I bought some five-spice powder at the store recently, and was excited to try it. A mix of cinnamon, star anise, cloves, fennel, and pepper, it’s used in Chinese and Vietnamese cooking. I chose this recipe for five-spice chicken with a hoisin glaze. Instead of grilling it, I baked it for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees, and then broiled it for about 3 minutes to crisp the skin. It was very flavorful, though a bit salty from the brining. If I made it again, I might try to wash off the brine a bit more before cooking it. However, the brine did make it very moist and helped the spices penetrate the meat.

For one side dish, I simply drizzled some asparagus with olive oil and salt, then roasted it at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.

I also made some delicious glazed carrots using a recipe from the Alice Waters cookbook (though the rosemary is my own addition):

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Rosemary scented glazed carrots

Peel carrots and cut them into pieces. Put them in a pan in a single layer, and add enough water to come halfway up the carrots. Add a sprig of rosemary, plus a pinch of salt and a few teaspoons of butter per serving. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook till the carrots are tender. Remove the lid and allow the liquid to reduce until it forms a glaze on the carrots.

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I forgot to take a picture before we started eating, so I apologize that the plate looks a bit messy

For an easy dessert, I made this vanilla bean arborio rice pudding from Smitten Kitchen, to which I added about 1/2 c raisins at the end. The texture of the arborio rice works very well because it doesn’t get too mushy, but it’s the vanilla bean that really makes it amazing (though it’s quite expensive–I’d probably save this for special occasions)

Stay tuned for my first Daring Bakers challenge post–April 27!