Not-So-Hot Jerk Chicken

I love jerk chicken, but have had to do without or improvise since leaving Brooklyn in 1983. Lately, I have renewed my love affair with allspice and have always loved the warm spices in Moroccan and Caribbean food. However, Mom has zero tolerance for heat these days. We are officially entering barbecue season. This is a jerk chicken alternative intended for those whose guests can't stand the heat and have to stay out of the kitchen. Guest free? Go ahead and use a scotch bonnet or habanero pepper (or two or three if you can stand it). 1 roasted red sweet pepper, seeded; or drained equivalent of jarred roasted red pepper 1/2 sweet onion, coarsely chopped 2 scallions, coarsely chopped 3 cloves garlic, crushed with the flat side of a chef's knife 3 long sprigs fresh thyme, leaves taken off the stem 1/3 cup coconut sugar (or 1/4 cup brown sugar; or 1 T. dark molasses plus 2 T. erythritol) 1 T. + 1 tsp ground allspice 2 tsp sea salt 3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/3 cup unsweetened, unflavored rice wine vinegar 2 T. soy sauce juice of 1 large (or 2 small) squeezed lime, plus lime wedges for serving 1 T. vegetable oil, plus more for brushing grill Freshly ground pepper 1 chicken cut into 8 pieces, 8 drumsticks and thighs, or 4 chicken breasts, cut in half Place red pepper, onion, scallions, garlic, and thyme in a food processor and turn into a coarse paste. Add coconut sugar, allspice, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, lime juice, and oil; season with pepper. Process until smooth. Marinade can be refrigerated up to 24 hours before continuing. Transfer 1/3 of the marinade to a small bowl and cover and refrigerate for later use to brush on chicken. Transfer remaining marinade to a large glass baking dish or bowl and coat chicken, rubbing marinade under the skin and all over the chicken. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 8 hours. Take out chicken 1/2 hour before grilling. Heat the grill to low (if you are using a charcoal grill, hold your hand 5 inches above the grate for up to 7 seconds to make sure it's hot enough). Brush grate lightly with oil. Place chicken on grill, skin sides down. Discard the used marinade. Grill chicken, brushing occasionally with the reserved fresh marinade, until browned but not charred. Turn chicken, and continue to cook, moving if necessary to cooler part and basting until cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve with lime wedges. Oven variation: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly oil a heavy skillet placed on medium-low heat. Add part of the chicken to the skillet, skin side down --- do not overcrowd the skillet. Discard used marinade. Cook, brushing occasionally with reserved fresh marinade, turning, until well browned on all sides, about 30 minutes. Transfer chicken to a non-reactive baking dish. Wipe out skillet, brush with more oil and cook remaining chicken, transferring cooked chicken to the baking dish. Brush chicken with more marinade, and transfer to oven. Bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Serve with lime wedges. Rice cooked in coconut milk and a romaine or butter lettuce salad with de-skinned orange segments (fancy name: supremes)would be a great accompaniment.

Not Nutella

Nearly every kid between the ages of two and 20 is familiar with Nutella, which used to be reserved for Euro youngsters. When I could find it here, I occasionally liked to smear it on pancakes or enliven ice cream. Now that I am sugar- and fat-free, it is verboten, not to mention expensive. That classic chocolate/hazelnut combination still entices, but I think I've found a remedy that incorporates another favorite, strawberries. My memory was jogged via a Facebook posting by my cousin that included a photo of a chocolate waffle, referencing our Grandma Smith as inspiration. Feeding my sourdough collection now includes two jars of Alaska sourdough (I've been intending to give one away), as well as one French culture and the buckwheat pancake version. I made a batch of sourdough waffle batter from the halves of the non-buckwheat jars, adding to the bowl some Bob's Red Mill 10-grain pancake mix (I find it in the bulk at Huckleberries or Winco), plus buttermilk and a little Eggbeaters. I always add a couple of shakes of salt, about a quarter-teaspoon of baking soda and half a teaspoon of baking powder. It made a great batch of Belgian waffles, but Mom's limit was one, and I decided to try something different with the remaining batter, inspired by Cousin Deb. I added about one-third cup of Trader Joe's unsweetened cocoa powder, three packets of stevia, plus the coup de grace, some hazelnut extract. Last Christmas, my sister Polly gave me a collection of natural flavorings, including an intense vanilla sludge with tiny seeds, maple extract, and hazelnut. I was reaching for the vanilla when a light bulb went on ---- Nutella-flavored waffles. Since the waffle iron was already hot, I decided to make the remaining batter into waffles and freeze them. While at Grocery Outlet, I had scored a two-pound container of California strawberries for $1.99. Their fragrance sent a siren song to me as I walked by. They were absolutely perfect, not a moldy or bruised one in the bunch, so to keep them that way, after returning home, I immediately washed, de-stemmed and halved them with some erythritol and a little stevia, and had them stashed in the refrigerator. For dessert, which could just as easily be brunch, I plugged in the waffle iron and reheated a couple of the frozen waffles. Halves can also be thrown in the toaster, but Belgian waffle crags and crannies do better in their original maker. Topped with strawberries and a little juice, they are decadent, a real guilt-free indulgence. The only possible improvement would be a little vanilla ice cream. In the sugar-free, low-fat ice cream department, I've learned from disappointing, chalky experience that Dreyer's is much superior to Breyer's. Umpqua also isn't bad, but it can be hard to find in these parts. Today, May Day, it's supposed to be near 90, so homemade ice cream weather is fast approaching (See previous postings). This morning, Mom and I were reminiscing about a May 1 tradition that has sadly disappeared. She remembers picking small bouquets, leaving them on the neighbors' steps, ringing the bell and running. As kids in Yakima where we had nearby neighbors, we wove baskets from construction paper, filled them with lilacs and other flowers, rang the doorbell and left them on the nearby doorsteps of the more tolerant types, those who actually smiled when they saw us rather than frowning and thinking, "How can they handle all those rambunctious kids?"