I had another interesting food and friend weekend. It began with a Milton cauliflower pizza which lasted for two evenings. I also finished up the beef stew topped with some quinoa I’d cooked and refrigerated.

I like playing with quinoa. Then I made a sheet pan dinner that also lasted for two nights. This time I placed parchment paper on the sheet before I added salt, pepper and truffle oil to the potatoes, salted and peppered the broccoli and topped the chicken thighs with butter, curry powder and a little honey.

The latter (the curry, butter and honey) is the first combination I made with chicken maybe 50 years ago. The combination was delicious. I had used frozen broccoli I’d bought at Trader Joe’s and wasn’t sure it would go straight from the freezer to the oven, but it worked out very well.

Over the weekend, Sue and Karen came over to watch the noon Connecticut women’s basketball game (yes, we won by lots). We ate Cheez-Its, trail mix from Costco, and peanut butter cups from Aldi. After we won, I put tiny potatoes into the oven, created an enormous salad and Karen grilled a rib eye filet they’d bought from their own house (a new cut for me) on the Weber. Dinner was delicious. Then we watched two movies in a row: “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (meh) and “Judah and the Black Messiah” (Daniel Kaluuya and the movie were both memorable).

Altogether, eight hours of three things I like the most: good people, good food and movies. Hope we do this more often.

Now I am back to routine: write a column or two, thaw some chicken for dinner, prepare for a 6 p.m. board meeting, finish book for book club. The recipe below is very good and very easy. Use any fairly spicy chile you have. I always have cans of unsweetened coconut milk.

I also buy big packages of sweetened coconut chips for my salads, but if you don’t have chips, a little toasted coconut works fine.

Chicken Adobo with Coconut Rice

From Fine Cooking, February-March, 2021

Serves 6

For the chicken:

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

1 serrano pepper, stemmed, seeded and minced

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon fresh cracked black pepper

6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (3 to 3½ pounds)

For the rice:

1 cup long grain white rice

1 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ cup toasted unsweetened coconut chips, plus more for garnish

3 scallions, sliced

In a Dutch oven, combine vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, serrano, bay leaves and black pepper. Add chicken, skin-side down, Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 15 minutes.

Turn chicken and simmer 15 minutes more. Place chicken skin-side up, on a rimmed baking sheet.

Bring cooking liquid to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil gently uncovered, until thickened and reduce to about 1 cup, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the heat. Discard bay leaves. Skim the fat.

Meanwhile, preheat broiler. Broil chicken, 5 inches from heat, until skin is browned and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes.

Make the rice: Place rice in a fine sieve and rinse with cold water, Place in a 2-quart saucepan.

Stir in coconut milk, ½ cup water and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 15 minutes.

Remove from the heat. Let stand 10 minutes.

Fluff the rice with fork. Stir in toasted coconut and half the scallions. Serve the chicken with the rice.

Drizzle with sauce and sprinkle with remaining scallions. Garnish with additional toasted coconut.

On the Side

I have been buying these tiny potatoes, usually the Terrific Trios, from a company called The Little Potato Company. They are called creamer potatoes.

Yes, they are a more expensive than big potatoes, but if you are feeding fewer than four people at a time, or you don't feel like peeling potatoes (you don't have to and they are pre-washed) or you wish they were done quicker than the rest of dinner, these are great.

I have been roasting them in a small metal pan or with a sheet-pan dinner. If they are bigger than an inch and a half, I cut them in half; otherwise, leave them whole.

Toss with a little salt, pepper and oil. They are crispy on the outside and creamy (hence the name?) inside. Can't wait to use them for potato salad.

Lee White lives in Groton. She can be reached at leeawhite@aol.com.