Plum-raspberry salsa over chicken - sort of Italian

It's cold. Colder still because when the heat comes on, Pipadoodle/Pippin lies by the vent and sucks all the heat into his fur. I am someone who has dwelled in the land of make-believe for a lifetime. (Did I ever tell you I played "make-a-believe" with Grandma Gresio incessantly and it wasn't until I was in second grade that I found out that the phrase was "make-believe?" The wonder of accents.)

So I play "make-a-believe" in my kitchen. And in my kitchen it is warm. Which is what attracted me to My Carolina Kitchen's shrimp and scallops with mango salsa. Sam lives in North Carolina (read: warm!) And cooks a lot of lovely French dishes and others with "a tropical island touch."

I made it with shrimp because it was too cold to go out for scallops. Yes, if it was January - I'd be just fine with 20 degrees. However, it's not January.

The recipe bring tropical breezes, palm trees and all that is good and warm in the world. Find it here. You'll like the blog. I promise. I was so enamoured with the dish - I did think, "How can I make this Italian?" And better yet - how can I make this Italian without having to go out on the day it sleeted and snowed six more inches. (I'm not bitter, really.)

And looked at my lemon plums which have quickly become my new favorite love and the astonishing good raspberries I brought home and played. Come on, Italians have plum trees. Italians have berries...

Poached Chicken with Plum-Raspberry Salsa (serves 4)

• 4 ripe plums (yes, you may need to wait for summer but we have these lovely, tangy juice lemon plums in the store and so I used that), cut into small chunks (no need to peel)


• 1 pint raspberries


• 3 scallions, chopped


• a few tablespoons of chopped basil


• a few tablespoon chopped Italian parsley


• 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar


• 1-2 tablespoon olive oil (to taste)

Poached Chicken

• 4 small chicken breasts, pounded thin


• 3/4 cup chicken broth


• 1/4 cup white wine (optional)


• 1 tablespoon Italian herbs


• Additional water to cover

Plum salsa: Combine ingedients and keep at room temperature (covered) up to 3 hours.

Poached Chicken:* Bring liquids to a boil and gently poach chicken till cooked (20-30 minutes). Spoon salsa over chicken and serve. *Alternative, spoon salsa over baked chicken, sauteed chicken, shrimp, tilapia - have fun!

It's not just spring - it's summer!

Italy alert: This is what I know: Rome for 4-5 days, Florence, Liguria. Up for grabs - what do you think? Modena, Bologna, Pisa, Pompeii? September. Looking for restaurants, small towns - my Italian is awful but I have found the Italians to be kind and I do not need "American-friendly." And grazie to those who have e-mailed with suggestions.`

If the weather gods are good it will be above freezing when next I post!

Eat. Live Be. for 2011 - Yes, I'm still there - I never can post at the proper day of the week. For March (all of March) I have been down .2 pounds. Not stellar - but not gaining. The snow day where I started with sausage soup at 9 a.m. and made my way though daughter's chocolate chip cookies probably did not encourage weight loss...