A simple roasted asparagus and spring onion soup.
I’ve been whiling away the morning trying to decide what to say here, as though soup alone isn’t compelling enough. But, in cooking, a simple approach doesn’t always make for simple flavors. For this velvety asparagus soup I roasted the onions, garlic, and asparagus, and then pureed them with broth. Roasting brought out a caramelized smokiness that was perfect for the pungent/creamy spring vegetables. And though I recommend this soup just as it is, it’s incredibly flexible and would be delicious with countless variations (especially ones involving ramps, leeks, and other spring delicacies). [Read more…]
baked strawberry french toast
Things around here feel lighter lately. The blustery spring winds seem to have taken many of my worries with them. Life feels really right, and I’m grateful for it. I have a tendency to make things much more complicated than they need to be, but recently I’ve tried to streamline, keep my brain in check, and above all else, keep it simple. Also, our house has been clean for 5 days straight and that’s seriously some kind of (wonderful) record.
For Mother’s Day we’re going to stay close to home, eat some brunch, and maybe fly a kite. [Read more…]
bourbon ice cream
Oh, hello. Things have been pretty quiet around here, and I’d like to blame it on the spring, but the truth is I just needed some time. Brian and I have been taking a step back and finding the direction we want to head. With a lot of things really (that sounds somehow ominous and I don’t mean it that way at all–things are great, we just want to approach the blog more mindfully). And with our baby almost 10 months old (Can you believe it? Remember when this happened?) crawling and pulling up, and eating literally anything she can get her tiny mitts on, what little free time we had has dwindled.
Nonetheless, I made you some ice cream. [Read more…]
north carolina-style pulled pork sandwiches
Barbecue is a kind of food that people can get real fussy about. Read user reviews for any barbecue place and half of them are complaints that things aren’t being done “the real way.” People get that way about Mexican food, too. And, embarrassed as I am to admit it, I’ve been that fussy person. [Read more…]
roast lamb shoulder with mint
Spring lamb roasts must have really been something special in the olden days. You didn’t run out of potatoes and beets and starve during the winter. You didn’t have to kill your breeding livestock to survive. Your flock has started to lamb and for the first time in a few months you’re actually looking at the prospect of having plenty of food to eat. Putting that first lamb on the table must have felt like a combination of Thanksgiving, getting a raise at work, and when the character you hate the most gets kicked off a reality show. [Read more…]