Cabin Fever Cure

The wind blows, the snow falls and silence fills the air on wintry nights here in the heartland. It can get a little lonely, just Prince Charming and me looking at each other over dinner.  There's no gossip to share, no news from friends and neighbors.








I haven't seen the neighbors in weeks.  We rush in and out before our noses and fingers freeze.

There's the muffled wave to Mike, our neighbor across the street as he blows his drive out.  I assume it's Mike. He's so covered in coats, mufflers, hats and gloves, I can't be sure.

The window panes are coated thick with frost so I can't see when Marijo takes the dogs for a walk or catch Larry throwing the ball to his Portuguese water dog. It's a relief when the phone rings and it's Diana inviting us to dinner. There are to be seven of us.  What joy, what relief!

..having bowed to the inevitability of the dictum that we must eat to live, we should ignore it and live to eat...” ― M.F.K. Fisher, An Alphabet for Gourmets

The night for dinner arrives, perfectly frosty and frozen.  We're greeted at the door by Diana, with a fire blazing away, soft music and perfect cocktails.

Everything about Diana's house delights.

The spirited conversation where politics and religion are discussed at length. No one agreeing with anyone else, just like the politicians.  But we seem to have more fun disagreeing than they do. I adore dinner parties when the invited guests know how to disagree without being disagreeable.

Diana sets a beautiful table. One picture won't do it justice.

Here's one more of the centerpiece.  What a clever hostess Diana is. Doesn't a white lace table cloth look just like frosty windows?  All my lace table cloths are yellow.  I guess I'll have to get myself a white one for a pretty winter table.

I've seen these crystal trees before and turned up my nose at how much dusting they'd require. But perched here on a round mirror they're divine.  White, white everywhere you look and so pretty.

I'm always drawn to paper cut outs like this in the store.  But I walk right on by wondering how I'd ever use something like this.  Now I know and I can't wait to buy a snowflake, a heart, something, I don't know what, for St. Patrick's Day, a wonderful bunny or egg for Easter.  So much fun to be had so cheaply!  And to think I've missed out all this time.  Not Diana, she's rolling in the fun.

So elegant!

Dinner is served.  Diana has the perfect set-up for dinner parties.  Her dinning room is separated from the kitchen by a wall entered through a swinging door.  I know "open" plan is all the rage.  But if you're cooking dinner for seven people it is ever so much easier on the hostess if there's a little separation from the "mess" in the kitchen. As you can see Diana doesn't make much of a mess, but she makes an absolutely to die for dinner.

Diana started us off with cauliflower soup. Count me a cauliflower skeptic. But Diana's soup won me over. The soup was followed by melt in your mouth short ribs (recipes to follow).

"People who love to eat are always the best people.” Julia Child

Dessert was accompanied by a home made cherry cordial.  The cherries come from Diana's trees. Her son picks them when they are ripe in July and makes the cordial.  

How else, indeed, to clap the net over the butterfly of the moment?  Vita Sackville-West

The cherry cordial tasted of summer heat and ripeness, like eating cherries right off the tree, only sweeter and less buggy by far.

Prince Charming and I strolled arm-in-arm to the car under the indigo blackness of a moonless winter night.  The velvety darkness pin-pricked with star light, winter's cold seeping back into bones warmed with friendship, fire, food and wine the only known cure for cabin fever.

Here are Diana's recipes for cauliflower soup and short ribs.

Vegan Creamy Curried Cauliflower Soup

2 T extra virgin olive oil

2 medium white onions, thinly sliced

1/2 t. kosher salt

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 lb. head of cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets

4 1/2 c. vegetable broth

1/2 t. coriander

1/2 t. turmeric

1 1/4 t. cumin

1c. coconut milk

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat till shimmering.  Cook the onions and 1/4 t. salt until onions are soft and translucent, 8-9 min.  Reduce heat to low, add garlic and cook additional 2 min.  Add rest of ingredients incl. remaining salt.  Bring to boil, then simmer till cauliflower is tender.  Puree in a blender in small batches or in the pot using an immersion blender.  Stir in coconut milk and warm the soup.  Adjust seasoning.  Serves 8.

Slow Cooker Short Rib Stroganoff

5 T flour, divided  

 1 T smoked paprika, divided

3 lbs. boneless short ribs

2 T oil   

 8 oz. whole mushrooms, cut in half

1 onion, coarsely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 t. black pepper

3 T Worcestershire sauce

1 c. sour cream

Mix 4 T flour and 1 t. paprika.  Add to ribs; toss to evenly coat.  Heat oil in large skillet on medium heat.  Add ribs; cook 5 min until evenly browned, turning occasionally.  Place ribs in slow cooker, top with remaining ingredients incl. rest of paprika, except sour cream.  Cook on HIGH 6 hours or LOW 8-10 hours.  Remove ribs from cooker and tear into bite size pieces.  Return to slow cooker with sour cream and remaining 1 T flour.  Cook, covered, on LOW 10-15 min. or until slightly thickened.  Serves 8.

Vegan Creamy Curried Cauliflower Soup

2 T extra virgin olive oil

2 medium white onions, thinly sliced

1/2 t. kosher salt

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 lb. head of cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets

4 1/2 c. vegetable broth

1/2 t. coriander

1/2 t. turmeric

1 1/4 t. cumin

1c. coconut milk

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat till shimmering.  Cook the onions and 1/4 t. salt until onions are soft and translucent, 8-9 min.  Reduce heat to low, add garlic and cook additional 2 min.  Add rest of ingredients incl. remaining salt.  Bring to boil, then simmer till cauliflower is tender.  Puree in a blender in small batches or in the pot using an immersion blender.  Stir in coconut milk and warm the soup.  Adjust seasoning.  Serves 8.

Felling a little cabin feverish yourself?  Call the neighbors, invite them over. Until next week, take good care of each other.