Girls Night In, Game plan: Game Hens

I love to cook with friends. I'm not very good with visual art, and I have a lot of creative type friends. Really, I can't draw, can't paint, and really don't have the patience for learning how to sketch. I love fashion, home decor, and obviously cooking, and this is where my creativeoutlets shine. I can so play those games.

So I love love love cooking with friends. It's awesome to feel that ownership over creation, and the best part is, then you get to eat when you're done. One of my favorite people to cook with, is a friend of mine going on 4 years, Sophie. To date, we have made all kinds of fun things, eaten delicious meals out, and I even took my first and only cooking class with her (knife skills, check it). I can't express how much I love our cooking nights. They always involve a bottle of wine (or two...), experimentation with new flavors, and lots of laughs. It's the best way to eat.


Most recently we started our cooking night at our local Whole Foods, loaded up on cornish game hens, which neither of us had ever cooked before, delicious herbs, citrus, and fennel. Some awesome choices if I do say so myself.

Sophie hates HATES touching raw meat, but is quite the serious foodie. I'm determined to break her of this fear. She's doing pretty well! Look at her go! Finally trusting in the modern technology of antibacterial soap.



And it's great, because all that hard work paid off. Our roasted hens, with fennel, rosemary, thyme, lemon, orange, olive oil and wine were succulent and delicious, coated with a crisp, golden skin. We stuffed the citrus under the skin, a technique I love. It seals the citrus flavor into the chicken, and makes a really pretty impression on the skin as it takes on a golden brown finish and tightens up around the fruit. Impressive for large birds around the holidays!

And of course there was the wine. We're partial to Laurenz and Sophia when we see it... because... well.... get it? Lauren.... Sophie... Laurenz... Sophia.... ahhhh! Yup, we're that cool.

But really, it is a tasty wine. Check it out.

We topped the night off with sweet. A shortcake topped with honey and balsamic poached strawberries and a homemade lavender honey ice cream. Delicious. And of course some moscato for good measure. What are your thoughts on dessert wine? I love it after dinner. It's a great compliment to most desserts, and I've heard that it's supposed to help settle your stomach. Not sure if that's true, but it sounds good to me!

All in all it was another successful night, and I'm looking forward to our next food adventure!