SO: a nice tall one is needed here, which will keep us going through this here recipe of a fighting chicken, which resisted the Wacky One...I 'found' her in the freezer; the good Lord only knows how long she has been there...no, my freezer is the regular family size, so why she got lost there?...your guess is as good as mine. But, defrosted, she looked quite 'healthy', large, plump...I tried to cut her into 8... she resisted, and that is where the fight came in! I skinned her as well, just to prove to her, who is boss... OK. some of you may know, what I am talking about when I mention smoked turkey breast?...its a sort of 'cold-cut' here?...like 'pastrama Americanit' which has absolutely nothing to do with America, and was never near a 'pastrama'?...but it is another variety of smoked turkey here, this one made of the dark part of the 'boid'...OK: sliced thinly, either one is lovely in a sandwich or on toast...(OR, rolled up with a pickle inside for drinks?...perfect! Try it...) the L&M likes it on a fresh French baguette?...I slice off the bottom, as thinly as I can...and toast it for myself...the L&M takes the top part, (I remove most of the 'inside' for fresh bread crumbs!)......and 'shalom-bait' reigns supreme...he has what he likes, and so does she... anyway: that turkey breast, has a layer of fat around it, which I usually cut off and chuck out. One day, I decided to make a large mixed salad, and dice that turkey breast into it. Its a lovely warm-day supper...perfect for the summers here...I asked the girl in the market to slice the breast about a centimeter thick...which she did, and as I cut off those rather large fatty 'rinds' I decided to keep them; wrapped them well and put them it into the freezer...when I found the chicken, I also found the 'rinds'...defrosted them as well, cut them into a dice, and into a hot heavy pot they went; sizzle-sizzle...they let out fat and a wonderful smoky smell....so into this I dumped the chicken and let it brown on both sides and get friendly with the 'bits'...but, she kept being nasty and got stuck to the pot!...we had a tug-of-war here, but out of the pot she came; a large chopped onion went in, mix-mix, mushroom stems were crushed with a very large clove of garlic and added to the onions...next it was all flooded with vodka, mix-mix...ya-OK! Let it 'evaporate'...add sliced mushrooms, salt, pepper and a cup, a bit more, of crushed tomatoes...yes, from a can...mix well, add the chicken and simmer for half a hour, turn her over and give her another half an hour...I did it the day before I wanted to serve 'her'?...always better when you mix ingredients to do the cooking a day or more ahead of serving ...anyway: the next day, I was able to collect the fat, chuck it out and reheat slowly the chicken; she 'went' over plain steamed lentils, and with a green salad, and lots of wine, was absolutely, delicious!

Another lovely dish, stuffed chicken breast, which you may want to make for your next dinner party...this is great made a day or two ahead...always plan NOT to cook on the day you have guests...I just watched a show on the cooking channel...this woman was making dinner for 6 strangers...she went shopping on the day of the dinner, in the afternoon, 'shlepped' it all home, and started cooking at 4pm for a 6pm dinner...why are people so mad?...why show it on TV?...is there no logic left in this world?...sorry! THIS really got to me...

Does your butcher flatten chicken breast for you?...I am sure if you ask him, he will; and if he does not, just put a 'breast' between two sheets of saran wrap, take a rolling pin and bang away! Very satisfying...I stuffed it, with more chicken; I collected the 'hanging' bits, extra bits? Added another 'breast', depends how many you are making; I had six, so into the processor went the 'bits' the extra one, plus some fresh spinach leaves, a garlic clove, some white wine, salt and lots of pepper, just a few fresh bread crumbs...smash it all together, it becomes a beautiful green; remove to a plate; divide between your "breasts", spread it out over them, and roll them up; if need be, secure with a tooth pick...with your hands form them into perfect rolls...olive oil into a pan, when its good and hot, place the rolls into it, fold down...'seal' on all sides...remove, add a chopped onion, mix-mix, flood it with white wine, some lemon juice and a bit of honey...lots of pepper?... let it simmer, taste it...sometimes its perfect, sometimes it needs 'something'...place the rolls into the sauce and simmer 15 minutes on each side...IF you think the sauce is too thin, add some cornflower into it just before reheating it...I liked it the way it was...cut the roll on the bias, and stack on lentils, yes, again!...so the lovely inside is seen...scatter a few chopped cherry tomatoes and parsley for color...delicious, and beautiful, right?...there you go....

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Debbie Morgenstern is the author of "My Life in Israel" and other short stories.
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