So I did cook today.

But I REALLY hate sewing.

There, got it out of my system (I think). I really am in the home stretch, so hopefully soon I will be back in the kitchen doing what I love.

Anyway, tonight I made a recipe that I got from Bon Appetit magazine. Or Gourmet. I'm not sure, my Mastercook entry says Bon Appetit, but I suspect it is in fact from Gourmet, because it reminds me of a Gourmet every day recipe. Either way, it can be found at www.epicurious.com of you are interested in other reviews. This is the second time I made this one. I rememeber the first time thinking that I could taste and feel the fat too much to truly enjoy the dish. So this time I cut back a bit. Just a bit. :-) I also added about a cup of sliced mushrooms when I added the beans, as well as about 1/2 cup of chopped fennel fronds. The fennel added some freshness, the mushrooms added some earthiness, and it was really good. My only beef with the recipe as written is that the proportions are way off. You end up with 6 chicken thighs in a huge pot of stew. I am going to try something different with the leftovers though. I am letting it cool, and then I am going to skim the fat off the top. Then I am going to take the remaining thighs and take the chicken off, add it back to the pot along with 2 cups of chicken stock, and a handful or two of frozen spinach. Soup for lunch on Saturday. All it will need is a sprinkle of Asiago and some french bread for dunking.

Here is the recipe, it really is easy and needs very little tending while it cooks. While the stew cooks, there is plenty of time to warm up some bread and toss a salad.

* Exported from MasterCook *
CHICKEN STEW WITH TOMATOES & WHITE BEANS
Serving Size : 6

4 bacon slices -- chopped
6 chicken thighs -- with skin and bones
All purpose flour
1 large onion -- chopped (about 2 cups)
5 garlic cloves -- minced
2 cans stewed tomatoes -- (14 1/2 ounce)
1 can low-salt chicken broth -- (14 1/2 ounce)
3/4 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 cans cannelini beans -- (15 ounce) drained

Cook chopped bacon in heavy large pot over medium-high heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel. Sprinkle chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour, shaking off excess. Add to drippings in pot and sauté until brown, about 3 minutes per side. Using slotted spoon, transfer chicken to large bowl. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons drippings from pot. Add chopped onion and minced garlic to pot; sauté 4 minutes. Add bacon, stewed tomatoes, chicken broth, red wine, basil and oregano. Bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Return chicken and any accumulated juices to pot. Cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Add cannellini; simmer 10 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Source: "Bon Appétit December 1999" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 371 Calories; 17g Fat (43.1% calories from fat); 27g Protein; 25g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; 83mg Cholesterol; 193mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 2 Fat.