalfoodie readers.  She can be reached at: Maureen@globalfoodie.com.

Sue Frause is an award winning freelance journalist and photographer. Her words and images are in print and online and she’s a regular contributor to Examiner.com and The Huffington Post. She writes a blog about all things Canadian called Closet Canuck and is an on-air contributor to Around the World Travel Radio. Sue and her husband live on an island in Puget Sound where they tend to their chickens, turkeys, garden and their very own field of dreams. When not traveling, she enjoys theater, movies, jazz, fine food and heavenly spas. Sue’s website is www.suefrause.com and she is reachable at: sue@suefrause.com.

Richard Frisbie is a food, wine, and travel writer; a bookseller and publisher of New York centric books; and a professional baker who resides in New York’s Hudson Valley. Online, his articles appear here, on Gather.com, GoNomad.com, travellady.com and the many websites of EDGE Publications. He also writes for regional New York magazines such as Life in the Finger Lakes, and Kaatskill Life.  Richard can be reached at Richard@globalfoodie.com

“Have spoon will travel,” is Kori A. Gaff ’s motto. This 31-year-old Maine native is married to a Marine, and has two small children. She manages to make meals everyone will enjoy by using innovation and simplicity. It’s a gift we all need once in a while. Kori also enjoys cooking for the neighborhood, no matter where she’s stationed. Kori can be reached at: Kori@globalfoodie.com.

Emilie  C. Harting’s articles on culture and ecotourism have appeared in a number of major magazines and newspapers, most recently www.forbestraveler.com,  The Philadelphia Inquirer, and MSNBC. When she’s not walking around the streets of various cities or hiking in the countryside, she can often be found in her kitchen.

Kaye Hurst is a Louisiana southern woman who loves all things food-related — it nourishes her soul and her tastebuds. Cooking is her favorite part of life and she is compelled to share her passion for all things sauteed, braised, boiled or basted. In fact Kaye has more palpations over a recipe-laden cookbook than a steamy romance novel. Celebrations at home always involve good food marinated in comfort and seasoned with love. Kaye can be reached at: Kaye@globalfoodie.com.

Shannon Hurst Lane travels the world in search of inspiring destinations and adventurous moments. She enjoys family travel, romantic escapes, girlfriend getaways, and those all important soul-oh trips. She’s an unofficial ambassador for her home state, Louisiana, where the people don’t eat to live, they live to eat. Contact her at: Shannon@globalfoodie.com.

Keith Kellett, our UK correspondent, is an expert on England’s food history and origin. He can be reached at: Keith@globalfoodie.com.

Vivienne Mackie was born in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and later became a clinical psychologist. She switched to counseling foreign students and their families and teaching ESL after moving to the United States. Toting a journal and a Brownie camera, her travels began at 8 when she and her grandmother boarded a ship and journed from Rhodesia to England.  Mackie still travels as often as possible — with a modern camera and better journals. Vivienne, fascinated by different languages and cultures, realized that music and food are a big part of any culture.  Tasting food from different countries, taking pictures of the dishes, and collecting recipes, have become an integral part of any trip. She’ll try (almost) anything at least once but found that willingness put severely to the test in China—-where she did draw the line at cat, dog and snake. Vivienne may be reached at:

Susan McKee is an independent scholar and freelance journalist specializing in history, culture and travel. She can be reached at: Susan@globalfoodie.com.

Rosemary Minati spent her early years working as a pre-school teacher in the New York suburbs. Her tools included a handful of plastic scissors, hundreds of kid-proof glue containers and dollops of creativity. After spending her days feeding her students minds she raced home to feed the family. This should-have-been-a-chef foodie can make a delicious and unforgettable meal-at a moment’s notice and knows no cultural bounds when creating a meal. Rosemary will find New York’s best restaurants, whether in the city or hidden in Westchester County. She’ll also be giving us a heads-up on some of the best cookbooks written. She can be reached at: Rosemary@globalfoodie.com.

Deston Nokes is our western correspondent, this Oregon native knows adventure and food. He can be reached at Deston@globalfoodie.com

Stephanie Oswald:

Wine and the good life are the focus of the Sip & Savor column by Denise Reynolds.  Awarded the grand prize by Wines of France for her writing on French wines, Denise holds an Advanced Sommelier certification. Recently, she garnered another award when she was recognized for her unsurpassed knowledge and contribution on food and wine by Indagare, the premier resource for the world’s most discerning travelers.  “Denise” means Goddess of Wine and so it’s fitting that she can be reached at: Goddessofwine@globalfoodie.com.