Mitzi Perdue

“ The wonderful thing about chicken is that the low cholesterol and the low calorie recipes are the same. And the flavors that add spark to a low calories recipe are the same ones that can help you get along with little or no salt.
Chicken is the dieter's ray of sunshine. Except for turkey breast, no other popular meat is as low in calories as skinless chicken breast. A 3-ounce portion of skinless broiled chicken breast has only 115 calories. An equivalent size portion of cooked lean trimmed beef would average 189 calories, and cooked lean, trimmed pork is 198 calories. ”

“ A chicken's skin color comes from the diet it was fed and the same bird could have a white skin or a yellow skin, depending on what it ate. The diet that produces a yellow skin is more expensive than the usual diet, but the people at Perdue Farms feel it's worth it because a yellow skin color is one of the fastest ways Frank's inspectors have of finding and disqualifying an inferior bird. If a bird is sick or off its feed, it doesn't absorb nutrients well and won't develop the rich golden color that is characteristic of Perdue birds. ”

“ In the North, foods are lighter, more varied, and are frequently delicate in flavor. Many dishes call for butter, cream or cheese, and filled pasta and rice are also served. Chicken is suited to either style of cooking, and boneless Oven Stuffer Roaster thigh meat is as delicious with a spicy tomato sauce as with wine and cream. In all parts of Italy, fresh vegetables, fruit, and herbs are important. Columbus' own city of Genoa is most closely associated with the use of fresh basil. ”

“ The younger the bird, the milder the flavor. A game hen, which is five weeks old, will have the mildest flavor of all. A broiler, at seven weeks, will still have a quite mild and delicate flavor; a roaster, on the other hand, is usually about five weeks older than a broiler and it will have a much more pronounced "chickeny" flavor. (Frank and I enjoy chicken at all ages, but if we had to choose on flavor alone, we'd most often go for the roasters.) For a really strong, chickeny flavor, see if you can find fowl or spent hens or stewing hens. ”

“ To star at the meal, serve Cornish Hens Sheherazade, a romantic choice because fresh hens, like love birds, come in pairs. They also are low in calories, fat, cholesterol, and sodium. To surround the birds with beauty and good nutrition, you could make a brown-rice pilaf, sweet- flavored miniature vegetables, and a salad studded with deep-red beets cut in tiny hearts. ”

“ Cooking with school age kids can be a lot of fun, as long as it's presented as a treat instead of a chore. You might, for a start, get them involved in planning the week's menu. I know some families who allow each child to pick the main dish for one meal a week. Older children actually get to cook their choice. My daughter-in-law, Jan Perdue, suggests getting kids to pick out meals with an ethnic or international theme so that mealtime is a time to explore other cultures as well as a time to eat. ”

“ Frank Perdue is that people are always giving me tips on cooking chicken. Recently I met a woman in an airport in Puerto Rico who told me that my life wasn't complete unless I tried cooking chicken on a vertical roaster. Not wanting an incomplete life, I took her advice and found that yes, vertical roasting really does have a lot going for it. The chicken cooks about 30% faster because the metal frame conducts heat and is in contact with the bird's interior. ”

“ Many people know that Frank Perdue is famous for his chickens, his financial success, his marketing innovations, his drive, his creativity, or even his eccentricities, but I think that his greatest success lies elsewhere. To me, true success isn't measured by what you get, but rather by what you give. The tough man who makes those tender chickens, is an unusually giving man. ”

“ Basic Guide to Chicken Soup
_Older, larger birds, such as the 5-7 pound roasters, make the best soups. An older bird will have developed more of the rich, intense chickeny flavor than the younger, milder-flavored broilers or Cornish hens. I've made soup from broilers and while it wasn't bad, it wasn't as good as it could be.
_Use roaster parts if you want to save time. They cook faster and are excellent when you need only a small amount of broth. The richest flavor, by the way, comes from the muscles that are exercised most, which happen to be the dark meat muscles. ”

“ When baking is complete, a corn bread stuffing that you make replaces the can. The technique is not difficult and the can actually helps brown the outside of the chicken. Pilaf-Stuffed Crown Roast With Herb Gravy could be the centerpiece to a Greek feast, including a classic Greek soup, artichoke casserole, and salad with feta cheese. Traditional touches such as a garnish of red-dyed hard- cooked eggs and luscious rich baklava from the bakery will add authenticity to the celebration. For an American-style meal, serve Cornbread-Stuffed Crown Roast of Drumsticks with Madeira Sauce. ”

“ The remaining chapters are organized, not by method of cooking or whether the food is an appetizer or salad or whatnot; but rather by the kind of occasion you're facing. You want to put some spark and variety into every day meals? You want to make the most of your microwave? Or you're in a hurry today? Maybe you need something that will please kids? Or you're dieting? You've got a bunch of leftovers? You have to cook for a hundred people tomorrow night? ”

“ You can tell that it's overcooked if you look at a grain closely and find that the edges are split and ragged. It's perfectly cooked if the grain is the same smooth shape as the uncooked grain, only puffed, swollen and soft. 1 cup chopped, canned tomatoes 3/4 cup long grain rice 1 cup chicken broth 1/2 cup dry white wine 1 medium onion, chopped 1 large clove garlic, crushed 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 5 roaster drumsticks Salt and ground pepper to taste 2 tablespoons or more minced, fresh parsley In a 3 quart microwave-safe utensil combine tomatoes and rice. ”

“ Grade school children and older can create a bouquet of chicken kebobs, helping to thread fruit and fresh boneless thigh meat on skewers and to "plant" them in rice. For younger children, even toddlers, Drumstick Blossoms are an easy alternate recipe in which drumsticks are rolled in Parmesan-flavored crumbs. Any age child can help scrub vegetables and spoon sherbet into orange cups. Teenagers can enjoy creating radish roses, making stir-fry rice, and scalloping orange baskets to hold sherbet. ”

“ BUFFALO-STYLE CORNISH PIECESServes 2 You can re-use the frying oil called for in this recipe, or any deep frying recipe, for that matter. As long as you never heat the oil to the smoking point and as long as you strain it through cheese cloth to remove any particles of food, you can use it over and over again. The oil is still good as long as it retains it's golden color. When it has turned a dark brown, it's time to replace it. ”

“ In microwave cookery, standing time allows further cooking to occur after you have removed the food from the microwave oven. Covering the food holds heat in and speeds this final, important step. When I've cheated on this step, I've found the chicken hard to carve and undercooked.
_When possible, arrange food in a circular or donut shape; without corners, food cooks more evenly from all sides. For example, if you're cooking drumsticks, arrange them like a wagon wheel with the meatier portions at the outer edge, and the drum stick end in the center. ”

“ Fitness declines if you exercise two days or less each week. Fitness is maintained if you exercise three days a week. Fitness is improved if you exercise four or more days a week. 1 whole roaster (about 6 pounds) 1/4 cup vegetable oil 8 small white onions, peeled 4 carrots, peeled and quartered 1-1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth 2 tablespoons paprika, divided 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper 1/4 cup water 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt Remove and discard any visible fat from cavity. ”

“ I've often thought that inspiration is one of the greatest gifts one person can give another, and there are several people who were an inspiration in writing this book. First is a woman whom I would term the Godmother of this book, Connie Littleton, the Director of Advertising and Marketing Services at Perdue. She is a woman totally committed to excellence, and if that commitment to excellence meant she had to read and edit until the wee hours of the morning, she always did it as if it were a matter of course. ”

“ Also, if part of a bird's outer skin is "barked", that is, rubbed off due to rough handling during processing, the Perdue inspectors can detect it more easily than with a white-skinned bird. Detecting and removing and chicken with a barked skin is important because damaged skin shortens the shelf life and dries out and toughens the meat. No white colored chickens get by the inspectors. Sometimes when I open a package of chicken, there's a pungent odor that doesn't smell spoiled, but it's definitely unpleasant. Should I throw the chicken out? ”

“ OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN, SOUTHWESTERN STYLE Any basic fried chicken recipe may be adapted for oven frying. It is a useful technique when cooking larger quantities of chicken and is less messy than stovetop frying. (Especially if you have a self-cleaning oven.) Simply follow the basic cooking instructions as given in the Southwestern version below. 1 chicken, cut in serving pieces 1 cup buttermilk 3/4 teaspoon Tabasco, optional Vegetable oil for frying 1/2 cup flour 1/2 cup corn meal 1 teaspoon salt 3/4 teaspoon chili powder 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper Place chicken in a large bowl. ”

“ SOY AND SESAME THIGH KEBABSServes 4 Thigh meat is a good choice for barbecuing because it's naturally juicy and doesn't easily dry out or toughen. If you want to grill some vegetables at the same time, reserve some of the marinade and baste the vegetables with it. Try serving the kebabs over rice. 4 roaster boneless thigh cutlets 1 teaspoon minced, fresh ginger or 1/2 teaspoon dried 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons sesame seeds 1/3 cup soy sauce 1 tablespoon white vinegar 4 tablespoons vegetable oil Tabasco, to taste Flatten cutlets slightly with a meat pounder. ”

“ Almost always, I get the same answer: that people who once had had the time to do a lot of cooking now seldom do. The want to eat well, they enjoy cooking, but they just can't find the time.
If you were to ask me that question, I'd have to answer that I haven't found time to bake a pie from scratch in years either. Frank keeps me so busy that sometimes I think that I'm married to a whirlwind. People joke that he's the only man you'll ever meet who can enter a revolving door in the compartment behind you and come out ahead of you. ”

“ Meanwhile, prepare dressing: tear bread into 1/2-inch pieces; place in large bowl with onion, celery, parsley, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, sage, and thyme. Mix well and set aside. After 1-1/4 hours, remove roaster from oven. Reserve giblets and pour 2 cups of pan juices through strainer into a medium-sized saucepan; reserve for gravy. Add water to remaining pan juices, if necessary, to bring liquid to 1-1/2 cups. Ladle into bowl with dressing mixture; add eggs and mix until thoroughly moistened. With hands, mold stuffing around outside of roaster to form a "nest." ”

“ Darkened bones occur when the product has been frozen. Freezing causes the blood cells in the bone marrow to rupture and then when the chicken is thawed, these ruptured cells leak out and cause visible reddish splotches on the bones. When cooked, these discolorations will turn from red to almost black. Is it true that breast meat is the least fattening part of a chicken? ”

“ While burgers are cooking, combine wine, shallots, sugar, mustard and thyme in a saucepan. Cook over high heat 5 to 6 minutes until liquid is reduced to 3/4 cup. Remove burgers from skillet and keep warm. Add wine mixture to skillet and stir over medium heat to combine with pan juices. Whisk in butter and parsley. Spoon sauce over burgers and serve.
RECIPES WITH THIGH & DRUMSTICKS If you haven't liked dark meat up until now, try these recipes with an open mind. Thigh meat, drumsticks, or the meat from any well-exercised muscle, has more flavor and is apt to be juicier. ”

“ Truss bird by lacing up cavity and tying legs together. Season with salt and pepper, and place in an eight-quart Dutch oven. Pour in chicken broth and enough water to reach halfway up sides of roaster; add bay leaf. Place over medium heat; bring liquid to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer, allowing 20 minutes per pound for a roaster and 40 minutes per pound for a hen. (To keep meat tender, do not allow to boil.) During last 45 minutes of cooking time, add onions and carrots. Roaster is done if juices run clear with no hint of pink when thickest part of thigh is pierced. ”

“ Breast meat has about half the fat of thigh meat. If calories or cholesterol are important to you, choose the breast meat. Frank watches his cholesterol and I've never seen him go for anything but breast meat. Is it better to cook a chicken quickly at a high temperature-or slowly at a low temperature? ”

“ The salad bar has probably done it for you. You can also find time savers such as shredded cheese and frozen chopped onion. (The supermarket industry has watched restaurants and fast food stores take more and more of your food dollars away each year. They're now doing everything they can think of to reverse this trend and make supermarket shopping so attractive, quick, convenient and economical that you'll want to cook at home.)
_Learn to cook chicken in the microwave. A pound of broiler parts that would take 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven takes only 6-10 minutes in the microwave. ”

“ By the mid-eighteenth century, an English cookbook included a sort of telescoping pie in which five birds were stuffed one inside another, then wrapped in dough.
With a past like that, it is not surprising that immigrants to America brought an appreciation for potpies with them. When settlers moved West, so did their potpie recipes, which they adapted to local food styles with new ingredients and seasonings. By this century, chicken potpies and "meat and taters" variations had become as American as corn on the cob. ”