[Ed. note: Our special-guest blogger from last Halloween, returns.]

Hi.

Marlowe here. I is chocolate "rescue" lab who pawed blog last year about Mini Butterscotch Apples. Dad said to leave a computer web internets link to remind you so I do now here goes make way: www.moveablefeast.me/blog/mini-butterscotch-apples. He also says I says to reminds you to click ad links so we have more money for treats. Also says he hopes I do not eat too many minty-breath treats at one time, like that day I did and trew up so much he called me Shamrock Shake for month. I not know what that mean.

Today I has a sad because Mom go away for while (in dog weeks this will suck) to do human things and leave me with Dad, who cooks like a cat. While Mom gone I hope he do not overdose on cheeseburgers and shame.

Luckily he like all varieties of healthy greens, so for side dishes Mom often make sautéed leafy greens like spinach, Swiss chard, kale, collard and mustard greens, or bok choy. Dad say primary care physician appreciate. What. Ever.

Mom say this original dish can't be more easier to prepare, five whole minutes (35 if you is dog), and can be served as a side or main. Also Dad say use bullet points hey me no know how slow down I bite you:

• Use whatever creamy white bean you like.
• This would be exceptional over a giant baked olive oil slicked crouton or thick toasted bread. 
• ​Wonderful as a side to pizza, fish, meats.
• This will be last post for a couple weeks. Will resume in early June.

In closing, please enjoy, and I now go enjoy NBA finals with Dad. Me no fear no deer or dinosaur from Canada. Go Warriors. #DubNation

Number of servings: 2 as a main, 4 as side

Ingredients

• ¾ cup dry sherry (or dry white wine)
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• ½ tsp. kosher salt 
  
• ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 bunch Tuscan kale (aka Dino), ribs and stems removed, cut into 2-3 inch pieces
• 1 15.5 ounce can giant corona or cannellini beans, rinsed (Mom used a 12.7 ounce jar of corona beans named Le conserve della nonna, it's Mom's favorite brand)
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

Directions

1. Combine sherry, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes in a large sauté pan and bring to a boil. Add kale, cover pan, and cook, stirring occasionally, until greens are wilted, about 2 minutes.
2. Mix in beans and ½ cup extra virgin olive oil and simmer, uncovered, until beans are warmed through, about 2-3 minutes.
3. To serve, spoon kale mixture and sauce into bowls. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil.
4. Pet me and give scritches, you fool. [Ed. note: All right, all right!]

I worked on this all night.

Does Mom like spice? From time to time, we like things spicy in our house [Ed. note: HEY NOW], and this healthy, delicious dish is so easy to make it screams "weeknight dinner." The slightly spicy-tart sauce is a perfect foil to the sweet salmon.

And really, if you're concerned about the spice level, don't be. The original recipe below is sumptuous as is, but since the BF and I sometimes like a little more heat [Ed. note: WHAT KIND OF BLOG IS THIS THEY'RE GONNA ADD A DISCLAIMER], we'll add more Sriracha next time.

This is so easy, you could make this for a Mother's Day brunch for 20, which in fact I am doing.

Happy Mother's Day!

PS: A year ago we gave Mom lots of cavities with these offerings:

• www.moveablefeast.me/blog/caribbean-rum-bundt-cake
• www.moveablefeast.me/blog/lemon-creme-brulee-with-chambord-soaked-raspberries

Adapted from: SELF, April 2013 (Gwyneth Paltrow and Julia Turshen); Epicurious (source containing original article)
Number of servings: 4

Ingredients

• Zest and juice of ½ lime
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 ½  teaspoons Sriracha (use full 2 teaspoons if you want more heat)
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 ¼ pound salmon fillet, skin removed
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro
• Optional toppings: pickled ginger

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 °F.
2. In a bowl, whisk lime zest, juice, maple syrup, Sriracha and salt.
3. Place salmon in a baking dish lined with foil or parchment paper. Pour mixture over top.
4. Roast until cooked through and flaky, 15 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Hey there, folks. Guest blogger here. It's the editor. You know, the guy who chirps pithy, yet spectacularly irrelevant input [in brackets]. 

Wanted to detail a wonderful birthday meal that came a day early for Chef Jacquie, who of course will be working on her birthday (today) for a client, incidentally one of the first attorneys for Facebook. Goes without saying: please click the ad links, visit a sponsor, like the blogs, share them, spread them far and wide, and thank you so much. It comes out to literally dollars of revenue. Lamborghinis on layaway. But I digress.

Won't lie. Jacquie spoils me with food that makes it difficult for restaurants to impress. Often we visit a place that has high marks from the San Francisco Chronicle, yet find ourselves looking at each other like a deer staring at an oncoming truck, eyes screaming, "Meh."

China Live (644 Broadway), the brainchild of George Chen, is a 30,000-square-foot "education in Chinese cuisine" in the heart of San Francisco's Chinatown. Sporting everything from a retail store to a bakery, high-end bourbon bar, demonstration kitchen, flower mart, and multiple restaurants, it's the polar opposite of meh.

For our midday meal we sampled a wide array of their sophisticated–this isn't your grandma's Chinese takeout–dishes. Mostly smaller starters, but we did partake in the highly recommended Crackling Skin Cantonese Fragrant Garlic Chicken, which did not disappoint. Gorgeous.

​However, the starters-appetizers stole the show. Am not just saying that because we enjoyed a Szechaun Starlet* during.

Below, Kurobuta Pork Char Siu with Hot Mustard. Food porn that tasted as good as it looked.

Shan Dong Shui Jiao "Water Dumplings" (Chive and Pork) with Dipping Sauce.

​The favorite, Dungeness Crab and Shrimp Spring Handrolls with Dual Dipping Sauce. Am considering driving back to San Francisco to order about 400 of these for Sunday's Super Bowl. Again, please like, share, and click those ads. [deadpan-face emoji]

Not pictured, we also had some lovely Peking Duck in Sesame Pockets with Kumquat Glaze and Traditional Condiments. We couldn't get a picture because the kumquats refused to sign the appropriate model release form.

Silliness aside, it's always special to share amazing food with someone who truly knows something about amazing food.

Chef, I love you, and your short arms (#selfieproblems). Happy birthday.

By the way, she is 27.

*Szechaun Starlet: Black Tea-infused Angel's Envy Bourbon, Cardamaro Amaro, Campari, Szechuan Peppercorn Bitters and a splash of bubbles

PS: Hey, the dog writes, too. Marlowe, you're hired. You also look especially cute as a UPS driver. (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/mini-butterscotch-apples)
​
PPS: A year ago, she made her own chocolate birthday cake. Because she was tired of cakes that looked better than they tasted. (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/happy-birthday-to-me-chocolate-cake-and-chocolate-sour-cream-frosting)

PPPS: Plans are in place to relaunch this blog in a newer format, where we may or may not start including subjects outside of the regular recipes. This originated out of a sole proprietership business that Chef Jacquie built, which is a big part of the story. So we're considering the occasional foray into the business-side, or an occasional restaurant-meal review. We're an open book, so please comment below on what you would like to see in the future. And again, thank you.

It's so rainy, windy, and grey here in the San Francisco bay area, it's actually reminding me of my native Oregon. Something that always cures the greyness is soup, and the BF and I have been enjoying this one a lot lately. As you know, am not a fan of eating the same thing two nights in a row, but we're actually going on three! [Ed. note: Oh no not another ToS violation.]

This takes no time at all to put together, and reheats very well. It's also not a super spicy soup, unless you want it to be. Depends on the salsa. I used my favorite Frontera brand Tomatillo Salsa and added one serrano pepper to the jalapeños as the BF and I do enjoy a bit of a kick.

Final note, this is delicious served with white rice in it (or as a side), which helps offset the spiciness.

Adapted from: A Pinch of Yum
Number of servings: 4-6
 
Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 jalapeños, ribs and seeds removed, minced
• 1 serrano pepper, ribs and seeds removed, minced (optional)
• Half of a yellow or red onion, minced
• 4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt (more as needed)
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs (breasts were used here)
• 2 14-ounce cans white beans (canellini, great northern or corona), drained (one jar corona and one jar canellini were used here)
• 1 16-ounce jar salsa verde (Frontera brand Tomatillo Salsa was used here)
• 2 limes (1 juiced and 1 quartered for serving)
• Fresh limes, cilantro, sour cream, shredded cheese, radishes, avocados, Fresno peppers, tortilla chips for serving

Directions

1. In a soup pot over medium heat, sauté the onion, jalapeño and serrano pepper (if using) with olive oil until soft and fragrant.
2. Add the water and salt, and bring to a boil. Add the raw chicken breasts. Cover and cook for 5-10 minutes.
3. Remove from heat, but leave the lid on so that the chicken continues cooking for another 20 minutes. Remove the chicken breasts, set aside to cool.
4. Add the white beans and salsa to the pot. Simmer for 30 minutes over medium heat.
5. While it's simmering, with a serving spoon, scrape across the tip of the broth to remove excess fat and foam.
6. Shred the chicken and add it back to the pot.
7. Just before serving, squeeze the juice of one lime into the pot. Cut the remaining lime into wedges for serving. Add the salt; taste and adjust as needed. Serve with fresh cilantro, sour cream, and shredded cheese.

PS: One year ago the BF/editor made me seriously LOL when he snuck in a Gollum/Lord-of-the-Rings GIF into a recipe for baked cod (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/baked-cod-with-sherry-herbs). [Ed. note: #SorryNotSorry]

Sometimes my BF and I like a little heat. Not scorch-your-tongue-off heat, but enough to have a little pop. Not sure why Halloween brings cravings for spicy food, perhaps I'm equating spicy-heat with devils and vampires.

This chicken is a one-pan meal with a side dish to boot, very simple to make, and packed with flavor. (Did you know you can stuff practically anything under the chicken skin for extra flavor? I've stuffed a mixture of spinach, mushroom, and Manchego cheese under the skin as well as several kinds of compound butters–truffle, garlic, lemon, herb–and it's out of this world.)
  
I found this jalapeño chicken recipe in the delightful cookbook Casa Marcela, by Marcela Valladolid. As she says, "For this one, you'd think there's so much heat from the raw jalapeño, but during the roasting it mellows out ... It also serves as a barrier between the flesh of the chicken and the direct heat in the oven, so the breast stays nice and moist."

I varied the peppers a bit because many jalapeños I find in local groceries are so mild they taste like green bell peppers. You can stick with just jalapeño (like Valladolid's recipe), or spice it up and use a mixture of serrano, fresno, jalapeño and/or even poblano. It's spicy, but not too spicy. 

The chicken is roasted with baby potatoes so you have a side dish ready when the chicken is. In my house, we also serve this with black beans and/or rice for a South-of-the-Border-style meal. You can even shred the chicken for tostadas, enchiladas, or tortilla soup.

NOTE:  Use latex gloves when handling chilies!

Adapted from: Casa Marcela, by Marcela Valladolid
Number of servings: makes 1 roast chicken

Ingredients

• 1 pound assorted baby potatoes, sliced into 1-inch pieces
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup thinly sliced fresh chiles (jalapeño, serrano, fresno and/or poblano–use one kind of chili or a mix)
• 1 (5 pound) whole chicken, giblets removed
• 3 garlic cloves
• 4 sprigs fresh oregano
• ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves
• 3 limes, 1 sliced into ¼-inch-thick rounds, 2 cut in half

Directions

1. Place racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 475 °F.
2. Arrange potatoes in a heavy cast iron skillet (just large enough to fit them all in a single crowded layer), and dot with 2 tablespoons of butter. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Set aside.
3. Carefully place chiles under the skin of the chicken (wear your gloves). Stuff chicken cavity with garlic, oregano, parsley, lime slices and remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Season outside of chicken heavily with salt and pepper. Place chicken, breast side up, directly on top of potatoes. Place remaining lime halves around the chicken.
4. Roast chicken and potatoes, rotating pan halfway through the cooking process, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 °F, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Let rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Top to bottom: jalapeño, fresno (red) and serrano peppers