Tuesday, October 21, 2008

How to Get Your Man to Propose


Confession time: I pulled this recipe out of a Cosmo article-- "Foods That Can Seduce." It was right next to a list of five sure-fire ways to get your man to consider marriage--a list that included making a big life change that would force him to see you as wife material. To me, and to all the ladies I asked, that sounds like Cosmo is saying, "Want him to propose? Get pregnant." Yeesh.

Anyway, the food is good.
Oven-Roasted Chicken with Pancetta, Roasted Garlic, and Rosemary (adapted from Cosmo to feed two)

Two large chicken breasts
Kosher salt
Pepper
One-quarter pound slab of pancetta cut into cubes, or four slices (bacon works in a pinch)
One tablespoon olive oil
Four to eight cloves of garlic, depending on how much you like it
A sprig of fresh rosemary

Note: Dried herbs really don't work for this. Go for fresh, and if you don't have rosemary, use something else. And if you have nothing, don't use anything.

Salt and pepper each piece of chicken and set aside. In a medium oven-proof skillet, cook the pancetta until crispy. Remove from the pan and set aside. Preheat the oven to 400F. Drain most of the fat from the pan and add the olive oil. Cook the garlic cloves until golden, just about a minute and a half, and then put the skillet in the oven until the garlic is soft, about 6 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, and remove the garlic. Add the chicken and rosemary to the pan, put it back in the oven, and roast about 8 minutes, maybe longer, depending on the size of the breasts. Remove to plate, garnish with pancetta and garlic, and serve with smashed potatoes and green beans. Tasty.

Cosmo also says: "Add candles. Arrange votives not just on the dining room table but also around the room--on counters, side tables, the mantle. The soft flicker of flames makes anyone look sexier." And: "Sit side-by-side. Some guys find eating face-to-face weirdly intense. But sitting on the same side of the table allows both intermittent physical contact and eye contact." And: "Use your hands. Eating with your fingers makes the experience more pleasurable."

Wow, Cosmo. Wow.

Takes about half an hour, longer to make sides.
Difficulty: 3.
Serves two.

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