I know all the cooking experiments I post here are replete with triumph, but not everything I cook works out for the best. This is a prime example.

The past couple of weeks have been tough on Adam and me. I’ve been finishing up school, and Adam had a work deadline yesterday. So last week we were both in bad moods, and it affected my cooking. I made the mistake of trying 2 new recipes on the same night in the middle of a crazed week. And the house was filled with bad vibes, so this is what came out of it:

A burned and bitter version of Chicken with Haricot Verts and Lemon Butter from the June 2009 Bon Appetit.

I also made Panfried Smashed Potatoes from the March 2009 issue of Gourmet. Those weren’t as awful as the chicken, but they also weren’t anything like the photo.

Friends don’t let friends cook in a bad mood.