Accompaniments to edible items

... and at Pallavi's behest, I documented this fine installation under our kitchen sink.
First prize for most generous contribution to this artwork goes to Sudeep, to Pondi goes the lifetime achievement award, Nityan has already been awarded the "Best Behaved Drunk" by Sujoy and I would also like to award the "Martyrdom Award" to him for being the tireless man behind the commestibles.

Baked Chicken

Here's another easy one. I remembered about the picture only after we'd eaten it up!

Preheat your oven at 180F (medium oven).

Chop onion rings and garlic and cover the bottom of your baking dish with these.

Place the chicken pieces on this bed of onion and garlic.

Put more onion rings and garlic on the chicken; crush rosemary, peppercorns and sprinkle all over. Also sprinkle some salt.

Pour olive oil to coat all the chicken pieces and onions nicely.

Pour in a cup and a half of pineapple or orange juice.

Bake for 45 mins (keep checking to see if it's becoming too dry, turn the chicken once in a while and add olives towards the end)

I cooked about 5 pieces of a giant grandfather chicken (much better to get a smaller, more succulent bird) for which I required 2 large onions and 5 large cloves of garlic.

Tomato Sauce

So, this was a really good tomato sauce I made the other day and it's easy peasy. Remember to be generous with all ingredients and slow-cook the sauce for a long, long time. It helps a lot if your kitchen is stocked with fabulous raw material (I happened to have some great olive oil and fine grade olives).Blanch about 7 medium sized tomatoes, cool and blend and keep aside. Chop three medium sized onions: first halve, then cut half rings, then make fine bits of the rings.Chop plenty of garlic finely: I use about 5 cloves, sometimes more depending on the size. Chop half a large carrot into tiny cube bits like the onions.Pour plenty of olive oil in a saucepan (enough to cover the onions nicely) and also add in a tbsp of butter.Cook the onions on a high flame and keep stirring till they are nice and translucent NOT BROWN. Add in the garlic and some piri piri or dried Goan red peppers midway and cook away till the onion and garlic are soft and cooked.Add in the blended tomato, the carrots, as much as mixed herbs as you'd like and half a chicken stock cube, salt and several crushed pepper corns.Add in a bit of water depending on how thick or thin you'd like your sauce, cover and cook on sim for about 30 minutes. That's it! Add chopped olives once the sauce is cooked, cook your pasta and keep some grated Parmesan or Grand Pardano on the side.Yenjoy!