Rotisserie Chicken

I got my oven just in time for a lot of winter baking! I've been experimenting with the rotisserie option, and I think I'm getting there - certainly, there's less smoke and fewer burnt fingers...

Yum!

Rotisserie Chicken

Glaze:
olive oil
honey (optonal)
salt
smokey paprika

Preheat oven to 400F or 200C
Start with all elements on.

Fill the catch-pan with vegetables cut into chunks, and coat with olive oil and salt. Optionally replace salt with a spice mixture for roasted potatoes. Some tasty options:
carrots
parsnips
mushrooms
garlic
potatoes
onion
mandarin

Put a whole mandarin (optional) in the chicken cavity, and run the rotisserie rod through - secure fully, piercing the chicken. Note that I buy my chicken pre-trussed 😬.
Glaze the chicken, and place the rotisserie spit above the vegetables in the oven.
(After 30 minutes, turn off the lower heating elements, keeping just the top ones on.)
Cook a total of 50-60 minutes. When internal temperature is 165F, remove chicken and cover tightly with foil. Let rest 10 minutes, and continue to cook the vegetables, as needed.

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based on https://www.thespruceeats.com/take-out-style-rotisserie-chicken-334252 

Panfried Eggplant

At this month's French/English potluck, Renate brought an eggplant dish (not this one, but it was delicious!) - in discussing it, she said she didn't go through all the hassle of salting and rinsing before cooking it... Hmmm... I decided to try the panfry method!

Panfried Eggplant

Half of one eggplant, diced (~1/3 inch)
Half Zucchini, diced (optional)
Salt - more than you would expect
Oil - also more than you would expect
cayenne pepper to taste
cinnamon - less than you would expect

Brown vegetables in the spiced oil, in a frying pan on high heat.

Deglaze with port. Serve hot.
2 servings

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Cooked eggplant is not very photogenic.

Nostalgia's a Funny Thing

I just heard the funniest, strangest thing - a child in my apartment building was not-quite-screaming, sort of "AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Then, his father echoed him! This went on, back and forth, AAAAHHH, then AAAAAHHHH for just a few minutes. Then the child stopped!

It reminded me so much of those many (yes, many) times when my sister and I screamed at each other, and Dad said "if you're going to scream, scream outside!" And we sulked out the door. Then screamed "AAAAAHHHHH!" back and forth until... We practically fell down laughing!

Yep, nostalgia's a funny thing...

A Progression of News

Well! The week didn't start off too well, with the 49ers *NOT* winning the Superbowl, AND me staying up (obsessively checking in) until 4am just to know this sad fact... Please join me in blaming my pharmacist.

As if in sympathy, the topic for my English Atelier (workshop) on Monday was "Drinks"... And we started off with a question from the group - "How do you say prendre une cuite?" Heh. English has a *lot* of ways to say "to get drunk." Here's what we came up with

Then Tuesday rolled around, and when I checked on my dossier for French Nationality (read the tale here), hey! La Poste said that it got delivered! (Note the Saturday news that there was an ERROR!) So Whew!

A French Twist

The other day, I stopped at my new pharmacy for some refills. I walked in, we said bonjour, everything is like normal. But then, my pharmacist brought out his English! We were talking about Sète and California, the weather, living vs visiting; all the usual. Well, tomorrow being the Superbowl, I pulled my usual grocery sack out of my purse, and gave it a flourish!

Some trash-talk ensued - I said that of course San Francisco would win! And! My pharmacist. Said. "I think... Kansas City will win."  Well, I broke out my mock-fists, and then we all laughed!

No one can tell me that the French don't know how to twist the knife for a laugh! 😂😂😂

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By the way, the Superbowl doesn't start here until midnight! You have to be way more dedicated than I am to watch it live...