Bich Minh Nguyen

When the cold of late fall and early winter settles in for the duration, a perfect roast chicken is just the thing for dinner at home. For recipes, I turn to Marcella Hazan's Roast Chicken with Lemons, or Sally Schneider's Fool-Proof Roast Chicken in A New Way to Cook. Accompaniments include: roasted root vegetables; sauce (okay, it's really gravy) made from the pan drippings plus extra homemade stock, a little white wine, and herbs; green beans with caramelized shallots; and my husband's divine mashed potatoes. For dessert, a little later in the evening: apple tarts, cheese, and fresh fruit.