Meal 1 & 2

Here is the cookbook we are using! The first meal we made was 'Chicken Balsamico with Yukon Gold Potatoes", I have never made anything with 8 cloves of garlic and 1 cup of balsamic vinegar! 8 cloves?!!? I was like a kid in a candy store. The recipe also called for rosemary which I do not have in my garden and I did not want to buy from the store, so I went shopping in my neighborhood armed with a pair of garden sheers. Rosemary is not hard to find or spot and I suggest anyone who attempts this meal PLEASE search out your streets before you spend money. In the end the meal was amazing, I served it with roasted asparagus and was left with at least 2 days of food. Tonight I am making Fruited Chicken Tangine and I have no idea what to expect. Right now my house smells like plums and turmeric, ginger and apricots (not bad!). I am going to serve it with a garlic olive oil couscous. I think this should be very interesting. I was drawn to this recipe because of its origin and traditional methods of preparation. The dish is originally prepared in a vessel also called by the name Tangine. It is a flat dish that holds the ingredients and a conical lid with a vent, I hear that this device is from Northern Africa although I am pretty sure it is used all over the world.