Saturday - New Year's Eve Dinner out at Zingerman's Roadhouse in Ann Arbor

Special six course dinner with wine pairings (pdf of menu)
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Holy God. This was an amazing dinner and there's very little else I can say about it. Amazing food, amazing wine, amazing service, amazing information about the food and wine. This is a New Year's to remember. I couldn't ask for a more festive, friendly way to spend the holiday. I am blessed to live mere blocks from this establishment. As another major snow storm comes to our neck of the woods, I tuck myself in pleased with the end to2007 and awaiting the snow covered start to 2008. Happy New Year everyone!

Reaction
J: "Wow."
M: "Beyond decadent."
L: "A thoughtful, intelligent presentation of near perfect food."

Crab dip is an amazing thing. It's a luxury food we wouldn't eat every day. Ours was not easy to come by, however. Being Marylanders, crab is a great family love. A crab dip seemed like a great addition to Christmas. We first tried to do crab dip at my mom's house during the Christmas of 2001. The original recipe was called Blitzen's Crab Dip. I think we picked it more for the name than anything else. Sadly, it was overly heavy and not very flavorful. It began a great quest, however, that culminated in our own recipe, cleverly called Comet's Crab Dip. As my mom has become lactose intolerant in the intervening years, I include the original and the lactose-free versions for your enjoyment.

Traditional Comet's Crab Dip

8 oz. cream cheese
1 T milk (skim is fine)
8 oz flaked crab meat (buy refrigerated 16 oz cans of crab meat, not tuna size cans off the shelf. It costs about $9 in Ann Arbor, but is worth it and you have an extra half pound for another purpose. Crab quesadilla recipe coming your way!)
1 small onion, minced (or run through a food processor)
3 t prepared horseradish
1T Old Bay+ more for garnish
Juice from 1/2 lemon + more to taste
1/4 t salt
10 grinds fresh pepper
Crackers (or French bread rounds)

Preheat oven to 375.

Place cream cheese in an oven safe serving dish. Heat for 20 seconds on high in the microwave to soften. Add remaining ingredients. Stir well. Taste for horseradish, lemon, salt, and Old Bay. Sprinkle with Old Bay to garnish (minced parsley is also pretty).

Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Serve on crackers.

Lactose-Free Comet's Crab Dip (incredibly good, only a bit thinner than the original)

8 oz. spreadable goat cheese or goat cheese cream cheese
8 oz flaked crab meat (see above note)
1 small onion, minced (or run through a food processor)
3 t prepared horseradish
1T Old Bay+ more for garnish
Juice from 1/2 lemon + more to taste
10 grinds fresh pepper
Crackers (or French bread rounds)

Preheat oven to 375.

Place cream cheese in an oven safe serving dish. Heat for 20 seconds on high in the microwave to soften. Add remaining ingredients. Stir well. Taste for horseradish, lemon, salt (usually doesn't need any as the goat cheese is saltier than regular cream cheese), and Old Bay. Sprinkle with Old Bay to garnish (minced parsley is also pretty). You may add 1 T Lactaid milk if you'd like it to be thinner.

Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Serve on crackers.

Sunday

Hearts of palm, cornishons, and radishes

Cassoulet-style chicken thighs (recipe in the comments)
Broiled tomatoes

Hot tea
Peppermint bark over peppermint ice cream
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M loves cassoulet (traditionally a French stew of beans and a variety of meats, including duck and smoked game), but the complexity of the normal recipe makes it an unlikely at-home meal. This version keeps it simple, maintaining the flavors and heartiness of the traditional dish. Not incidentally, this version is also considerably lighter than one you would find in a restaurant. The one consideration with any cassoulet is that it turns out to be a very brown stew. The parsley garnish is, therefore, critical to make it appetizing and a colorful side can really help too. Broiled tomatoes or sauteed tomatoes are what we usually choose, but a colorful salad or grilled red and yellow peppers would be good choices as well.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Moderate
Chopping: Onion, garlic, chicken, kielbasa, parsley, hearts of palm, radishes, tomatoes (halved)
Time: 1 hour for the whole meal
Make ahead: The cassoulet can be made ahead, but the tomatoes are best broiled fresh.

Reaction
J: "This combination of flavors is syzygy!"
M: "French comfort in a jiffy."
L: "It was so good, I liked it so much that I don't have room for dessert."

Saturday - Dinner out at Gratzi in Ann Arbor

Antipasti misti for four

Insalata Mista (J)
Cesare (M)
Insalata di Rucola E Arancia (L)
Insalata di Pere (F)

Orecchiette Rustica (J)
Duck breast with polenta (M)
Linguine del Golfo (L)
Ravioli con Caprino (F)

Cappucino Gratzi (J, F)
Grappa (M, L)
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What a festive night at one of our favorite local haunts. I know, for you Ann Arborites that don't like Main Street Ventures, this may be sacrilege. However, while many of the Main Street venues are VERY disappointing (Palio, for example), we really like Gratzi. It's a lovely setting in the former Orpheum Theater. The food is good and the service is usually very good as well. Last night was no exception. A fun time was had by all and the experience was a festive ending to F's visit (who left this morning). A pretty good review, if I do say so myself.

Reaction
J: "One should always eat out the night before or the night after an at home feast. It just makes sense."
M: "Festive, comfortable, good Italian in Ann Arbor."
L: "The seafood was perfectly fresh and perfectly cooked."
F: I forgot to get F's comment before she left, but I will get it virtually and update the post :)

Friday

Comet's crab dip
Multigrain and poppy seed/peppercorn crackers

Horseradish crusted beef tenderloin (recipe in the comments)
Creamy horseradish sauce (recipe in the comments)
Roasted new potatoes with rosemary
Roasted green beans
Irish salad with Shanagarry cream dressing

Hot tea
Pastries (thank you Whole Foods!)
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Christmas was a fantastic experience! T was a joy to watch. The prospect of this meal had us all salivating all day! F arrived this afternoon and so our happy clan was thrilled to sit down to an amazing meal. The main dish was from an Eating Well make ahead Christmas dinner, but we didn't make the rest of it (though I think it did contain green beans). For our version, you roast the potatoes alongside the beef. The green beans roast while the beef rests. The salad is easily composed and both the salad dressing and the sauce for the beef are easy to throw together and can be done ahead. It's festive, easy, and FANTASTIC. Of course, our traditional crab dip is a wonderful start to any meal. With the dip as a pretty major exception health-wise, the rest of this meal is very light and simple, highlighting wonderful ingredients. This dinner really benefits from exceptional ingredients - French green beans, high quality beef, very fresh vegetables. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy (for a celebration dinner)
Chopping: Potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley
Time: 1 hour-ish
Make ahead: All but the salad and roasting can be done ahead.

Reaction
J: "This *is* the ultimate Christmas feast."
M: "Christmas for the ages."
L: "I don't have a pithy comment. I liked everything, but I liked the salad best. Again."
F: "How can I marry and have babies with these potatoes?"

Thursday - We're back!

Gingered cabbage soup with pork and potatoes (recipe in the comments)
Warm beets with garlic

Hot tea
Christmas cupcakes
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We had a lovely time "down South" in Missouri, visiting M's mom and T's grammie. We're back in Michigan now and have already picked up J's mom (L) to start the Christmas festivities here. Tonight is our Christmas Eve. M and I made this soup for our "just the two of us" Christmas in 2003, but have yet to resurrect it. We keep talking about how good it was, so it's unclear why it took four years to come back! It is a very simple, light soup, but somehow the ginger and lemon make it exceptionally festive. Adding colorful beets completes the Christmas look.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Onion, ginger, cabbage, potatoes, parsley
Time: 40 minutes
Make ahead: Yes. Both the soup and the beets save and re-warm well.

Reaction
J: "Christmas magic."
M: "A break from the holiday grind."
L: "I care way more about [seconds of beets] than I do about cupcakes"

TEN DINNERS IS GOING ON VACATION!

That's right, it's time to head south to visit T's grammie (M's mom, Mn) in Kansas City. I will try to post some while we're gone, but you shouldn't expect regular updates until we return on the 27th. Just to wet your appetite for the return of regular meal posts, here's the menu for our Christmas celebration with my mom (L) and one of our friend's (F) on the 28th:

Horseradish crusted beef tenderloin
Creamy horseradish sauce
Roasted potatoes with rosemary
Roasted green beans
Irish chopped salad with Shengarry cream dressing

It's been dubbed "The Ultimate Christmas Feast" and I think there's no doubting that.

Until then!
J

Tuesday

Pesto with green beans and potatoes (recipe in comments)
Sauteed grape tomatoes with garlic

Hot tea
Peppermint ice cream
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This is a slightly different way to enjoy pesto and is good with both store bought pesto or homemade. It seems a bit heartier and better for fall and winter. We still have close to a foot of snow on the ground, so hearty seems good. We tried this with frozen French green beans for the first time, as the fresh green beans this week looked "manky". I think it turned out very well! As seems to be a theme, this is an easy dinner that doesn't feel like "fast food". Putting a few servings of pesto in your freezer is a very worthwhile summer job!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Potatoes and trim green beans
Time: 20 minutes
Make ahead: Yep, this stores well. You might need to add some water as you warm it to keep it moist.

Reaction
J: "You can't have too many starches."
M: "Make your own miracle - pesto in winter!"

Monday

Skillet turkey tetrazzini (recipe in the comments)
Brussel sprouts

Hot tea
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This is an easy version of the more traditional casserole (a mainstay of holiday eating in my house growing up). Using deli turkey makes it much easier to plan for and cooking it in a skillet cuts your prep time. This is excellent comfort food and easy to get on the table on a weeknight. The pimentos are a bright addition, adding color (along with bright green parsley) and flavor. We used bucatini (long thin hollow pasta) instead of spaghetti to good effect. The bucatini is a bit denser than regular spaghetti, offering more bite to the finished product. The recipe calls for cream of mushroom soup, and I like it, despite my mushroom intolerance. This makes M, a mushroom-ophile, happy. Brussel sprouts are a wonderful frozen option (thoughts on eating vegetables in winter). They're packed when they're really young and so are more tender and sweet than most fresh ones. Quickly defrosted in the microwave and then sauteed in a skillet with butter (or bacon grease!), salt, and pepper (you can add a bit of vinegar, if desired) is an un-paralleled treat.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Turkey, onion, parsley
Time: 30 minutes
Make ahead:

Reaction
J: "Muuuerh gruuffph" ("Very good", said with a mouthful of turkey tetrazzini)
M: "Let's talk turkey."

Regular readers know that T goes to bed before M and I eat most nights. He's an early-to-bedder by nature (typically in his crib by 7), so we're looking forward to him having the stamina to make it through a 6:30 or 7 pm dinner time, which is more natural for us. As it is though, T eats early. Since we want him to eat all the wonderful things we do, T usually eats whatever we had for dinner the night before. We try to make enough of whatever is on our menu for him to have one or two meals (covering lunches some days too, but never the same thing for lunch and dinner - T is VERY insistent on variety). That said, sometimes portioning or planning doesn't work out and I need a quick something for T to eat. Here are two recent successes that pass my tests for a) better than standard kids meal fare and b) high levels of praise from T.

1. Ham bites with cheddar melted on top. Cut a leftover ham slice (like from the night you made spaetzles with ham and gruyere!) and carefully place shredded cheddar on top. Microwave until just melted. Serve with leftover greenbeans or something equally green!

2. Frozen ravioli with butter and nutmeg. Yes, I have them too - Earth's Best (or equivalent brand) of kid-size frozen cheese ravioli. Of course, T likes these with tomato sauce, but he loves them with butter, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. It's a taste treat I would enjoy too. Tonight these got schnorked down along with an entire clementine. I think nutmeg is an under-used spice and serving the ravioli this way gives T exposure to a flavor I'd like him to continue to enjoy.

Happy eating kids!

Sunday

Warm white bean salad (recipe in the comments)
Sliced havarti cheese
Sliced fresh pears
Seeduction bread (Whole Foods, very grainy)

Hot tea
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We did, indeed, get a ton of snow - close to a foot. This meal was planned as a easy, romantic dinner for M and I to celebrate the season just the two of us. We're finally putting ornaments on our tree (We've only had lights up to now, wondering how T would react) and so with a special dinner and our outdoor lights twinkling through the snow, it should be a lovely evening. We have previously made this recipe in the summer, using fresh thyme, parsley, and basil. For winter, we've switched to dry thyme and rosemary. What a difference, and yet, equally good! I expect sage would be excellent too. Both recipes (summer and winter) are posted.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Onion, red pepper, garlic, cheese, pears
Time: 25 minutes
Make ahead: Yep, just warm the salad up before hand. Slice the pears at the last minute to prevent browning.

Reaction
J: "Heavenly peace."
M: "Beans for all seasons."

Saturday

Calamari pasta (recipe in the comments)
Lemon broccoli

Peppermint bark
Hot tea
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Today Michigan is predicted to get a ton of snow! We're all excited about the first sledding of the season tomorrow and, thus, a hearty, spicy, yummy meal was warranted. This is an excellent recipe, spotlighting an underused protein source - calamari. Frozen calamari rings are cheap, easy to use, and TASTY. Squid are low on the food chain, limiting biomagnification concerns, and plentiful, lowering overfishing concerns. Yet, they're rarely used. Is it the fact that folks think squid are gross? Most people don't have a problem when they're breaded and fried! Well, they're great other ways, and if you're worried this is a pain-free introduction. Go ahead, try some squid!

Note:Trader Joe's was out of plain calamari rings, so we made this with their frozen seafood blend (calamari, scallops, and baby shrimp). I like it both ways, but would be inclined to stick to all calamari.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Parsley, grating Parmesan
Time: 25 minutes
Make ahead: Make the sauce ahead and toss with pasta last minute.

Reaction
J: "Really, this is so good."
M: "Easy, cheap elegance."

Friday

Indian masala burgers (Trader Joe's)
Buns
Broccoli slaw

Hot tea
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Well, we were supposed to go out for drinks with friends tonight (had a sitter lined up and everything) and so we needed a SUPER fast dinner. Drinks have been canceled, but dinner is already bought. Similar to my tuna with red curry, this is another amazing prepared item from Trader Joe's. I'm so sorry for all of you who don't have one locally. Write to them and tell them to come to you! Masala burgers are a potato based patty with other roasted vegetables (carrots, green beans, corn, etc) and Indian spices, preformed and frozen, requiring only a brief time on the grill or in a skillet to be wonderful. They are low cal and low sodium, but HIGH taste! What a great deal!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Broccoli
Time: 15 minutes
Make ahead: Trader Joe's makes these ahead for you! You can shred the broccoli ahead, but dress last minute.

Reaction
J: "How can frozen potato patties taste this good?"
M: "Trader Joe is God."

We're deep into the crazy holiday season and I expect many folks have some gifts as yet un-purchased. M just sent me a great list of gift cookbook recommendations that I found informative and fun to read. Of course, most of my reading energy was focused on shopping for myself, not others. I do have a bit of a cookbook fetish. I have held out though and not gotten on Amazon to get any of these YET, but there are a few I'm coveting. Enjoy!

Thursday

Poached eggs with gremolata (gemolata recipe in the comments)
Whole wheat toast
Sauteed grape tomatoes and garlic

Hot tea
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Some of our neighbors invited us over for dessert and tea tonight and they wanted us to bring T. That meant that we had dessert and tea during T's normal dessert time, which is before we eat dinner. No matter, dessert and tea were both lovely, as was the company. That said though, we needed an easy and light dinner to come home to. Thus, breakfast for dinner. Poached eggs are amazing and with the zing of gremolata (a chunky lemon and oil dressing), very little can be better. In fact poached eggs with gremolata, toast, and fresh fruit greeted me in bed for my first Mother's Day last May.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Garlic for both gremolata and tomatoes, parsley
Time: 20 minutes
Make ahead: You can make the gremolata days in advance, but everything else should be done fresh.

Reaction
J: "Why don't we eat breakfast more often?"
M: "Gourmet eggs."

The side dish. I feel this is one of the greatest conundrums for the at home cook. When M and I were first cooking together the prospect of making more than one thing at a time was too overwhelming. We ate a LOT of one dish meals, looking for especially vegetable heavy versions. Regular readers will note that we still eat many things that could be considered one dish meals, but we almost always also have a side dish of fruit or vegetables. Our main goal for side dishes is to round out the meal. If we have a heavy dish (lasagne), we aim for a light side (salad with a garlic-y dressing). If the main dish is very light (pasta with sauteed greens and garlic) we often have a protein-rich side (warm white bean and red pepper salad). That way everything balances and you don't have to get all your nutrients out of one recipe. Also, M and I like colorful plates and side dishes really can add to your "palette". That said, for all of you out there who are just beginning to cook or don't like it as much as we do, free yourself from the feeling that you have to have a side dish or two every night. You really can make healthy and wonderful one dish meals.

But for those of you who have the time or the inclination (or the simple need to increase the amount of fruit and vegetable in your diet), here are some ideas that make our side dishes relatively easy.

1) When you make a dinner you like, write on the recipe what you ate with it. That way the next time you make the main dish, you don't have to come up with a new accompaniment. I have even been known to write things like, "This is great with frozen broccoli."
2) Think simple. Vegetables are very good steamed or sauteed (add garlic, shallots or onion to add complexity and a bit of flavor if desired). Fruit, when ripe, is wonderful washed and sliced, period.
3) Develop a repertoire of easy "sauces" and dressings you can make quickly and from memory - no need for recipes. A few follow this list of ideas.
4) Similarly, develop a stock list of recipes you have with certain types of food that you can make quickly and from memory.
5) Embrace some convenience items. Michael and I love sliced hearts of palm and quartered artichoke hearts. These items come in cans, and so only need to be opened, drained and rinsed, and sliced to serve. We often will make little composed salads of hearts of palm, artichoke hearts, and grape or cherry tomatoes. It doesn't even need dressing! Also,do I even have to mention the wonder of bag salad? No, not as environmental, but very easy. We typically home make dressings (see below), but I freely admit to having a couple bottles in the fridge for crises.
6) There are some great baked side dishes that are simple and can be baked at the same time as casseroles. Baked tomatoes, potatoes, and many kinds of roasted vegetables (Green beans, carrots, beets, peppers, onions, both summer and winter squashes, sugar snap peas, blends. Toss with oil, salt and pepper and a bit of balsamic). Easy to prepare and no extra time to cook.
7) We've barely touched on starches, but if you're really in a bind and need a fast starch, I love frozen jasmine and brown rice. Microwave for three minutes and serve. We don't do this often, but, in a pinch, it's great

Easy sauces and dressings

1) Most vegetables are wonderful lightly sauteed in olive oil. Once they're cooked to your tenderness preference, toss with salt and pepper and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Yum.
2) A basic Dijon vinaigrette (1 T olive oil (we use extra virgin, but regular is fine), 1 T water, 3 T red wine vinegar, 1 t Dijon mustard, salt and pepper) is wonderful both on cold salad greens and hot vegetables (green beans and carrots both leap to mind)
3) Balsamic dressing (2 T olive oil (not extra virgin in my opinion), 3 T balsamic, salt and pepper) is amazing on salad, especially on peppery greens like arugula.
4) One of our favorite salad dressing is what we call garlic dressing. It's the same Dijon vinaigrette from above (with or without the mustard to your preference) + 2 minced or pressed small cloves of garlic. Shake well and you'll keep the vampires away!
5) Mediterranean foods benefit from sides tossed with extra virgin olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper. Don't even make a dressing, drizzle and shake the above onto hot or cold vegetables. Yum.
6) Mexican foods are great served with salad (greens or a mix of avocados and diced tomato) sprinkled with lemon juice and salt. That's it! We also often toss greens with a salsa verde dressing (1 T salsa verde, 1 T canola oil, 1 T water, 1/2 T lime juice, 1/4 t ground cumin,salt and pepper to taste).
7) The cucumber salad. Yes, amazingly easy and versatile. Peel (or peel in stripes) a large cucumber (regular or English), slice or chunk, place in a bowl, and sprinkle with salt and rice vinegar.
8) Plain yogurt mixed with a little honey and gently stirred into fruit salad is revolutionary. Alternately, the same mixture can be used as a fruit dip if you want to be a bit more involved than plain fruit.


Enjoy!

Wednesday

Spaetzles with ham and gruyere
Haricot verts, wax beans, and baby carrots

Peppermint bark
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M and I are both fools for German food. We love sausage, German potato salad, sauerkraut, red cabbage, spicy mustard, and the like. Perhaps one of our favorites though is the humble spaetzle. This egg-y cross between a noodle and a tiny dumpling is something just this side of heaven. This casserole shows them off very well - perfect chewy texture with just a bit of ham and a light sauce accented with the wonderful aroma and taste of gruyere cheese (A personal favorite as well. No, it's not just more expensive Swiss!). Though this takes a while because you have to bake it, the prep is simple and you can get everything cleaned up and have a cocktail or a glass of wine while it finishes. What a relaxing way to spend the evening. Maybe I'll even get a few Christmas cards addressed. Probably not.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Moderate
Chopping: Ham, grate cheese
Time: 25 minutes to prep + 30 minutes to bake.
Make ahead: This is a great leftover.

Reaction
J: "A very spaetzle dinner!"
M: "If gruyere is wrong, I don't want to be right."

Tuesday

Curried fried rice
Cucumber salad

Peppermint bark
Hot tea
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This is a really unusual recipe that was inspired by the first Moosewood cookbook we got actually written by the collective, rather than by Molly Katzen, called Moosewood Cooks At Home. It focuses on smaller scale, less heavy, easier preparation meals. It's PERFECT for us! We don't cook out of it as much as we once did, but some real winners come from this book. That said, for years this particular recipe has not been a complete winner. Why? Well, because J LOVES this recipe and M always felt it was only so so. J begs to put it on the weekly menu plan, M eventually capitulates, but then J feels bad because he doesn't love it. Well, a culinary miracle has occurred. Tonight, due to an oversight in preparation (we forgot to add the curry powder, a central part of a curried fried rice), we have totally reinvented this recipe and now BOTH think it's out of this world. Check it out - this isn't your standard take out fried rice.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Tomato, cucumbers
Time: 25 minutes for rice (best done ahead) + 25 minutes for stir frying.
Make ahead: It's best to make the rice ahead so it can chill, but the frying should be done last minute.

Reaction
J: "A rice revolution!"
M: "Cool Asian fusion"

Monday - Delivery from Cottage Inn

Thin crust pizza with black olives, sweet red peppers, broccoli, and onion
Traditional crust pizza with Italian sausage, green olives, fresh tomatoes, onions, and extra sauce
Antipasto salad

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Well today was just one of those Monday's. I had even made rice ahead of time for our curried fried rice recipe (check back tomorrow!), but we just couldn't wrap our minds around cooking. So Cottage Inn delivery came to the rescue. It was good and exactly the rest we needed from an already long work week!

Prep Notes
I love delivery

Reaction
J: "This new topping combo is the ultimate interpretation of 'pizza' " (thin crust)
M: "Something is missing, but I don't know what."

Sunday

Turkey kielbasa and spicy mustard
Egg noodles
Red cabbage (from a jar)
Applesauce with cinnamon

Peppermint bark
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This is a dinner J grew up eating (though it was often with a mix of egg noodles and green cabbage). It is homey and wonderful and requires VERY little work (no recipe you'll note, just heat the kielbasa through, boil the noodles, drain and simmer the cabbage mixed with a tablespoon of cornstarch dissolved in the drained juice and 12 whole cloves, and spoon out the applesauce). Just the scent of these foods makes me think of home. M has adopted them as his own and T is a big fan. How copacetic.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: None!
Time: 20 minutes tops!
Make ahead: All but the egg noodles.

Reaction
J: "Takes me back."
M: "Oom pah pah."

Saturday

Sweet potato pancakes (recipe in the comments)
Sour cream and applesauce (toppings)
Lemon asparagus

Clementines
Hot tea
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Here is another recipe from The Moosewood Cookbook (You can read about the significance of Moosewood for M & I here). It took us a while to get brave enough to make pancakes, but it's easier than you think. These are sweet and savory all at once and make a wonderful fall or winter meal. They're more filling than you'd think, but not heavy like a deep fried potato pancake. The toppings are essential for added depth of flavor and additional moistness, but not everyone likes both. I think they turn out best when you grate in a food processor (faster for you too) because the product is less wet. If you hand grate, drain the potato and onion well, even adding the salt to them to leech out extra liquid.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Moderate
Chopping: Parsley, sweet potato, onion
Time: 30 minutes
Make ahead: They're best fresh, but we have been known to snack on them cold right out of the refrigerator.

Reaction
J: "Not exactly latkes, but in the Hanukkah spirit."
M: "A whole latke fun!"

It's winter here. I know it won't technically be winter for another couple weeks, but in Michigan there's snow and ice and it's cold. We've since noticed the annual change in our grocery store's produce section - less variety, higher prices, lower quality. What's a foodie to do? Well, we have two approaches: 1) Embracing root vegetables and 2) Frozen food. Yes, both are mainstays of the vegetable universe at our house during the late fall - early spring season. Roots are good, plentiful, and cheap all through the winter. They're hearty and add bulk to meals on cold winter evenings. If you're only really familiar with potatoes and carrots, I strongly urge you to experiment with turnips, rutabagas, and parsnips. Beets can be good in winter, but are usually best (and least expensive) in the fall.

The other route is the frozen aisle. For some of you this may seem to go against much that we stand for (prepackaged, not fresh, not local), but if you think about the choices we face at this time of year, frozen makes a lot of sense. I cannot get around the fact that frozen vegetables are prepackaged. That's going to be a downside. However, in terms of freshness, frozen vegetables have as many or more nutrients as fresh vegetables, as they are frozen at the peak of ripeness. Most produce that you buy in stores is picked early to allow for ripening in transit (and to prevent bruising). Frozen vegetables are left on the vine (or plant or tree) for much longer and flash frozen pretty much immediately, trapping all those nutritional goodies inside. Frozen vegetables are not local, but no local produce is available in Michigan in December. Unless we quit eating vegetables (or take up canning!), buying veggies frozen in Des Moines is probably a better choice than fresh ones from Australia. The variety of frozen vegetables now available is amazing and allows us to eat some vegetables we don't usually buy, even at their peak, due to cost (witness tonight's wax beans and haricot verts). The last benefit from frozen vegetables is that you often get bonuses in terms of convenience - no chopping, blending done for you, and no slime in pre-sliced okra! I recommend individually quick frozen vegetables (IQF) over their "block" counterparts (if they come in a bag that when shaken sounds like a rattle it's likely IQF), but we certainly have used both.

Careful readers will note we do eat some long-transit fresh veggies (salad, cilantro, and parsley being notable offenders) in winter, but the root and frozen strategy takes us a long way!

Friday

Cheddar, corn and potato chowder (recipe in the comments)
Baguette
Steamed haricot vert, wax beans, and baby carrots in Dijon vinaigrette

Soft mints
Gingerbread spice tea
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This was one of the first recipes we made from Whole Foods' "Meals for 4 Under $15". It was fantastic and I say that as someone who made it with a four month old! We love chowders, as regular readers may be noticing (just wait for the Plum Island clam chowder - holy god!), and this is no exception. It's filling and homey, without making you feel like you've eaten a large stone. This is also a favorite of T's and makes enough leftovers for him to have several meals even if M and I have it for lunch one day. Thus, it's become a great Friday dinner, so we don't have to think about lunch plans for Saturday or Sunday. It also freezes quite well. Keep it chunky (don't immersion blend to maintain a very nice rustic texture and don't omit the parsley. Even though it's only a garnish, the flavor infuses the whole soup.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Moderate
Chopping: Onion, potato, parsley
Time: 40 minutes (not all active)
Make ahead: Absolutely.

Reaction
J: "Chowder, Chowder, Chowder!" - (chant like you would "Toro, Toro, Toro!"
M: "Hearty goodness."

Thursday

Tuna in red curry sauce (Trader Joe's)
Basmati rice
Steamed snow peas in teriyaki

Shortbread cookies dipped in dark chocolate
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You all know that we don't eat a lot of prepared food, but every once in a while there's an occasion that warrants it. M had a dinner meeting tonight that we didn't know about when we made our grocery list. That left me to either make one of the meals planned to feed both of us or come up with something else. I decided tonight was ripe for one of my favorite convenience products - Trader Joe's line of tuna in curry sauces. This is a pouch with fillets of tuna in yummy, yummy curry. It comes in red, green, and yellow with potatoes and onions. I usually get the red because it's the spiciest and has the least sodium - 380 mg per serving (really quite reasonable for a prepared food). Anyway mixed with some hot rice this is an amazing dinner. I microwaved some snow peas and was good to go.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Ridiculously easy
Chopping: I did stem the snow peas, but that's totally optional
Time: 20 minutes (only that long to make the rice)
Make ahead: Sure, just re-microwave to warm.

Reaction
J: "Sometimes we all need to find dinner in a little pouch."
M: Didn't get to have one :)

While this certainly isn't a blog devoted to parenting or even the feeding of kids, T's presence in our lives has been noted many times. Our 17 month old colors all aspects of our lives and for the most part makes them much more joyous. Who could be sad with such an amazing and adventurous eater?

One of the downsides of parenting though is the sudden plethora of colds that traipse into our house and take root. This has been brutal this fall as T is associating with more of his own kind while we are out and about. I feel especially bad for him (though both M and I have had our fair share of colds this fall) because there's so little we can do to help him. As any news-watcher is aware, cold medications aren't recommended for kids under 6 anymore. We are blessed that our pediatricians got this word before the official recall of such drugs and so we didn't give them to T. That said, saline nose drops, baby Vicks, and a humidifier are a lot less powerful than a big dose of Sudafed. Well, folk cures are back in business in this new climate and apparently Gramma wins again with the old honey-before-bed advice. It works!

The article makes this point, but I would like to reiterate that you should NOT give honey to kids under age 1 due to the (admittedly unlikely, but still present) risk of botulism.

At any rate, dose away with no fear. Your kids will like it (hey, I might like it for me!) and there are no bad side effects! I love food, don't you?

Wednesday

Pasta Amatriciana (recipe in the comments)
Mixed greens and shredded carrot salad with bacon balsamic dressing

A few spice drops
Gingerbread spice tea
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This is one of those dinners that the recipe we started with bears no resemblance to what we ended up with except the name is similar. We started with a recipe for Perciatelli all'Amatriciana from a Weight Watchers Simply the Best Italian cookbook and, as is so often the case with "diet" cookbooks, had to increase both portion size and calories. That said, we have ended up with a very healthy and very tasty outcome. This is one of our "meat as condiment" recipes, where just a bit of meat changes the character and the taste in dramatic ways.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Onion, garlic
Time: 35 minutes
Make ahead: Make the sauce and toss with fresh pasta.

Reaction
J: "Pasta is the best food on earth."
M: "Excellent when you make it our way."

Tuesday - Celebratory dinner out (spur of the moment!) at Zingerman's Roadhouse

Apilachicola oysters (M)
Arugula and red oak leaf salad with roasted beets and goat cheese (J)

Aged top serloin, mashed potatoes, sauteed spinach (M)
Beef brisket, creamed corn, Southern-style greens (J)

Fresh apple fritter with cinnamon gelato
Poundcake with cranberry compote and paw paw gelato
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Today we were planning to have a regular dinner at home, but mid-day M got the call inviting him to interview for a tenure-track job. This is the first such call he's received, and I decided to try to get a babysitter (success!) and go out to celebrate. We hemmed and hawed about where to go and decided that, while not the fanciest, the Roadhouse is one of the most festive places we could go. It lived up to expectations and dinner was FANTASTIC. If you're in the area and you haven't been, go soon.

Reaction
J: "So this is American cuisine."
M: "A hell of a neighborhood restaurant."

Monday

Lamb rogan josh (recipe in the comments)
Rice
Savory Indian cauliflower and peas

Jasmine tea
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As you may have noticed, M and I love Indian food and we cook a lot of it. That said, we make very little Indian that's not vegetarian. Well, we've been hanging onto a lamb rogan josh recipe for a while now and decided to give it a go. I should preface this by saying that we LOVE lamb rogan josh at our favorite Indian restaurants, so we were pretty excited. Well, following the actual recipe was a disaster - the meat didn't get tender enough and despite adding lots of extra liquid there was no sauce left after it was done simmering. Added to that, it cooks for two hours, which you have to plan for after you've been organized enough to make the spice rub and get it on the lamb the night before you cook. I don't have that kind of time.

We salvaged the dish by adding tomatoes (oddly missing from the original recipe, which had our spide-y sense going off, but we followed the directions anyway) and simmering for an additional hour. Luckily, I was home today and so the original two hours of cooking were done before M got home to assess the situation, leaving us more than an hour before dinner. Otherwise, pizza here we come.

In the end, this was a good dinner (especially the cauliflower and peas, also a new and MUCH more successful recipe), but not worth the effort. That said, we think we can salvage it by converting to a crock pot recipe. The crock pot is one of my favorite appliances and maybe it can breathe new life into this lamb. Our first stab at the crock pot version is what I've posted, so remember that we haven't tested it yet. It's just our first guess. Stay tuned and I'll let you know how it goes.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy to make, ridiculously long to cook
Chopping: Lamb, garlic, cauliflower
Time: 20 minutes to prep + 10 minutes to start cooking (the next day) + 3 hours to simmer
Make ahead: I certainly hope so.

Reaction
J: "I have faith in my crock pot."
M: "Tomatoes can fix anything."

Sunday - Holiday party with MOMS Club

Party food
Brownie Bourbon Balls (Our contribution to the affair)
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Tonight was T's first Christmas party. He's 17 months old and found the holiday hub-bub a bit overwhelming at first, but after a good dinner of party food, he was ready to roam around shrieking with the best of them. It is a minor miracle to watch him generally and watching him stride off into a room full of people he barely knows is a joy to behold.

We made an easy Brownie Bourbon Ball recipe that turned out to be about as good as it was hard to make them - not very. I am still questing for a signature dessert that is 1) Easy to prepare, 2) Festive, 3) Fail proof, and 4) Fabulous for the holidays. Ideas?

Note: M ate the one remaining ball once we got home and decided that they were pretty good, and could be excellent if the brownies were cakier (we'll add an egg).

Reaction
J: "Not worth it."
M: "Too fudgy -- worth another shot???"

Saturday

Grandma's savory tofu casserole AKA tofu loaf (recipe in the comments)
Ketchup and mustard for drizzling on the casserole (Trust me)
Mashed potatoes
Butter lettuce salad with garlic vinaigrette

Mint M & Ms (Habit solidly forming)
Gingerbread spice tea
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This was our conversion to tofu recipe. We had this as a birthday celebration dinner at our friend F's house. It was for her birthday, but we got the best present - this recipe and the beginning of our quest for more tofu in our lives. The only downside was the name: tofu loaf, which is neither the most appetizing, nor, honestly, the most accurate name. This does resemble your typical meatloaf, but it's so much more (and we make a VERY good meatloaf). Especially as we like to make it in a square baking dish, I like to think of this as Grandma's Savory Tofu Casserole. No, there's no actual Grandma involved, but putting one in the title evokes that homey quality this recipe embodies. It will convert even the biggest tofu-phobe. We like this best with baked potatoes (bake right along with the casserole), but had to have mashed potatoes this time as we went without on Thanksgiving. The casserole is dense, so a light salad is an excellent side.

We got our Christmas tree today and so I had no compunction about breaking out my holiday herbal tea. Gingerbread spice with sugar and milk is a good thing.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Moderate to prepare and long to cook, but totally worth it
Chopping: Onion, carrot, pepper, garlic
Time: 25 minutes to prep + 1 hour to bake
Make ahead: No problem.

Reaction
J: "A conversion experience all over again."
M: "Just like Mom used to make. If Mom was a vegetarian who liked ketchup."