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I'd say: don't cater your whole menu to her. Who knows how she'll be feeling that day.

I'm in my first trimester right now. I never really know when I'm going to feel bad, and it's also hard to predict what's going to appeal to me this evening, let alone what will appeal to me in a few days or weeks. I'd be uncomfortable if a host planned a meal around what I might like to eat. Especially if I was having a 'bleagh' kind of day.

That said, previous commenters' roasted chicken idea sounded great. Simple-ish rice/pasta/potato/bread would work, but I have to tell you, risotto would make me plotz.

It may not be necessary to completely omit onions and tomatoes, just make them optional.

Yup, it has happened to me before. Really I think the only thing that get you past the rut is t-i-m-e. You could take a break altogether, only cook tried-and-true, or try to force the mojo back. I truly belive only time will restore your mojo. Trust that it will return!

@Tupper: Love it!

We don't say grace at home. Like Jerz, my FIL is a minister. He always says the nicest things for grace, heartfelt and warm. If he's at our house, I'm honored to have him say it.

I think it's weird to be offended by someone else's prayer. It's a brief expression of their beliefs or religion. I'm never going to be offended by a person's desire to give thanks.

Not gonna work. Lobsters and crabs decompose at an alarming rate. Buy lobsters alive. Keep them that way until you're going to use them. Buy them the day you plan to use them. If you want to buy lobster that will last any length of time, it has to be frozen lobster tails.

If you cook tonight, remove from the shell right away. Maybe you'll end up with a nice lobster salad.

Once my step mom tried to make latkes with Pam. Funny in retrospect, but a total bummer at the time.

Definitely worth a 40 minute drive, especially considering that TJ's fans in the Albany area have been driving over an hour to the South Hadley store for years.

-coffee
-chocolate covered blueberries
-fresh cheeses
-fresh and dried herbs
-frozen palak paneer

Bring a cooler. I already have my plan of attack for opening day: where to park, when to go.

No downside for whole cuts of meat.

On New Years Day, I cooked a 3-hour rested rib roast. I also cooked it low and slow at 225. It was the most even, end-to-end juicy pink piece of meat I've ever had. I think the perfecting was really due to the long rest time and the slow cook time.

Pears
Plantains
Flatiron Steak
Collard Greens

I love the Martha (nee: Kostyra) recipe and have used it many times. I highly recommend it.

Tomato sauces for Polish Golabki tend toward the smooth, thin, and sometimes sweet. My grandmother used tomato juice. I use canned tomato sauce (not pasta sauce, but rather the kind that's with the other plain canned tomato products.) I suppose you could use whole peeled tomatoes like San Marzanos if you seeded them first. You could squoosh or blend them. The sweet often comes from brown sugar and vinegar. I know some people like it that way, but I'm not one of them.

@Adam: Thanks for your response. Good point about mall culture vs. computer culture. I was absolutely looking to meet up with other "disaffected, angst-ridden youth." Especially the ones of the male variety.

I will back you up on your assertion that for a few minutes, bolo ties were very cool. They were edgy and "alternative." For a very, very short period of time. Kind of like trucker hats.

Oh yeah, and no alcohol. And go to bed before midnight every night.

BTW, if it's possible, my comment was both sincere and sarcastic. It always seems that when a sauce is missing something, it need some kind of acid, like vinegar or lemon juice.

Also, even though I'm from a totally different part of the country, I identify with you as a former Mall Rat. Why do you suppose Friday nights at the mall were so much better than Saturday nights?

My old mall doesn't allow anyone under 18 after 4:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays unless accompanied by someone over the age of 21. This policy came around after my day. I've actually been carded on my way in.