Friends and family who know me know that I enjoy cooking. Of course, now you do as well. It’s fun discovering new cuisines and flavors. Aside from art, cooking is my other outlet of creative expression. Through cooking, I’ve learned a bit about different cultures and, along the way, a bit about their arts. I’ve had different phases with food; for example, there was a time when I went out of my way to find great Chinese food. Then it was Thai food, Italian, barbecue, etc. The list goes on. It’s no wonder why I was so overweight for a huge part of my life! 

My enjoyment for cooking stems from the fact that my mom is a great cook. She grew up poor in Mexico, and cooking good food was an important life skill. It’s a life skill that, sadly, most people seemingly don’t have today. Growing up, my mom cooked the food of her youth to feed me and my two brothers. As a result, my standard of what good Mexican food is high— high enough to be considered a snob by my friends, so I rarely go to Mexican restaurants. No point in paying to be disappointed. If it doesn’t taste like an authentic Mexican mom’s cooking, you better believe it’s going to disappoint me. But I’m digressing, so let’s get down to business: cooking and feeding yourself for health and longevity.

If you can’t boil water, this might be a bit advanced: roasting a chicken. Chicken, I believe, is a very versatile meal. You can do lots with chicken, and the world has many amazing recipes for chicken. But for today’s purpose, it’s going to be a simple process. As artists, we don’t have a ton of time with our schedules, so simple is usually best. But if you can afford more time, by all means, cook yourself a chicken cacciatore or coq au vin. 

Step 1— Buy yourself the best chicken you can afford. I personally believe that organic, free-range, and free from hormones is best. But you do you. I won’t judge your financial situation. 

Step 2— If it’s frozen, thaw it out ahead of time, and if not, then we can go ahead and trim the bird. Trim off the wing tips and any long, stray pieces of fat. We don’t want any burnt fat ruining the flavor of our meal. Then turn the bird over chest down so that you can see the spine, and with a pair of kitchen shears, cut out the spine. Afterwards, open the bird up so that it lies flat. This, ladies and gentlemen, is what the culinary pros call a spatchcocked chicken. 

Step 3 — Now take some salt and pepper and season your bird inside and out. Everyone’s salt preference is personal, so I leave that to you. Obviously, if you overdo the seasoning, there goes your hard-earned money. Next, place the bird in a roasting pan uncovered for an hour. Set a timer and walk away to make some art if you’re so inclined. 

Step 4 — Or! You can take advantage of the cooking juices that will come out of your bird to cook some veggies alongside it. Root vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and onions are standard, but you can try others as well. Just not any leafy greens as those will burn in the process. Chop them up into large chunks bigger than bite-size since they’ll be cooking in the roasting pan with the chicken for a while. No one wants to eat burnt veggies. Now arrange those veggies around the bird, and that’s it. 

Step 5 — Before your timer is up, preheat your oven to 375°F / 190°C. If your roasting pan has a lid, then use it to cover your bird; if not, use some aluminum foil to cover it. This will trap the moisture and prevent it from drying out while letting those same juices accumulate at the bottom of the pan.

Step 6 — Once the oven has reached temperature, throw that bird into the oven and set a timer for 35 minutes. When the timer goes off, bring the bird out and raise the temperature of the oven to 425°F / 218°C. Take the cover off and place the chicken back in the oven for another 10 – 15 minutes. This will allow the skin of the chicken to crisp and render more of the fat. After 10 minutes —using a meat thermometer—check the internal temperature so that it reads at least 160°F / 71°C at the thickest parts. Once you’ve reached that temperature, the juices should run clear and you’re good to go.

Set the roasting pan on the counter, wait for it to cool off for at least five minutes, serve yourself a plate, and enjoy.

If you’re a single person, this chicken could last you at least 3 days if you’re a hearty eater or a week if you have a smaller appetite. Along with a side dish, you can certainly stretch your money. Financial management, along with health, is a very important subject of concern to us artists. We need to take care of our health if we want to live long enough to see the rewards of all our efforts come to fruition. Taking breaks, getting sun on our faces, touching grass, sleeping, socializing, and eating right are fundamental— not just to artists but to everyone. 

This article might seem like a departure from the usual topics, but it is related. Cooking, like art, requires a bit of curiosity, daring confidence, and is made better with creativity. I hope today’s topic was fun and informative.