People always say the way to guy’s heart is through his stomach. Now it looks like the way to get a diamond ring on your finger is through a pit stop at your local grocery store. In 2004, Glamour magazine published a recipe for an engagement chicken. A few of the Glamour staffers had made it for their boyfriends and soon after were engaged. With what started out as a joke, former Northeastern graduate Alyssa Gugliotti made the engagement chicken last June for her boyfriend and two days later he proposed.
Gugliotti and her three best friends from home found out about this recipe in 2005 at a dinner party. They all laughed, because at the age of 20, marriage seemed very far off. It then became a joke within their group.
“Anytime one of us was dating someone, we’d say ‘Are you going to make the engagement chicken?’’” said Gugliotti.
Gugliotti was planning out dinners for the week when she came across the recipe. She laughed to herself, not thinking twice about it. She told her girlfriends she was going to make it and they all laughed with her.
“I have always believed in fate and that everything happens for a reason,” Gugliotti said. “I don’t think I really believed in the magic of the engagement chicken, since I had known about it for so long and never used it before. I think it’s always fun to believe in the ‘what if’s’ of life.”
Gugliotti made the chicken for her boyfriend Lyle Stevens on Wednesday June 16th. She didn’t tell him what the chicken was. He proposed the evening of Friday the 18th. Once he proposed, she told him about the chicken’s legend and the history of it with her girlfriends. He thought it was hysterical.
“Since Lyle already had the ring before I made the chicken, I don’t think that the chicken was the deciding factor in his proposal,” Gugliotti said.
After the proposal, Gugliotti wrote a blog post for her company, Marlo Marketing Communications blog, m.blog. Each week, each employee writes a post about anything they want. That week she made her post about the engagement chicken. She tweeted at Glamour magazine and within hours they reached out to her.
Glamour magazine is working on publishing a cookbook featuring a variety of recipes from Glamour throughout the years. Of course, the engagement chicken will be included. Next to the recipe, they will be putting pictures of Gugliotti and Stevens, as well 60 other couples that have made the chicken and become engaged soon after.
After Gugliotti and Stevens submitted a photo for the cookbook, Glamour reached out to Gugliotti requesting she model Vera Wang’s new collection WHITE launching in David’s Bridal.
“Obviously, I said yes, a total Sex and the City movie moment!” Gugliotti said.
She and three other brides were dressed from head to toe, had all their make-up, hair and nails done as well. “It was amazing! I was in the land of Manolo Blahniks and amazing bridal accessories like feather hairpieces, gorgeous veils and lush boutiques, said Gugliotti.
Gugliotti met Stevens at Northeastern University in 2006. They were both very involved in fraternity & sorority life (Kappa Sigma and Delta Zeta.)
In September 2011, Gugliotti and Stevens will be tying the knot and she will be wearing Oscar de la Renta.
Since this, Gugliotti has been receiving lots of requests for the chicken recipe. “Do I still believe in the magic of the chicken? Of Course! It’s a great story to tell for years to come, and what’s the fun of not believing in some sort of magic in romance?”
So girls… if you want your boyfriend to propose to you, make this magical engagement chicken and see what happens. You never know, this could really be a magical recipe!
Recipe: Engagement Chicken
• 1 whole chicken (approx. 3 lb.)
• 2 medium lemons
• Fresh lemon juice (1/2 cup)
• Kosher or sea salt
• Ground black pepper
Place rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Wash chicken inside and out with cold water, remove the giblets, then let the chicken drain, cavity down, in a colander until it reaches room temp (about 15 minutes). Pat dry with paper towels. Pour lemon juice all over the chicken (inside and outside). Season with salt and pepper. Prick the whole lemons three times with a fork and place deep inside the cavity. (Tip: If lemons are hard, roll on countertop with your palm to get juices flowing.) Place the bird breast-side down on a rack in a roasting pan, lower heat to 350 degrees and bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and turn it breast-side up (use wooden spoons!); return it to oven for 35 minutes more. Test for doneness—a meat thermometer inserted in the thigh should read 180 degrees, or juices should run clear when chicken is pricked with a fork. Continue baking if necessary. Let chicken cool for a few minutes before carving. Serve with juices.