Baby it's cold outside.

Ya know, I usually dig winter it's pretty and I like the recreations - snowboarding, building a snowman or a kamakura (an igloo to you folks across the water) and most of all Nabe!
I like, no. Make that, love to cook! And right now, with my knee being as useful as a rubber nose on a woodpecker, cooking is about the only thing I can do that doesn't make me wince. There are times when a person just can't be bothered with the effort of cooking a truly first class dinner with all the trimmings after all my wife and I both put in a full days work and don't get home until about 9:30 at night. So what do you do when there's no time to cook and you don't want to open a can of Chef Boyardee's spaghetti and meatballs? BTW Do they still make that stuff? I really used to love it. Ate it right out of the can. Oops off on another tangent. O.K. Back on track and talking about a quick and easy din din.

Nabe! nabenabenabenabenabenabe nabe!It's a hot pot, a one pot, a bouillabaisse, a stew, heaven on earth and it's good for you too, so your mother will approve. I'm hearing questions. What exactly is it? How do you make it? Is it safe for children of all ages? Find out here: http://japanesefood.about.com/od/onepotdishes/
Now there are some who differentiate between Japanese, Korean and Chinese "nabe" (quotes because obviously they don't call it nabe in China) but to me it's all the same. After all Kraft's mac and cheese is still pasta, right? Right!?
Do yourself a favor. Get about six friends together and make one of these things. You don't even have to follow the traditional method of making them. A double hand full o veggies and a small furry animal will do the trick!
Bon appetit.
NYD