Now, here is a meal we haven’t had in years! I was looking for a French dish to make this weekend and after browsing the cookbooks we have, I was uninspired. That was when the idea of fondue popped into my head. Easy and fun. So Sandy got to work today, using her own adapted recipe for cheese fondue. We set the fondue pot up on the coffee table (this made Duffy think he was getting some) and watched the intriguing documentary “The Secrets of Chatsworth”. I poured myself a glass of 1er Cru Burgundy and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon. It must be noted, however, that earlier in the day, I walked into town to visit our local book store to pick up a magazine and while there I found myself digging through the cookbooks. My patience payed off. I found an incredibly thick, old French home cooking cookbook, written by Francoise Bernard and printed by Rizzoli. What a find! 1,000 recipes! Can’t wait to get started.

1 clove of garlic, split in half

1/2 Lb. Gruyere, shredded

1/2 Lb. Emmentaler, shredded

1 1/2 Tbsp. corn starch

1 1/2 – 2 cups white wine

3 Tbsp. Kirschwasser

1 loaf crusty French bread, cubed into bite sized pieces

Rub split garlic in fondue pot. Toss cornstarch with cheeses to coat. Bring wine to a boil. Add coated cheese a handful at a time, stirring constantly. When all cheese is melted add Kirschwasser and stir until incorporated. Serve with green salad and apple slices.

This recipe comes from Ina Garten’s cookbook “Make It Ahead”. The temperature here today did not rise out of the mid 20’s, so it was a perfect day for a hearty kugel. With today’s late lunch I served a 2010 Chateau Lagrange Les Tours, Grand Vin de Bordeaux. Enjoy!

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

12 ounces wide egg noodles, such as David’s

4 Tbsp. good olive oil, divided

2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)

3/4 cups sliced scallions, white and green parts (4 scallions)

1 cup fresh whole-milk ricotta

4 cups half-and-half

5 extra large eggs

1/4 cup fresh minced dill

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1 (9 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted

1 cup panko (Japanese bread flakes)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13 x 10 x 2 inch oval baking dish.

Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water, according to directions on the package. Drain and set aside.

In a medium (10 inch) saute pan, heat 2 Tbsps. of the olive oil, add the onions, and saute over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned. Add the scallions and cook for 2 minutes. Set aside.

Meanwhile, combine the ricotta, half-and-half, eggs, dill, 1 cup of Parmesan, 4 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Squeeze most, but not all, of the water out of the spinach and mix it into the ricotta mixture. Mix in the onion mixture and noodles and pour into the prepared dish.

In a small bowl, combine the panko, the remaining 2 Tbsp. of olive oil, and the remaining 2 Tbsp. of Parmesan. Sprinkle the mixture on the pudding. Place the dish in a roasting pan large enough to hold the baking dish and pour hot tap water halfway up the side of the dish. Bake for 45 minutes, remove the dish from the water bath, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and serve hot.

Tonight is our annual neighborhood holiday party where the host serves a main course and others bring dishes of their making. Sandy and I put together a lovely smoked fish (whitefish and salmon) platter with fish we ordered from Heller’s, our local fish store. We garnished it with lots of veggies, topped it with broiled lemon slices, sprinkled some capers on top of it all and made two bowls of crème fraiche sauce, one seasoned with dill, one with lemon zest and minced shallots. We’ll serve with it, small rye bread squares and mini bagel toasts. Happy holidays everyone!

PS: Word has it there will be chocolate martini’s involved!

 This recipe comes from the cookbook “Isa Does It”, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. It’s a book of vegan recipes which I was introduced to by my neighbor Trish, who is a vegan. For some time, I held the belief that there couldn’t possibly be any flavor in a vegan meal, but Trish, and this cookbook changed my mind. Sandy ordered a copy for me and this is the first dish I’ve made.  “Isa Does It” is a book filled with recipes for meals that are layered with rich flavors, they’re colorful and they are healthy! I recommend this cookbook to everyone, vegan or not. My opinion has changed: vegan food is very tasty and fulfilling! This stew is easy to make and was beautifully coupled with crispy tortas, a cold, Sunday afternoon, and a football game on the television. Enjoy!

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3/4 Tsp. salt, plus a pinch

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup chopped chipotles in adobo sauce, seeded  (I used about 1 Tbsp. Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce instead)

3/4 cup quinoa (red looks prettiest)

4 cups vegetable broth

Freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 Lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch chunks

1 1/2 cups corn kernels, (preferably fresh, but frozen is okay)

1 (15 ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and juice reserved, tomatoes crushed into pieces with hands

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained (1 1/2 cups)

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro, chopped

Preheat a 4-quart pot over medium heat and add the oil. Saute the onion in the oil with a pinch of salt for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chipotles, quinoa, broth, remaining 3/4 Tsp. salt, and pepper. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Let boil for 7 minutes, until the quinoa is almost ready.

Lower the heat to a simmer and add the sweet potatoes. Cover the pot and simmer for about 12 minutes. The sweet potatoes should be tender and the quinoa fully cooked. Add the corn, tomatoes, black beans, and cilantro and simmer for about 7 minutes, just until everything is heated through. It tastes best if you let it sit for a few minutes before serving, allowing the flavors to marry. You may need to add some of the reserved tomato juice to thin it out to your liking. Serve hot.

This afternoon I brought the large easel from the third floor studio to my new first floor studio.  I was able to convert the easel into two pieces, making it easier to carry down the steep stairs of our late 1800’s Victorian. And then…..risotto. My reward to myself, and to Sandy, after all, it was her idea that I stop working on my rickety old outdoors easel, indoors. So…this is risotto, with bacon (6 slices diced and cooked until crispy) and corn (about 6 ounces fresh off the cob or from a can). You can look up any risotto recipe and find that it calls for cooking up some buttery onions and then adding 2 cups of Arborio rice, and 1/2 cup of white wine, stir, stir, stir, and graduate in 8 cups of chicken broth and stir, stir, stir and, add whatever goodies you’d like, and in the end…….stir in 1/2 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese. Well, that’s what I did and it was delicious! Buon appetito!

I spent a good part of the early afternoon removing  non-producing plants from the vegetable garden and out of this came the understanding that edamame must be picked as soon as it’s mature. I didn’t do that and they all turned yellow and hard. I lost my small crop. Oh well. When I was finished in the garden I moved into the kitchen and tried this recipe from the October edition of Food and Wine magazine. This was our late lunch. The flavors are interwoven like a finely stitched tapestry, and it’s so clear why certain cultures mix curry and mint. What a delightful pairing. Enjoy!

Serves 4

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

3/4 cup diced tomatoes

1 Tbsp. curry powder

1 Tbsp. peeled and minced fresh ginger

1 Tsp. minced Thai bird chile

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups leftover or cooked and cooled basmati rice

1 cup flaked smoked trout (about 8 ounces)

1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup coarsely chopped basil

1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

1/2 cup coarsely chopped mint

1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions, green and light green parts only

Kosher salt and pepper

1/4 cup chopped unsalted roasted peanuts

In a large skillet, melt the butter over moderately high heat. Add the tomatoes, curry powder, ginger, chile, garlic and shallots and cook, stirring until the tomatoes are beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Stir in the rice and trout and cook, stirring once or twice, until the rice is toasted and crisped, about 3 minutes. Using a spoon, make a hole in the middle of the rice and pour in the olive oil. Add the eggs and let them cook, undisturbed, until the bottom starts to set. Stir in the basil, cilantro, mint and scallions and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the fried rice to a serving platter, sprinkle with the peanuts and serve immediately.

Wine served: Nautilus, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc