With Christmas right around the corner, I’ve got my car radio station locked on KOST 103.5. They are the only radio station in L.A. crazy enough to play continuous Christmas carols all day long starting the week before American Thanksgiving. As such, you might say they are my personal heroes. A radio station that makes my freakish obsession with Christmas perfectly acceptable? Heroes. Just saying.

Anyway, during a break in the music a few days ago, the announcers on the station were having a discussion about U2’s song, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” In particular, they discussed the line: “Well tonight thank God it’s them instead of you.” This line is in reference to the population of the world who are not even close to being as fortunate as we are, and in fact, live in dread and fear.

The announcers were trying to decide if the line was too controversial, or if it was just a painfully honest and accurate description of the thanks that we should have every single day for the lives of plenty we live here in North America, Europe and other fortunate parts of the world. In the end, they decided, and I agreed, that the line, though hard to stomach in a Christmas song, was not controversial. It was just the truth.

Why the heck am I talking about this?

Well, because, today is Thanksgiving here in the USA, and call me crazy, but I’ve got gratitude on my brain!

In the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it’s easy to let stress get the better of us, to speed through our days, anxiously checking things off our list and looking toward the next thing without taking the time to enjoy the moment of achieving the one that preceded it. There’s a difference between angrily declaring, “Ugh! I have 17 pies to bake today and not enough time!” and, “I’m so excited! I’m going to put Christmas carols on and spend the day baking 17 pies! Talk about an amazing day!” (as you may have guessed, the latter was me yesterday: I baked 5 pecan, 10 pumpkin, and 3 apple pies yesterday, singing and dancing to Nat King Cole and the other familiar Christmas crooners all the while).

The point is that I’m lucky to even have the means to buy the ingredients to make these pies, much less to have the roof over my head, the oven in my kitchen, and a kitchen for that matter, to bake these pies in the first place. And what’s more, I’m grateful to have enough friends and family to share them with. Essentially, what I’m trying to say is that we should all be grateful that we have the gift of choice. When you’re fighting for the last turkey at Costco, or ready to hurt someone for stealing your parking spot – whatever you are doing, just remember: you were fortunate enough to be able to have the option to buy food, to drive a car, to pay for gas to make the car run – you get the point.

On a lighter note, and in keeping with this thought of gratitude, I’m grateful for my friend Liza who gave me the recipe I’m about to share with you. It will warm your bellies and bring a smile to your face! And though there are people in the world who may never have a chance to eat something so delicious, you can honor them by honoring your food. Be grateful for every bite, every meal you don’t have to skip, every meal that makes your eyes roll back into your head because it’s so unbelievably tasty, every meal that nourishes your body and fuels you for your life.

Liza Utter’s Oven Roasted Halibut with Cherry Tomatoes, Leeks and Olive Oil

Serves 4

4 pieces of Halibut (or 1 big one that you can cut into 4)

4 large leeks, cut into 1/4 inch peices (whites and light green parts only)

1/2 – 1 cup olive oil (you will feel this out)

3 pints cherry tomatoes (I put more because I LOVE them – your call!)

Salt and pepper to taste

1.Heat the pan over medium-high heat. Add 2-4 tablespoons olive oil (enough to just coat 1/4 of the leeks).

2. Once the oil is hot,  add 1/4 of the chopped leeks to the pan. You want to crisp these up to use as a garnish to finish the meal, so get them nice and brown and crispy, but don’t burn them! Once they are nice and crispy, put them aside on a plate lined with a paper towel to catch the grease.

3. Using the same pan, turn the heat down to low. Add about 1/2 cup of olive oil, or however much you need to coat the entire bottom of the pan. The olive oil is going to be part of the sauce, so you can be generous with it!

4. Once the oil is hot, add the rest of the leeks. Sweat them for 10-15 minutes until they are soft, buttery and translucent. You can add salt and pepper at this stage, or you can wait until the end.

5. Once the leeks are soft, add the cherry tomatoes.

6. Once the tomatoes are in the pan, turn up the flame so as to let the oil, tomatoes and leeks simmer together for about 15 minutes.  Let everything reduce together. After 15 minutes or so, put the cover over the pan on low flame and let them cook out for another 15-20 minutes. If you haven’t seasoned with salt and pepper yet, do it now.

7. Meanwhile, wash and dry your fish. Place in a baking dish. Coat with a little bit of olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and salt and pepper on both sides. Bake at 375F for about 15 minutes – it depends on how big the fish is. I kept checking it every 10 minutes, and took it out when it looked like it was almost ready (carry over cooking will occur once the fish it out of the oven, which will cook it to perfection).

8. To serve, make a bed on the plate with leeks and tomatoes. Then place a piece of fish on top, followed by more leeks and tomatoes, followed by the crispy leeks you prepared earler.

Thank you to Liza for giving me this recipe, and for being so wonderful in so many ways!

Wishing my American friends and loved ones a very Happy Thanksgiving, and reminding everyone to be grateful for your ability to move, to see, to hear, to feel, to love, to be loved, to breathe, and of course, to eat.

With love and gratitude,

Lauren

xxx