My mom was in town the other day and stayed over for dinner, so naturally I felt the need to outdo myself at dinner. Cooking for your mother—the same mother who taught you to cook—is pretty much akin to fighting Mr. Miyagi.

The last thing I wanted to do, however, was create some elaborate meal plan and totally wreck the whole thing…let alone spend hours in the kitchen and leave my mom out back. We haven’t seen each other in way too long and that’s just rude. So…fancy-pants dinner with minimal prep. Ready, go!

I took a little inspiration from my trusty Game of Thrones cookbook (seriously, it’s so much fun) and a recipe for a chicken roasted in a honey sauce. Not having any honey or mint on hand and a firmly believing that the book’s version definitely did not have nearly enough butter, I improvised a bit. I also brined the chicken—as I always do to ensure the most tender and moist product possible. Do NOT skip the brining step. Ever. A properly brined chicken can be tossed in the oven with nothing more than a drizzle of olive oil and come out looking like Julia Child herself came to dinner.

Anyway, my mom gave this the seal of approval…when she asked me to get a bigger spoon so she could douse her plate in more “raisin sauce,” as she calls it (thus my title), I knew I had a winner. She even took leftovers home with her, which is kind of a big deal since she’s still terrified that her adult children don’t have enough to eat.