Cooking with the 60-Minute Gourmet: 300 Rediscovered ...

bPierre Franey/bwas born in 1921 in Saint Vinnemer, a small village in Burgundy, France. He learned the basics of cooking from his mother and grandmother, and when he was fourteen, he was sent to Paris to become a cook. After a stellar career as executive chef at New York's superb French restaurant Le Pavillon, Franey began his hugely popular "60-Minute Gourmet" column for The New York Times in 1975. It was syndicated in several hundred newspapers and soon led to the two bestselling cookbooks The New York Times 60-Minute Gourmet and The New York Times More 60-Minute Gourmet. He published more than a dozen cookbooks in his career, including several collaborations with Craig Claiborne. Pierre Franey died in 1996, leaving us an enduring legacy of fine food and good taste. bChicken Fingers with Garlic Butter/bbrbrOver the years, I have probably devised more chicken breast recipes than anything else. And the demand never ends. Chicken breast is one of the most appealing foods in the supermarket because it is ready to cook, versatile, low in fat and high in protein. But if one falls into a rut by simply broiling or baking chicken breasts, dinner can be mighty boring.brThis recipe for chicken fingers with garlic butter is simple yet tasty. And you can vary the seasonings in countless ways.brbrYield: 4 servings.br4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halvesbrSalt and freshly ground pepper to tastebr1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 2 teaspoons driedbr2 tablespoons flourbr2 tablespoons butterbr2 tablespoons olive oilbr4 ripe plum tomatoes, skinned, seeded, and diced smallbr1 tablespoon chopped garlicbr4 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander or basilbr2 tablespoons fresh lime juicebr br1. Using a sharp knife, cut the breast halves in half crosswise, then lengthwise into strips 1/2 inch wide.(Continued on next page)br