Yesterday, Kanye went on the Ellen Degeneres show to debut his video for the song (what ever happened to MTV, people?) and it is…weird. Like, really weird. Like, I think I need to be one some sort of mushroom/trippy drug to understand what is going on, weird.

Not that it makes the song any less awesome. Watch and judge for yourself.

If you don’t have a slow cooker, I seriously recommend leaving the room this instant and going directly to a place where you can buy one. They’re inexpensive and they will save you loads of time on busy days (or any kind of days, really). Unbelievably amazing casseroles, soups, stews, and meat so tender that it falls off the bone all become everyday realities with the help of your friend the slow cooker. I have even heard about slow cookers making fantastic cobblers and cookies.

Moving on from the sales pitch, let’s get back to the coq au vin. To make enough for you and your special beau, you need:

• 4 chicken thighs

• 4-5 pieces of bacon

• 1 small onion

• 1 garlic clove

• 8 oz white or baby bella mushrooms (one non-huge package of mushrooms)

• 1 tsp rosemary (if using fresh, which is best, use 2 tsp)

• 1 tsp thyme (ditto as the rosemary)

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

• ½ to ¾ bottle dry red wine

The prep takes about 15 minutes, and here’s what you need to do.

First, fry the bacon in a pan until it’s crisp. Take it out and let it dry on paper towels, but leave the grease in the pan. Brown the chicken thighs in the same pan until they have a nice golden color on both sides. Remove the chicken thighs and set them aside.

Slice up the onion and garlic clove, and slice the mushrooms into halves. Still in the same pan, sauté the onion and garlic until translucent and just beginning to brown. If you need more oil, add a little olive oil. When the onion becomes translucent, add the mushroom pieces. Stir them until they release their liquids and also start to brown a little.

Now for the fun part: your prep is done, and you get to dump everything in the slow cooker. Break the bacon into small pieces and put it in there. Add the chicken thighs, the onion, the garlic, the mushrooms, the spices and bay leaf, the butter, and the red wine (basically, everything).

Then follow the directions for your slow cooker. Most are similar—if you want to eat in 6-8 hours, set the heat on low. If you want to eat in 3-4 hours, set it on high.

You may need to check it periodically to make sure that it hasn’t boiled away all the liquid (if so, add more wine), but slow cookers are pretty self-sufficient.

You won’t believe the amazing smell when it’s finally done… the only thing better is the taste!

[Photo courtesy of Flickr.com]

On the bright side, he was visiting me this past weekend, and we made an amazing chicken and mushroom curry together. This time, I actually paid attention to what he was doing, so I’m doing my civic duty by sharing this recipe so that all of you can enjoy it as well.

To make enough for two, you’ll need 2-3 chicken thighs, half of a large onion, 6-7 large mushrooms, 2 teaspoons garlic-ginger paste or 2 fresh garlic cloves and 1 small piece of fresh ginger, about ¼ cup fresh cilantro, half of a small plum tomato, about ¼ teaspoon of turmeric, ½ teaspoon cumin powder, ½ teaspoon garam masala (an Indian spice, available at regular and Indian grocery stores), and 1-2 small new potatoes (optional).

To begin, chop up the ehicken thighs roughly into cubes.

Chop your onion into small squares. You can leave the mushrooms whole or halve/quarter them if you like.

In a food processor or blender, combine the garlic-ginger paste (or fresh garlic and ginger), the cilantro, the half tomato, and a little bit of water if needed. The mixture should be choppy and well integrated but not blended.

Meanwhile, brown the onions in a saucepan for 7-8 minutes.

Add the chicken pieces and the spices (turmeric, cumin, and garam masala). Cook until the chicken pieces are white.

Toss in the mushrooms and the halved new potatoes (if you’re using them). Let the mixture simmer, and stir occasionally. Turn the heat down and cover the dish. The turmeric will turn everything a yellowish color.

After 15-20 minutes of simmering, uncover the chicken and add the cilantro paste. Let everything cook for 2-3 minutes more, then serve with rice!