A Family Memorial and a Celebratory Recipe

Last weekend’s Memorial Day held special significance due to personal and family milestones. Our family missed spending the days before the holiday with Dad, embellishing family cemetery urns with live geraniums and asparagus ferns. Dad’s passing in December at age 96 meant this was the first holiday with him joining his parents and siblings in our hometown Catholic cemetery.

This year’s holiday also featured a celebration for my mom and her Green Family roots in Wheatfield. Mom, turning 95 this summer, joined her sister Ruby, 96, and the rest of the family to honor Uncle Sonny’s 90th birthday at the Rensselaer American Legion. Uncle Sonny, officially Arthur, has been wedded to Aunt Toots, 89, for 67 years. (The backstory of Aunt Toots’s nickname is found in my second cookbook from 2007.) The feast included fried chicken, homemade salads, and decorated cupcakes.

Uncle Sonny shares his nickname with my friend Sanjin Bosnjak, now living in Chicago, who also took on the name “Sonny” when people struggled to pronounce his Bosnian name. While no recipes emerged from Uncle Sonny’s party, Sanjin “Sonny” Bosnjak provided a recipe for his homemade fried rice. This dish combines rice, chicken, eggs, and vegetables for a quick meal.

“I served my fried rice to my friend Johan with potstickers,” Sanjin shared. “Egg rolls are also a great addition. Baking them makes an ideal pairing with this recipe.”

He appreciates the rice for its protein, making it excellent for a fast lunch. “Like Martha Stewart, I’ve learned that using day-old rice improves chicken fried rice. Hugh Jackman’s a fan due to its protein benefits,” Sanjin noted.

Columnist Philip Potempa has authored four cookbooks and hosts a weekly radio show at WJOB 1230 AM. Contact him at [email protected] or mail your inquiries to From the Farm, PO Box 68, San Pierre, Ind. 46374.

Sanjin’s AKA Sonny’s Chicken Fried Rice

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 ounces chicken breast, cooked
• Splash of vegetable oil
• Low-sodium spices and seasonings
• Seasoning salt to taste
• Dry-blend herb seasoning to taste
• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 12-ounce bag frozen stir-fry mixed vegetables
• Soy sauce as desired

Directions

1. Cut chicken, season, and coat with oil. Chill overnight.
2. Cook rice, season, and refrigerate overnight.
3. Whisk and fry eggs lightly, mince while warm.
4. Cook chicken in butter until golden.
5. Steam vegetables according to package.
6. Mix chicken, eggs, vegetables, and rice in a bowl.
7. Fry mixture in a pan, adding oil or water and soy sauce to taste, until hot.