Some old favorites

With the weather turning chilly and my husband battling a cold, we've been hunkering down a bit. I've turned to some of our favorite dishes when determining what to make for dinner or breakfast. For some reason, I haven't been as eager to experiment. Maybe this is just a general seasonal malaise? Or a desire to make what we already love. Would love to hear some recommendations and maybe that will get me in the mood to try some new dishes!

The dish pictured up above is Eugenia Bone's meatballs and my creamy polenta. I had some leftover homemade chicken stock in the fridge and I always have milk and cornmeal on hand. I couldn't determine which tasted better - the milky and smooth polenta or the robust and herby meatballs. The meatballs, once browned under the broiler, are bathed and braised in a white wine and tomato sauce. I used a can of cherry tomatoes, which gave the meatballs and extra oomph of sweetness and flavor. You could of course use regular canned tomatoes or a combination of pork, lamb and beef (I used all beef from Dickson's Farmstand Meats - they have a butcher shop in Chelsea Market). Don't skip the raisins - they make these meatballs.

For breakfast last weekend, I made a baked oatmeal. I love this recipe, which comes from my grandmother. It's so satisfying, chewy and comforting. I even whisked everything together and poured it in the baking pan the night before. The dish sat in the fridge overnight, awaiting the oven. It does take a bit of coordination (make sure you set your alarm a little earlier so you're not staring at the oven, ravenous, for 45 minutes while it slowly bakes).

The toppings are essential to this breakfast! Make sure you have plenty of Greek yogurt on hand as well as sliced bananas or fresh berries. My grandmother tops the oatmeal with frozen berries right before baking. The berries become sweet and runny. I used frozen wild Maine blueberries. 

Other favorites we've enjoyed recently:

Clinton Street Turkey Chili

Fettuccine alla Vodka 

Tortellini Soup (definitely a top 5 favorite)

Banana Bread w/ Crystalized Ginger and Chocolate

BGSK Cornbread Muffins

(Yikes! Looking over this list is making me immediately lace up my running shoes... ah well, it's almost winter!)

Comments

[Katherine]

I'm going to make those meatballs once it dips below 70 here. YUM. Also, hope you liked the banana bread, so good I think!