Philosophizing About Food With Francine: A Chicken for Every Pot

by Francine Black

It was a splendid Monday, a great day to prep some meals for the busy week ahead.

I started with a delicious pasta fagioli made a bit spicy with hot Italian sausage. It so happens that we had plenty of chicken breast to use for two dishes, and so I made two family favorites: chicken medallions with tomatoes and artichoke hearts in a cherry tomato and Marsala wine reduction, and a bubbly chicken paprikash with vegetables and buttermilk dumplings.

Giving the dumpling dish a little kick by seasoning with lots of paprika elevates it to Hungarian chicken paprikash status.

If you’ve enjoyed the iconic and famous Indian dish, butter chicken, then you’ve encountered the happy collision of two vastly differing cultures with one common thread, the love of good food. It’s been said that India’s delicious butter chicken dish is the result of the culinary collaboration of a Hungarian farrier’s wife and an ambitious Indian chef. And that’s all I’ll say about that!

Enjoy this glorious fall weather, dear friends!

High in the mountains above Bally, where the dense groves of treetops seem to touch the sky, is Francine Black, Boyertown’s own version of chef Julia Child. Her daily activities reflect the things she most values: family and friends, music, and lovingly prepared food.

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• Philosophizing About Food With Francine: A Peach Dessert Steeped in Tradition Our columnist shares how a cherished family dessert recalls the women who shared their baking traditions from one generation to the next.