Wednesday - Out to dinner at Merge

Wednesday was date night again this week and M and I tried a restaurant that opened downtown on January 1 - so new to us and new to the area. It's called Merge and they focus on vegetarian and vegan food, but they also have organic chicken and fish. The menu is inventive and fun and very diverse. We took way more time trying to figure out what to eat than usual because there was very little we could eliminate from the option pool! I ended up getting the Moroccan chickpea soup special and the Caribbean stir fried rice (another special), while M got the tomato basil soup and a vegan lasagne. Everything we ate was incredible - fresh, well seasoned, interesting. It was a perfect meal.

Here's some additional upsides:
1) They have an extensive wine menu with lots of organic options.
2) We didn't expect this, but they had two local improv troops there doing comedy after the dinner hour (so just as we were getting our check). They were very funny.
3) It's INCREDIBLY cheap. The highest entree price we saw was $12!
4) We were almost the oldest people there :) This is a great change for us!

So, all in all GO Merge and GO Buffalo! We need more places like this! For now, we will be back.

Tuesday

Saffron rice and beans (recipe in the comments)
Leaf lettuce and radish salad with balsamic lime dressing

Hot tea
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This is a new recipe for a speedy dinner. It's based on a package of saffron rice that you add beans, tomatoes, and cilantro to, tossing with vinegar and oil. It's sort of like a warm rice salad. The package rice start means this is incredibly easy and we were very impressed with the outcome. Our only complaint was that I didn't cook the rice for quite long enough to ensure the end result wasn't a bit mushy. So next time I will make sure all the liquid is absorbed. This is a great option for busy nights!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Tomatoes, onion, cilantro, radishes
Time: 30 minutes (most of which is rice cooking time)
Make ahead: This might even be better made ahead so the flavors can meld a bit

Reaction
J: "Saffron-y goodness."
M: Taking a post dinner snooze :)

Monday

Bulgur salad with kale and salami (recipe in the comments)
Canteloupe

Hot tea
Jelly beans
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This is a new recipe I saw on the Whole Foods website. I was immediately attracted to it because it's bulgur based. Both M and I love tabbouli, but that's the only recipe we make with bulgur in it. I was excited to have another option. This recipe also seems perfect for us because we're addicted to leafy greens and we love salami. We get the greens in a variety of dishes, but never have salami because of health issues. This is a great way to have a little. The marriage of flavors in this dish is perfect and has that sort of taste alchemy that makes for an excellent and unexpected meal. Our grocery store was out of ale, so we used Swiss chard, which worked great. I think any reasnably mild flavored green would be great.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Kale, salami, olives, garlic, canteloupe
Time: 35 minutes
Make ahead: This was great as lunch the next day!

Reaction
J: "This is unexpectedly wonderful!"
M: "Awesome dinner salad"

Sunday

Grilled shrimp with sesame orange marinade
Roasted garlic cous cous
Grilled zucchini and golden squash

Hot tea
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So, it's been in the 80s here all weekend (and likely will be again tomorrow). We've been taking advantage of this mini summer preview to grill! Yesterday we grilled eggplant and today we're grilling shrimp and our side veggie - zucchini and locally hothouse-grown golden squash (looks like a deep golden zucchini). This is a simple and totally summer-y meal. Once we get back into the low 60s (Tuesday), we'll feel spring-y again. We love meals like this - easy and completely dependent on the flavors of the base ingredients. We use a bottled organic dressing (Drews) for the shrimp marinade. It's very tasty and unusually low in sodium for such a product. Other than that, it's just grilling the shrimp, so no recipe today. Yum. What a celebration of food!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Zucchini and squash
Time: 15 minutes
Make ahead: This is a last minute meal :)

Reaction
J: "Summer in April!"
M: "Yea! Shrimp!"

Saturday

Mediterranean meatballs with yogurt sauce (recipe in the comments)
Greek festival orzo
Grilled neon eggplant with lemon

Hot tea
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This originally came out of one of those little recipe booklets you get at the check out in the grocery store. Most of these are put put by product manufacturers and highlight their ingredients. Some, like this one - Culinary Journey to the Mediterranean - actually have several good recipes. We got this one while we were still in college and have a few recipes from it that we make on a pretty regular basis. It amazes me to think how long we've held on to this tiny booklet! Anyway, this is a great dish, that is billed as an appetizer for a party, but functions very well as a main course. The yogurt has lots of veggies in it and the whole meal gives us an excuse to have Greek orzo and grilled eggplant - two favorite things. We were realizing as we made this that we think it's been close to five years since we last made this, though it used to be much more frequent in the rotation. It should be re-visited more quickly next time!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Parsley, garlic, tomato, cucumber, eggplant
Time: 35 minutes
Make ahead: You could make it all ahead and warm up or serve the meatballs at room temp.

Reaction
J: "Five years? We waited five years???"
M: "A bit of Greek!"

Friday

Tofu and pinto bean tacos (recipe in the comments from January 21, 2008, updates in the comments)
Mangos

Hot tea
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This is a recipe we've only made once before and we made a ton of changes to the original recipe after we tried the first version. Trying it with our substitutions, we now have another set of changes to propose. The changes shouldn't imply in any way that we don't like this, as both of us are really enthused. I think we're just trying to perfect the concept. M wants to try this with no beans and just focus on the seasoned tofu, which does turn out pretty amazing. The key it to season well and then cook it until it's pretty dry to make a good taco filling. Fruit is perfect with this, but a cole slaw of some sort would be good as well.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Scallions, olives, tomatoes, mango
Time: 30 minutes
Make ahead: The filling could easily be re-heated.

Reaction
J: "Tofu was made for tacos."
M: "Totally worth another shot."

Thursday

Corned beef soup (recipe in the comments from March 17, 2008)
Salad
Rye bread

Hot tea
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Due to lots of crazy plans lately, we haven't been cooking with T as much. Since he and I were home together today, I decided to prioritize that and eating together. We had the broth left from the corned beef and corned beef soup is very easy to prepare and requires a lot of "dumping" ingredients in a big pot and stirring. Perfect cooking for my almost-three-year-old. The soup really is magical. Somehow the corned beef broth is so much more flavorful than a typical chicken broth and, though we add no meat, the soup is rich and satisfying. Today was sunny and brisk and somehow, soup seemed perfect. Good fun and good food was enjoyed by all.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Carrots, celery, onions
Time: 25 minutes,much of it unattended
Make ahead: The borth must be made ahead, but add and cook the noodles right before you serve.

Reaction
J: "The perfect soup."
M: "The beef that keeps on giving."

Wednesday - Out to dinner at Shango

Wednesday was date night this week and M and I tried a new-to-us restaurant, Shango, in the University Heights area. Shango is semi-upscale with a Creole influence. We've been wanting to try it since we arrived in Buffalo and were not disappointed. The meal starts with a little olive melange and wonderful breads served with a crelo seasoned olive oil. They serve wine and beer and have extensive lists of both, though fewer Louisiana beers than I hoped for (being a fan of Blackened Voodoo and Crimson Voodoo, neither of which are fatured). We split an appitizer special of mussels in a spicy tomato broth that was out of this world and required more bread for dipping. For entrees I had the creole seafood pasta and M had a pork chop cooked in rootbeer. Everything was extremely well prepared. M thought the chop ended up a bit sweet for his taste, but felt that was a personal preference and not a flaw in the dish. All in all, very yummy. We will be back.

Tuesday

Spaghetti with Grammie's sauce (recipe in the comments from February 22, 2008)
Salad
Garlic bread

Hot tea
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I had an early meeting (that I knew ahead of time was likely to be contentious) today, so we planned ahead to have defrosted pasta sauce for an ULTRA easy meal. One of the great things about making a huge vat of sauce is that you get at least three meals out of it and two of them are effortless. It turns out that this plan was good. I'm exhausted tonight and pasta and sauce seems perfect. We even decided to make garlic bread - an indulgence we rarely make, but that we both LOVE. It seems totally appropriate this evening :)

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: None
Time: 15 minutes
Make ahead: We did :)

Reaction
J: "Sometimes nothing helps as much as garlic bread."
M: "Mmmmmmm"

Monday

Cauliflower and potato sabzi (recipe in the comments)
Naan
Cucumber salad

Hot tea
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This is one of our older Indian meals and it's gone through a lot of alteration in the years we've been making it. The premise is simple - potatoes and cauliflower in a well spiced tomato gravy. The vegetables get infused with a wonderful flavor and the aromas fill the house. It's truly wonderful. I love this with Indian-style bread to dip and soak up the sauce, but we have made it with rice. The spicing is cooled with a crisp, cold cucumber salad. You can certainly make this hotter with more cayenne, but we've actually toned it down over the years so the other spices come through a bit better.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Cauliflower, potato, cucumbers
Time: 35 minutes
Make ahead: The re-heats very well.

Reaction
J: "I really love Indian food."
M: "Perfect Indian at home."

Sunday

Asian "Salisbury" steaks over spicy greens (recipe in the comments)
Rice
Grilled neon eggplant

Hot tea
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This is one of those recipes that I have had in my recipe binder for YEARS, but have never made. The basic idea is a flavorful, veggie rich meat pattie over a mix of arugula and watercress with an easy Asian pan sauce over the whole thing. We served it with rice, but any Asian noodle or brown rice would be good too. The eggplant really isn't necessary for a complete meal, but they are locally grown (hot house, again) and GORGEOUS. Since we love eggplant, it was a no brainer. The whole thing turned out great. We cooked the "steaks" on the grill since we had already heated it for the eggplant, instead of broiling as the original recipe suggested. It was pretty easy and very good.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Red pepper, scallions, watercress (stemming), eggplant (sliced)
Time: 45 minutes
Make ahead: You could make all of this ahead, but the greens are probably better last minute.

Reaction
J: "Yummy vaguely Asian fare!"
M: "Comfort fusion!"

Saturday

Farfalle with almond tarragon pesto (recipe in the comments)
Radish and endive salad with homemade light blue dressing

Hot tea
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Ok, so if you read Ten Dinners? with any regularity you know that m and I have a "thing" for pesto. We have three pesto recipes we love and make regularly (i.e. more than once a year):

The best basil pesto out there
Spinach and arugula pesto
Green pea pesto

We eat our regular basil pesto almost once a week during the summer to keep the basil crop under control. This is atypical eating for us, so we must love it. I think it also speaks volumes that I cut out/save/notice any new pesto I come across. This one was special because we both LOVE tarragon and grow it each summer, but have VERY few recipes that use it. We end up mincing it onto veggies, but that's about it. When I found a recipe that uses 1 1/2 cups of the herb that as also a pesto, I was sold. We tried it early in the season, now that Wegman's is selling locally grown hot house herbs just to see if we have a new summer favorite. And we do - though the light flavors here seem especially perfect for early spring. We may have to make use of the hot house tarragon each year!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Endive, radishes
Time: 20 minutes
Make ahead: You can make the pesto a long time in advance, remix and add to freshly cooked pasta.

Reaction
J: "We have four! Count them - FOUR - pestos!"
M: "The perfect spring pesto!"

Friday

Roasted tomato spaghetti (recipe in the comments)
Balsamic broccoli and cauliflower

Hot tea
Jelly beans
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This is a new recipe. I love roasted tomatoes, but we don't have many recipes with them. This is very simple, but sometimes those are the best recipes. This is totally one of those recipes. I cannot believe how different this is from any other pasta we make. The flavor of the roasted tomatoes brings a sweetness and a depth I truly wasn't expecting. Also, it's very easy. Everything finishes while the tomatoes roast and then you simply toss it together. This also gets points for being beautiful. The colors are gorgeous. I recommend a thick spaghetti - angel hair or even linguini wouldn't stand up very well with this dish.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Grape tomatoes, basil, Parmesan
Time: 30 minutes
Make ahead: I think this is best last minute.

Reaction
J: "Truly amazing - we should ALWAYS roast our tomatoes!"
M: "Unexpectedly unique."

Thursday

Cream of asparagus soup (recipe in the comments from April 5, 2008)
Multigrain rolls
Sliced tomatoes dredged in breadcrumbs with parsley

Hot tea
Cadbury Mini Eggs
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This is one of those super seasonal recipes. We both love asparagus and welcome it's return to the markets with glee. We have this soup every spring and it feels like such a welcome - a return to warmth and fresh, green things. It's incredibly easy, though you do have to transfer the pureed asparagus to a separate bowl while you thicken the milk for this. You re-add the asparagus to the same pot though and I just give the bowl a quick scrub. We often have this with broiled tomatoes, but the fresh tomatoes have been unusually good for this time of year and I wasn't n the mood for warm ones. M created this fresh salad with a bit of bread crumbs and salt on the tomatoes - what a winner!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Asparagus, lemon zest
Time: 30 minutes
Make ahead: I like this fine made ahead and you can even serve it cold.

Reaction
J: "Ahhh, spring."
M: "This is better than I remember."

Wednesday

Beans and greens (recipe in the comments from May 30th, 2008)
Toast
Grapes

Hot tea
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We were looking for pretty easy meals for this week and Beans and Greens is a VERY old recipe that never fails and is easy to boot. Especially when you have fresh fruit as a side, there are few meals this simple. You saute greens and garlic, mash canned beans (drained) with red pepper flakes and lemon, and then spread both on pieces of toast. We often serve this with a cheese-y bread, but tonight it's plainer Italian-style bread. All in all this is crazily simple peasant style food that is completely satisfying in a way that some more gourmet meals are not. We've been making this since our junior year in college too, so it's like old home week. Also, who doesn't need more leafy greens in their diet?

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Escarole
Time: 20 minutes
Make ahead: Both beans and greens can be done ahead and re-heated (or served room temp). The toast needs to be fresh.

Reaction
J: "It's almost like a sandwich, but cooler."
M: "Still excellent!"

Tuesday

Creamed eggs and curried rice (recipe in the comments from October 25, 2007)
Spinach

Hot tea
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What do you do with those dyed eggs once the bunny has hidden them and the kids have found them? You have a dozen (or more!) eggs in your fridge and who eats THAT much egg salad? Not us. The traditional solution in this house is creamed eggs. You use a dozen egs and ahve a WONDERFUL dinner and even breakfast the next day. This is an unusual set of flavors, but well worth a try for anyone who's suspicious of the outcome. We tried a new brand of curry powder in tonight's rice and are less than thrilled with the results. This brand tastes more like cloves and nutmeg than curry to us, but it worked out ok with this recipe. We'll be buying a new kind this week at the store.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Onion
Time: 35 minutes
Make ahead: Do the cream sauce last minute

Reaction
J: "Easter is the best!"
M: "A post Easter tradition."

Monday

Tofu and Jalfrezi simmer sauce (recipe for tofu in the comments from April 11, 2009)
Rice
Cucumber salad

Hot tea
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My mom left this morning and M and I went back to work after the Easter holiday with a vengeance. Both of us had long days today. Seeing this as a likely Monday scenario, we planned to try a convenience product that Wegman's has recently started carrying: Seeds of Change simmer sauce. This is similar to a product we tried last April from Trader Joe's. Tasty, easy, and low in fat, calories, and sodium. You do have to check labels with something like this. Both the Jalfrezi and Masala varieties seemed pretty good for you, but the Korma one was MUCH higher in calories and sodium, with a bit more fat. It's worth a quick check.

Anyway, this was easy and tasty. Perfect for recovering from a busy night.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Tofu, cucumbers
Time: 30 minutes
Make ahead: A jar defines "make ahead":)

Reaction
J: "Really, I do understand needing night's off from cooking. This is an especially good way to do it."
M: "Too easy to be this good."

Sunday - Happy Easter!!!!

Rack of lamb
Roasted fingerling potatoes
Slow cooked green beans (recipe in the comments)
Carrots with chervil and chives (recipe in the comments)

Fruit tart (Thanks to our guest, D)
Hot tea
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It's Easter and lamb is a traditional favorite. Last year we did a small ham as we were leaving town the following day, but we're back to lamb this year. We planned to do lamb chops, but the store was out when we went to purchase them. Next year we'll order ahead! The racks turned out beautifully - though they took longer to get to medium rare than we planned. That said, they were incredible to eat and perfectly flavored and tender. The roast potatoes were simply roasted with olive oil, kosher salt, and rosemary. So given the ease of those two, you get the side dish recipes. Neither of these were hard, but they turn out so well - and do so EVERY time! We make the green beans for most Thanksgivings. And the carrots will probably be a regular feature at Easter - appropriate, no?

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy to moderate in terms of skill, but far longer than a normal meal.
Chopping: Potatoes, onion, carrots, chives
Time: 1 to 1 1/2 hours to prep and cook, but we spread t across the day, so I'm not completely clear.
Make ahead: We made the beans and carrots ahead and re-heated. The potatoes and lamb should be done close to serving time.

Reaction
J: "Very "holiday!"
M: "Behold the lamb!"

Saturday

Dal (recipe in the comments)
Rice
Cucumber salad

Hot tea
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Now *this* is an oldie. We made this out of the first cookbook I bought for M, which was purchased when we were juniors in college. And this was one of our first favorites. It happens to have become one of my mom's favorites and we used to make it every time we saw her. We haven't done it for the last few visits and so it was beyond time for a reprise. This dal is much richer than the spicy red lentil dal we make more often now, representing a general shift over the years to a lighter way of cooking in general. That said, this is still an incredible recipe and a wonderful indulgence. Since we've been making it for so long, this recipe is also rich in memories and reminds me of a much younger us :) It's a nice walk down memory lane.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Onion, garlic, jalopeno, cucumbers
Time: 15 minutes prep, 20-30 minutes to cook
Make ahead: This saves well, but is less moist on subsequent days.

Reaction
J: "An old "friend" that still tastes JUST as good!"
M: "This guy's only doin' it for some dal!"

Friday - Dinner with our neighbors

We have become very close to some of our neighbors and have been enjoying introducing them to my mom. They have three sons (8, 6, and 4) and T loves seeing them in action. We had a lovely paella, fresh fish, and beans with chips. The company was fantastic with great conversation. We laughed a lot and fun was had by all!

Thursday

Spicy linguini and red clam sauce (recipe in the comments from June 17, 2008)
Broccoli

Hot tea
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We discovered this recipe right before we moved to Buffalo and we LOVE it. The fresh linguini really makes a difference here and the spicy sauce is a perfect counterpoint to the clams. We are dyed in the wool linguini and white clam sauce folks, but this is a wonderful addition. We've made it at least once since moving here (when the blog was off-line), so this makes at least three times in the last 12 months - a high return rate for us. Of course, part of the reason here is that I knew mom would enjoy it and, indeed, she did! Oddly, something was different tonight - it seemed much more liquid-y. I'm not sure what was different. It was good regardless. Theo thinks this is a bit too spicy. Luckily, we brought seven boxes of leftovers home from O'Connell's last night :)

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Onion, garlic, parsley, basil
Time: 25 minutes
Make ahead: Making the sauce early is fine, but do the pasta last minute.

Reaction
J: "This is another one that would be in our ten dinner rotation, if we were so inclined."
M: "A good twist on an old favorite."

Wednesday - Dinner out at O'Connells

We always try to go out for a fancy dinner when my folks are in town and have been making the rounds here in Buffalo. We've found some wonderful places (and some not so wonderful), but we'd heard a lot of buzz about O'Connell's from foodie sources and have been excited to try it. The welcome we received from Kevin O'Connell senior inclined me to love the place right away - welcoming, friendly, and totally at ease. This is a man I'd like to know forever and I exchanged about three sentences with him! What an opening! The menu at O'Connell's is seven courses for $40. Yes, you read that correctly. Seven courses $40. The first course is fixed (a truffle soup this week), but you get two or three choices for the rest. The food was nearly flawless, inventive, and interesting. We had very few criticisms (and they were minor) and I kept declaring each dish "my new favorite". We had a WONDERFUL time. That said, this is WAY too much food. We took seven small boxes home and I felt way too full even with that. We didn't learn if the ala carte menu (served at the bar) is available in the dining room, but I hope to go that route next time. And there will be a next time, even if I have to tell them to skip ahlf my courses and I'll pay for them anyway :)

Tuesday - Take out from The King and I

My mom shares our love of Thai food and her main restaurant in Washington, DC has had a recent change of chef - for the worse. So, we made a point of having Thai food here, since the King and I is so wonderful. We were again incredibly impressed with the appetizers (Thai dumplings, Tom Yum soup, and King and I salad) and the curries (Red pork and Green chicken), but the house special noodles we got were only ok. I think this is definitely a curry house. Since that's our favorite, we're none the worse off!

Monday

Chicken sausage and quick sauerkraut (recipe in the comments from April 14, 2008)
Salad with cider mustard dressing

Hot tea
Oreos
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My mom has safely arrived and we're happy to have her here for a quasi-vacation. Quasi because we're still working (though I'm telecommuting this week), but are squeezing in a bit more play time than usual. This is a simple, but impressive dinner is a wonder. It's easy to prepare, quite healthy for you (unless you put a lot of butter on the spaetzles) and incredibly yummy. Fun was had by all and the visit is off to a great start!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Onion, apple
Time: 25 minutes
Make ahead: No problem.

Reaction
J: "Healthy AND Germanic!"
M: "I can't comment as my mouth is so full!"

Sunday

Pear and blue cheese flatbread (recipe in the comments from March 20, 2008)
Salad with blue cheese vinaigrette

Hot tea
Oreos
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My mom is arriving for a week tomorrow. She'll be here through Easter and we were hoping for some quality spring time with her. Of course,all the weather reports indicate that our recent spate of incredibly beautiful weather is going to end for the duration of her visit, plunging us back down to near-freezing temps and even forecasting some snow! Sigh. Regardless, the last night before her visit seemed like a good time to have a dish with blue cheese, and, now that she's lactose intolerant, she avoids that even with lactaid. This is a very light dish, with a gourmet flavor, that ends up being far more than the sum of it's parts. We didn't find whole wheat pizza dough this week and are trying it with white, which was fine, but I like the wheat a bit better.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Red onion, sage, pears, shallots
Time: 30 minutes
Make ahead: You could pre cook the onions for the pizza, but I would do the rest last minute.

Reaction
J: "Unusual gourmet!"
M: "Good for the change of seasons!"

Saturday - Dinner at a friend's house

I know you're wondering if we're ever going to eat at home again. We are too! That said, we should be home for the next several nights. Tonight we were invited to have dinner with some friends we went to college with who have a daughter about 2 years older than Theo, and they get along very well. Good food, good conversation, and good kid interactions were had by all. I need to start making chicken feta burgers :)

Friday - Fish fry!

The Friday fish fry is a Lenten tradition in many areas, but nowhere have I seen it more entrenched and pervasive than in Buffalo. Every restaurant, grocery store, and group looking for a charitable event has fish fries throughout the season. The signs and ads for them are everywhere. Anyway, M and I felt that we couldn't miss this in our first Lent here in Buffalo. So, after we got T at daycare, we went to a local restaurant (the Buffalo Brew Pub) and had the best fried fish ever. The fish was thick and perfectly cooked, with a very light breading. The fries were incredible. The service excellent. And the house brewed beer was great! As far as T was concerned the best part was that after you order you get to get in shell peanuts (shells thrown on the floor!) and popcorn. How cool is that? Now imagine you're two and a half. What an experience!

Thursday - Dinner out at Carrabba's

M and I were playing Easter Bunny tonight and so we ate at the closest establishment to our bunny shopping areas. Neither of us had ever been to a Carrabba's, but we have heard that it's a very good chain and we were definitely impressed. All the food is very fresh, made in-house daily, and the service was very good. They also have a counter with full service overlooking the wood fired pizza oven that might be a good dining locale for lunches or early dinners with T. Anyway, a good dinner was had and the Easter Bunny did very well :)

Wednesday

Chinese longevity noodles (recipe in the comments from June 2, 2008)
Shrimp shu-mei
Oranges

Hot tea
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We're trying our new version of Chinese longevity noodles. We first made these last June and they were a bit bland. So we posted a stab at a more flavorful version, but this is the first time we've gotten around to trying it again. The result is very good, but still subtle. I think that it benefits from a good amount of freshly ground pepper at the table and a splash of extra soy. The blend of vegetables is great and adds a freshness I like a lot. The noodles are a little thin without a substantial side, so we use this as a chance to have Chinese dumplings (yep, right out of the freezer). Oranges are a perfect dessert - sweet and fresh.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Moderate
Chopping: Ginger, garlic, cabbage, snow peas, cilantro
Time: 40 minutes
Make ahead: I think this is best last minute

Reaction
J: "Unusual comfort food."
M: M is snoozing post dinner, so I didn't ask him :)

Tuesday

Irish beef hand pies (recipe in the comments)
Peas with thyme

Hot cocoa
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So this is the long-awaited end to our St. Patrick's Day season - a new recipe. I saw this before St. Patrick's and filed it away, thinking it sounded just like us. Sadly the end product wasn't as impressive as we hoped. The actual problem was that it was a bit too much like the stereotype of Irish cooking: bland. We tried to jazz it up a bit after I made the filling, but it still ended up a bit boring. Especially given that this was a pretty long and involved recipe, I think we're disinclined to reproduce it. However, it was not so tragic that I'm unwilling to post the recipe. I have annotated it with our "jazzed" version.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Moderate
Chopping: Cabbage, potato
Time: 35 minutes to prep, 1 hour or so to cool, 15 more minutes prep, 10-15 minutes to bake
Make ahead: Yes, in fact the recipe has instructions for freezing the pies

Reaction
J: "Not worth the trouble."
M: "Only ok."