Bottom of the Pot by Naz Deravian -Goosht Ghelgheli (Everyday Meatballs)

Let me start by saying, this is absolutely one of my favorite cookbooks. If you have not tried Persian food, I would say this book (and this recipe) are a great intro into cooking it. My soon to be sister in law is Persian and although I did have an interest in Persian food prior to meeting her, spending time with her and cooking with her over the holidays has made my love for this cuisine grow. I’m not gonna lie lol I literally send her a pic of every Persiand meal I make, hoping for approval. Ok, now back to the recipe. Goosht Ghelgheli (Everyday Meatballs) are exactly what you think they are… meatballs lol. This particular recipe is not very time consuming (it took me about an hour) and packs a great deal of flavors. I chose to make these with lamb but there is the option to use beef, turkey or chicken and the remaining ingredients and spices can easily be found at your local grocery store. I chose to serve this dish with an individual Tahdig (this incredible rice with a crispy bottom) and let’s just say there were zero leftovers.

Nothing Fancy by Alison Roman-Citrus Chicken Rested in Herbs

Y’all this dish was a flavor BOMB! Allowing the chicken to rest on the citrus and herbs I believe is what really brings out the flavor in this seemingly simple, straightforward recipe. I also think the addition of yuzu kosho (a japanese fermented chili paste made from chili peppers, yuzu peel and salt) takes this dish to the next level. In the book there are substitutes for this ingredient if you can’t find it but I recommended sourcing it… because it’s worth it. I ordered mine on amazon but you also can find it at H Mart. This dish took me roughly 1.5 hours. The chicken needs to marinate for at least 30 mins and I chose to cook it in the oven (there is a grill option). This dish is perfect for a casual date night at home or for a nice BBQ with friends in the summer.  

Sea Salt and Honey by Nicholas Tsakiris, Chloe Tsakiris, Olivia Tsakiris- Horiatiki “village gazpacho” and Calamari slow-cooked in the gastra

Ok let’s get into this. I’ll preface this by saying Greek food is not something I am very familiar with cooking, and of all the recipes I cooked this month, I would say these two were the biggest “project” and also the ones where execution fell flat on my part (I’ll explain later)..  I chose to make Horiatiki “Village gazpacho” and Calamari slow-cooked in the Gastra. Both dishes are pretty time consuming. Let’s start with Gazpacho. The book gives you two options (Nicholas or Chloe) and I went with the Nicholas recipe. This gazpacho was tasty and it was very easy to source the ingredients as well as put them together, however this dish needs at least 4 hrs in the fridge for the flavors to develop and come together. Once that happens you’re in for a treat, but I understand that is a lot of time, which is why I would either plan ahead (and make it the night before) or wait until the weekend. Now let’s talk about my culinary “fail” so to speak lol. The Calamari slow-cooked in the Gastra. So I’ll be honest I had no idea what a gastra was. After researching, I found out it was a Grecian, clay pot made for very low and slow cooking. Finding this out did not make my cooking process any easier as I was unable to find a gastra anywhere, so I moved forward with using my Dutch Oven….uhm do NOT do what I did. Although Dutch ovens and gastras do have some similarities they are not interchangeable because they distribute heat differently. Now don’t get me wrong, the dish did come out incredibly delicious; the potatoes almost melted in your mouth and were so silky, but the texture of the calamari was way off because it was overcooked. This dish also took about 3.5 hrs to complete. So to conclude, if you are going to spend roughly 5 hrs in a kitchen working on a new cuisine that asks for a clay pot…. Get a clay pot, lol.

My Mexico City Kitchen by Gabriela Camara and Malena Watrous  -Salpicón De Res

I would describe this dish as fresh, bright, tangy, and delicious. Salpicón De Res is essentially a shredded steak salad. This was another dish that surprised me. The ingredient list was very simple, straightforward, and easy to source, but somehow (once combined) created this flavor explosion. This dish does take quite a bit of time due to the steak needing to cook long enough for the shredding, but it is worth it. My husband and I ate it just as a salad but next time; I will probably make some homemade tortillas and eat it like a taco!

Dinner: Changing the Game by Melissa Clark- Crispy Chicken Cutlets with Kumquats and Cranberries

This was my favorite dish from all the recipes I cooked this month. The chicken was crispy and juicy, but the cranberry, kumquat chutney, and citrus dressing that accompanied it took it to the next level. This dish had my taste buds dancing. It had texture from the crispy chicken,  sweetness, heat, acidity from the chutney, and even more acidity from the citrus dressing (although the toasted cumin seeds make this dressing so special). The acidity and sweetness from the dressing and chutney do an excellent job cutting through the fat and grease from the frying of the chicken, and to top it off; this dish only took me about 45 mins to complete. This dish is perfectly balanced, in my opinion, and checks all the boxes. The ingredient list is straightforward and easy to source; however, you may have some difficulty finding kumquats (depending on the season). But if you are in the store and you see them or have seen them in the past and thought, “What would do I do with kumquats?” your answer is this recipe!

Dinner in French: My Recipes by Way of France by Melissa Clark- Roasted Tarragon Shrimp and Onions 

Last but not least, the tarragon shrimp and onions. To put it simply, THIS DISH WAS SO GOOD! One thing that shocked me was how sweet the onions became. There is a note in the book that mentions this, but I was still surprised by the transformation. Luckily the sherry vinegar is there to cut through the sweetness, so don’t worry, it’s not overpowering.  If you are looking for a quick dish that tastes like you spent a lot of time on it, this is THAT dish. This dish took about 30 mins to make, but it tasted like it took hours. I highly recommend this as a recipe to toss into your weeknight rotation to fancy things up. My husband and I had this with an oyster appetizer, asparagus, and rice. Like this recipe, I’ll keep this one short and sweet.