Sometimes it’s a good thing to be addicted to Google reader. Today I proved that statement to be true when I won free ice cream from Serious Eats. This isn’t just any old ice cream though, this is a box of ice cream from the new Häagen-Dazs reserve line including flavors like Hawaiian Lehua Honey and Sweet Cream, Toasted Coconut Sesame Brittle (a runner up from the Food Network Special), and Pomegranate and Dark Chocolate Bar. CK and I are going to be so fat. I can’t wait!

Asparagus is my favorite vegetable so I jumped at the chance to try the Asparagus Parsley Pesto Risotto Bake featured in the April issue of Rachael Ray’s magazine. Admittedly, I was a little freaked out by the whole “risotto bake” part of the title. I wasn’t entirely sure if it was going to work, but my curiosity at testing out the baking capabilities of my new Target Chefmate Dutch Oven won out over my apprehensions. Not to mention, that as much as I love risotto, it can be a bit labor intensive stirring a hot pot of rice continuously for 20-30 minutes. In fact, I’ve been known to read a book in order to combat culinary boredom during that step.

Anyway, the dish ended up having a decidedly “Spring-like” feel, taste, and look and I really loved that the asparagus stayed crisp and turned a gorgeous shade of green after its brief baking time. Unfortunately, the first evening that I ate it I really wasn’t happy with the outcome. I felt that something was missing, but then I ate leftovers of the dish on two consecutive days and it was 3000 times better. In fact, I would actually go so far as to categorize it as delicious! Upon sitting overnight the lemon and parsley pesto really had a chance to flavor the dish to a whole new level that just wasn’t there during the initial serving. To remedy this issue, next time I plan to bake the Arborio rice completely in chicken stock (substituting extra stock for water) and also adding lemon juice, white wine, and extra zest to the dish as well. Practice makes perfect…

Onions Again	Toasty Rice
Add the Stock	Parsley, Pine Nuts, Parmesan, and Lemon
Add Cheese & Asparagus, Bake Again	Spring Has Sprung

I’m addicted to my rss feeds on google reader. I always read the food blogs folder first (even before my “celebrity gossip” selections — sorry Perez Hilton, food always trumps pictures of bald Britney and her adventures in rehab). One of my favorite cooking blogs is Slashfood. I’m pretty sure I audibly squealed when I saw a link for Nutella cupcakes aka Self-Frosting Cupcakes. I’d just picked up a jar of Nutella at the grocery store and realized that I found it pretty disgusting spread on bread, but I was certain it would be an amazing ingredient in a recipe. I’m always looking for any excuse to use my pretty in pink KitchenAid mixer so I promptly whipped up a batch. While my cupcakes aren’t as aesthetically beautiful as the images at the Baking Sheet blog, they smelled heavenly in the oven and tasted amazing. But really how can you go wrong with sugar, white flour, chocolate and hazelnut? If I ever make these cupcakes again I definitely would use a little less Nutella as I think I went a bit overboard topping the batter, and it made for a messy challenge trying to make attractively swirled tops.

Mix	Scoop
Top	Swirl
Mmm…Nutella

I made a phenomenal steak the other day for Chris and Anna and now I’m a huge fan of the “rub.” The rub I’m gushing over actually consisted of chili powder, coriander, mustard, brown sugar, espresso and salt & pepper — who knew such an odd assortment of flavors could taste so incredibly amazing! Well apparently Ellie Kriger did, and Cowboy Steak was born. A great addition to this fabulous dish are Ellie’s Garlic Fries. It took me a few minutes to figure out how to slice the potato correctly (and a mini consultation with Chris), but they turned out delicious, spicy, and very crispy. I think these fries are destined to become a weekly staple in our home now.

Heat Oil & Garlic	Strain
Slice	Coat
Combine Spices	Rub
Grill	Flip
Toss With Garlic & Parsley	Yee Haw

I’d only baked a chicken once before, last year on Easter, but it came out fine so I figured when I decided to roast another chicken (using the same recipe I might add) that I’d be an old pro by now. Unfortunately, overconfidence in the kitchen is not a good thing. It all started out well. The best kitchen “disasters” usually do. I seasoned and stuffed the bird without incident. Then I popped it in the oven for an hour. I even tented it so that it wouldn’t brown too quickly, and basted it religiously with the Citrus and herb glaze.

It took me 3 hours to realize that I was cooking the chicken upside down. Yes, I basted the underside of the chicken. The breast was sitting “face down” in the pan the entire time. I finally clued into this fact when I noticed that the little white “I’m done” button seemed to have disappeared. And by disappeared, I mean was actually on the bottom of the roasting rack.

Of course it was all down hill from there. While divulging my kitchen shame to CK I ended up burning the aromatics for the stuffing and had to throw them out and start all over again. By the time we sat down to eat I was just grateful to have a plate of food. Thankfully the meat was still tender and tasty, but I felt like a complete fool. So please enjoy my “Upside Down” chicken in all its glory! Maybe I’ll start a new trend…

Right Side Up (Note Button)	Garlic, Oranges, and Lemon Wedges
The Balancing Chicken Act	Where it all Went Wrong
Add Stock to the Pan	Prep the Glaze
Combine	Baste, Baste, Baste
Tent with Foil	Melt Butter for Stuffing
Saute the Onions & Celery	Crumble in the Muffins
The Unveiling	What Happens in the Kitchen…