Writing Prompt: Top Five

 Prompt: List your “top five” of anything, and a brief reason why.

Top Five

Well, most of you know I love to cook, so when asked to name a “top five” I thought I’d list five of the best dishes I make my husband and myself over and over again, to rave reviews. Cooking is my passion, and I love it when I nail a dish and it’s well-received. Here’s a brief list of some things I love to cook and we love to eat:

1. Sicilian Beef Ragout

Imagine, if you will, cubed chuck roast, marbled lightly with fat, cooking low and slow for two hours in a covered pot with chopped fennel, shallot and leeks. I’ve tossed in some chopped green olives and red pepper flakes, some rosemary and thyme, and it’s all simmering in some beef stock mixed with a little flour. On the top rack of the oven I have quartered Roma tomatoes, tossed in olive oil and thyme leaves, slowly roasting atop the lower rack with the Beef Ragout. Our house smells amazing from everything cooking, and my husband knows he’s gonna receive a feast. Once everything is done cooking, I ladle the ragout onto buttery mashed potatoes, and lay some of the tomato slices on top. We don’t talk much while we are eating our Sicilian Beef Ragout, it’s that friggin good.

2. Thai-Inspired Chicken Meatball Soup

Chicken meatballs made with jalapeño, garlic, ginger and chopped cilantro? Yes please. Baked in the oven, then simmered in a savory mix of chicken broth and coconut milk? When’s dinner? Throw in some baby spinach, squeeze in lime juice, then ladle everything over rice? Pass my bowl. We live off this magic elixir all winter long, and even Basset Lily gets a meatball or two to enjoy. 

3. Chili

Everybody loves chili, and I’ve tried my hand at countless chili recipes over the years. Our current favorite calls for, among other things, fatty ground beef, a chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, Hersheys cocoa, apple cider vinegar, tomato sauce, and not only pinto beans but the bean liquid in the can as well. The end result is a velvety smooth, smoky, hearty bowl of chili, perfect for any night, year-round. 

4. Crispy Chicken Schnitzel

On particularly stressful days, when it’s time for dinner I get out some chicken breasts, plastic wrap and my mallet. Wrapping a breast between two pieces of wrap, I proceed to pound that sucker hard, flattening it out to about one-eighth of an inch. Then I dust the chicken breasts in flour, dip in beaten egg, then dip in crisp, Japanese panko breadcrumbs. Then into a skillet with hot oil the breasts go, sizzling away to golden perfection on each side. I serve each schnitzel on a bed of arugula with chopped herbs, and drizzle everything with lemon juice and olive oil. Each crispy bite is pure heaven, at least as I imagine it to be.

5. Corned Beef and Cabbage (with Horseradish Sauce)

Seeing as St. Patrick’s Day is tomorrow, I felt it was fitting to round out my top five favorite dishes to cook with what I always prepare on this holiday: Corned beef with potatoes, carrots and cabbage, not to mention Irish Soda Bread with raisins and caraway seeds. Now, corned beef and cabbage can be kinda bland, but I discovered serving it with my special horseradish sauce makes the dish come alive. The sauce is simple to make, combine crème fraiche with horseradish, some Dijon mustard, salt and pepper and some chopped chives. Then dollop that all over your beef and vegetables, and be prepared for a taste sensation. It’s a pity we only have this meal once a year.

So that’s my Top Five for today, I enjoyed giving you a snapshot of some of the things coming out of Melissa’s kitchen. Cooking is my passion, it gives me purpose, and it’s a way I show my love for those I care deeply about. Thanks for the opportunity to share this with you today.