The Right Stuff

Thursday, I purchased a last-minute plane ticket to Ohio for a family reunion. Friday, my flight was cancelled. Saturday, my rebooked flight departed for Cleveland. Sunday, I spent the day at the reunion. Monday, I returned to New York.

There was a bit of uncertainty during this short-but-sweet weekend due to the crazy weather pattern, but one thing was for sure: I ate my weight in food. When I arrived in Ohio on Saturday, I inhaled a pile of battered perch and french fries (my grandpa's favorite combo). Of course, I ate nonstop at the family reunion the following day.

Who can say no to my mom's ribs, walking tacos (non-Midwesterners, please Google this), and loads of sides? I sure can't. I ate two heirloom tomato slices for good measure.

After the reunion, we grilled Slovenian sausages from the local butcher. I savored the moment, and then realized it was time to lighten up my diet.

I headed to my local organic market after work today on a mission to find the best-looking vegetables. I settled on summer squash and zucchini, stuffing them with onion, red pepper, basil and—yes—a little Gruyere. Delicious and nutritious.

Stuffed Summer Squash

Yield: 2 servings

2 medium squash (I used one summer squash and one zucchini)

1/2 sweet onion, diced

1/2 red pepper, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup chopped basil

1 egg

3/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 cups tomato sauce

Olive oil, for drizzling

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Trim the ends of the squash and cut lengthwise. With a spoon or melon baller, scoop out the flesh, leaving 1/4-inch-thick shells. Save 3/4 of the flesh. Pour sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch pan and place four squash halves on top like bowls.

3. In a separate bowl, combine squash flesh with onion, red pepper, garlic, basil, egg, and 1/4 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Distribute evenly among squash. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of each and drizzle with olive oil.

4. Bake for 45 minutes, uncovered, until squash is tender and cheese is melted.

Here's to hoping this dish will squash my gorging—at least for this week.

Family Food

To say that I eat well when I'm with my family would be an understatement.

For the Knifics, eating is something of a sport. We constantly talk about food, have opinions regarding what we've consumed, compare dishes, plan meals and rank restaurants. When I'm visiting my parents in Ohio, our time together typically centers around food. Whether it's learning a family recipe from my mom or enjoying a meal by chef Michael Symon, our preferred activity is pretty obvious.

I arrived back in New York earlier today after a weekend with my mom, dad and brother (sadly, sans Ryan). I booked a last-minute flight to spend time with my mom, who recently underwent surgery. My hope was to cook a couple dinners for her so she could relax and get back to her full strength.

Although we didn't head to any restaurants, we definitely did our fair share of eating. With the help of my brother, Christopher, I spent the weekend cooking up a storm. From osso buco with saffron risotto (one of my mom's favorites) to coffee-crusted pork tenderloin with bourbon cream sauce and polenta, we ate like it was going out of style. Christopher even made his grilled artichokes, which is one of my personal favorites. And my dad, the official family mixologist, poured a few cocktails and selected some wines to pair perfectly with the food.

Being who she is, my mom still managed to find her way into the kitchen. ("Mom, please rest! It's good for you!") She showed me how to make her mom's Polish Sweet Bread, which I plan to dedicate an entire post to soon.

Even with my mom not feeling up to par, we unsurprisingly found a way to make food the main event. My mom, of course, was the star guest.