In the recent weeks of navigating shelter-in-place orders and social distancing, my husband and I have taken advantage of time at home to do cooking projects. We cook at home often, especially during the week. Although we usually stick to simple recipes or our well-tested favorites, we decided to try some new recipes and long projects.

Last weekend we did a tapas night on Saturday. My husband led the charge. He grilled lamb chops and radicchio, made a smoked eggplant and tomato dip and made a chorizo and potato dish. He is great at coming up with dishes on his own, while I prefer following a recipe. My contribution was fried calamari from a recipe in a tapas cookbook. It was a delicious meal, and we had plenty of leftovers!

The next day my husband wanted to use his smoker. The time-consuming process is perfect when you’re spending the day at home. He decided to make pork and beef ribs. After several hours of preparation and cooking, our meal was ready. We both agreed the pork ribs were our favorite. He is already thinking of what he can use the smoker for next.

I hope you all are staying safe!

— Katie Skrzek, vice president/digital director