Let's spin the wheel for dinner

This week I rolled out a roulette wheel onto the kitchen floor.

When I'm not sure of what I want to make, I do an exercise called "recipe roulette." It's something I concocted years ago to help steer me in a new direction, away from the safe haven of chicken breasts and pasta.

I like to give in to experimentation and have a little fun once in awhile.

The game is pretty self-explanatory. I simply pick a trio of cookbooks from the shelf, and with my eyes closed I randomly open the books and make whatever's on one of the three open pages.

In the past I've had some good luck with this.

A few years ago, my mother-in-law, Barbara, came for a visit. She was already familiar with most of my favorite guest-worthy recipes. So I gave the wheel a whirl, and the risk paid off. Roasted salmon with fennel and lemon turned out to be a whopping success for dinner.

Sometimes, though, the wheel can be problematic. How'd you like to prepare yuzu curd or ox tongue?

This week, I first chose "Cooking Fearlessly and Other Adventures from Hudson's on the Bend" by Jeff Blank and Jay Moore. Blank is notorious for taking wild game from the Texas Hill Country and turning it into a four-star meal.

The book was a gift from my oldest daughter, Dana, who lives near Austin, Texas. She knew I'd love the bold and brave recipes.

"This could mean trouble," I thought.

Bummer, though. I opened the page to Jicama and Tomatilla Salad. I had already made this zero-calories-of-fat salad. My handwritten notes said to "add cilantro" to the gingered lime vinaigrette next time. This side dish was fresh and very summery. I'll be sure to try it again.

Next I pulled "Culinaria Russia" by H.F. Ullmann. Like Russian roulette, I was not exactly sure of what I was going to get. The luck of the draw was Beet Pancakes, small patties of millet and beets fried in hot fat, and then served with a dollop of sour cream.

As much as I like pickled beets, I decided to pass.

On to cookbook No. 3, "Low-Fat No-Fat Thai" by Jane Bamforth. My last-chance recipe was Green Mango Salad. It called for green mangoes, limes, green Thai chiles and cilantro.

I'd never eaten a green mango before. While I enjoy the sweet juiciness of a ripe mango, I was intrigued by Bamforth's description of the green mango's crunchy texture and tart flavor, which makes it make ideal for salads and stews. I wanted to try one.

And after making this week's recipe, I am happy to report, "Eureka. Another winner."

<b>Green Mango Salad</b>

1 pound green mangos

Grated rind and juice of 2 limes

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons nuoc mam (fish sauce)

2 green Thai chilies, seeded and finely sliced

Fresh cilantro, small bunch, stalks removed, finely chopped

Salt

Peel, halve and pit the green mangoes, and slice them into thin strips.

In a bowl, mix together the lime rind and juice, sugar and nuoc mam. Add the mango strips with the chilies and cilantro. Add salt to taste and leave to stand for 20 minutes to allow the flavors to mingle before serving.