North End Dinner Party

That would be half a cannoli from the pastry shop off the beaten path, guaranteed to have no line when Modern and Mike's are 20 people deep down Hanover Street: Bova's Bakery

Last night I hosted a family dinner party. Living in in the heart of Italian greatness, the fact of the matter is, out-of-town guests are always going to want cannoli after dinner. There is absolutely no need to stand in line for an hour on a Tuesday evening with the rest of the out-of-towners to get one. So to Bova's it was where I ordered a large cannoli and could only finish half. Since I was going to indulge in the other half for breakfast it seemed only fitting that I splurge on coffee to go with. At 7:30 am there was no line at Modern Pastry, so I stopped in for a hot, frothy cup. The irony is not lost. 

Last nights dinner party I was cooking for six, including Adam and myself, which is no small feat in my tiny kitchen. My guests have to eat crowded around my living room table. But we're family, we make it work! In attendance was my Mom, my Aunt Joyce - who flew in from Iowa earlier that afternoon, my sister Leah and her boyfriend Tray. Meanwhile, I haven't turned on the oven all summer! After I chatted, entertained, served drinks and appetizers, it was time for the cooking to begin. I decided to make Pan-Roasted Chicken with Potato Gnocchi from my Top Chef Quickfire Cookbook. I substituted a few ingredients.

Daisy's Baked Chicken with Potato Gnocci. Serves: 6.

Ingredients:

-4 tablespoons Olive Oil

-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts. (5 and not 6, because some were monstrous in size.)
-16 ounces fresh potato gnocchi
-1 cup sliced shitake mushrooms
-2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
-1 large can sweet petite peas
-1 cup chicken stock (In hindsight I might even use a little more.)
-2-3 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
-salt and pepper
Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 425°.

2) Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil - 1 each in dueling medium oven-safe pans over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, and brown for about 6 minutes. Season with salt & pepper. Flip chicken, and transfer pan to oven. If you don't have an oven safe pan (like me) transfer chicken using tongs into baking dishes. The reason I call for dueling pans is it keeps everything even. I can cook all 5 chicken breasts at once, rather than 2 at a time if I was only using one pan.

3) While chicken is roasting (about 25 minutes), add the remaining 2 tablespoon olive oil - 1 in each pan over medium-high heat.
4) Add the gnocchi and mushrooms, and cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are softened and gnocchi is browning, about 7 minutes.
5) Add the peas, then chicken stock and thyme. Cook until the mixture is thickened, and season with salt and pepper. 
To serve: Place the chicken on the plate and surround with mushroom, pea and gnocchi mixture. Pour the juices over the chicken and vegetables. Quickfire plate: (source)

The bone and skin on the quickfire challenge chicken, as well those unobtainable hen of the woods mushrooms add an element of presentation, and I am sure taste, that mine is lacking. Not to say it made a huge difference, because while the looks of my chicken was rather plain,  my dish as a whole was bursting with flavor. The thyme (fresh from Mom's garden) and the stock enhanced the juicy chicken and the other texturally diverse ingredients. Thick chewy potato gnocchi, tiny bursts of sweet peas and soft savory mushrooms combined for a memorable dish which I can confidently recommend for your next dinner party, or a dinner for one. It goes without saying, no family gathering is complete without photo shoots.

We ventured up to the roof deck. 

Sisters times two!
And of course, the Bova's trip. It was a lovely August night!