Change is in the Air

The thing about life is, it changes. We've entered February, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, and our dear friend Linda moved way across the country to Baltimore, MD. From PacificThyme to Eastern Time. And I miss her so much. But the other thing about life is, it goes on. Linda is pursuing a dream and a very cool medical research opportunity, and I couldn't be happier for her.

So what does that mean for Pacific Thyme? Well, truthfully, we don't know. This blog, in the few short months since its inception, is how we've been able to grow and share our passion for good food. That passion is unchanged. So PacificThyme will go on! Maybe less frequently, but I love this blog, and there is always an open invitation for Linda to contribute whenever she is able to. So bear with us, more good food is on its way!

Bakesale Betty's Fried Chicken Sandwich

If you happen to make it to San Francisco, a short trip across the bay brings you to Oakland. Oakland has a rich selection of restaurant choices, from amazing Ethiopian food to seriously good pizza to delicious spicy bbq. I could go on and on about the delicious things to eat in Berkeley and Oakland, but there are a few must-eat institutions, and Bakesale Betty's is one of them.

Is it the charm of eating on the sidewalk on an ironing board? Or when waiting in line (and the line is often LONG), the cheerful Betty's staff handing out cookies and lemon bars? Or when you first lay your eyes on an enormous chicken sandwich? Or better yet, you first sink your teeth into said chicken sandwich covered in cool coleslaw, and immediately a protective instinct washes over you so that if anyone so dares to even *think* about taking a bite of YOUR sandwich, they better think again or risk bodily harm? And did I mention that they taste even better the next day?

If you are not convinced enough to take a trip to Oakland, then lucky for you, the SF Chronicle posted a recipe a few years back for these beauties. Now you can have Betty at home! And you just might want to pull out your ironing board, you know, for the experience.

Bakesale Betty's Fried Chicken Sandwich

recipe originally posted on SF Gate

serves 4

You'll have some breading left over, even after dipping twice. This makes a hefty sandwich in all regards - you'll need two hands to eat it.

Chicken

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 6 ounces each
• Kosher salt to taste
• 1 quart buttermilk

The vinaigrette

• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil

The coleslaw

• 1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
• 1 c. red wine vinegar
• 2 jalapenos, seeded, cut in half and sliced crosswise
• 1/4 c. chopped parsley
• 1/2 green cabbage, core and outer leaves removed, and very thinly sliced
• Kosher salt

The breading

• 1 pound all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp kosher salt + more to taste
• 1 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 2 quarts vegetable oil, for frying
• 4 Acme Bakery torpedo rolls, sliced lengthwise (or french sandwich rolls)

1. Chicken: Season chicken breasts with kosher salt. Let sit at least 5 minutes. Fill a wide, shallow nonreactive bowl or casserole dish with buttermilk. Add the chicken and soak in the refrigerator for 1 hour up to overnight.
2. For the vinaigrette: Combine mustard, vinegar and salt in a bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil until well blended.
3. For the coleslaw: Soak onions in red wine vinegar, and let sit at least 20 minutes. Remove onions and discard vinegar. Toss onions with jalapeno, parsley, cabbage and salt. Toss with vinaigrette until evenly coated.
4. To fry chicken: Pour vegetable oil into a large stockpot. Do not fill up more than halfway, or the oil could splatter. Bring oil up to 365°F, using a digital thermometer/candy thermometer to monitor the heat. Prepare the the breading while waiting for oil to heat up.
5. Breading: In a wide shallow bowl, mix flour, cayenne, salt and pepper. Pull a chicken breast out of the buttermilk one by one, letting excess drip off, and dredge completely in flour. To create a thick crust, place in buttermilk and dredge in flour a second time. Do not drain or shake off excess buttermilk or flour during the breading process.
6. When the oil is at 365°F, carefully place chicken pieces into oil one by one. Let it cook for a minute before disturbing chicken, then help it "swim" in the oil with tongs, until it is evenly cooked, about 5-7 minutes. Remove chicken from oil and drain on paper towels. Season immediately with salt.
7. For the sandwich: Place fried chicken breast on bottom of torpedo roll and top generously with coleslaw.

Butterscotch Sauce

I've been holding out on you. A couple of weeks ago (oh my gosh how time flies!) my very good friend Mika came to visit San Francisco. So of course, I invited her over for dinner. Mika reads this blog (hi Mika!! I'm so glad you came to visit!) and I really wanted to cook something fabulous for her, but it was a Monday night after work, and I was exhausted. There was no time for a big, fancy meal, but thankfully, I had a trick up my sleeve: butterscotch sauce.

After our quick dinner, I retreated to the kitchen and a few minutes later reappeared with some ice cream topped with fresh butterscotch. Did you even know that was possible? Butterscotch... In your kitchen...In minutes!!

But why have I been holding out on you? It feels like a trick that this sauce was so easy. This is a food blog, for goodness sake, and you have some expectations. Maybe a little bit of effort on my part? But really...there is no effort with this butterscotch. It takes literally five minutes, and then you have ice cream topped with a seriously delicious sauce. Or even just some butterscotch to eat with a spoon...your choice. I won't tell :)

Ridiculously Easy Butterscotch Sauce
from SmittenKitchen

Yield: About 2/3 to 3/4 cup sauce

• 1/4 c. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 c. packed dark or light brown sugar (I used light)
• 1/2 c. heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt (or 1/4 tsp regular salt), plus more to taste
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, plus more to taste

1. Melt butter in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the sugar, cream and salt and whisk until well blended.
3. Bring to a very gentle boil and cook for about five minutes, whisking occasionally.
4. Remove from heat and add one teaspoon of the vanilla extract, stirring to combine.
5. Dip a spoon in the sauce and carefully taste the sauce (without burning your tongue!) to see if you want to add additional pinches or salt or splashes of vanilla. Tweak it to your taste, whisking well after each addition.
6. Serve cold or warm over vanilla ice cream, roasted pears or pound cake. The sauce will thicken as it cools. It can be refrigerated in an airtight container and reheated in a microwave or small saucepan.

Or, to do ahead: This sauce will keep at least two weeks in an airtight container in the fridge.