My quest to acquire new skills... but I'm not saying I have to be good at them!

The Fall semester of graduate school is over and I have about four weeks until the Spring semester, so in the meantime, I am going to attempt to learn a new skill each week. I figure it's a good break from all of the reading and writing I have to do during school.

Mastering Coq Au Vin
I hardly ever cook. In fact, when I come home from work I often have scrambled eggs for dinner. I know it's pathetic, but when you've been at work all day and have to do homework at night, who wants to bother with cooking! I guess that's what husbands are good for. Since I am lacking one and do not yet have the money for a personal chef, I should probably learn how to cook if I want to eat good food. 


I have always wanted to try Coq Au Vin so why not make it myself. I used Tyler Florence's recipe. I spent about $60+ on the ingredients and it took me about 2 hours to make. The most labor intensive part of this dish was peeling two cups of pearl onions. I mean do we really need to use those tiny onions?!? The part I was most nervous about was when I had to flambe. I'm so glad I bought long matches for that part. Good news is that I didn't burn my eyebrows off and the dish tasted great!


I do not know what the French eat their Coq Au Vin with, but like a true Asian, I ate it served over steamed rice :)


For my next "skill," I would like to make and decorate a tiered cake. I probably should not do too many food related things. 
Anyways, here's a few pictures. I even took one of when I flambe'd, but you can't really see the flames.

Some of the ingredients: Chicken, carrots, button mushrooms, pearl onions, thyme and sage.

You have to brown the chicken on both sides in Bacon grease... Anything cooked in Bacon grease is a winner in my book.

You can't tell in this picture.. but that pot is on FIRE! Flambe!

It doesn't look all that appetizing in the pictures, but it was delicious! Coq Au Vin is the perfect cold weather food!