Walking up the creaking front steps of 719 Arbor, it was a certainty I would run into a roommate the moment I turned the handle. My senior year of college, I had the great fortune to live with some of the most wonderful girls I've ever met. Edie was elusive, funny, and could usually be found listening to rap. Watching her drunkenly drag a desk chair up three flights of stairs after a late night at the bar remains one of the most entertaining visuals of the year. Sahar, a slave to the architecture building, had impeccable taste in literature and could, on rare occasions, be found counteracting said architecture serfdom by having a glass of wine around 1pm. Molly had a penchant for Entourage and ketchup. Nothing was better than a dose of her no-nonsense sweetness while curled up on her ridiculously soft jersey sheets. I got to relive my adolescence with Megha over a bottle of Little Penguin Chardonnay and a hookah she brought back from India. Together we managed to lock ourselves out of the house while making prank calls on the second floor balcony. Samantha was always up for a good time, not to mention the "Hungry Man" breakfast and a chocolate milkshake. We'd share hot chocolate and gossip about our good friend H. Pot and the "will they or won't they" Ron and Hermione love triangle. Renee, the constant roommate, was the "soaring eagle" to my "sitting duck" of grill stealing, and the Jasmine to my Aladdin. There was always a jean to be borrowed, a jazzercise move to be invented, and a "you thinking what I'm thinking?" late night back rub to be carried out.
Seven girls under one roof could at times be trying, but for the most part, there was always someone to critique an outfit, edit a paper, lend a straightener, or share a glass of wine and a cry with. Friday nights were spent at Ann Arbor bars and Saturday mornings at Benny's brunches. But perhaps one of my favorite things about my roommates was the fact that they indulged my "house mother" cooking tendencies. On many a Sunday I could be found cooking feverishly while singing along to musicals; basically it was the Ashley variety hour with a side of Mediterranean chicken. If anyone ever grudged me an Avenue Q sing-along or had a problem with Jane Monheit, it was forgotten the moment the wine corks were removed and steaming plates brought to the table.
Sadly senior year is long gone and the girls are spread between coasts. Trying now to coordinate a "House Dinner" is not as simple as juggling class schedules and social commitments. So with a hint of nostalgia, I've tried to assemble the centerfolds of the perfect dinner, the dinner I would make in honor of the lovely ladies of 719.
zesty braised chicken with lemon and capers
Adapted from Food and Wine, April 2007
8 bone-in mixed chicken breasts and thighs with skin (6 oz each)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
All-purpose flour, for dusting
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 large peeled garlic cloves (I usually add closer to 7)
1 1/2 cups Sauvignon Blanc (also delicious with a Bouzeron)
1 1/2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
Four 1-inch strips of lemon zest
4 thyme sprigs
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1 bay leaf
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dust with flour. In a large ovenproof skillet, melt the butter in the oil. Add the chicken, skin side down, and cook over high heat, turning once, until browned, 12-14 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a large plate and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat.
2. Add the garlic to the skillet and cook over low heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Deglaze with the wine and then add the stock, lemon zest, thyme, capers and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Return the chicken to the pan, skin side up. Transfer the skillet to the oven and braise for about 45 minutes, until the meat is tender.
3. Return the skillet to the stove and boil until the sauce is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Discard the thyme, bay leaf and lemon zest, if desired, before serving.
old fashioned apple pie Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Seasonal Celebration Series, Autumn, by Joanne Weir (Time-Life Books, 1997).
For the pastry:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. sugar
10 Tbs. (1 1/4 sticks) cold unsalted butter,
cut into pieces
10 Tbs. cold vegetable shortening, cut into
pieces
7 Tbs. ice water
1 tsp. distilled white vinegar
For the filling:
2 1/2 lb. baking apples, peeled, cored,
quartered and cut lengthwise into slices 1/2
inch thick (I like to mix Northern Spy, Granny Smith and Jonagold apples)
1/2 cup sugar, plus more as needed ( I also mixed white sugar with light brown sugar)
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
2 Tbs. apple cider (my addition)
2 Tbs. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 egg yolk
1 Tbs. heavy cream
To make the pastry, in a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center, add the butter and shortening and, using your fingertips, rub them into the flour mixture until small, flat pieces form. In a cup or small bowl, combine the water and vinegar. Using a fork, gently mix just enough of the liquid into the flour mixture so it comes together in a rough ball; do not overwork. Discard the remaining liquid. Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
To make the filling, in a bowl, toss together the apples, the 1/2 cup sugar (adding more to taste if the apples are tart), cinnamon, nutmeg and apple cider.
Preheat an oven to 400°F.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out half of the dough (leave the other half refrigerated) into a 12-inch round about 1/8 inch thick. Fold the dough in half and then into quarters and transfer it to a 9-inch pie dish. Unfold and gently press into the bottom and sides of the dish. Trim the edges even with the rim. Roll out the remaining dough into a 10-inch round about 1/8 inch thick.
Turn the apples into the pastry-lined pan, mounding them slightly in the center. Dot evenly with the butter. Brush the edges of the dough with water. Fold the dough round into quarters and unfold over the apples. Press together the top and bottom crusts to seal, then trim the edges flush with the rim of the dish and crimp to form an attractive edge. In a small bowl, beat together the egg yolk and cream and brush over the pastry. Make a few slits near the center to allow steam to escape.
Bake for 25 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue to bake until the apples are tender (insert a knife blade through a slit) and the top is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes more. Transfer the dish to a wire rack and let the pie cool for at least 20 minutes before serving with good vanilla bean ice cream. Makes one 9-inch pie; serves 8.
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