There is nothing like the perfectly brined and roasted chicken leg with the combination of crunchy browned skin on a cold winter night. This is a one-pot dinner that when cooked perfectly is just as masterful as leather fruit served in the shape of a beetle (RIP Noma). Just because a combination of flavors might seem mundane, doesn’t mean that a symphony of flavors can’t be created that only increase in complexity, and deliciousness, with time.
As a child, I assumed split pea soup was laborious and time consuming-which explained why my father enjoyed the Campbell’s canned version. However, I was delightfully surprised, when I made this soup for the first time, at how terribly easy it was to make.
You might be asking yourself why a Sicilian girl is writing about matzo ball soup. One word. Husband. I wanted to impress my husband and what better way than homemade matzo ball soup. I set out on a quest to find a unique but delectable matzo ball soup.
This recipe was a product of the game “what is in my pantry that I can put in a risotto for dinner.” I had purchased some pre-cut squash and scallops at Balduccis (my favorite foodie grocery store when we lived in the DC area). I made squash and scallop risotto several years before when we lived on Capitol Hill using local apple cider as a marinade for the scallops. The result tasted like fall on a plate.
I love themed dinners and replicating a TV dinner sounded like so much fun. Enter the proverbial meatloaf. I am not old enough to remember the Swanson ads for meatloaf with either tomato sauce or gravy, but I am old enough to remember when airplanes served dinner….in coach. I still have fond childhood memories of this microwavable airplane food dispensed in perfect proportions. I wanted to recreate the element of surprise that captured me during that first in-flight meal.
There is no better time than August to open a cold beer and cozy up by the grill to enjoy the last days of summer. My husband enjoys grilling anything and especially loves grilling vegetables. Which is great for me because by August I am floundering for a creative dinner to use the abundance of zucchini and squash that I have purchased at the local farmer’s market.
For my grandmother’s 102nd birthday, we did a steakhouse themed birthday dinner. (Anyone who makes it to 102 deserves a steakhouse dinner.) But, the creamed spinach was just eh. I resigned myself to enjoy creamed spinach when at a restaurant. Until, I received a LOT of beautiful spinach in my weekly CSA box.
These are not “authentic” Maryland crab cakes. But what else would you expect from a native Mississippian? This is my version of Maryland crab cakes, but feel free to tinker with the recipe, which is forgiving. Just please don’t substitute the Old Bay Seasoning. It is essential for a Maryland crab cake.
