What I had for dinner:

Seared Chicken Breast and Tunisian Salad

18 Oct 1994 22:27:02 -0400

Yes, I'm back! Been kind of quiet around here for a while, hasn't it?

I came back from London with one of those old-fashioned crank-operated coffee grinders, that I had been looking for as a spice grinder for quite a long time. Coriander especially is nearly impossible to pulverize in an electric blender-like device.

I ground together (twice) a tbsp of coriander seeds, and a little each of mace, tarragon, cinnamon, and black pepper. The powder was wetted with a little balsamic vinegar, then olive oil, to form a paste.

A chicken breast was scored deeply crosswise with a sharp knife, then rubbed with the spice mixture. It was then put to broil on the lowest level of the broiler.

When the chicken was well browned and begining to turn black, some crushed garlic was rubbed into the cooked side, then the breast was turned upside down to cook on the other side. This allows the garlic to cook away from the flame, so that it does not brown. The odor of browned garlic ("Essence of Cheap Trattoria") does not bother some, associated as it is with abundant, often festive dinners, but I find it unpleasantly bitter.

The salad consists of various vegetables cut into small pieces, rather than the thick wedges and slices more common on tho other side of the Mediterranean. I used tomatoes, Kirby cucumbers, a red and a green pepper, sliced radishes, and finally some green olives and capers in vinegar. A little olive oil and balsamic vinegar completed the presentation.

And after dinner, a taste of Macallan 18 years. Duty-free shops are the only redeeming feature of airports.