I make a decent roast chicken.

Michael Ruhlman has a recipe, roast chicken for two (when the kids are gone) that’s making the rounds on the Intertubes.

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 425?F or, if you have ventilation, 450?F, and use convection heat if it’s available.

Step 2: Wash and pat dry a 3- to 4-pound chicken. Truss it if you know how, or stuff 2 lemon halves in its cavity. Season it aggressively with kosher or sea salt (it should have a nice crust of salt). Put it in a skillet and slide it into the hot oven.

Step 3: Have sex with your partner. (This can require planning, occasionally some conniving. But as cooks tend to be resourceful and seductive by nature, most find that it’s not the most difficult part of the recipe.)

Step 4: Remove the chicken from the oven after it’s cooked for 1 hour, allow it to rest for 15 minutes, and serve.

Cooking, like sex, is good for your marriage.

Once the kids are regularly gone during the day, carve out two hours (more if you can swing it) to rendezvous at home. The home itself will be strangely, wonderfully peaceful. Neither you nor your partner will be exhausted; instead, you’ll still be fairly fresh and energetic—it’s time for lunch, after all.

I prefer lime over lemon, and stuff the bird with about 30 cloves of garlic and a generous helping of rosemary. Use a meat thermometer for safety (at least 165F).

What should have been the title for this blog post?