Lime-Ginger Chicken

When I first made this recipe I broiled the chicken because it wasn't quite grilling season for me (I know, there are plenty of you who grill year round, just not me), but of course now the season is in full swing. So go ahead and grill instead of broil, but consider using skinless, boneless chicken thighs instead of breasts. Thigh works a lot better on the grill because the flesh is inherently juicier. Get about 2-1/2 pounds of thigh and trim off as much of the external fat as you can (flare-ups = not good) and open up the thighs so they're flat. Just watch the cooking times: Boneless thigh will cook more quickly than breasts because the pieces are thinner.

A note on the sherry: I used sherry in this recipe because I was going for Asian flavors and dry sherry is commonly used in American versions of Chinese recipes. For a proper Chinese dish I should have used Shaoxing wine.

Shaoxing—from the province of the same name—is a rice wine (made with sticky rice) that is aged for 10 years. It's the color of pale sherry and smells a bit like it as well (though it also smells like sake, for obvious reasons). If you can get it, use it here instead of sherry. The wine will probably come in a bottle that looks a good deal like a bottle of soy sauce, but if you're shopping in a Chinatown or in a well-stocked liquor store, you may run across one of the fancier bottlings, like the cute green bottle (brandname Tediao) in the photo above.

WARNING: Just as with sherry, some Shaoxing wines sold in this country have had salt added to them so that they can be sold in grocery stores. They should, therefore, be labeled "cooking wine;" or they might have a label that says "not to be used or sold as a beverage." You'll be safe if you buy Shaoxing in a liquor store. Failing that, use sherry. The salted stuff is nasty.

Lime-Ginger Chicken
Put the chicken and marinade together in the morning and marinate in the refrigerator (turning once or twice if you think of it) until you're ready to cook.

1/4 cup dry sherry or white wine
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sesame oil
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)

1. In a measuring cup, combine the sherry, lime juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic and salt. Measure out 2 tablespoons of the mixture, put in a small bowl and stir in the sesame oil. Set the sesame mixture aside to use as a baste.
2. Place the chicken in a nonaluminum container large enough to hold it in a single layer. Pour the remaining marinade in the measuring cup over the chicken and turn to coat. Let marinate for at least 1 hour at room temperature, turning once, or refrigerate to marinate longer.
3. Preheat the broiler. Place the chicken boned-side up on a broiler pan and drizzle a little of the marinade over it. Broil for 10 minutes. Turn the chicken over and brush with the reserved sesame basting mixture. Broil for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through but still juicy.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Pimp your measuring spoons

Pity the mundane measuring spoon: practical, homely, living to serve. No reason why it shouldn't get dressed up on the job.

1 Peppy flower spoons are $5.50 from bibelot.

2 Not dressy, just kooky: a set of stainless steel spoons in oddball sizes including a pinch, 1/8 teaspoon, 2/3 teaspoon, 1-1/2 teaspoons and 2 teaspoons. $16 from Spoon Sisters.

3 Colorful stoneware spoons from Anthropologie with the usual sizes plus 1/8 teaspoon and a pinch.

4 Just because there should be no gadget untouched by silicone. This cute set (with stainless steel handles) from William Bounds is $13 from CentralChef.

5 And for that matter there should be no gadget unbranded by Mario Batali. These double-ended melamine spoons have magnets so they stick together and come in Mario's signature orange and green. $5.50 from Amazon.

6 Here's where the Cinderella of kitchen gadgets gets to dress up for the ball. These hand-painted ceramic spoons are $22 from elaineducharmdesigns on etsy. Each set is hand-painted to order.

Samurai eggplant

Japanese eggplant wearing samurai helmet. From Union Square Farmer's Market in NYC.

Chuckle for Sunday

A box of 12 goldfish trash bags is $16 from perpetual kid.

'nuff said

I have neither explanation nor apology for posting this except that it provided a nice Saturday morning chuckle. Over to you.

The King Tut tissue box cover is $25 from Toscano.

Mango Cream

There are hundreds and hundreds of mango cultivars in the world, with intriguing names like Rajapuri, Boubo, Parrot Mango, Momi K. and Bez al-Anza. Even in this country, we grow dozens of different mangoes. The problem is that very few of them make it into the marketplace, and when they do they are not often labeled in any helpful way. Store signs usually just say "mangoes," and the PLU (Price Look-Up) stickers are annoyingly vague. In fact, the PLUs for mango include these designations: ripe, green, yellow and red. Pretty dumb.

There are about six mango types found in U.S. markets, with the most common being the Tommy Atkins. Tommy Atkins are grown in Florida (and many other parts of the world) and are large and heavy. Recently there has also been a pretty good supply (at least in New York) of Ataulfos, which are sometimes sold as Mexican mangoes (they're grown there) or champagne mangoes. Their main distinction is that their flesh is creamy and much less fibrous than the Tommy Atkins. Other mangoes that make it into the U.S. market include Haden, Keitt, Francine, and Kent. For more information on mango varieties in this country and their availability, check out the National Mango Board.

Mango Cream
I made this dessert with 1 Ataulfo mango and 3 Keitt mangoes (I think....of course they weren't labeled).

3 medium or 4 small mangoes, peeled and cut into big chunks
1/2 cup light cream or half-and-half
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 envelope gelatin
1/4 cup orange juice
Cinnamon, for garnish

1. In a food processor, puree the mango until very smooth. Add the cream and maple syrup, and puree to blend.
2. In a small saucepan, sprinkle the gelatin over the orange juice and let sit 5 minutes to soften. Place the pan over medium-low heat and stir until the gelatin dissolves, about 45 seconds.
3. Add the dissolved gelatin to the mango puree and blend.
4. Scrape the puree into a 1-1/2-quart bowl, cover and refrigerate until set up, about 4 hours.
5. Serve dusted with cinnamon.

Makes 6 servings