Beating the cold in the kitchen

After a warm start, winter is bearing down on us with full force. A large swath of the northern U.S. is bracing for a winter storm that will bring frigid temperatures and bone-chilling winds. I know this not only because of the weather report, but because the store shelves were nearly empty when I went grocery shopping earlier today. In one supermarket, two-thirds of the produce shelves were completely bare (not even a bag of carrots to be found), and the rest of the store looked as though there was a going out of business sale happening. However, I was able to find everything I needed, and now I am safely cocooned in my house contemplating the foods I will make to combat the cold.

While I am not a fan of winter weather, I realize that it does make it easier to spend time on cooking and baking because outdoor activities are limited and there are fewer social events vying for my attention. I can crank up the oven and fire up all the burners on my stove without worrying about getting too hot. Plus, I can use my back porch as a walk-in refrigerator (or if the temperature drops enough, as a walk-in freezer), which means I have unlimited ingredient and leftover storage. None of that happens in the summertime.

So I will be spending the remainder of the long holiday weekend puttering about in the kitchen, not a bad way to while away the time. Soups and stews are always good when the temperature drops, so I have ribollita and chicken and dumplings on the menu planner. The oven will get a workout as well, although I have not settled on what I am going to make. I want to make croissants but yeast is rather sluggish in my cool, dry kitchen so that may not be the best option. What’s your favorite thing to bake when it’s cold outside?