Be Prepared! & Red Bean Chili with Pork and Butternut Squash

The January Thaw has come and gone so it seems like as good a time as any to talk about power outages. After all it is snow season and at least one big nor’easter is bound to tear through New England at some point this winter. Maybe two. Or more. As a skier, I will always hope.

I’m thinking that we can improve our chances for an outage-free winter if we prepare early and often. Think of it as an extension of the bring-your-umbrella-and-it-won’t-rain hypothesis. So here goes …

Get a good head start on the inevitable,
1. Test your generator to make sure it works before the power goes out. If you don’t have a generator, think about buying one.
2. If you have an electric stove, switch to gas. If you like to cook, you’ll be glad you made the change. Otherwise, think about a camp stove. Before you decide not to bother, remember your morning coffee.
3. So what do you do if you can’t face the day without coffee and your fancy machine needs electricity? Buy the old-fashioned version which best fits your taste – be it a simple drip cone, French press or my favorite Italian stovetop espresso maker.
4. Unless you have a smart phone, invest in a battery operated radio for storm updates (and music).
5. Be prepared for longer outages, the ones which lasts more than a day or two, with a cell phone charger for the car.
6. Stock up on candles and flashlights. A headlight, the kind for your head not the car, is great for reading as well as wandering around the house or yard in the dark. An oil lamp is also good. Don’t forget to stock up on extra wicks and plenty of oil.
7. And if you want the radio and flashlights to work, don’t forget batteries.

As soon as the weather people begin to talk excitedly of an impending storm,
8. Dig out the shovels and check the snow blower. Make sure you have plenty of gas and oil for the snow blower. It might be a good idea to have sand or de-icer or kitty litter to throw down after shoveling.
9. Fill the car with gas and look under all the seats for the snow brush and scraper. If you can’t find it buy a new one while you’re at the gas station.
10. Check your cell phone, I-pod, laptop and whatever toys and tools you can’t live without. Make sure they are fully charged.
11. If you have well water, fill any and all pitchers, carafes, jugs, empty soda bottles and large containers, including the bath tub, with water.
12. Make soup or better yet chili, something hearty and lots of it.
13. Stop by the library and/or bookstore and stock up on all those books you’ve been dying to read.
14. Depending on your inclination, check your supply of wine and/or chocolate and stock up as needed. Don’t skimp, you never know how long you might be left in the dark.

In case you are wondering about my preparations. Well I figure just talking and writing about it must be worth something!

Stay warm and bon appétit!

Pork Chili with Red Beans and Butternut Squash
Invite the neighbors in after shoveling – everyone appreciates a bowl or mug of chili on a snowy day. Add more or less spice to taste and enjoy!
Serves 8-10

2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1-2 inch cubes
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 large onions, chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon (or to taste) chili powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon (or to taste) chipotle chilies in adobo, mashed to a paste
1 tablespoon (or to taste) finely chopped jalapeno
4 garlic cloves, minced
5-6 cups small red beans, cooked, rinsed and drained
4 cups canned crushed tomatoes
1-2 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 bay leaf
1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into bite-size pieces
1 pound frozen spinach
Sour cream (optional)
Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
Toasted pumpkin seeds
Chopped cilantro

Heat a little olive oil in a large casserole over medium-high heat. Pat the pork dry and season with salt and pepper. Brown the pork in batches, remove from the casserole and reserve.

Adding more oil if necessary, put the onion, carrot, celery, spices and herbs in the casserole, season with salt and pepper and sauté for 7-8 minutes. Add the chipotle, jalapeno and garlic and sauté 2-3 minutes more.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Add the pork, beans, crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, wine and bay leaf to the vegetables and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover the casserole and transfer to the oven. Cook at 350 degrees, stirring occasionally, until the pork is tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

Meanwhile, heat a little olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the butternut squash for a few minutes or until lightly caramelized but still firm. Add the squash to the chili and continue simmering for 10-15 minutes. Add the spinach and cook for 5 minutes more.

Serve the chili garnished with sour cream, cheddar, pumpkin seeds and cilantro.

The chili can be made one day ahead. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate. Reheat on medium or in a 350 degree oven, stirring several times, until bubbly.

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One Year Ago – Piri Piri Prawns
One Year Ago – French Lentil Soup
Two Years Ago – Spicy Chicken (or Turkey) Noodle Soup
Three Years Ago – My Favorite ChiliOr Click Here! for a complete list of and links to all the recipes on this blog!

What are you cooking this winter? Let’s get a conversation going.

Want more? I’ve got links to lots more to read, see & cook as well as a day in the life photoblog! In addition, I hope that you will take a minute to learn about my philanthropic project Eat Well-Do Good. © Susan W. Nye, 2013

Soup’s On! & Hearty Black Bean Soup

Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder’s fork, and blind-worm’s sting,
Lizard’s leg, and owlet’s wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and caldron bubble.

From William Shakespeare’s Macbeth

Halloween is just around the corner. Ghosts and goblins ride the night wind. Witches gather around steaming cauldrons of wicked brews and poison potions. Or maybe those cauldrons are filled with piping hot soup, ready and waiting to welcome the kids home after an evening of trick-or-treating. If you live in New Hampshire, Halloween tricks often include a snow storm (it’s already snowed on the highest peaks) so a bowl of soup will be more than welcome. With all respect to the Bard of Avon, I recommend that you skip the eye of newt and toe of frog.

Growing up there were always cans of Campbell’s tomato and boxes of Lipton’s chicken noodle soup in our cupboard. My mother would be the first to admit that she has never been an enthusiastic cook. At most, she made homemade soup once a year with the leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Not to worry, even if Misters Campbell and Lipton made the soup, our dinner table conversations were among the liveliest in the neighborhood, probably the State!

Unlike my mother, I love to cook and my soup pot has been boiling and bubbling throughout the fall. Whether it is cold and raw or clear and frosty, soup is a cozy choice. From warding off the sniffles to bringing cheer to a dark day, a big pot of homemade soup is almost magical. It has the power to warm the body and the soul.

I find myself returning to old favorites, time and time again. Soups like Roasted Butternut Squash, Chicken Noodle and Black Bean. These are the soups that I make without a recipe. Some of this and a little of that goes into the pot and no batch is exactly like the last but (hopefully) still delicious. I measure by eye and with the palm of my hand, chop, sauté, roast, simmer and purée. If I forget an ingredient, even two, a quick taste sets me straight. Then there are the days when whim or a flight of fancy hits and a new favorite is created. Sometimes sooner, sometimes later, a friend asks for a recipe and it is finally written down.

Soups are great for entertaining. For a more formal dinner, soup is a no-worry first course. Put the soup on a back burner over low heat and it’s ready when you are. Soup is even better for casual parties, big or small. For a simple, relaxed evening cook up a big pot of your favorite soup (or two if you have a crowd), add a salad, some country bread and dinner is done. Throw in a few hors d’œuvres to begin the fun and finish with a little something sweet to complete the perfect party.

Simple family supper or a casual evening with friends, everyone will enjoy a cozy evening in front of the fire with a steaming mug. Bon appétit!

Hearty Black Bean Soup
The sun is setting earlier and the evenings are turning cooler. It’s time to get out your soup pot. Enjoy!
Serves 12

Olive oil
1 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 pound boneless chicken thighs
3-4 carrots, chopped
3-4 celery stalks, chopped
2 onions, chopped
1 teaspoon or to taste minced jalapeno pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup dry white wine
8 or more cups chicken stock
About 4 cups cooked black beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups crushed tomatoes
1 bay leaf
6-8 ounces fresh baby spinach

Heat a little olive oil in a large soup kettle over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, break the meat up into small pieces and sauté until browned, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the sausage from the pot and reserve.

Add the chicken to the pot and cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until lightly browned. Set the chicken aside with the sausage.

Drain off any excess fat, reduce the heat to medium and add the onions, celery, carrots and jalapeno to the pot. Sprinkle with cumin, thyme and oregano and season with salt and pepper. Cook the vegetables, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent, about 20 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a minute or two more. Stir in the wine and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine about one-third of the black beans with 1-2 cups chicken stock in a blender and puree until smooth.

Add the sausage, chicken and black beans to the pot with the vegetables. Stir in the pureed black beans, crushed tomatoes and bay leaf. Add more or less chicken stock, depending on how thick you want your soup and bring everything to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

While the soup continues to simmer, remove the chicken from the pot. When it is cool enough to handle, cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and add them back to the soup. Add the spinach in handfuls and stir to combine. Cook until the spinach has wilted and the soup is steaming.

Serve immediately or cool to room temperature and store in the refrigerator for several hours, preferably overnight, to mix and meld the flavors.

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One Year Ago – Roasted Butternut Squash Lasagna
Two Years Ago – Gingerbread Cupcakes
Three Years Ago – Buttery Chocolate Almond Brittle
Four Years Ago – Pork Stew Paprika
Or Click Here! for a complete list of and links to all the recipes on this blog!

What’s your favorite fall soup? I’d love to hear from you! Let’s get a conversation going.

Want more? I’ve got links to lots more to read, see & cook as well as a day in the life photoblog! In addition, I hope that you will take a minute to learn about my philanthropic project Eat Well-Do Good.                                                              © Susan W. Nye, 2012

Think Snow & Caribbean Black Beans

So what’s up with the weather this winter? Definitely not mountainous piles of snow. The long running joke about New Hampshire children’s oversized Halloween costumes (so they can fit over snowsuits and galoshes) was more than a light hearted tale this year. It snowed again over Thanksgiving. And then well, more or less nothing … or not much.

Meanwhile, the ski areas must be starting to feel a little like Sisyphus. In case you have forgotten, Sisyphus was the ancient Greek king known for his nasty temperament and murderous ways. As punishment the gods ordered Sisyphus to roll a big old boulder up a hill. Just short of the top, the boulder teetered, rocked and then rolled back down the hill. Sisyphus was forced to try again and again for all eternity. Instead of rolling rocks, the ski areas have been blasting their snow guns. They make some snow. It starts to build up. They make some more. Then it rains, not just a little but a lot.

I’m not sure what the ski areas did wrong but I wish they’d repent and soon.

This is not the first time New England has been plagued with a snow drought. A drive through the region’s hills and mountains will reveal hundreds of now defunct ski areas. Sometimes faint, sometimes pronounced you can see the slopes from the road. A hike up and around the trails might reveal a few old sheds or a rusting Ford pick-up, maybe two. Mostly small family businesses, these ski areas delighted their local communities. Unfortunately, they fell apart when Mother Nature refused to cooperate with snow for one too many years.

My sister Brenda and I learned to ski at just such a place. Priest’s Ski Area had no glitz or glamour but it did have an outhouse. An apple orchard in the off-season, the hill had more than half a dozen slopes and a handful of rope tows. There was nothing high tech about those tows. The ropes flew around the axels of ancient Ford pick-ups trucks. Gas was cheap in those days and a daily lift ticket cost a dollar.

With the pick-ups’ engines racing in overdrive, the ropes spun at breakneck speed. Or at least fast enough jerk the arms out of a little girl’s sockets. Filled with both trepidation and excitement, Brenda and I edged our way to the front of the line. Finally it was our turn to grab the perilous rope. There was no kindly lift attendant to help us, only a long line of increasingly impatient skiers to coax or, more likely, jeer us on. Taking a deep breath, we grabbed the rope and, hanging on for dear life, were whipped up the hill.

Of course there was no snow making or grooming equipment. What you got … apple trees, a few rocks and some ice patches … was what you got. The January Thaw played havoc with the slopes. An early spring was dreaded. With a little luck there’d be enough snow to ski for six, maybe eight weekendss. With a lot of luck, the season started with a white Christmas and lasted until mid-March.

When we got a bit more adept, Dad took us north to New Hampshire and King Ridge. It was a real step up. The trails were longer and there were no apple trees to dodge. King Ridge didn’t have snowmaking, that came much later, but it had giant Snowcats and the slopes were lovingly groomed every night. Even more important, there T-bars, not death defying rope tows run by ancient Fords.

Like many ski hills throughout New England, both King Ridge and Priest’s Hill fell victim to a string of poor snow years. The land was sold and, sadly, houses now sit on our old winter playgrounds.

Think snow and bon appétit!

Caribbean Black Beans
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Side dish or the main event, these beans are perfect on a cold winter night. Whether you are hosting a party or a guest at a potluck, make up a batch for the Super Bowl. Go Pats! Enjoy!
Serves 8-12

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1 pound dried black beans
12-16 ounces hot (or sweet) Italian sausage, casings removed
Olive oil
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled, finely chopped
1 tablespoon (or to taste) chopped jalapeno pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 bay leaf
2 strips orange peel, about 4-inches long
Juice of 1 orange
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup espresso
1/4 cup rum
Garnish: chopped cilantro

Pick over the beans and discard any stones or shriveled beans. Rinse well and soak in 6-8 cups of water in the refrigerator overnight.

Breaking up the sausage into pieces, sauté over medium heat until cooked through, remove from the pan, drain and let cool. When it is cool enough to handle, finely chop the sausage.

Heat a little olive oil in a large casserole over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, bell pepper, garlic, jalapeno, oregano and cumin, season with salt and pepper and sauté until the onion is translucent.

Drain and rinse the beans and discard the soaking water. Put the beans in the pot with the vegetables. Add 5-6 cups of water, the bay leaf, brown sugar and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to very low, cover and simmer until beans are tender about 1 – 1 1/4 hours.

Add the espresso, orange and lime juice and rum and continue cooking, uncovered, for an additional 15 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve hot with rice.

The beans are even better if you make ahead. Cool to room temperature, cover and store in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. Gently reheat on low heat.

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One Year Ago – Fettuccine with Escarole, Radicchio & Mushrooms
Two Years Ago – Cassoulet
Three Years Ago – Caribbean Fish Stew

Or Click Here! for a complete list of and links to all the recipes on this blog!

Will you celebrate Australia Day? What are you cooking? I’d love to hear from you! Let’s get a conversation going. To make a comment, just click on Comments below. I’d be delighted to add you to the growing list of blog subscribers. To subscribe: just scroll back up, fill in your email address and click on the Sign Me Up button. You’ll get an email asking you to confirm your subscription … confirm and you will automatically receive a new story and recipe every week.

Want more? Click here for lots more to read, see & cook! In addition, I hope that you will take a minute to learn about my philanthropic project Eat Well-Do Good. ©Susan W. Nye, 2012

Like a Freight Train & Tuscan White Bean Soup

The other morning I woke up, not to the peaceful quiet of a cold, winter morning in the country but to the sound of a freight train blasting through my backyard. To understand my surprise you need to know that the closest railway line is at least three or four miles away. Plus it’s been out of business for forty years or more. It was still dark but glancing over at my digital alarm clock’s big, red numbers, I registered 5:04 just before … poof, they disappeared.

That’s when I realized that roaring sound wasn’t a train but the wind. Sigh … another power outage. I was sorely tempted to burrow down under the covers and worry about it later. Surely one of my neighbors would call the power company and let them know we were in the dark. But then again it was 5 A.M. If they had an ounce of sense, which I’m sure they all do, they were still sound asleep on this wild and windy Saturday morning. Like I should have been.

Not to make myself out to be as heroic or even important, I figured if I didn’t call it in, no one would. Or at least no one would call until a reasonable hour, when the sun was up and half the State was on the line to PSNH demanding service. The only neighborly thing to do was to haul myself out of bed and make the call. Besides, I didn’t want one of those bigger towns in southern New Hampshire to get the jump on us. If half the State was without power, it could take days before it returned to our little street.

I fumbled out of bed and found my headlamp. A cool little flashlight that straps onto your forehead, it’s made for camping but I use it for power outages. If you don’t have one, I recommend you rush out and buy one before the lights go out again. You’ll probably look absolutely ridiculous in it, I know I do, but it’s great when you need your hands free to find glasses and phone numbers.

Finally, I’m ready to make my call. Poised to dial, I realize that I’m freezing. Afraid that I’ll be shivering on hold for ten or twenty minutes, I head back to the bedroom for long johns, wooly socks and the warm, fuzzy robe my nieces gave me for Christmas. Finally, glasses on with phone number and phone in hand, I’m ready.

Anyone who lives in the country knows you need to have one of those old fashioned phones that tether you to the wall for emergencies. Mine is not just old fashioned, it’s old. My first attempt connects me to an accounting firm somewhere in the Midwest. Their answering machine politely asks me to call back Monday through Friday between 8:30 and 5:00. Thankfully, my second try is successful.  Again, I get a machine instead of a real person. Convinced that these machines are hard of hearing, I always SPEAK LOUDLY and e-nun-ci-ate clear-ly. After two or three questions, I shout OUT-AGE into the phone and settle in to wait for a real person. Curled up under a blanket, I listen to muzak and assurances that my call is important. Unfortunately, all the fumbling around had its price and my estimated wait time is three or four hours or maybe it’s days.

I read, I doze, I wait. I realize that I have not filled the bathtub with water. I don’t have a gallon of soup ready in the freezer. I still haven’t bought a generator. I don’t have a spare battery for my headlamp. The freight train continues to roar. I wonder if it’s too windy to ski.

After about fifteen minutes, a nice lady came on the line to help me. She sympathetically took my information and assured me that help was on the way. I went back to bed and slept soundly until 7:30, waking just in time to see the alarm clock’s red digits start to blink. Some days are luckier than others.

Stay warm and safe. Bon appétit!

Tuscan White Bean Soup
Warm and wonderful soup is perfect for a wild and windy winter day. Enjoy!
Serves 6-8

1 pound sweet Italian sausage (chicken or pork or a mixture), casings removed
Olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large leek, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 1/2 – 3 cups cooked small white or cannellini beans
3-4 quarts chicken broth (more or less depending on how thick you want your soup)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 piece Parmigiano-Reggiano rind about 2-inches by 3-inches (optional)
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 head escarole, chopped or 1 pound fresh baby spinach

Heat a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, breaking up the meat into bite-size pieces, cook until brown about 5 minutes.  Remove the sausage from the pan, drain the fat and reserve.

Heat a little olive oil in the pot and add the onion, leek, carrots and celery and season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more.

Add the beans, sausage, broth, white wine, Parmigiano-Reggiano rind, bay leaf and rosemary to the soup pot with the vegetables. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes. Stir in the escarole and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the greens wilt, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

While adding a piece of Parmigiano-Reggiano rind to the pot is optional, it will add wonderful flavor and richness to your soup. I keep a re-sealable plastic bag of rinds in the freezer.

Like most soups, this one is best if made 1 or 2 days ahead. Cool completely and store in the refrigerator.

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One Year Ago – Wild Mushroom Risotto
Two Years Ago – Swimming Pool Jello

What are your favorite party dishes? I’d love to hear from you! Let’s get a conversation going. To make a comment, just click on Comments below. I’d be delighted to add you to the growing list of blog subscribers. To subscribe: just scroll back up, fill in your email address and click on the Sign Me Up button. You’ll get an email asking you to confirm your subscription … confirm and you will automatically receive a new story and recipe every week.

Want more? Click here for lots more to read, see & cook! In addition, I hope that you will take a minute to learn about my philanthropic project Eat Well-Do Good. ©Susan W. Nye, 2011

Snow Days & French Lentil Soup

When I was a kid, no time was more exciting, more packed with tension than the day before a snowstorm. Okay maybe Christmas and Halloween, but when snow was in the forecast, the house positively buzzed. It was more than anticipation for a great ski weekend. When my sister and I were little it was the fun of having an unexpected vacation day. It was a chance to play in the snow, fly down a neighbor’s hill on our sleds, make snow angels and build snowmen and forts. And then return home cold, wet and tired to warm up with hot chocolate. When we were teenagers it was the chance to sleep in and laze around the house, with or without hot chocolate.

I lived in California for a few years and always felt sorry for the kids there. They never get a snow day. Those poor children know nothing of the anticipation of an approaching nor’easter. They’ve never spent a night pacing back and forth to their bedroom windows and peered out hopefully, desperate to see if flakes are falling. Even worse, they’ve never woken up to the pure joy of a surprise storm and an unexpected day off.

In New England anticipation starts early, before the first wintry clouds begin to gather. Days before a big snow is due to (maybe or maybe not) hit, the weather people roll out their maps. They track each storm as it slowly travels east or north. As the storm moves closer, they positively dance with excitement. A nor’easter is a New England weather person’s time to shine. From breaking news to special reports, we follow their every word. On the edge of our seats, we watch the story unfold with bated breath.

As a kid, whenever a storm was on the way, I’d spend the afternoon and evening bouncing back and forth to every window in the house. I’d check to see if snow was falling in the front yard, the back yard or in the yard next door. I’d dither about my homework and usually spent more time worrying and wondering if I should do it than actually working on my assignments.

Eventually, my mother would send me off to bed. Sleep never came easy. My self-appointed job as watchman was not done just because a few flakes had finally started to fall. No, my vigilance continued. Those first flakes only answered the questions of if and when; not how much. I spent the rest of the night worrying if we would be blessed with several inches of fluffy white stuff or left with little more than a dusting. This final question was the most compelling, definitely on a par with the riddle of Sphinx and the mystery of the Lost Colony at Roanoke. It kept me awake on many snowy and a few not-so-snowy nights.

Tossing and turning, my ears were highly tuned to pick up any sound of an approaching snowplow. Throughout the night, the streetlight outside my bedroom window allowed me to keep tabs on the snow. Not once but several times, I’d crawl out from under my warm covers and, fingers crossed, check on the storm.

Finally morning arrived; time to discover if our world was blanketed in deep snow. And then out we’d go … bounding off to the sledding hill or trudging off to school.

Enjoy the next snow day and bon appétit!

French Lentil Soup
There’s nothing like hearty lentil soup on a snow day. Make a big batch, enjoy some now and freeze the rest for the next snowy day.
Makes about 8 quarts

Olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, chopped
5-6 stalks celery, chopped
5 carrots, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch chili powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound bone-in chicken breasts, skin and visible fat removed
4-5 quarts chicken stock
1 pound lentils
3 cups (28-ounce can) crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 pound kielbasa, cut in quarters lengthwise and then in 1/2-inch thick pieces
About 8 ounces baby spinach

Heat a little olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions, leeks, celery, carrots and garlic, sprinkle with thyme, cumin and chili powder, season with salt and pepper to taste and sauté for 15-20 minutes.

Add the chicken and enough chicken stock to cover. Raise the heat and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes; remove the chicken and reserve.

Add the remaining chicken stock, red wine, tomatoes and lentils, season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes or until the lentils are cooked through and tender.

Remove the chicken from the bones and shred or cut into bite sized pieces. Add the chicken and kielbasa to the soup and simmer until they are heated through. Add the spinach and continue to simmer until it wilts. Check for seasoning and serve.

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This soup is much better if it is prepared in advance. Let the soup cool to room temperature, cover and store in the refrigerator for several hours or up to a couple of days.

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One Year Ago – Spicy Chicken Noodle Soup
Two Years Ago – My Favorite Chili

What’s your snow day story? I’d love to hear from you! Let’s get a conversation going. To make a comment, just click on Comments below. I’d be delighted to add you to the growing list of blog subscribers. To subscribe: just scroll back up, fill in your email address and click on the Sign Me Up button. You’ll get an email asking you to confirm your subscription … confirm and you will automatically receive a new story and recipe every week.

Feel free to visit my photoblog, Susan Nye 365 or my cleverly named other blog, Susan Nye’s Other Blog, or website www.susannye.com. You can find more than 200 recipes, links to magazine articles and lots more. I hope that you will take a minute to learn about my philanthropic project Eat Well-Do Good. ©Susan W. Nye, 2011

Foliage Season – Time to Gather Around the Table & Tex-Mex Braised Beef

Last week I was puttering around my kitchen and it dawned on me that fall is the perfect time to entertain. This epiphany happened as I prepping and getting ready for one of my Eat Well-Do Good dinners. All in all, it was a delightful afternoon. A cool breeze was stirring the kitchen curtains. The foliage outside my window was taking on a decidedly golden hue. And I was happily chopping up a butternut squash to roast with a little bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

I figured there must be at least a dozen good reasons to cook and entertain in the fall. Here are my top three:

One:
During the summer, my kitchen can (and frequently does) start to feel like an inferno by 11 a.m. Fall is a welcome respite. Even on a gorgeous, Indian summer day, my kitchen is a comfortable and cozy place to spend the afternoon. Instead of hot and cranky, I am cool, calm and relaxed when my first guest rings the bell.

When the weather cools down we all look forward to soups and slow cooked stews. With a little bit of upfront effort you can cook up a delicious dinner of marvelous comfort food. While dinner bubbles, you can relax and enjoy your guests. There is little or no last minute rushing around with grills to light, fires to tend or lots of different serving dishes to sort out. When the time is right, pull out your ladle and serve up a tasty one pot meal.

Two:
There are wonderful fall vegetables at the farmer’s market, farm stand and supermarket. I love leafy greens and you can find them in abundance. Lovely bouquets of chard and mustard greens and heads of escarole, chicory and radicchio are all in season. These leafy greens are great sautéed in a little olive oil with a hint of garlic, spicy pepper flakes and a splash of lemon juice.

Another favorite, newly harvested winter squash are in the market. Beautiful blue Hubbards and tasty butternuts are piled high. Squash is great in soups, risotto and stews. And don’t forget all the fun and funky gourds and pumpkins. They make wonderful decorations for your table and front stoop.

Not to forget, for at least for a week or two more, many of our favorite summer treats are still available. Instead of a simple ear of corn on the cob, think about adding kernels to a yummy chowder, chili or stew. Roasting is a wonderful way to enjoy the last of the fresh, local green beans and zucchini.

Three:
After a busy summer, we are all getting back to normal. Or as normal as some of us get. Since many friends and neighbors have been away enjoying a special summer vacation, it’s fun to reconnect. With suitcases emptied and back in the attic, it’s time to share stories of trips, travels and adventures.

On the other hand, we all know at least a handful of snowbirds. To avoid the cold New England ice, snow and wind, these fair-weather friends and family members head south for the winter. It’s time to grab them for one last meal before they fly south until May.

As for me, with lots of family and friends coming and going, summer on Pleasant Lake is a fantastic time of year. However, as wonderful as summer is, I have to admit there are many summer days and nights when hectic is the ultimate understatement. Fall is calmer, quieter and a lot less frantic. I’m delighted to share a more relaxed me with friends around my table.

I hope that you are enjoying fall and will think about inviting a few friends around your table soon.

Bon appétit!

Tex-Mex Braised Beef, Black Beans & Fresh Corn
Serves 8-10

Olive oil
3 onions, chopped
1-2 tablespoons (or to taste) minced jalapeno pepper
2 tablespoons (or to taste) chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons (or to taste) cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon (or to taste) crushed chipotle chili flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 ounce (1 square) unsweetened chocolate
3 pounds London broil, cut about 2 inches thick
2 cans (28 ounces) crushed tomato
1 cup dry red wine
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup sour cream
3 (15-16 ounce) cans black beans (about 4 cups), rinsed and drained
4 cups fresh corn kernels (about 8 ears) (it’s okay to use frozen corn when fresh is not available)
Garnish: fresh chopped cilantro

1. Heat a little olive oil in a large, heavy casserole over medium-high heat. Add the onions, jalapeno pepper and spices; cook, stirring often, until the onions soften, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, oregano, brown sugar and chocolate to the pot. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, while you brown the beef.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
3. Pat the beef dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat a little olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat; add the beef and brown well on both sides, about 5 minutes per side.
4. Transfer the beef to the casserole with the sauce. Add the red wine to the skillet and deglaze by bringing to a boil and scraping up the brown bits for about 1 minute. Add the wine to the casserole and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
5. Cover the casserole and transfer to the oven. Cook, turning the beef once or twice, for 1 hour.
6. Put the sour cream in a small bowl. A few spoonfuls at a time, whisk about 1 cup of the sauce into the sour cream and then add back to the casserole. Add the beans to the casserole. Return to the oven and cook for 1-1 1/2 hours more, until the beef is very tender.
7. Remove the meat from the casserole. Stir in the corn kernels and return the casserole to the oven while you slice the beef. Cut the beef across the grain in thick slices and arrange in a deep serving platter or individual bowls, top with beans and corn, garnish with cilantro and serve.

This dish can be made 2 or 3 days ahead. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove and then transfer to a 350 degree oven and heat until warmed through.

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One Year Ago – Spicy Chicken Stew
Two Years Ago – Chicken Chili

Do you like to entertain in the fall? Tell me about it.I’d love to hear from you! Let’s get a conversation going. To make a comment, just click on Comments below.

I’d be delighted to add you to the growing list of blog subscribers. To subscribe: just scroll back up, fill in your email address and click on the Sign Me Up button. You’ll get an email asking you to confirm your subscription … confirm and you will automatically receive a new story and recipe every week.

Feel free to visit my other, cleverly named blog, Susan Nye’s Other Blog, or website www.susannye.com. You can find more than 200 recipes, links to magazine articles and lots more. I hope that you will take a minute to learn about my philanthropic project Eat Well-Do Good. ©Susan W. Nye, 2010

Where Were You When the Lights Went Out? & White Bean Hummus

Where Were You When the Lights Went Out? Like most everyone I know (I don’t know a lot of night owls), I was snug and warm under my goose down comforter. I’d been in bed for about an hour and was in that wonderful stage of deep, deep sleep. Wonderful until the phone rings.

I fumbled with the light switch to no avail and then stumbled to the phone. I was greeted by a woman with a mechanical voice telling me with some sense of urgency what various beeps in combinations of long and short meant. It was some nonsense about power outages and temperature controls or something or other. She kept repeating herself and after several long minutes, I eventually realized that my parent’s house was calling to tell me the power was out. My snowbird parents spend the winter in Florida and I keep an eye on their house while they are gone. As part of the deal, I insisted they get a monitoring device to alert me if the power or heat goes out. Frankly, I would have been happy if the mechanical lady had waited until morning to call.

I mumbled something and the mechanical lady didn’t answer. Instead she told me to hit some keys to acknowledge or disable or something or other.  I hit some keys, said goodnight and hung up. I looked at my watch, it was 11:20. I called PSNH to let them know I was in the dark. A machine picked up.

Since I was up, I wandered around the house looking out various windows. That’s when I realized that hurricane force winds were tearing through the neighborhood. The moon was almost full and to steal a line from Clement Moore, “gave the luster of mid-day to objects below”. Every tree, especially the big tall ones, were swinging and swaying in the gale force winds. This was no gentle hula dance but pretty scary stuff.

I tried to go back to sleep. There is nothing like a phone call in the middle of the night to get your heart pumping and flood your system with adrenalin. I lay in bed, listening to the wind and worried about those trees. It sounded a lot like a freight train was barreling down through the backyard. Sleep was not immediate.

Just as I drifted offffffff, the phone rang. It was my new friend, the mechanical lady over at Mom and Dad’s. She was calling again because, in my sleepy stupor, I had not followed her instructions properly. She patiently repeated her message about the long and short beeps and again told me to press * or maybe it was # or some combination of the two. I’ve never been that good at following directions so I hit a bunch of keys and hung up the phone. I wandered around the house again. The trees were still waving frantically. I put my adrenalin-wracked body back into bed and wondered if I would ever fall asleep.

I did. Just in time for the mechanical lady to call me back, again. I unplugged the phone.

She didn’t give up. The next morning I had no sooner plugged the phone jack back into the wall when she called. Luckily, I’d already had a cup of coffee and, in the light of day, managed to do as she asked. Thankfully, she stopped calling.

Somewhere around 350,000 New Hampshire homes were in the dark after the windstorm. Some of us for three days, some shorter and some longer. I hope that you all survived the power outage well rested, in good health and good humor.

Bon appétit!

White Bean Hummus with Fresh Vegetables & Warm Pita

This yummy dip is great for a casual get-together. I planned to make it last weekend for family and friends … until the lights went out. Enjoy!

3 tablespoons minced red onion
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
Extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 cups cooked white beans
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into pieces
Red bell pepper, seeded and cut into pieces
Pita bread, cut into wedges and then split in half

1. In a small skillet, sauté the onion and pepper flakes in a little olive oil until the onion is translucent about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until it is reduced by half.
2. Transfer the onion and garlic to a mini food processor. Add the rosemary, both vinegars and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Process until the vegetables are pureed and the rosemary is finely chopped.
3. Add the beans; pulse to combine and mash the beans to a rough paste. If needed, add more olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Store in a covered container for 2-3 hours in the refrigerator to allow the flavors to combine.
4. About a half hour before you plan to serve, remove the bean dip from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
5. Scatter the pita wedges on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake the pita at 350 degrees until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
6. Serve the bean dip with warm pita wedges and fresh vegetables.

If you don’t have a mini food processor (or the power goes out), you can use a potato masher or a fork to make this dip. Be sure to mince the onion, garlic and rosemary very fine. The texture will not be as smooth but it will still be delicious.

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One Year Ago – Warm Chocolate Pudding
Or Click Here! for a complete list of and links to all the recipes on this blog!

I’d love to hear from you! Let’s get a conversation going. To make a comment, just click on Leave a Comment below. I’d be delighted to add you to my growing list of blog subscribers. To subscribe  just scroll back up and click on the Sign Me Up button. For a printer-friendly version of this posting and to find lots more recipes, visit the recipe page on my website: www.susannye.com/id6.htm. Feel free to look around my website, you can learn about my new philanthropic project Eat Well – Do Good, link to magazine articles and more on at www.susannye.com. ©Susan W. Nye, 2010

Comfy and Cozy – Comfort Food & Cassoulet

When you hear the words comfort and food; what comes to mind? Do you think of something savory or sweet? When you need a little tender, loving care do you hunger for something hot, bubbling and fragrant with herbs and spice? Or maybe you crave something sugary, warm and gooey or seek solace in a cold and creamy or soft and chewy treat.

Or all of the above.

Comfort food is the food of our childhood. You slurp it or spoon it and savor it slowly. If you need a sharp knife to cut it, it’s probably not comfort food. These are the dishes that warm us on snowy evenings, cheer us up on rainy days and console us when we are feeling blue.

Looking for the perfect comfort food? Well there is no one answer, it all depends on the kind comfort you need. Broken heart? Rocky-Road, cookie dough or butter pecan can’t mend a broken heart but it might just ease the pain for an hour or two. Head cold? For those times when you wonder if you will ever breathe again, the best medicine might very well be a steaming bowl of chicken soup. And if a day on the slopes leaves you frozen to core, a piping hot stew with fork tender beef and vegetables is a great solution.

I was certainly in need of a little comfort last week when a torrential rain storm blew in. At midmorning it was almost as dark as the middle of the night. It stayed grey and murky all day. The storm did not blow in from the north with the brittle cold of an arctic gale. It blew in from California bringing the January Thaw with buckets of rain, fog and a damp, dreary, bone-chilling cold.

In spite of its annual or almost annual return, the January Thaw is an unexplained weather phenomenon. Most years the Thaw comes right smack in the middle of coldest days of the year. For weeks we shiver and shake bundled up in layers of wool and fleece and then suddenly the air is well ok it’s not exactly balmy but it’s at least ten degrees above normal. It could be my imagination but it seems to me that it always rains during the Thaw. Not a little shower, no, it’s never a light, gentle rain. The January Thaw always seems to trigger a rip-roaring deluge.

Which of course makes the annual Thaw the bane of every skier’s existence. One day it’s sunny and seasonably cold. The snow is perfect or close to it. You’re not sure if you’ve died and landed in heaven or if you’re dreaming. Suddenly, the dream becomes a nightmare and the nightmare becomes a reality. The basement floods, the porch roof collapses and worse, much worse, all that nice soft snow is washed away. It may stay warm for a day or two but before long the cold returns and the slopes become a vertical skating rink.

Is it any wonder I needed comfort? I thought about ice cream but not without chocolate sauce. In the end I found consolation in front of a cheery fire with a steaming mug of homemade soup and splurged on a lovely piece of soft brie and a nice glass of cabernet.

What dishes bring you comfort when your heart is breaking or the day turns dreary?

Stay warm and dry and bon appétit!

Easy Cassoulet

In the ‘80’s, foodies discovered cassoulet and spent three days making it. Try this simplified version and forget your miseries with family and friends around the table. With its origins in French farm kitchens, cassoulet is an absolutely delicious alternative to an old New England favorite – pork and beans. Enjoy!

Serves 12

4 ounces slab or thick cut bacon, roughly chopped *
12 ounces boneless, skinless turkey breast, cut into 2-inch cubes
12 ounces boneless pork, cut into 2-inch cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Flour
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
1 large onion, chopped
3-4 carrots, chopped
3-4 stalks celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (15-16 ounces each) white beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup dry vermouth
1-2 cup beef stock
1 can (14-16 ounces) crushed tomatoes
12 ounces pre-cooked kielbasa sausage, cut into 2-inch slices
1/2-1 cup bread crumbs
Garnish: fresh, chopped parsley

1. Cook the bacon until crispy in a heavy stovetop and ovenproof casserole over medium-low heat.  Remove the bacon and reserve.
2. Season the turkey and pork with salt and pepper, lightly dust with flour and shake off the excess.  Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat from the casserole and reserve. Raise the heat to medium-high. Brown the turkey and pork, adding more bacon fat to the pan as required. Remove from the casserole and reserve.
3. Reduce heat to medium; add a little more bacon fat and the onion, carrot and celery to the pot, sprinkle with salt and chili pepper and sauté for about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté an additional 2 minutes. If you run out of bacon fat, substitute with olive oil.
4. Add the bacon, turkey, pork, beans, thyme, bay leaf, allspice, vermouth, beef stock and crushed tomatoes to the vegetables. Gently toss to combine, bring to a simmer and transfer to the oven.
5. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Add the sausage to the pot.
6. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs and bake for an additional 30-45 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

The cassoulet is best made through step 5, cooled to room temperature and then refrigerated for several hours or overnight.  Bring to room temperature, sprinkle with the bread crumbs and then bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until bubbling.

* For a slimmed down version of this recipe, skip the bacon and use a little olive oil to brown the meat and sauté the vegetables. Substitute regular kielbasa with a leaner turkey version.

©Susan W. Nye, 2010

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One Year Ago –  Caribbean Fish Stew

I’d love to hear from you! Let’s get a conversation going. To make a comment, just click on Comments below. I’d be delighted to add you to the growing list of blog subscribers. To subscribe: just scroll back up, fill in your email address and click on the Sign Me Up button. You’ll get an email asking you to confirm your subscription … confirm and you will automatically receive a new story and recipe every week.

Feel free to visit my photoblog, Susan Nye 365 or my cleverly named other blog, Susan Nye’s Other Blog, or website www.susannye.com. You can find more than 200 recipes, links to magazine articles and lots more. I hope that you will take a minute to learn about my philanthropic project Eat Well-Do Good. ©Susan W. Nye, 2010

Ten Years into the New Millennium – What’s Next? & Moroccan Chick Pea Soup

Where did the time go? Sometimes it seems like it was only a year or two ago that we entered the new millennium with a lot of hoopla and fanfare. And while the ten years passed in a flash, it also seems like lifetime ago. When 1999 slipped into 2000, I was still living in Switzerland. From my apartment outside Geneva, I could look out and see the French Alps. I was traveling somewhere in the neighborhood of 100,000 miles a year, managed a team of sixty or seventy sales people and had a cell phone permanently glued to my ear.

There was a great deal of excitement and anticipation as we approached the end of 1999. There is nothing like a new century to get people excited, thinking about change and the promise of a brand new era. Along with the excitement, giant red flags were raised and dire predictions that computer systems around the world would crash, taking hospitals, stock markets, airplanes and most businesses down with them. Not sure of what to expect, many people filled spare containers, including bathtubs, with water, stockpiled food and topped their gas tanks.

I was working for a computer company and as we approached December 31^st, all the executives in my group were on high alert. Assuming the phones would work, we were assigned shifts to take calls from customers. Since I am technically illiterate, my job was not to fix anything; just make reassuring noises to irate big-wigs to convince them that we were both sympathetic and working on their problem. Since I was in the States on vacation I got the most critical shift, midnight to 6 a.m. central European time (6 p.m. to midnight in New England.)

I dutifully phoned the call center in Vienna at 5:30 to make sure they could reach me with any emergencies. For the next hour my phone remained silent. Not a beep, not a buzz, not a ring. I called back. Nothing was happening. No frantic customers. No escalations. It was the biggest nonevent in IT history. By 8:00 I decided it was safe to relax, enjoy a glass of champagne and think about my plans for the new millennium.

I made three resolutions for 2000. The first was more melodrama than drama and quite simple to achieve. I decided it was time to change my look and cut my hair. Before the twelfth day of Christmas had come and gone I had several inches of my curly locks chopped off. Next, I took to wearing skirts and twin sets. I called it my Jackie Kennedy look.

The second and third resolutions were indeed major life changes. I decided that it was not only time for a new job but after almost two decades abroad it was time to move back to the United States. These two goals took a little longer but by August I had a new assignment in California, by October I had closed on a house and by November I was packed and on a plane.

It was just the start of a decade filled with change. In spite of my new assignment, my enthusiasm for corporate life was waning and before long I was more than ready to flee the West Coast. Seeking the familiar, I returned not to Switzerland but to New Hampshire, my childhood home away from home. I became a corporate dropout. With a muddled mix of confidence and enthusiasm, fear and trepidation, I began my new life as a writer and cook.

Wishing you a wonderful new decade filled with new adventures and happy changes. Happy New Year and bon appétit!

Moroccan Spiced Chickpea Soup
My years as a road warrior took me to all four corners of the globe. I have many wonderful memories of delicious meals and interesting conversations in four-star restaurants and humble street cafés. This soup is full of flavor and budget-friendly; perfect if you are feeling the pitch after the holidays. Enjoy!
Serves 6

Extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
1 red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
6 to 8 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon or to taste sweet paprika
1 (14-16 ounce) can chopped tomatoes
3 cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces frozen leaf spinach

1. Heat a little olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot and bell pepper and sauté until the onion begins to turn translucent. Add the spices and garlic and sauté a minute or so.
2. Add the tomatoes, chickpeas and stock. Season with salt and pepper to taste, stir well. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat and gently simmer for 45 minutes.
3. Remove the soup from heat. Use a potato masher to smash some of the chickpeas and thicken the soup. Stir in the spinach and let heat through, check for seasoning and salt and pepper to taste.
4. Serve soup, drizzled with a little extra-virgin olive oil, if desired.

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One Year Ago –  Penne Gratin

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For lots more recipes visit my website at www.susannye.com. ©Susan W. Nye, 2010

Beware of Friday the 13th! & Seared Scallops with Lentils

Are you superstitious? Do you worry about ghosts and goblins on all hallows eve? Avoid stepping on cracks? Make a wish on the first spring robin? Well, hang on to your hat because this Friday is the 13^th.

I think there is a bit of superstition in all of us, at least there is in me. When I was little, I searched for four-leaf clovers. Legend tells us that clover protects us from magicians’ spell and fairies’ tricks. The real truth is that searching for four-leaf clovers keeps small children busy and out of their parents’ hair for at least ten minutes. I also remember subscribing to the popular belief that if I swallowed a watermelon seed, one would sprout and grow in my belly. This myth was a wonderful excuse for countless seed spitting contests around the picnic table. And look where that got us, seedless watermelons. It seems to me that this invention is pretty clear evidence that it is bad luck to have a seed spitting contest when your mother is watching.

To this day I am not above a superstition or two. Take all the business with cats. I don’t believe in black magic and bad luck but I have proof that a cat walking towards you brings good luck. My new neighbor’s cat has decided she likes my yard and visits frequently. She is more or less invisible; I never know if or when she is there but since she moved in my yard has been free of squawking crows.

But back to Friday the 13th and the fear it brings. (There’s even a name for it paraskevidekatriaphobia. Try saying that three times fast.) Friday has had a bit of a bad rap for centuries. Biblical tradition holds that Friday is an all round not good, very bad day. The temptress Eve and her apple, the rambling confusion and kerfuffle at the Tower of Babel and The Great Flood were all unleashed on a Friday. And that’s just for starters.

From a few mishaps, gloom and doom myths and stories developed, grew and multiplied. As a general rule it is not a good idea to start anything on a Friday. Legend says that children born on a Friday are doomed to misfortune and Friday marriages are damned to fights and bickering. It’s bad luck to move on a Friday, start a new job or project, launch a ship or begin a voyage. There is no particular rhyme or reason as to why but take notice, you’ve been warned! By the way, the Titanic was launched on a Thursday, set sail on a Wednesday and sunk on a Sunday.

The number thirteen has had a black cloud over it for centuries. A thirteenth man pops up as a villain in ancient mythology and Christianity. Roman witches gathered in covens of twelve and the devil made thirteen. From the Norse gods to the Last Super, malice and mayhem has occurred when an evil, uninvited or unlucky thirteenth guest showed up at the table.

As a result the vast majority of skyscrapers do not have a thirteenth floor. Airports skip number thirteen when lining up arrival and departure gates. Airplane seat rows jump from twelve to fourteen and most hospitals and hotels do not have a room thirteen. Cities skip thirteen when lining up the streets and avenues and rarely stick a house this unlucky number.

It was not all that long ago that a friend refused to come to my Thanksgiving dinner because her boyfriend’s cold forced him to cancel. No, she didn’t feel compelled to stay home and feed him chicken soup. Nor was she worried about coming dateless. She didn’t want to bring bad luck to the table! Superstition be damned, cheer and laughter are the perfect ingredients for creating good luck around your table this Friday the 13^th. Enjoy!

Bon appétit!

Seared Scallops with Lentils

No need to take chances … lentils are a sign of good luck and fortune. Enjoy them this Friday the 13th!

Serves 4

2 slices of thick-cut bacon, cut in small dice
1⁄2 pound lentils, about 1 cup
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 leek, white and light green parts only, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1⁄2 cups chicken stock
1 pound fresh baby spinach
Juice of 1/2 lemon
12 large sea scallops
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fresh parsley, chopped

In a large saucepan, over medium heat cook the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels. Drain off most of the fat and reserve. Add the onions, leeks, carrots, celery and thyme to the pan; season with salt and pepper and cook over medium heat until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes more.

Pick over the lentils, rinse and drain. Add the lentils and chicken stock to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Add the spinach and lemon juice and toss until the spinach has wilted. Season to taste.

Meanwhile, season the scallops with pepper. Add a little bacon fat to a skillet, heat the pan over medium high heat. Add the scallops and cook 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown.

To serve: spoon a mound of lentils on each plate, gently place the scallops on top and garnish with diced bacon and sprinkle with fresh, chopped parsley.

. . . . .

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One Year Ago – Tomato, Olive & Feta Tart

What’s your favorite way to spend a cold, rainy day? I’d love to hear from you! Let’s get a conversation going. To make a comment, just click on Comments below. I’d be delighted to add you to the growing list of blog subscribers. To subscribe: just scroll back up, fill in your email address and click on the Sign Me Up button. You’ll get an email asking you to confirm your subscription … confirm and you will automatically receive a new story and recipe every week.

Feel free to visit my photoblog, Susan Nye 365 or my cleverly named other blog, Susan Nye’s Other Blog, or website www.susannye.com. You can find more than 200 recipes, links to magazine articles and lots more. I hope that you will take a minute to learn about my philanthropic project Eat Well-Do Good. ©Susan W. Nye, 2009-11