A Last Hurrah

Folks, tonight we celebrate the life of my beloved Tumbleweed Chicken Cooker and mourn its passing. TCC came into my life during my bridal shower in March 2007, a gift from my mom, and it has faithfully given us delicious chicken. TCC was always shiny and eager to work, all it asked in return was a liquid poured into the steaming well and a lovely roaster chicken to make it's own.

Today, in anticipation of a delicious Shabbat dinner, I eagerly filled the well with a mixture of white wine and lemon juice, and rubbed the chicken with olive oil and spices. 73 minutes later, my TCC had given its all. As we removed the chicken from the cooker, olive oil and drippings spilled all over the counter from a crack in the bottom. I had never noticed this crack and feel that I somehow failed my TCC. I hadn't used it since we moved to the new apartment, and I guess the jostling and packing was too much for TCC. Could I have saved it? We'll never know. So, ladies and gentlemen, I give you the last delicious hurrah from my friend, Tumbleweed Chicken Cooker.

Ingredients:
3 - 5 lb roaster chicken
Olive oil
Spices (rosemary, garlic, thyme)
Steaming liquid of choice (wine, juice, beer, cola...)

Instructions:
Fill the cooker well with your steaming liquid. Gently place the uncooked chicken over the well, securing it so it will "stand" up. Coat the chicken with the oil/spice mixture. Place in a cold oven, and bake at 350 for 70-80 minutes (until juices run clear and chicken measure 163 degrees).

We also served it with roasted grape tomatoes, which are so good! Roasting them concentrates the flavor and the burst all over themselves. Messy, but delish.

Ingredients:
Grape tomatoes (cherry would work well, too)
2 TBS Olive oil
Spices (salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, oregano...whatever you want!)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375. Pour olive oil into a baking dish and sprinkle with spices. Put the tomatoes in the dish and roll/shake it around until the tomatoes are all coated evenly. Roast for about 10-12 minutes, until tomatoes burst and sizzle.