The Chicken Cook Book

I once knew a priest who refused to eat chicken. He has spent many years in Africa and was feed on a diet that included chicken with every meal. By the time he got back to the United States, he refused to eat chicken of any kind.

I suppose it is one of those “one man’s trash is another’s treasure” conundrums. I am quite sure I could eat chicken every single day! With a copy of The Chicken Cook Book, one can have a recipe for every single day.

The author, Michel Josef, according to the flyleaf, is an “authority on foreign and domestic food,[and] is one of the youngest chefs to achieve a solid reputation in the area around Michigan City, Indiana.” The plain, unadorned volume was distributed by Clarkson Potter. My, how times have changed since 1953!

Clarkson Potter revolutionized cookbook publishing when it became the first publisher to present a glossy, photo-filled cookbooks with it’s 1982, Entertaining, by some girl named Martha Stewart. Today, an un-illustrated cookbook, no matter how well written would be considered unusual and probably unsellable!

My favorite part of The Chicken Cook Book is my favorite part of the chicken -- the dressing. I have always served dressing, never stuffing with birds. Even the biggest turkey cannot accommodate enough dressing for me. Alas, most dressings are often very similar. Josef offers a wide array of unique and delectable dressings that leave the chicken cowering in the background.

Kentucky Hominy Dressing

2 onions, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups drained cooked hominy
Pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
2 cups bread crumbs

1. Saute onions

2. Add drained hominy and seasonings

3. Add crumbs, and mix thoroughly

I love hominy and rarely find it as an ingredient in recipes. This one is winner for a down home chicken dish.