Cold winter winds only bring one thing to mind for me -- comfort food! Although there is quite a lot of American comfort food on my menu at Red Rooster Harlem, my comfort food is traditionally Swedish in origin, since I grew up there. While some people may crave macaroni and cheese, I crave Swedish meatballs and mashed potatoes (although the mac and cheese on Red Rooster's menu is pretty great, too).
My grandmother Helga's meatballs are by far the best I've ever eaten. I owe my culinary career to her, since she's the one who first taught me how to cook. Her meatballs were actually the first dish I learned how to make, as well. She cooked her meatballs for us at least twice a week. I loved them so much that they were the first dish on the menu at Red Rooster and it's possibly the most popular dish. That goes to show you that even after all of my years of cooking, I still can't beat my grandmother's food!
Traditionally, we serve our Swedish meatballs with mashed potatoes and lingonberries, but meatballs can be a great accompaniment to a variety of foods, like pastas and gratins, or even in soups or sandwiches. Not to mention that you can keep 'em stewing for hours as part of your Super Bowl spread. Check out the gallery below I put together with Food Republic for great meatball recipes and pairings that will satisfy anyone's comfort food cravings during these cold winter days.
For more great comfort food recipes, follow me on Twitter (@MarcusCooks)
