When I lit all those candles, I told you we were having a dark and stormy day. It was lovely. Callum's cross country season is over, but he's moved on to twice a week off-season baseball conditioning, so I'm picking him up late and we're driving home in twilight (not my fave, I'll admit). On Tuesday it was dark and blustery by the time we got home. We each went our separate ways, me to make dinner, Cal to finish his homework and Neel to light a fire. Someday I'll have a home where my fireplace is part of my kitchen/living space, but for now my cozy living room will do. This cozy dish is well-suited for a fireside supper. Warm brown rice, spicy cashew chicken, all cooled off with a cabbage salad chilled with rice vinegar and ramen.

We love this recipe, which is from Martha Stewart Living's Everyday Food: Great Food Fast cookbook and has recently made its way back into our rotation. I'll be the first to admit, however, more than a little frustration with Martha Stewart Living over the demise of Everyday Food. WTF? The other WTF? My friend Megan, who buys us a subscription for Christmas each year just got a bill for next year. For a magazine that won't exist. Way to stay classy, Martha. How's that raise working out? Oh well. Love her, hate her. Can't deny how wonderful this dinner (among other things) is.

Cashew Chicken adapted from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast

1.5 lbs chicken breast, cubed

1 T cornstarch

coarse salt and pepper

2 T vegetable oil

6 garlic cloves, minced

8 scallions, cut into one inch pieces (which we didn't have, obviously)

2 T rice vinegar

3 T hoisin sauce

3/4 cup cashews

rice, for serving

In a bowl, toss chicken with cornstarch until coated and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1-2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the chicken (in batches, if necessary, adding remaining vegetable oil). Turn often, until browned. Add garlic near the end, along with the white parts of the scallions, tossing often. Add the vinegar and cook until evaporated.

Once vinegar has evaporated, add hoisin sauce and 1/4 cup water, tossing until the chicken is coated and throughly cooked through. Remove from heat and toss with cashews and green parts of scallions (if you have 'em!).

For the Ramen Cabbage Salad, check here. I'm trusting you can handle the rice on your own.

Every year we have chili at Halloween. Generally all the neighbors gather in one yard, consolidating candy and food, and await the kiddos. Sandy made it hard to plan, so we were all pretty much on our own. Plus Cal had homework. And don't even get me started on the science homework. At least not here. But still, I made chili, like I always do. And you're probably thinking, is she ever going to photograph anything besides soup? Maybe next week.

Lauren's Halloween Chili, slightly different every time

2-3 chicken breasts, cubed

1 onion chopped

cooking sherry

1 can cream style corn

2 cans great northern beans, drained

1 can white hominy, drained

add to taste:

chili powder

cumin

brown sugar

red pepper flakes

garlic salt

Sauté onion in a bit of olive oil. Once translucent, add chicken cubes and sauté until golden brown. (Now. I wanted the chicken carmelized, but I also wanted it shredded, so once browned, I took the time to pull the cubes of chicken out to cool. You could just as easily leave the chicken cubed and in the pan.) Add sherry to deglaze the pan and reduce. Once the sherry has reduced, add corn, beans and hominy, along with the spices. If you've removed the chicken, shred it and add it back now. Bring to a boil and simmer on low for several hours so the spices meld.

Garnish with corn chips, cheddar cheese, and/or sour cream.

To my mind, the key to this dish is the sherry (always), the brown sugar (always), the cumin (always), and this year's generous helping of chili powder. It's always better when you put your own stamp on it.

fireside supper #2 {life}

chili {life}