Kitchen Therapy

As a single empty nester, I’ve had to adjust to the reality of cooking for one.  It’s been a challenging and not altogether successful process.  I’ve tried cutting recipes in half, but I’ve found that quantities are still too large.  I’ve tried freezing copious amounts of leftovers, which end up forgotten in the freezer.  On too many occasions, I’ve forced myself to eat same thing five or six days in a row.  Unfortunately, even the most delicious food loses its appeal after two consecutive days.  

As a result of these failures, I somewhat grudgingly gave up cooking over the summer, getting by with endless variations of salad dinners on those warm, muggy evenings.  However, a couple of weeks ago, I realized how much I missed cooking.  I had an overwhelming compulsion to plan new menus, try new recipes, and spend hours in the kitchen.  Looking back over the years, I realized that preparing good food and sharing it with people has been one of my lifelong passions.  Immediately, I recruited a few friends for a dinner party.

Since the date I chose was a Friday night, I decided on a Sephardic Shabbat dinner.  I started planning the menu about a week ahead of time, searching for inspiring ideas in cookbooks, online, and in folders of recipes I’ve cut out from magazines and newspapers over the years.  Since my newest eating craze is plantarian (a term I prefer to vegan), I was looking for recipes that used plenty of seasonal produce.  A seven vegetable couscous sounded like the perfect choice.  While I was in Whole Foods, I spotted a display of organic Tuscan kale, for only a dollar per bunch.  How could I refuse?  And why would I bother trying to refuse, when I was eager to try a Wegman’s recipe for braised greens?  Okay, that made two veggie-centric dishes. 

Since the guests I invited didn’t share my vegan inclination, I decided to add a fish dish to the menu.  The Sephardic dish from Joan Nathan’s Jewish Cooking in America is simple to prepare and bursts with the flavors of Morocco, which made it a natural partner for the vegetable couscous. 

As for salad, I was looking for something light and fruity.  When I saw pomegranate vinegar in Trader Joe’s a few days before the dinner, I immediately thought, “Pomegranate vinaigrette!”  I’d pour it over sliced oranges arranged on a bed of baby spinach, and sprinkle roasted pistachio nuts on top.  It would look bright and autumnal and the flavors would harmonize with the fish and vegetable dishes.  Dessert wasn’t a major concern.  Actually, I’m not a big dessert fan.  Just give me a few squares of dark, dark chocolate, at least 85%, and I’m satisfied.  I hoped my dinner guests would feel the same way. 

Once the menu was set, I gathered the recipes and made up a detailed shopping list, organized by what to buy when and where.  Then it was time to let the grocery shopping begin.  I could barely contain my excitement.  Then I made up a battle plan, i.e. a schedule of what to prepare when.  The night before the dinner party, I chopped veggies, cooked the vegetable stew, braised the kale and sautéed some mushrooms.  

This 7-vegetable stew goes with the couscous.  Can you guess the 7 vegetables?
(answer appears at the end of the post)

On the day of the party, I set the table after lunch.  Then all I had to do an hour before dinner was to pop the vegetables into the oven to warm, start the fish dish, and make the salad and couscous.  Honestly, it was nearly stress-free.  While I took care of the final steps, I was able to enjoy chatting with my friends in the kitchen, where we munched on hors d’oeuvres (the usual suspects, i.e. hummus, Akmak crackers, crudités, and olives). 

I must admit that my guests were impressed by my efforts and were very complimentary about the food.  We finished off the meal with coffee, dark chocolate, and small glasses of port that I’d brought back from Portugal.  I couldn’t have been happier.  I’d enjoyed the preparation, the food itself, and the company.  True, I had some leftovers, but I was making progress.  And I’m already looking forward to hosting another dinner party next Friday evening. 

Answer:  onions, cabbage, tomatoes, turnip, zucchini, yellow summer squash, chickpeas