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