Our memories of taste are usually colored by emotion and the passage of time. Take, for instance, a recollection of grandma’s apple pie. Pleasant memories of the pie are likely helped along by warm feelings for our grandmother.

This probably accounts for the dearth of pleasant childhood memories of foods prepared by annoying relatives. Uncle Leroy may have been a master chef, but if he were a pest, we’re less apt to reflect fondly on what he brought to family potlucks.

Think about it. How many times have you heard someone complain about the service and ambience in a restaurant but rave about the food?

I recently had good reason to isolate the recollection of a particular taste down to the taste itself. Stripped of all of its trappings and suspended in the ether for re-examination, a remembered taste is a lot harder to pin down. Even trickier is translating memory into a reliable recipe, suitable for serving to company.

During my summer travels I ate a dish called Amazon Chicken at a cafe called The Stray Dog in Vashon, Wash. This entree was sufficiently breathtaking to inspire some experimentation when I returned home.

Basically, the chicken was fairly neutral — a lightly, though elegantly, breaded chicken breast — resting in a pool of cilantro-flavored sauce. This bright green, creamy sauce had an intriguing kick to it and I have to say that I haven’t eaten anything quite as interesting in some time.

I asked the waitress if the chef would be able to discuss the dish with me, but no dice. Apparently, I was one in a long string of diners who had been similarly intrigued and the chef had no intention of giving up the secret. I did manage to wrangle a list of ingredients.

Fast forward to my kitchen, two weeks later in Kansas, and there I was, staked out next to my blender, gingerly adding ingredients, trying to get the proportions right. Just to add a little dramatic tension to this chemistry experiment, I had invited dinner guests to celebrate my achievement.

I worked one ingredient at a time, stopping to sample after every whir of the blender.

At first, the memory of what I had eaten in the restaurant was a bit slippery, but every time I tasted the work in progress, I had the sense that my memory was becoming more focused.

I may have deluded myself about the accuracy of this recollection, and the chef at The Stray Dog might be heartily amused by my attempt. But, if memory counts for anything, this recipe comes darned close.

Amazon Sauce Reinvented

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2 cups sour cream

4 tablespoons mayonnaise

4 tablespoons lemon juice

6 tablespoons cilantro leaves, minced

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

1/2 teaspoon cumin

In a blender, add the sour cream and lemon juice and pulse until blended. Add the remaining ingredients individually and blend until fully incorporated. Mix on highest speed for about 1 minute, or until the sauce has a smooth texture. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours to let the flavors mingle.

To serve, reheat the sauce in a double boiler on a low simmer. Ladle the sauce onto each plate and top with chicken and side dishes. Makes 4 to 6 servings.