The Chaos Agent- READ EAT And DRINK

Read, Eat and Drink

Featuring
The Chaos Agent by Mark Greaney

CHAPTER 1 – READ

The Chaos Agent is Mark Greaney’s thirteenth book in the Grey Man series. Greaney was Tom Clancy’s final collaborator and continued the Jack Ryan character when Clancy passed away. His books consistently make the New York Times best-seller list, and The Grey Man was adapted into a movie in 2022.

Court Gentry and his girlfriend Zoya are keeping a low profile in Guatemala as very dangerous people want them dead. Zoya’s home country of Russia considers her a traitor and is desperate to capture her. Court is being chased by old adversaries including organized crime and the United States Government.

The couple are shocked when Zoya’s former Russian handler locates them and offers her a job to save a scientist trapped in Mexico. The threat appears to be part of a larger mission to kill the world’s brightest artificial intelligence experts.

Despite turning down the job, Court and Zoya are pulled into the chaos and become targets of a dangerous assassin known as Lancer. They begrudgingly agree to help the CIA despite wanting to be left alone.  

Many characters from previous books return in The Chaos Agent including former Navy Seal, Zack Hightower. Zack has been hired to protect an eccentric billionaire using his wealth to take artificial intelligence where it has never gone before.

The chapters are action-packed featuring killer drones and four-legged weapon-toting robots. Behind the scenes, a mysterious villain named Cyrus is calling the shots.

Mark Greaney is not the first writer to delve into the frightening advances in artificial intelligence and what that could mean for society. As with all of his books, they are fairly long and detailed, but worth the time.

For much of The Chaos Agent, the Grey Man seems to have lost his signature violent streak, but the twist at the end promises to return him to his old ways. The Grey Man series is one of my favorites, and The Chaos Agent does not disappoint.

CHAPTER 2 – EAT

Jocon de pollo (Green Chicken Stew) (Printable Recipe)

While hiding in Guatemala, Court and Zoya venture out in chapter three for an early lunch. Court has pork tostadas and Zoya opts for jocon de pollo which is one of the country’s favorite dishes. It is a traditional stew made of chicken, tomatillos, and other flavorful ingredients.

The classic recipe calls for chicken thighs or breasts boiled in water, and you can certainly do that. However, there are a couple of shortcuts that will speed up the preparation and let you focus on enjoying the meal.

First, I suggest buying a rotisserie chicken from your local grocery store. It is already cooked and easy to shred with a fork or your hands. The second tip is to buy canned tomatillos rather than the raw tomato-like fruit. They taste just as good, and you don’t have to mess with removing the papery husks and cooking them. These time-saving tips will allow you to toast the pumpkin and sesame seeds and then grind them into a mixture important for the quality of the dish.

 Ingredients:

  • One rotisserie chicken
  • 2 ½ cups of chicken stock
  • 1 tsp of salt
  • ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
  • ¼ cup sesame seeds
  • 2 whole corn tortillas, soaked in water and torn into pieces.
  • 16 oz canned tomatillos drained and rinsed.
  • ½ cup cilantro
  • ½ cup green onions
  • ½ jalapeno pepper seeded and chopped
  • 1 bag of white rice
  • 1 avocado sliced

Instructions:

  1. Shred the rotisserie chicken and set aside.
  2. Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add the pepitas or pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds. Toast the seeds until lightly brown.
  3. Grind the seeds using a coffee grinder or food processor until they are a fine powder. This mixture is known as pepitoria.
  4. In a food processor, add tomatillos, seed mixture, cilantro, shredded corn tortillas, scallions, and jalapeno. Add one cup of broth and blend until smooth.
  5. Combine the green sauce and the shredded chicken in a pot and add ½ cups of chicken stock. Simmer for 20 minutes or until thick.
  6. Serve over white rice with slivers of green onion and a sprinkling of toasted seeds. Add avocado wedges. Maybe some green beans on the side.
  7. Enjoy!!

CHAPTER 3 – DRINK

Margarita

After lunch, Zoya Zakhorova joins her Uncle Slava for a margarita at an outdoor cafe. The tequila-based cocktail pairs well with a variety of foods especially Mexican and South American. The key is to make sure the food does not overpower the lime flavor of the margarita.

The jacon de pollo is a perfect match. The margarita’s citrus notes complement the green stew’s herbal flavor. The contrast is wonderful.

Let’s get busy making a perfect margarita. You are going to need:

  • 3 fluid ounces of 100% agave white tequila.
  • 2 ounces high-quality Triple Sec or Orange Liqueur
  • 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice.
  • 1 tsp Salt 
  • 1 lime wedge
  • 1 large ice cube

Combine tequila, triple sec, and lime juice in a shaker with ice. Shake and then strain into a prepared glass. The margarita is served in a wide-brimmed, stemmed glass or pint glass.  

Moisten the rim of a glass with a lime wedge. Sprinkle salt onto a plate. Lightly dip the moistened rim into the salt. You can salt half the rim or the whole rim. Place a large ice cube in the glass.

Feel free to use the following toast and claim it as your own, “Cheers to the person who invented the margarita. We owe them a debt of gratitude and a refill.”

Tips:

Don’t overcomplicate. A great margarita has three simple ingredients. Play around with the ratio until it is perfect. 

If your margarita is too tart add a little more orange liqueur, agave syrup, or simple syrup.

Use El Padrino 100% pure blue agave or another high-quality tequila.

Use Drillaud orange liqueur or another high-quality triple sec like Cointreau.

Always use fresh lime juice.