Food52 Dynamite Chicken

August 5, 2019
Chef, restaurateur, and James Beard–nominated writer Kord (A Super Upsetting Cookbook About Sandwiches) delivers an enthusiastic book celebrating the “affordability, versatility, and ease” of chicken. He provides thorough information about the basics of cooking chicken, from butchering a whole chicken into 10 pieces to making chicken stock. Many of his tips are valuable (he rubs cornstarch onto chicken skin to make it crispy), but some purists may be surprised with some of his unconventional advice (he doesn’t believe in trussing chicken). Kord’s creations are versatile and inventive­­—­he includes recipes for grilled chicken with pickled blueberry salad, chicken and kimchi pierogis, broiled chicken breasts with asparagus salad and tarragon puree, and lemongrass-poached chicken legs with sugar snap peas. He also adds his own fresh spin to beloved chicken classics such as spicy parmesan chicken potpie, coconut milk chicken à la king, and lime-glazed chicken wings. However, despite his zeal, some recipes aren’t quite as appealing, such as savory chicken oatmeal with braised greens
. In all, these recipes will inspire home cooks to jazz up the popular bird for weeknight dinners or weekend entertaining. Agent: Jonah Straus, Straus Literary.

September 6, 2019

Food52 cofounders Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs write the foreword for this collection by chef Kord (co-owner of No. 7 Restaurant; A Super Upsetting Cookbook About Sandwiches). Based on the popular, award-winning site, this cookbook takes 60 chicken recipes and organizes them in chapters by level of meal difficulty and type of audience, from daily dinners and meals for picky eaters to more irreverent fare, such as what to eat when you are sad. Highlights include mix-and-match chicken sandwich, along with weeknight meals. More interesting recipes include spicy Parmesan chicken potpie, chicken cooked in chocolate milk, Parmesan sake-grilled chicken, and chicken kimchi perogies. Step-by-step recipes are precise and easy to follow, with beginner cooks in mind, and most are accompanied with vivid photographs. VERDICT For anyone tired of the same old chicken recipes, home cooks interested in a new take on an old favorite, or those looking to get started on an easily accessible ingredient.--Dawn Lowe-Wincentsen, Oregon Inst. of Technology, Portland

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