Cheap Eats

These beans, a good salad, and a bottle of beer to wash it all down are about all you need for a comforting Western-style dinner beyond compare.

My sister ran the kitchen in our little apartment when we were growing up even though my mother, who was the breadwinner, dictated what we would have for dinner. My mother taught my sister how to make our favorite roasted turkey drumsticks. These are great and go with any sides.

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The purest chili I know is the Chili con Carne (chili with meat) of northern New Mexico. Dried whole chiles are toasted, soaked, pureed with only a few seasonings, and then cooked with chunks of browned beef. Never are there beans or tomatoes.

 

This recipe's inspiration was Chinese chef Susanna Food of Philadelphia. When we interviewed Susanna, we were struck by her lack of rigid culinary rules. She interprets the traditional Chinese palate with modern Western ingredients, boldly mixing balsamic vinegar with soy sauce, or rosemary with dried yellow soybeans. Surprises fill her books. For instance, did you know that fresh corn is used often in the northern regions of China?

Rick: Though most people really love meatballs, many versions never hit the top of my list. Until I tasted these meatballs, that is. The sauce may look like everyday marinara, but its taste is brightened with the flavors of cumin, parsley and good paprika, which is why I go back for bite after bite. When we learned to make these meatballs (called ketfu in Morocco) with Bouchra in Marrakech, she told us she sometimes cracks eggs into the sauce to poach alongside the meatballs. I haven't tried that yet, but I can just imagine how delicious the sauce would taste with the poached yolk stirred into it. I'm particularly fond of these meatballs made with lamb.

In Catalonia, we love our eggs, especially in the form of tortillas, or omelets.

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