Seasonal Sundays (Week 10) Early March

We still have to eat, right? Recipes and more, inside.

~ Skip Straight to the Good Stuff ~

Welcome to Seasonal Sundays ...

Putin's invasion of Ukraine came as a shock if not as a surprise.

Anyone else been glued to CNN? the images are terrifying. Anyone else scrolling Twitter? It's a wider, minute-to-minute view. I'm writing this early Friday morning, who knows what will happen between now and Sunday, when this goes live?

Today, former Ukraine president Petro Poroshenko was asked, "How long do you think you can last?" A long silence followed. His eyes filled with tears. "Forever," he answered with certainty.

Since there's no joining the defenders in Ukraine and the protesters in the streets across Russia, I do what I do, and that's food. Here are a few food ways to proclaim, We Are All Ukraine.

More ideas? Send them my way. More ways to favor action over anxiety? Please say!

• The New Ukranian Cookbook (affiliate link) by Annette Ogrodnik Corona – I've ordered this cookbook, it seems well-suited for North American audience.
• Explore some traditional Ukranian foods, from chicken kyiv to holubtsi (cabbage rolls) to varenyky (pieroghies)
• Follow a US-based food blogger born in Ukraine, meet Olga in the Kitchen or check out the Ukranian recipes on Let the Baking Begin or dig into the 12 Modern Twists on Traditional Ukranian Food from Food Meanderings.
• Learn how to make traditional pysanky eggs. With layers of wax and color, the intricate patterns are h-a-r-d! But beautiful! Here's a psanky kit (affiliate link) for blown eggs with wax, dyes, pens, traditional patterns and instructions.
• Not feeling crafty? These are beautiful Painted Wood Pysanky Eggs (affiliate link).

About the Photo By Popular Request, a Little Insight into the Top Image: "Nous sommes tous américains." Who remembers, after 9/11, how people from across the world stood up to say — We Are All Americans.

Two Years. And Yet Like Yesterday.

By my reckoning, the pandemic started, for real, exactly two years ago today.

In the weeks before, we were all watchful and wary.

But for me, in this household, it all became real on February 27, 2020. A trusted podcast talked about what was known, then, about the spread of Covid. I sat down at the kitchen table to do my own math: the extrapolated death statistics were outright horrifying.

And then?

I ordered 160 pounds of dog food, a dog-lover's toilet paper.

I wrote a plan for my husband and me, assuming we'd contract the virus.

I started stocking the freezer.

And for the first time, I wrote about Covid here on Seasonal Sundays, something no other food bloggers were doing. We all had the same elephant looming in our kitchens but the "experts" told food bloggers to avoid the issue, that Google would punish us for going "off topic".

It's almost inconceivable, now, our innocence then.

All that hand-washing. All that sanitizing the mail. All that stockpiling of beans and pasta. I remember watching the wonderful Australian series called Offspring on Netflix, limiting myself to a single episode a day in hope that by the time all 40 episodes were done, it would all be over.

And while the pandemic may not be over and in fact may never "end" per se, it does indeed appear that we are entering a respite period, a chance to catch our collective breaths, to venture out, to ... what, exactly?

Here's to that, whatever it may be ...

By the way, thankfully, in hindsight, my math was wrong. Wait, no, that's not quite right. My math was right. But thanks to our individual behavior choices, the extraordinary leaps in treatment regimens learned by doctors and nurses, the incredible efficacy of vaccines, we collectively changed the outcome. As hard as it's been, as it is, it could have gone incredibly much worse.

And yeah, I know that the fat lady hasn't sung yet ... but I do hope she's waiting in the wings. And that collectively we can stave off Putin and the world's autocrats, too.

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PICK ONE

Pick One is for those of us overwhelmed by life's unending choices. If that resonates, then check out this one recipe and then call it a day. It's one that I think could make the most difference, the one I hope will become a regular in your kitchen, as it is in mine.

• THE RECIPE Sweet Potato Cornbread Golden color + naturally gluten-free = a total winner.
• WHY THIS, WHY NOW Six of us devoured an entire skilletful last Sunday, warm from the oven, moist and mostly naturally sweetened with mashed sweet potato that had been baked the day before at 300F for three hours along with a Milk-Braised Pork Roast. Even our sweet potato-averse grandkids love cornbread studded with sweet potato!

What's New?!

Wondering about a recipe from the last while? Check Recent Recipes from Kitchen Parade and Recent Vegetable Recipes from A Veggie Venture.

• THE RECIPE Simple Beef Salad Retro good with veggies, rice and a savory soy dressing.
• ANOTHER TAKE Grilled Steak with Tomato-Avocado Salad in a Warm Poblano-Bacon Vinaigrette A hearty salad supper, steak with a mess of lettuce, tomatoes, avocado in a poblano-bacon vinaigrette.

Seasonal Favorites: Cabbage!

• THE RECIPE Green Cabbage Salad
• ANOTHER TAKE Asian Slaw with Sugar Snap Peas & Almonds

• THE RECIPE Peasant Cabbage Tomato Soup
• ANOTHER TAKE Cabbage & White Bean Stew

• THE RECIPE Crazy-Good Cooked Cabbage Just green cabbage and pantry ingredients, yet still so good.
• ANOTHER TAKE Cabbage Noodles Ribbons of soft, silky cabbage, almost like pasta.

Seasonal Favorites: Simple Sustainable Fish for Lent & Spring

FYI, this is NOT a sponsored recommendation, it's just me, Alanna, sharing a service that we love and think you might too.

It's been a year now, since my husband and I subscribed to monthly fish deliveries from Sitka Salmon Shares.

Grow up in the "walleye capital of the world" and you'll grow up eating fish. Story goes, I could clean a walleye before I could ride a bike, standing atop a spindly stool to reach a wood table butted against the goat shed. The stool even showed up last summer when I was cleaning out my dad's place.

But as an adult, with overfishing and dwindling fish supplies worldwide, I rarely bought fish, rarely cooked fish. I just couldn't.

So Sitka helps. The fish is caught in the wild in Alaska water by real fishermen in small boats. It's cut into manageable portions and flash frozen. It's shipped overnight packed in dry ice.

And the fish is amazing, so special that the salmon itself isn't even our favorite. We love the cod and halibut and were most! excited!! to find tuna!!! in the February shipment. It's been years and years and years since I've had fresh tuna ...

Now know this. Sitka isn't Sam's. The fish is quality and sustainable and priced accordingly. So for anyone used to buying farmed fish or buying grocery-store fish, the cost will be a shock.

But I did the math up front, the price per pound from Sitka was maybe 20% more than what we paid (rarely) for fish at Whole Foods and 50% less than what we'd pay (often) for a restaurant meal, out. For us, a source of sustainable fish + support for a community of local fishermen + plus readily available great fish ... call us happy customers.

• THE RECIPE Fish with Herb Butter A Quick Supper, one of my favorite simple meals.
• ANOTHER TAKE Herb-Coated Broiled Fish Fish filets coated in fresh herbs, then broiled. So simple, yet seductive.

• THE RECIPE Easy Baked Fish with Red Pepper & Cucumber Salad, a Quick Supper, made with pantry ingredients.
• ANOTHER TAKE Herb-Coated Broiled Fish Fish filets coated in fresh herbs, then broiled. So simple, yet seductive.

• THE RECIPE Simple Grilled Salmon How to grill salmon, simply, sumptuously.
• Roasted Salmon & Asparagus The original sheetpan supper.

Lunch at the Kitchen Table

• THE RECIPE Orange & Cumin Vinaigrette Bright and vibrant with earthy spice.
• ANOTHER TAKE Apple Cider Vinaigrette Sweet with cider and cinnamon, no oil!

The Dinner Bell

Seven days a week, 52 weeks a year, the dinner bell rings. If we're gonna eat, somebody's gotta cook, some nights fuel, some nights a feast. Let's make it good, a welcome end to our days.

• THE RECIPE Sausage & Cabbage Skillet Rustic & homey.
• ANOTHER TAKE Italian Sausage with Grapes & Greens A Quick Supper, an unusual combination of familiar ingredients.

• THE RECIPE Chicken Stew with Chickpeas & Kale A hearty, one-pot supper with warm spices and fresh vegetables.
• ANOTHER TAKE Spiced Chicken with Roasted Cauliflower Tagine A one-pot supper with warm spices.

• THE RECIPE Cabbage & White Bean Stew
• ANOTHER TAKE Peasant Cabbage Tomato Soup

Good to Know

• SAFETY TIPS How to Safely Purée Soups & Other Hot Liquids in a Blender Preventing big messes and bad burns.
• ANOTHER USEFUL IDEA How to Freeze Stock in Canning Jars

Put an Egg on Top aka "How About Eggs for Dinner?"

Why should breakfast get all the eggs?! If eggs for dinner were a club, I'd be president, chief marketing officer, resident evangelist, public advocate and ... hey, wanna join my club? Start here!

• THE RECIPE Cabbage & Pepper Chakchoukah aka OogaChaka Eggs A savory Tunisian stew, perfect for nesting runny eggs.
• ANOTHER TAKE Shakshuka (Eggs Nested in Summer Vegetables) A traditional North African and Israeli dish.

Thinking Ahead

Some of us plan meals a day or two ahead – or reality, right? even an hour or two ahead. But for those who start planning for Easter in February and Christmas in September, this list's for you. Start here!

• Tuesday, March 3rd – Fat Tuesday & Mardi Gras & Shrove Tuesday
• Wednesday, March 4th Ash Wednesday & Lent
• Sunday, March 13th – Clocks "Spring Forward"
• Monday, March 14th – Pi Day (Pie Day!)
• Thursday, March 17th – St. Patrick's Day
• Friday, April 1st – April Fool's Day
• Sunday, April 17th – Easter

FUN ALBEIT NOT EXACTLY "HOLIDAYS"
• March 1 – Peanut Butter & Jelly Smoothies for National Peanut Butter Lover's Day
• March 3 – Finnish Glögi (Hot Red Mulled Wine) for Mulled Wine Day
• March 4 – Finnish Tiger Cake for Pound Cake Day
• March 16 – Artichoke Recipes for Artichoke Day
• March 18 – Minnesota Sloppy Joes for Sloppy Joe Day
• March 26 – Spinach Recipes for National Spinach Day

Something New to You? A Challenge!

It's one thing to know what we like. It's another to get caught in a rut of repetition. Every so often, I may offer a challenge to try something that just might be new. The challenge is yours to accept – or y'know, not – but I hope to pique your palate!

• THE RECIPE Easy Everyday Bread for the Stand Mixer Better bread, no kneading by hand!
• ANOTHER TAKE Our Daily Bread: My Easy Everyday Bread Recipe An easy, European-style bread I make every few days.

Savoring Sweet Potatoes: A Challenge

So usually my "challenges" are, well, a challenge, an undertaking, an endeavor, a project. But here? For a few weeks, I hope you'll throw a few sweet potatoes onto your grocery list, knowing there'll be a simple recipe to tackle. Who's game?!

• THE RECIPE Sweet Potato & Butternut Squash Tagine Colorful vegetables married with Moroccan spices.
• ANOTHER TAKE Rustic Mashed Sweet Potatoes & Carrots A happy marriage of sweet potatoes and carrots.

Meal Prep

• THE RECIPE Winter Tomato Salad (Quick Pickled Vegetables)
• ANOTHER TAKE Quick Pickled Asparagus

This Week's Soup

• THE RECIPE Cream of Celery Soup Way more than the sum of its parts.
• ANOTHER TAKE Laura's Healthy Carrot Soup Creamy without a drop of cream.

Finnish Food

• THE RECIPE Scandinavian Split-Pea Soup Traditional on Tuesdays, without fail.
• ANOTHER TAKE Sausage & Kale Split Pea Soup A classic split pea soup recipe made extra-hearty.

Lookin' for Love

We're all proud of our best recipes that family and friends (and the Internet!) just love. But what about the recipes we love but are, ahem, so far under-appreciated? This recipe is just that, it could use a little extra love!

• THE RECIPE Crockpot Chicken Goulash A one-pot meal for extra-busy days.
• ANOTHER TAKE Easy Margarita Chicken A quick supper from a surprising source.

Recipes That Stand the Test of Time

To mark A Veggie Venture's 15th anniversary in 2020, I took a hard look at the first 365 vegetable recipes from the first year to select just 15 which, all these many years and recipes later, remain ever so useful. The result is a fascinating collection of recipes, 15 Favorite Vegetable Recipes, Still Useful After 15 Years. Here's just one.

• THE RECIPE Quick Tomato Sauce for Pasta & Pizza Just canned tomatoes, a few pantry ingredients and 20 minutes.
• ANOTHER TAKE Fresh Tomato Sauce When summer tomatoes are most perfect.

PS Who's noticed? I'm big on "usefulness". See? Best-Ever “Most Useful” Recipes 2002 – Present, just one recipe per year from Kitchen Parade.

Soups & Salads Especially for March

March is such a funny month for cooking, some wintry days (yo, soups!), some spring-like days (hey, salads!) and so many days neither one nor the other, just smack in the middle. So what grabs us depends on the day, yes? That's why I spent a year gathering all of A Veggie Venture's best soup and salad recipes into easy-to-scan month-by-month collections.

Dig into Seasonal Soup & Salad Recipes for March, tons of ideas!

Here's a sample!

Feeding a Sugar-Conscious Sweet Tooth

You too? We're cutting back on sweets without demonizing dessert, usually with smaller batches, smaller servings, shareable desserts or fruit desserts in addition to limiting frequency. But some times?

• THE RECIPE Lemon Pudding Cake Tart lemon + juicy raspberries. Or blueberries!
• ANOTHER TAKE Southern Belle Lemon Layer Cake Easy lemony cake with lemony cream cheese frosting.

Timehop

Who else loves seeing old photos pop up, quick memories from years past? Welcome to a recipe timehop ...

• THE REVIEW Trader Joe's Melodious Blend Product Review
• MORE REVIEWS Trader Joe's Product Reviews

Trending

My Top 10 Recipes are predictable, hello Should Cooked Pork Be Pink? and (Sloooow) Baked Potatoes (How Long to Bake a Baked Potato). But every week, seasonal recipes catch the internet's attention and start to trend.

• COOK THE EGGS FIRST Perfect Hard-Cooked Eggs Perfect every time for meal prep, deviled eggs, egg salad and more.
• THEN DYE WITH BEET JUICE Perfect Hard-Boiled Ruby Eggs

Something to Read

I finished Rules of Civility this week. Have you read it yet? It's not my favorite of his books but the writing, often, was so rich. Here's a sample, a mere generous minute amid the 6040 minutes of the Audible version.

I read the paper, cover to cover. I covered the crossword, square to square.

What a transcendant diversion, the crossword can be. A four-letter word for solo, beginning and ending in A. A four-letter word for sword, beginning and ending in E. A four letter word for miscellany, beginning and ending in O.

Aria. Épée. Oleo.

No matter how vestigial these words are in the body of common English, watching them fit so neatly into the puzzle's machinery, one feels as the archeologist must feel when assembling a skeleton, the end of the thigh bone fitting so precisely into the socket of the hip bone that it simply has to confirm the existence of an orderly universe if not a divine intention.

The last squares to be filled in the puzzle were éclat, a five-letter word for a brilliant success or ostentatious display.

• THE BOOK (affiliate link) Rules of Civility by Amor Towles


• BOOK CLUB BOOK IDEAS My Reading Group's Book List since 1994!
• NO TIME TO READ? How I Read 4X More This Year Than Last What I gave up, how I read so much, what I read.

Just Updated!

• ALL THE RECIPES Sweet Potato Recipes Soups to salads to suppers and still more, the whole collection.
• JUST THE FAVORITES My Favorite Sweet Potato Recipes A shortlist of favorites!

• THE RECIPE Simple Chickpea Salad
• ANOTHER TAKE Chipotle Chickpea Salad

Don't Be a Stranger ...

I'd love to hear from you. Comment, send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com, dot-dash in Morse code, build a fire for smoke signals, launch a message in a bottle, send a Christmas letter, get the dog to yip, toss me a note wrapped in a rubberband, write a message in the sky, scratch a note in the sand, listen to a seashell, tuck a question into a plastic Easter egg, whatever.

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.

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