Sunday night blahs after a nice outing

In spite of the fact that the only hits on the blog I'm getting are from zombie sites, I continue to do this.

I went with my friend Kathy to the Mission Restaurant today in Syracuse.  Our behind the scenes tour of the new exhibit at the Everson Museum with the curator through the Arts and Crafts Society of Central New York was cancelled but we decided to go for brunch and visit the museum anyway.  The restaurant is really charming - it's in a old church that was once part of the underground railroad.  The food was good but there was too much
 cumin in the huevos rancheros for my taste.  The quesadillas were delicious.

The exhibit is really wonderful - definitely go if you love arts and crafts (Gustav Stickley) furniture, period clothing and amazing pottery from the early 20th century.









 I have the Sunday night blahs but since I need to eat I am heating up some chicken riggies that I got from Emilio's, roasting an organic tomato with Parmesan and fresh basil and parsley from the garden, and asparagus with a sprinkling of garlic, sea salt and pepper. For someone who couldn't tolerate asparagus as a child, I've been eating an inordinate amount of it once I discovered roasting it instead of boiling it until it was a mushy mess - oh the 50's.

I added chopped onion, parsley and some hot peppers to the riggies to spice it up.

Here it is, all ready to go in the oven and the microwave. 

 It's a good dinner but I still have the blahs.

Flooding

I woke up today to water in my basement but it was nothing compared to what so many are dealing with.  I am so saddened at the thought of what they have lost compared to my aggravation at having to sweep water from the basement into the drain, set up the portable sump pump, move the de-humidifer around. It's just unbelievable and I feel so fortunate.

Late night

I still haven't adjusted to the time change or perhaps I should be living in Europe.  So it's an easy meal tonight. The last of the water cress soup, an oregano bruschetta topped with brie and fig spread.  Raw vegetables:  carrots, celery, radishes, cucumber, and cherry tomatoes.  Except for the brie, I'm feeling pretty righteous. 

I'

I'm taking a poll.....how many of you eat at the computer like I do?

Royal India Grill

After visiting my parents one day I stopped by Royal India Grill in Hamilton for lunch.  They have a buffet daily and it is filled with lots of delicious goodies....vegetarian and not.  The owners and servers are very gracious and eager to please and lunch is only about $8.  Not bad for eating as much as you want!  Which I obviously did.....

Nature's beauty

Tonight I'm pan frying a flounder filet in olive oil with some seasonings and lemon, of course.  Not taking a picture of that since I posted one already when I made fish tacos (leftovers for tacos tomorrow night - yay!).

What I did want to post was this beautiful salad - organic cherry tomatoes, red onion, baby cucumber, and lovely fresh parsley, cilantro and Thai basil from my garden with a homemade dressing of rice vinegar, dried mustard, garlic, and seasonings.  

I put on my green garden shoes to go pick the herbs and discovered that a huge branch from my mother's memorial Red Bud had broken off in the violent thunder storm we had today.  Sigh.  My friend Kathy kept telling me she was afraid it was going to happen from the design of the trunk and indeed it did. 

And in case you're wondering, I roasted asparagus in olive oil with seasonings, and nuked some leftover potatoes for a meal of all food groups:  vegetables, fish, starch. And I suppose fruit since technically tomatoes are a fruit.

Watercress soup

Went grocery shopping today at Hannaford's and they had watercress!   This wonderful food is not readily available around here so it's a treat to find it.  Watercress is an excellent source of vitamins A, C & K and a good source of calcium.  Score!  It wasn't organic but no preservatives were added - I washed it thoroughly in a colander and removed the tough stems.

Here's the recipe for four servings:  Dice one onion and one potato and add to heated oil in your soup pan.  I have begun using coconut oil for its health benefits. Work the oil through the vegetables and then cover and simmer for five minutes.

Add two cups of chicken broth and a cup of milk (I cheated and used half and half) and your seasonings.  I used a blend of sea salt, cracked black pepper and garlic that I bought at the Sherrill Farmer's Market the other day from Goat Orchard Farms (www.goatchardfarms.com).  I also squeezed some fresh lemon juice into it.

Bring the vegetables to a boil and then simmer uncovered for ten minutes until the potatoes are tender.  In reviewing multiple recipes on the internet, I discovered that you can use wine or vegetable broth, change up the quantities of everything.  Adjust it to your taste and preference.  It's all good. 

Add the watercress (I also threw in some organic baby spinach) and simmer for four to five minutes until the watercress is tender. The recipe I found called for a pound - the package I got was only four ounces so it's probably not as green as it could be.


Get out your immersion blender and blend until smooth.  That didn't go so smoothly, however. The watercress and spinach kept sticking to the blender!


You can eat this healthy soup hot or cold.  On a hot day like today, it's very refreshing to have cold but I can't wait for it to chill as it's 7 p.m. already.  I'm having a locally baked pumpernickel roll with it.  Time to eat!

Many people would prefer a nice chilled white wine.....I'm just a dry red person no matter
what's being served.  Or not.

And isn't this Tudor Rose soup bowl from Dalton's (www.daltons.com) just perfect?

Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

I've spent this glorious day pretty much inside doing laundry, relocating winter clothes, moving house plants out to the porch for some additional light, making tapas for Father's Day.  Dirtying dishes, washing dishes, dirtying dishes, washing dishes.  I need a sous chef!  When it came time for dinner I hardly felt like making anything but rose to the occasion.

I had two organic portabella mushrooms so decided to stuff them for dinner.  Wash and dry the mushrooms, remove the stems and set aside.  Spray the mushroom caps on both sides with olive oil, sprinkle on some salt and pepper and place in a hot skillet for three minutes each side.

While they're cooking, chop up your vegetables or whatever you want to stuff them with.  Be creative!  I chopped two cloves of garlic, some red onion, and a few sun dried tomatoes, some chopped parsley, and a few odds and ends of cooked shrimp. 

When the mushrooms are done, remove them from the pan, add a little olive oil and saute the vegetables for about three minutes.  I add the garlic at the end so it doesn't burn.  Next, add about 1/4 cup of bread crumbs to the pan and about 1/4 cup of reduced fat shredded mozzarella.  Cook for another minute. 

Using a spoon stuff the mushrooms which you've put on a baking sheet.  Add some more mozzarella to the top.  And this is what they look like before they're popped into a 350 degree oven.






Bake for 5 to 10 minutes until the cheese has browned.  When they were ready, I included some sliced tomatoes and a piece of multigrain artisan bread.  And a glass of red wine, of course.

Glad I took the time to cook - it was delicious!

Breakfast

A full old-fashioned breakfast is a comfort meal for me when I need an emotional boost.  Today was one of those days. 

I started by frying two slices of no nitrate bacon, drained off the fat and sauteed chopped green pepper, onion, and shitake mushrooms in the pan.  I know you're not supposed to eat bacon and there are some brands of turkey bacon that I enjoy but this is a comfort meal, remember?  Everything in moderation....

In a small bowl, lightly beat two local eggs with some dried kale, a little chervil and cracked black pepper.  Adding a tablespoon or two of water will make the eggs fluffy. Adding milk or half and half lightens the color and adds a bit of flavor.

I toasted a crumpet I picked up at Trader Joe's and enjoyed a mind-improving mid-morning breakfast. Sustenance to finish a day of chores.

Soup for a cold, rainy day

Had some asparagus, some broccoli, some kohlrabi....decided to put it all together in a soup.  I cooked some cut up onion, smashed garlic, chopped asparagus and broccoli, and a little kohlrabi in about 1/2 cup of chicken broth. 

Bring it to a boil and then simmer it until the vegetables are soft. 












In another pan, I melted a tablespoon of butter added two tablespoons of flour, some salt and cracked pepper and mixed that all together.  Do not let the flour brown. 

 Next add about a cup of chicken broth and bring it all to a boil.









 
In the meantime, once the vegetables were soft I pureed them with my immersion blender.  Sorry the photo is blurry!

When the roux is boiling, add it to the pan with the vegetables and add a cup of half and half/soy milk plus 1/2 cup of plain Greek yogurt  Squeeze some fresh lemon juice in there and let it all simmer together until you're ready to eat.

Delicious!

Cooking is so much about seeing, smelling, knowing what works together and what doesn't, judging the quantities of things. It all comes from experience.

Be your own welcome guest and experiment.

Rainy day fare.

It's raining; work as always has been grueling and I've been decompressing after coming home from picking up Kohlrabi from a friend who is participating in a CSA - a beautiful purple Kohlrabi! - stopping by other friends for a glass of wine to visit with their son who is home from Chicago and Mother, from Ithaca.

I still have some beet concentrate from Poland that I bought when my sister and I attended a Polish luncheon at the Munson William Proctor Institute.  I'm thinking a soup with the Kohlrabi and the rest of the beet concentrate would be quite spectacular, especially in light of this cool, rainy weather we're having.  It's almost June 21, the longest day of the year and I am still turning on electric baseboard heat to keep warm.
 

I went outside to pick some blooming chives and the last of the peonies and to check on the other perennials.  So love bringing spring flowers into my interior space.  Excuse the messy kitchen table - my workspace.







So once again, the question is:  what to have for dinner?  My refrigerator is full of fresh vegetables and leftovers.  I sliced a sweet potato really thin, added some New York asparagus that I got at the farmer's market today, and the last of the baby artichokes to roast in a 350 degree oven for twenty minutes.  I spray them with olive oil, sprinkle on a little sea salt and some dried herbs.  Turn them over after ten minutes and sprinkle on some more herbs and spray with olive oil if they look too dry.

Roasted vegetables for one ready to pop in the oven.

I've wrapped a chicken leg and thigh from the roasted chicken I bought on Sunday in aluminum foil to heat up with the vegetables.

 There you have it.

Quicky

It's 9 p.m; I obviously still haven't adjusted to the time change though it seems like it was months ago.  Don't feel like cooking so I've created a plate of organic blue chip corn chips with chopped tomato and onion, sliced avocado, fresh cilantro from the garden and reduced fat mozzarella cheese.  On the side, skin removed from a "healthy choice" roasted chicken I bought at Hannaford yesterday.  I'm thinking all major food groups are covered though more green vegetables would have been beneficial, I'm sure.

The Tudor Rose plate is from Dalton's, Syracuse.

Invite yourself to Sunday dinner: Braised boneless short ribs

It is a glorious Sunday in June and since I like to cook on Sundays, I defrosted one pound of boneless short ribs yesterday to make today. The only problem is, they're small and most recipes on the internet are for large ribs with bones, or large boneless ribs, or large quantities of ribs. You get the picture.  So I decided to wing it.

I first browned the ribs in hot olive oil in a Griswold cast iron dutch oven (Bouckville antique show purchase one year) after salting and peppering them.  Once I discovered cast iron, I can't imagine braising with anything else.  Brown the ribs about four minutes per side. Once they're brown, remove the ribs from the pot and set aside.



 Add one onion sliced thin and saute it until it is soft but not brown.

In the meantime cut up a carrot or two in two inch pieces, mince some fresh ginger, slice two or three button mushrooms and peel one large and one small garlic clove. And heat your oven to 350 degrees.



  


When the onions are soft, add about a tablespoon of tomato paste and mix it all up for a minute or two.  Next, add 1/4 cup of red wine letting it simmer and release the alcohol.  Pour in about 1/2 cup of beef broth and then put the vegetables in the pot along with some thyme and a small bay leaf.  You can use fresh or dried thyme - just adjust the quantities (1/3 less if dried).  Put the meat back in the dutch oven on top of the vegetables, cover and bring it to a simmer then plop it in the oven and braise it covered for a couple of hours.

Ready to go into the oven.

About half way through turn the meat over.  If it needs more liquid, add a little more beef broth or water. I kept adding more liquid because I wanted lots of gravy to put on mashed potatoes.



Time to cut up some swiss chard from a local CSA.  It's important to me to know where my food comes from and to support local farms in Central New York. I  like the imperfections that you get with organic produce as it's easy for me to relate.




Heat up a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan.  Add the chopped swiss chard and when it starts to wilt, throw in some minced garlic.  You don't want the garlic to burn so you need to add it towards the end.  Once the chard is cooked to your taste, sprinkle some really good balsamic vinegar on it and voila - a delicious and healthy addition to your meal.

Wish you could smell and taste this.  It's heavenly. You can cut the beef with a fork but I think I'll thicken the gravy a little for leftovers.  As Julia would say, "Bon appetite."

P.S.  I had some leftover steamed potatoes that I nuked and mashed, otherwise I would have made some mashed.

Pizza again

Yes, I'm having pizza again.  Tonight I sprayed the boboli crust with olive oil, added dried italian blend herbs and dried kale, two sliced garlic cloves, sliced onion, chopped tomato, chopped swiss chard, sliced shitaki mushrooms and green pepper topped with low fat mozzarella cheese.  Please try to use as many organic items as possible when you're cooking.  This is just one of many websites you can research to learn about the worst foods and vegetables to eat if they aren't organic: www.eatingwell.com/food_news_origins/organic_natural/dirty_dozen_plus_14_foods_you_should_buy_organic

Meat loaf

Tonight I'm making a meat loaf with 1 lb. of Meyer's organic beef.  I added one egg from my neighbor's chickens slightly beaten, one small chopped onion, two minced garlic cloves, about a teaspoon of Worcestershire, ketchup according to how it looks and feels, about 2/3 cup of oatmeal - again, if it doesn't have enough body, add more; some sea salt, cracked black pepper, and some dried kale.  A lot of it is just done by vision and feel once you mix it all up with your hands - I hate that part. Stick it in a 350 degree oven for about 50 minutes.


After 20 minutes or so, add the pan of vegetables. Tonight, asparagus and sweet potato slices sliced thin, dribbled with extra virgin olive oil, a dried herb blend, and a sprinkle of sea salt.  Turn them all over half way through the remaining cooking time and sprinkle on some more dried herbs.  I like mine really crispy!

  
And, yes, I'm having the Fontera Vintage Red while I'm cooking.  That's a bowl of cinnamon sticks in the back. I learned from my Reiki Master, Rosemary Thompson, to simmer them on the stove all day. I also add cloves. Smells heavenly and it's good for your respiratory system.

Bon appetite.

Craving for Thai food satisfied

I went to a wellness faire in Cazenovia today and since I got a late start, I arrived about lunchtime so decided to have lunch at Les Pates et Les Nouilles before going to the faire.  This is a Thai restaurant on Albany Street that's been open a couple of years and is located next to Cazenovia Artisans which is a great place to find gifts for others or yourself.

I ordered a spring roll with shrimp (not pictured), a Galette l'indochine, and Tom Som soup.  All were incredibly delicious and very reasonably priced.  The waiter who was still in high school, stopped by to remark about what a big lunch I was having and later asked if I needed a take out box.  Okay, I was hungry, and everything was so light and yummy that I definitely did not take any home with me.  A big plus:  they ask how spicy you want the dishes.

www.lespatesetlesnouilles.com

Nachos

Tonight before going home from work I joined friends for a glass of wine and some munchies: smoked salmon, baby carrots, sliced cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, olives, and NY cheese, listening to a critter - probably a squirrel - in the wall, and the fury of a thunderstorm.  By the time I got home I did not feel like cooking dinner and, of course, spent time responding to emails, Facebook posts,and a walk around the gardens to see how my plants fared in the storm.  I'm hungry; it's 9 o'clock at night.  What to do?  Nachos!  These are made with organic blue corn chips, chopped tomatoes and onions, fresh cilantro from my garden and sliced organic avocado, topped with low fat mozzarella cheese.  I usually add black beans but I'm feeling lazy tonight.  Nuke until the cheese is bubbly.  I think it may even contain all of the food groups.

Dinner from the past

Here's a dinner from the past.  Chicken baked in barbecue sauce - I think from Dinosaur Barbecue in Syracuse, - sauteed baby artichokes in olive oil (oh how I wish they were available all the time), and polenta baked with the chicken as a side dish topped with garlic, chopped tomatoes and some herbs.  Artisan bread on the side. It's so difficult to find really good artisan bread here.  Wish Vicki was still in the area making bread and better yet, selling it. I'd be her best customer.

Take time to smell the roses

A big, big part of being your own welcome guest is surrounding yourself with things that make you happy.  Cultivate flowers and bring them into your space.  Display them in beautiful vases you've discovered at antique shows, flea markets, and yard sales. To use a cliche, take time to smell the roses, or lilac, as the case may be.

Wild rose.

                                           Lilac.

Patricia's Potato Salad

I got inspired to make some potato salad for today's picnic.
Every time I make it, it's different depending on what I have on hand.

This version started with four organic red potatoes and two hard boiled eggs from my neighbor's chickens.  I read somewhere that you shouldn't use red potatoes because they can be too starchy but I'm not that picky.

I added one rib of chopped celery, a couple slices of sweet onion chopped, a small sliced carrot, one scallion including the green, about a tablespoon of Dijon mustard, and about 1/2 cup of Vegennaise.  A little salt and cracked black pepper.  Mix everything together gently.

I like to put radishes in it but I didn't have any today. I also usually sprinkle a little paprika over the top to make it pretty.  Today's salad is in a Homer Laughlin bowl that I found in Lancaster, PA one day when I as antiquing with my mother.

Fish tacos

Another thing I constantly crave, fish tacos.  Hard to find in this region so I made them tonight.  Sauteed wild caught Cod with a little sea salt, ground pepper and lime juice; chopped tomatoes, sweet onion and green cabbage, topped off with low fat Monterey Jack cheese, Trader Joe's green salsa and cilantro out of my garden, stuffed into a Bearitos taco shell made with organic yellow corn masa flour. Usually they are prepared with a soft corn tortilla. 

Unfortunately, none of the pictures came out which I didn't discover until after I'd eaten them (the tacos, not the pictures).  All I can share is a photo of the Cod cooking.

Leftovers were just as good the next night with a side of Sunomono and cole slaw.

Japanese Sunomono

Even though the wind is howling and the thermometer outside is barely pushing 50 degrees, the show must go on so I made this Japanese Sunomono salad for the annual Memorial Day neighborhood picnic tomorrow.  I used four organic cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced, about a tablespoon or more of minced fresh ginger, thinly sliced a bit of sweet onion, and am marinating it in 1/3 cup of seasoned rice vinegar. The flavors should all be infused nicely by tomorrow afternoon's fete.

Tapas at Zabroso Restaurant

Last night following a meeting, I supported another local restaurant - Zabroso - and ate delicious tapas with this wonderful glass of Ramon Cordova Rioja.

Once I started eating, I neglected to take pictures of the tapas that included coconut shrimp with a mango dipping sauce, papas bravas - a house specialty, beef empanadas, and a delicious fruit, cheese and meat plate.

www.zabrosorestaurant.com

As much as I love cooking; I also love going out.

Pizza - the quick dinner

Whenever I want to have something that's easy and quick to make, I take out a Boboli pizza shell - the small ones since I'm cooking for one - or tonight it's an Old World Pizza Crust (Italian herb), and create a pizza from whatever I have on hand. Sometimes I spread Trader Joe's roasted eggplant sauce on it or most often, I spray olive oil - I couldn't live without my Misto sprayer.  Then I sprinkle on various herbs that are available - an Italian blend, some organic kale I dried, fresh basil from my garden.

Next, thinly sliced garlic, sliced onions, chopped green or red peppers, sliced mushrooms (Shitake tonight), some chopped broccoli (I use swiss chard when it's available), add sun dried tomatoes or chopped regular tomatoes and then sprinkle reduced fat mozzarella cheese across it all.  Be creative with whatever is lurking in your refrigerator.  I add some sliced Canadian bacon if I have a meat craving but it is easy to make this strictly vegetarian.  Only my friend Vicki makes it vegan and she even makes her own crust.  She gave me the recipe but I admit that I haven't tried it yet because, after all, this is supposed to be quick and easy and whatever attempt I would make would pale by comparison.  I miss her cooking!

Pop it in the oven at the temperature and time called for on the crust packaging.  Add a salad of romaine lettuce with shaved parmesan and ground black pepper and voila - an easy and nutritious dinner. I have a pizza cutter but I confess I usually use the knife that cut up all the vegetables.

Poached salmon

Sometimes I just want something simple and fresh like this poached salmon with a steamed artichoke.  I only buy wild Alaskan salmon, poach it in water with black pepper, lemon, a bay leaf, some sliced onion.  About ten minutes, flipped over half way through.

The sauce is made from Vegennaise, horseradish, a little Worstershire, chopped chives, and often I'll throw in some capers.

Artichoke is steamed for about 45 minutes or until the leaves pull out easily.  There are several dips I use for the leaves depending on the mood I'm in:   Trader Joe's red pepper sauce, Vegennaise, olive oil with lemon and minced garlic, or when I'm feeling really decadent - and guilty - I'll dip them in locally made organic butter.

I ate my first artichoke many years ago in California - Watsonville is the home of the artichoke - and have been hooked ever since.  I especially like baby artichokes, found infrequently in our local grocery stores, peeled, sliced and sauteed in olive oil with garlic, of course!

When you just don't have the energy

When you don't have the energy to cook, especially when it's hot and sticky....it's a good time to support your local restaurants by getting take out.  One of my favorites is East Sushi.  They have a new sushi chef....I need to tell him to cut the pieces smaller.  Clockwise from the top, Tiger Eye appetizer (smoked salmon in cream cheese wrapped in squid), seaweed salad, and shrimp tempura roll.  Glad I'm eating alone as I'll be wearing this soon.

Mediterranean Chickpea Stew with Greens

This is one of my favorite recipes ever.  I use a grain blend from Trader Joe's and garnished with plain Greek yoghurt, a little Thai hot chili sauce...it is manna from heaven.

Mediterranean chickpea stew with greens

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided 

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon cracked red pepper 

1 quart low-sodium vegetable broth

1 15.5 ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained

1 cup fregula or Israeli couscous (I use Trader Joe's Harvest Grains blend)

1 15 ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped

4 cups Swiss chard, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon plain yogurt 

1 teaspoon harissa (I use chili garlic sauce)

Parsley, finely chopped for garnish 

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook 2 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and red pepper; cook 30 seconds or until fragrant.

2. Add broth; bring to a boil. Add chickpeas, fregula (or Israeli couscous), tomatoes, and saffron; cook 5 minutes or until fregula (or Israeli couscous) is tender yet chewy. Stir in the remaining 3/4 teaspoon of salt.

3. Add chopped chard, cook 5 minutes.

4. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice. Ladle 1-1/2 cups stew into each of 6 bowls. Top each serving with 3/4 teaspoon yogurt and 1/4 teaspoon harissa. Garnish with parsley.

Fregula is a pebble-sized toasted Sardinian pasta with a nutty taste and chewy texture. Israeli Couscous is also called pearl couscous or maftoul. It is larger than than the traditional couscous and chewy in texture. It is made with semolina wheat giving it a decent fiber content. Harissa is a fiery Tunisian condiment that you can substitute with your favorite hot sauce.

Fiddlehead Ferns

Sometime in the 1970s I came home to Central NY from Santa Barbara, CA, with my at the time boyfriend, Dana.  One of the Colgate professors my Mother worked for invited us to dinner at her farm house in Hubbardsville.  Among other things she served fiddlehead ferns.  I did not take any and my Mother admonished me severely.  I replied that I was sorry but I just didn't like green vegetables.  Well, that has changed.

I now look forward to this harbinger of spring.  Many recommend par boiling them first - apparently they can carry bacteria of sorts - but I have only done this once and I've not had a problem.  I wash them thoroughly and then saute them in olive oil with minced garlic.  I wish I had eaten them so many years ago......

One Pot Chicken Thigh Dinner

I made this the other night from a recipe I found on Pinterest which is an excellent resource. More and more, I search the web for ideas rather than cookbooks, of which I have many. I'm still ripping recipes out of magazines and still consult the books for old favorites but I think most kitchens of the future will have built in computers where we will all look up a recipe and have it at eye level, safe from greasy hands and spilled oils.  But I so love to look at the cookbooks I've had for almost 40 years to read the stains of dinners past.

The recipe was good but if you're cooking for one, leftovers day after day get tiresome.  So, I always try to make something that I can freeze for a future meal.

New Adventure

Okay, this is a new venture for me at the request of friends who share my love of cooking - and eating - on Facebook.  I have no idea what will develop from this.  This sharing of cooking for one, cooking for guests, trying new recipes, eating what's available locally, as much organic as possible, and even those nights when I'm worn out and all I can muster is yogurt or muesli. My hope is that you will find inspiration to invite to your table your own welcome guest.  Enjoy.