They are totally different types of preparation. Chicken Marbella, as you know, is made from a long list of varied ingredients, it involves marinating, and uses a whole chicken. Chicken Marsala is generally just the breast, butterflied, and then quickly sauteed with the Marsala wine. It's a lovely, simple, flavorful dish- but there is really no comparison to be made between the two. Marsala wine is made from white grapes, it can be sweet OR dry, and is used in a wide variety of ways in cooking in Italy, especially in Central ad Southern areas. Zabaglione, a sweet, cooked custard sauce, is one of the more famous examples. It's also wonderful in soup, especially chicken soup or mushroom soup, whether its creamy or clear. If you're going to buy Marsala to cook with, DO NOT buy the cheap American "Marsala" made by Masson or Taylor- those are foul and will add nothing but cheap saltiness to your food. Cantino Florio is a good producer of REAL Marsala (which comes from Sicily, and ONLY from Sicily). You can buy it in dry OR sweet versions, and a 750 ml bottle will generally not cost more than $15, and after you open it, it will last in the fridge for quite a long time. RE: Marbella- I agree with you-It's one of my all time favorite dinner party dishes. You can make it long in advance, and it gets better after it sits longer. However, I've gotten tired of the original recipe in the Silver Palate cookbook- it has too much sugar! I've also decided that its MUCH better when made with thighs ONLY! Breast meat doesn't need to be marinated like that, and if it sits too long in the marinade, it just gets mushy. I experimented and made a version of Marbella using tomato paste and Madeira, instead of sugar. Also, depending on your taste, you might try using GOOD dried apricots instead of prunes sometime. It was SOOOO GOOD!!! That combo of capers, olives and dried fruit is also delicious with pork, whether you use a grilled chop, or a roasted tenderloin. I almost always serve Marbella with saffron rice. I tihnk it's time for a Marbella dinner party!!! Zachary

I've been making Rumaki in my 1949 stove for a few years now and it's always a huge hit -- especially when pulled piping hot out of the Grillevator. I grew up with my mom making them in the 60's on -- wait for it! -- her hibachi grill, but there are a whole heap of younger folks to whom retro is brand new. Went to a formal dinner a few months ago and they pulled out Marbella, which caused an audible stir. We've also been using our electric Raclette grill for dinners lately, especially when kids are involved; more sanitary than fondue but still has that '70s eat-in/love-in vibe. Paraphrasing Bertolt Brecht: there is nothing new under the broiler.

I hear ya' about the cooking and more cooking and more cooking...... I bake this Moroccan Chicken recipe instead of grill it...have made it 4 times already, it is that good! Grilled/Baked Moroccan Chicken Good with rice pilaf or couscous and a green salad. 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (good quality) 1/4 cup chopped scallions (white part only or chopped onion) 1/4 cup chopped parsley 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1 tablespoon minced garlic 2 teaspoons paprika 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon turmeric 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 8 chicken thighs/pieces or leg quarters or chicken halves Optional use 1 heaping TB ras-al-hanout seasoning instead of the ground spices Combine oil, scallions, parsley, cilantro, garlic, paprika, cumin, salt, turmeric and cayenne pepper in the container of a food processor. Process until smooth. Rub the mixture on both sides of the chicken breasts and let stand 30 minutes. Preheat the grill to medium hot. Grill chicken breasts 5-7 minutes on each side, until done or bake at 375 for one hour for half a chicken or 45 minutes for chicken pieces Pizza Chicken Roll-ups - variation from my friend Keren 4 chicken breast halves sliced horizontally into 2 pieces and pounded thin Deli pepperoni very thin slices, 2-3 slices per roll Deli provolone cheese 1 slice per roll Pasta sauce, large jar of Prego or homemade tomato sauce Mozzarella cheese slices, 1 per roll On each piece of pounded chicken breast, layer on 2-3 slices pepperoni and 1 slice provolone cheese. Roll up and secure with a toothpick. Grease a 9x13 or equivalent baking dish. Pour in 1 cup of the pasta sauce. Place rolls in dish and pour rest of sauce over all. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes. Uncover and top with the slices of mozzarella then return to oven to melt cheese. Sprinkle with chopped basil or parsley and serve over hot cooked spaghetti that has some melted butter and garlic salt, pepper added.

Chicken Marbella is a classic chicken recipe from the girls at The Silver Palate. It was my first "gourmet" cookbook and I've made it a lot over the years. The ingredients are very different and would not seem to go together but they do! The other day I found this crockpot recipe for the dish and I made it today because I was very very busy and something simmering in the crockpot while I painted the porch railings, sewed a Halloween costume, and changed out my flowers from summer to fall was perfect. I think it was as good as the original! CROCKPOT CHICKEN MARBELLA 8 pieces of chicken (you can use all breasts, a whole chicken, or all thighs or legs) 4 cloves garlic, chopped 1 T. Italian seasoning (a new staple in my larder) ¼ c. olive oil ¼ c. white balsamic vinegar 1 jar capers, drained ¼ c. maple syrup ⅔ c. jumbo raisins or prunes* 1 jar Spanish olives stuffed with pimento, drained 2 bay leaves Place chicken in slow cooker. Add remaining 8 ingredients with the chicken Cover and cook until the meat is tender and cooked through, 4 - 5 hours on high, or 7 - 8 hours on low. Gently transfer chicken to serving platter. Top with raisin or prune//olive mixture and any remaining juices from the slow cooker. Garnish with parsley. *the original receipt used prunes and I did too. But raisins will work if you don’t like prunes or don’t have any in your larder.