Amuse Bouche: Confessions of a CCL

You see, Dad's gone all week on business. That means I am making dinner for one. Yes, it's lonely. Yes, I did purchase the book "The Pleasure of Cooking for One" in hopes of being inspired at my new found lonely dinner hour. No, it did not work, and yes, I have taken to the sauce to console me.

Will someone buy me one of those "Help, I've fallen and I can't get up!" buttons? Just in case? Cats don't have thumbs. They can't dial.

If Mr. Sauce and I take a turn for the worse, there's no one. to call. for help.

And just in case you were wondering. Yes, I have been putting my sweatpants on immediately after I get home from work. Yes, I have been watching Jersey Shore. AND YES. I have been talking out loud to the cats.

So you bet your tail, when Dad got home last week, it was a feast of the kings! I thought, how special, I'll make cornish hens and he'll see how much I've missed him and how I have thought all week on what to make.

Instead, he said "Why are you making such tiny birds?"

....

WELL I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE NICE, OKAY? I HAVE BEEN HERE ALL WEEK BY MYSELF THINKING ABOUT THIS AND IT IS BIGGER THAN QUAIL. NO I AM NOT STARTING MY PERIOD.

Ok, yes I am.

Cornish Hens in Rosemary and Wine

2 Cornish game hens
salt and pepper to taste
1 lemon, quartered
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic
2 shallots
1/3 cup white wine
1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rub hens with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Lightly season hens with salt and pepper. Place 1 shallot and 1 sprig rosemary in cavity of each hen. Arrange in a large, heavy roasting pan, and arrange garlic cloves and lemon around hens. Roast in preheated oven for 25 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk together wine, chicken broth, and remaining 2 tablespoons of oil; pour over hens. Continue roasting about 25 minutes longer, or until hens are golden brown and juices run clear. Baste with pan juices every 10 minutes.

Transfer hens to a platter and for the love of Martha do not ask your fiance why she is making such tiny birds when she is 1 drink away from certifiable.