Personal Oversight...

Afternoon to all! It's been a few weeks since I last blogged. Recently, I've heard
(and said) something more than once that I feel I need to address on a personal level. AS many of you know, I pride myself on my...um, idiosyncracies, my quirks and oddities, so to speak. But I've always lamented one of my quirks.

~audible gasps~

B.B. laments? one of her quirks?

I know, I know. It's so hard to believe; I am so near perfect that it's laughable, right? ~LOL~ And, quite rightly, I'd agree with you entirely. However, there is one small tidbit about myself that I've always wished for but never achieved.

riveted attention spans

I.Can't.Cook. There; I've said it. ~winces~

I know many of you are thinking, Is that all? Well, yes, it is. You see, I love food - all kinds of food. But I haven't the foggiest notion on how to prepare it. Or at least, haven't the foggiest on how to prepare something that is edible. Just ask anyone who knows me. ~embarrassed sob~ And, coming from a family of cooks and culinary experimentors, this is quite embarrassing. So, recently, I've decided that I need to learn how to cook.

My poor family. You just know they are going to be my unsuspecting victims during my trial and error attempts at learning how to cook. Of course, I'm going to have to master some of the basics that I never bothered learning all the way but, fortunately, I do have family to ask. And, since they already know I can't cook (yeah, because apparently Hamburger Helper is not cooking...And I thought I was doing so well all these years!), me asking questions won't be either embarrassing or a sign of ignorance.

Once I get those questions out of the way, I think I know what recipe I'm going to try first. It's not too out there, but it is ambition...Especially for me. Here is the recipe for Roast Chicken with Herb Butter, Onions and Garlic:

Ingredients:

* 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley plus 3 large sprigs

* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme plus 3 large sprigs

* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary plus 3 small sprigs

* 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed

* 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

* 1 7- to 71/4-pound roasting chicken, rinsed, patted dry

* 3 medium onions, peeled, quartered lengthwise (do not remove root end)

* 14 garlic cloves, peeled

* 1 cup canned low-salt chicken broth

* 1/2 cup dry white wine

* 1 1/2 teaspoons all purpose flour



Preparation:

Mix butter, chopped herbs, fennel seeds and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt in bowl; blend well. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before continuing.)

Position rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 400°F. Sprinkle main cavity of chicken with salt and pepper; fill with herb sprigs. Starting at neck end, slide fingers under skin of breast and upper part of legs, loosening skin. Spread 3 tablespoons herb butter under skin on breast and upper leg meat. Place chicken on rack in large roasting pan; tie legs together loosely to hold shape. Scatter onions around chicken. Brush chicken and onions with 2 tablespoons herb butter; sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast chicken 30 minutes. Remove pan from oven. Scatter garlic cloves around chicken. Brush chicken, onions and garlic with 1 tablespoon herb butter. Roast chicken and vegetables 30 minutes. Reserve 1 tablespoon herb butter for sauce; brush remainder on chicken and vegetables. Continue to roast until chicken is golden and thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180°F, about 30 minutes longer. Insert wooden spoon into main cavity; tilt chicken so that juices drain into pan. Transfer chicken to platter; surround with onions and garlic. Tent with foil.

Set roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add broth and wine; bring to simmer, scraping up browned bits. Pour pan juices into large glass measuring cup. Spoon off fat; discard fat. Pour juices into medium saucepan. Stir reserved 1 tablespoon herb butter and flour in small bowl to smooth paste. Bring pan juices to simmer; whisk in paste. Simmer sauce until slightly thickened, whisking occasionally, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve chicken with sauce.

Of course, this is VERY ambition for me. I mean, I've HEARD for fennel seeds, but I've never seen one...much less cooked with one. And the whole "sliding fingers under the skin of the chicken to spread a thin layer of herb butter"...Well, that part of the recipe frightens me, frankly. But I'm going to do it; I'm going to learn this eventually.

At least, I'm going to do it one mangled dish at a time, I avow. ~LOL~ Feel sorry for my test subjects...err, I mean, my family.

And now, since I like interactive blog articles whenever possible, tell me a little about your experiences learning how to cook, or about that one experimental dish that just didn't go quite right.



bb