Chicken Croquettes

1 lb. Ground Chicken,  white dark or combination

1 Medium Shallot, finely chopped

2 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped

1 Egg

1 Tablespoon Poultry Seasoning

1 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper

Bread Crumbs

Combine all ingredients except bread crumbs.  Form four patties.  Coat patties in breadcrumbs.  Shallow fry in a few tablespoons oil for about 3 minutes, flip, add more oil as needed, and fry another three minutes.

Wine and the Bottle Shock Premiere

Bottle Shock premiered at Chateau Montelena yesterday.  The film is inspired by the 1976 'Judgement at Paris' wine tasting, the seminal moment that put the Napa Valley wines on the map.  I play Shenky, who, while having nothing to do with making wine, is really amusing nonetheless.

Honestly, I've always been a beer and spirits guy.  Wine had always been at the bottom of the list of what I would pick to drink.  Give me a pale ale or give me a scotch, but keep that vino away from me.  All I knew about wine was that it didn't taste all that good, and it gave me a headache.

Well, times have changed.  I've spent a lot of time around wine in the last year.  Bo Barrett, the head winemaker at Chateau Montelena, has really embraced our film.  I started to appreciate wine when we were shooting, but the moment for me really happened when Bo brought some of his favorite bottles to Sundance.  A sip into his famous Cabernet, and the light turned on.  I was able to taste plum, cherry, sunshine, and warm fuzzies.  Seriously.  Since then, I've been able to appreciate a whole variety of wine.  Now all I need is for someone to point me in the right direction.  See, all I really know is the wine I've been given at Bottle Shock events, and those are the cream of the crop.  Poor Hal B. can't afford those on his own!

You've been reading my words for a few months now.  If you want to hear me speak, check out an interview I did yesterday with Movie Geeks United.  And look for Bottle Shock in a theatre near you starting Aug 8.

Drink of the Day: Agwa de Bolivia

Move over Jagermeister, there is a new Sheriff of Crazy in town. Meet Agwa de Bolivia.

Agwa de Bolivia is a nitro fueled liquor containing extracts of Bolivian coca leaf, guarana, and ginseng. It's made in Amsterdam, which should tell you something. Frankly, I'm not quite sure how this stuff is legal!

Let's begin with the coca leaf. Yes indeed, cocaine is derived from said leaf. However, it is highly processed. Pure coca leaf has been a part of Andean mountain life for millennium. It's effects are much subtler than cocaine. It, along with the guarana, provide the energy boost that comes with Agwa, but you're not going to wake up the next morning with a bloody nose and a nasty addiction. Fear not.

Don't fear the nearly neon green color, either. Despite it's crazy look, the taste is rather pleasant. After the initial taste of mouthwash (really!), the flavor mellows into something both fruity and minty. In fact, Agwa has one of the most pleasant aftertastes I've experienced in booze. This is due to both the bright flavor profile, and the fact that it's only 60 proof.

Oh, but what a 60 proof it is. Let me say this: don't drink a lot of coffee if your planning on having a few drinks of this. Agwa de Bolivia will keep you up late. It's a perfect booze if you're planning on having a high energy night out. After two shots worth, I felt plenty energized, and just a little bit high. The effects are rather unique.

Agwa de Bolivia can easily enjoyed as a straight up shot. The Agwa website recommends squeezing a bit of lime into your mouth before the shot, saying it increases the potency of the booze. Perhaps it does. In the interest of science, you should try it. This stuff is very mixable, too. Personally, I really enjoyed it over ice with a bit of soda water. Experiment, mix it up, see how you like it best!

Panko Fried Chicken

Chicken Breast, pounded to medium thickness
3 Tablespoons Flour
6 Tablespoons Milk
1 Teaspoon Each Salt & Sugar
Panko
Lemon
Italian Parsley, chopped

Panko is a wonderful, course, Japaneese breadcrumb. Light and lovely, it provides a killer texture to breaded dishes. You should be able to find it at nearly every supermarket.

Begin by mixing flour, salt, sugar, and milk. Dip chicken into mixture, then dip coated chicken into panko. Coat evenly. Let rest 15 minutes, then fry at 360 for about 6 minutes. Use your eyes and ears to tell you when it's done.

Remove chicken to cooling rack or paper towel, let cool for 2-3 minutes. Squeeze lemon onto crispy chicken, then top with chopped Italian parsley.

Technique: Safety First

The kitchen can sometimes become a dangerous place. Here are a few tips to make your life easier:

1: A sharp knife is your friend. The majority of knife accidents come from having a dull blade. You might think this sounds a bit funny, but when you think about it, it makes sense. A sharp knife will slice right through food, whereas a dull knife might slip from the surface and down toward your hand. Ouch!

2: A sharp knife is not your friend when trying to separate objects. This is the exception to the sharp knife rule. Say you're trying to separate frozen items. It it unwise to poke and prod at them with a sharp knife. This will most likely result in stabbing yourself, and a possible trip to the ER. Instead, use a butter knife to gently try to pry the pieces apart. Or, use physics! Smash them, or let them defrost a little bit for easier separation.

3: Make round objects flat. If you're slicing something round, like an apple, cut the bottom into a flat section. This will make it more stable, thus less likely to slip.

4: Metal conducts heat. It's true! If you put a pan into the oven, it's going to get very hot. So use a pot holder. This sounds really obvious, but, believe me, burns happen more than you think. If you do get burned, leave your hand under slightly less than room temperature water for 10 minutes. If it starts to blister, to the ER with you!

5: Oil and water do not mix.  The same reaction that makes fried food delicious also makes frying food dangerous.  Avoid putting wet pieces of food into oil.  The result could be disastrous.  Oil splattering all over the place will not only make a mess of your kitchen, it could also make a mess of your skin.  Not acne, friends, but burns.  Painful little burns.

Use common sense.  Think before you act.  Your mom wasn't lying when she told you to do that.

Idea: Agave

Sure, it's a wee bit ironic that a few days after posting on simple syrup I'm posting about a sugar substitute.  I suppose we can call it a variation on a theme.  It's sweet week here at This Man's Kitchen!

Agave syrup, also known as nectar, is made from the core of the agave plant.  The pulp is juiced, then reduced, much in the same way that one makes maple syrup.  The same juice can be fermented, and made into tequila.  A result of going to university too close to Mexico is that I am not a big fan of tequila.  Agave, however, comes flashback free.

Agave syrup makes a wonderful sweetener.  It's easier to work with than honey, sweeter than sugar, and dissolves into cold liquids.  Agave has the lowest glycemic score of any sweetener, resulting in a minimal spike in blood sugar levels.  It's processed without any chemicals, and, is nearly always organic.  

Smoked Chicken

4 Chicken Breasts

Italian Dressing

Wood Chips

Simple, healthy, and excellent.  All you need is smoke.

Marinate chicken for 3-24 hours in your favorite italian dressing.  Transfer to grill and smoke over indirect heat for 35 minutes.  The fire should be around 300 degrees.  If you don't have a smoker attachment, soak wood chips for one hour, wrap in foil, poke some holes in it.  Then, make a fire on the opposite side of the grill from where you're going to place your chicken.  Put chip packet on fire at same time as chicken.

Add salt as needed.

Technique: Simple Syrup

Well, since Friday's post was such a long one, I'll go simple today.  Real simple.

Simple syrup is as easy as it gets.  Combine a part sugar and slightly more than an equal part water.  Put over heat.  Stir until sugar dissolves. 

Simple!

See, sugar doesn't melt into cold beverages.  Ever dump a pack of sugar into iced tea at the local diner?  Stir, stir, stir.  The sugar still sits there, swirling around.  With simple syrup around, you don't have that problem.  Pour it into your iced tea, cocktail, broccoli juice, and it's sweetened.  It keeps just about forever, so make a pitcher and keep it in the back of the fridge.