Critic's Notebook: Semi-Homemade

I’m an avid home cook. I mean, I make my own tortillas. And — time permitting — I can definitely roast a mean chicken. (I usually stick to Giada De Laurentiis’s recipe). But I’m definitely not immune to those weeknight dinnertime jams when eating out doesn’t appeal, but a full-scale cooking project just isn’t an option.

That’s when store-bought rotisserie chickens can really bail you out. I’m especially fond of the FreeBird Chickens offered at Di Bruno Bros. on Chestnut Street. Unlike most other rotisserie options, these free-range chickens are hormone- and antibiotic-free. A whole chicken ($9.99) yields about four cups of meat — enough to whip up chicken quesadillas or almost-homemade chicken salad. I say, for an oven-free, summery meal, just shred the meat over a bed of pre-washed greens and dress with good olive oil and a generous squirt of lemon.