Secret Naked Lady Room at Bell Book and Candle

I'd been dying to try the Naked Lady Room at Bell Book and Candle. I'd eaten there once before (BB&C) but didn't know about the special, secret little room. For Jamie's birthday, we made a reservation for 5 (that's all it holds) 2 weeks in advance and got to try it out. It was super cool! Great for an intimate dinner, and also great because it's a private room but there's no extra cost. It's teeny tiny, so you can only fit 5, maybe 6, people. Also, I wouldn't advise it for people with claustrophobia. The ceilings are high and there's a small window looking out to the bar, but it's definitely cramped.

Window looking out to the bar - perfect for ordering drinks and summoning the waiter

Fried Cornish Game Hen

Jamie and I had a big ugly sweater Christmas party and the next night were feeling like we needed a little comfort food.

I had never made real, deep fried chicken before and went to the grocery to pick out what I thought I might need. There was a sale on Cornish game hen and I love these little birds. They cook faster than chicken and they're delicious, and great when you just have two people to feed. So then fried chicken turned into fried Cornish game hen. Sounds fancy, right? You could totally serve it at a dinner party without seeming too down home. (Don't be intimidated by the name - Cornish game hens are basically just mini chickens.)

Pot Roast with Polenta

Merry belated Christmas! Sorry for the break in posts. On December 23, Jamie and I decided we'd exchange our presents and have a special dinner. (He's quite the wrapping enthusiast as you can see above - aren't I lucky?) 

He is not wont to making dinner requests, but I implored him. His request was pot roast. I've never made pot roast before, but it follows the same formula as short ribs, lamb shanks, etc. (Anything you cook for 2+ hours with wine and lots of veggies is always melt-in-your-mouth delicious, so I obliged.) I followed Ina Garten's recipe, but added a little Balsamic vinegar - a trick I learned to give amazing flavor and a touch of sweetness from another slow braise recipe.

Chicken Chili

I love chili. Nothing better on a rainy, awful night like last night than a big bowl of spicy chili to warm you up. So I had my friends Alice and Elaine over for a chili night. I made chicken chili to be healthy, and it's so tasty and satisfying and I only used 2 tablespoons of oil in the whole thing. All of the different beans make it colorful and have great flavor and texture and the chipotle powder gives it a little bit of smokiness. Next time I may double the recipe so there are more leftovers! (This recipe serves 6)

Ingredients:
1 package ground chicken (turkey is fine too)
1 28 can whole tomatoes, chopped or torn up w your hands, juices reserved
1 can red beans
1 can white beans
1 can black beans
2 tbsp canola oil
1 1/2 yellow onions, diced

Barbara Lynch's Pappardelle with Tangy Veal Ragu

Jamie and I had our friends Allen and Colleen over for dinner last night. We'd been trying to get them over for a while, so I wanted to make something special. My brother-in-law bought me a great cookbook for Christmas last year, "Stir" by Barbara Lynch. I've already made a few things in there, but just found this really great recipe. It's definitely not a quick thing to throw together, so make sure you've got at least 4 hours free before you want to eat. It's delicious! The marrow from the bones really makes the sauce rich and silky, and the long braise make the meat incredibly tender. The flavors are intense, and paired with fresh pasta it's an amazing winter meal. (Dried pasta would be fine too, but fresh can't be beat.)

Followed this with a light salad and some pecan pie.

Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie

I was in Africa over Thanksgiving (amazing, amazing trip!) so I didn't get to cook or eat any of my Thanksgiving favorites, so when we had our friends over this weekend, I made some pecan pie. I wanted to try a new recipe and this one from Martha Stewart sounded great. Also, Jamie's a big bourbon fan so we had a lot of that on hand. It was great! Really sweet and great flavors. Be careful of overflow in the oven and use a cookie sheet and some foil to catch the run off. Really great dessert!

Ingredients:
Frozen pie crust (or make your own, I just didn't have time)
1 cup sugar
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
4 large whole eggs
1 cup plus 2 tbsp dark corn syrup
2 tbsp bourbon (or dark rum)

Happy December!

Happy December! Jamie and I got our Christmas tree and now the whole apartment smells piney and great. I also bought an amaryllis so soon we'll have big, red flowers. Good recipes on the way...