Buttermilk-Marinated and Herbed Roast Chicken

Buttermilk is amazing for fried chicken and makes it tender and juicy, and it's also awesome for roasted chicken. The meat is tender and juicy and the skin as this amazing tang. It's super simple. I used the recipe from The Times this week, but added the herbs because I had them. You're welcome to omit the herbs, or stuff the chicken with onion or lemon or some combo of aromatics. Yum! The buttermilk also gives the chicken a really rich, dark brown skin. You just need to start the night before. 

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

1 3-pound chicken

1 pint buttermilk

3 tablespoons kosher salt

handful sage and rosemary

Dragon Fruit Rum Cocktails

This would be great for Valentine's Day! The color is so bright, fuchsia pink that it looks totally fake, but it's all from the dragon fruit. You chop it up and infuse the rum with it (dragon fruit has almost no flavor so it's really just for the color). It's super tasty and beautiful.

Makes 4
Ingredients:
1 cup white rum
1 dragon fruit, 3/4 chopped up and 1/4 reserved for garnish
1 tbsp superfine sugar
1 tsp honey
juice of 2 limes
juice of 2 tangerines
tonic water

Directions:
Mix the rum and the chopped dragon fruit in a bowl or measuring cup and let it sit at room temperature for an hour or two. It should turn a bright fuchsia.

Cacio e Pepe Spaghetti Squash

You can make pretty much anything delicious by making it "cacio e pepe" and this was no exception. Yum! It's so, so tasty. Sort of like a spicy macaroni and cheese. It's a little decadent, but only a little (no carbs, after all). I can't wait to make it again. It's so warm and cheesy and delicious!

Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 medium-sized spaghetti squash
1 1/2 cups loosely packed, freshly grated pecorino cheese
1/2 tbsp whole black peppercorns
1 1/2 tbsp butter
salt
olive oil

Brutti Ma Buoni Cookies (Ugly but Good)

These are so good. If you like meringues and Nutella and Ferrero Rocher, these are for you. (If you don't like those, you're nuts, but you won't like these.) These are Italian cookies that mean ugly but good, and oh man, they live up to the name, at least the latter half. Mmmm. I brought them into the office and they're a big success. Also, they don't have any butter or flour so are healthier than most other cookie options - but there is a lot of sugar, so not that healthy. This is perfect for if you make cinnamon rolls or ice cream or other egg yolk-heavy recipes and have some extra whites to use! I used the Smitten Kitchen recipe but made it a little bigger and cut back on the chocolate a little.

Makes About 40 cookies
Ingredients:
2 cups hazelnuts
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1/3 tsp salt
6 egg whites
8oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

I love Pillsbury cinnamon rolls. When my mom makes them it is a trial in willpower to stop myself at two. I'd never made them from scratch because it's something you have to start the night before (not that morning trying to decide what to make). As long as you know in advance you want to make them, it's not a lot of work and they're delicious. They're not quite as sweet as the Pillsbury variety and they're so doughy and warm and wonderful. This makes 12 and I don't think you'll have trouble finishing them off. I used this recipe from Alton Brown.

Ingredients:
4 egg yolks, room temp
1 egg, room temp
1/4 cup sugar
6 tbsp butter, melted
6oz buttermilk, room temp
4 cups flour
1 package instant dry yeast
1 1/4 tsp salt