Lemon Pan Sauce Chicken Breast (two servings)

SCIENCE BEHIND THE FOOD Browning reaction on the surface of the meat, needed to get the flavors vs a wet roast. The wet breast will stick to the hot pan until the browning reactions create new surface molecules which no longer bind to the metal pan. Dont move and wait for the chicken to release. Browning will still occur with a non-stick pan but the timing will be different. Reducing (evaporating water and leaving other compounds behind) will intensify the flavor of the pan sauce INGREDIENTS 2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts Salt and white pepper 2 tablespoons very mild olive oil (smoke point!) or vegetable oil cup dry white wine (cooking wine will do) cup chicken stock teaspoon instant chicken bouillon 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves 1 bay leaf 1/3 cup heavy or whipping cream Zest (finely grated peel) of one lemon Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Place each breast between two pieces of waxed paper and lightly pound the thick end to make breast more equal in thickness, about 1/2-inch thick. Over medium-high heat, heat a heavy bottomed 10-inch skillet until the upper edge of the pan feels hot to a quick touch. Remove from the heat; pour in the oil and tilt to spread the oil over the pan. Return to the heat and immediately drop the breasts into the pan with the rib side up. The breasts will sizzle and they will be stuck. This is a Zen moment. Think happy thoughts. Twiddle your thumbs, but dont touch the chicken. After about 90 seconds, which will seem like an eternity, the breasts will brown and release all by themselves. When the chicken easily releases from the pan, turn each breast over. Again, they will be stuck. Wait again until they brown and release, and then remove them to a platter. Pour the wine and stock into the hot pan. Scrape the pan to loosen any stuck-on particles. Add the bouillon, thyme, and bay leaf. Boil on high heat and reduce until only a few tablespoons remain. Stir in the heavy cream and continue to reduce until the sauce thickens, stir in the lemon zest. Remove the bay leaf. Slice each breast at an angle into 3 pieces. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve immediately.

Shellfish: Tender Techniques - Perfectly Tender Marinated Shrimp (Makes 6 Servings)

SCIENCE BEHIND THE FOOD Seasoning both the cooking and the cooling water adds flavor. Timing is vital for perfect tenderness. The marinade is mildly acidic to slightly tenderize, but not overcook, delicate shrimp. Dont forget brining is NOT the same as marinating! To Cook the Shrimp: 1 1/2 quarts water 1 large seafood seasoning boil bag like Old Bay or Zatarain's (see Note) 1 1/2 tablespoons salt (preferably sea salt) 1 onion, quartered 1 lemon, quartered Large bowl of ice cubes 1 1/2 pounds "large" (26 to 35 count) shrimp in shells To Marinate the Shrimp: 1 large onion, thinly sliced 7 bay leaves 1 cup extra virgin olive oil 4 tablespoons capers, with juice 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, preferably Lea & Perrins 1 teaspoon salt 4 dashes hot pepper sauce In a large pot, bring 1 1/2 quarts of water (12 cups), the seafood seasoning bag, salt, onion, and lemon to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 4 minutes. Scoop out 2 cups of the flavored cooking liquid and place in to a large mixing bowl filled with ice cubes, stir, and let cool. Add the shrimp to the pot of boiling seasoned water. When the water comes back to a simmer, immediately turn heat down to medium-low. Simmer the shrimp 4 1/2 minutes, or just until opaque and starting to curl. Scoop the shrimp out with a large slotted spoon and place directly in the prepared bowl of flavored water with ice cubes. This will stop the cooking. Stir shrimp to cool evenly and add more ice cubes if all melt. Let shrimp stand about 5 minutes in the flavored ice water. Drain, peel, and de-vein. To marinate the shrimp, alternate layers of shrimp, onions, and bay leaves in a large glass bowl. In a small bowl, make the vinaigrette by whisking together olive oil, capers and juice, Worcestershire, salt, and hot pepper sauce. Pour over shrimp, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Drain the vinaigrette, remove some of the onions, and serve cold

SHIRLEY CORRIHER'S "TOUCH-OF-GRACE" BISCUITS (Makes 12 to 14 biscuits)

SCIENCE BEHIND THE FOOD Low protein, soft wheat Southern flour like White Lily helps make tender, moist biscuits. The combination of low flour and low needing results in less gluten which creates less crosslinked polymers This is a chance to talk about the role of yeast in breads and leavening agents. Note this recipe does not use either yeast or leavening agents, therefore some gas must be created or the dough will not rise. - A hot oven and very wet dough create steam in the biscuits and produce light, fluffy biscuits. INGREDIENTS 2 cups self-rising, low protein, soft wheat Southern flour like White Lily 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 tablespoons shortening 2/3 cup heavy or whipping cream 1 cup buttermilk (may need more, depending on flour used) 1 cup plain (all-purpose) flour, for shaping like White Lily 2 tablespoons butter, melted Cherry Chambord Butter, recipe follows Arrange a shelf slightly below the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 425F. Spray an 8-inch or 9 - inch cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the self-rising flour, sugar and salt. Work the shortening in with your fingers until there are no large lumps. Gently stir in the cream, then 1 cup buttermilk. Stir and add more buttermilk as needed until the dough resembles cottage cheese. It should be a wet mess--not soup but cottage cheese texture. If you are not using a low-protein Southern flour, this may require considerably more than a cup of buttermilk. Spread the plain, all-purpose flour out on a plate or pie pan. With a medium (about 2-inch, No. 30) ice cream scoop or spoon, place 3 scoops of dough well apart in the flour. Sprinkle flour over each biscuit and flour your hands. Turn each dough ball in the flour to coat, then pick up and gently shape it into a round, shaking off the excess flour as you work. Place the biscuit in the prepared cake pan. Coat each dough ball in this fashion and smush each biscuit up against its neighbor. Continue scooping and shaping until all the dough is used. Place filled cake pan on the shelf in the center or slightly below the center of the oven. Bake until lightly browned, about 20 to 25 minutes. Brush with melted butter. Invert onto one plate, and then back onto another. With a knife or spatula, cut quickly between biscuits to make them easy to remove. "Butter'em while they're hot," or spread with Cherry Chambord Butter. CHERRY-CHAMBORD BUTTER (Makes about 2 1/2 cups) 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature 2 tablespoons Chambord or other raspberry liqueur 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar 1 small jar (5 ounces) good cherry preserves Grated zest of 1 orange (optional) Process the butter, cream cheese, liqueur, and confectioners' sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel knife, to blend well. Stir in the preserves and zest by hand. Chill well before serving. Keeps well refrigerated for several weeks in a closed jar.

Cheese souffl (5 servings)

SCIENCE BEHIND THE FOOD Using tempering eggs to stop protein aggregation of egg protein in the base sauce Egg foam protein cages forming around air how these are formed and their fragile nature vs. fat or whipping cream bubbles Gas laws expanding the foam with temperature INGREDIENTS Butter room temperature, for greasing the souffl 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan 1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) butter 3 tablespoons flour 1 teaspoon dry mustard 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 1/3 cups milk, hot 4 large egg yolks 6 ounces sharp Cheddar 5 egg whites plus 1 tablespoon water (5 1/2 ounces by weight plus 1/2 ounce water) 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar Use room temperature butter to grease an 8-inch souffle mold. Add the grated Parmesan and roll around the mold to cover the sides. Cover with plastic wrap and place into the freezer for 5 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small saucepan, heat the butter. Allow all of the water to cook out. In a separate bowl combine the flour, dry mustard, garlic powder, and salt. Whisk this mixture into the melted butter. Cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in the hot milk and turn the heat to high. Once the mixture reaches a boil, remove from the heat. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks to a creamy consistency. Temper the yolks into the milk mixture, constantly whisking. Remove from the heat and add the cheese. Whisk until incorporated. In a separate bowl, using a hand mixer, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar until glossy and firm. Add 1/4 of the mixture to the base. Continue to add the whites by thirds, folding very gently. Pour the mixture into the souffl. Fill the souffl to 1/2-inch from the top. Place on an aluminum pie pan. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes.

Poached Pears with Caramel Sauce (4 Servings) SCIENCE BEHIND THE FOOD The science for browning and the flavor receptors in the nose (smelling the toasted almonds) Caramelization INGREDIENTS 1 quart water 1 1/3 cup sugar 4 Bosc pears; peeled, cored, and quartered Possible Additions: One cinnamon stick 2 teaspoons whole cloves, black peppercorns or allspice berries One lemon half One split vanilla bean 2-3 star anise 6-8 fresh ginger slices

In a large saucepan, heat the water and sugar until warm and the sugar is dissolved. Add any of the additions that you wish. Slide in the pears and cover with a round of parchment paper, with a small hole cut in the center. Keep the liquid at a very low boil and simmer the pears until cooked through, 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the pears. Remove from heat and let the pears cool in their liquid. For the Caramel Sauce: Yields about 1 cup Ingredients 1 cup of sugar 6 tablespoons of butter 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream First, before you begin, make sure you have everything ready to go the cream and the butter next to the pan, ready to put in. Making caramel is a fast process that cannot wait for hunting around for ingredients. If you dont work fast, the sugar will burn. Safety first make sure there are no children under foot and you may want to wear oven mitts; the caramelized sugar will be much hotter than boiling water. Heat sugar on moderately high heat in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart or 3-quart saucepan. As the sugar begins to melt, stir vigorously with a whisk or wooden spoon. As soon as the sugar comes to a boil, stop stirring. You can swirl the pan a bit if you want, from this point on. Note that this recipe works best if you are using a thick-bottomed pan. If you find that you end up burning some of the sugar before the rest of it is melted, the next time you attempt it, add a half cup of water to the sugar at the beginning of the process, this will help the sugar to cook more evenly, though it will take longer as the water will need to evaporate before the sugar will caramelize. As soon as all of the sugar crystals have melted (the liquid sugar should be dark amber in color), immediately add the butter to the pan. Whisk until the butter has melted. Once the butter has melted, take the pan off the heat. Count to three, then slowly add the cream to the pan and continue to whisk to incorporate. Note than when you add the butter and the cream, the mixture will foam up considerably. This is why you must use a pan that is at least 2-quarts (preferably 3-quarts) big. (Check here for an explanation of why adding the cream makes the mixture bubble up so much.) Whisk until caramel sauce is smooth. Let cool in the pan for a couple minutes, then pour into a glass mason jar and let sit to cool to room temperature. (Remember to use pot holders when handling the jar filled with hot caramel sauce.) Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Warm before serving.

Carrots with Rasperry-Chambord Sauce

SCIENCE BEHIND THE FOOD Caramelization of candy and increased sweetness of carrots when cooked INGREDIENTS 2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into inch slices 1 tablespoon and cup packed brown sugar 1 teaspoon and 1 tablespoon salt 2 packages frozen raspberries thawed 2 tablespoons cornstarch 2 tablespoons Chambord or raspberry or orange liqueur 4 tablespoons (1/4 stick) lightly salted butter teaspoon white pepper Finely grated zest of lemon Boil the carrots in water to cover with 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 1 tablespoon salt in a large pot until fork-tender about ten min, drain well To prepare the sauce, drain the juice from the thawed raspberries into a medium saucepan. Stir in cornstarch and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the juice thickens. Stir in the liqueur When ready to serve, reheat the carrots by sauting in butter in large skillet over medium heat for about 2 min. Sprinkle with cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, white pepper and lemon zest. Mound the carrots attractively on a platter, leaving a boarder around the edge. Spoon the bright red raspberry sauce into the border around the carrot mound and serve hot