Jane Green’s cookbook, Good Taste, arrived yesterday. If you read my last post you will know that I was one of twenty winners of this lovely book. I have read it cover to cover and have found many recipes I cannot wait to try out and share with you. The book itself is gorgeous. Filled with color photos and recipes that feel cozy and perfect for autumn. As I read the book, I found the part I enjoyed the very most were the stories Ms. Green shared about each recipe. I think that is what I love most about food in general- the memories different meals or flavors evoke. Green’s Curried Creamy Chicken stood out to me for three reasons.
First, we love curry. There is no curry to be found here (at least not so far) in the part of Southern Rhode Island we live in. We had been spoiled in The Berkshires with such a good curry house and came to think of it as our special treat on those nights we did not want to cook. Making our own at home, and learning how to do so on my own (aka not depending on my husband, whose curry making skills are pretty amazing) would be a dream come true.
The second reason I loved her recipe for Curried Creamy Chicken was because of the story she told before sharing the recipe. It was a story about staying at other people’s homes and how she prefers hotels but has come to think of herself as a hotel snob. I don’t know if this is good or bad, but I can totally relate to this. After many a bad hotel stay (and there were many) followed by some over the top hotel stays, I too have become a hotel snob. When you feel the need to put a shirt over the hotel pillow and sleep in full outerwear you pretty much know the hotel is not, shall we say, up to par. When you have the luxury of staying at a really great place, a place where you don’t want to get out of the tub and the beds are so squishy and clean…with an amazing spa or Japanese furo…well, I can’t go back.
The reason she was telling this story was to point out how quickly this recipe can be put together…even after a busy day where one might end up stuck in a lot of traffic on the drive home. The quick bit is the final reason this recipe appealed to me. With after school activities in full swing we look for quick dinners which are still home made. This was great because I prepped it during the day and popped it in the oven after we got home from ballet. By the time my kids were done doing their homework dinner was on the table. Creamy with just the slightest crunch from the topping, this recipe is fantastic because you can adjust the flavors based on how much curry you add. We like things a little spicy here, but were pleased that the filling provided a contrast to the heat making it the perfect balance.
We couldn’t have selected a better first choice from this lovely cookbook. It is the perfect dinner for a fall evening and one that will be made again in our house, I’m sure. You can find the recipe for Curried Creamy Chicken in Jane Green’s Good Taste Cookbook, available October 4.
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