Page 6
The INDEPENDENT, March 3, 2011
Food for Thought
by Leslie Barnes
CHICKEN POT PIE
3 whole (6 split) chicken
breasts, bone-in, skin-on
3 T olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
5 cups chicken stock, prefer-
ably homemade
2 chicken bouillon cubes
12 T (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups yellow onions, chopped (2 onions)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 cups medium-diced carrots, blanched for 2 minutes
1 (10-ounce) pkg frozen peas (2 cups)
1-1/2 cups frozen small whole onions
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
For the pastry:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 lb cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water
1 egg beaten with 1 T water, for egg wash
Flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and
rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt
and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked
through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then re-
move the meat from the bones and discard the skin.
Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4 to 6
cups of cubed chicken.
In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and
dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot
or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions
over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until
translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stir-
ring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken
stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more
minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pep-
per, and heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, carrots,
peas, onions and parsley. Mix well.
For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking pow-
der in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal
blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly
with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour.
Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With
the motor running, add the ice water; process only
enough to moisten the dough and have it just come to-
gether. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and
knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and
allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Divide the filling equally among 4 ovenproof bowls.
Divide the dough into quarters and roll each piece into
an 8-inch circle. Brush the outside edges of each bowl
with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim
the circle to 1/2-inch larger than the top of the bowl.
Crimp the dough to fold over the side, pressing it to
make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and
make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and
cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for
1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is
bubbling hot.
Serves 4.
TIERED CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM CAKE
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups good cocoa powder
1 T baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room
temperature
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
1 lb bittersweet chocolate
12 oz semisweet chocolate
3/4 cup egg whites (4 to 5 extra-large eggs), at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 lb unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 tsp instant espresso powder, dissolved in 1-1/2 tsp water
3 T dark rum, optional
Chop the chocolates and place them in a heat-proof bowl set
over a pan simmering water. Stir until melted and set aside until
cooled to room temperature.
Mix the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt in the bowl
of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Place the bowl
of egg whites over the pan of simmering water and heat the egg
whites until they are warm to the touch, about 5 minutes. Return
the bowl to the electric mixer and whisk on high speed for 5 min-
utes, or until the meringue is cool and holds a stiff peak.
Add the butter, 1 T at a time, while beating on medium speed.
Scrape down the bowl, add the melted chocolate, vanilla, espres-
so, and rum, if using, and mix for 1 minute or until the chocolate is
completely blended in. If the buttercream seems very soft, allow it
to cool, and beat it again.
Yield: about 4 cups
1 1/3 cups light brown sugar, packed
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
4 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1/4 cup brewed coffee
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, recipe follows.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Butter a (4 by 3-inch) cake pan, a (6 by 3-inch) cake
pan and a (8 by 3-inch) cake pan. Line the bottoms
with parchment paper, and butter and flour the pans.
Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together
in a medium bowl.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle
attachment, cream the butter and sugars on high
speed until light, approximately 5 minutes. Add the
eggs and vanilla and mix well. Combine the buttermilk,
sour cream, and coffee. On low speed, add the flour
mixture and the buttermilk mixture alternately in thirds,
beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with
the flour mixture. Mix the batter only until blended.
Divide the batter between the 3 pans and smooth
the tops with a spatula. Bake on the middle rack of the
oven as follows: for the 4-inch pan 45 to 50 minutes, or
until a toothpick comes out clean; for the 6-inch pan 70
to 75 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean;
and for the 8-inch pan 85 to 90 minutes, or until a
toothpick comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans
for 10 minutes each on a cooling rack, carefully re-
move from the pans and allow to finish cooling.
Place the 8-inch cake on a serving plate, flat side
up. Frost the top of that layer with buttercream. Place
the 6-inch cake in the center of the top of the 8-inch
cake, flat-side up, and frost the top and sides. Place
the 4-inch cake in the center of the top of the 6-inch
cake, flat side down. Frost the top and sides of that lay-
er with buttercream. Spread any remaining butter-
cream over the cake evenly.
Church Directory
V ERNONIA F OURSQUARE C HURCH
F IRST B APTIST C HURCH
P IONEER B APTIST F ELLOWSHIP
Carl Pense, Pastor
850 Madison Avenue, Vernonia
503 429-1103
Sunday Worship Service: 10:30 a.m.
Children’s Sunday School
Pastor John D. Murray
359 “A” Street, Vernonia
503 860-3860
Sunday School 9:45 a.m.
Sunday Worship Service 11:00 a.m.
Wednesday Prayer Meeting 7:00 p.m.
John Cahill, Pastor
939 Bridge Street, Vernonia
503-429-1161
www.pbfalive.com
Sunday School 9:45 a.m.
Sunday Morning Worship 11:00 a.m.
Thursday Prayer 7:00 p.m.
S EVENTH D AY A DVENTIST
Larry Gibson, Pastor
2nd Ave. and Nehalem St., Vernonia
503 429-8301
Morning Worship, 11:00 a.m.
Sabbath School 9:30 a.m.
A SSEMBLY OF G OD
Wayne and Maureene Marr
662 Jefferson Ave., Vernonia,
503 429-0373
Sunday School 9:45 a.m.
Morning Worship 11:00 a.m
S T . M ARY ' S C ATHOLIC C HURCH
Rev. Luan Tran, Administrator
960 Missouri Avenue, Vernonia
503 429-8841
Mass Sunday 12:00 Noon
Religious Educ. Sunday 10:30 a.m.
V ERNONIA C OMMUNITY C HURCH
957 State Avenue, Vernonia
503 429-6790
Sunday Worship 9:45 a.m.
Children’s Church (Blast!) 10:15 a.m.
Nursery 10:15 a.m.
High School Youth 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday Prayer 6:00 p.m.
Vernonia Community Preschool
V ERNONIA C HRISTIAN C HURCH
Sam Hough, Minister
410 North Street, Vernonia
503 429-6522
Sunday School 9:45 a.m.
Sunday Worship 11:00 a.m.
(meets in Youth & Family Center)
Home Group Meeting throughout
the week at various locations
N EHALEM V ALLEY B IBLE C HURCH
Gary Taylor, Pastor
Grant & North Streets, Vernonia
503 429-5378
Sunday School 10:00 a.m.
Morning Worship 11:00 a.m.
Nursery available
Wednesday Service 7:00 p.m.
C HURCH OF J ESUS C HRIST
OF L ATTER D AY S AINTS
Marc Farmer, Branch President
1350 E. Knott Street, Vernonia
503 429-7151
Sacrament Meeting, Sunday 10 a.m.
Sunday School & Primary 11:20 a.m.
Relief Society, Priesthood and
Young Women, Sunday 12:10 p.m.