Audrey and Jon

We generally followed this recipe, except we used a whole chicken and only cut up the breasts and thighs. We left the wings and drumsticks in tact, and just ate them. It being winter, we just broiled the whole thing for about 10-15 minutes, though traditionally this recipe would be skewered and BBQ'd.

Ingredients:

1 chicken, cut into piece parts; breasts and thighs cut into pieces

SATAY MARINADE:
1/4 cup minced lemongrass, fresh or frozen (if using fresh, use only the soft inner part)

When I was a little kid, my mom and I once made dumplings/potstickers with this neat white foldy press (that helps crimp them together). There's a really cute picture of me at about 3 years old, standing on a step-stool, wearing an apron, and proudly holding up a potsticker.

Anyway, on a recent visit to Los Angeles, I saw the potsticker crimper sitting in a drawer (probably unused by my mother since that day in the photo), and asked if I could take it home. (I subsequently saw the exact same crimper for sale at Hill's Kitchen about a week later, but oh well.) With the proper implement in hand, and having just acquired a "Cook's Illustrated" recipe for perfect potstickers (compliments of Jon's mom), we went to making potstickers.

The recipe that follows is a combination of the Cook's recipe and the handwritten one my mom had from an Asian cooking class she took long ago. No doubt that is the recipe I followed at age 5.

There is no "real" recipe to Jon's chili beyond the base set of ingredients and improvisation with spices and available ingredients. If there are fresh peppers, they go in. If there's homemade salsa, it definitely goes in. Beer (Shiner Bock I find is best) cuts the spice level nicely without removing the flavor.

I sautee the onion/garlic/jalapenos until tender, then add the meat and brown it. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, then add whole habaneros and the first spices (salt, pepper, first group of spices). Add 4 cups of water and some beer and bring to a boil.