I keep forgetting

We were away recently. Family vacation. One of the perks was having enough time to watch TV idly. So I got sucked into "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince". Which led, when we came back, to wanting to re-read "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows". So I endangered my life by going into my oldest child's room to search for it. Found it, too. On the lower shelf of the special bookcase devoted to her most cherished treasures: all seven Harry Potter books and her bible. My younger daughter, on the other hand, keeps her bible on the shelf that holds all the other books she considers essential for making life better. I keep mine next to my bed. Hubby keeps his in his office. 

Why does each of us have a bible that we keep nearby? Why, it says so right in this week's parasha: D'varim chapter 17, verses 18-20, says that the first thing a king must do is write a Torah (two Torahs, according to many commentators) and keep it near enough to read it all the time so that he will not become too haughty. Ramban said that one of these scrolls is to be next to the king at all times (for studying) and the other should be placed in the treasury so that when the king looks at his treasures, he will see the Torah and remember that he is not exempt from its rules even if he is king. Wish it worked that way for husbands and teenagers, too, don't you?

We're all human, kings and paupers alike. And as such, we're all frail. We usually don't remember the most important things (I know my memory is spotty at best.) So we tie a knot around our finger to remind us of what needs to be remembered. Or we write a note to ourselves (and then can't remember where we put the note...) In short, we need memory aides. And, being human, our best sense is our sight (until that starts to go, too, along with memory, muscle tone and the ability to enjoy Mexican food.) 

We all use (since most of us desperately need) visual aides to joggle our memory. That's why there is a tzitzit on the tallit, that's why there's a mezuzah at the door, that's why there is a whole bunch of (seemingly) pointless food stuffs on the Seder plate and that's why we have a bible in every room. We need visual aides. In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, we forget. 

We forget all kinds of things. Some more important than others.

You know how you rummage around in the freezer and suddenly come upon something you froze months ago? And promptly forgot all about it? 

I found a zip-top bag with 4 bone-in chicken breasts in it while checking to see how many bags of pancakes I have left. I also found, at the bottom of the veggie drawer, 4 limes I bought a month ago and never got around to using. And I found a great price on some excellent quality cilantro at Shoprite. All of which reminded me that I'm supposed to be creative in the kitchen and that Shabbat is coming and we hadn't had a good chicken meal in a while.

So here it is. Chicken, fit for a king.

Chicken with lime and cilantro

4 bone-in half breasts of chicken

Juice of 3 large, ripe limes

1 cup cilantro* leaves, chopped

1 Tbs honey

Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large, zip-top bag (or a shallow, large baking dish), mix everything except the chicken. 

Using a sharp knife, make 2 or 3 small slits in each chicken breast.

Add chicken to the bag (or dish) and move it around so it is all coated with the sauce. There will not be a lot of sauce but really work it in. That's why I like the zip-top bag; you can close it and massage the chicken through it. If you're using a dish, just turn the chicken over and over until it's covered in leaves.

Put it in the fridge for an hour or two, turning every 30 minutes or so (more, if you remember to do it...)

Bake at 450F for 30-40 minutes or until juices run clear when meat is pierced. We bbq'd it (don't you just love how Shabbat comes late enough in the summer that you can have a bbq dinner on Friday?), which makes it nicely browned at the edges but baking is fine, too. Just use high heat and short cook time so it doesn't dry. 

If you want to use the sauce, pour it into a small saucepan and bring to a boil (or microwave it). You can thicken with a bit of flour, if you wish. Let it boil for 3-5 minutes, but watch it carefully, there really isn't enough liquid there to let it boil too long.

Sevres 4-6  and make sure to serve it with something that contains mango in it (salad, perhaps?) for the contrast in flavors.

*My friend Gail is one of those unfortunate people who cannot eat cilantro (luckily, she is fortunate in other things, so it evens out.) Usually, I'd suggest a substitute but in this case only cilantro will do. Sorry, Gail.