Week 2- Sunday-Funday with the Roommates, Total Recipes: 3

I live with four people (with +1’s it’s really like I live with eight others.)  There’s always something going on and someone to hang out with whether just watching TV or going to the gym.  The more the merrier.  My roommate Lara is an excellent cook who’s known for her Mexican food specifically her chicken enchiladas topped with cheddar cheese and black beans. YUM.  She also makes really really good guacamole and salads.  She told me a great tip about salads.  She said, “I like to use ingredients that are in season and put them in my salads” which makes sense because produce is the best when in season and you can save some money.  Food costs in New York can get so high sometimes.

We joked once that she and I love to take control over the kitchen so every time we cook together, we’d always establish what we were in charge of.   This week, I was in charge of the Peach Lacquered Chicken Wings (June 2009) and she was responsible for the Salt and Vinegar Potato Salad (June 2006).  My other roommate Angela made a Spinach and Onion Dip (January 2003).  (OK folks.  rule number four was broken.  Ange added some bacon-shhh. ) Ange is our Mom who is very organized and keeps everyone in check.  Sadly, these two are leaving the nest this week and moving on to another location.  It’s not far away at all, but I am used to seeing them every day and now it’ll be a little different.  Let’s face it.  I’m just not that good with change.  My mom had to point that out to me when I contemplated leaving.  Sometimes, you just need someone to just tell you how it is and that’s what my mom is for.

Jarell and Wade are my two other roommates who are two of the nicest guys I know.  Jarell is our tech guy who set up this unbelievable surround sound system in our living room and also knows some interesting detailed facts about shoes and clothing and just about anything.  He’s a wealth of knowledge.  Wade is our chicken-wing master.  I’ve never met anyone who loves chicken wings as much as Wade.  He’d come home at 3:00 in the morning on a Saturday, crave chicken wings and make them right then and there with home made BBQ sauce that will sit in our fridge for the month. I think he and I got into an argument once about how long you can keep BBQ sauce in the fridge.  He won.  You can keep BBQ sauce in the fridge for a month because the cider vinegar will keep bacteria from growing.

These two had birthdays this past weekend hence the choice to make chicken wings in their honor as well as  Sunday-Funday and the Yankee game.   We had some nice appetizers to start with while the chicken wings were in the oven.  (Yes, I broiled them.)  Ange’s bacon addition to the spinach dip added a nice savory flavor to it.  It was just the right amount of bacon to bring saltiness to the spinach and onions.  Our friend Emmy made this fabulous seven layer Mexican dip (not from Gourmet- it’s fun to break rules sometimes) it was filled with  sour cream, guacamole, black beans, salsa  and cheddar cheese.  Finally the wings were done, and smelled peachy.  I know the recipe called for peach or apricot preserves, but I used both.  The chicken was shiny and was very sticky.  I was expecting them to be a little more gooey in taste and less on my fingers but they were still very sweet and complimented the salt and vinegar potato salad very well.   The potato salad was good on its own, but it was that much better when paired with the chicken wings.

For dessert, Amelia (Wade’s +1) made a pumpkin bread  (from our rival magazine…shh).  Her pumpkin bread was so fresh and so moist.  I love bread when it’s moist.  A dried out bread is the worst thing that can happen to any mouth.  What a great way to spend a Sunday with your roommates. Especially if it’s gonna be the last one.

Let’s Go Yankees!