The day started off so wet and gloomy, we thought the weather would never turn around. But just as we were serving our poached salmon and string beans tossed in olive oil and preserved lemon for lunch this afternoon, a nice breeze picked up and the sun broke through the clouds. All is hopeful again on this rare twenty-ninth day of February. Happy leap day, dear friends.

We were about to grind the remaining prime rib meat from yesterday’s short ribs to make a decadent meatloaf for lunch today until we heard an announcement on WDVR, our local radio station: The Rieglesville, PA Fire Company is putting on their lenten Fish Fry tonight, from 5–7 pm. After that delicious prospect, meatloaf didn’t seem quite right on this sunny but cold Friday. So we switched gears and whipped up an ethereal cheese soufflé instead—because we are definitely going to tonight’s fish fry.

We have been on the road, behind our desks, or looking through the camera. Back in our studio today, with the remnants of last night’s wild storm blowing hard outside. Someone gave us three ribs of prime beef. We sliced the marbled meat from the long bones, cut it into pieces, and seared it on a cast-iron griddle. Inspired by Hawaiian-style Korean kalbi, we served it with lettuce leaves, scallions, and a doctored soy sauce. Henry, the studio dog, has been gnawing on the Flintstones’ sized bone all afternoon. The ends of his long beautiful ears are wet with grease—that’s one way to take care of split ends.

The day started out cold and moody with snow flurries. The weather called for a lunch of something long-cooked. We made a stew of veal, onions, and shiitakes and served it with Anson Mills’ rice grits. Now the sun is out, the snow has melted, and the stew was delicious—a wonderful day so far.

It’s meatball Tuesday around here for lunch today. We made them tender, with ground lamb and beef, basmati rice, cream, grated onion, toasted ground cumin, and served them in a delicate tomato sauce. Our “spaghetti” to serve with, was blanched ribbons of zucchini tossed with olive oil s & p.

Happy Chinese New Year and welcome to the Year of the Monkey. We stir-fried up a little holiday lunch for ourselves: chicken with mustard greens and Malabar spinach, eggplant with scallions and long beans, and of course, rice. It seemed like the auspicious thing to do. As they are saying in Hong Kong today, Gung Hay Fat Choy, dear friends.

We can’t understand when people turn their delicate noses up at leftovers. Today lunch is pequillo peppers filled with roasted tomato risotto—a marriage (made in heaven) of the remnants of two separate dinners. It was meant to be, and now we’ll make it again. Do you have a favorite recipe that started off as the remains of another meal? Then please share it, dear friends.