October is a good month for recipes with a little history behind them.

This month, The Foyer Cookbook Club is cooking from Cuisine To Kill For, a collection full of dishes with stories, character, and just enough shadow around the edges. Ybor Chicken fits right in.

Adapted from Tampa Treasures, a 1922 cookbook from the Junior League of Tampa, this Cuban-influenced dish brings together tender chicken, Spanish chorizo, red wine, olives, raisins, tomato, and garlic.

It sounds unexpected. It works beautifully.

A Little Sweet, A Little Salty, Very Good

The combination of raisins and olives is what makes this recipe stand out.

The raisins soften into the sauce and add a quiet sweetness, while the olives bring salt and sharpness. Chorizo adds depth, red wine gives the whole dish richness, and the chicken cooks slowly until it is nearly falling off the bone.

It is generous, satisfying, and exactly the sort of dinner that feels right when the evenings get darker.

---

Ybor Chicken

The Cuban Club

This Cuban-influenced recipe is adapted from Tampa Treasures, a 1922 cookbook from the Junior League of Tampa. Don’t be nervous about the combination of raisins and olives—the sweetness and saltiness work surprisingly well together.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces, or 8 assorted bone-in chicken pieces
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large white onion, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup green olives, pitted and sliced
• 1½ cups dry red wine
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 12 ounces Spanish chorizo, sliced into coins

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

2. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a gallon-sized resealable plastic bag. Toss the chicken in the flour mixture, shaking well to coat.

3. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Working in batches, brown the chicken, about 3 minutes per side.

4. Remove the chicken to a large casserole dish. To the same skillet, add the onion and cook 5 minutes. Add the green pepper, garlic, tomato, bay leaf, raisins, green olives, wine, broth, and chorizo. Simmer for about 10 minutes, until the veggies are soft.

5. Pour the mixture over the chicken, coating well. Bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes, until the chicken is falling off the bone. Serve immediately.

Why This One Belongs in the October Rotation

There is something very October about a casserole dish coming out of the oven full of dark, glossy sauce and slow-cooked chicken.

No tricks required.

The flavor is layered without being complicated, and the recipe has the kind of old-fashioned confidence that makes you trust it from the start. Serve it with rice or crusty bread, pour a glass of red, and let the weather do the rest.

Our October Cookbook Club Pick

That balance of story and substance is exactly why we chose Cuisine To Kill For for October.

The book has atmosphere, but it also has recipes worth making. Ybor Chicken is a perfect example: rooted in history, full of character, and just unusual enough to make dinner feel more interesting.

A little haunted by the past, perhaps. But in the best possible way.