Growing up Italian, homemade meatballs were a dinner staple enjoyed over pasta, in a sub roll or as savory appetizers before the main meal. But last week, while teaching a cooking class on Greek foods, I had to set my Italian roots aside and absolutely drool over Greek Meatballs known as Soutzoukakia. These morsels of magic have a wonderful combination of spices like cumin, cinnamon and oregano with a red sauce that completely enrobes them with even more flavor! Greek Meatballs are delicious with seasoned Orzo, rice or, dare I say, on a bed of Italian pasta?
ground pork
Clifford’s Chili
This weekend a host of local broadcasters came together for our annual Christmas Concert to raise money for The House of Broadcasting. One year our fundraising efforts helped to create the House of Broadcasting Celebrity Media Cookbook. It’s a treasure trove of great heirloom dishes by your local television and radio personalities. One of the most delicious recipes in the book is an award winning chili recipe from Jack Clifford, the man who created the iconic Food Network. (More than 20 years later, about 90 million people agree that Jack’s idea was a brilliant one and changed forever the way we view food.) Jack’s scrumptious chili has won dozens of chili cook off awards. It kicks you with five different spices and yet has a smooth-as-silk finish on your palate. This chili’s base is a combination of beef chunks, ground beef and pork with plenty of onions and garlic! So, grab a big pot and get cooking, just in time for “chili” evenings!
If you’d like a copy of the House of Broadcasting Cookbook, visit www.houseofbroadcasting.com.
By the way, Jack used to say that the Department of Homeland Security had identified his chili as a WMID (Weapon of Mass Indigestion). But I say Clifford’s Chili it’s so good, it’s what the cowboys call MGS–Mighty Good Sop!
Watch my Video for Clifford’s Chili here!
Man Cave Meatballs
Dad deserves a delicious dish for Father’s Day, and this one is hearty enough for a Man Cave meal, and elegant enough for a gourmet dinner! Who doesn’t love a giant juicy meatball surrounded by melted cheesey deliciousness hiding inside a delicate puff pastry? They are so easy to prepare, and it all starts with puff pastry sheets. The only tricky thing about this recipe is to remember to buy the puff pastry sheets (they will be frozen) and let them thaw out in the refrigerator overnight. (Never thaw the puff pastry sheets on the counter at room temperature. You’ll end up with a doughy mess!)
Other than that, it’s a breeze! I love meatballs that have an equal amount of beef and pork or pork Italian sausage, although I’ve made these with turkey meatballs and they’re just as delicious!
The original recipe calls for adding raw onion and garlic to the meatball mixture, but I always sauté the onion and garlic first, then let it cool down before adding it to the mixture. By doing that, you’ll get a richer, sweeter flavor out of the meatballs!
Happy Father’s Day, Dads! Let’s hope meatballs are on your Father’s Day menu!
Watch my How To Video for Meatballs in Puff Pastry here!
Cheesy Mega-Meatballs in Puff Pastry
Ikea Swedish Meatballs
They’re as popular…maybe even more so, than their home furnishings!
Ikea’s Swedish Meatballs are Iconic! And, since the Euro furniture store posted the recipe on Twitter about a month ago, the internet has been obsessing over it.
Ikea released the recipe during the novel corona virus pandemic because, according to food a manager of IKEA U.K., “We know that some people might be missing our meatballs, which is why we’ve released an at-home alternative.”
So now you can get your meatball fix anytime you like! The meatball recipe is pretty simple. It’s very similar to an Italian meatball. The cream sauce (or gravy) is a breeze, too, although I was surprised that it included two ingredients I would not have expected; Dijon mustard and soy sauce (which accounts for its silky golden brown color.) As the directions point out, you’ll want to chill the meatballs in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before browning them in a skillet so they won’t fall apart. Yes, they’re that delicate!
So while you’re waiting for your favorite flat pack furniture store to open back up again, you can have a little taste of IKEA for dinner tonight!
Watch my How to Video HERE!
