Mrs P has a charmed life !
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I was late in prepping it today. So rather than drying in the fridge for 24 hours, I rinsed and patted the skin dry with lots of paper towels, then seasoned with salt and pepper. I squeezed a bit of lemon juice over top, and the squeezed lemon half and 2 sprigs of rosemary and 3 large sprigs of thyme were tucked into the cavity. Roasted at 450° for 20 minutes, then turned the oven down to 350°, poured in a cup of water into the bottom of the roasting pan, and finished roasting until my Thermapen read 175°, basting once with the liquid in the bottom of the pan (water, fat from the chicken, and the bit of lemon juice). Let it rest for 25 minutes while I made the gravy.
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I think it is me that has the charmed life 
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you too
Almost did a flip when I read your post, " Oh my God! You’re in Chengdu!." We’re planning a trip to Chengdu later. Then I read carefully and saw the ‘1 Palace’. sigh Would’ve been awesome to meet up in Chengdu.
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Dinner was late, as the cricket overran. I cannot recall a more nail-biting, edge of the seat sporting event - at least not since we watched Manchester City beat Gillingham in the play-off final for promotoion from the 2nd to 1st Division. We were in a bar in Spain and it was 1999.
In the event, the chicken was fine. I’d thought it would be fine as the recipe but it really could have done with something green - beans maybe.
As for tonight, the freezer is our friend. Rag puddings, oven chips, peas.
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No, unfortunately this is the closest I will ever get to Chengdu 
They do have pretty authentic Sichuan food though. I am enjoying reading about your current trip. Enjoy the rest of your vacation!
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am on my way to airport in Dulles, so probably short at Costco and stay over for dinner to avoid rush hour traffic
ESP FOR LINDA WHIT!
Here is a list of affordable wine from Costco, your thought?
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Our normal supermarket always has a display of discounted wines, all of which are affordable. Mrs H has asuccessful method of selection. She simply looks at the ones that have been most discounted - working on the basis that she is going to get a far better wine paying £6 for an originally priced £8 bottle, rather than £4 for an original £6. With the high level of revenue duty and taxes on booze, it does not not take much additional cost to get a far superior product.
Go there ASAP! At least I wish I could. Already know the places I will be visiting 2 years from now and it’s not Chengdu 
Chengdu was the first ever place in China I went to. Came back 2 more times and still nowhere near scratching the surface. It has a dear place in my heart only because of the food.
Looking at Chengdu food photos now and here goes my mascara again. (I don’t wear mascara but you know what I mean! 
)
@paryzer I find it quite amusing that you now have to state a disclaimer in your posts - “Onions, there are leftovers for pete’s sake!”
The wine pairing is interesting. I would not know how to pair red wine to Chinese/Asian food.
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LOL! Yes, people think that we eat all of the food that we order and don’t take home any leftovers, so I have to leave that disclaimer 
The leftovers are the best part.
My wife & I like red wine and drink it with everything. If you were to try and pair spicy Sichuan food you would probably be better off with a white wine like Sauvignon Blanc, pinot grigio, or chardonnay. The red wine brings out the spices even more, while white wine would probably cool off the spices.
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In a very quick review, I’d be willing to try the Kirkland Reserve Russian River Valley Chardonnay, as well as their Malbec, their Brunello di Montalcino, and the Colomé Estate Malbec. I don’t have a Costco near me, so I’m perhaps not the best judge, as I never shop there.
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I like red wine and drink it with everything. With Asian food I would probably try a pinot noir, on the theory that it would compete less with the food. What do you think?
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Yes, I agree that a Pinot Noir would probably pair better with Asian food, if you were to pick a red wine (since it is a lighter red wine). However, my wife & I like the bold red wines like Châteauneuf Du Pape, Cabernet, Shiraz, and Malbec to name a few. We just drink more water to offset any spiciness 
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If you like it, you like it. No argument from me.
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While I think you are entirely right with your rec of PN, I also agree with paryzer that sometimes one’s liking for a particular wine trumps food partnerships. In the end, most any will do if you like it, as you wrote.
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But man does not live by bread alone, altho the kids tried to,
Scallops with cauliflower and potato puree
Open face peach pie
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I shop at Costco regularly and have come to rely on the Kirkland label wines. I haven’t found any to be disappointing and some have been downright surprisingly good. For ordinary, every day wines I like their Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc for under 10.00. Their own Malbec i’ve used for cooking and drinking. Santa Margaretha Pinot Grigio is a good buy there. Higher priced wines are almost always less expensive than anywhere else. I haven’t asked for recommendations while perusing the wine labels but perhaps I should.
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