Nova Scotia Maple Chicken

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An easy sweet-savory chicken dish from our Canadian neighbors.
An easy sweet-savory chicken dish from our Canadian neighbors.

“Chicken A to Z: 1,000 Recipes from Around the World” (Rizzoli) is a door-stopper of a book, a hefty tome with 1,000 recipes from all parts of the globe for everyone’s favorite poultry.

Written by French author Mireille Sanchez, this definitive cookbook is arranged by country, with chicken recipes galore, from “Bhutan’s Cayenne Pepper Chicken on Red Rice” and “Argentina’s Welsh Apricot Chicken” to “Indonesia’s Java Fried Chicken” and “Tanzania’s Chicken and Banana Soup.”

Long on recipes, it is short on photos, though, which might make it less appealing to some. You may need to Google or hunt online for some of the more esoteric ingredients, too, such as chicken blood in one Brazilian recipe, or corchorus (jute mallow) for an Egyptian dish.

I also wish the book included introductions for each recipe to not only reveal its significance to the spotlighted country but also to hint at what the dish is like in terms of taste and appeal. As it is, you have to use your own imagination when reading the recipe to glean what it might be like.

There’s no serious thinking needed, though, to know that maple syrup, mustard and orange juice make fpr a delicious marinade. That’s why I honed in on the recipe from Novia Scotia for “Maple Chicken.” It’s easy enough to make on a weeknight, too.

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A Cake That Will Make Your Mouth “Open Sesame”

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Luscious tahini goes into both the batter and buttercream in this delectable one-pan cake.
Luscious tahini goes into both the batter and buttercream in this delectable one-pan cake.

One-pan cakes are simple and satisfying.

But sometimes — just sometimes — they can leap-frog over plain basic into the realm of attention-grabbing exceptional.

“Tahini Sheet Cake” is such a creation.

Like any sheet cake, it’s all of one layer baked easy-peasy in a rectangular pan that gets slathered with sweet frosting to finish.

But what sets this one apart is the tahini in both the batter and the fluffy buttercream that gives this cake the marvelously distinctive, sweetly nutty taste of sesame.

Gotta love the ease of a sheet cake.
Gotta love the ease of a sheet cake.

The recipe is from Eating Out Loud: Bold Middle Eastern Flavors for All Day, Every Day” (Clarkson Potter, 2020) by Eden Grinshpan, a Cooking Channel star and host of “Top Chef Canada,” whose Israeli heritage plays into the Middle Eastern-inflected recipes showcased.

Although you probably know tahini as an essential ingredient in hummus, it also does wonders for baked goods. It combines here with butter, grapeseed oil, whole milk, and sour cream for a batter that results in a moist, rich tasting cake.

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A Taste of the Second Annual Taste Tri-Valley

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Five-spice duck breast with puffed farro served at the kick-off at Sabio on Main for Taste Tri-Valley.
Five-spice duck breast with puffed farro served at the kick-off at Sabio on Main for Taste Tri-Valley.

When the inaugural Taste Tri-Valley Restaurant Week debuted in February last year, the pandemic was still raging in full force and vaccinations had only begun to roll out, making for a subdued event intended to showcase the restaurants in Dublin, Livermore and Pleasanton.

This year, however, with vaccination rates high and Omicron petering off, the second annual Taste Tri-Valley has kicked off with a bang, not to mention spring-has-sprung weather, as I found out last week when I was invited as a guest to the kick-off dinner at Sabio on Main in Pleasanton.

With supply chain issues and labor shortages coming on the heels of a roller-coaster list of restrictions over the past two years, local restaurants and wineries still very much need your support and business. So, there’s no better time than now through Feb. 27 to check out the special indoor dining, outdoor dining, and takeout promotions at dozens of these Alameda County establishments.

Among the highlights are a $35 three-course dinner menu at Danville Harvest, dinner for two for $35 at Burma! Burma!, a $50 three-course dinner at Bridges, a $50 three-course dinner at Sabio on Main, and a $15 small stuffed pizza at lunch at Zachary’s Pizza. For the full list of participating restaurants, click here.

Gotta love a chef who wears an apron like this one. Executive Chef-Owner Francis X. Hogan of Sabio on Main.
Gotta love a chef who wears an apron like this one. Executive Chef-Owner Francis X. Hogan of Sabio on Main.

A benefit for Open Heart Kitchen, the largest hot-meal program serving those in need in the Tri-Valley, Thursday’s festive kick-off dinner at Sabio on Main sold out in no time flat, and even had a 60-person wait list, an encouraging sign as any that folks are definitely excited about dining out again. Tables were filled inside and out, the latter being where my husband and I dined on the cozy patio at the side of the restaurant.

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Italian Pasta and Bean Soup — With Something Fishy

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This satisfying orzo-cannellini bean soup gets a lift from tinned anchovies.
This satisfying orzo-cannellini bean soup gets a lift from tinned anchovies.

One hour to total comfort?

Count me in.

“One-Hour Comfort: Quick, Cozy, Modern Dishes for All Your Cravings” is the newest title by America’s Test Kitchen, of which I received a review copy. As the name implies, it’s all about dishes that nourish body, mind, and soul.

Got a mere hour? Then, you’re on your way just like that to self-care served up in a bowl or plate.

The recipes span dishes perfect for every hour of the day, from “Malted Milk Pancakes with Nutella Maple Syrup” and “Sesame Noodles with Shredded Chicken and Vegetables” to “Skillet Spanikopita” and “Caramel Dumplings.”

For me, “Italian Pasta and Bean Soup” sure hit the spot. It not only comes together fast, but it makes use of ingredients you most likely already have on hand if you keep a well-stocked pantry and freezer.

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Dining Outside at Teleferic Barcelona Los Gatos

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Outstanding Galician octopus at Teleferic Barcelona Los Gatos.
Outstanding Galician octopus at Teleferic Barcelona Los Gatos.

If there’s any doubt that Covid has long entered the everyday lexicon, look no further than the new Teleferic Barcelona in downtown Los Gatos, where the new Prime Wellington gets its own vaccination tableside.

It’s all in good fun — and flat-out deliciousness — of course. When the golden pastry-wrapped roll of mushrooms duxelles and braised short ribs is set down, it actually gets injected with a metal syringe filled with jus to make it more flavorful, and no doubt immune to any dryness.

After two years of untold pandemic upheaval, you deserve a meal full of verve and playfulness that takes you away from any troubles. Teleferic Barcelona is just the place to do that, as I found earlier this month when I dined outdoors as a guest of the restaurant.

Corporate Executive Chef Oscar Cabezas.
Corporate Executive Chef Oscar Cabezas.

The Los Gatos location is the third U.S. outpost for the Spanish restaurant group, joining ones in Walnut Creek and Palo Alto.

The spacious outdoor dining area in front of the restaurant.
The spacious outdoor dining area in front of the restaurant.

It was supposed to open in September 2021, but like everything else, was delayed by supply-chain issues. Much of its furnishings, which came from Barcelona, were stuck on container ships for six months.

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