Spring is coming let's party

It only takes a trip to Florida to get me thinking that spring is just around the corner. I have lived in Maine most of my life, so I do know that the idea of spring is just that, an idea. In some places it is clearly on its way, but in Maine we are still just imagining  the feeling! But we should still party, and that we shall do, in celebration of James' 60th birthday.

I am a big believer that all bench marks should be celeb

rated ie.  numbers en

ding in 0 and 5's.  Saturday, we and forty friends and family had gotten together to have a home spun shindig. He is not so much a party guy. I admit however that I am . The more people I can  make merry with the better . In the many years that we have lived here, I have started one group or another. Whether it may be my book group for about seventeen years and our eating group that has seen twenty years of great meals.  We started it when the girls were little and we needed a cheap way to get out, so we collected a bunch of people who  wanted to get together around a theme once a month. Each of us would bring some part of the dinner.  Some times we brought the kids, but mostly not. After eighteen years or so they are like family. Our kids are grown up now, and we still get together. On this particular birthday event we expanded the guest list. I do love to mix up guests, and can I also can make any place look different and fun if I do say so myself.  I was in the business of party planning another life time ago.  My friends make fun of me how I can change anything with my lights and tulle. One time I made the inside of the Camden Bagel Cafe look like an Irish wedding hall with my twinkle lights and the place wrapped in green tulle for a St. Patrick's day party. However, people always come and the evenings are talked about for years. This party again will go down as a memorable birthday. As well as an excuse to have a well needed group induced fun.

Our neighbors who had lived across the street for longer than our twenty years had moved to North Carolina recently, and I had the great idea of using their almost empty house for this birthday celebration, and they were very kind to let me. They know me and have taken part in many of my crazy gatherings, so I borrowed long tables and neighboring chairs dressed them up with cloths, and a garden of pansies.  The place looked fabulous. A wonderful sit down dinner for forty complete with toys and party favors. The favors were of the same ilk as  you might have gotten when you were twelve years of age. I must say that after they received the balsa airplanes, harmonicas, and kazoos they all started acting like they were indeed  The food of course is always the best part. I had made the chicken pies posted on my last blog; because it feeds many, and a blanket cut pork loin stuffed with pesto and sun dried tomatoes, rolled, tied, and baked then sliced. It looks like you worked hard, but is very easy to do and cheap meat for many mouths.

From the butcher buy a whole pork lion  (feeds about 25 people) and cut it flat ask for a blanket cut. This can be done to a smaller loin as well. (A slice is sized from the end of your thumb to the first knuckle ) or thicker if you are feed fewer and want a larger piece.

spread with a basil pesto

sprinkle with sun dried tomatoes

roll it so the little bit of fat is on the top 

tie with butcher twine 

rub what is left on your hand on the top, salt and pepper top

place on a low sided roasting pan

bake at 325º for about 1 1/2 hours

A quick sauce I use is a roasted red pepper 

jar of roasted peppers

hand full of cilantro

2 cloves garlic  

harissa a teaspoon or more if you like spice

1/2 cup sour cream 

salt and pepper to taste process in processor to a smooth consistency. Play with this as well you can add preserved lemons more or less of the ingredients above make it your own.

The guest brought the appetizers, side dishes, salads, and desserts. I love that part because you always get great stuff that way. People love to make their food and share it with others and you get variety. An occasion made easy. 

neighbors sharing food sharing life

To most in this world the idea of a neighborhood is a place that you may have one or two neighbors that you could ask for a cup of this or that and pass to say hello. But our neighborhood is very different. We are like family. Yes, Camden is small town of about four to five thousand, but I am not so sure that this has everything to do with how we function. I say this because people have come and gone, live here all the time, and live afar, and it still is the same. We have sent kids off to college and they look forward to coming home and partying with the 'hood. The kids  who live on our street never really get to get away with much; no parties (except for our once a year block party) on our street, too many parents looking out.We celebrate together our birthdays and other occasions. It is the kind of hood where we look out for the kids, houses, yards, family members, and animals, be there and go to for each other where the need is. We share food at least once a week with one or the other, and understand the concept of generalized reciprocity (a culture in which you don't count what you borrow or do for just each other; and know that you can ask when you need something ).  Some people may find this a bit much.   I myself find this the most wonderful thing. People who have to move away will say that leaving is hard. It makes for the concept of downsizing difficult. What makes this so special, in my mind, is food, and a willingness to share your life with others. I believe that food just makes the latter so easy. When someone admires our neighborhood's relationship, because we are known around town, I say "take food to your neighbor and share your life."  This can only be a "good thing." Even in the big cities I have been told many times by my daughters that you just don't do that, but I'll wager a bet that especially in these times it is just the thing to do.
We just gathered last night to celebrate one of our kids 17th birthday. People of all ages eating and sitting around remembering what life was like when we were 17. 

I have been working on this chicken pot pie recipe since I read the March Bon Appetit by Jeanne Thiel Kelley: the Moroccan -style chicken pie. It sounded good, but I worked on it and needed testers to see if I had made it better. Last night we had chicken pie. We tested many things.  Jane and Joel's potatoes and chicken were way good, and Ingrid's salad was great.  We tested two different kind's of chocolate cake. I believe the Hershey's cocoa tin recipe cake won, and I think that this recipe for chicken pot pie is definitely  worth a make. Then take it to a party of neighbors, who then will be friends .

Not Your Mother’s Pot Pie
Filling
In a large dutch oven  heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil.

 Add 1 cup of chopped pancetta and cook until it is crisp.
salt and pepper the 6 good size bone- in skinless chicken thighs then sear them in the pot with the pancetta. 

Remove chicken thighs (not the pancetta) from the pot and set them aside.
Add to the dutch oven and saute´ the following: 

3 medium onions
3 cloves of garlic
½ preserved lemons chopped
½ cup sun dried tomatoes the dry kind
½ pitted black olives
To This Add
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon alleppo pepper
½ teaspoon turmeric
a few saffron threads depending how much you like this flavor (optional)
1 ½ tablespoons flour
good handful of cilantro and flat parsley chopped
Put back the thighs add the 2 cups of chicken broth
Cook on the top of the stove or in the oven at 400˙ for 40 to 50 minutes

Let cool this can be made the day before and allows flavors to meld.

Remove the bones and shred the chicken pieces with a fork.

Add more parsley and cilantro
½ cup golden raisins
the other ½ of the preserved lemon chopped

Putting it all together:
In a cusinart process 1/2 cup pistachios with 2 tablespoons powdered sugar and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
you can substitute unsalted almonds for pistachios, and if you do add a pinch of kosher salt or sea salt to the above mix. 

Choose a baking dish that will fit the filling and the phyllo 

Keep phyllo moist with damp cloth
Grease the bottom of the dish with olive oil
Thaw ten or fifteen sheets of dough depending on your dish size.  What you want is three or four sheets of pastry between  each layer of meat filling and the sheets will have some overlap as you fit them in the dish.  
With a pastry brush, brush each sheet of dough with a mix of olive oil and 2 tablespoons melted butter,  and place in the dish.

Sprinkle the nut mixture between each sheet. 

Once you have three to four sheets of dough placed in the dish, add  ½ of the chicken mixture; 

then place another three to four sheets (sprinkling the nut mixture between each sheet);'

Then add the remaining chicken filling and top the dish  with yet another layer of three to four sheets of dough with the sprinkled nut mixture.  between each sheet sprinlkle nut mixture/ chicken filling / top off with four sheets between each sprinkle nut mixture. 

The finished dish will have three layers of phyllo  (each layer comprised of 3 or 4 sheets of pastry) and two layers of the chicken  mixture.

Butter and slit vents on the top and bake at 375˚ for about 40 minutes or until heated