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I need some spring . . .I'm making scallops with pea puree (click my name for the link) and then either the flourless clementine cake we've been talking about on here or a citrus granita. For the rest of the menu, I'm hoping to be inspired by what comes in my Urban Organics box tonight.

I made Portuguese Stone Soup this week. I told my best friend Jose that I'd made it-he immediately invited himself over & is coming for dinner tonight with his bf. I will serve the soup with homemade cheese biscuits, followed by stuffed cabbage my gf made Wednesday and mashed (sweet?) potatoes. Dessert: pear & apple strudel pie, warmed (also made during the week to be consumed another day).
Good, hearty fare is great this time of the year! The soup is amazing-lots of veggies!

With the drop of temps out here in LA, felt the need for something simple and warming, so I made up a simple dish of beans and chorizo.

Basically, took a 1/4 of chorizo (in this case veggie chorizo), slice it into quarters and cook in a small pan with a bottle of beer. Once broken down add garlic, small cooked red beans (and pintos in the mix I made up the other night), a little homemade chile powder, some cumin, salt and pepper.

Cook to warm through, add a splash of cider vinegar and roughly chopped cilantro to finish and serve with warm gorditas.

My friends and I are having a F*ck February Feast this weekend that promises to be loverly and vaguely Italianate: a broccoli rabe and sausage pasta, a fish course, roasted beet salad, white bean soup, and some kind of roasted fruit thing for dessert.

Tonight, it's Bastard Indian: malai kofta and pitas (WHO KNEW you could fry cottage cheese? Genius!), and because it's damn cold out (-11 last time I checked), bourbon hot chocolate. No, they don't go together much, but after a couple bourbon hot chocolates, I'm not going to notice.

I made brie en croute the other night. A big wheel of brie topped with butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar then wrapped in puff pastry and baked until it's golden brown and gooey on the inside.

anyone have a good recipe for skirt steak? cold weather makes me crave iron and red meat.

we eat a lot of beets and lentils in feb.... they sort of speak to me at this time of year.

Roasted beat salad is one of my all time favorite dishes.

DrewB: veggie chorizo sounds like a dream come true. Where have you found it, and any particular kind to recommend?

We made Butternut Squash Risotto last week -- very warm and comforting. I'm also getting into dessert wines -- the extra alcohol warms you up just enough to handle the cold if you have to go outside after you eat.

LIZ - there is a recipe for skirt steak in the March issue of MS Living.

LISA - the white bean soup sounds good. would you mind sharing the recipe?

For Liz... I tried this Lime-Marinated Skirt Steak from MS Everday Food and really liked it... it's become a standby any time I'm craving red meat:
http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml;jsessionid=M1ULVXYQMIHUDWCKUU2SHPWYJKSS0JO0?type=content&id=recipe2390118&layout=edf&subStyleType=recipes&rsc=edffeatures

I serve it with Chile Sweet Potato Wedges (recipe in the same issue).

As Kristian pointed out, beets and lentils are a great combination. Twice this week I made a roasted beet and lentil salad. Roasted golden beets and beluga lentils are tossed in a sherry vinaigrette with a hint of walnut oil, topped with toasted walnuts and goat cheese and served with the beet greens, lightly sautéed.

white bean soup recipe is vunderfully easy: chicken stock, cannelini beans, chopped carrots, cannned tomatoes, green beans, onions, a little hot sauce, chopped thyme, chopped rosemary--brought to a boil and then left to simmer for hours. when the beans are soft, puree about half of it (depending on how much texture you want to remain). at that point, salt and pepper. (salt beforehand retards the cooking of the beans). we threw on some chopped parsley and parmesian cheese right before serving. a simple curative for the cold wind rattling the windoes outside.

i spelled windows like tomatoes. by mistake!

From Our Kitchen - I made brie en croute this past Christmas with my family, and it was amazingly perfect for a wintry mood. We used Paula Deen's recipe off the Food Network site... Great recommendation!

For me, soup is the perfect February treat! I love a large pot of vegetables and stock simmering on the stove.

Here are a few favorites, posted on on my bog Spoon and Stem:

Tomato Meatball Soup:
http://www.spoonandstem.com/2006/02/tomato-meatball-soup.html

Black Bean and Vegetable Soup:
http://www.spoonandstem.com/2006/02/black-bean-and-vegetable-soup.html

Yellow Split Pea Soup with Vegetables:
http://www.spoonandstem.com/2006/01/yellow-split-pea-soup-with-vegetables.html

Cream of Mushroom Soup:
http://www.spoonandstem.com/2005/12/cream-of-mushroom-soup.html

For tonight, lentil soup and avocado blts.