Tyler Florence is a god

it's raining tonight. it's been raining all day. hard. brandon's been out of sorts since last night -- some deep seeded woe needed to come out -- and nicholas' football game from saturday that was rescheduled for tonight was cancelled. i'm a little stressed these days and was feeling a bit put off about what to cook. i try to keep my pantry well-prepped, as well as my freezer, fridge and dry goods area, but these days, well... i'm kind of exhausted and trying to hold out until payday. i'm low on WAY too many things, although in the world of dried spices, that's not so bad. at least they won't lose their potency. as a quick aside, keeping spices for more than a couple-ish months isn't the greatest thing in the world, so if you can stop holding onto them for years, it'll make a difference in your cooking life. they're not really supposed to be passed down from one generation to another like a great cast iron skillet or your grandmother's wedding ring. that cinnamon you've had for the last 15 years doesn't taste like cinnamon anymore, trust me. neither does that nutmeg, paprika or italian seasoning. and the tumeric you keep moving from house to house? yeah, that's pretty much the same as yellow chalk right about now.

but i totally digress. we grabbed TYLER'S ULTIMATE cookbook by the ever brilliant, very fun Tyler Florence. i also have his TASTE THIS BOOK, which is FAB-U-LOSITY times ten. oh, yeah. and, well, he's really cute. but... okay, anyway--

tonight we went for LEMON CURRY CHICKEN, because, as i have mentioned, i have TONS (okay, not literally, but you know what i mean) of chicken in my deep freeze and it would take no time to defrost and cook up. this tangy indian scented dish looked like it would be a breeze, so it was the choice after a long, wet day.

ingredients:
1 (3 1/2 to 4-pound) chicken, cut into 10 pieces

2 cups plain yogurt
2 tbs curry powder
grated zest of 1 lemon and its juice
1 tbs toasted sesame oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

what to do:
1. preheat the oven to 400ºF. rinse the chix and pat dry with paper towels -- although, as you know, one of my other recipes said "DON'T WASH THAT CHIX", but you do what you need to do to make yourself feel safe. definitely.
2. stir the yogurt, curry powder, lemon zest and juice, sesame oil, and salt and pepper in a big bowl. add the chix and toss gently to coat with the yogurt marinade. put the chix on a baking sheet and roast, basting with the remaining marinade twice as it cooks, until the chix is tender and cooked through, about 45 minutes.

here's what we did:
i was in a hurry, i was tired, i didn't want to think about doing anything. so, i didn't. i didn't even cut a whole chicken up. i just took five thighs and five legs and used them. i had everything else and even though his recipe calls for making a yummy Mango-Basmati Rice Salad to go with this, i heated up some leftover french fries from saturday night, cut up a couple of oranges to go with this and served. this chix was tangy delicious, light tasting and just right for a cool night.

report card:
brandon and nicholas ate 4 pieces and asked for more. i think we did pretty okay. they are now munching away on some rice cakes with peanut butter as their dessert, done with homework, letting our dog, sunflower, lick their fingers -- whatever -- and just chillin'. it's one of those nights for just laying low. i'm down with that for sure.

check out tyler florence every chance you get. his shows are good, his cookbooks full of delicioso yummers and his whole vibe when you watch him just great. jamie oliver, whom i miss terribly, is another one i really adore with that same accessible, on your side, having a total blast cooking kind of thing going. you may not like tyler when you see him, but i definitely do. not just because he's incredibly fun to look at -- although, yes, he is -- but because the man knows how to cook and make it look fun.

i know that's why i do it.
check you tomorrow.