This is Mama Miche, and today in my magic kitchen: Lamb shanks

There are certain foods that will forever evoke memories. Everyone has them. Just the smell can take you back to another place in time. Lamb, any cut, takes me to my Momster's kitchen and makes me think of her. She made a great leg of lamb and Shepherd's Pie with the leftovers. Her lamb chops were perfection. But her lamb shanks were the best I've ever had.

This is Mama Miche, and today, in my magic kitchen: Deviled Eggs

The deviled egg dates back to ancient Rome, but the devil adjective wasn’t added until the 18th century when deviled was used to describe something spicy or fried. Today, most deviled eggs are mild in flavor but can be kicked up a notch by adding some cayenne or hot mustard. I only use Colman's dry mustard exclusively to devil my eggs. And I don't add any pickle relish or any other nonsense. I've had deviled eggs that way, and they've been okay, but I prefer mine to be relish-free and heavily seasoned with mustard and paprika. Sometimes, I top it with crispy bacon. Sometimes, I top it with a slice of avocado or some Everything but the Bagel seasoning; sometimes, I get crazy and load it with all of the above and, of course, my standby, our Twice Stolen Spice™.

This is Mama Miche, and today, in my magic kitchen: corned beef hash

Are there any meals that you make for the leftovers? I am here for all of those meals, especially corned beef hash. And I'm extra; I use everything from the corned beef dinner in the hash. That's right. Not just the corned beef! The potatoes, carrots, the onions. I chop all that shit up and add to the sauté pan and scramble some eggs, and you might be drooling just thinking about it.

This is Mama Miche, and today in my magic kitchen: Jew"ish" Brisket

I am not a religious Jew, nor do I keep a kosher home; in fact, I've joked I'm Jew "ish." I still love traditional Jewish holiday foods. Judaism–It's the only religion that is an ethnicity as well, as far as I know.

Brisket is one go-to multi-holiday meal! You can make it for Rosh Hashanah, Hanukkah, or Passover.

This is Mama Miche, and today in my magic kitchen: corned beef (the Instant Pot way), and this is the way!

I love corned beef. I really do. But I don't make it very often. It's easy to make but also quite time-consuming. That's why cooking it in the Instant Pot is my preferred method. You can set it and forget it! It's always perfect, and you can make it a one-pot meal if you cook your veggies in it as well. Makes clean up minimal, and we like that, too.

This is Mama Miche, and today, in my magic kitchen: Presto Pesto!

Pesto is easy. Like so easy. Anyone can do it! Like Chef Gusteau says in Ratatouille, "Anyone can cook!" That's not to say anyone can be a great gourmet chef. Not everyone has the magic touch of even the best home chefs. TLC is an ingredient. Period. Full stop if you don't get it, you don't get it, and your meals will always lack something. In cooking, you do need more than love, but it is what takes it over the top. Some skills are involved, but they develop over time with practice.

This is Mama Miche and today in my magic kitchen: Poulet à l'oignon

In honor of one of the greatest love stories on television, Abe and Rose Weissman from the Marvelous Ms. Maisel series, I made this French Onion Chicken dish. I imagine it would be something Rose would ask Zelda to make Abe if he ever got out of line again. Instead of going back to France, this would remind him that she did leave him once and would again, while also bringing back the memories of them falling in love again in Paris.

This is Mama Miche, and today in my magic kitchen: Valentine'choke

No, I didn't just reveal my kinky side… or did I?

When it comes to food, there are a few that are considered aphrodisiacs. Oysters, strawberries, honey, and avocados are among them. One of my favorites, though, is the artichoke—and not just the heart. I'll eat the whole damn thing, steamed, dipped in melted butter with Twice Stolen Spice™.

They take a long time to cook unless you use one of the greatest kitchen inventions ever: the Instant Pot. It takes hours off cooking times for some foods. A small artichoke steams in 5 minutes. A large one stuffed with this incredibly decadent seafood stuffing takes 15 minutes! This brings me more joy than it should.

This is Mama Miche, and today in my Magic Kitchen, Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

I remember helping my Momster in the kitchen when I was growing up, and I learned to be very creative from her. Not just in the kitchen. She encouraged my creativity and allowed me and my imagination to grow. She was my self-proclaimed biggest cheerleader on the planet. She was honest but always encouraging. And as you may know, she was an amazing cook.

This is Mama Miche, and today in my magic kitchen: Pasta Bake

Baked ziti, spaghetti, and even lasagna are essentially pasta bakes. Pasta, sauce, and cheese are the main ingredients; they are all inexpensive and filling and can be made to feed large crowds easily and affordably.

I'm a cheese lover, but to be honest, it's the sauce that makes or breaks a pasta bake. It's got to taste good and be plentiful, or it'll be dry, and nobody wants that.

This is Mama Miche, and today in my magic kitchen, Meatloaf

Meatloaf is a traditional dish with roots in Germany, Scandinavia, and Belgium, cousin to the Dutch meatball but no relation to Marvin "Bat out of hell" Lee Aday, aka the recording artist Meatloaf. There are even early records in Rome of a dish made with chopped meat, bread, and wine. It's been around.

The meatloaf we know and love has its origins in scrapple, served by German-Americans in Pennsylvania since colonial times. Scrapple doesn't look appealing. I've never tried it, but it's quite popular in the state where we currently live. Maybe one day I will. One never knows, do one?

TThis is Mama Miche, and today in My Magic Kitchen: Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie is literally the ultimate comfort food with an interesting history dating back to Ancient Rome and Greece.

Does anybody remember the nursery rhyme about "four and 20 blackbirds baked in a pie"? They actually put live birds in, and when sliced, they would fly out! What the actual fuck? I'm sorry, but that does not sound appetizing to me.

The Brits brought the pot pie to another level in the 16th century with ornate crusts crafted and served at banquets, and still, they were accessible and easy to make by the commoner. It is very hearty and filling.