Side orders: Final push is on for contest recipes

Oct 08, 2008 (Chattanooga Times/Free Press - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- PNRA | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- ADDITIONAL ENTRIES for the holiday recipe contest are coming in, thanks to the many of you who responded from last week's request. But there's always room for more. The categories are appetizers, breads, entrees, side dishes and desserts. Recipes will appear in our annual holiday cooking section, and a $100 grocery gift certificate will be awarded to a winner in each category. E-mail them to me at abraly@timesfreepress.com, preferably, or send them by mail to Anne Braly, Chattanooga Times Free Press, 400 E. 11th St., Chattanooga, TN 37403.

ALL THE PICTURES I've seen and stories I've read about the High Museum's soon-to-open exhibit of items from the Chinese Terracotta Army make me eager to get down there and take a look. Now, the Ritz-Carlton hotels in Buckhead and downtown Atlanta are making a trip all the more inviting. An overnight at Ritz-Carlton is something everyone needs to experience once in their lifetime. The personal attention is unmatched. The food in the Dining Room reaches unparalleled heights of flavor. It's unlike any hotel in which I've ever stayed.

From Nov. 16, when the exhibit opens, through its closing on April 19, Ritz-Carlton will offer a package that includes two tickets to the exhibit, an overnight stay at the hotel, breakfast for two the following morning and overnight valet parking. Prices start at $219 at the downtown hotel and $249 in Buckhead. Quite a deal, and one I'll be looking into. For more information, call (800) 241-3333 or log onto www.ritzcarlton.com.

EVERYTHING'S GOING pink, it seems. In recognition of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Panera Bread will be selling Pink Ribbon Bagels. If you buy one, the restaurant will donate a portion of the proceeds to a variety of breast cancer causes throughout the country, such as the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The bagel, filled with cranberries, cherries, vanilla, honey and brown sugar, is shaped like a bow and is selling for $1.37 (tax included) at area Panera stores.

Farberware is going pink, too, with its Pink Porcelain Enamel Cookware collection. This is great-looking cookware, and a little pink will add sparkle to your kitchen. It looks so good, you may not want to put it away. And the durability of the heavy-gauge aluminum will make it last for some time to come.

Best of all, though, $1 to $3 from each sale will help the Breast Cancer Research Foundation in its efforts to find a cure. The collection includes a twin pack of 9- and 11-inch skillets ($39.99 suggested retail) and a 10-piece cookware set consisting of 1-, 2- and 3-quart covered saucepans, a 6-quart covered stockpot and 8- and 10-inch skillets ($99.99 suggested retail). This certainly puts a feel-good spin on spending money on cookware. I'm thinking it will make great Christmas gifts for my daughters.

OFF THE BOOKSHELF: Viewers of TV Food Network's "Everyday Italian," you'll be happy to know that host Giada de Laurentiis has a new cookbook, "Giada's Kitchen" (Clarkson Potter, $32.50), loaded with some of the most incredible Italian recipes I've seen in quite some time. We're not talking spaghetti and manicotti here, though there are several takes on what we think of as traditional Italian dishes.

What I like about most of the recipes is the straightforward approach the author takes in creating culinary masterpieces using fresh ingredients. Ms. de Laurentiis introduces us to a new world of flavor in "Everyday Italian," well worth the $32.50 price for cooks wanting to put Italian on the table in a new manner. Here's an example.

Chicken Scaloppine With Saffron Cream Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound thin chicken cutlets

3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more seasoning for meat

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning meat

2 shallots, sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 cup dry white wine

11/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1/4 teaspoon saffron threads

1/2 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)

Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken until golden and cooked through, 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to serving platter and tent with foil to keep warm.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the shallots and garlic and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Deglaze the pan with white wine, using a wooden spoon to scrape all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the wine is almost evaporated. Add the chicken broth and saffron threads, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes or until reduced by half. Add the cream, salt and pepper to the skillet and stir to combine. Simmer for 1 minute to blend the flavors. Pour the sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with parsley, if desired, and serve immediately.

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