If your mind sometimes goes to gridlock – or maybe even totally blanks out on you – when it’s time for the weekly menu make-out and grocery listing, choose chicken. Or, if neither of those mental bugaboos is necessarily the case, choose chicken anyway.

Why? Well, as I’m so fond of pointing out, there are heaps and tons of reasons, not to mention endless options to go with them. Specifically, though, you have to choose chicken so you can whip up a sumptuous, coming-right-up new entree.

Everett reader Shirley Lee introduces us to this dish and says, “I just love the pollo Giovanni featured at Gianni’s Ristorante Italiano in Everett. It’s a chicken dish with artichokes and onions in a cream sauce. Yum. Absolutely delicious.

“I would really like to have this recipe. I don’t know if Gianni would give up the recipe, but I bet if he would give it to anyone, it would be you. I know, in the past, you have been able to obtain certain recipes from Gianni … “

Once again, Gianni Mottola, chef/owner of Gianni’s Ristorante Italiano, shares with us the secret for duplicating yet another of his popular house specialties. “Thanks for the request,” he writes, “and please thank your readers once again for acknowledging Gianni’s as their ultimate Italian destination restaurant.

“Pollo Giovanni was actually my first creation, and it was served as a dinner special just after I opened in May of 1983! As a matter of fact, Gianni’s had its 23rd anniversary on May 3 of this year. Can you believe it? I can’t even remember 23 months ago, let alone 23 years ago! Anyway, buon appetitto, and here is the recipe.”

2ounces butter

1teaspoon chopped fresh garlic

Small handful julienne-sliced onions

Small handful julienne-sliced marinated artichoke hearts

Boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut and portioned into medium bite-size tenders

3-4ounces white wine (Gianni prefers a pinot grigio)

4ounces heavy whipping cream, whipped

Salt and pepper to taste

Hot cooked penne pasta (optional)

In a medium saute pan, simmer the butter and chopped garlic over low heat for 1 minute. Add onions and artichokes and simmer for an additional 1 minute.

At this point, add the bite-size chicken breast pieces. Over medium heat, lightly brown the chicken and then add the white wine. Simmer 2 minutes, then increase heat to high and add the whipped cream, salt and pepper, and reduce mixture to a light fluffy consistency. Serve as is, or add the penne pasta soon after adding in the whipped cream; toss and serve. Makes 1 serving.

Note: Gianni says gas heat would be preferable for preparing this recipe.

It’s easy to request a recipe from a restaurant here in the Pacific Northwest. Just jot down the name and description of the recipe, name and location of the restaurant, along with any comments you’d like to make, and then send this information to Judyrae Kruse at the Forum, c/o The Herald, P.O. Box 930, Everett, WA 98206.

Please remember that all letters and all e-mail must include a name, complete address with ZIP code and telephone number with area code. No exceptions and sorry, but no response to e-mail by return e-mail; send to kruse@heraldnet.com.

The next Forum will appear in Friday’s Time Out section.