I don’t do much with chicken. I’m not a huge fan and often prefer turkey. But, it had been almost a year since I roasted a chicken and on a cool autumn afternoon it seemed like the right thing to do.

Here’s what I made:

I got a whole frying chicken at Whole Foods. I gave it a nice rinse, patted it dry, and put it on an upright roasting rack. I covered it in a marinade of:

• 2 TB Honey Mustard
• 2 TB Worcestershire
• 1 TB olive oil
• 2 TB local honey from New Moon Farms (Best.Honey.Ever.)
• 1/2 tsp Smoked Spanish Paprika from Savory Spice Shop
• Fresh ground black pepper
• a pinch of Red Algae Hawaiian Kai Sea Salt (also from SSS)

Then I stuffed the chicken with 3 carrots and 2 red onions, and laid some potatoes and turnips on the tray.

Next went 2 cups of water into the bottom of the roasting pan and the bird went into an oven that had been preheated to 350. I roasted for approximately 1.5 hours. It is done when the thigh reaches 180. You also want to see the juices run clear from the bird when you poke it’s thigh with the thermometer.

I had no choice but to make gravy with the pan drippings. Literally- I had no choice. The man of the house was not even going to consider a roasted chicken and potato dinner without gravy.

I served this with some Apple-Baked Brussel Sprouts.

Roasting a whole chicken is a great thing to do from time to time because after serving the breast meat on day 1, it’s resourceful to pick the bird clean and then make homemade broth with the bones. It is so much better than store bought broth, and you get to control what goes in.

Get cooking!

I’m posting about my first promotion here on A Bolder Table, thanks to CSN stores. I had never heard about them before, but they have over 200 online stores where they sell everything from wardrobes to cookware.

The first person to email me at megan@localtabletours.com will get a $20 gift certificate to use at a CSN store. I’m sure you’ll find something you like!

-Offer only valid for US and Canadian residents.

It was a typical night: I was sitting on the couch with a glass of wine, flipping between the Food Network and the Cooking Channel. The clock approached midnight… then 12:30. I decided to go to bed. But then, it happened again. A Boulder food business was being featured on a Cooking Channel show. I feel like I’m constantly seeing Boulder food businesses on TV, so I recorded it… but stayed up til 1:00 am just to hear about these nuts.

Olomomo. What in the what kind of name is that? Justin Perkins, the founder and CEO of Olomomo, talked about his company’s name. He apparently created the word. It’s a mouthful, but, in my opinion, describes these flavorful nuts, in some kind of odd way.

I enjoyed watching Justin talk about his company on TV. He talked about world travel as an inspiration for his nut flavors, such as Chai Bliss Almonds, Maple Masala Pecans, Mango Chipotle Zinger Almonds, and Cinnamon and Cayenne Almonds. I’d love to sit down with him and talk travel/food inspiration, being an extensive world traveler myself…. but, I digress…

I’ve seen Olomomo’s stand at the Boulder Farmers’ Market all summer, so I decided to buy a few bags. I tried the Maple Masala Pecans, Mango Chipotle Zinger Almonds, and Chai Bliss Almonds.

The verdict: These are my new favorite snack. I had to show real self control to not devour all of the nuts before even taking a quick photo. Great job Olomomo! I’m so happy to have you here in Boulder and look forward to eating lots of Olomomo nuts in the future. Ski season is approaching, and these small packs are a perfect snack.

If you’re in Boulder, make sure to stop by one of the last few farmers’ markets and sample some nuts. If not, order online. Your taste buds will thank you.

I wish I had a dozen of these. I picked up some mini cupcakes from Tee & Cakes for dessert last week after guiding a food tour, and I swear, these were the best cupcakes ever. One little dreamy dessert is a salted caramel chocolate cupcake and the other is what I’m going to call a maple pumpkin best-tasting-dessert-ever cupcake.

Tee & Cakes is the place to buy specialty cakes and cupcakes in Boulder. They’ve been featured on TV for their famous bacon topped maple cupcakes with chocolate frosting- a Boulder dessert staple that I have not tried (since I don’t eat bacon!).

But, I really enjoy ending food tours at Tee & Cakes because, not only are our guests incredibly pleased with their dessert, but I often take the opportunity to bring some cupcakes home if I do not feel like baking dessert. It’s a real win-win for everyone!

Join us on a culinary walking tour for a taste of Boulder. I’m having so much fun being a tour guide (as well as a founding foodie) and wanted to write a quick post urging you to visit the Local Table Tours website for more info and to register for a tour. If you’re not from Boulder, it’s probably time to visit.

Wining and dining has never been so much fun!