The weather in west Torrance is lovely at this time of year, if somewhat varied and unpredictable. Spring rains are abating rapidly, but gusty coastal winds and bouts of cloud cover can result in unseasonably cool temperatures (especially indoors, with all the breeze and none of the sun). Gradually, however, the days are warming. Temperatures aren’t likely to peak until the month of August, but they are expected to rise into the high 70s or low 80s by July. So Tyler and I are finishing the end of Spring cuisine with a warm, hearty meal—the likes of which we’ll probably not revisit again until the end of this year or the beginning of the next.

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The theme this week was Spanish cuisine and flavors. (More on why in the next article.) I needed an all-meat dish to accompany the other main, so I bumbled around on the internet until I ran across "albondigas"—or meatballs. The snafu: the online recipes were all over the map. Many of the meatballs were basted in a tomato sauce, but some were in wine-vegetable broths. Beef, pork, veal, bacon, and chicken were all candidates for the actual meat content. One of them called for Parmesan cheese, and that’s where I just drew the line. Parmesan cheese? As in the Parmigiano Reggiano of Italy?! Why would Spain, with all its lovely and wonderful cheeses, use Parmesan in what is considered a classic dish of Spain? I dove for the nearest bookstore. Save me from the hordes of sameness! I was not going to be conned into some American rendition of spaghetti and meatballs (minus the spaghetti), no matter what the internet said.

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In the summer of 2006 I lost 40 lbs. Today, three years and some months later, the weight is still off and, in addition to staying on track, I’ve lost an additional five pounds. This recipe is a celebration of health and a farewell to my arch-nemesis: the up-and-down roller coaster of diet fads. For this success, I have the folks at SparkPeople to thank. I spent about a year with Sparky, and over those long months of tracking my weight, budgeting my calorie intake and expense, living on the forums, and listening to the advice of nutrition experts, I learned bunches about body maintenance and the negative impact of dieting mentality. That’s not to say I haven’t gone up or down a few pounds in all three years; hell, you can go down a pound or more just by sleeping eight hours. But every time I need to get back on track, I just remind myself of the principles and lessons I learned from Sparky.

Now onto the actual food!

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No kitchen can truly be great without homemade stock. Stock is the fonds de cuisine, or "the foundation of cooking," and is a major component of rich stews and many excellent sauces. (And as for sauces—well, no aspiring chef or gourmet cook can truly claim fame in the culinary arena without demonstrating command of sauces.) Furthermore, a properly prepared stock made from scratch will always outperform prepackaged stock from the supermarket or stock made from powders; the two cannot even compare. If you haven’t already, do yourself a favor and upgrade your kitchen with a little homemade stock. Prepare stock the night before and refrigerate or make in advance and freeze for up-to several months.

There are at least a dozen, if not several dozen, variations of stock, depending on the ingredients and the methods employed. However, we can usually break down a traditional stock into three basic components:

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One of the joys of cooking is the opportunity to work hands-on with new or unfamiliar ingredients.  This week  I wanted a mild side-dish to accompany the leg of lamb; I also knew I wanted Greek flavors, mushrooms, and a carbohydrate in risotto-style or something very similar.  Off I went to the farmer’s market, which coincidentally has a booth selling exotic foods imported from Greece.  There I sampled and bought a wonderful 6 oz hunk of Kasseri, a type of cheese which I had never tasted before.  From Whole Foods I also bought whole wheat orzo and (on a whim) truffle oil, the latter of which is also foreign to my pantry.  Thus began my grand experiment!

The dish came together like this:

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Chicken Marsala

Modern chicken marsala is usually prepared using chicken breast, which is then butterflied or pounded with a mallet.  However, I find the richness and sweetness of the marsala wine perfectly complement the depth of flavor in dark meat; chicken thighs are also conveniently the right thickness for this dish.

4.64 lbs chicken thigh
1 lb 9.8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
homemade chicken stock
Florio sweet marsala wine
Ruffino Orvieto Classico 2008

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The cool weather in northern Pennsylvania was a good excuse to revisit this wonderful, rich and hearty soup. There’s not much in the way of broth—at least when I prepare it—but if thick and chunky isn’t your style, you can easily change the consistency by adding more milk, cream, and roux. This recipe is easily one of my all-time favorite comfort foods.

5-7 pieces of thick cut bacon
2½ lbs chicken breast
1½ lbs chicken thigh, with skin and bone
2½ tsps salt + extra
fresh ground pepper
1 white onion, chopped
6-8 stalks of celery, chopped

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