spicy miso butternut squash soup.

I've got the flu (Happy 2014).

I can't bring myself to eat anything so instead of eating, I've spent the last 48 hours doing nothing but watching the Food Network and the Cooking Channel, drinking copious amounts of tea, and cooking in between hours spent lying on the couch.  (I am the worst sick person ever and can't lie down for more then a couple of hours.)

This soup was the result of me really wanting to use my new immersion blender and trying to make something super comforting. It's stick to your ribs thick (and healthy) with an incredible umami kick from the miso and tahini.  Those flavors pair incredibly well the sweet squash and tart lime juice.  All you need to serve it with is a thick slice of crusty bread to sop up any remnants.

Spicy Miso Butternut Squash Soups

Serves 3

3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 inch piece of ginger, grated
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups butternut squash or pumpkin puree
3 tablespoons white miso
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/4 cup cilantro, minced
1 tablespoon tahini
Juice of 1 lime
Sesame seeds and additional cilantro for sprinkling

In a large pot, heat the coconut oil over medium heat.  Add the garlic and the ginger and cook, stirring on occasion until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add the cayenne and the cumin and stir to combine.  Gradually pour in the vegetable or chicken stock.  Add in the squash puree, miso, rice vinegar, cilantro, and tahini. Cook for about 10 minutes allowing the flavors to meld.

Blend the soup using an immersion blender or pour it in a blender or Cusinart to blend. Pour the juice of the lime into the soup.  Serve immediately with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and cilantro if desired.

a year in review.

It's the end of the year.  It's the end of another year. 

I usually get to this point and feel like the last 365 days have blurred together into a mass of random memories.  I forget all that happened and all that I saw, tasted, and felt.  I keep thinking that I need to start a journal where I write one sentence each day about what happened so when I reach the end of the year, I can actually recall what I did and what I saw. (Perhaps a resolution for 2014 or perhaps that's why I have a blog.)

But some moments do stick out. Seeing the west coast for the first time and eating life-changing bread, sushi, and burritos.  A quick jaunt to Miami with one of my best friends.  Perfecting the homemade granola bar and making a red velvet engagement cake.  Eating loaves of babka from Breads Bakery, tomatoes 20 different ways at Stone Barns, ethereal gnocchi from Thirty Acres,  and epic bread from Tartine (yes the bread was that good that it deserves being mentioned twice).  We got a couch!  I cooked with ramps (a lot) and turned 28. I switched jobs and started cursing less.  I learned that miso is the greatest condiment of all time and you can never eat too much burrata.  I took a weekend trip upstate and ate a cheese danish that I still can't get out of my head.  I made homemade s'mores and my new favorite chocolate chip cookie.  I sat around a fire pit with my family singing Motown hits.  I cooked and cooked and cooked and made lots of magical things and some not so magical things.  I learned about cheese and drank a lot of pinot noir.  I saw a sunset that made the sky look as if it was on fire.  I drank hot chocolate that makes me rethink everything I ever thought I knew about hot chocolate.  We got a Christmas tree that is the most adorable Christmas tree we've ever gotten (Stanley I adore you).  And then there was that snowy weekend that I got engaged which made for the perfect most magical end to a very epic year (I'm still glowing).  

Here's to 2014.  

buttermilk tea cookies with lemon glaze.

Lemon, buttermilk, and cornmeal are a match made in cookie heaven. 

(I'm at a loss of words today probably because my brain has turned to mush since I've done nothing but eat cookies for the last week.)  

These would make a fine addition to a New Year's Day brunch spread.  They are crunchy from the addition of cornmeal yet they remain soft and tender from the buttermilk.  It's as if a cookie and a piece of cake had a baby and this is what resulted (cookies and cake should get together more often).  I love them served with tea for a supremely awesome afternoon snack with friends but they are equally delicious with milk as most cookies are. 

Buttermilk Tea Cookies with Lemon Glaze

Recipe from One Girl Cookies Cookbook

Makes about 24 cookies

For the cookies

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 -1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (depending on how much lemon you like)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg 
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup buttermilk

For the glaze

Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar, or more as needed
1/4 cup poppy seeds or gold sanding sugar for sprinkling 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, lemon zest, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix on medium speed for 1 minute. Reduce the speed to low, and mix in 1/3 of the flour mixture and then ½ of the buttermilk. Scrape down the bowl. Add another 1/3 of the flour mixture and the remaining buttermilk.

Remove the bowl from the mixer, and fold in the remaining flour mixture with a rubber spatula until it is fully incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.

When you are ready to bake the cookies, prepare the lemon glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, and confectioners’ sugar. The glaze should be as thick as glue. If the glaze is too thin, thicken it with additional confectioners’ sugar. Set it aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Using a small cookie scoop or a spoon, place 1-tablespoon rounds of dough onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, leaving 1 inch between cookies.

Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes, until they are golden around the edges (they may take a minute longer depending upon your oven). Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet.

While the cookies are still warm, drizzle a small amount (about ½ teaspoon) of the lemon glaze over each cookie, and then sprinkle on 1⁄8 teaspoon of the poppy seeds or sprinkles. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

salted chocolate rye cookie.

For those who are a fan of cookie dough, this cookie is for you.  (And really who isn't a fan of cookie dough.)  

This is rich and decadent.  A chocolate cookie that brings to mind flourless chocolate cake but is really so much better then flourless chocolate cake.  The small amount of rye flour binds the whole thing together and provides a subtle nuttiness.  The cookie emerges from the oven with barely set edges that give way to the creamiest, gooiest, center that most everyone can't resist.  A sprinkle of sea salt makes for the perfect finish.

Salted Chocolate Rye Cookies

Recipe from Baking Society which got it from the Tartine Book No. 3 (be still my heart Tartine)

¾ cup whole-grain dark rye flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
14 ounces dark chocolate (I used 72%), finely chopped
4 tablespoons. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1½ cups light brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Maldon salt or fleur de sel, for sprinkling

In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt.

Place chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water – keep , stirring until just melted and combined. Remove bowl from pan; set aside. (Note – This can be done in the microwave with success.  Just keep an eye on it and stir the mixture every 20 or so seconds so nothing burns since there is nothing worse than burnt chocolate.)

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip eggs on medium speed until fluffy. Keep the mixer on low and slowly add sugar. Once all the sugar is added, increase speed to medium-high and keep beating until eggs have nearly tripled in volume, about 6 minutes. Add reserved chocolate mixture and the vanilla; mix until combined. Again, with mixer on low, slowly add dry ingredients until a soft, loose dough forms. Cover dough with plastic wrap; chill 30 minutes. (Note – Dough can be kept in the fridge for about 48 hours before using.)

Heat oven to 350°. Using 2 tablespoons for each, drop cookies onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets, spaced about 2” apart. Sprinkle cookies with Maldon salt or fleur de sel; bake until cookies are puffed, 8-10 minutes (rotate pans halfway through the baking time).

lemon, olive oil, and almond biscotti.

There was a time in my life, not too long ago, that I dismissed biscotti  in favor of the more fancy cookie varieties. Biscotti appeared so plain and boring when next to the chocolate-caramel-sea salt-nutty-oatty-cookies that are all the rage.  But you reach a point, usually after your third over the top cookie in a row when you want to reach for a palate cleanser, and that's where these shine.  

These biscotti may not look like much, but they pack a lot of flavor.  The combination of almonds, lemon, and olive oil is one of the most classic Italian pairings of all time and the reason it's been around for so long is because it's that good.  This particular biscotti recipe is one of my favorites.  They come together quickly, pack a flavor punch, and make for a wonderful addition to any cookie plate.  I also love pairing them with lemon or vanilla gelato if you are serving them in a more formal setting.  Or as a side to an afternoon cup of coffee as is the tradition in Italy.  

Lemon, Olive Oil, and Almond Biscotti
Recipe adapted from One Girl Cookies 

I streamlined this recipe because when I finally got around to making these I was looking for ways to make my life easier since I still had more cookies to make and a kitchen to clean.  I think my version allows you to whip these up with ease.

Makes about 48 cookies

1 cup almond flour
2 large eggs
Grated zest of 2 Meyer lemons (or 2 regular lemons or 1 lemon and and 1 orange)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup Sicilian (preferred) or regular olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the eggs, lemon zest, sugar, olive oil, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed for 1 minute.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the ground almonds, flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer running on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, stopping two or three times to scrape down the bowl. Mix until the dough is just beginning to come together. Do not overmix.

Scoop the dough out onto a parchment paper–lined baking sheet, and shape it into 2 equal logs. The dough should be sticky—you may need to wet your hands slightly with water in order to work with it. Each log should be about as wide as two knuckles on your middle finger and about ½-inch tall. Bake for 14 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet and bake for 14 more minutes. Let the logs cool on the baking sheet for 12 to 15 minutes.

Reduce the oven temperature to 250 degrees.  

Transfer the logs to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, slice the logs into ½-inch-thick biscotti. Put the biscotti on the parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them ½-inch apart. Bake for 7 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet and bake for 7 more minutes, or until the biscotti are slightly crisp on the exposed sides. Transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool completely.

engaged.

I got engaged.  

I got engaged after 7 years, 11 months, and 10 days of dating a guy who has not only become my best friend but is truly in every sense of the phrase my better half. 

I questioned how I would divulge this, talk about it, dictate it to people because we spent the majority of the morning after it occurred having it be a secret between us.  I enjoyed those hours.  It made the whole thing feel special and utterly us.  I'm not one who enjoys talking about myself.  I'm not one who likes being the center of attention so discussing it in any way feels strange.  But when you feel giddy and you glow and you smile whenever you look over at the guy you are going to marry, you can't help but want to let people know.  (I've caught myself looking at him when we are at the gym and thinking to myself I get to marry this guy.  It's the most absurdly amazing thought ever.)  

Whenever I envisioned getting engaged I always thought about what I would eat after.  What I would cook after. What would I be craving.  (Once a foodie always a foodie.)  That dish ended up being cheesy avocado scrambled eggs, toast, a large coffee, and an almond chocolate croissant eaten while the snow fell outside. We were clothed in sweatpants and over-sized sweaters and our adorable Christmas tree (aka Stanley) lit the room up.  It felt special yet utterly normal and impossibly us.  It was what I always envisioned my proposal being like but a thousand times better.  It was comforting and warm and perfect in every sense of the word. 

So I'm engaged and I'm thrilled and that guy I love will someday by my husband and that's a thought that is weirdly frightening yet comforting at the same time.  

(To note.  The film Pitch Perfect was watched while we ate breakfast which makes the whole thing feel even more us.  If you haven't seen Pitch Perfect, I'm not sure if we can be friends.)