HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!
Wednesday

Chili Con Carne (recipe in the comments)
Southern-style company corn bread
Carrots and celery
MARGARITAS

Iced and/or sugared spice cookies
Tea
Oh yeah, CANDY!
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It should have been obvious from the beginning that M and I were destined to be married. Both our families served chili for Halloween dinner every year. We departed menu there (J had French bread and salad, M had corn bread with carrots and celery), but the entree unites us and we have eaten chili every Halloween that we have lived together (going on 12 years now!). We solve the menu diversions by making J's mom's chili and M's mom's sides (somehow we added the margaritas ourselves - smart, eh?).

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Moderate
Chopping: Onion, garlic, pepper
Time: About an hour (we made the cookies yesterday)
Make ahead: You can make everything ahead and reheat. I often make the chili to the point of adding the beans and do that part last minute.

Reaction
J: "Is there a more Halloween-y meal?"
M: "The best chili in the universe and you can trust me because I've been ALL OVER the universe."
Mn: "A tradition waiting to happen."

What foods are safest? What foods are most nutritious? What foods are best for the environment? Are the foods that answer these questions affordable? The questions I find myself considering in the produce section, as well as the rest of the grocery store, can lead me down an endless series of decision trees, leaving me pretty sure that, no matter what I choose, I'm making the wrong choices for someone/something/somewhere. It's maddening. Like everyone, I do my best, I pick my battles, and I try to stay informed. Here's an article I found helpful and gave me some new perspectives on the issue of organics.

Tuesday - Delivery from Cottage Inn

Pizza with artichoke hearts, bell peppers, onion, black olives, and fresh tomatoes
Pizza with bacon, spinach, and fresh tomatoes (B.S.T.)
Greek salad

Halloween oreos
Hot tea

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Tonight was our annual pumpkin carving night, so cooking was dispensed with to make time for this important holiday activity. Halloween is pretty serious in this household and allowances have to be made. We partook of the fabulous local pizza chain, Cottage Inn. The original Cottage Inn was opened by two undergrads at the University of Michigan, who were hoping to one day open a restaurant. They realized that a college town desperately needed delivery pizza and a local legend was born. Due to their unexpected and widespread success, the brothers put off their dream of opening a more upscale establishment, but about four years ago they fulfilled that part of the dream, opening The Quarter.

Prep Notes
Delivery can really be your friend

Reaction
J: "Boy do we have a cool looking jack-o-lantern!"
M: "Why yes, Cottage Inn is all that and a bag of chips. B.S.T. is my new favorite pizza."
Mn: "Sometimes you just need a break from cooking."

Visiting (or living in) Ann Arbor, Michigan? There's a new destination on the map - Cafe Habana on Washington Street. As former residents of southern California, the Latin cuisine scene in Michigan has been dire. When we saw the sign for Cafe Habana, we felt a glimmer of hope. Was an authentic Cuban restaurant going to open here? After looking at the menu online pre-opening we were even more excited, finding reasonable prices and a vast array of authentic sounding food that covered Cuban cuisine and more. They were planning to serve all three meals and have a late night bar (not so much our style right now with Mr. T, but promising anyway!). Well, today the team went for lunch and we were very excited by the results. Everything was enjoyed by all. My only complaint is that my sandwich would have been better with a more interesting side than pappas fritas (french fries), though the fries in question were very good. Perhaps we can relax about where to get our south of the border fix?

Appetizer:
Goat cheese and salsa with house made tortillas

Entrees:
Mn: Arepas (corn cakes with goat cheese, mashed yucca, and spinach)
J: Vegetarian cuban (fantastic grilled vegetables pressed into tasty toasty bread)
M: Arroz con pollo

Reaction:
We thought we might despair without a steady diet of authentic Mexican fare, but Cafe Habana may just soothe our yearning and expand our horizons!

Monday

Chicken with creamy tarragon sauce and peas (recipe in the comments)
Rice pilaf
Sauteed grape tomatoes with garlic

The rest of the orange chocolate cake
Hot tea (variety of flavors for various participants)

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This was a new recipe that we decided to make for M's mom. We chose it because we haven't had chicken in a long time and the nighttime lows are beginning to drop below freezing, making our abundant fresh tarragon supply look endangered. It was a wonderful dish and everyone enjoyed it a lot. I think the final verdict, however, was that it wasn't good enough to warrant the amount of effort. With three people cooking, it took us about 45 minutes. Since we don't usually have a staff, I doubt it will get made very often. That said, it's a great tarragon recipe (an under-appreciated herb (along with marjoram) from my perspective) and definitely company worthy.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Simple, but lengthy
Chopping: Tarragon
Time: About an hour, without staff
Make ahead: You can prep the ingredients and toast the rice for the pilaf ahead, but everything else should be done last minute.

Reaction
J: "I wish we ate more tarragon."
M: "Gourmet product, but not worth the effort."
Mn: "Not your grandmother's chicken and peas."

Sunday

Chipotle macaroni and cheese (recipe in the comments)
Salad with balsamic and bacon dressing

Orange chocolate cake (leftover from breakfast!)
Hot tea (variety of flavors for various participants)

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Michael and I both love comfort food and homemade macaroni and cheese is a favorite. That said, we are pretty health conscious. This recipe ranks as one of two macaroni and cheese recipes that we have adapted from Cooking Light magazine to become regular parts of our repertoire. Both are wonderfully delicious, a bit of a twist on the classic mac and cheese, and moderately good for you. I have to admit that we don't use reduced fat cheese (seems icky), so they're not as good for you as the magazine intended.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Moderate
Chopping: Onion, bell pepper, chipotle peppers, garlic
Time: About 30 minutes + 30 minutes to cook
Make ahead: You can prep ingredients, but you should put them all together right before you bake.

Reaction
J: "Spicy cheese and pasta - does life get any better?"
Mn: "Comfort food with zip!"
M: "Chipotle mac : mac 'n' cheese :: a real bagel : Lenders OR
Chipotle mac : mac 'n' cheese :: Starbucks : that bitter brown water my office calls "coffee" * OR
Chipotle mac : mac 'n' cheese :: Ben'n'Jerry's : Walmart brand ice cream **

*noting, of course, that there are many better kinds of coffee than
Starbucks, but you get it...
**does Walmart have their own ice cream? I don't know, but I wouldn't
be surprised. And I bet it's not good. Not good at all."

Saturday - Out to dinner at Terry B's in Dexter

Appetizers:
Mn: Corn Chowder with red pepper coulis
J: House salad with balsamic vinegarette
M: The Dexter Plate (a seasonal mix of terrines, charcuteries, and house made mustards)

Entrees:
Mn: Lamb porterhouse with potato stack, asparagus, roasted mushrooms and onions, with port demi glace
J: Thai style scallops with sweet soy Jasmine rice, coconut peanut sauce, pea shoot salad, and baby corn
M: Duck breast and leg with duck confit, lentil risotto, currant demi glace, and braised cabbage

Dessert:
Mn: Chocolate raspberry gateau with raspberry sauce and creme anglaise
J: Individual cheesecake with blueberry sauce, whipped cream column and blackberries
M: Aztec tart (chocolate and chili tart filling with cinnamon gelato, and chocolate/creme anglaise)

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In case you haven't noticed our family likes to eat. We love to eat. In fact, dining out is one of our favorite pleasures. We take all opportunities to celebrate by heading out to a new or beloved restaurant. Since M, T and I moved here in fall 2006, we have, sad to say, generally been disappointed in fine dining in Ann Arbor. The food can be mediocre and the prices are exorbitant (I say this having lived in both Washington, DC and Orange County, CA). It is not uncommon to find yourself in a restaurant with average entree prices in the $30s - uh oh, no, no. We have found some gems - see future posts, I'm sure - but nowhere that was extraordinary. Until last night. Terry B's in Dexter is one of the best restaurants I have ever eaten in. There was not one (yes, you read that correctly) food misstep, excellent service, amazing ambiance, and perfect company. Who could ask for a better dining experience? James Beard, where are you?

Prep Notes
Isn't eating out always easy?

Reaction
J: "This is our new celebration destination."
M: "The best fine dining in Michigan."
Mn: "Even an engagement at the next table couldn't upstage the food."