Yellow Split Pea Soup with Smoked Ham Hock & Collard Greens

Yellow Split Pea Soup with Ham Hocks and Collard Greens
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Today’s Yellow Split Pea Soup is a riff on a childhood favorite. This soup was a constant in my house growing up and a particular favorite of my dad’s. My rendition is different than the one I grew up with. For one thing, my mother always used green split peas not yellow. But yellow was what was available at my local grocery store and I was feeling mildly adventurous. There are a few other differences that I will discuss in greater detail. But apart from that, this is my childhood in a bowl. And while it may not be the prettiest bowl of soup in the world, it is, in my humble opinion, the most comforting. The bias of nostalgia is real, though, so take my assessment with a grain of salt.

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Roasted Eggplant with ‘Nduja Lentils & Whipped Ricotta

Roasted Eggplant with Nduja Lentils and Whipped Ricotta
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Eggplant and I don’t have an easy relationship. I think I’ve previously mentioned this before, but I’m going to tell this story again. I had an unfortunate baba ganoush experience. And it has stayed with me and cast the eggplant in an unfavorable light. I am slowly but surely working to improve my opinion of eggplant, but I will admit it’s touch and go from time to time. My love for eggplant is very context-dependent. Sometimes I have an eggplant dish that doesn’t work for me for whatever reason and that severely sets back my progress. But I’m happy to say that more often than not a quality eggplant dish furthers my cause. This Roasted Eggplant with Nduja Lentils and Whipped Ricotta is one such dish.

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Cuba Libre Pulled Pork Bowls with Pickled Red Cabbage

Cuba Libre Pulled Pork Bowls with Pickled Red Cabbage
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I seem to enjoy pairing pork with cocktails. And no, I don’t mean pouring myself a drink before tucking into a pork entree. I mean, marinating, braising, and/or topping pork with a beloved cocktail. I will admit it’s a strange hobby. This is not something I knew about myself, but this Cuba Libre Pulled Pork and the Mojito Pork Tostadas from last month suggest this is becoming a favorite pastime of mine. Who knew? I realize that two recipes do not a pattern make, but you have to admit, it’s a little peculiar. I can’t wait to see what my brain hurls at me next. Paloma Pork Burgers? Actually, not a terrible idea.

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Caesar Salad – Overthinking Classics

Caesar Salad - Overthinking Classics
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It’s time for another installment of my ongoing video series Overthinking Classics. Today, I’m tackling Caesar Salad. I chose this much-beloved salad as my next subject because I felt it dovetailed nicely with the previous episode, which covered the ins and outs of crafting the perfect Roast Chicken. Chicken Caesar Salad anyone? If you do decide to go all out and make both, I suggest saving the breast meat from your roast chicken for this salad. I’m usually a dark meat person but in the case of salads, I feel white meat is the best option. So let’s dive into this Caesar Salad.

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