Since today is November 1^st and Fall is officially hitting So Cal this week…believe it or not its actually supposed to rain (for 1 day) and get cold by the end of the week…I decided to make a meal that screams the Autumn season. Tonight I decided to make Cinnamon Roasted Chicken with Pumpkin Grits and even though I picked the recipe and bought the ingredients the jury (which is me) was still kind of out on whether or not it would be nasty gross or pretty darn good. And lo and behold it was pretty darn good…even while the chicken was in the oven the smell of cinnamon and chicken kind of grossed me out a little but the contrasting flavors and textures between the grits and the cinnamon chicken was a pleasant surprise.

And ok I am sure that you all think I am completely obsessed with the smell of my house…but it also made the house smell spicy, kind of like fall and homey. I think what it boils down to is I love when food involves all of your senses and so when it smells good it tastes better….well usually.

This is also probably why I always light candles for meals…and since we are talking about candles let me make a little confession…in the last 3 weeks on 2 separate occasions I have lit the candles on the dinner table…for ambiance of course…and somehow left them on for 24-36 hours. Uh oh!!! Not so good when you come home from work the next day to find a candle still burning in your house….hmm maybe this is leftover rebellion after being married to a fireman or maybe I have just had my head up my ass…anyway you look at it I have been damn lucky twice now.

Ok back to the recipe so the chicken is rubbed in oil, salt, pepper and cinnamon and roasted for 18-20 minutes. I gave it a little longer just because I am chicken under cooked paranoid (yes I am sure this is a scientific diagnosis). While the chicken cooks you make the grits which are super easy. Boil water add instant grits (if anyone needs some I have a ton of extra and I don’t see myself using them anytime in the near future) and then add pumpkin, fresh sage and salt. Cook until thick and take off heat to add grated cheddar cheese. I think this would be even better with sharp cheddar as the contrast between the cinnamon and the sharp cheddar would be even more pronounced. The pumpkin isn’t overpowering which is nice and the sage adds a nice herb flavor.

So I know this picture isn’t the best but since you all have been reading my blog for awhile you should be use to the god awful photography by now…so much for the visual senses on this one…just stare at the candle light.

This recipe is perfect paired with a crisp white wine to contrast with the spice of the cinnamon and sage. I tried it with a chardonnay and it was perfect. And how do you beat a wine label like this:

This is definitely not the best wine I have ever had but it is drinkable and with the humor of the label it definitely gets my recommendation. 

And since I know you are all jonesing for some more random facts did you know in restaurants grilling is the #1 way to cook food followed by frying….yup I just read that…again in that terribly slow book I am reading…only 36% through it…love the Kindle app that pretty much reminds you constantly of  how much torture is ahead with this damn bad book.