SHOP for LIVE with REBECCA BLACKWELL Friday, May 30, 6:00 PM CST
Cherry Chicken Salad, Bananas Foster & the City Club Cocktail
Bienvenue Mes Amies. It’s almost here…our next Sharing KITCHENS LIVE. This time with the timeless
. We will be making her fabulous Cherry Chicken Salad, and then as an act of rebellion, the richest dessert on the planet…Bananas Foster. Hailing from my home city, New Orleans, and interlaced with the fascinating history of the Banana Wars and Sam Zemurray. (I mentioned in a previous post that I was reading Rich Cohen’s The Fish that Ate the Whale.)Legendary Deliciousness paired with a story and good friends …unbeatable.
Starting off the Roux & Choux debauchery…the City Club Cocktail. Can’t wait to see your name on my screen! ♥️ (If I don’t give you a shout out, make sure to put something in the comment line so your name will scroll by again. 😊 The vibe is built on the people who so generously show up, and I appreciate each and every one.)
How to Join:
WHEN: Friday, May 30, 6:00 PM CST (4:00 PM Pacific, 7:00 PM EST)
CLICK: HERE to join us. Cook along or just hang out! (Click the link now and indicate that you are “interested” and Substack will ask if you’d like to add it to your calendar 😊)
WHAT: Cherry Chicken Salad, Bananas Foster & the City Club Cocktail. Recipes below. Grab those groceries!
CHERRY CHICKEN SALAD by Rebecca Blackwell
There’s no need to be overly serious about the exact amounts of anything in here because it’s still summer and it’s just a salad.
I’ve included some basic suggestions, but honestly, just throw stuff on there all willy nilly and get to the actual important part of eating it.
Start by mixing up a basic vinaigrette.
This super easy, basic vinaigrette is my go-to salad dressing. For this salad, I included chopped shallots and plenty of finely chopped roasted almonds. Here’s how to make it:
Add about 2 tablespoons per person of white wine vinegar or unseasoned rice vinegar to a bowl. Peel and chop a shallot into very small pieces and add them to the vinegar (letting them soak for a few minutes will soften the sharp edges).
Add 1 or 2 teaspoons per person of dijon mustard, mayonnaise and honey. Sprinkle in some salt and pepper. Stir everything together.
Use a fork to whisk with one hand while slowly pouring extra virgin olive oil into the dressing with your other hand. Add about 2 tablespoons per person, but there’s no need to be very exact here.
Use a food processor to chop about 1/2 cup of roasted almonds per person into very small pieces (but not so fine that the almonds are turned into a powder). Dump the chopped almonds into the dressing and stir everything around.
Here’s what you’ll need for the salad:
Fresh cherries: About a cup of cherries per person
Fresh basil and arugula or any kind of baby greens: About 1/2 cup of fresh basil and 1 - 2 cups greens per person
Chopped cucumber: I like to use English cucumbers because there’s no need to peel them. Aim for a generous handful of chopped cucumber per person.
Dried cherries: about 1/4 cup per person
Cooked chicken: Any kind of cooked chicken will do. Pick up a rotisserie chicken or even fried chicken at your local supermarket. Or, use leftover chicken from a previous meal. Or, follow this super simple method to poach chicken breasts or thighs. For the salad you see here, I sautéed chicken tenders in a bit of butter and olive oil until golden brown and cooked through. If the chicken is warm, let it cool to room temperature then chop or shred.
Goat cheese: About 3 ounces per person. Good alternatives to goat cheese: crumbled feta, grated parmesan or Parmigiano Reggiano, chopped halloumi, or fresh mozzarella.
How to make it:
Mix up the vinaigrette
Pit the cherries and cut them in half. Removing the pit is much easier with a cherry pitter. This is the one I have (except mine is red): Oxo cherry pitter
Chop the basil, mix with the greens, and pile it onto plates. Top the greens with chopped cucumber and then sprinkle on the dried cherries.
Chop or shred the chicken into bite size pieces and pile that on top of the salad.
Spoon a generous amount of almond vinaigrette over the salad then sprinkle with some goat cheese and dig in.
Bananas Foster by John Folse
PREP TIME: 30 Minutes
SERVES: 6
I love this wonderful recipe by the amazing John Folse. A few years ago we featured a tribute to him and his legacy at one of our Roux & Choux parties, which he saw on Instagram and left us a lovely thank you. I met him a decade or so ago (he was signing at a Barnes & Noble where I was a manager), and it was like speaking to my late father…brings tears to my eyes even now. The mannerisms, voice etc of being a Frenchman in South Louisiana… So without really being a friend of his, he somehow has a bit of my heart. I’m honored to share his recipe with you tonight.
INGREDIENTS:
4 bananas
1/4 pound butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup banana liqueur
1/4 cup dark rum
METHOD:
Cut bananas in half lengthwise then dice into 1-inch cubes. In a heavy bottom sauté pan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add sugar and cinnamon and whisk until bubbly and sugar is melted. Stir in banana liqueur and diced bananas and sauté until softened. Remove the pan from the flame. Add rum then return pot to heat, taking care, as rum will ignite. Stir constantly and when flames subside, remove from heat and serve as a topping over vanilla ice cream or your favorite cheesecake.
The City Club Cocktail
Tools:
Shaker
Chilled Coupe Glass
INGREDIENTS:
1 Part Cranberry Juice
1 Part Pineapple Juice
2 Parts Orange Juice
1 Shot of Vodka or Gin
Half of a Lemon
1 oz Maraschino juice or Grenadine
Blackberries (or preferred berry)
Orange Peel & Cherry (garnish)
Muddle berries in glass. Shake first 4 ingredients over ice for 20-30 seconds; squeeze lemon over contents and pour into the chilled glass. Top with Maraschino juice or Grenadine. Roll orange peel between your fingers; garnish with peel and cherry.
May be served with ice or without.
**I use this, sans the alcohol, for my punch at our parties and leave a handle of Titos or Hendricks and bar tools for adults to spike, if desired.**
HOW IT WORKS
Sharing KITCHENS LIVE will be hosting LIVE on Substack every 2nd and 4th Friday of the month (with the exception of this month, May 2025, which will be instead the 16th & 30th.)
The first episode of the month will be a lunchtime slot (12:00PM CST, 6:00PM GMT+1 (BST)) to accommodate our international friends;
the second episode of the month, at 6:00PM CST, is to better fit the dinner slot here in the US. The announcement will be sent out a week before we air to allow for those cupboards to be replenished (and to Stock That Bar!)
Oh did I forget to mention? There will be a COCKTAIL DEMO at the beginning of each episode, followed by the LIVE Cook Along featuring a dish (sweet or savory.) The featured Cocktail for this episode will be The City Club.
The planned duration of the livestream will be between 30 and 60 minutes, but feel free to come and go as needed. We’re happy you’re joining us no matter how long you stay. ♥️
Can’t wait my friends!
UP NEXT:
June 13, 2025: I am incredibly happy to host the sweet, and lovely Christine of
for our NEXT episode! June 13, 12:00 Noon, CST; 7:00PM GMT+2 (to include our international guests)
Christine’s beautiful depiction, history and recipes of her treasured Tuscan home have become one of my favorite publications. Sharing her grandmother’s recipes and the beautiful landscapes she experiences as she travels with her partner,
.
Details to come; and suffice it to say, we will be looking for you!😉
Thanks for the restack, Friend,
Wow Jenn, everything sounds so good and definitely right up my alley! I might have to “practice” that City Club cocktail beforehand 🍹