My mom's cooking is the stuff of legend. Ask any of my exes and they'll tell you that after my bodacious rack, they miss my mother's cooking the most (what did you think they'd miss - my tender-heartedness?).

Exhibit A: Chicken Croquettes.



They're so labor-intensive she only makes them about once per year, but we then get to revel in the delight of leftovers. I popped them in the oven for about 20 minutes and rounded it out with biscuits, buttered corn and rosemary-cheddar mashed potatoes. And I don't mind patting myself on the back here - for only my third attempt at making mashed potatoes, they're pretty divine.