Chikun Good

Dear Tia T.,

Congratulations on your first BIO class as a nutritionist-to-be! Thinking about going back to a college science class gave me all sorts of scary feelings, but I know you'll do great. I was totally terrified about going back to school - I think I spent at least two days alternating between binge-eating and driving your brother crazy by asking him what outfit he thought I should wear on my first day back despite the fact that I had no desire to try on ANYTHING since all of that binge-eating made me feel fat.

I've been thinking about my college years a lot lately, coincidentally - mainly because I think I now understand what the phrase "a fully stocked pantry" actually means. I spent all five of my college years carting around what seemed like the same bag of flour, ramen noodles, bottles of ketchup and mustard, and three plastic spatulas from dorm room to apartment to apartment. Now, however - I finish entire bags of flour, and have to restock the pantry's supply of canned tomatoes, rice, and breadcrumbs more often than I ever have. It's a little frightening to be so much of an adult that I plan out a weekly menu for all of our dinner meals before I go grocery shopping. . . but part of being an adult is embracing anything that will make my domestic routine a little easier.

The snow has been a huge detriment to my domestic routine. Girl, I am OVER IT. What was once beautiful sparkling mounds are now impossible-to-navigate piles of gross muddiness that have been shoved to the sides of the roads. What was an exciting reason to stay in and play with the cat and make homemade hamburger buns is now a desire to get out of the house and do anything that doesn't involve getting my feet wet from the sidewalks covered in slush.



I think I'm also a little over cold weather food. I realized that most of the meals I've been writing you letters about are served in bowls and eaten with spoons. Don't get me wrong - I think stews and soups are amazing in how they often hit the high notes of every food group. But I've been getting a little tired of them. So I was pretty excited yesterday about more than one thing: a) the sun was out all day b) I could drive to the gym without worrying about slipping and sliding into the car in front of or beside me and c) I made something for dinner that tasted like springtime.

This oven-baked chicken was so easy to make. I know your mom swears by panko bread crumbs, but I had never cooked with them before. Girl, I'm never going back. I did all the prep work for the chicken and threw it into the oven, and by the time I had showered, set the table, and made a quick arugula salad, it was ready. And spicy. And juicy. And crispy.



Oven-Fried Panko Chicken for Two

1 c panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 1/4 lb bone-in chicken thighs
salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450 with rack in middle.

2. Stir together panko, cayenne, and a few grinds of salt and pepper together in a plate.

3. Stir together melted butter and a few more grinds of salt and pepper. Brush butter mixture all over chicken pieces, front and back.

4. Add chicken pieces one by one to crumb mixture, using your hands to press the crumbs into both sides of chicken until pieces are evenly coated.

5. Transfer pieces to a shallow baking pan. Bake chicken until well-browned and cooked through, about 35 minutes.

I served this with an arugula salad dressed with lemon juice, olive oil, and shavings of Parmesan.

Can't wait to hear all about your class, little bean, and everything else. Write back soon!

Love,

Tia F.

PS: I made that spinach artichoke dip for my friend Anna Claire's Super Bowl party. It was a huge hit! I don't think the onion and artichoke matters as much as all the creamy goodness.

PPS: Please tell B that J and I are very sorry for the horribly off-key rendition of "Happy Birthday" we left on his voicemail. Blame it on the snow.