Amy Hirsch

Pollo alla Cacciatora: Hunter’s Chicken

Now that fall is officially here with cooler days and nights, we tend to start cooking heartier meals.

Now that fall is officially here with cooler days and nights, we tend to start cooking heartier meals. One that comes to mind is Chicken Cacciatora, or Hunter’s Chicken. Cacciatora means hunter in Italian. In cuisine, alla cacciatora refers to a meal prepared hunter-style with tomatoes, onions, herbs, often bell pepper, and sometimes wine.

What’s great about this dish is that it can be cooked in one pot. There are many different versions of this dish, but the one I go to is from one of my favorite cookbooks: Elodia Rigante’s Italian Immigrant Cooking. It is filled with many wonderful recipes that were passed down in her family for generations, recipes that originated in the Apulia region in southern Italy where her parents were from.

To quote Elodia, “The best cacciatora is cooked slowly for a long time, so that the flavors in the sauce are subtle and perfectly blended, and the chicken is tender as butter. Therefore, even though I say to let this dish simmer for an hour, if you have time simmer it for two hours on very low heat.”

The recipe calls for a whole chicken cut up, but I prefer to use chicken legs and bone in breasts. I also like to cook with cremini mushrooms, but it is one’s preference. The original recipe adds cheese to the dish before serving, but this is optional. I am not one to measure, so always check your ingredients. You may have to adjust them.

Ingredients:

1 chicken (5 pounds) cut in pieces, or 6 chicken legs and 4 whole chicken breasts with bones, split in half with skin removed

1⁄4 cup olive oil

1 cup flour

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms

1 cup julienned carrot

1 cup julienned green pepper

minced garlic (optional)

1 35 oz can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand

1 6 oz can of tomato paste

3⁄4 cup red or Marsala wine

1⁄2 cup of chopped fresh basil and parsley

1 tsp chopped fresh oregano

2 whole bay leaves

crushed black pepper to taste

salt to taste

grated Romano cheese (optional)

loaf of Italian bread

Serves 4

Wash and dry the chicken pieces. Heat the oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven. Roll and coat each chicken piece in the flour, and brown each piece on all sides to a golden brown. Transfer the chicken to a paper towel to drain.

Sauté the onion, mushrooms, carrot, green pepper, crushed black pepper, and garlic, if you are using it, in the same skillet for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and sauté for another 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste to thicken (you may not use the whole can), then add wine, herbs and salt, and cook over medium heat for another 5 minutes.

Add all the chicken pieces and mix well. Turn down the heat very low, and simmer, covered, for 1 hour or longer if you have the time to do so. Adjust the salt and pepper to your taste. Remove the bay leaves before serving.

Serve with freshly grated cheese (optional), a nice warm loaf of Italian bread, and your favorite salad. Enjoy!

Zoe Bios Creative

Zoe Bios works with dozens of artists worldwide, overlaying their prints with elements such as aging, gesso, leafing, and India ink to develop high quality pieces.

Zoe Bios Creative is a California firm I learned about at the NY NOW show. They produce art in house, creating repeatable originals in editions of 100. Zoe Bios works with dozens of artists worldwide, overlaying their prints with elements such as aging, gesso, leafing, and India ink to develop high quality pieces.

What I find wonderful about the Zoe Bios pieces is the mix of materials, like the oil paint with metallics. I love abstract art; it’s very contemporary. The various sizes available from this line allow you to play with different spaces, making a bold statement with a larger piece or using a smaller scale to suit a specific area. Their photography pieces offset the abstract collection with additional options.

Many of these prints are beautifully saturated with color. I get tired of seeing the same prints or accessories used over and over again in design magazines, so having such an appealing range of unique choices is refreshing.

To see more of the artwork offered by Zoe Bios Creative, visit their website. You can also find them on Facebook.

Design Dose

Restful.

Fish Restaurant + Bar

We recently went to F.I.S.H. Restaurant + Bar on Bedford Rd. in Stamford and had such a memorable meal!

My husband and I enjoy trying various local restaurants. One place we love is F.I.S.H. Restaurant + Bar on Bedford Rd. in Stamford. The owners have two other restaurants (Quattro Pazzi and Osianna), and their experience in providing good food and good service is clearly evident. F.I.S.H. Restaurant + Bar has an interior that makes an immediate impression when you step inside — such a cool, edgy environment. The restaurant is small, but stylish, and has a little bit of a rustic attitude with a modern nod. It’s very appealing.

The food, of course, is what makes F.I.S.H. so memorable. The menu features a raw bar, several salads, a range of appetizers, main courses with things like chicken and pasta, and, my favorite, the Naked Fish selections. With the Naked Fish dinners, you choose your fish, the cooking method you prefer, and one of six incredible sauces. The fish also comes with your choice of a side.

My husband had the grilled octopus, which was so delicious. The mussels are a must have! My fish was really fresh, and I loved having the different options for preparing it. F.I.S.H. is open for lunch and dinner, as well as brunch on Sunday.

To see the full menu, visit the F.I.S.H. website. You can also find them on Facebook.

ABCDCS by David Collins Studios

Published by Assouline in July 2014, ABCDCS features the incredible designs of the late David Collins.

Published by Assouline in July 2014, ABCDCS features the incredible designs of the late David Collins. Born in Dublin in 1955, David Collins studied at the Bolton Street School of Architecture. He eventually made his home in London, where his design of a friend’s home led to further projects and inspired him to launch his own studio with a diverse team from various design disciplines. Collins called it The Studio, and his projects in restaurants, hotels, residences, and retail locations became known for their incredible details. His studio’s interdisciplinary approach resulted in designs that are contemporary, yet grounded in tradition.

The book is seriously invigorating. Madonna’s introduction was so insightful! Collins was a master at what he did. He was a wealth of knowledge and his work embodied that trait, with interiors that were ingenious and clever. This is just a beautiful book.

ABCDCS presents David Collins’ projects in alphabetical order by design term, giving a spectacular look at the wide range of influences at work in his aesthetic. Full of lush photographs, ABCDCS showcases the texture and restraint of The Collins Studio. This is a wonderful book to add to your collection.

Design Dose

English culinary.

Annie’s Big Book

Earlier this year, Taschen released a book of Annie Leibovitz’s photography that is simply epic in scale.

Earlier this year, Taschen released a book of Annie Leibovitz’s photography that is simply epic in scale. Developed over the course of several years, Annie Leibovitz contains the photographer’s most iconic images along with rare and never-before-seen photos. Her work spans decades and captures scenes from the worlds of entertainment, politics, business, art, and so much more.

This gorgeous hardcover edition measures 20″ by 28″ and contains over 250 photographs. Each book comes with a book stand designed by Marc Newson for display and a supplement book of essays and short texts describing the photos. There are five different signed and numbered limited edition prints of Annie Leibovitz available. Prints 1,001 through 10,000 are the Collector’s Edition and have one of four dust jackets: Whoopi Goldberg (Berkely, California, 1984), Keith Haring (New York City, 1986) , David Byrne (Los Angeles, 1986), and Patti Smith (New Orleans, 1978). Prints 1-1,000 are the Fine Art edition and include a print signed by Annie as well as all four dust jackets.

Scarlett Johansson, Chateau Marmont, Los Angeles, 2004

Queen Elizabeth II, The White Drawing Room, Buckingham Palace, London, 2007

Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, Los Angeles, 1995

Sharon Stone, Anjelica Huston, and Diane Lane, Los Angeles, 2006

Annie Leibovitz is an incredible work of art. On display and open to any photo, this book is both a testament to a legendary photographer and a glimpse of unforgettable moments and people. For lovers of art, photography, entertainment, and history, this is a must-have addition to your home library.

Chizi’s Tale

During this past weekend, my daughters and I had the opportunity to attend a book signing for Chizi’s Tale, hosted by the author, Jack Jones. Chizi’s Tale is the story of an orphaned baby black rhino discovered in Zimbabwe by two park rangers; the rhino, only a few days old, would be unable to survive the African wilderness alone. Determined to save the baby black rhino, the two park rangers notified the park manager, who took it upon himself to take the animal home with him.

During this past weekend, my daughters and I had the opportunity to attend a book signing for Chizi’s Tale, hosted by the author, Jack Jones. Chizi’s Tale is the story of an orphaned baby black rhino discovered in Zimbabwe by two park rangers; the rhino, only a few days old, would be unable to survive the African wilderness alone. Determined to save the baby black rhino, the two park rangers notified the park manager, who took it upon himself to take the animal home with him.

Chizi’s Tale is a remarkable, moving story about an endearing and vulnerable rhino and the brave family helping him. Both sincere and charming, the introduction to Chizi’s Tale was a great way to bring awareness to my children.

A cousin of mine is currently climbing a mountain in Nepal to bring awareness to the endangerment of the black rhino. The stories shared with me regarding the prestige poachers take in hunting the black rhino left me wondering whether Chizi will survive once released from his family at age three.

Senior high-school student, Jack Jones is the author of the book, Chizi’s Tale. Focused on preserving and protecting nature, Jones wrote Chizi’s Tale hoping to raise awareness.

The world took notice of the critically endangered black rhino in 1963, when a noticeable decline of the species was documented. Reasons for population decreasing are attributed to poaching for pleasure and sustenance. Due to conservation efforts, there has been a gradual increase in the black rhino’s population numbers.

To read more about the press, ordering information, or media kit regarding Chizi’s Tale, click here.

Chizi’s Tale is available for purchase at Diane’s Books on Grigg Street in Greenwich, Connecticut; all proceeds go to Tusk: The Save the Rhino Trust.

To learn more about the endangerment of rhinos and how you can help, visit Tusk: The Save the Rhino Trust here.

Pollo alla Cacciatora: Hunter’s Chicken

Zoe Bios Creative

Design Dose

Restful.

Fish Restaurant + Bar

ABCDCS by David Collins Studios

Design Dose

English culinary.

Annie’s Big Book

Chizi’s Tale

Design Dose

Lauren Kaplan, a collection to pine for.

Design Dose

Express your bright side.