By End of school year approaching. My caseload is heavy but manageable. Eighteen years of this rhythm — the September filling, the December pause, the March rebuilding, the May release. I know the pattern the way I know recipes. By feel. By the way my body moves through the school year's seasons without needing a calendar to tell me where I am.
Shanice — the food thief turned writer — is graduating 8th grade. She's going to a magnet high school. Her mother came to see me this week, a different woman from the one I met last September. She said, "You saved my daughter." I didn't save her daughter. I connected her with a food bank and told Shanice her stories were worth writing. The saving was Shanice's. The saving is always the child's. I just held the door open.
Second rejection letter from a publisher. Third. The rejections are starting to form a collection. I keep them in a folder on my desk — not out of masochism but out of the same stubbornness that made me leave Terrell, raise two children alone, get a master's degree while pregnant, and stand at a stove every night for eighteen years. The rejections are data points, not verdicts. The book is real. The book is good. Someone will see it. Someone will say yes. I believe this the way I believe in the Folgers can — not because it's rational but because faith was never about rational.
Made salmon cakes this week — canned salmon, breadcrumbs, egg, onion, Old Bay seasoning, pan-fried until golden. A Mama recipe that I've adapted (Mama used Saltines; I use panko because the twenty-first century has opinions about breadcrumbs). Curtis said, "Those taste like your mama's." LIKE YOUR MAMA'S. From the man who has said "it's different" about every dish I've made for two years. The salmon cakes broke through. I'm weeping. Not about the salmon. About the man who finally tasted his dead wife in his living daughter's cooking and admitted it out loud.
Curtis’s words stayed with me all week — those taste like your mama’s — and I kept turning them over like a stone in my pocket, smooth and warm. I’ve been leaning into the patty form ever since, the way you lean into something that finally worked: that satisfying press of the pan, the smell of something going golden. These quinoa patties aren’t Mama’s salmon cakes, but they live in the same neighborhood — crispy edges, a tender center, something humble made careful — and some nights that’s exactly the shape comfort needs to take.
Quinoa Patties
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 8 patties
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (panko or regular)
- 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, for pan-frying
Instructions
- Combine the mixture. In a large bowl, stir together the cooked quinoa, eggs, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, garlic, green onions, parsley, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper until the mixture holds together when pressed. If it feels too loose, add breadcrumbs one tablespoon at a time.
- Form the patties. Scoop about 1/4 cup of mixture per patty and press firmly into a round disk about 3/4-inch thick. Place formed patties on a plate. Refrigerate for 10 minutes if time allows — this helps them hold their shape.
- Heat the pan. Warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking.
- Pan-fry until golden. Working in batches, place patties in the skillet without crowding. Cook 4–5 minutes per side, pressing gently with a spatula, until each side is deep golden brown and crisp. Adjust heat as needed to prevent burning.
- Drain and rest. Transfer finished patties to a paper towel-lined plate. Let rest for 2 minutes before serving.
- Serve. Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream, a squeeze of lemon, or a simple green salad alongside.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 165 | Protein: 7g | Fat: 7g | Carbs: 19g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 280mg