The Shared Winter to Spring Meal

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This meal came about as Cynthia and I looked out the window at a crisp, but sunny day. The leaves were still glistening from the recent (much needed) rain, the grass was tinged a bright green, and the rose buds hinted at a bit of color. It’s was still very much winter, but just a few hints of spring were starting to poke through the gray din to cheer us up. We wanted to cook and eat a meal that would give a nod to the briskly cold air but also bridge the gap to the brightness of approaching spring. I think this meal of citrusy roasted chicken legs, paired with a heavily herby, yet hearty farro salad, is just the thing.

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Roasted Chicken Legs with Smoked Paprika, Blood Orange, and Honey

Chopped Herb Salad with Farro

The Shared New Baby Meal

There's no experience in the world as transformative as becoming a mother. A mother has spent nine months housing and nourishing a body that is not her own; then, somehow, she is more whole after the delivery of her long-awaited gift. The first few weeks after delivery are a whirlwind of recovery, joy, visiting friends and family, and worry. Bringing a friend or family member a thoughtful and nutritive meal after delivery is more than a kind gesture, it's a lifeline during an important transition for a family. When a sweet friend at preschool delivered her second little girl, a meal train was set up to provide several weeks of meals for her family. There's a lot of advice out there about bringing meals to new parents, like: asking about dietary restrictions or preferences, bringing meals in disposable containers, coordinating the best time to deliver the meal, and making sure the food is ready to eat with no prep or cooking required. But mostly, it's the generous and thoughtful act of love and community that counts the most.

When it came to this friend, she said her family was not particular and open to all foods so I felt comfortable branching out from soup or pasta. I wanted to bring her family a meal that was easy to eat, easy to warm up, and a little bit of a departure from other meals she was provided. They were grateful and gracious to receive the food. I was happy to give them one less thing to worry about and fill their tummies with a wholesome and delicious meal at the same time.

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Harissa Grilled Pork Chops

Chickpea Carrot Salad

The Shared Birthday Dinner

My husband is one of those impossible-to-buy-for people. He’s a minimalist and prefers to get rid of stuff, rather than acquire more stuff. There is, however, one thing that he can never get enough of: cheese! (Okay, that’s not entirely true - he also never tires of carne asada burritos.) He is a serious cheese lover - all day, everyday . . . cheese. On our honeymoon to Europe, we had cheese with every single meal. I thought I loved cheese, but by the end of the trip, I had hit a wall. My husband? He wanted to know if we could have cheese fondue for our last meal before heading home. So it came as no big surprise when he requested fondue for his birthday dinner. And what about the cake? (I bet you’re thinking cheesecake . . . ) Nope, he requested his favorite - ice cream cake!

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Three Cheese Fondue

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Cake
 

The Shared Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

I was still going strong with my health kick that started in the New Year, so naturally, I was craving bacon jam. Making bacon jam can be a process, but it keeps incredibly well - so it's perfect to make in larger, sharable quantities. I didn't have a reason to make a batch of bacon jam, besides my daydreams that featured the sweet and salty condiment, until February. Every month, parents and staff from my children's preschool have a dinnertime meeting to discuss operations, events and issues that pertain to the school. Volunteers offer to bring a savory dish, sweets, or beverages (ahem, wine!) to the meeting. The parents and staff at our cooperative preschool are highly dedicated to maintaining a loving, safe and enriching community for our children. To show my appreciation for the work that these parents put into the school, the least I could do was to make myself, I mean them . . . some bacon jam! Now I had an excuse to spread it between slices of bread and call it a meal. I decided to bring two kinds of absurd grilled cheese sandwiches and a refreshingly simple salad (for balance!) to the meeting to share. What pairs better with wine and discussions about communicable diseases than decadent grilled cheese sandwiches?

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Bacon Jam and Cheddar Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Roasted Jalapeno Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Beet and Cucumber Salad

The Shared Valentine's Day

Last Valentine’s Day, my then 3-year-old woke up and slipped into my room to cuddle, like he does most mornings. He whispered into my ear, “Happy Valentine’s Day! I love you, Mommy. But, I love you ALL the days.” And I melted into a wet puddle. I gave him an extra snuggle, and stored the memory away for the inevitable moments when I’d need to remind myself that he is more than a crazed, tantrum-monster. He’s absolutely right though; love is something we should acknowledge every single day with hugs, our time, words of kindness, and my favorite - with food.

This Valentine’s Day, Cynthia and I wanted to surprise the kids, the best way we know how - with food. Let’s have an (early Valentine's Day) party! I made to-die-for Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies and easy Chocolate-Covered Strawberries. Cynthia found cute paper straws that we cut up into “beads”, and the kids laced them together with pipe cleaners to make bracelets and necklaces. She also had adorable mini milk bottles with striped red and white straws that the kids drank from with giddy glee. Honestly, the enormous smiles on their little faces was the best Valentine’s Day gift I could have imagined. Nothing’s sweeter than that!

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Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

The Shared Chili

I have never been a real football fan, or really a sports enthusiast of any kind. (What can I say? Watching sports makes my eyes roll into the back of my head, where I fall into a deep coma until halftime.) Watching a game is only fun if I’m hanging out with my friends and cheering loudly while waving brightly colored pennants and pompoms. It’s the shared experience that makes it worthwhile; but, the real reason I agree to watch any game at all is for the shared food. Tailgating is the BEST! I love all the feasting on barbecue meats, grazing on the vast spread of finger foods, and the imbibing of cold alcoholic beverages to wash it all down. By the time that’s all done and over with, I’m feeling so good that sure, I’ll happily watch the game too. If I sound like a little piggy right now, that’s because I am. (And you know you are too, because you’re reading a food blog!) Then there’s the Super Bowl - I am excited to host a Super Bowl Party for the simple reason that I adore a giant pot of chili with all the fixings. There’s nothing better than cozying up on the couch with a steaming bowl of spicy chili, heaped with shredded cheese, onions, and cilantro. How can you top that? Have Cynthia make a fresh batch of buttery cornbread and slather it with even more butter. Bliss. Maybe this year, I’ll also try to figure out which team is which.

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Chicken Chili

All-Purpose Cornbread

The Shared Meatballs

December. December is a wonderful month in theory - family and friend filled holidays and parties, extra well-wishes from strangers, and of course, all of the homemade baked goods. But in practice and despite December's great qualities, it's overwhelming, expensive and hectic. It’s nearly the end of January, and I feel like I have barely recovered from December’s flurry of activity. I hope to feel rested by March.

In December, I attended multiple potlucks organized by our family's preschool. My two daughters attend a parent participation, cooperative preschool that they adore and thrive in. Each family is scheduled and rotated for their turn to provide a snack for the class. We loved the idea of one family bringing a group snack for all of the children to share on a daily basis. The snack guidelines are balanced and nutritious: each snack includes a vegetable, fruit, grain, protein and dairy component. It's important to me for my children to try things from other households, that we wouldn't normally eat in our house. Conversely, I am always glad to bring a snack for the class and have another child try and enjoy something new from us. The convivial and group atmosphere is particularly wonderful around holidays. Before school was let out for winter break, both of my girls classes had potlucks in lieu of a normal snack day. On these potluck days, parents and siblings are welcome to stay for the class time and enjoy the food, festivities and school grounds. By the time I signed up for the potlucks, the most delicious kid-friendly choices were already spoken for: fruit salad, muffins, macaroni and cheese, and crudite. I noticed a lack of protein on both lists so I decided to make Swedish meatballs for both potluck parties.

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Swedish Meatballs

Meatballs with Tomato Sauce and Polenta

The Shared Lunch

Winter was already well underway, when Cynthia, our friend Christine, and I huddled together in my unusually quiet kitchen. We were lucky enough to have grandparents watching the kids, so we had a whole afternoon at our disposal - it felt positively luxurious. So what to cook? We wanted to somehow redeem ourselves from all of our gluttonous holiday eating, but also eat food that would combat the cold, drizzly weather outside. So, we settled on a little bit of each: a bountiful kale salad and also a hearty, white bean soup. I am convinced that the kale with all it’s well-touted vitamins and antioxidants reversed the damage of eating more than my fair share of deep-fried turkey, honey ham, tamales, and cheesecake at not one, but TWO Christmas dinners. Well, that’s what I’m telling myself anyway. Add that to this soul-warming white bean soup that manages to pack its own healthy dose of good-for-you veggies, while still tasting unctuous and rich. Beyond any purported health benefits of said soup and salad, what really struck me on this otherwise gray, frigid day, was how filled with joy I felt spending a leisurely afternoon cooking, sharing, and enjoying lunch with Cynthia and Christine. I love how cooking with and for others has taught us to be generous with our recipes and each other - sharing a nourishing meal that ushered in a little extra warmth during these cold winter months.

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White Bean Soup with Wilted Greens

Kale Salad with Butternut Squash and Cheddar