Your 'must-do' dinners

Cafe Society
1

There are certain dinners that I must cook during the year. Here they are.

  • Thanksgiving: Roasted turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, giblet gravy, and green bean casserole;
  • Christmas: Escargots in mushroom caps with creamy parmesan sauce, prime rib, baked potato, and creamed spinach with feta;
  • New Year’s Day: Ham hock & black-eyed peas, ham hock & collard greens, and cornbread; followed by BBQ ribs from the Christmas roast;
  • Mardi Gras: Shrimp/chicken/Andouille jambalaya and cornbread;
  • Easter: Ham and scratch-made potatoes au gratin.
2

My New Years Day and Easter meals are pretty similar to yours, except my greens have bacon instead of ham hock, and the exact type of greens vary depending on what’s available at the farmer’s market. This year it’s a mix of kale and beet greens. And for my Easter meal, I always have peas along with my ham and potatoes.

Some others I’ve started making special meals for:
Cinco de Mayo: Enchiladas with carnitas and a homemade tomatillo sauce, served with crema fresca and cotija cheese.
Oktoberfest: Roulade (German beef rolls stuffed with pickle, onion, bacon, and mustard), Red cabbage with apples (I forget the German name for that), mashed potatoes.

3

Rotkohl?

4

Looking at a couple of recipes, that seems right.

5

We’re pretty loose about stuff. We put off the Hanukkah latkes until New year’s Eve, and had them with smoked Nova and sour cream.

Although the Ukulele Lady insists on a heritage turkey for Thanksgiving, and a standing rib roast on Christmas. And my special Baked Hopping John for New Year’s Day.

6

Not dinner exactly, but there has to be pumpkin pie at least once a month, from October to January. No other pumpkin dessert will be accepted.

We do normally have fondue at least once per winter.

7

4th of July:
Burgers and hot dogs on the grill, my own family-favorite potato salad, corn on the cob, baked beans, strawberry shortcake ice cream sandwiches.

8

Birthdays – tacos
4th of July–tacos
Someone leaving for/visiting during/coming back from an extended absence–tacos
Funerals – pot luck furnished by a large extended family
Weddings – whatever was scheduled with the caterer
Most things are celebrated with tacos in my family