best chicken wings evah

best hot wings evah. no kidding, these hot wings are the best i’ve eaten. i kept it traditional with this super simple recipe - & you don’t need a dressing or dipping sauce ~ eat 'em as-is. literally 3 ingredients: wings, franks hot sauce & butter. be sure to buy good wings. mine came from falling sky farms stand at the saturday morning farmers market in argenta/nlr. enough wings to feed 4 or 2 hungries with some good leftovers. you’ve gotta do this. here’s how:

you’ll need

5 bags falling sky farms chicken wings (approx 5 lbs. total)
1 cup franks hot sauce (not wing sauce)
1 stick salted butter
you’ll do:

heat canola oil to 375℉ in a mini deep fryer or in a dutch oven with a thermometer.

cut wings into 3 parts. cut wing tip off & save for stock. cut chicken wing at the joint so you will have the 2 wing pieces. place on a large tray or cutting board. dry the pieces with a paper towel. salt & pepper.

gently melt the butter & hot sauce mixture stove top in a small sauce pan.

fry about 6 wings at a time. you don’t want the oil temp to drop, so, keep the batches small.

dry for 6 minutes. remove and place on a plate lined with a couple paper towels.

in a large bowl take about ¼ cup of the warm hot sauce & butter mixture, add wings & toss. the wings should absorb all the sauce in the bowl as you mix. mix well. be patient. if there is sauce left in the bowl, use less for the next batch. if any of the wings have a dry spots add more sauce - by 1 teaspoon at a time. point is, do not drown the wings, yo.

serve.

repeat.

chicken salad salad

14 second chicken salad! YUM!

14 second chicken salad. YUM. start with a whole foods rotisserie chicken. this delicious recipe literally has 4 ingredients plus some spices. do it. it’s goooooooooood. here’s how:

you’ll need:

1 cup chicken, shredded with fingers
1 celery rib, diced
2-3 green onions, sliced (yes, use some of the  green part)
1 dollop mayo (not too much, yo!)
a pinch of each:
salt
white pepper
powdered mustard
cayenne pepper

you’ll do:

in a large bowl, add celery, green onion, chicken and then add salt, white pepper, powdered mustard & cayenne, stir. add mayo & mix. eat on bread or on some butter lettuce!

culinary district

culinary district. my new favorite store. located on ouachita avenue in hot springs. this store is a foodie’s dream come true. no kitchen store or grocer in little rock comes close to matching the gourmet food selection and the restaurant supplies carried here. the store is home to a coffee bar (abbreviated menu below) a gourmet freezer section (duck fat, tempura soft shell crabs), an upscale bottled soda selection along with a multitude of oils, vinegars, cheeses, herbs & spices. they also offer product demos (indian bayou milling co) out back in the beautiful courtyard and cooking classes (one taught by café 1217 owner!). i didn’t want to leave and i will return with an organized shopping list. don’t miss out!

Culinary District

510 Ouachita Avenue
(Across from the County Courthouse)
Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas 71901
info@culinarydistrict.com

Phone: (501) 624-COOK (2665)

Open Tuesday through Saturday 9am to 6pm

Culinary District Coffee Bar Menu
Served from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Coffee
Selected Teas
Espresso

Assorted Pastries
French Chocolate Brownie    $3.50
Vanilla Cannelle            $1.95
Fresh Baked Cookies        $1.95
72 Layer Biscuit            $1.75
72 Layer Biscuit
w/Canadian Bacon and White Cheddar Cheese    $2.75
Toasted Granola            $4.25
Seasonal Salad            $4.95
Topped with Tuna Salad or Boneless Chicken    $5.95
Greek Salad                $5.95
Fresh spring greens dressed with our homemade Greek dressing
and topped with chicken, feta cheese and kalamata olives
Antipasto Pasta Salad        $5.95
Rotini pasta and fresh vegetables tossed with our homemade
balsamic dressing and topped with Italian cheese and salami
Phyllo Crusted Quiche        $5.95
Ask for today’s selection. Served with our seasonal side salad
The Ultimate Cheese Sandwich$5.95
Made with aged white cheddar, french melting cheese and blue
cheese mayo
American Hot Dog            $4.45
Lean Natural Hickory Smoked Dog served with chips and pickle.
Top with Authentic Kruegermann’s Sauerkraut    $.50
Savory Bratwurst            $4.95
The Wisconsin Way served with chips and pickle.
Top with Authentic Kruegermann’s Sauerkraut    $.50
Ellen's Famous Tuna Salad Sandwich            $5.95
Secret mixture of tuna, McClure's relish, egg, mayo and spices
on whole wheat with seasonal side salad
Make it a melt with white cheddar            $6.95

Pasta with Soft Shell Crabs

pasta with soft shell crab!

this morning on the minimalist, mark bittman made pasta with soft shell crabs. so, it was a pleasant surprise to find soft shell crabs on sale at whole foods ($4.99 each). this is a super easy, super quick, super delicious restaurant quality meal. i bought 5 crabs and upped the olive oil to 1/2 a cup. makes enough to feed 4 hungry peeps. here’s how:

you’ll need:

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (i used ½ cup)
3 or 4 cloves garlic, pressed
½ teaspoon crushed red chili flakes, or to taste
4 soft-shell crabs, cleaned
salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 pound long pasta, like spaghetti or linguine
½ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves.

you’ll do:
1. in a very deep skillet or broad saucepan, warm oil, garlic and chili flakes over low heat; do not let garlic brown. when garlic is soft — at least 5 minutes — add crabs (keep heat low to medium low; liquid in pan should barely bubble) and cover. meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil & salt it.
2. let the crabs cook until they give up all their liquid and become firm, about 15 minutes. when crabs are almost done, begin cooking pasta. when crabs are done, use tongs to remove them and hold them while cutting up with scissors. return to pan.
3. drain pasta when it is barely tender, a little short of how you’d want to eat it, reserving some cooking water. add pasta to crabs and toss together over medium heat with pan juices and black pepper, adding some cooking water and a little more oil if necessary. (the amount of each will depend on how much more cooking the pasta needs, and how much liquid the crabs exuded.) add parsley, taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. when pasta is perfectly cooked, serve.