(Sorry for the delay in posts - I've had a lot going on lately. Trying to get everything ready for this move, work has been extraordinarily busy, and also my dad's had some health issues as of late and has been in the hospital since the weekend. He's doing better now but please say a prayer for him!)
Some of the best things in life are also the most simple. Take, for instance, last night's dinner: roasted (whole) chicken, macaroni and cheese and peas. Nothing fancy, but it does take skill, and when prepared correctly, it's one of my all-time favorite meals. There's just something enticing about the smell of homemade roast chicken, not to mention it's the best comfort food ever, in my opinion. Additionally, a good roasted chicken doesn't take much for it to be delicious. This one in particular was only seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic, onion powder and sage. Sage is KEY when making chicken - the two were just meant to be together! The skin was still crispy in some areas and had soaked up all the flavors of the spices and the chicken fat. The meat itself was tender and juicy (I think I've mentioned before that we prefer dark meat, which is why I love duck so much - it's basically all dark meat), and you could taste the flavors of the juices from the pan. My mouth is literally watering right now as I'm remembering it... mmm... moving on!
As for side dishes, we chose fairly easy ones, as well - macaroni and cheese and tiny green peas. (No, I did not intend for that to rhyme, it just happened.) Normally we go all out with our mac and cheese - I make mine the REAL way, making a roux by sauteéing onions with butter and flour, then adding milk and cheese to make the sauce. I like to use white cheese that melts easily, like Monterey Jack or mozzerella, sometimes with some Colby Jack. Occasionally I'll add breadcrumbs and pop it in the oven to brown the top and bake it all the way through. This was your basic kind that comes in a box, but it was (almost) as good. Mac and cheese is another great comfort food - how can you go wrong with pasta and cheese sauce? I'll tell you - you can't.
We only started eating a lot of peas within the last few years, but they've become a staple in our house. Baby back ribs? Have some peas with 'em. Fried chicken? How about a side of peas? They're easy to make and are a fun, tasty vegetable. They just need a little butter, salt and pepper, and they're good to go. The key is to not overcook them. If you buy the frozen peas (like we do), you only need to boil them long enough so that they thaw out, since you're going to put them back in the pot when you add your butter and spices. Of course, you can vary your seasonings if you would like, depending on your taste and preferences. Peas are pretty hard to mess up! We like the tiny green peas, which are smaller and slightly sweeter than normal peas. Personally, this was my favorite part of the meal. Everything was fabulous, of course, but for some reason the peas really hit home that night.
The quote I'll leave you with today is by Julia Child: "(But) my favorite dish remained the basic roast chicken. What a deceptively simple dish. I had come to believe that one can judge the quality of a cook by his or her roast chicken. Above all, it should taste like chicken: it should be so good that even a perfectly simple, buttery roast should be a delight."
I believe that to be true. Have a great rest of your Wednesday!
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