Roast Chicken

For years I faithfully made Marcella Hazan's roast chicken, which basically involved roasting the bird with a lemon in its cavity. But once I tried Simon Hopkinson's recipe from his quite wonderful cookbook “Roast Chicken and Other Stories,” there was no going back. I absolutely crave this chicken and could eat it once a week, no problem. What's the difference? Well, butter. Hopkinson was famously the chef of Sir Terence Conran's restaurant Bibendum in London and since those heady days has gone on to write a regular column for the Telegraph in London.

Funny how the chicken has become our most beloved bird. My neighbor is raising some exotic chicks, but even those of us who don't go to that extreme have our own favorite named chickens to buy - Rosie, Rocky, Mary or the more exotically named Jidori. Roast chicken is the go-to dish for every chef I can name. And chicken is a perennial favorite on most restaurant menus - fried, pan-fried, rotisserie-roasted, in tagine , salad, soup, pot pie, curry and every which way. Here are three of my favorite chicken dishes in L.A. Bouchon Bouchon may be famous for its lusty fried chicken, and that is one of the great fried chickens of the world, but my heart is firmly fixed on Thomas Keller's roast chicken grand-mère , which may be the prettiest chicken dish in L.A. It arrives tall and proud, the breast stacked on top of the leg and thigh, with dainty pearl onions, demure fingerling potatoes, button mushrooms and bacon lardons strewn around the plate in the bird's winter savory-infused juices.

The other day, a friend who had moved to Santa Fe was in town so I asked him over to dinner. It was a weeknight and I didn't have a whole lot of time to fuss in the kitchen, and also, because it just seemed like that kind of day, I made a roast chicken. My standby used to be Marcella Hazan's method, just stick a whole lemon inside and let it lightly perfume the bird. But lately I've been making it Simon Hopkinson's way, from the British chef and food writer's book “Roast Chicken and Other Stories.” It has to be among the best roast chickens I've ever tasted.

Ever since I got Seattle chef John Sundstrom's cookbook and iPad app " Lark: Cooking against the Grain " (Community Supported Cookbooks, $50 for the book; $9.99 for the app), I've been cooking out of the book like crazy. For a Sunday supper, his mustard roasted chicken with drippings, potatoes and chard is easy as can be. Basically he mixes together equal parts Dijon mustard and whole grain mustard with minced shallot, thyme leaves, a glug of olive oil and a big splash of white wine.

DEAR SOS: We have been going to Les Freres Taix French restaurant in Los Angeles for 30 years and especially enjoy their roast chicken. Is it possible to obtain a recipe? --HIRSCH DEAR HIRSCH: The smell of roast chicken and Bordelaise sauce will make you think you are in a cozy side-street bistro in Paris. Note the recipe uses canola oil, a highly monounsaturated oil, considered healthful.

A decade ago, there was just about no place in this town to get a nice piece of roast chicken. Today, restaurants specializing in roast chicken are as commonplace as personal trainers with their own Web pages. Koo Koo Roo, the wildly popular Zankou Chicken and national chains such as Boston Market and Kenny Rogers Roasters have brought us from a roast chicken-less abyss to a golden shore of cluck.

Total time: 45 minutes Servings: 4 Note: From "The Bon Appetit Cookbook" by Barbara Fairchild. For a variation, use a mixture of golden and red cherry tomatoes. Serve with crusty bread to soak up the sauce. 24 ounces whole cherry tomatoes (about 4 cups), stemmed 1/4 cup olive oil 5 garlic cloves, pressed 1 1/4 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper 2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram, divided 4 bone-in chicken breasts (10 to 12 ounces each) Salt and freshly ground pepper 1.

A meal should feed us in a satisfying way that makes us feel restored and replete when leaving the table. Restaurants almost never make me feel that way. I like going out to eat, but I never go to a restaurant expecting to be pleasantly fed. Restaurants are fascinating, and sitting in them is like being in someone's dream. Once in a while the food is wonderful and it is a thrill--but it is always unexpected. And even then, there is no substitute for a home-cooked meal.

When it comes to good old-fashioned home cooking, nothing beats a whole roasted chicken. The flavor and texture of the bird are much better than when it is baked as individual parts. It's cheaper, too. A roasted chicken can be the anchor of the simplest family supper or of the most festive dinner party. It's the accompaniments that make the difference.

Despite the bounty of south-of-the border restaurants in Southern California, I've always felt there are far too few Brazilian establishments here. I grew to love the dishes from the regions of Rio, Fortaleza and Sao Paulo when I lived in New York City because I had easy access to a vibrant Brazilian enclave bordering West 42nd Street in Manhattan. So you can imagine my delight when I learned that a Brazilian restaurant, Galletto Caffe & Grill, opened recently in Westlake Plaza.

Meghan and Carter are getting married. Like so many friends of my daughter, they are bright, funny and, sometimes, almost preternaturally serious. A couple of weeks ago, they asked my wife if we would talk to them about how to stay married - and about how to cook. The first, I'll leave to Kathy; after almost 34 years, it's still a mystery to me. But the cooking part is right up my alley, and, even better, I figured it would give me a chance to try out some of the ideas I've been on a soapbox about for the last couple of years.

Ooooh, the holiday season does bring out the cranky in some people, doesn't it? When our S. Irene Virbila wrote a blog post the other day about her new favorite roast chicken - from British chef Simon Hopkinson's “Roast Chicken and Other Stories” - some of the online commentary got a little hot. The issue is one of timing - Hopkinson (and Virbila) call for roasting the chicken for 40 to 60 minutes with the oven first on high heat at 475 degrees, finishing at 375 degrees. Someone calling himself “wordsmyythe” wrote: “I guarantee if you follow these directions exactly as stated, you'll have raw chicken on the inside.” And that was mild compared to the ironically named “decentdiscourse” who opined, “Where did they find a food writer who believes a whole chicken at 400 degrees will be ready for basting in 15 minutes and ready to eat less than an hour later?

  Always on the lookout for a juicy California Pinot, one with some character and grit, I think I've found it in the 2011 from August West. The label is a collaboration between Ed Kurtzman and growers Howard Graham and Gary Franscioni. The grapes - a tiny crop this year - came from the vineyards Rosella's, Sierra Mar and Sberanes. Tasting of black cherry, plums and earth, this latest vintage of Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands, their fourth, has gorgeous fruit and ripe tannins.

The other day, a friend who had moved to Santa Fe was in town so I asked him over to dinner. It was a weeknight and I didn't have a whole lot of time to fuss in the kitchen, and also, because it just seemed like that kind of day, I made a roast chicken. My standby used to be Marcella Hazan's method, just stick a whole lemon inside and let it lightly perfume the bird. But lately I've been making it Simon Hopkinson's way, from the British chef and food writer's book “Roast Chicken and Other Stories.” It has to be among the best roast chickens I've ever tasted.

It was probably inevitable. But this quickly? Clarkson Potter just published a "Fifty Shades of Grey" parody cookbook titled "Fifty Shades of Chicken," (written by the pseudonymous FL Fowler rather than EL James). "50 Chicken Recipes Bound to Be Delicious" it promises on the cover. It's pretty funny, in a calculatedly cheesy, snickeringly naughty sort of way. The cover photo is of a beautifully bronzed roast chicken resting on its side, carefully trussed. Most of the book is unquotable, including the back cover excerpt, though the attribution should give you a taste of what's to come (heh-heh)

For years I faithfully made Marcella Hazan's roast chicken, which basically involved roasting the bird with a lemon in its cavity. But once I tried Simon Hopkinson's recipe from his quite wonderful cookbook “Roast Chicken and Other Stories,” there was no going back. I absolutely crave this chicken and could eat it once a week, no problem. What's the difference? Well, butter. Hopkinson was famously the chef of Sir Terence Conran's restaurant Bibendum in London and since those heady days has gone on to write a regular column for the Telegraph in London.

Meghan and Carter are getting married. Like so many friends of my daughter, they are bright, funny and, sometimes, almost preternaturally serious. A couple of weeks ago, they asked my wife if we would talk to them about how to stay married - and about how to cook. The first, I'll leave to Kathy; after almost 34 years, it's still a mystery to me. But the cooking part is right up my alley, and, even better, I figured it would give me a chance to try out some of the ideas I've been on a soapbox about for the last couple of years.

Total time: 2 hours, 15 minutes Servings: 6 Note: From "The Bistros, Brasseries and Wine Bars of Paris" by Daniel Young. (This recipe is from Thierry Breton of Chez Michel.) Orange cauliflower is available at Whole Foods and Bristol Farms stores, select supermarkets and farmers markets. White cauliflower can be substituted. Baby carrots of various colors are available at farmers markets. 1/2 cup hazelnuts 1 roasting chicken, 5 to 6 pounds 5 tablespoons butter, softened Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 pound mixed white and orange cauliflower 1 small head garlic 5 shallots, peeled and quartered 1 pound baby carrots, mixed colors, scrubbed under running water Salt and pepper to taste Flat-leaf parsley, chopped, optional 1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Anything but jammy and in your face, this "Three Valleys" Zinfandel from Ridge Vineyards exemplifies elegance and restraint. A blend of mostly Zinfandel with old vine Carignan and a little Syrah and Petite Sirah, the 2009 shows off ripe juicy fruit, silky tannins and a bright acidity tempered with the bite of white pepper and spice. [ For the record: An earlier version of this article gave the vintage of the Ridge Zinfandel as 2010. The year is 2009.] Don't waste this bottle on a charred burger - save it for grilled lamb chops, a summery beef daube, roast chicken with herbs tucked under the skin or your best meatballs.