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perfect roasted chicken, every time (part two)

October 15, 2011
somethin' on the side, the main event
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Ah, you’ve returned. Well good. Now we can get back to that chicken.

To back up just a bit, instead of placing the quartered chicken on a plain old baking sheet, let’s add some color. Chop five or so medium leeks and clean well. Scatter them on a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil and drizzle with oil and a touch of S & P. When cooking the chicken, lay them directly on the leeks. All other steps outlined in Part One remain the same.

While the chicken is cooking, peel and dice potatoes and butternut squash and boil in water in two separate pots. Once they are fork-tender, drain, combine in one pot and mash or whisk until smooth. Season with butter, S & P.

Now, there’s one more installment in The Perfect Roasted Chicken Series. I know you’re thinking, Damn–how could this recipe get any better? Come back tomorrow to find out.

perfect roasted chicken, every time (part one)

October 14, 2011
the main event
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Every time you roast a five-pound chicken, that is. And that chicken has to be quartered, you know. Besides that, there are only…nine more rules:

1. Preheat oven to 400-degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Season the chicken well with salt and freshly ground black pepper on each side.

3. Sauté the legs skin side down over high heat in a pan with a bit of oil. Cook until the skin is brown and crispy; check on it frequently to make sure it does not burn.

4. Transfer the legs to a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake for 10 minutes.

5. While the legs are roasting, saute the breasts as you did the legs.

6. Once the legs have been roasting for 10 minutes, add the breasts to the sheet pan and reduce the heat to 375-degrees. Cook for 10 minutes more.

7. Reduce the heat again to 350-degrees and roast for an additional 10 minutes.

8. Remove the chicken from the oven and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes.

9. Eat as is–I won’t judge you, it’s delicious–or stay tuned for Parts Two and Three to make it special enough to eat in your underwear. Stick with me and you’ll end up with something that looks like this:

puka dog, or puke-a dog?

October 13, 2011
oh the things you'll see
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Last summer, I jumped out of a plane with my brother and dad off the coast of Kauai. Last year, I ate a Puka Dog. I’m still not sure which is the greater triumph.

A Hawaiian take on the classic hot dog, a Puka Dog seems wrong, but feels so right. Except if you have more than one. Then you’ll just feel like vomiting, which we nearly did.

Before you can even think about eating this in your underwear, it’ll be gone–that’s how good it is. Then you’ll think, Yum–I want another, but I assure you, you don’t. Have one and be done.

i’m a (blueberry) fool for you

October 12, 2011
sweet thang
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The name of this dessert alone is reason enough to make it. Blueberry fool is foolproof. Ha. Ha. Not funny? Well, I tried.

I’ll split the procedure into steps, just to show you how you’d be foolish not to make it. Ha.

Step 1: Cook blueberries over low heat with sugar. Once they have broken down, remove from heat. (You’re not at all restricted in the fruit selection; you can be foolish with any kind.)

Step 2: Stir in fresh blueberries and fresh lemon juice.

Step 3: While the compote is cooling, whip heavy cream. Once it reaches the soft-peak stage, add a touch of sugar and vanilla extract and continue to whip until firm peaks form.

Step 4: Fold the whipped cream into the blueberry compote. Refrigerate.

Step 5: Eat.

Fool is so easy to make, you could do it blindfolded. (Don’t.) It’s so refreshing and playful, you’ll want to eat it in your underwear. (Do.)

carbo loading

October 10, 2011
the main event, the underwear diet
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The best thing about exercising is the excuse to eat more. Since starting culinary school, I’ve taken to running to balance out the dramatic rise in butter consumption. Last weekend I participated in a mud run–six miles of trails, studded with military-style obstacles, with mud pits planted at the halfway point and just before the finish line.

Naturally, the night before the big race, I had to carbo load. I mean, how else could I have possibly made it through such a race without a stomach stretched out with carbs?

Pasta carbonara. It’s easy, delicious, and doesn’t take much time to perfect. While the pasta is boiling (I used orzo), saute onions and bacon. In a separate bowl, beat eggs together with parmigiano reggiano and a ton of freshly ground black pepper.

Once the pasta is done, drain well and add to the bacon and onions. Pour the egg mixture over the pasta and stir until warmed through. Season with salt to taste, and top with extra cheese and pepper.

Not only do I want to eat this in my underwear, after burning off all the calories during the mud run, I want to do pretty much anything in my underwear. And if you start moving around some more, you’ll wanna do the same.