January 16th is the birthday of a son of mine. He is lucky to have a public holiday on his birthday, and for that, we thank Martin Luther King.

Among the great works of oration, King’s “ I have a dream” speech celebrates its own sixtieth anniversary this year. On August 28, 1963, the pastor and activist delivered a sermon/speech on the March on Washington. On that day, over 250,000 people marched to the Lincoln Memorial to protest racial injustice. It was the largest peaceful demonstration in the nation’s history.

“Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning…,” King said. “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal.’”

Pity that we are still waiting for some people to believe that.

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The gifts have been given, the givers thanked, and the house restored to order. It is the start of the New Year. As always for me, the start of a new diet, or rather an attempt at one.

Here is a recipe I rely on to inch into the year.

In Phoenix, I’m lucky that lemon and thyme grow for the plucking in my garden. I’m tempted to keep chickens for the eggs. I loved caring for ours when I was a kid. But on reflection, it’s chickens or writing, and I’d better keep to my desk.

Lemon and Thyme Gremolata Chicken

Serves two and may be doubled or tripled.

Ingredients

Marinade
Juice of one small lemon, about 2½ tbs.
1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
4 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 whole boneless skinless chicken breast, halved and pounded between two sheets of waxed
paper till flattened to ¼ inch thick

Gremolata
1 tbs. fresh thyme leaves
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp or more freshly grated lemon zest. I used the zest of a whole lemon.

Procedure
Whisk together marinade ingredients and place together with the chicken in a resealable plastic
bag and let sit in the refrigerator for at least