Now that it’s not 1000 degrees in Louisiana, my cooking mojo is back in full force. So, I thought I’d share some things that came out of the kitchen this week.

First, I caught whatever devil virus that has been going around that is not the flu, covid, or RSV (I tested plenty) and that asshole hung around for nearly two weeks. Once I was on the upswing, we had all the kids home for a classic fried chicken Sunday lunch. That evening, I whipped up a chicken noodle soup with leftovers, but crisped up the chicken skin in a skillet until super-crunchy and crumbled it over the top. That hit the spot.

The next day, I made the bolognaise from the book Sip & Feast which the husband devoured. I’ve mentioned this book before a few times, but I promise, these guys don’t know me from Adam, it’s just been a really good, reliable book for me.

I also made Balsamic short ribs from the Wishbone Kitchen cookbook and paired it with a basic parm risotto and broccoli. I love this recipe but honestly, I’ll just make it with chuck roast next time. Every time I buy short ribs, I end up disappointed because they are so pricy and I end up with more fat than edible meat. I think the flavor and texture will be exactly the same with a quality trimmed chuck roast cut into large chunks. Regardless, this recipe is dang tasty.

Next I made grilled pork chops with Carolina BBQ sauce and a potato and gruyere galette from the You Got This! cookbook. This was a big hit with everyone in the house. The galette dough literally takes five minutes in the food processor, and Bean said that any day with a galette is automatically a great day.

Finally, I made the stuffed shells from the Everything Delish cookbook and paired them with a basic chicken cutlet. Thus far, I’m having pretty good success from this book as well.

So, that’s some of what’s been cooking.