An inaugural Friendsgiving

Isn't it a little absurd that we spend so much time planning, fretting, prepping and cooking a meal that ultimately only spans a few hours on a single day of the year? I know it's the same deal with Christmas but that holiday usually entails lavish celebrations and gift-giving and subsequent gift returns, and I don't know who could do that more than once a year. Spending the day making dinner for a close group of people with no other pretense than being grateful for just sitting and eating together though, I could definitely do that more than once a year.

Last weekend I prepared a small Friendsgiving to ring in the Thanksgiving celebrations. Despite having all spent the first half of the day in our own business, and being somewhat limited by an under-equipped Manhattan kitchen, we came together and pulled off a feast: antipasto plates, roasted Brussels sprouts, loin of pork stuffed with fennel and onion, and a dessert selection to feed twice times as many as we were.

Loin of pork with fennel, courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa.

Strawberry cream, chocolate-raspberry, marzipan, coffee buttercream and apricot cakes, and even a cream-filled chocolate tea cup topped with fresh raspberries!

Also, I've already enjoyed this wine several times over the past few weeks and I now squeal about it excitedly whenever I spot it at a restaurant or wine store. But only because it's that good. It's dry but really fragrant, crisp but lush, and its acidity and weight pair well with food. These Hungarian Tokaji wines are apparently making a name for themselves, and I hope to soon see many more on wine lists.

Wishing everyone a happy Thanksgiving, and a few happy Friensgivings in the meantime!

Vegetarian shepherd's pie

Since the temperatures started dropping a few weeks ago, all I've wanted to do is stay in and cook massive amounts of warming food, filling my apartment with the happy smells of roasted autumn veggies and cinnamon-spiced treats. Is that all I've actually been doing? Sadly no. I have instead been out and about, spending all my money on drinks and mediocre food out of ravenous necessity, and this only adds to the disappointment. But cooking more from home is a wonderful goal to have, and I think this week's forecast for snow will nudge me on.

Last night I made a vegetarian shepherd's pie, loosely following this recipe. I'm not vegetarian by any means, but I always appreciate giving seasoned recipes a different take. That, and somehow my guilt was lessened after eating half the dish. After all, I was just eating a bunch of vegetables and lentils...

Also, here are a few recipes on my to-cook list:
Chanterelle and lentil soup
Beet bourguinon
Roasted spaghetti squash with kale
Crispy braised chicken with white beans and chile verde
And parsnips, cooked every which way!