Sticky Wings

HELLO!!!!!!!!!!!  I cannot believe it’s been several months since I last posted!  Things have been super busy around these parts, and then we left town for the summer.  I’m back and promise this blog will become active again!  I’ve missed it so much!

While we were on vacation, I got a new cookbook.  I tried my first recipe from it on Sunday night, and it was really tasty.  The cookbook is called Slow Cooker Revolution.  I got it from Costco for about $17.  It was really simple and was a big hit with the kids especially.  I served it as a main course, but it would be a perfect side dish.  It would even be great served at a party. 

Don’t shy away from the cayenne.  It really does need the balance of sweet and spicy.  And I promise, it’s NOT too spicy.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark will work equally well)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons minced or grated fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 pounds whole chicken wings (they can be frozen or thawed)
salt and pepper
vegetable oil spray
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup tomato paste

Stir 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne into slow cooker.  Add chicken to slow cooker, then add some salt and pepper.  Give it a quick stir to coat the chicken in the sauce.  Cook on low for about 4 hours, or until chicken is tender.

Place the oven rack about 10 inches from the broiler.  Place a wire rack in an aluminum foil lined rimmed baking sheet, and coat with vegetable oil spray.  Transfer the chicken to the wire rack, and discard the cooking liquid. 

Combine 1/4 cup sugar, water, tomato paste, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne in a bowl.  Brush chicken with half of sauce mixture and broil until lightly charred and crisp, 10-15 minutes.  Flip chicken over, brush with remaining sauce, and broil an additional 5-10 minutes, or until second side is lightly charred and crisp. 

Grab yourself a whole package of napkins (or better yet, a whole roll of paper towels!), and dig in!  Yummy, gooey, sticky goodness.

So how was your summer?! 
Cook anything delicious?

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My favorite cookbooks

Today I want to share with you my favorite cookbooks. I have a few smaller ones that I occasionally use for a thing or two, and then I have two that I use these almost every single time I cook. This first one we got for our wedding from my mother-in-law. It has a lot of fancier (not harder, just fancier) recipes. There are still your basic recipes, like pancakes, waffles, meatloaf, spaghetti sauce, etc, but a lot of it is stuff that you just don't cook everyday. Still, I love this cookbook and highly recommend it.

This next one I just got a couple of days ago (from Barnes and Noble for around $30), and I already love it. It's so inclusive and awesome! Each recipe is tried many, many times, and they even make/test the recipes on the lowest grade of cookware and appliances out there to make sure the recipe will work for everyone every single time. It also lists substitutions, best brands to use for each recipe, etc. And it has a lot of useful sections, such as what kitchen tools you should have, what items to stock in your pantry, etc.

If you add these two to your collection, you will be good to go! I have wasted a lot of money over the years buying cookbooks that I never use. These you will use, all the time. Well worth the money!

What's your favorite cookbook?

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