Recipe(tried): Three new cookbooks (new to me!) - including recipes

One of the first things we did after moving here, (after ripping out all the carpet and putting down laminate flooring), was to build kitchen bookcases to hold all my cookbooks. DH did a wonderful job of putting some together from IKEA, where we will get the cabinets to match when we decide to tackle the kitchen makeover. Friends and relatives made bets as to whether we had put up enough to house all my cookbooks, saying that if they were filled I had to stop collecting! Ha! Well, I ended up with about 1 1/2 feet of open shelf space, so.....
A friend bought The New Moosewood Cookbook at a local bookstore. I really liked it and found a used copy online.

DH and I recently returned from a wonderful visit to Detroit to visit dear cousins and I perused one of their cookbooks while there, The Best Make-Ahead Recipe from the Editors of Cook's Illustrated. I didn't even wait to return home to purchase a copy; I jumped on their computer and found a used one! It arrived just a few days after our return. I made the following recipe. The chickens, tho smaller than called for did not get done in the time given, but ovens are different everywhere and the results were delicious; it just took longer to get to enjoy them! I didn't make the accompanying salad recipe; I will try that next time.

TWO ROAST CHICKENS WITH ROASTED GARLIC AND HERB JUS
(This recipe makes enough for the Chef's Salad that follows)

1 cup sugar
Table salt
2 (4- to 41/2 pound) whole chickens, giblets discarded
5 heads garlic (see note)
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (divided use)
Ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (divided use)
3/4 cup dry vermouth or dry white wine
2 large shallots, minced (about 1/2 cup)
2 bay leaves
1 fresh thyme or rosemary sprig
Salt and ground black pepper

FOR THE CHICKEN AND GARLIC:
Dissolve the sugar and 1 cup salt in 1 gallon cold water in a large container. Add the chickens and submerge completely. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Meanwhile, slice off the top half-inch from each head of garlic to expose the cloves, but leave the heads intact (pull away and discard loose, papery skin). Place the garlic heads, cut side up, on a large piece of foil and drizzle with oil. Wrap the garlic tightly in foil; set aside.

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position, place a large roasting pan on the rack, and preheat the oven to 450 F. Spray a turkey-size V-rack with nonstick cooking spray.

Remove the chickens from the brine, rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Brush 2 tablespoons melted butter over the chickens and season with pepper. Place the chickens on their sides in the V-rack. Place the V-rack in the preheated roasting pan, and the wrapped garlic on the rack beside it. Pour 1 cup broth into the roasting pan, and roast for 25 minutes.

Remove the roasting pan from the oven (leaving in the garlic). Using 2 large wads of paper towels, rotate the chickens so that the opposite wing sides are facing up. Return the roasting pan to the oven and roast for another 25 minutes.

Using 2 large wads of paper towels, rotate the chickens again so that the breast sides are facing up, and continue to roast until the thickest part of the thigh registers 170 F on an instant-read thermometer, about 30 minutes longer.

Remove the chicken and garlic from the oven. Tip the chickens to let the juices flow from the cavities into the roasting pan, then transfer the chickens to a carving board and let rest, uncovered, while making the jus. Set the roasting pan with the pan juices aside.

Open the package of garlic and let cool. When the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the garlic from the skins into a bowl, then mash the garlic into a paste with a spatula.

FOR THE JUS:
While the chicken rests, skim the fat from the juices in the roasting pan, then stir in 1/2 cup broth and scrape up any browned bits. Transfer the pan juices to a medium saucepan, stir in the vermouth, shallots, bay leaves and thyme, and simmer over medium-high heat until flavorful, 10 to 15 minutes. Strain the sauce and return it to the saucepan, discarding the solids.

Whisk in half of the garlic paste, about 1/2 cup, followed by 2 tablespoons butter, and season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside, covered, to keep warm until serving.

Carve the chickens and serve immediately, passing the sauce separately.

Note: For use in leftovers (see recipe for Chef's Salad), reserve 1/2 cup of the roasted garlic paste and 10 ounces of the cooked chicken (about 2 cups). If you're not planning to reserve leftovers (full recipe serves 6 to 8), roast only 3 heads of garlic and increase the amount of broth in the jus to 1 cup.

Makes 8 servings

PER SERVING: Calories 698 (57% fat) Fat 43 g (14 g sat) Cholesterol 221 mg Sodium 651 mg Trace fiber Carbohydrates 3 g Protein 67 g

SOURCE: The Best Make-Ahead Recipe

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ITALIAN-STYLE CHEF'S SALAD WITH CHICKEN, FENNEL AND ASIAGO
(Use roast chicken from the recipe above)

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup roasted garlic paste (see note)
5 tablespoons juice from 2 lemons
4 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 romaine lettuce hearts, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 fennel bulb, top discarded, bulb cored and sliced thin
4 medium jarred roasted red peppers, drained, rinsed, patted dry and cut into 1/2 -inch-wide strips (about 1 cup)
10 ounces (about 2 cups) cooked chicken, shredded (see note)
4 ounces salami, cut into matchsticks
2 ounces Asiago cheese, shaved

Whisk the oil, roasted garlic, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper together in a small bowl until combined.

Toss the romaine and fennel with 6 tablespoons of the dressing and arrange on a platter or on individual plates. Arrange the peppers on top of the greens.

Toss the chicken with 2 tablespoons of the dressing and arrange on top of the peppers. Top with the salami and cheese, and drizzle with the remaining dressing. Serve immediately.

Note: Use the reserved garlic paste and chicken from roasted chicken recipe.

Makes 4 servings

PER SERVING: Calories 735 (75% fat) Fat 62 g (15 g sat) Cholesterol 93 mg Sodium 1,719 mg Fiber 2 g Carbohydrates 18 g Protein 28 g

My son, daughter-in-law and grandson recently gave me a gift certificate for Barnes and Noble where I picked up a cookbook I have wanted to buy, Cook with Jamie by Jamie Oliver. Not only is it a great cookbook, but as Jamie writes on the back, "every single penny I make from it will go toward training and inspiring young kids from tough backgrounds all over the world to have a career in food through the Fifteen Foundation."