Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - July 22, 2015, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE C1 Great white waste of time / C2 ARTS & LIFE ARTS@ FREEPRESS. MB. CA I WINNIPEGFREEPRESS. COM WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 2015 C 1 I T'S 6 p. m. on a Wednesday, smack in the middle of a tough week, and you need to make dinner. What do you do? If you're like thousands of Canadians, you pick up a rotisserie chicken at the supermarket. Eric Akis understands the appeal. The Victoriabased food writer's latest recipe collection, The Great Rotisserie Chicken Cookbook ( Random House Canada, 202 pages, $ 24.95), is a response to the growing popularity of the grocery- store bird. " I would call it a convenient comfort food," Akis says, in a phone interview. " There's something about the way a rotisserie chicken cooks - the skin, the aroma. " I think people also see it as nutritious. Unlike some takeout chicken, it's not deep- fried. And it's ready to go as soon as you get home." Of course, if you're feeling ambitious, you can make your own rotisserie chicken. Akis starts the book with tips, techniques and recipes for the traditional barbecued version, as well as variations like tandoori and piri piri, the gorgeously spicy Portuguese specialty. Then there are the leftovers. The bulk of the cookbook deals with dishes that use chopped or shredded cooked chicken meat, taking the basic rotisserie chicken in all sorts of directions. There are appetizers like potstickers and bruschetta. There are soups - chicken noodle but also hot and sour and mulligatawny - and salads. There are noodle and rice dishes, casseroles and stir- fries. Akis also taps into a variety of cuisines, from North American fare like a classic hot chicken sandwich to quesadillas, pad Thai, tikka masala and paella. " I had to cull some of my ideas because there just wasn't enough room," Akis relates. Finally, there are chapters on favourite side dishes. " The rotisserie chicken can anchor the meal, but there are some interesting side dishes that aren't that difficult to make," Akis points out. " You can add cornbread or potato salad or a nice green salad with bacon bits and homemade ranch dressing. A trained chef who has been a food writer for the Victoria Times Colonist since 1997, the 53- year- old Akis wants cooking to be accessible. The title of his popular cookbook series is Everyone Can Cook. The Great Rotisserie Chicken Cookbook continues that approach, with recipes that are fast, easy, inexpensive and versatile. Kind of like rotisserie chicken, in fact. ALISON GILLMOR New cookbook full of ideas to make the most of roast chicken Continued Please see RECIPES C 5 A new spin on ROTISSERIE CHICKEN AND BLACK BEAN CHILI SPICY CHICKEN, MANGO AND CUCUMBER SALAD C_ 01_ Jul- 22- 15_ FP_ 01. indd C1 7/ 21/ 15 6: 13: 31 PM ;