Alessi Presents 'In The Kitchen': Joey Chiappetta

In our "In the Kitchen" segments, we challenge cooks of all walks of life to create a dish using the ingredients we give them. We unveil which ingredients they use at the top of the show and they have to create a dish by the time we get to their segment.

Wednesday's "In the Kitchen" contestant was Joey Chiappetta! He's a trained-pastry-chef-turned-real-estate-agent, who still has a passion for food.

We set out Alessi products that must be used, one protein and some kitchen staples - then Joey worked his magic.

Our friends at Alessi also sent Joey home with a gift basket of goodies.

Visit their website for all the Alessi products: http://alessifoods.com/

In the Kitchen, Part 2

Alessi and Sunset Foods had a surprise for our viewing audience.

Until 6pm Wed., Sept. 28, go to the main page of windycitylive.com, click on promotions and go to the WCL Grocery Instant Win contest for your chance at winning one of these great prizes:

$100 gift certificate to Sunset Foods

$175 Alessi gift box

And you can opt in for a free package of Alessi Farro with porcini mushroom.

Plus one lucky member of our studio audience went home with the Alessi basket of goodies AND a $100 gift card to Sunset Foods!

For locations of Sunset Foods, visit their website: http://www.sunsetfoods.com/

30-MINUTE MEAL RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

Salt

Pepper

Olive Oil

2 Packs Alessi Porcini Mushrooms

1 Box Alessi Farro

Alessi Rosemary Breadsticks

3 Equally-sized Boneless/Skinless Chicken

Breasts

2 Eggs

2 C Flour

Half n Half

Alessi Basil Pesto

1/2 C Grated Parmesan Cheese

1/2 C Marsala Wine

1 C Chicken Stock

Alessi Garlic

Alessi Julienned Sundried Tomatoes

1 Stick of Butter

1 Bunch of Chives

INSTRUCTIONS
Start with a large pot of boiling water on the stove. Place the dried mushrooms in a bowl, and ladle some

of the boiling water over the mushrooms-just enough to cover. Set these aside.

Salt the boiling water heavily. It should be salty like the ocean. Pour your farro into water and set timer

for 18 minutes. Stir the farro occasionally to avoid any clumping or sticking.

The Chicken

Place breadsticks into a zip top back and pound them with a meat mallet unit they're the size of

breadcrumbs. Then place chicken in a zip top bag and lightly pound too even the thickness of the

breasts.

Setup a 3-step breading station: one bowl with 1 cup of flour, one bowl with 2 beaten eggs, 1 bowl with

your breadcrumbs. Pre-heat a large suet pan on medium head and drizzle with olive oil to coat. Season

your chicken liberally with salt and pepper.

Dredge chicken in flour, then eggs, then breadcrumbs and place directly into the heated sauté pan.

Repeat for all three breasts. Sauté each side until golden brown and cooked through-about 7 minutes

per side.

The Marsala Sauce

Once you've removed the cooked chicken from your sauté pan, crank the heat up to high. Pour 1/2 cup

marsala wine into the pan to deglaze, scraping the bottom of the pan to get all the brown tasty bits into

your sauce. Once reduced, add the hydrated mushrooms,1/2 cup of the mushroom liquid and 1 cup of

Chicken stock. Let this simmer for a few minutes, then turn the heat off and whisk in a tablespoon of

butter to finish the sauce. Check for seasoning before serving over the chicken.

The Cheesy Herb Farro

As your farro is boiling, start making the sauce. Place 2 teaspoons of oil and 2 teaspoons of flour in a

medium saucepan and whisk together over medium heat. While whisking, gradually add 2 cups of half

and half into the mixture and bring to a simmer to thicken. Once thickened, whisk in 1/2 cup of grated

parmesan and one bottle of basil pesto. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Once the farro is done cooking (it should be chewy, but not raw), scoop it into the cream sauce. If the

mixture is too thick, thin it our with some of the boiling water used for the farro. Stir in the julienned

sundried tomatoes. Plate the farro in ramekins and top with breadcrumbs for a nice crunch.

Garlic Sautéed Spinach

Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of prepared

garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add spinach in to the pan and toss for a couple minutes. Salt and pepper

to taste.