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Pretty in Pink

Rose’ season has sprung, and I am happy to report that I have tasted a healthy dose of “pink” so far this year. They are created in varying shades. And although color doesn’t always give away what the flavor intensity will be, I tend to prefer the ones that are a true “blush” or “barely pink.” Crisp, mineral, and long finishing rose’s are the ones on my radar. I tend to love ones from Provence  and other southern French regions – usually boasting a wealth of flavor from the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, and Cinsault grape varietals.

Most rose’s that I have come across have utilized the traditional method of “limited skin contact” during production. In other words, the red grapes are crushed, juices are extracted, and the skins are left in contact with the juice for a limited amount of time. The structure of the wine is more like a white wine than a red, due to the lack of tannin structure that you would get from longer skin contact (ie when making red wines.) There are other ways to make rose… In Champagne, for example, they vinify red and white wines separately (usually Pinot Noir or Pinot Meuniere for reds, and Chardonnay for whites) and then they blend the wines to make rose’. Another method is “Saignee,” where the winemaker bleeds off the juice after limited skin contact with the skins. The pink “must” is removed and vinified separately than the concentrated red juice that is left over. Essentially, rose is considered to be a byproduct of red wine fermentation in this method.

There are three rose’s that I have come across so far this year that have “WOWed” me. One is a favorite of mine that year to year has remained consistently high quality. One is a very unique result of brilliant wine-making, and one is perhaps my new all around favorite – in price and quality, but unfortunately not in quantity, as I have yet to acquire any for myself! See the descriptions below and enjoy the recipe with any of these, or your favorite pink!

2010 Domaine du Bagnol Cassis Rose – A gorgeous blend of Grenache, Cinsault, and Mourvedre…  Melon, berries, stone fruits, and lots of minerals. This wine is so complex! Super long finishing, and perfectly balanced acidity. I know that I say this every year about the current vintage, but the 2010 just might be my favorite!

2010 La Crotta di Vegneron Pinot Noir Bianco (Rose) Vallee d’Aosta – This is 100% Pinot Noir vinified off the skins for 5 months. The high altitude of the vineyard yields the unique fruit for this fabulous terroir driven wine. This producer farms organically, and they use the same grapes to make their fabulous red version of the Pinot. Don’t let the color throw you – this “barely pink” wine is full of texture and flavor. Rainier cherries, red berries, and serious minerality provide the backdrop for this complex and long finishing rose. This one is still available at 56 Degree Wine!

2010 Mas de Cadenet Rosé Sainte Victoire – This is by far the most value driven, and complex rose of the year! Gorgeous white flowers, red berries, melons, and sweet red fruit give way to sea shells and minerality. The color is a perfect blush… Another wine that lingers on the palate and screams “drink me now!” I was fortunate to enjoy this on my deck last week on Memorial Day, and I will have to wait until July for our next shipment. The magnums come in stunning bottles and may be the centerpiece at our next outdoor soiree 🙂

Mussels with Sausage and Herbs

2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 lb smoked sausage, diced (I’ve used chorizo in the past but you can use whatever you prefer)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced thinly
2 lbs mussels, cleaned and debearded
1 large tomato, seeded and diced
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
3/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
chopped fresh parsley

In a large saute pan, warm the olive oil over medium heat and add the garlic and sausage. Saute for 3 to 5 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add next 4 ingredients and stir well. Add the wine and the water, cover the pan, and cook over medium heat for about 7 minutes, shaking the pan once. Most of the mussels should have opened by now. Uncover and simmer until the liquid is reduced by about half, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the butter and mix into the sauce. Transfer the entire contents of the pan to a serving bowl, sprinkle with parsley, add crushed black pepper and salt (if needed,) and serve with crusty garlic bread. (Discard any unopened mussels.) Serves 4.

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Ratatouille

There is no better way to celebrate the summer than with its bounty! My next post will be featuring a rose’ wine and seafood pairing… so I wanted to supply you with a spectacular vegetarian option for the wine pairing… Ratatouille! Enjoy!

Ratatouille

1 large onion, peeled and sliced
3 large garlic cloves, peeled, and minced
1/4 cup olive oil, or more if needed
1 eggplant (approx 1 lb) cut into 1 inch chunks
1 small yellow squash, cut in half lengthwise, then into half moons
1 small zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, then into half moons
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 cups canned diced tomatoes (I like San Marzano – I get the whole tomatoes and chop them myself)
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shredded basil leaves
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (made from processing firm white bread slices into crumbs)

In a large saute pan, cook the onion and the garlic in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat, stirring until onion is translucent. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the pan, and increase heat to medium high. Add the eggplant, and cook until it is softened, about 8 minutes. (You might need extra oil at this step.) Stir in the next three ingredients and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook for 5 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender. Stir in the next 6 ingredients, and add cracked pepper to taste. Mix for about a minute over the heat. At this point, you can refrigerate the ratatouille and use the next day.

If made ahead of time, warm the ratatouille over the stove. Add the shredded basil and set aside (tasting for seasoning and adjusting accordingly.) In a small skillet, saute the 1 minced garlic clove in the tablespoon of olive oil over moderate heat, about a minute. Add the fresh breadcrumbs and saute until crumbs have crisped up, about 5 minutes.

Place servings of ratatouille in individual bowls or plates, top with the garlic breadcrumbs, and enjoy with your favorite rose’! Serves 4.

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Last Chance for Ramps!

The Farmers Market in Union Square may still have these little beauties for a couple more weeks, but as far as I can see, Ramp Season is at its tail end. Ramps are wild spring onions, and sometimes are called wild leeks. They have small white bulbs, hairy roots, and resemble scallions to a certain degree. The stems shoot out into long green leaves, and these leaves possess the essence of garlic and onion at its freshest. The bulb and stem are stronger in flavor, and are best with a little saute. But the leaves can be chopped and sprinkled over salads, or used as an herb component in any savory dish.

The ramps in the photo above were the result of a “bottom of the barrel” sweep at Whole Foods by yours truly. I went in one day looking for them, and was about to leave, disappointed, sans ramps. I came across a bin of some loose lettuces, and next to it was an almost empty bin of dirty, scraggly rooted things. I was able to decipher that underneath the crust of dirt was the exact ingredient that I was searching for – the stragglers of the bunches that the fortunate shoppers before me had acquired. I took everything that was left in the bin (probably a little more than a bunch) and asked the produce guy if they had anymore. He simply responded with one word “Saturday.” Well, it was Thursday, and I needed my ramp pesto for dinner on Friday. The dirty, crusty stash was my only hope.

I washed the ramps THOROUGHLY and let the dry in paper towels. Soaked the ends in water, and they regenerated themselves to the vibrant green stems they were meant to be. I used a little bit in my spring vegetable soup that evening, a little in the wild rice dish that I made, and most of it in the ramp pesto (recipe below.) My daughter Maya loves to chop the tops of the ramps and fold them into her scrambled eggs. They are so versatile, so fresh, and so SPRING. Grab them while you can, at your local farmers market. Or perhaps forage them yourself like my brother in law Piyush suggested I do at the Great Swamp. 😉

Ramp Pesto

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch ramps – root ends discarded, bottoms and stem chopped and placed in a bowl, and green leaves chopped and placed in a  separate bowl
2/3 cup parmiggiano reggiano cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

Saute the ramp bulbs and stems in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until soft. Place in a food processor. Add the green ramp tops, the cheese, the nuts, and the herbs, and process until combined. With the machine running, add the rest of the olive oil in a stream and process until pureed. Transfer the pesto to a bowl and season with salt and pepper. This can be made a day in advance. Bring to room temperature before serving, This pesto is wonderful on top of seared or grilled fish or combined with pasta.

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Inspiration

PASSION… I am inspired everyday to learn more about what I am passionate about.

CREATIVITY… I am inspired by the creative geniuses that surround me, and make me want to challenge myself.

ASPIRATIONS… I am inspired to be a positive role model for the two most important little ladies in my life.

LOVE & SUPPORT… I get inspiration everyday from my supportive family, who love me no matter what path I choose to follow.

Thank you for being my inspiration!

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A Comforting Recipe

Wow. No mistaking that it’s winter these days – huh? I wish that I could close my eyes and take myself to a warm and sunny place. Weather like this demands comfort food. One of my all time favorite techniques of comfort food cooking is braising. This recipe is super easy, and essentially adapted from Anne Burrell’s repertoire. I changed only a few things here and there, so I thought I should give her proper credit. Definitely something to make when you are home, stranded, because of YET another snow day… 😉

Braised Lamb Shanks

My Favorite Lamb Shank Recipe
This comforting, warm, and utterly satisfying dish needs a rich, robust, and hearty red wine.  The perfect food and wine pairing for a cold winter day, or when you are snowed in!  (The optional gremolata will add brightness to the dish)

Ingredients:
1/3 cup olive oil
5 lb lamb shanks (4 shanks total)
1 ½ cup chopped onions
1 ½ cup chopped carrots
1 ½ cup chopped celery
¼ cup chopped garlic
2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste
½ bottle of a hearty red wine
Herb bundle: 4 rosemary branches, 12 thyme branches, and 4 bay leaves tied together
4 cups chicken broth or water

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Heat the 1/3 cup olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Season the shanks generously with salt and add them to the pan. Patiently, brown the shanks well on all sides. This should take about 12-15 minutes total.

Meanwhile, puree the next 4 ingredients in a food processor. Set aside.

Remove the shanks and set aside in a tray. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the Dutch oven, and add pureed vegetables. Season with salt to taste. Saute about 15 minutes until the veggies are brown. They should have almost formed a crust on the bottom of the Dutch oven, without burning.

Add tomato paste and brown for 5 minutes. Stir in the wine and the herb bundle, and reduce the wine to about half.

Add the shanks back to the pot, and pour in 4 cups of the broth or water. The shanks should be submerged in the liquid. If they are not, add more water. Cover the Dutch oven and place in the oven.

Check the shanks in about 1 ½ hours, and turn them all over. Place back in oven, covered, and cook for another hour to hour and half. Check the shanks every 30 minutes or so, checking to make sure that the liquid has not reduced too much. If it has, add more water. You may also de-fat the sauce as you go. You may also remove the lid at the last 15 minutes of cooking to maximize browning.

The meat will be incredibly tender, and falling off the bone. Transfer to a serving dish, and sprinkle with gremolata if desired. Serve one shank per person, over mashed potatoes or soft polenta… Enjoy!

Optional Gremolata: Combine zest of 1 orange, zest of 1 lemon, ¼ cup finely chopped parsley, 1 minced garlic clove, and 2 tablespoons of freshly grated horseradish, Sprinkle on the lamb shanks just before serving. This adds a lovely brightness to the dish!

Serves 4

Clotte Fontane Matheriou

I would drink this with a southern Rhone blend with a lot of juicy ripe fruit character. I love the 2009 Chateau La Clotte Fontaine Mathierou. It’s a perfect blend of Grenache and Syrah showing dark berry tones and balanced spice. Gorgeous length. It’ll be available again soon at 56 Degree Wine.

Another great wine to try this with would be the 2008 PB Wines Syrah Yakima Valley. A new world option, this wine shows lush dark berries and fig, and the length is incredible as well. This is sort of a second label of Rasa Vineyards -  I love the story behind this union of brothers who make and sell some fantastic Rhone-style varietals.  Read here to get the scoop on PB wines! This is also available at 56.

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A Magical Dinner

Maya 2010-2011

A few months ago, Maya told me that for her twelfth birthday, she would love to visit Spain. When I asked her why, she simply stated that she thought it would be a cool country to see – the sights, the people, the language…… the FOOD. Ah! There it was! MY Maya was back. She took a few years off from being the foodie we bragged about back in San Francisco… but friends, this was it. I saw the spark in her eyes as she talked about tapas. She was BACK!

Some of you may remember the little girl who used to go everywhere with us in San Francisco – ordering the sushi rolls and sashimi, the shellfish risotto, and the (brace yourselves) oysters on the half shell from the raw bar. She wanted the lamb when the option for chicken fingers was present, and as I stated in one of my previous posts, only “fancy mac and cheese” would do for her – none of that “K” brand stuff! 😉 Yes, she made me proud. But for whatever reason (Manish blames it on moving back to the burbs) she regressed after moving back to NJ. She had issues  with “green stuff” in her pasta sauce (ie herbs!) And the more exotic the dish, the less she wanted to try it. She still loved sushi, but it was the super adulterated rolls that were intriguing her now (ie the Berkeley Heights Roll, the Basking Ridge Roll, The Philadelphia Roll… you get the point.) Sigh. Burgers, dogs, and fingers were the items that she was now excited about. And the Cassoulet, Coq au vin, and Moules frites that I attempted to entice her with were too bizarre to even fathom. Double sigh.

The Heading on Mayas Birthday Menu

Fast forward to a few months ago. I told her that Spain was pretty much out of the question (HELLO!!!??,) but perhaps we could consider doing something else? She asked if we could go to dinner…. at elements. 🙂 She heard Manish and I talk of our experiences at elements and said she was intrigued. “Will I like it?” she asked. “No, You will love it.” I answered. And she did. She LOVED trying everything that Chef Scott Anderson put on her plate. She felt like royalty, and was truly honored to be catered to the way the entire team at elements did. She called the experience “Magical.” And it was. My baby loves elements. Oh, we are in TROUBLE! 😉 See below for the details of our meal.

The team welcomed us, and we were seated in the main dining room. Maya was the first to notice the heading on the menu. “happy birthday Maya! (maybe Spain next year.) She relaxed, and let her hair down. She knew it was going to be a fun night. Maya ordered a fabulous ginger “beer” concoction crafted by Mattias, while Manish and I started with two new cocktails on the list. I had the privateer, which was made with 3 really intense and flavorful artisanal rums, while Manish had a Rum Sazerac. For the amuse bouche, we had a trio. First was a horseradish slaw with brussel sprouts. Next, a leek soup. And last, a spicy beef tartare. The perfect small bites to whet our palates. Our appetizer was a dumpling type of pasta with taleggio cheese and shaved black truffles. Maya saw her parents literally scraping our portions clean with a fork, and licking up every last bite of cheese and truffle, So she followed. And she was happy she did so 😉

First and Second Courses

The tuna tartare was spectacular, dressed with scallion, ginger, and white soy. The Buri (adult yellowfin) was served sashimi style and was so buttery and savory. I actually caught Maya closing her eyes at one point, just soaking in the awesomeness of the fish. She was so intrigued by the purple cabbage soup. Inside were chunks of pastrami… every bite was so balanced with seasoning, so colorful. This was one of her favorite dishes.

Courses 3, 4, and 5

Next was the local tilefish. This was pan seared and accompanied by caramelized endive, macadamia and coconut. The dish encompassed such an “island” flair. Fabulous combination of flavors! A foie gras course was introduced next… Maya was excited to try it, but unfortunately did not enjoy it as much as Manish and I did. The sweet and tart flavors of the fruit “tart” accompaniment provided a perfect balance to the rich and buttery torchon. Next was the pheasant. It was accompanied by a tagliatelle with a sauce made with squab liver. Maya LOVED it, and told us that she couldn’t believe that squab liver could taste so good. The 48 hour short ribs was Maya’s favorite. She is a die hard comfort food fan, and the ginger, szechuan peppercorn, and petite mushrooms didn’t sway her one bit. She remarked that it was even better with all of the sophisticated flavors. Maya had the “kit Kat” dessert while Manish and I had the cheese course.

Manish and I sampled some of the wines/beers that Justin suggested to pair with the courses. We loved the way the Chouffe Tripel paired with the short ribs. This was a match that we would have never thought of but the Belgian IPA style went perfectly – especially due to the flavors in the short ribs. Another favorite pairing was a special pour of the 2007 Dehlinger RRV Chardonnay. This was perfect with the tilefish, and those magnificent tropical flavors.

On our way home, we re-capped what our favorite dishes of the night were, and Maya summarized her evening in one word. MAGICAL. The only thing that I regret is not having my camera with me to capture some of the amazing expressions on her face throughout the evening. Next time, I guess!

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An Unlikely Winter Salad

Last week, I found myself craving a colorful, textural, and bright salad. I wanted to serve this at a dinner party, so I decided that it had to be plated beautifully. I reviewed some of my recipes, but nothing popped out at me. When I run into a “menu planning block,” I often make my course selections according to the wine pairing. It was decided that either a Sancerre or Chablis would be served with this course, so I planned accordingly. I thought of cheese… what better pairing for Sancerre or Chablis, than a mildly tangy soft cheese? So, it was decided… a goat cheese would be highlighted. The rest, well, I was at the mercy of my local Whole Foods.

I visited the local market section, and was pleasantly surprised to see the most fabulous looking beets. Although not exactly “in season,” the beets were so fresh, their greens still perfectly shaped. The red variety were the only ones I could find, so I decided to get a bunch. I love the buttery texture and sweet flavor that the beets possess when they are roasted, so I was hoping to build the remaining ingredients around that idea. I then came across a tomato section. Though not from local sources, the adorable little yellow cherry tomatoes from Texas caught my eye. My course was coming together – a play on my red and yellow beet salad with goat cheese and herbs.

Here is my recipe for the salad that came together at the market – literally. An unlikely winter salad, for sure, but the flavors were delicious and I would highly recommend trying it – any time of the year that you can find these ingredients!

Roasted Beet Salad with Yellow Tomatoes and Goat Cheese

Roasted Beet Salad with Yellow Tomatoes, Goat Cheese, and Baby Greens

Ingredients
3 large red beets
2 shallots, finely chopped
juice of 1 lemon (about 2 to 3 tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 pint yellow cherry tomatoes, sliced
4 to 5 oz mild goat cheese (chevre)
1/4 cup Marcona Almonds; chopped
2 cups baby greens

Wrap beets (without greens) individually in foil, and place on a baking pan. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees F for about 1 hour. Unwrap the beets, and set aside to cool. While beets cool, combine shallots, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a medium sized bowl. Add the oil in a stream, whisking to emulsify.

When beets are cool enough to handle, peel them and dice them into a 1/4 inch size. Place in a bowl, and pour 1/8 cup of the vinaigrette and mix gently to combine.

Assemble: Toss baby greens with 1 some of the remaining vinaigrette and set aside (do not overdress.) For each serving, place a 3-inch ring mold in the middle of salad plate. Put an eighth of the beets in the ring mold and press down gently. Crumble a couple teaspoons of goat cheese on top of the beets, and then top with sliced yellow cherry tomatoes, forming a concentric design and covering the top. Remove ring mold. Place a small handful of baby greens on top of the tomatoes. Sprinkle almonds around the plate, and drizzle with a teaspoon of the remaining vinaigrette.

Serves 8 as a first course. And paired with the 2008 Gilbert Picq Chablis “Dessus de Carriere” was a perfect match!

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Holiday Eats & Sips

It’s been a while, so instead of recapping every culinary experience I’ve had the pleasure of having these past couple months, I decided to post some of my most memorable consumptions of the 2010 Holiday Season!

Jigna’s Cauliflower Soup with Roasted Florets and Truffle Oil (Tgiving 2010)

Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Truffle

1999 Remirez de Ganuza Mag (Nov-2010)

Diwali “Goodies” as my Mom would say! (Oct-Nov 2010 🙂

Diwali "Goodies"

Piyush’s awesome stuffed and butterflied bird. This was delicious! (Tgiving 2010)

Butterflied Stuffed Bird

1997 Robert Sinskey Vineyards Reserve Mag, 2008 Gilbert Picq Chablis Carriere, Billecart Brut Reserve, and NV DeMeric Catherine deMedici Champagne MAG (NYE 2010-11)

97 Sinskey Reserve and DeMeric Champagne

Cauliflower Soup with Lemon Oil, Seared Scallop, and American Sturgeon Caviar. (NYE 2010-11)

Cauliflower Soup ~ Seasred Scallop ~ Lemon Oil ~ American Sturgeon Caviar

The Feast at the Jain’s Annual “Friends” Tgiving (Nov 2010)

Sej & Rick's Tgiving Feast!

Pumpkin Cheesecake at elements (December 2010)

Joe Sparattas Pumpkin Cheesecake - elements

Housemade Fettucine with Wild Mushrooms, Poached egg, and Truffle at elements (December 2010)

Housemade Fettucine with Truffle & Poached Egg

Shaved Octopus Salad (December 2010)

The 6-Course at Mas Farmhouse (Dec 2010)

Mas Farmhouse Dining Room

2009 La Clotte Fontane “Mathierou”

Clotte Fontane Matheriou

Manish’s Apple Pancakes with Orange-Cinnamon Butter

Manish's Pancakes (photo via Bon Apetit Magazine)
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Battle Pumpkin

In celebration of the bounty of the season, Sejal and Rick hosted this month’s Food Battle…. Battle Pumpkin. To switch things up a bit, we were all to make brunch foods, rather than the typical dinner foods that we have been accustomed to. The versatility of this main ingredient made the challenge so interesting… Sweet? Savory? Spicy? And to add to the questions… Brunch!?

The challenge was accepted by all parties, and here is what we feasted on…

Appetizer Course – Priti and Chirag
Pumpkin Spiced Yogurt with Home-made Pepita Granola
The yogurt was rich and creamy, and was garnished with just a swirl of vanilla and spiral of pumpkin rind. The granola added texture and an incredibly nutty flavor from the almonds and pepitas. Chirag mentioned that the secret behind the texture of the yogurt was using a strained Greek variety, and then adding the fresh pumpkin and spices. This was a lovely starter – so delicious and something that I would love to add to my Sunday brunch repertoire! 🙂

First Course – Jigna and Piyush
Spiced Pumpkin and Sausage Hash ~ Pumpkin Crepe stuffed with Spinach and Fontina Cheese ~ Poached Egg ~ Spiced Pumpkin Puree
Complicated ingredients and sophisticated plating made an impression even before tasting the dish. But the combination of flavors is what stood out. The slightly spicy hash, the warm zing of the molded crepe, the brightness of the spinach and the perfectly poached egg – it all melded into a harmonious marriage of pumpkin goodness! Super creative use of the ingredient – especially in the crepe – and super tasty!

Main Course – Sejal and Rick
Roasted Spiced Pumpkin with Cream ~ Spicy Pumpkin Hash with Pancetta ~ Pumpkin and Bacon Muffins
Another mouthwatering course – providing the solution to everyone’s brunch dilemma – Sweet? or Savory? The “concern” of the morning was that the two middle courses had similar ingredients – the hash and the egg. But it’s brunch, folks – and two variations of an amazing dish are better than one, in my opinion! 🙂 The roasted pumpkin offered something for the sweet seekers – warm and earthy with just the right amount of sugar. The hash was as savory as could be with the added help from the pancetta and the gorgeous fried egg (good job capturing the dripping yolk, MB!) And the muffin was the perfect balance of both – embracing the sweetness from the fruit and the meatiness from the bacon. Plates licked clean once again!

Dessert – Nita and Manish
Our version of Pumpkin Pie
I refuse to use the “D” word… Deconstructed, that is. I know that it’s what chefs used say, oh 10 years ago or so, to describe their versions of showcasing individual ingredients of dishes and proving that the combination of all of them would be just like the original dish. UGH. I never took well to the term and I hate it even more, now that WE were doing a dish that essentially WAS a deconstructed version of a classic. So, for my piece of mind, let’s say that this was “Our Version of Pumpkin Pie.” 😉 We baked strips of puff pastry as the “crust,” created disks of pumpkin pie custard (essentially the filling without a crust,) made some granola using pumpkin seed oil for the “streusel topping,” a quenelle of cinnamon spiced whipped cream, and dotted the plate with some pumpkin caramel. The custards were sprinkled with roasted, then sugared pumpkin seeds. Mission accomplished, in our opinion – and just in time for Thanksgiving weekend… 🙂

Thanks once again to my co-battlers for an incredible meal. Cheers!

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Autumn in a Bowl

Autumn is my favorite season.

My older daughter spent her first five and a half years admiring the green scenery of northern California. She didn’t understand me when I told her that I missed the seasons that we had back east. When we moved back to NJ, she realized what it meant to see the “leaves change.” It was always just an expression until then. She was amazed by our Japanese Maple, and how it could go from being green one day, to brown the next, to a purple and then finally to a scarlet red. And then, the colors fell. FALL – the inevitable but saddest part of the season. That year was a tease, because the autumns ahead were going to be wet and dreary, producing only a few bright colors on our natural canvas, and therefore, more aptly named, FALL.

Autumn 2010. This is probably the most “true to season” autumn we’ve had here in NJ in almost 4 years. My girls are daily commentators on the earthy spectrum of colors that vary in shade day to day – both in front of and behind our house. Trees, flowers, and shrubbery have never been so interesting to them. Such simple pleasures… the fact is that this season in the last four years has been pummeled with rain, wind, sleet, hail, and even snow… washing away the foliage before the changes in hue can even occur.

Paying homage to my favorite season, I’d like to share with you a recipe for “Autumn in a bowl.” I think that the slightly sweet, nutty, and mildly citrus notes of the dish pair extremely well with a Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley. Specifically a Vouvray. And even more specific, if you can get your hands on one, a wine from Domaine Huet.

Spiced Pumpkin Soup with Cilantro Crema

1 medium sugar pumpkin (approx 4 lb)
½ cup water
1 large onion, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons ground cumin
1 ½  teaspoons ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon black pepper
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water (or more if needed)
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
½ cup crème fraiche
½ cup cilantro, finely chopped
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Halve the pumpkin lengthwise. Place cut sides down on a rimmed baking sheet, and add ½ cup water. Roast for 1 ½ hours, or until tender. When cool enough to handle, peel pumpkin and roughly chop into 1 inch pieces. In a large pot, sauté onion, carrots, garlic, and bay leaf in the olive oil over medium heat until softened, about 10 minutes. Add next 6 ingredients and stir until everything is well coated, about 30 seconds. Add the pieces of pumpkin. Stir until well coated, about a minute. Add broth and water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, partially covered, about 30 minutes. Add orange juice and simmer for 2 more minutes. Discard bay leaf. Transfer soup to a blender, and blend until very smooth. Use a strainer to refine the soup if you wish. Add water to the soup if you prefer a thinner consistency, and rewarm. Transfer soup to a tureen or serving bowl. Combine crème fraiche and cilantro. Mix well, and add salt & pepper to taste. Ladle soup into bowls, and top with a dollop of cilantro crema.

Serves 6