Lara’s Mother Day recipes

Anna Wilkinson

As Mother’s day is coming up, it may be difficult to come up with ideas to show your appreciation for the mothers in your life. Whether that be cooking your mom’s favorite recipe or gathering your siblings to bake a cake, recreating recipes is a meaningful way to show your love for them. Lara Craciun, a junior, uses the language of cooking to express her gratitude for her mom. Listed below are two of Craciun’s mom’s favorite recipes that Craciun creates for her. Feel free to recreate these dishes for a special mom in your life!

9 garlic cloves 1/2 cup olive oil 2 teaspoons of finely grated lemon zest 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 2 oil-packed anchovy fillets 1/3 cup dry white wine 1 1/2 pounds of fresh little neck or manilla clams (must be fresh and alive) 12 ounces of fettuccine or linguine 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley Salt and pepper to taste

Lara Craciun

This Linguine and Claims dish is inspired by Craciun’s mom’s love for seafood, specifically shellfish. Make this dish to impress any seafood fanatic this!

1. Bring 2 tbps of salt, 10 cups of water, and 3 tablespoons of olive oil to a boil in a large pot. 2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Thinly slice the garlic cloves and add into the oil, stirring often until golden brown around the edges. Add anchovy fillets and red pepper flakes, stirring constantly until the anchovy has dissolved. 3. Quickly stir in the white whine and simmer until the steam no longer smells like alcohol and only a couple of tablespoons of wine is left. 4. Add in clams, and give them a stir to coat with the reduction. Cover with lid and cook until the clams open, about 5-10 minutes. While waiting, begin cutting the parsley and zesting the lemon. 5. Remove the opened clams and put into a bowl with a lid or cover with tin foil to keep warm. If any clams in the pot have not opened after 15 minutes, discard. 6. Cook pasta for half the time recommended on the box in the water boiled in the first step. Using tongs, transfer the pasta to the Dutch oven and add about 1 cup of the pasta along with the pasta, stirring constantly. 7. Continue stirring as you add the whipping cream. Continue to toss the pasta until it is fully cooked, glossy, and the sauce clings to the noodles. 8. Remove from the heat and add in the parsley, butter, lemon zest, parsley, and clams. Stir until everything is well combined and coated in the sauce. 9. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve by first plating the pasta then topping with whole clams.

For the Pickled Red Onions: 3 small red onions 1 1/2 cups water 1 cup white vinegar 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup white granulated sugar Barigoule Chicken, Artichokes, and Potatoes Ingredients: 4 large chicken thighs, bone in, skin on One thigh per person 2 cans artichoke hearts, stored in water NOT oil 3 medium Idaho potatoes 2 small red onions 1/3 to 1/2 cup of dry white wine 1/4 cup olive oil 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream 1/2 meyer lemon 1 sprig rosemary 5 sprigs thyme 1 sprig rosemary ¾ cup microgreens

According to Craciun, this dish was the creation of combining a variety of dishes into one. However, it has been constantly recreated due to popular demand and is now one of her mom’s favorite dishes! For the Artichokes, Chicken, and Potatoes

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Rinse and clean the chicken thighs, removing any remnants which can be felt by running the palm of the hand back and forth over the skin. Any hard bits can be removed by squeezing the blemish from both sides. 2. Drain, rinse, then vertically half the artichoke hearts and red onions 3. Rinse and scrub dirt off of potatoes. Cut potatoes into small wedges. 4. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Then heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once the oil begins smoking, place the chicken thighs skin side down and cover with a large lid. Cook the chicken on the skin side for 10-12 minutes or until the chicken skin is no longer stuck to the pan. The skin should be crispy and crunchy. Flip the chicken and continue cooking for five minutes. 5. Remove the chicken and place on a clean cutting board. Discard most of the cooking oil, leaving about 2-3 tablespoons in the pan. Do not scrape off the bits of skin and chicken left on the bottom of the pan as it gives the dish flavor. Put the raw onions, artichokes, and potatoes into the pan we used to cook the chicken. Add white wine and cover for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Depending on the portions you use, adjust the amont of white wine accordingly. 6. Take about 1/2 cup of the pickled red onions and 1/2 cup of the pickling juice to the pan, and simmer for another 5 minutes. After the vegetables have braised, stir in the heavy cream then add the chicken back into the pan, skin side up, wedging them into the vegetables. 9. Top with lemon slices and herbs. Place in the oven for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Remove from the oven and take off the lemon slices, setting them aside for plating, and then discarding the herbs. 10. Plate the vegetables, placing the chicken on top, and then decorate with a lemon slice, microgreens, and pickled red onions.

Lara Craciun

1. Begin by pickling the red onions. You should do this 4-5 hours ahead of time to allow the onions to fully pickle. 2. Combine water, vinegar, salt, and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat then boil until the sugar and salt have fully dissolved, mixing occasionally. Bring to a rolling boil. In the meantime, peel the red onions, cut in half vertically, and slice into thin semicircles. 3. Put the onions into a glass container, such as a mason jar with a lid, then once pickling liquid has reached a rolling boil, carefully pour into the jar, overtop of the red onions. Tightly seal the container and store at room temperature until it is time to prepare the rest of the dish.