It’s no secret, my eating habits are largely dictated by the weather and these meatballs are certainly no exception. Last week, I found myself in my cozy kitchen seeking shelter from a spring slop-storm and immediately scrapped the “oh, I’ll just make a nice healthy salad for dinner” plan I’d originally had and made a big pile of meatballs for dinner instead.
And I’ve got to say, these meatballs were worth suffering through the bout of spring slush to experience. They’re tender and fragrant, spiced with coriander and fennel, that have been simmered in a simple tomato sauce. They’re speckled with black olives, spiked with fresh mint, and just the thing to put on your plate on a rainy night.
Growing up, my mother would religiously (pun somewhat intended) boil off a dozen eggs every year on Good Friday. We’d color them, put them in our Easter baskets, and come Monday morning, toss them all in the trash. Well, not quite all–I’d usually work up the courage to try one, gag, and vow to never subject myself to another and one of my brothers would inevitably hide a couple in my closet to be discovered later in the week.
I’ve been really into brunch the past few weeks. Life has felt a bit frantic lately and carving out time for a leisurely morning meal on the weekends is a good way to make the day at least feel like it’s stretched out in front of you, even if the minute your plate is empty you’ve got to run off and go about other business.
One surefire way to determine the success of a recipe is to eat the dish every night for a week and if you find yourself craving more after it’s gone, you know you’ve got a winner. For instance, you know a batch of baked shells is worth sharing with the world (and by “the world” I mean my mother and the three other kind souls that read my blog) when you single-handedly take down three-quarters of the pan and, when they’re finally gone, you find yourself wishing for just one more dinner’s worth. Forgive me for a moment while I lament the fact that these little beauties will not be my dinner again tonight.