My drug of choice is FOOD; otherwise I would not be writing about it every week, that's for sure, writing, is my rehab I guess. Well, last month at dinner club I became obsessed with having to have the recipe for Bob Waters Chicken Cacciatore. He had done it again; made me have a sleepless night of drooling and visions of pasta ALL NIGHT!!! I had to get that recipe! So, in true Waters fashion he said,” sure, but you have to come over and learn how to make it, (YOU DO NOT HAVE TO TELL ME THAT TWICE, I am there!), none of this writing it down or emailing me the recipe. Of course I had to wait a month because for some reason, his going on vacation to Hawaii, AZ, and New Mexico was more important than my taste buds, sad but true. But, enough of the whining about it, I have the recipe, I learned how to make it and I am going to share it with all of you.

This was one of the best Easter meals I have had. What I want to say is that not only did I learn how to make it, it was fast and easy. Bob does not use measurements so the recipe below is the best I could do for you. However if you follow what I have written you will be find. Before I get to the recipe I have to tell you too that what makes a good tasty meal is not always the ingredients, it is the love of doing it and how you do it that really puts that extra taste in the meal. SO before we started Bob said to me," OK, this is what I have planed for the mood of our cooking, we are going to start off with Billie Holiday and work our way directly into Keb Mo, the wine is ready for us and we are going to cook our food nice and slow, there is no rush.” Now in my book that is a person that understands the thrill and excitement of cooking. By the way we listened to Tim Sparks (from Frazee) too, before the cooking even started. I am sure Bob has no idea that in my book that was also perfect. Tim, although I have not had his food to eat, is a great chef and his music put me right into that space I needed to be in.

OK I have to stop talking and get o the recipe for you.

Cacciatore means "hunter" in Italian. In cuisine, "alla cacciatora" refers to a meal prepared "hunter-style" with tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, herbs, often bell pepper, and sometimes wine. Cacciatore is popularly made with braised chicken (pollo alla cacciatora) or rabbit. The salamino Cacciatore is also small salami, popular amongst Italians.

Chicken Cacciatore (hunter’s style)
Use skinless for this chicken breast for six or eight people

Cooking (cooking slow to get the flavor onion)
In a large pan, that you can cover, place ¾ cup olive oil, 4 tablespoon garlic minced over a low flame. (So it is not over cooked so it is mushy)


Cut in half chicken breast (boneless and skinless), place into the pan with the olive oil and garlic, add the following: two medium or one very large onion that has been sliced in strips, 1/8 cup oregano, fresh ground black pepper kosher table salt to taste, cover turning at least three to four times until done, about 30 ~ 40 minutes until flavors infuse

Add the following after the chicken has cooked through
On sliced green pepper~ 8 oz fresh mushrooms sliced ~ 6 oz can tomato paste~ 16 oz
whole tomatoes (crush them a little or use a can of crushed instead~3~4 oz Olives~1 Tbs. fennel seed

Cook for another 30- 40 minutes on the low temperature (we never turned up the heat EVER)

Serve with your favorite Pasta