Happy holidays, if I may be so bold! To everyone reading this, I hope you had the exact Christmas that you were hoping for. Last year on Christmas I had Covid and was midway through a ten-day isolation. I was in Providence and it was warm and rainy and I took the most depressing and drenchèd walk of my life in India Point Park. This year’s Christmas was way nicer! My parents came to Philly to see my house for the first time, and we had a lovely dinner with a few of my friends, including my ex who they hadn’t seen in years. My mom and I cooked together. We had latkes, a spiced chickpea-lentil-veggie soup, and roasted chicken over cabbage with a chutney I made with caramelized onions and frozen figs from my backyard. It was all really good, and everyone ate a lot!
I thought I’d hop in here with a few recommendations of things to eat and drink during the cold months ahead. These are foods that give me a feeling of warmth and care, shown to both myself and others. Not to be an absolute FREAK for
, but her Substack post on “cozy season” has really wormed its way into my brain! In this post, she argues against a commodified vision of coziness centered on buying things, aesthetic control, and isolation, and FOR a coziness centered in belonging, feeling seen and known by friends, and feeling at ease in your environment. For me, maximum coziness involves fussing in the kitchen preparing a meal for friends/family while a loved one or several hang out and chat with me. That is the vibe I am going for with these recommendations. These recs are also very Smitten Kitchen heavy, because, guess what? That lady is the best in the recipe blog game. Untouchable.Smitten Kitchen’s tangy braised chickpeas are an top-tier winter meal for having people over (and for leftovers). This recipe basically recreates the flavor profile of brisket, with chickpeas, mushrooms, and carrots taking the place of meat. It’s vegan and gluten free and the ingredients are inexpensive, and most importantly it’s filling and delicious. You start it on the stove and then move it to the oven to braise for an hour and a half, and it gives you the feeling of a nice afternoon cooking project that’s not at all difficult. I especially like to make this for Jewish holidays when I am celebrating with vegetarian/vegan friends - Hanukkah is over, but Passover will come around in a few months! It’s also good for just a regular old group dinner. You can serve this with roasted potatoes or kasha and a green salad, and feel very very pleased with yourself.
Okay, so this is also a Smitten Kitchen joint, but once you’ve made it once, you barely need a recipe: roasted chicken with schmaltzy cabbage. The basic gist is that you cut a cabbage into thick slices, place them in an oiled cast iron pan, place a whole chicken on top, put some little pats of butter on it as well as lots of salt and pepper, and then roast it at 450 degrees for about an hour. You will be left with a lovely roast chicken, yes, but also cabbage that is so delicious it is unholy. The cabbage gets infused with schmaltz (aka chicken fat) to the point of almost melting. I always make this when Clover and I are together, and she says this cabbage is her favorite food. You can also add potatoes or carrots if you want, but don’t sleep on the cabbage. I made this on Christmas but they didn’t have any whole chickens at the store so I just did it with bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and it worked great.
A couple notes that I’d add to the SK recipe: I always make sure to take the giblets and stuff that they put in a little packet in the cavity of the chicken and nestle them into the cabbage to roast. Then you get to eat those as a little cook’s treat while the chicken rests. That actually might be my favorite food. I also nestle a bunch of unpeeled garlic cloves amongst the cabbage. Then you have delicious melty roasted garlic that you can spread onto the chicken for a god-tier bite.
I also always like to have some sort of sauce with this. In the winter, a fruit-based sauce is really good. Not everyone has a bunch of homegrown figs in their freezer, I know, but I’ve also made an extremely tasty sauce before from dried prunes. For this, sauté onions on low heat until very soft and melty (you can also add some garlic and/or thyme), and then put a big handful of dried prunes in a sauce pot with the onions and some wine or broth (or a mix). Maybe also a little splash of orange juice if you have it. You want enough liquid that the prunes can simmer but not be swimming. You can always add more liquid, and you can go for a thicker consistency or a more saucy one - either way, it will be good. Cook that on medium low heat until the prunes are sort of falling apart. Add salt/pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice and/or vinegar (red wine or apple cider) and taste. If you want to go absolutely nuts, you can also pour in some pan drippings after your chicken and cabbage are done cooking to make it extra savory. The sauce will be sweet and savory and a little tart - adjust with salt and lemon juice/vinegar and maybe a pinch of sugar if it tastes bland.
This is a reminder to make ginger tea, for yourself or for your friends, if it’s cold outside or someone’s stomach hurts or you’re under the weather or you just ate a big meal. My “recipe” (lol): cut some thick coins of ginger, skin on, and then cut those into strips. Throw ‘em in the bottom of a mug, squeeze in a big wedge of lemon and throw the wedge in the cup (carcass in, as it were) and a spoonful of honey. Add hot water, mix, steep for at least 5 mins, drink, repeat. Note: this can be hot toddy-ified with whiskey, if you wish.
Stay cozy and fed!
that cabbage is my favorite food