​You would think that Thanksgiving would be my favorite holiday.  It’s about the meal, a big turkey, lots of side dishes, and sweet desserts.  Well, it’s not.  
 
Many years ago, I made a conscious decision to eat as a family.  My husband, a tradesman, worked hard and was entitled to good food and company at the end of the day.  My children needed to understand that this was time to check in with family.  They needed to learn about an adult’s day, and we needed to listen and learn about their day.  It was a time to ask questions, to laugh, to tease (everyone has had their turn), and to just be together.  We are by no means, a Norman Rockwell painting.  We juggled team sports and afterschool activities like everyone else.   This sometimes meant that we sat down at the table at 4:30 p.m. or we had a snack and then sat down at 7:00 p.m.  Sometimes we would meet up at a restaurant between kids’ activities.  These were my many Thanksgiving meals.  
 
This Thanksgiving will be different for many families.  The gatherings may be smaller and the meal may not be the usual feast. But it may be the start of new traditions, new dishes, and more intimate conversations. 
 
My children are growing up and moving on with their lives.  I will be thankful tomorrow, but more importantly, every day going forward that I have one or all three of them around my table.  
 
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, every day and every meal.
 

About a million years ago my husband and I had our first date.  He asked me if I like sushi and if I would like to go for dinner.  I, of course, said that I loved sushi.  Little did he know that I had only had it once before when I was an intern working in the art department of the Quaker Oats Company.  My boss was Japanese and had ordered trays of sushi for the office.  Back then, I remembered that I didn't hate this new cuisine but didn't think I would ever come to love it.  

Our meal started, as most Japanese meals do, with Miso soup.  I remember thinking how comforting and light this soup was.  It was a clear soup but also slightly creamy, a bit briny with floating pieces of soft tofu and earthy seaweed.  Delicious! Our meal continued with gyoza, sunomono salad, tempura, and sushi.  It was all so good!  It was truly feel-good food.  By the end of the night, I knew I loved Japanese cuisine and maybe even the man. 

Making miso soup is not hard and takes very little time.  It does require some unique ingredients.  Any supermarket that has a good supply of Asian items should have what you need to make this soup.

This recipe makes about 6 cups.  I usually double it and freeze some.

6 cups of water
1 oz. (30 grams) Kombu (dried kelp)
10 grams of dried bonito flakes (about 1 cup)
1/4 white miso paste
Medium firm tofu, small diced 
Scallions, thin sliced
1/4 cup of wakame (dried seaweed)

Most Japanese soups have a base called dashi.  To make miso, you first make dashi and then add the miso paste, scallions, wakame, and tofu to make miso soup.  Dashi freezes well and can be used for other soups like ramen.  

​Rinse the Kombu off and add it to a stockpot with 6 cups of water.  Bring it to a boil, lower to a simmer for 10 minutes.  Remove the Kombu and discard it.  You will notice that the water takes on a light green color from the Kombu.  Now add your bonito flakes to the simmering pot.  I recently found these little tea-like bags of bonito but if your bonito is loose, just sprinkle it over the top of the broth.  Let this simmer for 5 minutes and then strain out or remove the bonito from the pot.  This is your dashi.  

Next, add in your miso paste.  I stir it into my pot through a strainer.  This way I don't get any lumps in my soup.  If you don't have a strainer that will fit, just use a whisk to make sure the miso paste fully dissolves. Finally, add in your scallions and wakame and simmer for about 10 more minutes.  You will see that the wakame will rehydrate in the broth and become soft ribbons. Add some diced tofu to each bowl, ladle the hot soup over the top and...
​どうぞお召し上がりください - Enjoy your meal.

I have a few different sauces that I make and keep in my freezer.  Mole sauce is one of them.  If you've never had it, you might be thrown by the chocolate in the ingredient list, don't be.  This is definitely a savory sauce.  The chocolate just gives richness and depth like dark chocolate, not sweet chocolate.  It has a lot of ingredients but it is fairly easy to make.  Most grocery stores have ethnic sections now and you should be able to find all the ingredients.  The only ingredient I sometimes have a hard time finding is the Mexican chocolate.  I have substituted 70% dark chocolate on those occasions.  This sauce tastes great on chicken, beef, shrimp, and pork.  I use it to make tacos and enchiladas but it would also be great brushed on grilled meats or as a stew base.

Mole Sauce
1 dried ancho chile, seeded
1 dried pasilla chile, seeded
1/4 cup of slivered almonds
2 tablespoons of raw pepitas
3 ounces (1/2 cup) of Mexican chocolate 
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of sesame seeds
1-14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons of pureed canned chipotles in adobo
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 (pinch) of ground clove
1 teaspoon of salt 

In a dry pan over medium heat, toast the ancho, pasilla, almonds, and pepitas until lightly browned (2-3 minutes). Remove the chilies and place them in a small bowl. Cover them with boiling water, the bowl with plastic wrap, and let them soak for 25-30 minutes.  You want to rehydrate them.  Place the almonds and pepitas in a food processor.

Next, put the chocolate in a bowl and melt in the microwave.  This should only take about 1 minute but start with 30 seconds and keep adding time if you need it. Once melted, let it sit and cool slightly.

In the food processor with the almonds and pepitas, add the onions, garlic, sesame seeds, tomatoes, raisins, vinegar, 1 teaspoon of salt, chipotle, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, clove, and melted chocolate.  Drain the ancho and pasilla chilies and add them to the food processor too.  Blend until smooth.

Transfer sauce to a pan and cook on medium-low for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  This sauce should be somewhat thick.  If it begins to stick to the pot, add a little bit of water.  Taste if additional salt is needed.  Let cool, place in deli containers, and freeze.

The other day I used one of my 32oz. frozen containers of mole sauce to make pork, mole tacos.  I heated my dutch oven on the stovetop with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, browned my pork loin roast on each side, added my sauce over the meat, covered the pot, and placed it in a pre-heated 325-degree oven for 2 1/2 hours.  I then shredded the meat in the sauce and served them on tortillas with all the traditional toppings.  Yum!

If you've ever seen this alien-looking root in the produce department of your grocery store, you may have wondered what it is.  It is a celeriac root.  Celeriac root is one of the most overlooked and delicious vegetables.  Under all that knobby and ugly skin is a dense and flavorful bulb.  It has that familiar celery taste but with a more intense, earthy texture.  I love making this soup because it is unexpected. The celery flavor gives this soup a light but warming taste while the apple gives a little sweetness and tartness.

2 celeriac roots, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 apples, peeled and diced
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
8 cups vegetable broth
Salt & pepper to taste

The celeriac root is a little hard to peel with a traditional vegetable peeler.  I cut off the bottom, stand it on that flat side, and trim off the peel with a knife.  Once you have all the peel off,  just cut it into slices, the slices into planks, and the planks into a dice.  Now dice your onion and the apple.

Heat the olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat.  Add the onion and sauté until soft.  Add the apple, celeriac root, celery seed, and continue to sauté.  When the apple begins to soften, add the vegetable stock to the pot.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, lower the heat and let it simmer until the celeriac root is soft (about 45 minutes).  

After everything has simmered and softened, transfer to a blender and blend until smooth.  Taste for salt and pepper, and serve.