Nine days ago, the weathermen predicted a storm so I went to the store and felt a little foolish but thought I’d stock up even if it was a conspiracy to get people shopping. The next day was snowy and I felt wonderfully wise. Now, it’s over a week later, 15 inches of snow higher, and I’m down to my last grapefruit.

My kitchen window view yesterday before another 6 inches came down.

So, it’s been a day of working from home, impromptu chicken (frozen breast) and noodles with peanut sauce (had to substitute ginger powder for fresh, and make my own version of chili sauce) and trying I am to remain optimistic despite losing our LAD holiday party today and many other inconveniences.

It does remind me of the NYC Blizzard of 96 when everything shut down except for my office. I was told that despite the state of emergency those of us who could still walk to work were expected in. I got there, had nothing to do, and made a lunch reservation for Bolo, Bobby Flay’s Spanish place across the street on 22nd. Three of us camped at a table, ordered a bottle of wine, had a 4 hour lunch and called it a day. Snow days are probably not the best days to impose autoritarian rules.

I guess the best thing about storms like this is the opportunity to be reminded that our tendency to think everything is within our control is a comfortable allusion.

It’s been fun to simply get caught up on house projects, pack for Mexico with the hope that I will in fact fly out on Thursday, and enjoy the scrumptous treats in my cabinets.

Tonight, I’ve tucked in with a ginger bread cookie from Two Tarts (Thanks Mark!) and a delicious Chocolate Stout from Rogue’s fantastic Thanksgiving Weekend garage sale. No complaints from this snowed in girl.

Late night Oregon snack -- stout and ginger cookies.

Spicy Chicken Salad

He doesn’t have his own Food Network show and his name isn’t on plates in Macy’s, but kids love to learn about food from this guy. Matthew Locricchio wears many hats – chef, teacher and award-winning author. He is the real deal. His cookbooks whisk kids away on a global adventure, connect them to cultures and build their confidence through pure and authentic recipes. With the success of his first international cookbook for kids, Locricchio is gearing up to release The 2nd International Cookbook for Kids in October 2008.

Shrimp with Feta Cheese and Tomatoes

Locricchio’s first international cookbook for kids featured “the big four” of world cooking – China, France, Italy and Mexico. In 2005, it was the winner of several awards including the Disney Adventures Magazine Award for Best Hands-On Book and the Gourmand World Cookbook Award for the Best Cookbook for Children and Families in the USA. The 2nd International Cookbook for Kids maintains the same high standards and design of the first book but includes “the next big four” of world cooking – Brazil, Greece, India and Thailand.

Finished! Shrimp with Feta Cheese and Tomatoes

We received one of Locricchio’s advanced cookbooks and took full advantage of the recipes. I chose to make the Spicy Chicken Salad (Thailand), the Shrimp with Feta Cheese and Tomatoes (Greece) and the Brazil Nut Cookies. These recipes are more advanced than the typical kids cookbooks I remember from my childhood and what I’ve seen in the bookstores today, but they are all easy to follow. This would be a great gift for the holidays for your child or grandchild and a great resource to teach kids about culture through food.

Lota chose to try out the Hearts of Palm salad (Brazil)…

It’s me Lota. Maybe I’m just a kid at heart, because I truly enjoyed reading each and every step of the simple-to-make Hearts of Palm Salad, but most importantly I LOVED eating it.

This is a 10 minute recipe that may be designed for budding chefs that can still count their age on two hands, but it could just as easily be a last minute dish for entertaining people closer to middle age. So for my purposes, I’ve renamed this dish “The Kid-At-Hearts of Palm Salad.” The simplicity is surprising, because the complementary flavors in the salad are actually complex and the presentation is gorgeous.

This is officially my new summer potluck dish. It’s easy to prepare, beautiful, a little exotic and pleasing to palates of all ages. Try it and you’ll like it, I swear… cross my heart.