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My recent Multilingual column mentioned tuna noodle hotdish. For those readers who aren’t familiar with this snowbelt classic, here’s a recipe.

This is an old standard for Norwegian-Lutherans in the USA snowbelt—it’s what we make when our neighbor’s recovering from surgery, or when a friend has just had a death in the family, or when we need to bring something for the church potluck, or if it’s a cold night and we’re hungry.

It’s not a fancy recipe—and that’s the whole point. It’s cheap, easy comfort food.

• one can of tuna
• one 12 oz bag of egg noodles
• one can of cream of mushroom soup
• a few slices of Velveeta
• salt
• pepper
• oregano
• potato chips

Prepare one package of egg noodles in boiling, salted water according to directions on the bag. Drain. Add tuna, cream of mushroom soup concentrate, about half a soup can of water, Velveeta, salt and pepper, and oregano. Stir, return to heat, and heat through. Correct seasonings. Top with crumbled potato chips.

Variation: top with potato chips and heat in oven-proof casserole at 350˚F for about 30 minutes.

Things have gotten too serious in here lately… Let’s lighten it up with a celebration of our multicultural industry. This Mediterranean recipe adapted from Paula Wolfert’s is a big favorite in our house this time of year. It sounds horrible, I know, but trust Paula–it’s delicious. When I bring it to potlucks, people look at it, wince, squint at me, and later ask me for the recipe.

Cracked Green Olive-Walnut-Pomegranate Salad (Paula Wolfert)

• 8 oz green olives, chopped roughly
• 2 T olive oil
• 3/4 C walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
• 2 scallions, sliced
• 1/4 C minced fresh parsley (I used cilantro instead)
• 1/8 t freshly ground black pepper
• pomegranate molasses (simmer 1-1/2 C pomegranate juice until reduced to 1/4 C)
• 1 T lemon juice (I used Meyer lemon)
• 1/2 C pomegranate seeds (I often use much more than this)
• salt and pepper to taste (you want to feel the sting of black pepper and be able to taste the salt ever so slightly; both tastes will mellow overnight)

Mix together. Refrigerate overnight. I’ve seen another version of this recipe where you serve dollops of this on a radicchio leaf.

You can play around with the proportions a lot and it’s still a great salad. Just make sure that the vinaigrette is zippy and has a nice, peppery sting. When you take it out the next day, adjust the seasonings; it often needs more lemon, salt, and pepper.

Kosher salt only! Throw that other drek away!