This title is the best way to describe my mindset when I learned how to cook. Moving in with my boyfriend made both of us realize that eating in would be much cheaper for us. Eating out would also become more fun because it would be relegated to special occasions.
What I didn't realize is this little "learn how to cook" project would bond us in a new way and create a passion in me that I didn't even know existed.
Bonding
My boyfriend (now husband) and I came to cooking as novices. Unlike his athletic prowess and my spreadsheet abilities this was an even playing field for us. We bonded over reading recipes together, chopping, sautéing and stalking the oven.
Passion
While my husband liked cooking, it became my obsession. I wanted to learn more, hone my skills and; well, impress him with my abilities.
To this day there's nothing more rewarding than finishing work and then making my family a meal that is nutritious but that they also love. It kind of feels like a super power to me. And at the end of a busy day it's nice to flex some superhero muscle.
If you're determined to cook to save money, calories, time or to bond with your significant other here's a great recipe.
Engagement Chicken
By Ina Gartner
Ingredients
1 (4 to 5 pound) roasting chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 lemons
1 whole head garlic, cut in 1/2 crosswise
Good olive oil
2 Spanish onions, peeled and thickly sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Remove and discard the chicken giblets. Pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Cut the lemons in quarters, place 2 quarters in the chicken along with the garlic and reserve the rest of the lemons. Brush the outside of the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle the chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the chicken in a small (11 by 14-inch) roasting pan. (If the pan is too large, the onions will burn.) Place the reserved lemons and the sliced onions in a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Pour the mixture around the chicken in the pan.
Roast the chicken for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and a thigh. Remove the chicken to a platter, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 10 minutes while you prepare the sauce, leaving the lemons and onions in the pan.
Place the pan on top of the stove and turn the heat to medium-high. Add the wine and stir with a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits. Add the stock and sprinkle on the flour, stirring constantly for a minute, until the sauce thickens. Add any juices that collect under the chicken. Carve the chicken onto a platter and serve with the lemons, onions, and warm sauce.