My Brother came by for the night, and it was still cool and rainy, so I made suitable food for the occasion- casual, but refined, and above all yummy. Local organic beef stew meat plus soaked kidney beans, mirepoix, smoked chicken broth, spices, and tomato paste became a first-rate chili after a couple of hours. Potatoes and zucchini with a sauce of milk, yogurt, leftover cream of garden soup, plus grated goat cheddar, pecorino, and parmesan baked into a pretty good gratin (given that I skipped the bechamel to get it done in time.) With a big salad, it covered all requisite bases and offered a fresh take on some staple comfort foods that normally have more heft- though not necessarily for the better.
