Finally, warmer days are here! It has been such a cold winter, and we all have had our fair share of take-out. This pandemic has made us look at winter a little differently. In the winters before covid, we would hibernate and stay indoors doing our usual chores and working out at our gyms.

But it is different now. Many of us have been eating outdoors at restaurants to get a change of scenery, and to avoid the tedious chore of cooking for just one day. I see people sitting in the freezing cold outside restaurants, in their warmest clothes and blankets for their legs, trying to stay warm and have a nice dinner at the same time. Yurts, greenhouses, igloos, tents and all kinds of partly open outdoor structures have popped up at restaurants around the country. To serve customers on patios or sidewalks, restaurant owners are coming up with creative adaptations that can make dining possible in the frigid depths of winter.

In the interest of the not freezing part and not getting COVID-19, if you decide to visit a restaurant, you need to do some planning– find an outdoor setup that offers some shelter, plan an outfit to battle the elements, choose dishes that won’t get cold as soon as it hits the table (or plan to eat cold dishes). Getting a table used to be the main concern, but now you have to think about wind chill and the chance of snow.

Some eateries are attempting to extend outdoor dining into the colder winter months, setting up heated tents that might allow patrons to enjoy a meal without fear of contracting the novel coronavirus. Not all outdoor dining structures are created equally, says Richard Corsi, an air quality expert and dean of engineering and computer science at Portland State University in Oregon. “There’s a wide spectrum,” Corsi says. “The safest that we’re talking about is no walls — a roof. And then the worst is fully enclosed — which is essentially an indoor tent — especially if it doesn’t have really good ventilation and good physical distancing.”

We really longed to get out of the house, even if it was a little on the cold side just to get some relief from cabin fever. Even my husband, who is not an avid gym rat, has been taking walks, sometimes on very cold days because he needed the fresh air. Working all day in the office and having to be home on the weekends has transformed him into a walker willing to brave the cold just to be outside. I too, have found myself going out for a run in temperatures that would have had me bundled up in front of the fireplace. Getting outside has been essential to our health these days.

Hopefully, the warm weather may be here to stay, but don’t get too excited about it. I hear that we have more cold weather and some more snow (oh, no!) coming in the months ahead. I have noticed through the years that it usually snows sometime around Easter, so I am ready for it. But let’s face it, we could use a break and maybe the warm weather will return a little earlier this year. Remember, even our definition of cold has changed, and what we thought was freezing before may just be perfect for dining outside. Here ‘s hoping for a warm spring, we deserve it.

Now this is a recipe that is perfect for any cold, winter day, but you’re going to want to make it all year long. It takes Brussels sprouts to a whole new level– they are transformed into a wonderful, delicious side dish.  They are roasted to caramelized perfection in the oven, then coated in a combination of butter and hot sauce, making them appealing to even the worst Brussels sprout hater. The result is a side dish (or you could even use them as an appetizer) that even your kids will enjoy and so will you. I loved this dish because anything with hot sauce is a winner for me!

This dish is courtesy of Simply Julia, by Julia Tursten and will serve 4 people who can’t help going back for seconds.

Ingredients for Buffalo Brussels Sprouts:

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, tough outer leaves trimmed
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more if needed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoon hot sauce
1/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1 large celery stalk, thinly sliced on the diagonal, plus a few celery leaves for garnish

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.

Place the Brussels sprouts on a sheet pan.

Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and mix with your hands.

Roast the Brussels sprouts, stirring them once or twice while they cook, until they are softened (test with a paring knife) and also dark brown and crispy, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the melted butter and hot sauce in a large bowl and stir well to combine.

Transfer the hot Brussels sprouts to the butter mixture and toss well to combine. 

Season the sprouts to taste with additional salt if needed.

Transfer the sprouts to a serving platter.

Sprinkle evenly with cheese, celery, and celery leaves.

Serve hot.

It’s that simple!