Cooking. Good times, good times. I have missed it.

I did make the Honey and Rosemary Gilded Fried Chicken since I am still working my way through Fried Chicken but I have to admit that I may have to give the experiment up, because I have developed my own set of chicken frying prejudices. And I cannot tell if a recipe that asks you to dunk the chicken in flour, then buttermilk, then flour again fails because that technique sucks (well, it does) or because I believe that that technique sucks and so do not give it a fair chance. You have to soak your chicken in the buttermilk for several hours and then dredge it in flour, I have determined, and so I am not sure I can continue experimenting in good faith.

(That said, the chicken was fine, and Jeff even really liked it. Pouring lots of honey and butter over fried chicken is not a bad idea, either.)

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In edible gardening news:

One of the bell peppers in my garden grew, and I sauteed it and cooked it in a frittata with some goat cheese. It was great, but not any better than a bell pepper from the store.

Some of my strawberries are coming in but they are rotting before they can ripen. I guess that is winter? I don't know. I am not nearly as diligent about my gardening as I am about cooking- so far I buy things, stick them in the ground, water and watch what happens.

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Last night we had steak with rice and an amazingly rich, spiced coconut sauce from Chef, Interrupted which Gael had sent me recently. I have a feeling I will be trying a lot more of these recipes. Provide I do not throw it across the room in anger over Melissa Clark's habit of describing the female chefs as "talented (and beautiful)."