Oui Oui to French Onion Sheet Pan Chicken

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Chicken thighs smothered in caramelized onions and Gruyere just like classic French onion soup.
Chicken thighs smothered in caramelized onions and Gruyere just like classic French onion soup.

Who doesn’t love the rustic and robust taste of French onion soup, loaded with caramelized onions and finished with a crisp crouton smothered in gooey melted cheese?

That’s all dandy in the chill of winter. But in the torrid days of summer? Not so much.

But now, you can have your French onion soup — and eat it then, too.

All it takes is this recipe for “French Onion Sheet Pan Chicken.”

It’s from the new cookbook, “Everyday Grand” (Clarkson Potter), of which I received a review copy. It was written by Texas-based Jocelyn Delk Adams, the founder of the popular blog, Grandbaby Cakes, along with Olga Massov, a Washington Post food editor.

Adams calls it a collection of recipes designed to celebrate life’s good times, be they major victories or small everyday momentary wins. They include “Cornmeal Butter Biscuits with Big Mama’s Fig Preserves,” “Hawaiian Loco Moco Tatchos” (sheet pan tater tots smothered in ground beef), “Shrimp Etouffee Potpie,” “Oxtail and Cornmeal Dumplings,” and “Brownie-Stuffed Birthday Cookies.”

I’m not going to lie: “French Onion Sheet Pan Chicken” doesn’t taste exactly like its namesake classic soup. However, it is boldly seasoned and thoroughly delicious in its own right.

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Exploring Southern Oregon: Fine-Dining at Mas

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Poached otoro or medium fatty tuna belly and foie gras blanketed by slices of raw porcini at Mas.
Poached otoro or medium fatty tuna belly and foie gras blanketed by slices of raw porcini at Mas.

Ashland, OR. — Tucked away in a secluded alley off the main downtown drag, Mas is not a place that one just happens to stumble upon.

But seek it out, you definitely should.

Named one of the New York Times’ “favorite 50 restaurants” in 2022 and a semi-finalist for “Best Chef Northwest and Pacific” in 2023, this $195 per person, tasting menu-only restaurant is all of 16 seats.

The best seats, of course, are at the chef’s counter, where I dined earlier this month as a guest of Travel Oregon. It’s where you can watch Chef Josh Dorcak and his small staff prepare each course with precision.

Chef Josh Dorcak putting the finishing touches on dishes at the chef's counter.
Chef Josh Dorcak putting the finishing touches on dishes at the chef’s counter.

It’s rather astonishing to realize that the galley kitchen behind the counter, about the size of one in a modest home, is all they use, too. There’s all of one or two induction burners, a combi oven that can cook with steam or hot air, and a fish aging refrigerator off to the side. That’s pretty much it.

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Exploring Southern Oregon: Alchemy Restaurant and The Winchester Inn

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The "Chef's Alchemy'' farm-fresh dish at Alchemy in Ashland.
The “Chef’s Alchemy” farm-fresh dish at Alchemy in Ashland.

Ashland, OR. — Its moniker may be inspired by San Jose’s Winchester Mystery House because of its expansion in fits and starts over the years, but unlike its namesake the Winchester Inn is as far from kitschy and haphazard as it gets.

Instead, this stately Victorian inn boasts not only real history, but beautifully appointed rooms and suites, as well as a critically acclaimed restaurant on site, Alchemy, that has been honored with a Wine Spectator “Best of Award of Excellence.”

Two weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to be invited to stay and dine there as a guest of Travel Oregon.

The original owners were inspired to name the inn after San Jose's Winchester Mystery House.
The original owners were inspired to name the inn after San Jose’s Winchester Mystery House.

Comprised of a series of historic homes, the inn’s main house was actually the first hospital in Southern Oregon. Back then, it was located on Main Street. But in 1910, it was moved up the hill to its current S. Second Street location.

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Salt and Pepper Tater Tots — A Guilty Pleasure If There Ever Was One

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Salt and pepper tater tots are sure to be your new guilty pleasure.
Salt and pepper tater tots are sure to be your new guilty pleasure.

If you had told me that one day I’d be stir-frying tater tots, I would have called you “crazy.”

But crazy can be mighty good.

And these sure are.

Put your disbelief aside, do yourself a favor, and make these “Salt and Pepper Tater Tots.”

If you’ve ever enjoyed the warm aromatics of Chinese salt and pepper shrimp or salt and pepper spare ribs, then you know the taste sensation you are in for.

This delightful recipe is from “Tenderheart” (Alfred A. Knopf), of which I received a review copy.

It’s the newest cookbook by Hetty Lui McKinnon, the gifted Chinese Australian cook and food writer who now lives in Brooklyn. She’s also the publisher of the multicultural food journal, Peddler, as well as host of its podcast, The House Specials.

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Lollipops For Pops on Father’s Day

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Lollipops of a different sort for Father's Day.
Lollipops of a different sort for Father’s Day.

My dad was a sucker for See’s Candies of any kind or shape.

For Father’s Day, we’d often present him with a big See’s box, which he’d tear into eagerly — even way before dinner.

I have a hunch, though, that my dad would have also gone gangbusters over these lollipops of a different sort.

That’s because he also loved lamb. Most often, he’d turn cubes into stew with loads of carrots, celery, onions, and potatoes cut into large chunks to stretch out the meal for our family of five.

A lamb rib rack, with its higher price tag, wasn’t something he’d pick up at the store. But when I cooked up these “Vindaloo-Spiced Lamb Lollipops,” I couldn’t help picturing him smacking his lips over them.

Smoky from the grill, juicy and tender from a vibrant marinade, they’re redolent of cumin, one of the staple spices in the curry lamb stew he’d often make in winter.

This aromatic and complex tasting dish comes from the cookbook, “Chiles and Smoke” (Quartz Publishing Group/Harvard Common Press), of which I received a review copy.

It’s by pit master Brad Prose, founder of the recipe site Chiles and Smoke. As the name implies, the book is all about grilling recipes featuring an array of chiles. That doesn’t mean necessarily mean they will scorch your palate. The chiles are used judiciously. Plus, you can always decrease the amount used, if you like.

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