Ask a Splendid Table: It's a wrap when avocado stars at picnic

Q My brother is home on leave, we're having a picnic and a recipe for a sensational sandwich with avocado would make him happy. Do you have something that isn't run of the mill?

A Do a wrap. It's easy to tote and eat. Your brother should enjoy chunks of avocado with the basil/balsamic/mustard sauce.

Brown rice vs. white rice Q How do you substitute whole grain or brown rice for white rice in a recipe? Are there ingredients that taste especially good with it?

A Where white rice usually cooks in 20 to 25 minutes, most brown rice needs 45 to 50 minutes. So when using it in dishes where the rice cooks with other ingredients, take this longer cooking into consideration before adding ingredients.

Of course, many brown rices hold double the fiber of most white rice, five times the vitamin E and three times the magnesium.

You can shorten cooking time by soaking the rice in very hot water 20 to 30 minutes. That said, cook brown rice the way I like to cook white rice, in a lot of boiling salted water, tasting for when it is tender but not mushy. Drain in a sieve and serve.

Brown rice has a nutlike quality and takes well to meats, nuts and fruits (especially the intensity of dried fruits). For instance, cook the rice and then blend it with fresh ricotta, dried tart cherries and a little butter. Or toss it with steamed or roasted carrots and leeks.

A You might be remembering a recipe I mentioned that was inspired by the late cooking authority James Beard. He took a 3- to 4-pound chicken, cut it up for frying, put it in a bowl, poured an entire medium-sized bottle of Tabasco over it and then covered it in true buttermilk.

Our buttermilk isn't as rich as old-fashioned buttermilk, so I like to use sour cream instead. Roll the pieces around in the mixture to thoroughly coat them.

Beard refrigerated the bird overnight, drained it, rolled it in flour mixed with salt, pepper and paprika and skillet-fried the chicken. The Tabasco carried a pleasing kick into the meat.

If you feel like roast chicken, use the same marinade and instead of frying, roast the chicken at 350 degrees in a large shallow pan for about an hour, or until the thickest part of the breast reads 170 degrees on an instant reading thermometer. It's less messy than frying and I can kid myself into thinking the bird is a bit more healthful. The vinegary Tabasco does lovely things to the chicken, but it is hot.