As many of you know, Bookman does all the cooking year-round except for the winter Solstice. Back when we were newly married and starting to make our own traditions, we decided to celebrate the Solstice. It has become a perfect holiday to celebrate especially since we left the sunny climes of southern California for Minnesota. We now are intimately familiar with seasons, particularly winter.

Because Bookman works in the retail business and has no time to plan a special dinner and sometimes even had to work on Solstice, I became the one to plan and cook the meal. Bookman did have the day off today and so was able to help. He has difficulty not being the one in charge in the kitchen, but today we worked really well together and had the joy of producing this fantastic and delicious meal:

Seitan roast stuffed with shitake mushrooms and leeks with chickpea gravy. On the side is ginger roasted winter vegetables (carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes and acorn squash).

For dessert:

Vegan banana-chocolate “cheesecake.” It’s made with cashews and tofu. Rich, yes. But it didn’t stop me from wishing I could eat the whole thing. As you can see, the sun was also shining.

It has been a wonderful solstice today. I can’t think of any better way to spend a holiday than by cooking a special meal with the person I love most and then eating it together, complimenting each other between bites, and now holding our stomachs and declaring how full we are.

Tomorrow there will be leftovers followed by more compliments and full stomachs.

Life is good.

Happy Solstice!