As I browned small hunks of beef in a Dutch oven, the heat rising from the cast-iron pot felt good against my chest and face. The kitchen in our small house has been running cold lately. The reason is obvious to anyone who has braved the arctic chill on the streets of Washington. It doesn’t help that I like to sleep in a chilly bedroom at night, under a heavy layer of blankets, and that our home takes its sweet time warming up, thanks to a radiator system that’s slow to wake, like its owner.
