This is Mama Miche, and today in my magic kitchen: Smothered Smashburgers

Not to be confused with Smash Mouth or Hulk Smash! A hibachi grill, ground meat, and some aggression are all you need for a great Smashburger. It's a simple recipe that anyone can master, and we like to smother ours with caramelized onions and cheese. Why? Because cheese makes everybody happy… unless you're lactose intolerant (sorry about that). And the caramelized onions hit it with just a touch of sweetness.

This is Mama Miche, and today, in my magic kitchen: Elote Dip.

Elote is Spanish for corn on the cob. To make elote, corn cobs are grilled over an open fire, coated in lime juice and chili powder, slathered with crema, and sprinkled with crumbled cheese. My first taste of this legit mouthgasm was at Las Tortugas in Memphis. Yes, Memphis, TN, and it was authentic, as was every delicioso morsel on the menu. Every taco, torta, soup, and salad was ridiculous. I still feel my mouth water, thinking about their food. The fact that the owner's son was eye candy and very personable, as well as easy on the eyes, made every visit special.

This is Mama Miche, and today in my magic kitchen: Crab Rangoon

It's as American as baseball and apple pie. That's right. In case you didn't know, this appetizer may have the name of the Burmese city of Rangoon but was probably invented in the United States by Asian American chef Joe Young in the 1950s working under Victor Bergeron, founder of Trader Vic's. That's the story.

This is Mama Miche, and today in my magic kitchen: Chicken Yakitori

With Father's Day approaching, I thought we'd share an easy and delicious recipe that's perfect all summer long, but you can make it for Dad on Father's Day; use his grill but let him chill.

It is well-established that I love meat on a stick, and Japanese yakitori is no exception. Bite-sized pieces of meat grilled to perfection can't be bad.

This is Mama Miche, and today, in my magic kitchen: Surf and Turf Skewers

It's the unofficial start of summer, Memorial Day, when Americans remember the soldiers who died for our freedoms. God bless them and their families.

It's also the season of food on a stick. From fairgrounds to backyard BBQs. If you were with us last summer, you know that kebabs or skewered foods of any kind are magical to me. I don't know what it is; it's just a vibe.

This is Mama Miche, and today in my magic kitchen: Smokin' BUTT* Shoulder

Y'all know I medicate with cannabis. I micro-dose all day, and that includes smoking it, but when it comes to smoking meat? My hubster is a rock star. He truly is the king of the grill and smoker, and when he upped his own damn game by coming up with the recipe for our Memphis Mojo Rub, he took the smoker to a whole 'nother level. There's an art to smoking meat, and he is the Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh, and Klimt of the smoker.

The unofficial start to summer is Memorial Day, and what a great way to spend it: smoking meat! Any of the long summer holiday weekends are perfect for this delicious recipe. But why wait for a holiday? Make any weekend special with a great smoked butt! (or shoulder)

This is Mama Miche, and today in my magic kitchen: Warm Potato Salad

Y'all hear me talk a lot about easy peasy lemon squeezy macaroni cheesy recipes. This one takes the cake. There aren't any lemons, macaroni, or cake in the recipe. To be clear. But it's all that! It's the perfect side for any protein. Grilled or cooked in the kitchen main dishes all year round, this side of potato salad hits!

This one is relatively new in my repertoire, but it's a keeper!

I love a good quiche! It sounds fancy because it's French, and foreigners and their Romance languages make everything sound so purdy.

One thing that is truly important on most days in my magic kitchen is ease. Shit has got to be easy. I'm not a trained chef; I'm a simple home cook. I've got a boarding house reach and NY middle-class manners, and I'm not fucking apologizing for who I am.

This is Mama Miche, and today in my magic kitchen: Chicken Wonton Cups.

In New York, the joke is, "How do you get an actor's attention? Waiter." In Nashville, that's how you get a singer/songwriter's attention. Lucky me, I got to be a server in both cities. Yippee. The life of an artist, at least the struggling artist, is fraught with bullshit jobs needed to just pay the bills and hopefully have a minute to actually make art. The best gigs I had were catering jobs. Hard work, but always in a different setting and usually with like-minded people.

This is Mama Miche, and today in my magic kitchen: Sweet Matzoh Brei.

This is the matzoh brie of my childhood. Very few ingredients, very easy to make, and very good use of matzo in a week where that's all you can eat. Joking, not joking. There is also a delicious savory matzoh brei recipe I've shared on our YouTube channel and website in which we use our delicious Twice Stolen Spice™ I learned that one from my dear friend, Essra Mohawk. I mention that in the voiceover. In the time between making that video and this one, Essra left this plane. She was a gifted and highly underrated singer-songwriter.

This is Mama Miche, and today in my magic kitchen: Sweet Potato Kugel

Aaah Kugel! There aren't that many foods that are more Jewish. As Jewish? Maybe. But not more. If you're not from a Jewish community or a community with no Jews, and they do exist, it's a foreign word and food.