Meatless March

I have repeatedly searched for this recipe in my own blog, in disbelief that I haven't written about it previously: "Linguine with Frenched Green Beans and Parsley 'Pesto'" (Food & Wine Best of the Best Vol. 10) is a foolproof, elegant recipe that gives you veggies and carbs in one delicious dish, and I have made it many times. It's tons easier to make if you have this handy gadget for "frenching" the beans: I served it with lobster tails, because in keeping with my philosophy on "meat as a treat," I had actually envisioned eating this meal as a Christmas Eve special treat. But then I realized I had ordered my lobster tails too early and would need to cook them before Christmas.  Today, one of the two middle schools in my backup dancer's school district announced that it is going virtual for the remaining three days before the holiday break, because there have been so many COVID cases. Deja vu all over again, right? It is a bitter i

Happy Vegan Vednesday! This is the day of the week we swallow our love for meat and dairy, rather than swallowing meat and dairy, because we have the power to fight global warming with our food choices . Earth will get hotter, and we will all increasingly suffer, if we don't care enough to use that power. In one of my favorite movies, "Four Weddings and a Funeral", Matthew says the following of Gareth at his funeral: "You remember his fabulous hospitality...his strange experimental cooking. The recipe for 'Duck a la Banana' fortunately goes with him to his grave." I recalled that scene when I came across a vegan recipe for " Cauliflower and Banana Peel Curry " (NYT Cooking; subscription required), and thus there was no question that I must make it, however awful it might be. I soaked the banana peels for over an hour, only because I covered them with boiling water and wandered off to do other things. But the long soak time was beneficial, I thi

"That looks good," my taller backup dancer commented, spying a sauce simmering on the stove. "I'm not surprised you think so," I replied, "because the last time I made this I wrote on the recipe that you loved it." That was over a year ago, and it was high time for me to cook that recipe (below) again. I have started putting recipes on my calendar to repeat annually, so that I'm not always thinking blankly to a week ahead as I try to make a grocery list, wondering what I can cook with seasonal ingredients that my backup dancers won't disdain. It is a very good dish. Try it as you're reducing your meat consumption to because you love Earth and want to keep it lovable. You could show your planet even more love by skipping the cheese. Animal-based foods account for 57% of global agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, versus 29% for food from plants . Marinated Artichoke Sauce with Onions and Tomatoes Pasta Sauces, by Christine McFadden 10-12oz