I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Now back to some bookery cookery…

In the few months I’ve had Giulia’s book, I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti, I’ve made a few recipes from it, and posted them on my other blog. Most recently the “Morning After Pumpkin Bread” (which was a massive hit). I’ve also made the “Fuck You Cupcakes” (which were also a big hit- not only because of the bourbon frosting, but both despite and because of the name) and the “Healthy Penne” with broccoli (which I had to use ziti for because I thought I had penne, and did not). I made a variation of the “Italian Grilled Cheese for Teenage WASPs” this week as well. Every recipe was met with praise, and it made me happy, because I enjoyed the book so much and it gave me an excuse to continue trying recipes from it. And now I’m really glad that the other girls are enjoying it and getting as much out of it as I have!

In terms of relationships (which, in case you haven’t realized.. the book is about), I admittedly don’t have a huge span of different experiences. Since the age of 17  I’ve had two long-term relationships. Yeah, two. That’s it. Two relationships in the past 11 years. One pretty solid, and one pretty not solid. Obviously the solid one is the one I’m in now, 6 & ½ years and going strong. The rocky one was the other one, 4 & ½ years on and off (*ahem* mostly off) with more drama than a Gossip Girl episode- but what else can be expected from a high school “romance”? I was a different person altogether in that relationship; we were kids, we were selfish, we were still in school (both high school and then college) and we had different priorities. If you told me back then I’d be overjoyed at receiving a Kitchen Aid mixer from my boyfriend for my 27th birthday, thrilled to get a collection of Watkins extracts as a stocking stuffer for Christmas, or that I’d have not one, but two cooking blogs… I would’ve laughed my ass off and called you insane. And then I would’ve went to a bar and spent my paycheck on cocktails and spent my time for the rest of the night on the phone arguing with someone who shall remain nameless. Nowadays it’s completely different. I haven’t had an arguement on the phone or otherwise in so long I can’t remember. My family loves him, I love his family, we’re a perfect fit. And that’s awesome. Without that balance and presence in my life, I don’t know if I’d be the little punk rock Betty Crocker I am now.

Don’t get me wrong, I always baked and cooked with my mother for holidays. We made struffoli and sugar cookies and magic bars and gingerbread and big meals. And she always cooked dinner. I just didn’t do it for myself, unless you can consider heating up a microwave dinner, making Velveeta shells & cheese, or eating Totino’s Pizza Rolls with a side of white cheddar Smartfood popcorn “cooking.” I was missing out on so much. I see that now. There’s nothing wrong with cooking for one. And while I never would’ve done that before, I’ve become much more domesticated now, and while I love that… just because I’m domestic doesn’t mean I’m domesticated. I love cooking for people, I love hearing how fantastic a new recipe is, I love impressing my mother (an excellent baker and cook herself) with something I’ve made, or seeing people do that “Oh-my-god-this-is-so-good” eye-roll thing when they sink their teeth into something I made. I love when Jay gets excited because I’m making broccoli lasagna. But I’m still selfish: I also do it for me. I enjoy food so much more now. I appreciate it so much more. And I just enjoy creating things, which I guess goes back to me being an artist. I love kneading dough, cutting potatoes, frosting cupcakes with a new Wilton tip on my pastry bag. I love making things from scratch. I love seeing nothing turn into something. I guess it’s like a sculptor with clay or when I painted; you have a canvas and some paints that are just there, and then when you’re done you have a painting that tells a story or makes people happy (or sometimes sad). Cooking is very similar. It evokes emotions and brings back memories and comforts you and sometimes challenges you. I could spend all day and night in the kitchen making tons of food and not be tired of it. The clean-up, now that’s another story.

One of my favorite things to make is roast chicken. It’s really simple practically fail-proof, yet it’s really delicious. You just put it in the oven and let it go, how easy is that? So since Thanksgiving week was going to be a busy one for me, I knew an easy meal to make would be this “Real Estate Roast Chicken”; a meal Giulia makes when waiting for a call from a listing agent about an apartment she wanted.  She didn’t get the apartment, unfortunately. But a nice roast chicken makes everything better. Right? It’s like comfort food. Stick-to-your-ribs food. Especially with some potatoes. And who doesn’t like potatoes? Crazy people, that’s who.

What I like to do is cut up some potatoes (in slices, not too thin ’cause they’ll burn or get like potato chips, not too thick or they won’t cook enough), and slice some carrots and onions, and put them around the chicken in the roasting pan. Then I sprinkle a little olive oil and pour about a ½ cup white wine over them, and some salt (and pepper if you like) and just let it cook with the chicken. When you flip the chicken or baste it, just give them a little turn over so the bottom potatoes have an opportunity to be on top for a bit. Then when you take it out, you have an automatic side dish that takes no extra cooking time and doesn’t create an extra pot or pan for you to wash. Just use a slotted spoon to scoop it out. Ta-da! You could also use fingerling potatoes or baby red potatoes if you like, just use ‘em whole. You can also add whatever seasoning/herbs you like to them. But I like ‘em simple, myself- just salt & a dash of pepper.

Real Estate Roast Chicken

• 1 (3- to 4-pound) chicken
• 2 tablespoons soft butter
• Salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 lemon
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

Preheat oven to 375° degrees.

Rub the chicken with butter, season generously with salt and pepper, squeeze the juice of the lemon over it, and stuff the cavity with the lemon rinds and garlic. Place on a rack breast side down in a roasting pan; roast for 30 minutes. Then turn breast side up, baste with pan juices, and roast for another 20 – 30 minutes, until the breast is golden and the juices that run from a pierced thigh are clear.

Yields: 2 servings.

My chicken was a bit bigger, so it cooked for longer and served more. And was it ever delicious. I usually, when I roast chicken, use the lemon/garlic way of seasoning it, and I love it. If you’ve never tried it; try it immediately.