How many cooking gadgets do you have that you don’t use?  Do you remember why you bought them in the first place?

During my recent trip back East over the holidays, my father-in-law roasted a 6-pound pork roast with the Ronco electric rotisserie that he received as a gift.  The product was surprisingly easy to use, and the resulting roast was tender, juicy and delicious.  I was thinking of acquiring one of these gadgets myself—I love roast chicken but hate the hassle of roasting my own and supermarket chickens are tasteless and dry.  It suddenly occurred to me that I owned a Farberware electric grill with a rotisserie attachment—it was still in its unopened box someplace in the recesses of my garage storage closet.

With the promise of roast chicken for dinner, my husband dug out the grill and I set it up.  After a few false starts (balancing that chicken on the spit was a bit tricky—I think the Ronco machine was much friendlier to use), I seasoned the chicken and had it turning evenly on the spit.  I checked it a few times throughout its cooking time and watched the skin get crisp and brown as it cooked.  The whole house smelled of roasting chicken…mmmm!  When it was done, I tented it and let it rest.