By May 2026. I turn forty-four and it's a birthday that surprises me with its contentment — not because forty-four is special but because the life it arrives in is good in a specific, earned way. Gary made me dinner this year, which he doesn't usually — he's a good grill cook and a willing kitchen assistant but not a solo chef. He made the chicken piccata, which he's watched me make hundreds of times and Mason demonstrated the way and he'd apparently been practicing. It wasn't perfect. It was completely genuine and it tasted like effort and love, which are better than technique.
The third book is three months from publication. "Feed Them Anyway" goes to press in July and releases in October 2027. Susan and Claire are both saying it's the best of the three — tightest, most mature, the one that most clearly knows what it wants to say. I believe them. I've been writing toward this book since the first workshop. It took three tries and ten years to know how to say it.
Noah, thirteen, is the last child at home. He is easy company and surprising company by turns — quiet and then illuminating, like a lamp that comes on in a dark room. He's been planning summer cooking projects the way Mason used to plan his learning: systematically, with lists. He wants to make croissants this summer. I said I'd teach him. He said, "I'll watch the video first." My son, learning from my video to prepare to learn in person from me. The ouroboros of the teaching kitchen.
Gary made this dish from memory and from watching — and that’s exactly what this recipe rewards: attention over precision, care over technique. The chicken piccata I’ve made hundreds of times in this kitchen became something new when someone else made it for me, and I want you to have the version I always come back to, the one that taught Gary, the one Noah will probably watch on video before he asks me to show him in person. It’s bright and quick and forgiving, which is everything a good birthday dinner should be.
Chicken Piccata
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4-inch thickness
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- 3 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- Lemon slices, for serving
Instructions
- Prep the chicken. Place chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to an even 1/4-inch thickness. Season both sides with salt and pepper, then dredge each piece in flour, shaking off any excess.
- Sear the chicken. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer (work in batches if needed) and cook 3—4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
- Build the sauce. Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it reduce by half, about 2 minutes.
- Finish the sauce. Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, and capers. Simmer for 3—4 minutes until the sauce has reduced slightly and coats the back of a spoon. Swirl in the remaining tablespoon of butter until melted and glossy.
- Return the chicken. Nestle the chicken back into the pan and spoon the sauce over the top. Cook 1—2 minutes until everything is warmed through and the chicken has absorbed some of the sauce.
- Serve. Plate the chicken and spoon sauce generously over each piece. Garnish with chopped parsley and lemon slices. Serve immediately over pasta, rice, or alongside crusty bread.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 340 | Protein: 38g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 10g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 480mg