Sorry I haven’t been able to update; I’ve been the sickest I’ve been in ages. I’m finally feeling like I may be coming back to the land of the living tonight. Or maybe it’s just the fact that I just drank an iced coffee with a shot of espresso. I never do that this late in the day but I needed a kick to help me get some work done.

My illness started with food poisoning, and once I had ridden the porcelain god for a night, the cold from hell crept up and kicked me. Actually, I think it was the flu because fever, chills, body aches, oh my. Whatever. I am done for the whole season I hope. Oh, and if you are sniffing something in your fridge and wondering if it’s still good maybe you should just throw it out. I can’t believe I needed to learn that lesson again.

I just got done cooking a real dinner for my family, one that involved chopping and preheating and sautéing etc. I have been turning a blind eye to the food situation the past few days as I stayed sweating on the couch. I was actually relieved that they are now old enough to fix themselves something for dinner if need be. Sure, that might be a bowl of cereal or Macaroni and cheese from a box, but a few days won’t hurt them.

I made this for dinner tonight from chocolate and zucchini.

It was a huge success. I ate a bean burrito. Sometimes I feel a little left out as a vegetarian, but not often.

Le Poulet de Muriel

1 large free-range chicken, about 2 kilos (4 pounds)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Fine sea salt, freshly ground pepper
1 large head garlic
1 organic lemon, cut in four quarters
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary

Rub the skin of the chicken with olive oil, sprinkle it with salt and pepper on all sides, and place it, breasts-side up, in a clay pot or cast-iron cocotte large enough to accommodate it. Peel the outer layers off the head of garlic to separate the individual cloves — don’t peel the cloves themselves. Arrange the cloves, lemon, and herbs around the chicken.

Put the lid on, slip the pot in the cold (not preheated) oven, and turn the oven on to 150°C (300°F). Bake for three hours, or until cooked through (if you have a meat thermometer, insert it in the inner part of a thigh: the chicken is done when the thermometer registers 82°C / 180°F), basting the chicken with its own juices every 45 minutes or so.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, carve the different serving parts, and transfer to a warm serving dish (pour very hot water from the kettle into it and let stand as you cut the chicken). Transfer the juices, herbs, and cloves to a gravy boat, and serve immediately, with green beans and mashed potatoes.