They sizzled as they hit the grill, the fat dripping down onto the “flavorizer panel” below. Soon enough, they were ready for eating.

I decided to add barley, one of my favorite stoup ingredients, so I doubled the chicken broth from two to four cups; to this I added one 12oz bottle of lager beer, although next time I will likely add more beer or start with a bit less broth. With the mixture was reducing, I set aside a half cup each of barley and dried shiitake mushrooms.

In my indestructible skillet I sautéed chopped onion, sliced baby bella mushrooms, first in olive oil, then with a healthy splash of red wine; when the wine was mostly evaporated I added about a pound of chopped chicken cutlets.

When the chicken was evenly browned and the stock reduced to about four cups, I added mixed everything into the soup pot, covered, and simmered for about 45 minutes. The result is a hearty mushroom & barley chicken stoup, with a hint of hops and red wine flavors that add savory richness to an earthy body.

Just behind the vinegar is another example of superlative quality. Olvida nickel plated, cast iron cookware combines the cooking advantages of cast iron with the memory free durability of nickel sulfide. It doesn’t require seasoning, it’s dishwasher safe, it’s nonstick, and you can scrub it, scrape it, even hit it with a hammer and you won’t damage the nickel surface. Olvida doesn’t come cheap either, but I figure this will be the last 13” skillet and grill pan I ever own. More importantly, the nickel alloy is non reactive (but it will oxidize- dry it well) so it’s a healthier option than the average non-stick cookware.

Blocking off the background glare are a few bottles Lysa and I picked up last week at Applewood Winery in Warwick, NY. We’ll have more to say about these as we open them.

More than one person has balked at the thought of mixing chicken stock with apple cider, but I have yet to receive any complaints from any who have tasted it. I begin with one quart of each, add some white wine, seasonal spices (cinnamon, allspice, cloves, cardamom), and reduce this to two cups. The result is an unbelievable, mouth-watering, autumnal gravy which does a superb job of blending ingredients.

Setting aside the sauce, I sautéed onion, carrot, eggplant, yellow squash, zucchini, and turkey bacon in olive oil until the veggies were mushy. Tossing that aside, I used the same pan to brown a pound of floured turkey cubes, then added the veggies, and finally the sauce. The extra flour from the turkey mixes with the cider-broth and makes a nice thick gravy. Once the filling cooled a bit, I wrapped it in a pie shell and baked until golden brown (45@350˚).

This is one of those dishes that tastes great just out of the oven, but only gets better as the flavors blend together over time. The leftovers won’t make it past Tuesday.

This was a lovely rub with lots of organic garlic, pepper, Jane’s Krazy Mixed Up Salt, and a fresh herb “poultry mix.” Left to sit in the fridge for several hours, and then warmed up to room temperature before grilling. Served with fresh garlic bread (also grilled). I would definitely order this again in a restaurant.