Fry

This is my at-home version of Chef José’s crab omelet from the Floridian Diner in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Hey, José, how did I do? Oh, and the inspiration for the hash browns comes from my love of latkes and my love of these crunchy treats called plantain spiders, which I had at La Casita Blanca in Puerto Rico. They are too delish!

Serve with broccoli or cauliflower, steamed and tossed in garlic butter.

The wonderful actress Ming Na taught me this recipe. It was handed down to her from her parents, who owned a successful Chinese restaurant for twenty-five years. It’s not fair! Ming Na is gorgeous and talented and she can cook, too! But, we can console ourselves with these Chinese meatballs. The chopped cabbage is served in a pile, the meatballs in the middle: a head surrounded by a mane . . . a lion’s head. Ming uses mushroom-flavored thick soy sauce. I cannot find that product where I live, so I use finely chopped shiitakes and aged soy sauce.

Have one of each! Serve with spicy refried beans.

A “stoup” is what I call a soup that is almost as thick as a stew. This one can be prepared as a vegetarian entrée as well by omitting the ham.

This meal is good for B-L-D: breakfast, lunch, or dinner.