Welcome to another edition of:

Narratives about A Few Items on This Week’s Menu Virtual Tete a Tete: Holiday Tasting Edition- with Robin, Alison, and Chef Nina: On Wednesday, December 16th at 12:30 PM, Robin, Alison, and Chef Nina will host an hour long informal chat on Zoom with a holiday tasting component delivered to your door. Join the Three Stars of Dining Service if you have specific questions or comments that you would like to share, or if you would just like to chat with a familiar friend. If you are interested in attending email Alison at [email protected] she will send you a zoom invite.

Compost Please bring all compostable goods to The Market Place by 7:00 PM. The Utility Team does their last collection at that time, and so compost deposited after 7:00 PM runs the risk of attracting unwelcome visitors. The weekly narrative stated that it is on your floors, however we do not have a location on each floor for compost drop off.

Whether we are authorized to gather at the table or stay in our apartments, we are going to eat well on Christmas Day!

Christmas Dinner Friday, December 25th

Please choose one selection from each category

Starters

Cream of Asparagus Soup Served with Pumpernickel Croutons on the side

Winter Persimmon Salad (MWG) Pistachio Sanguine, Honey Vinaigrette, Shaved Manchego on the side (DF without cheese)

Main

Green & Pink Peppercorn Duck Breast (MWG) String Bean Medley, Potato au Gratin, Apple & Date Puree

Truffle Beef Medallion Tournedos (MWG) String Bean Medley, Potato au Gratin

Vegetable Wellington (MWG) Balsamic Baby Greens, String Bean Medley

Blackened Grouper (MWG/DF) Persian Cucumber & Watermelon Radish Relish, String Bean Medley, Root Vegetables & Dried Fruit

Dessert

Holiday Yule Log Red Velvet Cake (MWG) Strawberry & Pistachio Parfait (MWG) Mixed Berries (MWG) Holiday Pie Sale Holiday Pies may be purchased through Dining Services through December 31st *Apple Pie @ $11.00 *Pecan Pie @ $11.00 *Pumpkin Pie @ $11.00 *No Sugar Added Apple Pie @ $11.00 Pies may be ordered in the Market Place Monday thru Friday 10:00am- 4:00pm, and you will be charged when you place your order. Dining Dollars may not be used for Holiday Pie purchases. Pies will be delivered to your apartment between 2:00 and 2:30pm on the day of your choosing. If you need your pie before 3:00 PM, be sure to order it to come the day prior. Holiday Pies must be ordered 48 hours (2 days) in advance. Thank you and Happy Holidays!

FIRESIDE A La Carte To Go Menu

th th Dec. 10 – Dec. 12

Crispy Potato Latkes Salad Smoked Salmon & Sour Cream $6.75

Wedge Salad Hearts of Romaine and Boston Lettuce Garnished with Diced Tomato, Pickled Onion, Diced Bacon, Crumbled Blue Cheese and Blue Cheese Dressing (MWG) $5.75

Small Fireside House Salad With Lemon Vinaigrette (MWG/DF) $2.90

Root Vegetable & Dried Fruit Stew Over Pearl Couscous (DF) $9.95

Charred Octopus With Citrus Fennel Slaw and choice of 1 side (MWG) $14.95

Lamb Shank

With choice of two sides (MWG/DF) $14.95

Pizza and Flatbread and Flatbreads Your Choice of Classic Crust or Gluten-Free Flatbread  Pissaladiere Caramelized Onions, , Kalamata Olives, Thyme $6.75 Pissaladière is a culinary specialty originating from Liguria, particularly Genoa, now also typical in southeastern France. It is often compared to pizza. The word Pissalandrea comes from the Italian terminology Pizza all’Andrea, or Pizza d'Andrea. It is considered to be the Genoa pizza. The dough is usually a bread dough thicker than that of the classic pizza Margherita, and the traditional topping usually consists of caramelized (almost pureed) onions, black olives, and anchovies (whole, and sometimes also with pissalat, a type of ). This dish subsequently spread to the whole of geographic and ethno-cultural Liguria that is to say between the rivers of Magra and Var. After the annexation of the County of Nice to France, the cuisine of Nice would become falsely attached to French cuisine, trying to pass many Ligurian dishes under the French label.

 Cheese Red and Mozzarella $4.25  Pepperoni Red Sauce and Mozzarella $5.25  Margherita Red Sauce, Sliced Tomatoes, Fresh Mozzarella, and Fresh Basil $4.50 Desserts $4.50  Baba au Rhum with Berries (contains alcohol)  Chocolate Mousse Cake  Coffee Gelato (MWG) And now, on to another Narrative About a Few Items on the Menu This Week… Monday, December 14 Lunch Cod Piccata: “Piccata” literally means the featured protein is sliced, sautéed, and served with lemon juice, butter, and capers. Wild cod has been significantly overfished, however cod is sustainably raised by aquaculture, in farms on the north Pacific as well as Atlantic coasts. Meatball Sub: Deconstructed The meatball sub is an Americanized dish of Italian culinary heritage, and was “invented” in the early 20th century. We are serving the meatball sub deconstructed this time, and it consists of meatballs made of chicken and beef dressed in marinara sauce made with basil, along with slices of provolone cheese, and a split hoagie bun. Carrot and Apple Slaw: The word “slaw” is derived from the Dutch word koolsla which literally means “cabbage salad”. In modern American cuisine, the suffix “slaw” has been used to describe any number of refreshing vinegar or mayonnaise based side salads meant to accompany a richer dish. Barley and Lentil: Barley is a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains, particularly in Eurasia as early as 10,000 years ago. Barley has been used as animal fodder, as source of fermentable material for beer, and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods. It is used in soups and stews, and in barley breads of various cultures. Barley grains are commonly made into malt in a traditional and ancient method of preparation. In 2017, barley was ranked fourth among grains in quantity produced behind maize, rice, and wheat. Regarding Lentils, the word "lens" in optics comes from the lentil- like shape of early double-convex lenses; lentil is lens in Latin, and gives its name to the botanical genus Lens. As a food crop, the majority of world production of Lentils comes from Canada and India, producing 58% combined of the world total. In cuisines of the Indian subcontinent, where lentils are a staple, split lentils (often with their hulls removed) known as daal are often cooked into a thick curry or gravy that is usually eaten with rice. Dinner Butternut Squash, Corn, and Bean Chili: This dish is an homage to the Native American agricultural and culinary tradition of the “Three Sisters”. The Three Sisters are the three main agricultural crops of various indigenous groups in North America: winter squash, maize (corn), and climbing beans. Originating in Mesoamerica, these three crops were carried northward, up the river valleys over generations. In a technique known as companion planting, the three crops are planted close together. Flat-topped mounds of soil are built for each cluster of crops. Each mound is about 12 inches high and 20 inches wide, and several maize seeds are planted close together in the center of each mound. In parts of the Atlantic Northeast, rotten fish or eels are buried in the mound with the maize seeds, to act as additional fertilizer where the soil is poor. When the maize is 6 inches tall, beans and squash are planted around the maize, alternating between the two kinds of seeds. The development of this agricultural technique took place over 5,000–6,500 years. Squash was domesticated first, with maize second and then beans being domesticated. Squash was first domesticated 8,000–10,000 years ago. The three crops benefit from each other. The maize provides a structure for the beans to climb, eliminating the need for poles. The beans provide nitrogen to the soil that the other plants use, and the squash spreads along the ground, blocking the sunlight, helping prevent the establishment of weeds. The squash leaves also act as a "living mulch", creating a microclimate to retain moisture in the soil, and the prickly hairs of the vine deter pests. Corn, beans, and squash contain complex carbohydrates, essential fatty acids and all nine essential amino acids. Native Americans throughout North America are known for growing variations of Three Sisters. The Three Sisters planting method is featured on the reverse of the 2009 US Sacagawea dollar. Black, red, pinto white. Roasted Chicken with Apple Maple Glaze on the Side: Netipol is the master of the marinating and roasting the boneless breasts and thighs, and the apple and maple glaze is served on the side

Rainbow Swiss Chard: As its genus, Beta vulgaris, suggests, chard is, in fact, a beet that has been chosen for leaf production at the expense of root formation. All chard varieties are descendents of the sea beet (B. maritima), a wild seashore plant found growing along the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts of Europe and North Africa. Documentation of Rainbow Swiss chard cultivation dates back to 1636 within the book "The Herball or General History of Plantes", however commercial exposure to Rainbow Swiss chard wasn't until the 19th Century. It was in that era in 1888 that Rainbow Swiss chard first appeared within the Vilmorin Seed Catalog. It is grown both ornamentally and as a food crop. Rainbow Swiss chard plants thrive in cool summer temperatures, but are tolerant of heat and humidity, thus they are adaptable and easy to grow. If you grow chard as a food crop, you will need to protect it from rabbits, deer and birds. Pumpkin Pie: The pumpkin is native to North America, and was an early export to France. From there it was introduced to Tudor England, and the flesh of the “pompion” was quickly accepted as pie filler. During the seventeenth century, pumpkin pie recipes could be found in English cookbooks, such as Hannah Woolley’s The Gentlewoman’s Companion (1675). Pumpkin “pies” made by early American colonists were more likely to be a savory soup made and served in a pumpkin than a sweet custard in a crust. It was not until the early nineteenth century that the recipes appeared in Canadian and American cookbooks, or pumpkin pie became a common addition to the Thanksgiving dinner. The Pilgrims brought the pumpkin pie back to New England, while the English method of cooking the pumpkin took a different course. IN the 19th century, the English pumpkin pie was prepared by stuff the pumpkin with apples, spices, and sugar and then baking it whole. In the United States, after the Civil War, the pumpkin pie was resisted in southern states as a symbol of Yankee culture imposed on the south, where there was no tradition of eating pumpkin pie. Many southern cooks instead made sweet potato pie, or added bourbon and pecans to give a southern touch.

Tuesday, December 15 Lunch Tomato : is made with cream Grilled American Cheese on Lyon Bakery Wheat Bread: Because this sandwich is grilled, it is served “constructed”. “Pepper-less” Stir Fried Chicken: Man is the architect of stir- frying thin slices of boneless chicken thighs together with onions, scallions, shredded carrots, ginger, and green cabbage. Dinner Romazava: Romazava is the national dish of Chef Nina’s home country, Madagascar. In this case Chef combines tomatoes, spinach, scallions, and ginger, with diced salmon, , and baby shrimp in a sumptuous stew. Beef Short Ribs: English cut short ribs are taken from close to the sternum of the beef. They are a very well used and marbled muscle which requires slow cooking in liquid like broth or stock (braising) in order to render them tender. Most of the flavor—or more importantly the gelatin--in any critter we eat is in the bones, and this is why meat cooked on the bone is more flavorful that boneless meat. The natural gelatin or collagen in a beef short rib liquefies at about 185 degrees at the same time the tissue itself breaks down and becomes tender. This must be achieved by cooking low and slow. Braises and stews benefit from cooking until done, and then being chilled down, allowing the gelatin to remain “gelled”, which gives the dish its desirable mouth feel. Braised short ribs are then re-heated just enough to warm the dish, but keep the gelled consistency, and is served in the “sauce” in which it was braised. If your beef short rib seems cool and like jello, just heat it up a little.

Key Lime Pie: The dish is named after the small Key limes, which are more aromatic than the common Persian limes, and which have yellow, not green, juice. The filling in a Key lime pie is also yellow, largely because of the egg yolks. The Key lime pie is probably a direct descendant of the Magic Lemon Cream Pie, invented in 1931 in the test kitchens of Bordon, the leading producer of condensed milk, and attributed to their fictional spokesperson, Jane Ellison. A "Tropical Lime Chiffon Pie", using condensed milk and egg yolks, is documented in a 1933 Miami newspaper article. An "icebox lime pie", was mentioned as a specialty of the Florida Keys in 1935, and a recipe under the name "Key Lime Pie" was published in 1940.] No earlier solid sources are known, despite appeals to the public. A 1927 Key West Women's Club cookbook does not mention the recipe. A 1926 restaurant menu includes "lime pie", but it is unclear what it was. Various accounts claim that it was known earlier, but none were recorded before 1933. A widely- reported story claims that William Curry’s cook Aunt Sally invented it in the late 19th century. But there is no evidence for this, and the oldest version of this story dates to only 1995, in promotional materials for a Bed and Breakfast in Curry's former house. It was in the 1950s that Key lime pie was promoted as Florida's "most famous treat" and in 1987 as "the greatest of all regional American desserts." Key lime (Citrus aurantifolia 'Swingle') is naturalized throughout the Florida Keys. While their thorns make them less tractable, and their thin, yellow rinds more perishable, Key limes are more tart and more aromatic than the common Persian Limes seen year-round at grocery stores in the United States. Key limes have not been grown commercially in the U.S. since the 1926 Miami hurricane; they are generally imported from Central or South America. Key lime juice, unlike regular lime juice, is a pale yellow. Bottled Key lime juice, invariably from concentrate, is widely available at retail in the United States. [In 1965, Florida State Representative Bernie Papy Jr. introduced geographical indication legislation calling for a $100 fine to be levied against anyone advertising Key lime pie not made with Key limes. The bill failed. Florida statute 15.052, passed in July 2006, designates Key lime pie "the official Florida State Pie.”

Wednesday, December 16 Lunch Sweet Potato Soup: is vegetarian and finished with coconut milk. Why are sweet potatoes called yams? Yams and sweet potatoes are in fact two different root vegetables. And, unless you shop in a specialty store, it’s likely that you’ve only purchased sweet potatoes, even if they were labeled as yams.

Yams are the tuberous roots of the genus Dioscorea. They’re native to parts of Asia and Africa and can grow to weigh over 100 pounds. The word yam is derived, via Portuguese or Spanish, from a West African language called Wolof. The Wolof word nyam means “to sample” or “taste.” Similar words in other African languages for yam mean “to eat” and “to chew.” Like the yam, the sweet potato is grown for its edible root. But, unlike the yam, it is not part of the Dioscoreaceae family. Sweet potatoes are native to South America, and they were the main source of nourishment for indigenous peoples, and subsequently, for early Europeans in the Americas.

Two cultivars of sweet potatoes became particularly popular in the American marketplace. A firm, white variety of sweet potato and a softer, more orange colored variety were developed for the commercial market. Vendors and consumers wanted a simple way to distinguish between the two. To the early African slaves in America, the softer variety of sweet potato resembled yams grown in Africa, and so early African Americans referred to soft sweet potatoes as yams. Over time, soft sweet potatoes came to be marketed as yams, and today the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires labels with the term ‘yam’ to be accompanied by the term ‘sweet potato’.

Its Breakfast for Lunch Day! Corn Beef Hash on English muffin with bacon on the side, is all served deconstructed. The vegetarian alternative is Scrambled Eggs with Chives. with Red Bell Pepper Sauce: Tilapia is marinated by Larbi Tazka, and served with his Sweet Red Bell Pepper Sauce on the side, which does have dairy in it. Home-made Poached Pear: Bosc pears are poached in a simple syrup flavored with cinnamon, cardamom, star anise. Dinner Chicken Rice Congee: Made is made by a collective of the Southeast Asian contingent of the kitchen. Congee or conjee is a type of rice porridge or gruel. The word ‘congee’ is a derivation of the Tamil word kanji. In this case the rice porridge is finished with ground chicken, ginger, scallion, and finished with a drop of egg. Pan Seared Barramundi with Guacamole: dusted with a blend of almond flour and gluten free flour Pork Stew: mint, cilantro, gf soy sauce, garlic, Lima Beans: Lima beans, like many other legumes, are a good source of dietary fiber, and a virtually fat-free source of high- quality protein. Lima beans were first cultivated in the Andes near modern day Peru, around 2000 years ago.

Thursday, December 17 Cheeseburger: is served deconstructed; the cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, burger, and potato roll are all served separately so that you can stack them as you see fit. Be sure to order the that you want! Vegetarian Burger: is the increasingly popular and entirely plant- based Beyond Burger. While the U.S. will not soon fall out of love with meat, plant-based cuisine is on the rise; it just needs to shed its disguise as a meat substitute and promote its true identity as a tasty and nutritious alternative to meat. To learn more, go to https://www.beyondmeat.com/. The vegetarian burger is also served deconstructed. Beef Bourgignon: described by Julia Child as “certainly one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man” is a stew of beef braised in red wine and rich beef stock along with carrots, celery, onion, and fresh herbs. It is traditionally garnished with mushrooms, pearl onions, and “lardon” (large dice) of bacon. Mint and Sage Squash Medley: Here, Chef Nina pairs butternut squash with zucchini, which is an interesting combination of winter squash and summer squash. Winter squash (in French, “courge”) are squashes that have a tough outer skin or husk such as acorn squash, pumpkin, butternut squash. They are called winter squash not because they grow in winter, but rather historically because they could be stored from their harvest in early autumn all through the winter. Summer squash (in French, “courgette”) are squashes like zucchini and yellow squash that have a very tender skin, and are far more perishable than winter squash, meaning they are eaten soon after they are picked throughout their season in mid to late summer.

Friday, December 18 Cabbage Soup: is vegetable based, with thinly sliced onions. Baked with Remoulade Sauce: Rony Paul puts his signature on this dish with his trademark Cajun seasoning rubbed on the catfish, and his rendition of Remoulade sauce, the classic French mayonnaise-based sauce that picked up some jazz by way of New Orleans. “Cubano” sandwich: Ham, Swiss cheese, thin sliced roasted pork loin, sliced pickles, and bread from Lyon Bakery. This sandwich definitely comes “constructed”; first the bread is brushed with Dijon mustard and mayonnaise, and then after the sandwich is built it is brushed with honey-butter, wrapped in aluminum foil, and pressed hot to toast and heat through.

Hush Puppies: The first recorded use of the word "hush-puppy" dates to 1899. The name is often attributed to hunters, fishermen, or other cooks who would fry some basic cornmeal mixture (possibly that they had been bread-coating or battering their own food with) and feed it to their dogs to "hush the puppies" during cook-outs or fish-fries. Other legends date the term to the Civil War, in which Confederate soldiers are said to have tossed fried cornbread to quell the barks of their dogs. Dinner: Matzo Ball soup: with chicken, celery, onions, and carrots. Baby Back Ribs with Korean BBQ Sauce: Netipol Khamvang crafts a barbecue sauce with hoisin sauce (a fermented soybean paste), ketchup, sweet chili, ginger, sesame oil, and an exotic Hawaiian blend of spices. The sauce is served on the side. Snapper with White Bean Ragout: the filets are dusted with fine ground polenta (corn flour) and pan seared. The white bean Ragout is served on the side Kabocha Squash: is a type of winter squash; it is a Japanese variety of the species cucurbita maxima. It is also called kabocha squash or Japanese pumpkin in North America. Kabocha is sweeter even than butternut squash with a delicate flavor. Therefore, Chef opts to merely steam the squash and the flavors speak for themselves. Peach Cobbler: Cobblers originated in the British American Colonies. English settlers were unable to make traditional suet puddings due to lack of suitable ingredients and cooking equipment, so instead covered a stewed filling with a layer of uncooked plain biscuits or dumplings. The origin of the name cobbler, recorded from 1859, is uncertain: it may be related to the archaic word cobeler, meaning "wooden bowl", or the term may be due to the topping having the visual appearance of a 'cobbled' stone pathway rather than a 'smooth' paving which would otherwise be represented by a rolled out pastry topping. “Crisp” and “crumble” differ from the cobbler in that the former's top layers may also include rolled oats.

Saturday, December 19 Ratatouille Stew: Ratatouille is an old French word that literally means, “To stir the pot”. In Southern France, Ratatouille is classically a stew of onions, peppers, summer squash, zucchini, eggplant, and tomatoes. For best results, the diced eggplant, summer squashes, bell peppers, and onions should be each be seasoned with , salt and pepper and roasted before being combined to simmer in a tomato sauce. The stew is typically finished with garlic and basil.

Chili Cheese Dog: The Chili Dog is an American classic, with many regional variations. Our Chili Dog is served deconstructed and consists of an all-beef hot dog, a pretzel bun, a serving of our Fireside beef Chili, a side of cheddar cheese. Once assembled, our Chili Cheese Dog most closely resembles a michigan Hot Dog, or simply a “michigan”, which was popularized in Plattsburgh, New York in 1927. Eula and Garth Otis, who opened the first michigan stand in Plattsburgh were originally from Michigan. The name of the food is traditionally not capitalized. Chef serves the Chili Dog with a slice of pickle; if you want more condiments for the Chili Dog, be sure to circle them on the menu Artisan Bread: Today, the artisan bread roll of choice is Kalamata olive bread from Lyon Baker.

Dinner Plant Based Corn Soup: is made with vegetable stock, onion, carrots, celery (remember mirepoix), corn, and is finished with coconut milk. Roasted Turkey Breast with Cranberry Confit and Gravy Beef Tagine with Sweet Potato: Beef stew with Moroccan seasonings, carrots, sweet potatoes, raisins and chickpeas. Remember, the word “Tagine” comes from the name of the dish in which this food is traditionally cooked in Morocco. There is a long list of “dishes” that take their name from the vessel in which they are cooked. Strawberry Financier: Local Pastry Chef Extraordinaire, Patrice Olivon offers yet another rendition of a classic French confection. A financier, formerly known as a “visitandine” is a small French almond cake, flavored with browned butter or beurre noisette, and usually baked in a small mold. Light and moist with a crisp, slightly bulging exterior, the traditional financier also contains egg whites, flour, and powdered sugar. The molds are usually small bite-sized rectangular loaves. Originally made by the Visitandine order of nuns in the Middle Ages, the financier was popularized in the nineteenth century. The name financier is said to derive from the traditional rectangular mold, which resembles a bar of gold. According to another tradition, the cake became popular in the financial district of Paris surrounding the Paris stock exchange, as the cake could easily be stored in the pocket for long periods without being damaged. Chef Patrice gilds the lily by flavoring his financiers with strawberry. Strawberry Financier Forever!

Sunday, October 25 Curried Cauliflower Soup is entirely plant based, and is finished with Soy Milk. Braised Beef Brisket is served with turnips and carrots, served with a Port Wine Sauce on the side. Acorn Squash: one of the Winter squashes, is sliced, roasted, and finished with pumpkin spices. Seafood Mac and Cheese: President Thomas Jefferson and James Hemings, his chef and slave, encountered macaroni in Paris and brought the recipe back to Monticello. Jefferson drew a sketch of the pasta and wrote detailed notes on the extrusion process. In 1793, he commissioned the US ambassador to France, William Short to purchase a machine for making it. Evidently, the machine was not suitable, as Jefferson later imported both macaroni and Parmesan cheese for his use at Monticello. In 1802, Jefferson served "a pie called macaroni" at a state dinner. The menu of the dinner was reported by Reverend Manasseh Cutler, who apparently was not fond of the cheesy macaroni casserole. Nevertheless, since that time, baked macaroni and cheese has remained popular in the United States. Chef Nina embellishes her macaroni and cheese this time around with crabmeat and baby shrimp and bisque.