Poultry

Begin marinating the chicken breasts at least three hours ahead.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 45 min

Potato salad, grapes or fresh figs, and brownies round out this lunch. To make things even easier, use raw onions.

What to drink: Abarbanel 2001 Syrah, Vin de Pays de l'Aude, France (kosher) or Clos du Bois 1999 Reserve Shiraz, Alexander Valley.

In this distinctive dish from Yè Shanghai, the chicken is cooked in simmering water, then brined in salt water and marinated briefly in sweetened rice wine.

Offer grilled zucchini slices and a deli pasta salad alongside. Dessert? Berry tartlets from the bakery.

What to drink: The menu's sweet-tart flavors call for a floral Riesling or spicy Syrah.

Juniper is a traditional seasoning for meats and game. Look for the dried berries in the spice section of the supermarket. What to drink: A Rhône red or varietal Syrah.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 4 hr

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This is not a traditional chili and has no connection with any Mexican or Texas recipe. It was devised simply as an experiment and turned out to be delicious.

Despite its name, this dish is not rice at all but noodles—and not even rice noodles but shimmering, transparent bean threads with lots of chicken flavor. Got that straight?

You can easily recreate this recipe with a wonderful free-range chicken. As for the candied chestnuts, I recommend using freshly cooked, shelled chestnuts which are still quite sweet!

This was a specialty of Marie's mother, Sylvia. Because the potatoes were always crowded around the edges of the pan and became crusty during baking, everyone in her family fought for those potatoes "by the wall."

Bottled vinaigrette adds a tangy twist to the chicken. This stylish dish goes well with couscous. Molasses cookies and vanilla ice cream sprinkled with chopped crystallized ginger would be a lovely finish.

Chicken stock is one of the great all-purpose kitchen preparations, and you’ll be surprised at how useful it is in chowder making. It is unsurpassed as a vehicle for soups and stews, providing nutrients, a luxuriant texture, and a delicious flavor. I am always amazed at how the flavor of chicken stock melts into other flavors and allows them to come through clearly. That’s why it is staple ingredient in most any culture’s soups. Chicken stock can be used in place of fish stock or clam broth in chowder or seafood recipes. It is a necessity in corn chowder or other farmhouse chowders. It is so useful, in fact, you may want to double the recipe and keep some in the freezer. Chicken stock is made with chicken bones, vegetables, herbs, and spices. Not all markets cut chicken as frequently as they once did, since the large processor companies have taken over the job, so it is a good idea to call your butcher or supermarket to be sure they will save them for you. Typically necks, backs, and wing tips are sold for stock and they work fine, but it helps the stock to have a few carcasses as well. Cut the carcasses into 3 or 4 pieces before using. My wife, Nancy, freezes carcasses from roast chicken dinners. When she gathers enough, she defrosts them and makes a very good stock. You can make stock from raw chicken bones, cooked chicken carcasses, or a combination of both.