Chicken AdoboNovember 5, 2002 In 1997 one of my sons gave me a cookbook Best Recipes by New Zealand foodie Annabelle White. I was browsing through the pages and came across an illustration that was to live with me for quite a long time. The chapter was headed Supper in the Cook's Library and there was a picture of a comfortable looking couch, some well-thumbed old cookery volumes and a tempting plate of mini pizzas. Behind the couch was a glimpse of bookshelves. The picture had a warm golden glow and I decided "I want one of those.‚"
When we returned to our home after a three-year absence earlier this year, The Spouse suggested taking out the wall between the study and the adjacent guest bedroom and making one large study. As we'd acquired a second computer along the way, it seemed like a good idea. The original bookshelves were never that practical - fine for large books but much wasted space when it came to small volumes which ended up being stacked horizontally. Our builder said he could make something much better so we bowed to his vision. After what seems like - in fact is - months, my dream room is complete. I now have about 50 metres of bookshelves. That may seem like a lot but believe me, after unpacking 50 or 60 cartons of books, I needed every centimetre. It was a mammoth task, particularly as the cartons had been stored several metres away in the kitchen. A carton of books is very heavy and lugging one from room to room was beyond me so I had to deal with an armful at a time. It wasn't just the carting, there was the sorting, the allocation of shelves, the stacking. Being short, I needed a ladder. I am not one for attending a gym, but after all this carrying, lifting and climbing, I got a good workout. The builder had made adjustable shelves so I could make best use of the space. I naively thought my cookbook collection would take up about a sixth of the major shelving. In the event, it consumed about half. Still, it had taken me about 35 years to accumulate more than 1200 books on cooking, food history, wine and assorted culinary reference books. And so this past weekend, with everything sorted and stacked, I lit the gas heater, lounged around on my new couch and listened to the southerly howling outside while I renewed acquaintance with some of the treasured books I had left behind while living south. Today's recipe is from a favourite fusion cookbook, Miami Spice, which I ordered from the US a few years back. This is a recipe I have made many times, usually from memory. I returned to the source the other day to see how much my version had strayed from the original. Not a great deal, though I generally add a dollop of chilli paste and use skinned boneless chicken thighs and process the marinade ingredients in a mini-blender. The timing for grilling will depend on the thickness of the meat. Don't undercook it. Chicken Adobo Marinade: 2 large whole boneless, skinless chick breasts split in half (four halves), washed and blotted dry Mash the garlic, shallots and herbs to a paste in a mortar with a pestle. Work in the remaining ingredients for the marinade. Alternatively the ingredients can be pureed in a blender. Transfer the marinade to a non-reactive baking dish and add the chicken breasts. Turn to coat the breasts with the marinade. Cover the dish and marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour. Turn the chicken breasts once or twice during that time. Preheat the barbecue grill to medium or preheat the broiler (grill) with the broiler tray three inches from the heat. Grill the chicken breasts over medium heat until just cooked, about two minutes per side. Broiling time is about the same. Recipe © Steven Raichlen, Miami Spice.
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I
already had a study lined with floor to ceiling bookshelves
down one side, but it was a long, narrow room with barely enough
room for my computer equipment as well. Certainly there was
no room for an armchair, let alone a couch.
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