'Valley Fresh Fare' to debut on KYVE

Who doesn't enjoy a well-prepared meal made with the passion and expertise of a pro?

Who doesn't want some variety in their local dining selection?

Where is the perfect place to find fresh, healthful ingredients year-round?

Veteran restaurateur Gayla Games and KYVE-TV have the answer for that latter question: the Yakima Valley. And the vehicle to please the palate tweaked by the first two queries: a new cooking show called "Valley Fresh Fare."

The show that premieres at 7 p.m. Monday on KYVE-TV 47, features local restaurants, their owners, chefs, recipes made with locally grown ingredients, and drink of the Valley.

Games will host local chefs and nutritional experts who will demonstrate a few of their favorite recipes while incorporating local products and ingredient variations. The dishes will be paired with local beverages, including wine, ale and nonalcoholic selections.

Viewers will learn new ways to cook their favorite restaurant meals at home, including some ingredient substitutions for those wishing to personalize the meal, change up flavors and/or meet their own health and nutritional needs.

Recorded at the Yakima Valley Museum, each month's program focuses on one local restaurant, background story on the recipe, its ingredients, restaurant history and behind the scenes pre-recorded video. Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital is the primary underwriter.

John Gasperetti of Gasperetti's Restaurant and G-Spot Bar in Yakima will be spotlighted in the first "Valley Fresh Fare"; he will prepare his family's recipe for chicken cacciatore. February's featured restaurant is Taj Palace. Each new "Valley Fresh Fare" will be repeated several times during the month.

Games has been in the restaurant business in Yakima for most of her life. She trained under Gasperetti, then co-purchased The Greystone and operated it for 20 years before selling it and semi-retiring about five years ago. She now teaches at St. Paul Cathedral School.

The following information and recipe were supplied by KYVE and Gasperetti.

The origins of cacciatore

Cacciatore means "hunter" in Italian. In cuisine, "alla cacciatore" refers to a meal prepared "hunter-style" with tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, herbs, often bell pepper and sometimes wine. Cacciatore is popularly made with braised chicken (pollo alla cacciatore) or rabbit. The salamino cacciatore includes small salami, popular among Italians.

There are many different variations of this dish based upon ingredients available in specific regions. For example, in Southern Italy cacciatore often includes red wine while northern Italian chefs might use white wine.

A basic cacciatore recipe usually begins with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil heated in a large frying pan. Chicken parts, dusted with salt and pepper are seared in the oil for three to four minutes on each side. The chicken is removed from the pan, and most of the fat is used to fry the onions, mushrooms, peppers or other vegetables for several minutes. A small can of peeled tomatoes (drained of liquid and coarsely chopped) is added to the pan along with some oregano and a half cup of dry red wine. The seared chicken parts are returned to the pan, which is then covered. The dish is done after about an hour at a very low simmer. Cacciatore is often served with a rustic bread or some pasta on the side.

Gasperetti's Chicken Cacciatore

(6 servings)

6 bone-in chicken breasts or large chicken cut into pieces

Flour for dusting chicken

1 medium to large onion chopped

1/2 bunch parsley, chopped

2 whole bell peppers, cut into strips

2 medium zucchini squash, cut into medium chunks

3 branches celery, cut into medium pieces

1 cup black pitted olives

8 fresh sage leaves

2 size 21/2 cans whole tomatoes, chopped medium fine, see Note

1/2 cup red table wine

1 teaspoon salt (to taste)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons olive oil

Flour chicken and shake off excess. Place in medium hot pan with olive oil and sauté until golden brown on both sides. Remove and place on platter. Using the same pan, sauté chopped onions and parsley until lightly colored. Add the remaining vegetables, olives, sage leaves, and further sauté for 2 minutes. Add cooked chicken to the pan and add processed tomatoes. Stir gently and add the red wine. Adjust seasoning if needed and simmer for approximately 1/2 hour or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

Note: A size 21/2 can holds about 29 ounces, or 31/2 cups.

Nutritional facts per serving: 286 calories, 7 g total fat, 14 g total carbohydrates, 10 g protein.

Accompaniments: Freshly cooked pasta tossed with any extra sauce from the cacciatore, butter egg noodles, gnocchi, or creamy polenta.

Alternatives:

* Can be prepared earlier in the day and gently reheated on the stove top of oven.

* Excellent prepared with rabbit or fall game birds.