Pork Carnitas

It's been unseasonably warm the last few days -- mid-October and we're digging for packed away t-shirts and shorts to run outside and enjoy the 80 degree temperatures. I had already gotten into my Fall zone with cooking -- I had made chili last week and applesauce just the other day. And soup was on the docket when the high temperatures hit. But who wants to simmer soup on the stove when it's hot? 

Grammy's Italian Baked Chicken

Trips to Maine always proceeded the same. After the first six or seven hours, we’d cross into our favorite state, over the Piscataqua Bridge, and shout in unison “Welcome to Maine, The Way Life Should Be!” Then we’d snuggle back down into our pillows and leave the driving to my father since it would be another two hours before we’d get to my grandparents. Next thing we knew, we’d be turning down their sandy, pine-lined road, rubbing sleepy eyes and sporting sleep-tousled hair-dos. We’d excitedly point to the first landmark, my Uncle Scott’s home, craning our necks to see if the cousins were in the yard. A few more turns around the bend and Uncle Gordon and Aunt Ruthie’s home appeared on the left, a square brick structure with a red tin roof, numerous barns in the background and a large bell out front. But we had eyes only for the right-hand side, where we caught brief glimpses of a path to a large rock, and then a tall barn and then a small, dormered colonial with a black-shingled roof. The white house and bright red barn would flash through the sparse forest of white pine until the trees cleared and we were suddenly there. Turning into the driveway created a state of happy havoc in the car, my sister and I bouncing up and down in our seats, ready to pile out and breathe in the scent of Maine.

Baked Haddock

I am ashamed to say, that even with the bit of New England blood running through my veins, I am not a fan of fish. Or any seafood, really. My sister, on the other hand, has fully inherited the seafood-loving gene and will happily down a plate of good fried shrimp or gobble up a lobster or two. Family trips to Maine invariably involve at least one seafood meal, whether it be a lobster feed or a visit to Captain Mike's in Brunswick. And there I sit, surrounded on all sides with my sad plate of chicken tenders. It's difficult with all of them oohing and ahhing all around me to enjoy my fried poultry. 

Turkey Pie

Five kernels of corn on a plate. A symbol of privation and provision. A reminder of the terrible hardness and need of winter past and the intimate care of the Almighty as the Pilgrims struggled with the pangs of hunger and penetrating cold. A remembrance of the bountiful goodness of Providence in a time of deepest need and isolation. 

The wind whipped around us as we piled out of the car and dodged across the street. We passed the Richard Sparrow house, the oldest surviving home in Plymouth, its weathered clapboards and sloped floors holding hundreds of stories and secrets. We shivered as we walked quickly past. We had happened to pick the very weekend that a hurricane was hugging the eastern coast for our girl trip and the wind was piercing, bringing spits of rain and bracing cold. I clutched my little Emma tightly to myself as my mother, sister and I darted into the home next door to Sparrow's, the Jenney Museum, where we were due for a historical presentation on the Pilgrims. 

Meatballs

Wednesday was spaghetti night, or "pa-sketti" as my younger sister used to call it. Midweek was always a busy time for my family. My Dad would get home from work, we'd eat together and then be off to "Wens-dee prayer-meetin.'" Since my dad's drive home was a good forty minutes and our drive to church was at least thirty, it didn't leave a whole lot of time in between for eating. Supper had to be ready when my dad got home, easy to get on the table and quick to eat. And so my mom instituted spaghetti night. 

And while we don't attend a church with a midweek service anymore, we do still have those rushed evenings before Brad runs out to a meeting or those Sundays where we come home tired and hungry for something easy to get into our bellies. And for those meals, I rely on my mom's wisdom -- make it easy and make it ahead!

"Lobstah"

There's a picture of me as a little girl, twenty-five years ago or so, meeting a lobster for the first time. There's an open cooler and my father's hand holding a very-much-alive lobster. My dad's finger is out, as if he is gently stroking the crustacean to show how docile it is or maybe he's instructing me that "it can't possibly hurt you." I, on the other side of the frame, am not convinced. My little four or five year old self is drawn back in uncertainty, hands drawn protectively to my chest, my profile showing concern. I don't think I ever did touch it. 

Pulled Pork

I love pulled pork because it's easy and it makes a lot for a crowd. I can make it ahead and warm it in the crockpot before serving. And this recipe is so delicious. A dry rub and a flavorful broth add considerably to the flavor. Just these little extra steps take pulled pork from good to great!

Chicken Tortellini Soup

Some days just call for soup. And soup has been calling my name during this unnaturally chilly beginning of June. I like this one because it's pretty quick. You use leftover rotisserie chicken (or a chicken breast that you've cooked in the crock pot) sauté some veggies, add broth and pasta and you're done twenty minutes later. Stews need lots of time and their hearty nature is generally more appropriate in winter. But this soup takes thirty to forty minutes, start to finish, and its light and clean broth makes a delicious supper for spring as well as winter. 

Chicken Waikiki

Two-year olds. Lots of joy amidst lots of hard. And one of the hardest things has got to be getting them to eat dinner. As we sit around the supper table, another delicious meal growing cold in front of my pouting son, I can feel my desire to control his eating habits reaching like long, bony fingers--eat, eat, EAT. And I'm sure he can feel it too because he responds with a two-year old battery of defenses including whining, pretending to be tired and distracting me with hugs and kisses. 

It's never easy.

Almost never. Once in awhile we have those amazing nights when everyone is calm and peaceful. The baby is gurgling sweetly and the two-year old sits in his chair and feeds himself his dinner. Happily. And usually it's because we are eating chicken waikiki. 

Tender pieces of chicken, dredged in flour and pan fried, are baked in a sweet and sour sauce, along with bits of red pepper and pineapple. The meal is spooned over a bed of rice, the sauce soaking down into the white grains. Add a green vegetable on the side--I love to use broccoli--and you have a tasty meal that even my picky two-year old describes as "So yummy!"

Meat Pie

It's hard to know what to do with leftover roast. You can eat it in sandwiches or make a stew, but sometimes you need something different. My grandma's method was to make Meat Pie. 

Meat Pie isn't strictly a pie. I'm not sure it's even loosely a pie, but it's a great way to use up leftover roast ingredients. It's essentially a soup on the bottom with biscuits or dumplings floating on the top. My grandma used to just make Bisquick biscuits, but my mom found a homemade dumpling that we use now. It's a simple, hearty dish stemming from the necessity of making a bit of leftover meat stretch into an entire meal. As a pastor's wife, my grandma's grocery budget was not large. 

It's a great recipe because it's flexible, depending on what you have leftover from your pot roast. Bare bones, you only really need leftover meat and gravy to make this, but you can also add in leftover onions, carrots and potatoes. 

The rich broth gets its flavor not only from gravy, but also smashed roasted onions and carrots that were from your pot roast. If you have them, they deeply enhance the flavor profile of the broth. Added to this is leftover roast chunks and bites of carrot and potato. The dumpling batter is dropped onto the top, where it cooks in the steam generated by your simmering "soup." A delicious way to turn boring leftovers into a satisfying meal.

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

Ah, the humble potato. A difficult vegetable for me. I don't hate them, but I don't love them either. Alone they seem bland and rather boring. They need a little dressing up. Something flavorful and rich. Enter chicken broth, cream and cheese. And ham. My husband requires ham.

We had friends over for dinner last night. Our kids are about the same age and they only live a few blocks away. They are one of those families that are easy to have over. Conversation flows, the kids play and the moms fuss over the babies.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I like things in a sweet and sour sauce. I have a few of these Americanized Asian dishes and I love them. Tender chicken, breaded and fried until just crispy and then baked  to coat each piece in a delicious, sticky sauce. Served with sticky rice and steamed broccoli, this meal tastes far superior to take out.

It's a bit involved, however -- cutting up, coating and then frying the chicken before baking it for an hour. But after tasting it, I'm sure you'll forgive me.

Snow-Capped Pie

My mother called her Rhoda Dell. She was a robust woman with a happy face and snow white hair. Her big smile stretched wide and crinkled her face all the way up to her eyes, which glinted through practically squeezed-shut eyelids. Her laugh, more like a cackle, could be heard resounding through the church auditorium. She was there every Sunday, one of the first to arrive and last to leave, arms full of babies in the between.

This recipe is based on Rhoda Dell's, but doctored a bit by my mom. A key to this recipe that makes it so very tasty is the addition of Worcestershire sauce, celery salt and using the carrot "broth" in the pie. These ingredients add depth to the flavor profile, making this meal go from simple meat and potatoes to a tasty dinner.

Lasagna

Simple. Homemade. Good Food. 

The kind of meal that you make for yourselves and for company. 

The kind of meal you take to sick friends or friends with newborns. 

The kind that you make in a big pan so that you can have leftovers later in the week. 

It's a simple recipe -- doctor your favorite sauce, boil some noodles and whip up a cheese filling. But sometimes simple is best. 

Beef Stew

The holidays are over. The magical moments spent together with family and friends are memories now and we've turned the page to a new year. But while Christmas and New Years may be a thing of the past, the cold weather is not. There are at least a few more months of long, hard cold left before spring begins to turn her thoughts toward us. And after all the pies, puddings and cookies of the holiday season, I am ready for something hearty and warming to the bone. 

This stew is just that. A whole mess of onions is slow cooked with chunks of beef until the onions break down and melt into the velvety sauce, making it rich with color and flavor. Thick slices of carrots and hunks of red potato are thrown in at the end, cooked until just tender. Serve with a warm dinner roll slathered with butter, and you'll sit down to dinner and say, "Take that, Old Man Winter!"

Chicken and Basil Cream

Every home has a gathering place. For some it's the den or family room, all gathered around, watching sports or playing games. For some it's a spot on the porch or patio, sipping lemonade while kids splash in the pool or roasting marshmallows around an open fire. For our family, in the home I grew up in, it's the kitchen. 

Baked Ziti

Ziti is one of my favorite company meals. It can be made ahead, it's satisfying and almost everyone likes it, especially children. And this recipe is so good. It's not a dump-everything-in-and-bake kinda dish, but the few extra steps reward you with tender noodles, punctuated by cheesy goodness and a bright, tomato sauce. 

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

I love old family photos. The black and white kind. My parents and grandparents as they used to be.  Young children, chubby cheeked and precocious, with large silk bows perched atop their curls or looking uncomfortable in knickers and buttoned-up shirt. Or maybe as young adults, flashing beautiful, carefree smiles, dressed in the classiest of dresses or looking handsome in uniform. Little moments, captured at a time when all of life was before them. 

Beef Chili

I really don't like beans. 

Not pinto. Or Kidney. Or Lima. Or any of them. 

Yuck. 

My aversion to these legumes has always been problematic when it comes to chili. Most people will tell you that chili just isn't the same without the beans. 

Stuffed Peppers for Two

Do you remember being a kid and the wonder of playing outdoors? The sense of adventure and freedom that it brought? The thrill of feeling fresh air on your face and the possibilities contained in having all the elements of nature at your disposal? A low, crumbling wall becomes the towering bulwark of a besieged fort and a small grouping of birches becomes a fairy den. Sticks becomes medieval swords, a rotting stump a devilish mountain and a blossoming apple tree a private bower hiding you from the all-too-eager-to-join-in younger sibling.