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{southern living}

The crisp air is upon us. We had our first taste of just-picked apples, first view of pumpkin patches, and the flannel blankets are inching their way out of the closet. Happy fall y'all!

back from the land of plenty. My italian laundry list of things to learn.

The short list
1) Knead gnocchi until they become the texture of pillows
2) Cook aforementioned gnocchi with a creamy gorgonzola sauce
3) Create Pumpkin and smoked cheese lasagna (this should be an easy breezy - but, I can't decipher the cheese?!)
4) Buy an ice cream maker for pine nut gelato (stretch goal)
5) Grow lemons in my backyard and artichokes too (stretch stretch yoga stretch goal)

Last summer, I froze fifteen batches of tomatoes/fifteen different ways. Take a peek online (or don't because I did the dirty work) and you will find a mind-numbing amount of ways to properly freeze the jewels of summer. I have finally worked my way through the crop and have concluded:
1) if you want tomato sauce, make tomato sauce and freeze it.
2) if you want tomatoes for unknown purposes (chili, stews, etc.): score an x on the top of the tomato and freeze with the skin attached. When ready to use, drop into boiling water for a second, take out of water and quickly peel. Use as directed.
**I peeled and froze a few batches and they held onto more water than the unpeeled group. This makes a heck of a difference when you are trying to make a lovely fresh-off- the-vine sauce in the dead of winter.
Just my two cents on the matter.

cheers to spring

The grass is finally showing a promising hue and the birds have returned. Alongside the birds, we have a friend, dubbed Sidney, who is hosting his own garden party featuring artisinal lettuce as the plate du jour. In keeping with the holiday, I'd love to say he is a bunny. Nope, Sidney is a squirrel who would be quite the stylist if he needed a real job.

{sidney gives my lettuce a buzzcut}


I have also become a mad yet successful scientist with seeds. The flourescent lights are rigged in the basement and wouldn't you know, seeds are becoming seedLINGS! Thanks to Martha - I finally got it right! However, let's hope that I get to taste them before Sid and his stylist friends get wind.

{southern living}

sunday paper + cup of coffee + this porch

ginger lemon chicken soup

rainy day
blustery day
sick day
all of the above day

Ginger and lemon are natural healers and a calming addition to chicken soup. The perfect freezer friend on dreary days & nights. You will essentially steep the ginger in this soup as you would in tea. It will not be a pronounced flavor at all. Fresh chopped dill would be gorgeous floating about.

Ginger Lemon Chicken Soup
(for four)



32 oz homemade chicken stock or all natural chicken stock
3-4 chicken breasts (or, if you made stock, pull meat off bone)
5 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic
1 bay leaf
4-inch piece of ginger, peeled (kept whole)
3 yellow potatoes, cut into large chunks
1/2 cup cooked rice or noodles
salt and pepper to taste
juice of 1 lemon

Place first eight ingredients into a heavy pot or dutch oven. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer for 30 minutes. When chicken is completely cooked, take out and dice. Taste soup and adjust salt and pepper. Add chicken back into the pot with potatoes. Simmer until potatoes are tender (approximately 20 minutes). Discard ginger and bay leaf. Add rice or noodles. Before serving, add juice of lemon to soup.

Is it just me, or does the light change in March? Subtle but uplifting. A whisper of what is to awaken.

Bring in the Spring:

To clean: freshen the home naturally

To grow: it is my first year growing vegetables from seed. I am shaking in my garden boots. My sole purpose is to grow the same green beans as my grandma &&&&&& guess what? I found a man who sells heirloom beans from appalachia. The pressure is on.

To cook:
Asparagus - up first, an asparagus goat cheese tart.
Rhubarb - a savory take? not sure yet. But, I'm so happy it's rhubarb season!

To visit: we can't wait for an enchanting weekend going to the AIPAD Show. And, dining uptown and downtown with friends.

Smoker Sundays

Holy smokes, we are using the smoker. And when I say "we" I mean "he". I am not partaking in the smoking experience outside of buying it as his Christmas present and making the side dish du jour.
This would be le beer-can chicken. All I know is the following: you make a gorgeous rub (cumin, paprika, salt, cayenne, chili powder, garlic) and apply, stick a beer into the chicken so it sits upright (like picture!) and you smoke it. Or, I believe you can do this on a grill at low heat. The beer evaporates making a very moist chicken. Party animals and party husbands unite!

{mr. boddington}

It's a winter wonderland in New England. Another flurry of snowflakes fell last night meaning another snow day. So, I'm planning ahead for February.

Make this:
Some new recipes from the Minimalist.

My first three to try:
Chicken Stir-fried with ketchup (and, I'll be using Barbara Lynch's spicy tomato jam)
Pernil
Mexican Chocolate Tofu Pudding

Take this:
With our upcoming trip to Italy, it never hurts to learn a little Italiano.


Get cozy and read this:
Dad's recommendation for the Italy trip.

Swiss Chard Soup

Two things inspired this soup and #3 is my rational re: 1 & 2:
1) I plan to make Range Restaurant's Cellini Bean Soup which calls for swiss chard
2) I listened to an interview with the writer of American Wasteland: How America Throws Away Half of their food and although I milk the most out of my food, we can always do a better job.
3) I went to the market; there was no white swiss chard to be found. I asked. Be careful for what you wish for: he swaggered out of the backroom with swiss chard on steroids (apparently,seemingly, organic). I WILL NOT waste the bounty.

Swiss Chard Soup
This is a delicate soup to be served as an aperitif or a light lunch. If you do not have mache - just add more chard. Again, the point of this is to use what you have- spinach, mesclun greens, more chard. I made this soup to freeze. It will be lovely with a toast point with goat cheese resting on top, or a tiny sip before a sauteed scallop dish. Just be aware of the color. It is as green as the day is long (summer day, that is).
Serves 4

3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 whole scallion (cut in half)
2 whole garlic cloves (peeled)
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp. minced ginger
4-5 cups white swiss chard
1 cup mache
1 tbsp parsley
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 tbsp cornmeal
2 cups milk
1/2 cup cream

Simmer broth and next five ingredients in a heavy pot for 40 minutes. Pour through a sieve and place liquid in original pot. Add chard, mache, parsley and simmer for 10 minutes or until wilted. Place into blender and puree, add salt as needed. Place into soup pot.
Meanwhile, melt butter and whisk cornmeal into butter. Add milk. Heat until slightly warm and whisk until incorporated. Gently add to chard mixture. When fully incorporated, bring to a slight boil then reduce heat. The soup will mildly thicken.

Carrots roasted with horseradish & honey

Beyond bloody marys and cocktail sauce, I haven't really found a place for horseradish. It's a staple in my fridge - but, I hate condiments to sit so lonely on the shelf. The mustards come and go, the coveted cholula, soy sauce gone before I know it, but the silent soldier horseradish is pushed to the back of the line.
It seems an unlikely marriage of flavors. No one would ever know it is horseradish. It just tastes like it was meant to be. I served with a roast pork tenderloin and apples.

Carrots roasted with horseradish & honey

Bunch of organic carrots (6-8), stems cut and peeled, cut into quarters
1/4 cup prepared horseradish (currently, I have Gold's)
1/4 cup honey
**The horseradish and honey can be altered to taste. I like this recipe so much that I now use 1/2 cup horseradish to a 1/4 cup of honey. But, in the beginning, when I was scared to death of what this would taste like, I skimped on the horseradish.
Salt and Pepper to taste
Drizzle of olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place empty cookie sheet or roasting pan in oven. When oven heats to 450 degrees, leave pan in oven for another 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the carrots, whisk horseradish into honey, add salt and pepper. Toss carrots and sauce together, drizzle with olive oil and toss again.
Take pan out- add carrots and place back into oven. Roast for 25-30 minutes or to your liking!

cold winters + cozy kitchens = lots of cooking. I tend to make batches of chicken stock on winter Sundays. It's easy and the rewards are endless. But, photos of stock are muy boring. Hence, the picture of the Andes which has nothing to do with stock.
I'm not writing this about stock because there are a hundred million recipes for stock. This is for the dear chicken's sake and I hate losin a chicken.
I made stock as usual but took the chicken out when the chicken was cooked through but still moist. I shredded the meat, threw the bones,skin, and three whole cloves of garlic back into the stock pot. Simmered for another hour. It was perfect.

I used the shredded chicken for an oldie but a goodie: chicken-sour cream casserole. Casseroles are making a comeback.

1 whole chicken, boiled in stock and shredded (about 3 cups)
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup of homemade chicken stock
2 cups of spinach (wilted and soaked of water = about a 1/2 cup of spinach)
1 sleeve of Ritz crackers, crushed
4 tbsp butter
1/4 cup of fresh diced chives

Mix shredded chicken, cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, and chicken stock and spinach together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread into a greased casserole dish.
Saute Ritz crackers, butter and chives. Sprinkle on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

one very snowy day in new england. Bundle up!

Kate can decorate.

I have an overt obsession with Kate & Andy's home.
Kate & Andy. My darling friends, K & A. Good People, Those Spades.


I sometimes drop by with a bottle of red, artisanal cheeses, and we sit in this little nook. We chit away with the ladies up above. I tell her how much I love her clothing line and how the one size zero in my closet, the ONLY size zero I will ever see in my life, is a dress by her. And, then, I thank her for figuring this out, because it's like Zoloft on a hanger.


I love how their home tells a story - of their history, their travels, their point of view. I'm sure the day will come when I can share all of these marvelous compliments with them...

see all of the pics at The Selby

After a spectacular wedding (if I do say so myself) and the trip of a lifetime, I'm back full of inspiration, gratitude, and humility of the love we felt along the way.

I prepared myself for the love you feel at your own wedding, but it never ended. From taxi drivers in Santiago, Chile, to wine purveyors in Mendoza, Argentina-- we couldn't get away from genuine nice-ness.

I wrote down every single thing I ate. Get ready. Some highlights while I prepare to test some recipes:

1) Francis Mallman's 1884 Restaurant, Mendoza, Argentina
the menu, the open fire ovens in the garden, the service, the wine list
2) El Chiringuito, Zapallar, Chile
Do you see this man? He was fishing when we were sleeping so we could have the most fabulous fish for lunch. And, see how he is smiling? Everyone was happy.


3) Zapallar, Chile in general: did you know that calla lillies grow wild in the forest? Like diamonds or say, cherries, we all know flowers come from somewhere. But, you just don't fully grasp it until you see it.
4) Speaking of cherries, there are cherry trees everywhere. Like, la la la, walk down the road and oh hello, I could actually just pick one off the tree right now and not pay $8.99/lb at Whole Foods. That's utopia in my book.
5) Mendel Winery. Period. Best ever. By hand, six people poured wine into the bottles and gently placed the labels on the bottle. Guess what, they were amongst cherry trees too. It was almost too good to be true.

Every millisecond of being engaged is like eating all of your favorite foods and never feeling full and never gaining a pound. It's true. Holy cow, the last couple of weeks are relentless. Cooking has ceased (sort of). Life will resume after le wedding.

Thanksgiving Soup

On our walk back from dinner last night, the first scent of fireplace pierced through the chill in the air. The leaves, the pumpkins, the chill, nothing says autumn like fireplace.

The beloved fireplace have not thee. I take refuge in thy oven. This soup tastes like Thanksgiving smells. And get this: it's gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, all things American, local, and approved by MEN. That last one is really hard to do.
Actually, it was only approved by one man, but he has the most discerning tastebuds on the planet, so, it's like being approved by a multitude of men.

Thanksgiving Soup
Serves 4 for dinner, 8 for appetizer
Freezes very well


8 cups of butternut squash, cut into large chunks (I buy pre-peeled squash. It's much easier and organic - 8 cups is 2 packages of pre-cut)
1 head of cauliflower, cut into medium chunks
1 lb carrots, peeled, cut into thirds (I had three large carrots)
1 large sweet onion, peeled and cut into quarters
1/4 cup olive oil
kosher salt and ground pepper
2 32 oz. containers of Vegetable Broth (if you can find it, I used Imagine Organic No-Chicken Broth-- tastes very similar to chicken broth)
1 tbsp. garam masala
**pumpkin or squash seeds**

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cover large baking pan with foil, add vegetables, drizzle with oil, salt, pepper. With your very clean hands, toss vegetables until fully coated. Cover tightly with foil. Roast for 15 minutes (this is similar to parboiling the vegetables-- it almost steams them but allows for robust roasting). Discard top layer of foil. Roast for another 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, add 2 containers of broth to large soup pot. Bring to boil, then simmer.
When vegetables are roasted. Add to broth, add garam masala, and simmer for 30 minutes. Slightly cool.

In increments, add soup to blender and blend on high. My immersion blender did not do it justice unless you want a chunky soup.
**You may serve with roasted pumpkin or squash seeds if you have available

Enjoy!!

***If I had a picture of my pumpkins, this is where I would display it***


If you've been to the grocery store, to the farmer's market, or say, left your cozy abode in the past month, you know that there are a plethora of pumpkins. In fact, there are so many that I often wonder, what happens to all of these millions of pumpkins after October?
Obviously, no one in my neighborhood has noticed. But, yes, they have left their cozy abode to steal MY pumpkins.
No, they didn't steal two or all four. They stole one. at. a. time.
And, you ask, Maybe thieves win medals for stealing the LARGEST pumpkin in the city? Mine were 0.2 lbs. I guess I don't live in the L.L. Bean catalog after all.

There is a chain of restaurants in the South named Atlanta Bread Company. It was the Panera before Panera but more quaint, less marketed. It had fireplaces, classical music, and tomato fennel soup. I remember gloomy fall days, shopping with mom, and stopping for a bowl of soup next to the fireplace.

Fast forward many years and countless trials of tomato soup and I stumble upon the best tomato soup at Bin 26. I asked to speak to the chef and expected the soup nazi to appear. He told me exactly what to do. He is my soup hero.

1)Always use San Marzano whole tomatoes. Only. Nothing else will do.
2)Always make a mirepoix (chopped carrots, onions, celery sauteed in olive oil)
3)Cook for a long time
4)Use a blender

Needless to say, I melded my two favorite soups into one. I add chopped fennel to the mirepoix, add a 28 oz. can of San Marzano tomatoes, 1/2 can of water, salt, pepper, and let simmer for an hour or two. Then, let the blender do the work. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on top.