2B — THE OBSERVER & BAKER CITY HERALD
HOME & LIVING
TUESDAY, APRIL 6, 2021
In pursuit of the perfect roast chicken Nonprofit starts
Kate Krader
Bloomberg News
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
Freshly ground black pepper
If there’s one thing that ev-
eryone should have to show for
themself after a year of cooking
at home, it’s a defi nitive roast
chicken recipe.
So says Jesse Tyler Fergu-
son, the “Modern Family” star
and newly minted cookbook
author.
He and his co-author and
great friend Julie Tanous spent
signifi cant time considering
what roast bird they would
showcase in “Food Between
Friends: A Cookbook” (Penguin
Random House; $35) which
hit bookstores in March. “We
realized: At this point, every-
one has a roast chicken, so we
needed to fi gure out which we
want to present to the world,”
says Ferguson.
Their selection is “Winner
Winner Chicken Dinner,” a
glorious bird that’s brined
in buttermilk for super-moist
meat and crisp skin the color of
mahogany. It’s a recipe inspired
by Tanous’s Alabama childhood
and her mom’s roast chicken,
made special by the addition of
local condiment Dale’s Steak
Seasoning, which was first bottled
in Birmingham, Ala., in 1946.
She says that as she got older, she
realized that there were options
that included less sodium and
corn syrup and began experi-
ments that eventually yielded
what follows.
No one should have high
expectations about a cookbook
co-written by a TV star, so it’s a
lovely surprise to see how well
this book works on a lot of levels.
It’s got some of the more enter-
taining headnotes and directions
you’ll read. (Tying up the chickens
legs for roasting is “putting it un-
der house arrest.”) And it contains
authoritative, well-written recipes
that run the gamut from baked
chicken tenders (Ferguson calls
them “kryptonite” for his husband
Justin Mitka) to less expected
options such as chile relleno meat-
loaf; grouper and grits, spiced up
with a homemade version of Old
Bay; and ground beef and pickle
Combine the buttermilk, the 2
tbsp. of salt, and 1 sprig of rose-
mary in a gallon-size zippered
plastic bag and shake to distrib-
ute the salt. Add the chicken, seal
the bag, and gently shake and
massage to fully coat the chicken.
Marinate breast side down in the
refrigerator for at least 6 hours,
or overnight. About 1 hour before
roasting, remove the chicken
from the refrigerator and let it
come to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 425F. Pour
the oil into a large cast-iron skil-
let and heat in the oven for 10
minutes.
Remove the chicken from the
buttermilk, letting as much mari-
nade as possible drip off; discard
the bag and marinade. Lightly
pat the chicken dry with paper
towels. Stuff the cavity with the
lemon wedges, 4 of the garlic
cloves, and 1 sprig of rosemary.
Tie the chicken legs together at
the tips with twine.
Carefully spread the bread
cubes in the hot skillet in a single
layer, turning to coat with the
oil. Top with the remaining 2
sprigs of rosemary and nestle the
remaining 4 garlic cloves among
the cubes. Set the chicken on the
bread cubes and brush all over
with the melted butter, getting all
the sides and crevices. Gener-
ously season the chicken all over
with salt and pepper, and tuck the
wing tips under the body.
Roast the chicken for 20
minutes. Reduce the oven tem-
perature to 375F and continue
roasting for an additional 40 to
60 minutes, tenting with foil if
the skin is getting too dark, and
transferring any well-browned
croutons to a plate. Roast until
an instant-read thermometer
inserted into the breast registers
150F and the thighs and legs
register at least 165F.
Remove the chicken from the
oven and let rest in the pan for
15 minutes. Carve the chicken
directly over the croutons and let
those juices fl ow. Serve with the
croutons.
Penguin Random House
tacos inspired by beloved, now-
shuttered Los Angeles spot, Malo.
It also has an unexpected
eureka moment. Tanous, a recipe
developer, didn’t teach Ferguson
how to cook—although she was
there to help him with some of
the culinary world’s bigger chal-
lenges, such as pie crusts. What
they both learned was how to
cook with someone, which is no
small thing. (See: the past year’s
lockdown jostling in the kitchen.)
It’s a lesson that can’t come a mo-
ment too soon, even as the world
slowly opens up.
“Cooking with someone is a
really intimate thing. It requires
mutual respect, trust, and most
important chemistry,” they write
in the book. “It also requires a
sense of humor when you’ve
reached the end of a long day in
the kitchen together and all you
have to show for it is a wildly
burnt chicken.” He adds, “That’s
what wine is for.”
Which brings us back to their
(not wildly burnt) chicken. As the
pair notes, buttermilk roasted
chicken is not new: The great
Samrin Nosrat, fellow TV star
and author of “Salt, Fat, Acid,
Heat” has a tremendous version.
PEANUTS
manganese and magnesium.
It is also contains copper
Continued from Page 1B
which helps maintain bone
As a spread, peanut butter health. According to WebMd.
can be used in various forms
com, it also contains a fat
in recipes both sweet and
called oleic acid which can
savory. Peanut butter cookies help to maintain HDL (the
can be found, in some version “good” cholesterol), blood pres-
or another, in just about any
sure and blood sugar. Main-
general cookbook. Peanut
taining healthy levels of these
butter is used to make dipping may aid in helping to prevent
sauces, marinades and soups. heart disease.
It is also found in interna-
However, because it is high
tional cuisines.
in fat (some of which is satu-
Peanut butter has a lot
rated fat) and calories, a little
going for it in terms of nutri-
goes a long way and consum-
tion. Although relatively high ing too much peanut butter
in calories (about 190 per
can result in weight gain, un-
two-tablespoon serving) it is
less a person’s physical activ-
high in protein, vitamin E, B
ity level compensates for the
vitamins, fi ber, phosphorus,
additional calories. Therefore,
STABLES
ed away, Anson remained as
an active participant of Union
Continued from Page 1B
County. Joseph A. Anson was
The new building replac-
born in Stratford, Bedford-
ing the stables and occupy-
shire, England, in 1837 and
ing the next lot was owned
came to the United States at
by Mrs. Ethel Grandy and
the age of 10 with his par-
fi rst housed the Inland Mo-
ents George and Margaret
tor Company, advertising
and three siblings — Wil-
roadsters for $633 (average
liam, George and Catherine.
income $150 per month or
They arrived at Baltimore,
less), followed in 1922 by Blue Maryland, in 1847. Over the
Mountain Garage.
next nine years they worked
In 1934 W. C. Perkins ex-
their way west, living in New
panded his Ford business by Jersey, Ohio and fi nally ar-
“remodeling and re-equipping riving in Iowa in 1856.
the new location,” according
The family was in Iowa
to The Observer, and remain- when the Civil War broke out
ing until the mid 1950s.
and Joseph enlisted under
Around 1961 a new building the Union Flag on July 1,
was constructed on this site. 1861, serving until the close
The west portion of this build- of the war when he mus-
ing housing Two GI’s Supply tered out on July 29, 1865.
Center was destroyed by fi re In December of that year he
in the spring of 1987.
married Amanda Newell, a
Although City Stables fad- young Iowa woman.
Tanous and Ferguson’s innova-
tion is to set the bird on a bed of
large croutons instead of a rack
before cooking. As the lemon-
and-garlic-stuffed bird roasts,
tangy chicken juices flow into the
toasted bread. It’s hard to decide
which to rip into first, the outra-
geous skin, or the crispy, fatty,
crunchy croutons.
The following recipe is adapted
from “Food Between Friends,”
by Jesse Tyler Ferguson and
Julie Tanous.
BUTTERMILK
ROASTED CHICKEN
WITH CRUNCHY
CROUTONS
Serves 4
2 cups buttermilk
2 tbsp. kosher salt, plus
more for seasoning
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 (3½- to 4-pound) whole
roasting chicken
1 tbsp. canola or vegetable oil
1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges
8 garlic cloves, smashed
1 (10-ounce) baguette, cut or
torn into 1-inch cubes
as with most foods, peanut
butter should be consumed in
moderation.
Due to the fat content (and
protein) of peanut butter it
tends to give a sense of fullness
after it is eaten and is slow
to be digested, therefore it
prevent a feeling of hunger for
a longer period of time and can
help prevent overeating and
weight gain.
Peanut butter is not for ev-
eryone, however. Some people
are highly allergic to it and
can go into anaphylactic shock
from eating even very small
amounts. This reaction causes
swelling of the tongue and
throat and can cause hives.
This is a medical, life-threat-
According to Claude
Anson, his grandson, it was
not long after the war that
Joseph started west to join
one of his brothers who
had come to the Island City
area in the early 1860s and
constructed a log house on 80
acres he had received from
the government. Joseph and
Amanda had quite a trip
experiencing all of the usual
hardships plus having the
two oxen pulling their cart
dying and having to use Jo-
seph’s saddle horse to bring
the cart the rest of the way.
Joseph and Amanda
settled on the 80 acres to
farm with the brother and
his wife, but the brother’s
wife wasn’t adjusting to this
life so they left and went
to Nebraska. Joseph and
Amanda had fi ve small
children when Amanda died
ening, emergency and requires
immediate medical attention.
Peanut butter as a snack
has a lot of options: peanut
butter and apple slices, peanut
butter and crackers, peanut
butter and celery with raisins
(also known as “ants on a log”),
peanut butter and celery with
dried cranberries (also known
as “lady bugs on a log”), etc.
And speaking of celery
... April is National Celery
Month. When some people
think of celery they may think
of its claim to fame as a diet
food. But there is much more
to celery than just its tiny
amount of calories (10 calories
per stalk). It has antioxidants
which protect cells, blood ves-
in 1872. Joseph married
Fannie Sparks, a widow
with a young son. The farm
expanded another 160 acres
with Joseph farming it until
his son Orlin took over, then
grandson Claude and later a
great-grandson.
Joseph Anson was an
active member of the La
Grande post of the Grande
Army of the Republic, but by
the time of his death there
were only three members
left. He was also quite active
in the Independent Order of
Odd Fellows. Joseph A. Anson
died in his home at the age of
95 in 1933.
Keep looking up! Enjoy!
podcast exploring
behavioral health,
criminal justice
■ Oregon Center on Behavior
Health and Justice Integration
debuted podcast on March 3
The Observer
THE DALLES — An Oregon-based nonprofi t
has launched its own podcast exploring the inter-
sections of behavioral health and criminal justice.
The Oregon Center on Behavioral Health and
Justice Integration, a specialized division within
Greater Oregon Behavioral Health Inc., announced
it is producing the weekly podcast, The Center
Collaborative: Creative Solutions in Behavioral
Health and Criminal Justice.
The series features guests representing leader-
ship and other prominent voices from government,
the judicial system, public safety, healthcare, and
the broader community throughout metropolitan
and rural parts of the state.
Chris Thomas, podcast host and Behavioral
Health Justice manager at the center, said in a
press release one serious issue led to the creation
of the podcast.
“Nobody was talking about what was working,”
according to Thomas. “We want this podcast to
shine a light on partnerships that are moving the
dial, leading to better solutions and outcomes for
people who may become involved with the justice
system due to experiencing behavioral health,
intellectual/developmental disabilities, or neuro-
cognitive concerns.”
The podcast is available on streaming platforms
and major distribution channels online. Listeners
can subscribe at ocbhji.org/podcast to make sure
they receive updates and alerts when new episodes
post.
The podcast’s fi rst full episode debuted March
3. Episode links also are available on OCBHJI’s
social media accounts.
Thomas said he hopes the series will not only
raise community awareness about partnerships
in criminal justice and behavioral health but also
help connect existing agencies with useful resourc-
es and contacts.
“These are the kind of conversations that bring
us together and make a real difference,” Thomas
said.
For more information about the Oregon Center
on Behavioral Health and Justice Integration, visit
www.ocbhji.org or www.facebook.com/ocbhji.
sels and organs from oxidative
damage. It contains vitamins
K, A and C, nutrients such as
folate and potassium, fi ber
and at 95% water, it provides
a source of hydration. It is also
low in sodium.
However you take your
peanut butter and celery, both
can be part of a healthy and
nutritious diet. For more infor-
mation and recipes using both
peanut butter and celery, go to
www.foodhero.org.
Ann Bloom has worked for the
OSU Extension Service for 15
years as a nutrition educator.
She studied journalism and
education at Washington
State University. She lives in
Enterprise.
VISIT BAKER’S MOST
INTERESTING STORE
Store is open 24 hours
7 am to 7 pm Take Out Only
Take out and Catering is Available.
515 Campbell Street Baker City
541-523-4318
FAMILY
OWNED
215 Elm Street La Grande (541) 963-5440
northwestfurnitureandmattress.com
Your feet were made for Walking
We specialize in quality medical and surgical care
for all types of foot and ankle problems.
Travis T. Hampton, D.P.M.
Foot and Ankle Surgeon
541-963-0265
888-843-9090
www.GVfoot.com
La Grande
1408 N Hall Street
Enterprise
601 Medical Parkway
Baker
3175 Pocahontas Rd.