Mom's Famous Pork Chops Visit Chicago

The illustrious cast: soy sauce, rice vinegar, rice wine, sesame oil. I skipped the powdered garlic because I think it overwhelms the delicate flavor of the pork.

Two chops taking a bath. I let them soak for about 30 minutes while I was getting the kale and rice together.

Supporting characters: potato starch...

...and I added a second dredging stop of Japanese panko to get things extra crispy.

Pork all dressed up in a crispy coat.

Gently add to hot oil.

Fry until golden brown.

Best weeknight dinner ever.

Mom's Famous Pork Chops

This is probably one of the most coveted recipes within the family. I'm happy to finally be able to immortalize it here.

Start with thinly sliced (1/2") pork chops

Marinate 20 min in soy sauce, sesame oil, and white wine vinegar.

Lay out potato starch

Heat up a pan with grapeseed oil (high flashpoint).

Flour each side thoroughly.

Lay the chops in, away from you.

Tilt the pan to get the edges.

First flip.

Remove from heat and place on paper towel.

Use the remaining oil to sautee minced green onions.

Serve with green onion garnish. Top with soy sauce (optional).

White Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream Chile Sauce

Helloooooo Hungry Folks,

I tried this recipe and it was actually a pretty good tasty turnout.

Ingredients

8-10 soft taco size flour tortillas

2 cups shredded Monterrey jack cheese, divided

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup sour cream

1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles

Chopped, fresh cilantro for garnish (optional) (which means, I am not taking that option in this case)

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix together 1 cup of the cheese and the chicken. Place an equal amount of the chicken mixture into each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in a lightly greased, 9 x 13-inch pan.

In a skillet or saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, whisking until smooth. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Stir in the sour cream and green chiles. Pour sauce over the top of the enchiladas; sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Chicken Soup

After an unfortunate reaction to deep dish pizza last night (compounded by a similarly driven scene in Bridesmaids), I woke up this morning weak and dehydrated. I needed something warm and restorative. I needed chicken soup.

I wanted something that was light but with a lot of flavor. Usually, I use herbs like thyme or rosemary for chicken stock, but I wasn't in the mood for an Italianesque soup -- I wanted something completely comforting which meant it would need an Asian bent. I decided to use ginger which lends a slightly spicy, almost medicinal, kick. I added a carrot for sweetness and some mashed garlic cloves to keep it super savory. I had some weeks-old shallots on the counter that still felt fresh, so I decided to throw those in too.

I brought this to a boil, skimmed off the foam, added salt, and then let it simmer for nearly two hours. The resulting broth was perfect -- ginger is the star here, but with the other ingredients, it isn't over-powering.

This is most slurp-worthy with steamed rice and a gently (read: the oozier the better) poached egg. Sprinkle over some furikake for extra Asian flair.