Asking me to pick a favorite dish is like asking me to pick which of my children I like best. Each dish has its own history in my life and, sometimes, in the life of my family.
Take bacon. When I was twelve, over at my friend Janelle’s house the morning of a sleepover, Janelle’s mom served us a mountain of pancakes and a wall of bacon. I put some bacon on my plate, tried to take a bite, and just couldn’t. Now when you are in North Carolina, where I was attending an arts school, you are expected to eat what you put on your plate. That day I was not a good, southern girl. Luckily, bacon seems to be one of those things you can pass on to your friends without much questioning. I slipped it to one of the other girls who happily ate it right up.
I did not touch bacon for fourteen years until one evening when I asked my husband if he would please go and get me a little bacon. He looked at me askance, but, since he is a great lover of bacon and since he figured his influence must have been changing me for the better, went downstairs to the bodega and brought back a pound of bacon. I ate the whole thing. Every last bite of it, no sharing.
A day later we found out I was pregnant with our daughter.
A dish, though, implies something with a bit more gravitas, then a lonely pan of bacon. It implies, to me, something besides dessert, too, which is my favorite of favorite foods, courses, and earthly delights. To help make a decision, I asked myself what I could eat for the rest of my life if I absolutely had to. It was a toss-up among miso soup, chicken soup, and whole roasted chicken with vegetables. In the end, the roasted chicken won out. My entire family will eat it with no complaints, no grumbles, just lots of chewing.
The recipe for my dry spice rub is
here. For a whole chicken, slice an organic lemon in half and place it into the chicken’s (cough) cavity along with two or three cloves of garlic and tiny bunch of thyme, rosemary, or your favorite herb. Pour a couple of tablespoons of olive oil or melted butter over the chicken and cover with 2-3 tablespoons of
the spice rub. Cram whatever veggies you’d like in the bottom of the pan in a single layer around the chicken.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place your prepared chicken in the oven and cook for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and cook till the chicken is beautiful and browned. Basting is not essential but it does add more deliciousness and crispiness to the skin.
What is your absolute favorite dish? The one you could not live without?
Read about other people dishing around the world:
caitlin, joyce, ani, kim, natsumi, epe, kaylovesvintage, trinsch, c.t., jeannette, outi, ritva, francesca, state of bliss, jennifer, dana, denise, cabrizette, bohemia girl, isabelle, amber, a girl in the yellow shoes, mister e, janis, kari, jgy, skymring, elizabeth, allison, lise, cate, crescent moon, erin, otli, ida, caroline, lisa, dorte, kimmie, la lune dans le ciel, nicola, malo, vanessa, britta, april, b, kyndale samantha, karen, kristina, goldensunfamily, sophie, janet, mcgillicutty, aimee, sunnymama, jenell, britta, juanita, pamela, inna, daan, myrtille, cris, ibb, jodi, gillian, travelingmama
athena, pienduzz, latisha, clairette, kelleyn, iris, demara, mus, ninja, guusje, di, sammi, theresa, cherry b, victoria, kathryn , lisa, liza, juliette, braja, mulot, anne, lucy, leonor, elizabeth, helene, dominique, shokoofeh, cole, jenna, podane, grey-lemon, line, nihal, urbaNiche, inner toddler, puna, lucylaine, adrienne, emily, lynn, skywriting, eliane, the wanderer´s daughter, carole, anna, dorit, kenza, sherry, conny, susan
Asking me to pick a favorite dish is like asking me to pick which of my children I like best. Each dish has its own history in my life and, sometimes, in the life of my family.
11/11/2009 at 2:33 pm Permalink
Love that food or dishes have their own history.
Lovely and yummi photo. I am still hungry.
11/11/2009 at 3:09 pm Permalink
My favorite dish is something my dad used to make. It includes cooked rice, green onions and breakfast sausage. It sounds like an odd combination but the flavor is out of this world. Funny enough it's both my children's favorite too.
11/11/2009 at 3:21 pm Permalink
Nothing like a roasted chicken. I can smell it now.
But I gotta have dessert!
11/11/2009 at 6:07 pm Permalink
I like dishes like that where everyone in the family loves it and there are no complaints. I agree it is hard to choose a favorite food dish.
11/11/2009 at 6:54 pm Permalink
Fantastic corner view. I love plain roast chicken, too, and would love to try your rub. I loved the bacon story–and might add that I went to school in North Carolina as well (Chapel Hill!).
11/11/2009 at 7:00 pm Permalink
Do you still eat bacon? I make a similar roast chicken with lemon!
11/11/2009 at 8:07 pm Permalink
Cate you gave me a chuckle about picking your favorite. Thanks for sharing. xo
11/11/2009 at 8:57 pm Permalink
What a sweet bacon story!
I'm a soup fan with good bread and cheese.
11/11/2009 at 9:52 pm Permalink
love your bacon story. too sweet. p.s. my favorite chicken recipe is the same, but i roast the veg in a separate dish, and add about a 1/2 glass of water to the chicken pan. (something all the spanish women do here.) besos!
11/11/2009 at 9:53 pm Permalink
p.s. can´t wait to try your rub!
11/11/2009 at 9:58 pm Permalink
oh I don"t eat chicken…but is fine to read about it
12/11/2009 at 1:51 am Permalink
I love a really good soup with a wonderful salad and some tasty bread. My kids would say their favourite dish is my roast chicken. You're looks yummy!
12/11/2009 at 2:13 am Permalink
Ah, roast chicken… one of my favorites too! Love that bacon story! Does your daughter crave it?
MODman made a fantastic miso soup last night. Such a yummy and quick meal to make.
Happy Day!
12/11/2009 at 5:06 am Permalink
Loved your story about bacon! I will now be pondering on the question of my favorite dish. I think it would be ravioli, always come back to those over and over again.
12/11/2009 at 9:25 am Permalink
isn't that just crazy what pregnancy makes us do. I love your story.
I was interested to see what you'd come up with for this Corner View.
You make cooking look like fun. We love chicken in this family so I'll be trying your chicken rub soon.
Happy Day.
12/11/2009 at 9:39 am Permalink
Yum. I have so many favorites, hard to decide, but posted about something I have loved making (and eating) recently…
12/11/2009 at 12:40 pm Permalink
I love your Corner View, the story with the bacon! going to try your chicken recipe!!
12/11/2009 at 2:57 pm Permalink
Oh my.. So comforting, tasty and endlessly versatile. There's nothing like a solid recipe for roast bacon or chicken together with a bowl of rice. Maybe I could add a glass of wine next.
Btw, I did not like this week's theme;) As gets me very hungry:(
Happy CV'ing & Best wishes~
12/11/2009 at 5:08 pm Permalink
thank you for the rub recipe ….. they cost so much to buy already done up. Roast chicken is a favorite here too – this will be a nice flavor change to use the spice rub
12/11/2009 at 8:36 pm Permalink
How did you say it ? Yummy ????
12/11/2009 at 9:54 pm Permalink
sounds great, but looks even better.
have you heard of baconaise? look it up. i've never tried it but would love to some day. not so sure that it could replace the "B" in my blt.
Have a great week.
Dana
13/11/2009 at 5:25 pm Permalink
we have been having roast chicken regularly in our home as well! Very similar but using Alice Water's method which involves turning the chicken twice in the cooking time and I lay it on a bed of sliced onions. I love the idea of melting butter over it! Yum! Off to look up baconaise!
15/11/2009 at 3:14 pm Permalink
It's lovely to hear a chef talking about dishes, and to get these insights into your food beginnings and inspirations. You speak of chicken and bacon like a sculptor might speak of his/her formative encounters with clay:))
Happy week to you!
17/11/2009 at 2:50 am Permalink
woow, looks so delicious…Roasted chicken is one of my favorite!!
It's been nice weather in NY! Warm… hope it stays for while . Enjoy!