New Post, New Year

And so I find myself in 2011, another new year, even though I'm completely convinced that last year was not given enough time. Time seems to be running away from me a lot. Less than two weeks from now, I will be starting a new semester with new classes, new instructors and classmates, and of course a new load of readings and assignments. I find myself a little intimidated by one of my classes; the instructor seems to be one that reserves his A's for absolutely perfect work, and while I did put out (in my opinion) very high-quality work last semester, suddenly I'm looking over my papers and wondering "will this level of work still be good enough?" So once again, I'm nervous and anxious and feeling like I'm starting my first semester all over again.

I'll also be celebrating my birthday in month, and while it isn't one of those major years when a huge party is deemed appropriate, my next major year is not far off and I'm feeling a little down about it. When you grow up, you imagine where you'll be and what you'll be doing when you reach a certain age. I always thought I would be married, maybe with a child or two, working full-time with a house and a bunch of pets. Well, I have the "working full-time" part down, and I have two cats which may count as the "bunch of pets," but the rest...not so much. It's almost given me a feeling of being in limbo; and while no one except a two-year-old would consider me "old," I feel (albeit unrealistically) like that big number is a deadline to get these things that I imagined I would have.

I guess the change from old to new year has made me rather more reflective and self-critical than usual. Hopefully when the semester starts I will be too busy to dwell on what I imagine myself to be missing.

For the first recipe post of the year, I'm sharing one that Scooter and I made for my aunt and uncle. Aunt had a fall and has been able to do anything in the way of cooking; various family and friends have been helping out to keep her and my uncle fed. Scooter and I, as a way of saying thank you for our being able to stay in their summer home over New Year's, offered to make them dinner last weekend. Originally, we were going to do chicken and dumplings, but a perusal of the cookbook made me choose today's recipe: Coq au Vin.

What you'll need:
1 whole chicken, butchered
2 Tbs. cooking oil
3 large shallots
2 1/2 c. red wine
2 c. sliced mushrooms
4 medium carrots, thinly sliced
1/2 c. chicken broth
2 Tbs. fresh parsley
1 tsp. dried marjoram
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 bay leaves
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tbs. flour
4 Tbs. butter or margarine, softened (you can also use bacon fat or other meat drippings)
4 slices of bacon

What you'll need to do:
1. In a small skillet, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove from the skillet and drain on a paper towel until cool. Crumble into small pieces and set aside.
2. In a large skillet, add the cooking oil and brown the chicken on all sides over medium heat. Cook the chicken in two batches so as not to crowd the meat. Drain the fat from the pan and season the chicken with salt and pepper. Put all the chicken back into the pan (use two skillets if necessary).
3. Add the shallots, red wine, mushrooms, carrots, chicken broth, parsley, marjoram, thyme, bay leaves, and garlic. Bring the mixture to boiling, then lower heat and cover. Simmer for 35 to 40 minutes or until chicken is tender and cooked through (meat should no longer be pink).
4. Once chicken is done, discard the bay leaves and transfer chicken and vegetables to a serving platter.
5. Stir together the flour and butter to make a smooth paste, then stir it into the liquid in the skillet. Cook the mixture until it thickens and becomes bubbly. Season with salt and pepper if desired, then pour on top of the chicken.
6. Sprinkle the crumbled bacon on top and serve hot.

The original recipe was in my Better Homes & Gardens cookbook. Scooter and I used the drippings we saved from a prime rib we had made the previous weekend instead of the butter for the gravy. Meat drippings would be better because they add so much wonderful flavor. This can be served with hot noodles (like an egg noodle), rice, or--as we did--roasted potatoes. The flavor of this dish is wonderful, and although the ingredient list may be intimidating, please do try this recipe. My aunt and uncle, Scooter, and I all recommend it!

To once again borrow Julia Child's famous sign-off, "Bon appétit!"