introducing "I SAID" 📣
a bit about a new STRUCTURE coming and chicken that usually gets a bad rap
Hello friends, thanks for tuning in.
When I launched this newsletter, I really didn’t think I’d keep up with it as much as I have. I like the work that I have done, but most of it is for me, it’s for self-gratification and the feel-good-ness of knowing that I put a piece of writing out, somewhere. While I don’t necessarily want to pat myself on the back for simply just writing, I am proud of myself for committing to this and appreciate you all sticking it out. But the point of this was to write about things I love and feel strongly about. Hence, yelling about, hence passion, etc. And while I KNOW my feelings are valid, yada yada yada, I want to practice writing about things and I would like to do it regularly.
So the news is this: today I’m launching “I Said” the new bi-weekly installment of UMOV. I’m going to really try to commit to writing a short-ish piece on something I am loving, maybe it’ll be a restaurant, a piece of clothing, an album, a series, or something as teeny-tiny as a sweet treat. Today it’s chicken piccata, but more on that in a minute.
I’m going to pick something tangible that I can write about to force myself to practice describing things other than my emotions. Yapping is in, if you haven’t heard, and I plan to do just that. Yap! I’ll put little musings and poems out here and there but this way, UMOV has a structure that I can maybe (hopefully) monetize one day. It’s been a really wild ride getting this up and being so vulnerable with all of you so I am saying a huge thank you again and I love you for being here. And as always, if you’d like to comment or share with a friend or just give me an idea, PLEASE DO so.
Now, with all that yapping done, scroll for the first official edition of I SAID! Yay!
“I SAID" 01: chicken piccata gets a bad rap
In light of yesterday’s glorious weather (and me leaving my water bottle at the deli) I took an afternoon walk through McGolrick Park. There’s this place that opened up near me called Campbell & Co and while I’m really trying not to buy things just to buy them, I couldn’t resist popping in there. Can you blame me? It was 80 degrees.
I knew I was going to make dinner at home, so I was trying to add a little spice to my day. Rummaging through fine cheeses and cured meats, I stumbled upon the tiniest little jar of capers. These capers caught my attention because I have been meaning to make this Vegan Caesar Salad from the New York Times and it calls for the brine. $4.95 felt like a bargain when a small circle of Brie starts at $10 in there.
And then it hit me. Piccata!
Chicken piccata is a dish I grew up eating. My serving would be spooned out of the industrial sized aluminum catering tray my grandma ordered from the pizza place we would go to when we went down the shore. It was never that hot and by the time we got back to the beach, the sauce would thicken into a congealed mess. In practice, chicken piccata is incredibly simple in nature - it’s lemon and butter, how can it be bad? But that’s its downfall: it’s so simple you probably wouldn’t see it at a nice place but when you get it from Jojo’s on the Blackhorse Pike, it’s just fine.
Piccata isn’t one of those things you seek out. Unless you’re a huge piccata head in which case, I now understand you. I can’t remember the last time, if ever, I made this on my own, so the idea popping into my head was a foreign, but welcome answer to the brutal question of “what should I eat for dinner?” I was home alone, all hopped up on the excitement of having the kitchen to myself. I splurged on a bottle of white wine (a whole $15!) and brought my provisions home to embark on this culinary journey.
This chicken was not only so delicious, it actually required fewer dishes than I thought it would. It cooked entirely in my cast iron and besides a cutting board, a pair of tongs and the pasta pot, I used almost nothing else besides the plate I eventually served myself on. It was screaming easy Thursday night dinner but the weather, the capers and the wine just had this fancy aura to them that made it feel a little extra special.
This once mediocre chicken transformed into the best meal I’ve had in weeks. Butter, one lemon, white wine, one shallot, and some chicken stock is all it took to create a better-than-takeout meal. Sure, I made some bucatini but you could skip it and just serve this right over a green salad - you wouldn’t even need dressing, the sauce is that good. See below for the recipe I used, also from NYT cooking.
Chicken Piccata
Yield: 4 servings
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Kosher salt and black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
6tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
1 shallot, peeled and sliced lengthwise
1lemon, halved (half thinly sliced and seeds removed; half juiced, about 2 tablespoons)
¾ cup chicken stock (I used some white wine here as well)
4 teaspoons drained capers
Coarsely chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
Soon enough, I won’t even need the recipe. I SAID add it to the rotation!
