La Pollo Loco Makes Pollo alla Cacciatora

Roughly translated from Spanish and Italian, that's: The Crazy Chicken Makes Chicken for the Hunter.

Better explain, huh?

So it seems that abandoning one's life to flit about the world hunting new adventures requires a bit of seeing-to before hopping a plane. So that's what I am (and have) been doing: seeing to. Of course, there's the usual: laundry, bills, stopping the mail, finding a Freeman House sitter. Then there's the unusual: putting a new fuse in one of the heaters so it doesn't burn the house down... cracking ice trays filled with homemade chicken stock so no one inadvertently uses them in iced tea... and calling the garden guy who delivers... (well, I call him "Manure Man" if that helps)... to ask him to please hold off dumping his spring delivery in the yard while I'm gone....

Yep. I'm running about like the proverbial chicken with its head cut off. Only I think I'm an even crazier chicken.

I made it home late last night. Late, late, late. But I was hungry and wasn't tired and still needed to clean out the fridge. I put on comfy pajamas and padded to the kitchen and stood leaning on the refrigerator door thinking: bacon... tomato sauce... shredded chicken... half a bottle of white wine... I hate to throw this stuff out. Then I remembered that Chicken Cacciatora recipe of Nigella Lawson's, and Clean Out the Fridge Night soon became Make the Best Midnight Meal Ever Night.

Of course, those Italians and die hard Chicken Cacciatora lovers among you might be appalled by my Tex-ified, fridge cleaning version of this beloved dish. My apologies in advance; I don't usually keep fresh pancetta on hand, and my little town is a long way from Rome.

Pollo Loco's Pollo alla Cacciatora

1 tablespoon olive oil

5 slices bacon, chopped into 1 inch pieces
¼ cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1/2 cup white wine

1 14 oz. can chopped tomatoes
1 cup tomato sauce (I use V8, but don’t tell)

2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon celery salt

1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken

1 can cannellini (or garbanzo) beans

Heat oil over medium high heat. Add bacon and onions and cook until bacon is no longer pink. Add garlic and stir the pot and think for a minute or so.

Slosh in white wine, tomatoes and tomato sauce, seasonings, and sugar. Bring to a simmer. Drop in chicken, cover, and continue cooking over medium heat for 15 minutes. Uncover and add can of beans, if desired. (Cannellini beans are an optional ingredient in this dish. I accidentally opened garbanzo beans last night and loved them here. Use them or don’t. Whatever.) Return to simmer and cook for 5 more minutes or until beans are heated through.

Eat straight from the pot or ladle up with hot rice or noodles. (I stir cooked brown rice directly into mine so it’s a one bowl dinner.) Leftovers, if you’re lucky enough to have any, are great reheated.

So I leave you with my re-discovered favorite winter dinner and hopes that we'll meet here after Istanbul with new stories and pictures and words. Until my return, be cozy. And happy. Be cozily happy. I'll see you soon. -Brin