I’m dreaming of my perfect dinner tonight, and I think it would be a fondue with Grueyere and some little side dishes of roasted leeks, one of roasted corn with shallot, one of caramelized baby onions, and tiny little arugula leaves with a mustard, parsley, and red vinegar dressing. And wine. And a fire. And then for dessert, I would love an apple tart with caramelized apples and ever so softly whipped cream.
The reality is, I had a fight with my husband and we are having turkey meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Maybe I’ll make some escarole and garlic to go with it. But I’m not making tarts. And I’m not lighting any candles, not even under a fondue pot. Anyway, I don’t even have a fondue pot. I need a fondue pot. I know I have no time to be making fondue, and no energy to be building fires or stirring a little fork around in a cheese sauce, but some day I’m going to, and I’m going to be ready for it.

Turkey meatloaf doesn’t have to be a bad thing. I like to serve it with roasted tomatoes. Just pour about a quarter cup of heavy cream over a half a cup of breadcrumbs made from a crusty loaf of bread, and let it get mushy. Add a pound of ground turkey. Saute a few shallots and a few cloves of garlic with fresh sage, a teeny bit of rosemary, some parsley, and a little bit of fresh thyme. Don’t get upset if you don’t have all of these fresh herbs. You can use dried if you have to. When this has cooled down a bit, add a whole egg, and mush the whole thing around with your hand. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you are wondering if you added enough salt, just make a little tiny hamburger, the size of a quarter, and taste it to see what you need. Form the whole thing into a long, narrow free form loaf (it will cook faster) and roast at 350 degrees with a little soft butter smushed around the top. It will be done when you stick a sharp knife in the middle, it comes out hot to your lip.

Be sure when you make your potatoes that they are crowded in the pan, and that the water comes only up to the potatoes. Use plenty of salt in the water, and cook them over a low heat. Rinse the escarole well, and get four cloves of garlic slivered into your gorgeous olive oil until they are golden. Add the escarole, and cook until well wilted. Add salt, and if you like, a few (three or four) red pepperflakes. This is really good with crepes filled with whipped cream and chopped strawberries with sugar and a little lemon zest for dessert. Instead of confectioner’s sugar on the top, use a little granulated sugar that you added a little vanilla to.