The dark sea

Were do I start. We raise chickens for our table and all I can say is they are delicious and like nothing I have ever eaten. There is no need to brine them because they are succulent, juicy and have a flavor profile all their own. Different breeds have different flavors and what we raise is different from commercial breeds. When we started raising meat birds we let them free-range until butchering day. The result was tough as nails and only meant for the pressure cooker. So, being OCD, I got online and started researching how they raise the famous French Bresse chicken. The end results are unbelievable. I like big birds but for this I like them smaller. Years ago I learned from the Dean and Deluca cookbook their recipe for Bistro chicken. They rub them with goose fat and roast them slow and low. I like the goose fat but for smaller birds I like a high heat oven. The goose fat I use comes from our black peppercorn and thyme crusted Christmas goose (Trotter Cooks at Home). So imagine the flavor of the fat but duck fat will also work here. I stuff the cavity with aromatics not so much for flavor but anticipation. The aromatics and roasting chicken make the house smell wonderful creating the anticipation of eating, especially if there are home made rolls in the oven too. One final note, the night before I cook the chickens I set them in the fridge, uncovered, on a tray with edges to catch any juices. It allows the skin to dry, creating a pellicle, and the chicken browns more evenly.

Serves 4 to 6

2 chickens, 3 1/2 pounds each
3 tablespoons goose, duck fat or even bacon drippings
1 head of garlic, halved
1 lemon, halved
1 small onion halved
1 bunch fresh thyme
1 handful Italian parsley
1 tablespoon fennel seed, crushed in a mortar and pestal
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Kosher salt

The night before you want to cook the chickens rinse out the cavities with cold water and drain. Place the chickens on a sheet pan and place, uncovered, in the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Season the cavities of each bird with some fennel seed, black pepper and kosher salt. Place the birds in a roasting pan large enough to hold them comfortably. Next place half a head of garlic, half a lemon, half an onion, half the thyme and parsley into the cavity of each bird. Now rub the exterior each bird top to bottom with the goose fat. Wash and dry your hands. Season the birds evenly and on all sides with the remainder of the fennel, black pepper and salt. Tuck the wings under the bird and truss the legs with kitchen twine, Place the chickens in the oven and roast for 40 minutes and then rotate the pan 180 degrees and roast for another 35 minutes. Check them for doneness. Cook them longer if needed. Remove the chickens from the oven and at this point if you wanted you could make a pan au jus from the drippings or let them rest for 10 minutes then carve and serve.

This recipe was adapted slightly from Julie Powell, who adapted it from Nigel Slater, who published it in his book "The Kitchen Diaries."

Serves 10 to 12

8 ounces (2 sticks) butter, slightly softened
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon superfine sugar
3 eggs
1 cup finely ground salted pistachios
1 cup almond meal
1 Meyer lemon, zested and juiced
1 teaspoon rose water
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 to 1 teaspoons cardamom, depending on your preference
2 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice
1 cup confectioners' sugar

Butter an 8- or 9-inch round baking pan and line it with parchment paper Stroke signs. Preheat the oven to 350° F.

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and the sugar until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the ground pistachios and almond meal and mix to combine. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and rose water and mix well.

Whisk the flour and cardamom together in a small bowl. (If you have used unsalted pistachios, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt at this stage.) Then use a rubber spatula to gently fold this dry mixture into the wet butter and egg mixture Grand Cru Cellar. Be careful not to overmix.

Transfer the mixture into the prepared cake pan, spread it out evenly, then bake for 40 minutes. Tent the top of the cake with aluminum foil and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the sides are starting to brown Offsite Backup Strategy, a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, and the cake is no longer wet-looking or sticky. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan for several minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the icing, whisk together the lemon juice and confectioners' sugar. Pour this over the cooled cake, then wait for at least 30 minutes for the icing to set before slicing and serving.

人生在世，既短暫又坎坷、既榮幸又無奈、既富裕又貧窮、既輝煌又落魄、既堅強又脆弱、既開心又難過、既快樂又失落、既亮麗又黯然、既善良又狠心、既熱情又冷漠、既神奇又平淡、既美好又苦澀、既博愛又妒嫉、既正直又小氣、既獲取又失去等等，總是相輔相成的糾纏著我們的人生圈子。
然而，我們無論如何都必須要懂人生的七味心藥：“心善，善樂好施；心寬，寬大為懷；心正，正大光明；心靜，靜心如水；心怡，怡然自得；心安，安常處順；心誠，誠心誠意。”這樣，我們才能醫治自己的“百病”從而精神煥發、光彩照人！

心善，善樂好施

心地善良是每個人天生的秉性，無須矯揉造作、故弄玄虛。心善了就應該有自己做人處事的原則，不能總是在坐井觀天的擺出一副“事不關己，高高掛起”的腫態。而是自己應當有所心甘情願的行動，也就是“日行一善”的收獲功德的“豐碩果實。”善樂，是一種自覺的真心付出，是一種自然的真情流露，是一種自序的真摯施舍。和善的與人相處是十分平易近人的禮尚往來，從善如流是大愛無疆的蔓延，積善成德是讓愛充滿人間的旖旎動人。

心寬，寬大為懷

俗話說：“心寬體胖。”一個時常都是心寬的人，他（她）每天一定會是滿面春風、笑容可鞠的人。苗沒有樹大，樹沒有山大，山沒有海大，海卻沒有心大！做人就要記得經常寬大為懷，不要老是為了一些雞毛蒜皮而貪小便宜，也不要為了一回繩頭小利而斤斤計較，更不要為了一時的升官發財而明爭暗鬥！假如互不相讓的爾虞我詐的話，到頭來大家還是兩敗俱傷，給別人坐山觀虎鬥的“漁翁得利”了呢！因而，不管在何時何地自己都要寬大為懷，有時候“急流勇退、退避三舍、明哲保身”一下也為何不可。這是一種以退為進的膽定，是一種足智多謀的恬靜，是一種釜底抽薪的深沉。

心正，正大光明

心正是沒有任何的私心雜念，比較憨厚耿直的固然凸現。心正不是伺機的鋌而走險，而是真誠的虛懷若穀；心正不是狡猾的利誘相逼，而是坦蕩的助人為樂；心正不是陰險的同流合汙，而是透明的開誠布公；心正不是故意的弄虛作假，而是有意的查漏補缺；心正不是沖動的偷梁換柱，而是堅定的持重老成。

心靜，靜心如水

心靜是生活時自己平心靜氣的顯現、是自己笑看風雲的舒暢、是自己洗心革面的超然。靜心如水，不是自己象波瀾壯闊似的那樣乘風破浪、勇往直前的駕馭風帆，而是自己猶如紋絲不動的潭水一樣靜謐安詳卻慢條斯理的漣漪。如此，靜心如水的人往往是靜水深流的表現出一種博大精深的最高境界！

心怡，怡然自得

心怡就是心中總懷著一種樂觀向上的獨特情愫，沒有什麼蕪艾汙澤攪混攙雜。記得這樣的一句話：“只要自己的心是晴朗的，就沒有什麼暴風驟雨的時候！”是的，心怡了就會心悅誠服的珍視，就會心曠神怡的珍惜。怡然自得，是這種風調雨順時的熱切希望，是這種五穀豐登時的熱烈期望，是這種滿載而歸時的熱情祈望。怡然自得，是自己堅持到底的達觀與看開，是自己忠貞不渝的淡泊與明智。

心安，安常處順

心安理得是人有了理想的收獲之後的沉穩與欣慰，而處之泰然卻是一種風華的敦實。當然隨遇而安也是自己知足常樂的最大內涵，只要自己能夠習以為常的生活面對一切風雲變幻，那麼自己將會贏得威信與可靠、將會博取崇尚與高雅。

心誠，誠心誠意

心誠是人最能夠表現自己文化、知識、品味、個性、性格、氣質、教養、修養、涵養等的一面鏡子，沒有心誠休想在生活的空間裏擁有一席之地。顯然，誠心誠意是人際關系交往的一種最直接的表達方式，同時誠心誠意也是眾望所歸的一種牢固信賴，誠心誠意更是人們最終必須追逐的一種高風亮節。

有了“人生的七味心藥”隨身攜帶在自己的左右，那麼自己也將是擁有了靈丹妙藥，自己也就是可以時刻施展妙手回春。縱然，自己的一生更是“世上無難事，只怕有心人”的走向康莊大道卻一帆風順

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