There is no question that my love language is culinary. Sick in bed? I'll bring over pho! Just had a baby? I'll be over with a pan of Brown Butter Pumpkin Mac and Cheese. But to me, there is no food more potent with love than a freshly roasted whole chicken with herbs and garlic.

As it roasts, its heavenly scent fills your kitchen, wafting down the halls (and perhaps even into the apartment next door), letting everyone know that something special is being cooked. It's simple, but the very definition of wholesome, and goes with just about anything. 

This isn't the first chicken I've roasted, but it may be the simplest preparation. Here, I blend the classic French dried herb combination, Herbes de Provence (a mixture of savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, oregano and lavender) with chopped garlic, salt and pepper, and slather it thickly over a beautiful whole chicken.

 

 

The herb-garlic mixture does double duty, creating a crust that helps hold moisture in, while also infusing the chicken with all that herbaceous, herbal flavor.   

The product is a wonderfully juicy, rustic chicken that should be served with simple sides that complement, but don't overwhelm it. Roasted potatoes, a creamy but simply flavored risotto or sauteed cannellini beans would be a great option, along with something sturdy and green, like massaged kale or roasted rapini.

So, instead of chocolate or roses, consider giving a freshly roasted chicken this Valentines Day. Not only does it kind of look like a heart, but you can't make soup broth out of leftover chocolates and roses.

Look, I don't care about football.

When I was a kid, my dad would scream at the TV on Sunday afternoons, while the blue guys and the red guys wrassled each other for the ball, and every now and then he would call me into the living room to show me a particularly great wrassle-ball interaction.

"Watch this, sweetie!" he'd say to me as an instant replay flashed across the screen. "This is beautiful!"

And I'd watch, as the red guys wrassled the blue guys, failing to see any of the beauty he mentioned whatsoever. 

"Cool, Dad. Can I go back to my room now?"

As I'd leave the living room, I'd pass my mom in the kitchen, who, inevitably, had also just been forced to watch something inexplicably "beautiful" on the screen. We'd nod at each other, like longtime office co-workers, weary of the same clueless boss.



These days, the few times a year I watch football, I do it for one of two reasons.

A) The other people watching:

Or B) the food. Obviously.

The last time I watched an entire game, it was because I love the people who were also watching, but also because it was a great opportunity to make pizza dough-based pretzels and a creamy, unctuous beer-cheddar sauce. Beer and cheddar have such an affinity for one another--the sour punch of the beer plays gorgeously with the nutty tang of the cheddar (particularly the sharp variety). The combination of the two invokes the umami-must-not-stop-eating-this-deliciousness effect, which is reason enough for me.

As I stirred the simple sauce on the stove (just browned onions in a roux with Guinness stout, cheddar and mustard), I couldn't help but think of how perfect this sauce would be for a mac and cheese. Beer and cheese are a dream combination, and tender pasta seemed like the perfect vehicle for them both.

So today I made just that. Just watch. It's beautiful.

Note: Feel free to skip the pasta and just use the cheese sauce as a dip for pretzels, breadsticks or chips.

Today's blog is a guest-post from my friend (and star of Young & Hungry) Jonathan Sadowski. You may know Jonathan as a talented actor (he recently played William Shatner's son), but one did you also know he's a passionate hot sauce expert? We're talking a massive hot sauce collection, extensive knowledge of chile varietals, and a deep love for the varying subtleties (or lack thereof) between different sauces. 

I asked Jonathan to pull together a list of his favorites. Read on for a post from Sadowski on his hot sauce must-haves.

Let’s be honest...who doesn’t like a good cry? The swelling of the eyes...the tickle of a tear as it salts down your cheek. The sting of air every time you exhale. Throbbing lips. The incessant “razor blades on your tongue” inferno... “Sadowski, what the hell are you talking about?” Hot sauce, y’all. Hot sauce. I’m talking about jalapeños. I’m talking about habaneros. I’m talking bhut jolokia, naga jolokia, butch T’s, Trinidad Moruga scorpion, scotch bonnets...I’m talking THE CAROLINA (MF-ing) REAPER.

If you couldn’t tell by my unbridled enthusiasm, I am a chili addict. Over the years I have accumulated quite the collection of hot sauces, and today I’m gonna share with you some of my favorites.

D.L. JARDINE’S TEXAS KICKER: “Move over Tabasco...”

This habanero based sauce is a great stepping stone for those who want to stick their toes in the water. You’ll notice the garlic and onion on the nose, with a hint of citrus finish. It kinda has a southwest vibe to it, and goes great with Mexican food, or as an everyday hot sauce.

Hard pretzels don't really do much for me. Sure, they're oft-lauded as a great healthy snack, but honestly, I'd rather have a bowl of kale. Even the peanut butter-filled kind, while marginally better than plain ones, leave me unsatisfied--not to mention thirsty.

But soft, buttery pretzels, hot out of the oven, with a lightly crisp exterior and a chewy, yet puffy interior are a totally different story. Serve them with  tangy mustard or creamy cheese sauce for the ultimate game night/ballgame/study session snack (don't forget the cold beer!). You could probably even get away with serving them (plus soup and maybe a light salad) for an easy supper.

Most importantly, they're super-simple to make, using pizza dough (check out my latest book for more on this glorious product!). Make it yourself, or pick it up at the store and go from there.

Happy New Year!

You may have seen a few posts in my Facebook and Twitter feeds about the ridiculous, crazy, wild news of a TV show inspired by BrokeAss Gourmet and my adventures in and out of the kitchen. I've had a few requests for an explanation of, um, how the hell that happened, so I thought I'd share one in the same place this whole thing started: my blog.  

In early 2011, I got an email from an agent at Creative Artists Agency. He loved BrokeAss Gourmet, and wanted to know if I had ever considered doing something with it in the scripted TV realm. Say, a sitcom?

 

Uh, no. I hadn't considered doing that before.

But he truly thought there was something there. Eventually, he found a few production companies interested in meeting with me. Still in disbelief that anyone would actually think that a show inspired by my life would be something people would want to watch, I flew to LA. My first book, The BrokeAss Gourmet Cookbook, had just come out, so I stuffed a few copies of it into my falling-apart Target purse, swiped on some red lipstick, and hoped to be taken at least a little bit seriously.

Lo and behold, The Tannenbaum Company, creators of CBS' mega-hit, Two and a Half Men, loved me. They wanted to get started right away. My agent assured me that this was very, very good. I could not believe it. 

My disbelief continued, as the Tannenbaum Company brought me back down to Los Angeles to interview writers. In case you've never interviewed someone who is up for the job of writing the TV version of your life, allow me to tell you: it's very surreal. You might even find yourself laughing out loud during the process because you can't believe it's happening.

But then, if you're lucky, the process will lead you to meet a writer whom you just know is the one. When the meeting ends, you won't want him to go. He is Dave Holden. And he was the one for my show. Which, of course, I still couldn't believe was starting to take shape.

Dave came to San Francisco to absorb a little bit of BrokeAss Gourmet at the source. He met my family, a few of my friends, and of course, Evan. Then he set to work, writing the pilot script.

The pilot went through several iterations. Dave workshopped it with The Tannenbaum Company for weeks until they had something they were truly happy with. The story of a feisty young food blogger named Gabi, who lives in the Mission district in San Francisco and applies for a job as a personal chef to a Zuckerberg-type character. She is klutzy and blunt, but full of heart and aspiration. Dave called the show Young & Hungry.

Then, we pitched to the networks. I made Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies and distributed more copies of my book to network executives. Then, we waited.

At first, we didn't hear much, so I banished the possibility of this actually manifesting to the tiny attic in my brain, where unlikely dreams are stored. 

But then, something crazy happened. 

While visiting friends in Tulsa, I got a call from my agent. "It looks like we've got an offer from ABC Family!" he told me.

I happen to love ABC Family. Pretty Little Liars is my sorry-not-sorry guilty pleasure. They were interested in my show?! 

And they were. So much so, that they greenlit a pilot. 

Then, they cast it.

Emily Osment, of Hannah Montana fame, as Gabi Diamond, our protagonist.

Jonathan Sadowski, of $#*! My Dad Says, as Josh Kaminski, Gabi's tech entrepreneur boss.

Rex Lee of Entourage, as Elliot Park, Josh's publicist/assistant.

Annie Potts of GCB, Designing Women, and, of course, Ghostbusters, as Donna Kaminski, Josh's overbearing mother.

The Americans' Aimee Carrero as Gabi's best friend and roommate, Sofia Rodriguez.

Australian newcomer, Mallory Jansen, as Caroline, Josh's high society girlfriend.

The inimitable Kym Whitley, of Curb Your Enthusiasm plays Yolanda, Josh's housekeeper.

And finally, Top Chef winner and owner of Los Angeles' ink, Michael Voltaggio, as himself. 

Oh, and the lovely Ashley Tisdale is executive-producing.

 

So Evan and I flew to Los Angeles to watch the taping of the show, and you guys, it was good.

I realize I'm biased, but it was the kind of show I'd want to watch, even if it weren't directly connected to me. The characters are lovable, but real. You want to hang out with them. More specifically, you want to share a meal and a few drinks with them. 

And then, this Monday, the unimaginable happened: ABC Family picked up the show. It's going to series. Production starts this spring, and the show will premiere later in 2014. 

I can't begin to express how blown away I am. It feels like yesterday that the concept of this maybe being a faint possibility was just introduced to me. But here we are.

I'll keep you posted on my involvement, as we get closer to the premiere. But for now, I'm going to celebrate with a few cocktails and an incredible meal.