Dark and Stormy Night = Comfort Food!

A handful of days past the seasonal time change, and our nights are dark and cold (and damp!), making our nighttime bike rides terribly unpleasant.

Dampness and coldness and sniffly noses simply beg for something warm, hearty, and soothing.

The French — apparently no strangers to the dark and stormy night — have just the thing: the cassoulet! It's a homey delight, chock-full of zippy sausage, delicate duck confit, savory braised lamb, and tender cannoli beans swimming in thick, rich sauce. (I'll take mine with a crisp layer of Japanese panko toasted on the top.) That's the meatitarian original, and any recipe worth its salt will have duck confit, pork and, I'd wager, a bouquet garni (that's French for "bundle of herbs," yo).

Mighty meaty, eh? But never fear, my veggie and pork-free friends, good Chef Daniel Boulud didn't forget you, publishing this delicious root-vegetable version in his Cafe Boulud Cookbook. Hurrah! A cassoulet in every pot! A warm belly in every home!