NEW COOKBOOK!

I told you guys earlier that I got a new cookbook! I was super excited to make something out of it! The cookbook is called Heart of the Artichoke.  It is fantastic and I would recommend it to anyone who loves cooking! The author, David Tanis, is brilliant and funny. It's a great cookbook to just look at and read. David organized the book by seasons, so you can flip to the season you are in at the moment and cook what would taste the most fresh and yummy. Probably tons of cookbooks are like that, but the ones I have are organized into categories such as main course, desserts, etc. Anyway, I was super excited when my mom came to me and asked what we should have for dinner. I ran and got my new cookbook and flipped to the summer section and skimmed through to see what our choices were. I chose Flat-Roasted Chicken with Rosemary, Salt-Roasted New Potatoes, and Green Bean Salad with Pickled Shallots, and for dessert Golden Crunch Cake. The whole meal was so yummy, fresh and light. It truly was a summer meal.

                          Flat-Roasted Chicken with Rosemary
                          1 organic chicken, about 3 pounds              2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
                          Salt and Pepper                                           Olive oil
                          1/4 cup rosemary leaves                             1 Lemon, sliced
                          6 large garlic cloves, sliced
Wash the bird and pat dry. Remove the backbone with a sharp knife.( I know its a pain, but just remove it fast like a band aide) Push down on the breast bone to open the bird like a book.
Put the chicken in a large roasting pan and season generously on both sides of the bird with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the rosemary, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Drizzle with Olive oil and with your hands gently smear the rub onto the chicken.
Make sure all of the bird is seasoned to your liking and then slice the lemon and place them on the bird in different places. Secure the lemon with wooden skewers and place in the refrigerator for two hours. Decide on what time you are going to eat this lovely bird and take it out an hour before you are going to roast it. Preheat the oven to 400 and roast for about an hour. When you take it out of the oven, let the bird rest for about 15 minutes and cover it with foil.

When I took the chicken out of the oven, I thought it looked so cute! And then I look out my kitchen window and I see our chickens..... I will never eat my chickens. The ones from the store, no problem, but when it comes down to a pet or an animal you have named, MAJOR issues! I hope you enjoy this recipe. And for all those Harry Potter fans out there... you know who you are. Well you are probably at the premier right now, waiting in a ridiculous long line. Anyway, I'm a little excited because I got THE Harry Potter cookbook and I will share some recipes with you soon!