about bliss

Saturday, February 21, 2009

cooking through a snowstorm...

After digesting my delicious pancakes and grading a partial stack of papers, I bundled up, grabbed my tennis shoes and my grocery bags, and headed out to exercise and grocery shop. Driving a few short blocks convinced me to go only to the grocery store, as the roads were barely plowed and the G6 was dragging and sliding.

This afternoon I soaked, cooked, and stored a pound of black beans; roasted a butternut squash and made soup; made pasta dough and filling; searched for King Cake recipes; and mused over how to approach this week's TWD treat. The rhythms of the kitchen were a welcome distraction from the never ending snow fall--it's been snowing all day long, with no sign of stopping. Snow bands are hugging the lakeshore, eager to share a soft, quiet blanket with lakeside dwellers. Only now is the wind beginning to pick up, invariably creating undulating drifts of snow that will make tomorrow another stay-at-home-and-keep-cozy kind of day.

Butternut Squash Soup

Roast 1 whole squash, cubed.

Roast several cloves of garlic.

Saute diced onion, carrot, and celery in olive oil. Add salt and pepper. Add roasted garlic--mash around a bit. Add roasted squash and water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, adding more water and salt for desired texture and flavor.


Ravioli

I use Lydia B's pasta recipe and roll it out by hand with my trusty French rolling pin.

For the filling, use a good ricotta--try to find one without any weird gums or preservatives. Here in Wisconsin this is fairly easy:) Add roasted garlic, if you like; a drizzle of honey; black pepper; rosemary or sage.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil; form the ravioli; toss them into the boiling water, a few at a time; scoop out when they float to the top.

The Meal

Place several ravioli in the bottom of a soup bowl--cover with soup. Garnish with finely chopped walnuts. Enjoy with a crisp white wine, like my favorite: Torrontes.

3 comments:

  1. My, you were domestic, weren't you? It all sounds delicious! I'm more than impressed with the ravioli - homemade pasta is one of my resolutions for this year. And I'll be interested to see your King Cake. I decided to pass this year (although I did research recipes). I've made the chocolate cake, and I'd strongly recommend the prunes - cut small and cook until smooshy. They make for a really fudgy texture without being detectable. I'll end this ridiculously long comment by telling you how much I'm enjoying your daily bliss posts. Sometimes I just get as far as the Google Reader, but I always check them out. A nice discipline...
    Nancy

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  2. Anonymous1:55 PM

    Homemade pasta! Wow. It's on my list of things I want to do, but I'm a little scared.

    The soup and ravioli sound delicious.

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  3. Oh, Nancy, thank you so much for your kind words. I'm so glad you're enjoying the daily bliss--some days it's really hard to conjure up something blog worthy (those are days when I post lately), but it is a good practice.

    Nancy and Wendy, homemade pasta is surprisingly easy. I don't have a pasta machine and so I thought I wouldn't be able to make it--most recipes include directions for a machine. Not Lydia.

    I'm eating leftovers for lunch today:)

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