Go forward with intention. A profound statement that could be said about life, but instead, was said to me in Christina Dimacali’s kitchen about cutting green tomatoes.
I reached out to Christina last week about a cooking lesson. During my visit to Philadelphia, I really wanted to cross a big one off the list. To my delight, she answered to me and agreed to not only give me a lesson, but invited me to her kitchen to cook with her.
If you’re in Philadelphia, and you’re looking for a lesson or a personal chef, I highly recommend you check out her site. Heck, check it out anyway. You know you want to.
What was on the menu, you ask? Fried chicken, fried green tomatoes, and biscuits. The funny thing is, Christina is from the South, so when I suggested the chicken, she was really excited to do it. Some background on me, I really love to cook, but recipes are kind of hit or miss. While I just mastered french onion soup, I was actually once grounded from using the microwave after starting a small fire (The microwave survived).
I can proudly say I’ve moved on from those days, after my afternoon with Christina. She brought me step by step through the process of preparing the food, keeping the kitchen clean and sanitized, and the most difficult and daunting task- the frying. While I’ve deep fried many times, oil on the stovetop absolutely terrifies me. Lucky for me, Christina had a few tricks up her sleeve about that (always drop food into the pan away from you).
So what do you get with patience, cornmeal, and some chicken? You get DELICIOUS homemade chicken. This recipe is incredible, and is Lane tested and approved, (Lane is my best friend and whether or not he will admit it, can be a picky eater). On top of the amazing chicken, the green fried tomatoes were absolutely perfect, and the biscuits, to die for. If you feel so inclined, email me for the pdf.
Thanks, Christina!
Photos by Megan Jooste