Roasted Red Pepper and Carrot Soup

This is a soup that really hit the spot this week. I have needed to be on a simple soft diet for a few days, as I've been in the hospital to have a gall bladder procedure. Consequently, I am shuffling around the house with a pillow held to my mid-section, and a supply of easy meals in the fridge.This soup was made on Thursday morning just before I headed to the hospital. It has been lunch and late night snack after my return home.

I first thought that this would be a tomato based soup when I saw the recipe title, but no. This is a thick and rich carrot and red pepper soup with just a hint of tomato and a good dose of curry. The consistency is smooth and velvety, as the soup is pureed in the blender before going back into the soup pot to sit a bit and mature the spices. I told SB that the next time I make it, I'm going to throw a few handfuls of cooked rice and a handful of chopped parsley into the soup just before serving.

Gruyère and Walnut Bread and a Eulogy

The past week has been a whirl of activity. I spent three wonderful days with women from the quilt guild that I belong to, working on projects and sharing tips and techniques for making piecing easier. I learned how to make fabric stars for simple ornaments, how to cut perfect half-triangle squares, and a ton of other neat tips. Coming away from the retreat, I had a gorgeous pile of pinwheel blocks that will be make my next twin bed sized quilt. The fabrics are all inspired by Civil War era cotton muslin and shirting fabric prints. Pretty, huh?

New Orleans Praline Pound Cake

It's been a while since I baked a sweet cake ... a beautiful cake ... a pound cake ! This is a variation of a typical pound cake recipe that I found in a cook book by Nick Malgieri. The man knows how to tempt me. I should learn not to take cook books to bed for browsing before sleep. The idea of this cake kept rattling around in my head before I dropped off last night.

Asparagus Tarts with Lemon and Cream - IHCC Potluck Week !

Today's lunch came right from the pages of Nigel Slater's Notes From the Larder.

June 1st entry on page 230 ... thank you very much!

Cooking With Nigel ... Rice and Grains

The constant push to get away from pasta products has made me branch out and look for more rice and grain recipes to sub in for my beloved noodles. Nigel has been so helpful ... he does like a good bowl of rice, a good rice pudding, a nice side of pearled barley, stewed lentils ... et cetera !

An Aside ...

The jaunt to the nation's capital has been inspiring and daunting. Our feet are tired, but our spirits are high. We marvel at the level of openness of our society. I also am extremely proud that our nation provides such a cultural center for the world to share along with its citizens ... free of charge. Where else can one see a DaVinci, the Magna Carta, Dorothy's ruby slippers, our nation's most revered documents - the Declaration of Independence, Preamble to the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, incredibly intact archeological artifacts, gems and minerals, the original set of Sesame St and Julia Child's PBS cooking show, portraits of our nations most famous historical figures, and thousands of other wonders  ... just by choosing a museum of interest and walking in ?

Thank goodness, the Smithsonian Institution was established and supported over the years ... it is a phenomenal foundation and after spending a few days here in Washington DC, SB and I are really proud that we have been members and supported the SI over the years.

We have also decided that the evening views of the major monuments are stunningly beautiful. Last evening, we took a bus tour around the city and stopped to enjoy the sights ... with about a million other tourists.

Virtual Supper Club ... A Jump on Summer Indulgence

May's Virtual Supper Club theme asks us to contemplate 'our favorite indulgence' ... and I am here to tell you that come May, my favorite indulgence is jumping the season to grab onto summertime seafood, fresh summertime vegetables, corn that I have stockpiled from last summer and placed in the deep freeze, and light citrus zest and juice to make a tribute to what's coming full speed in the next few months!

IHCC - Here's to the Taters, Nigel!

... 500 grams of tiny Yukon Golds ... a Nigel Slater recipe ... a tasty side dish for baked cod ...

This week's challenge from the I Heart Cooking Club was to find a  root vegetable recipe from Nigel Slater's vast collection of work. I have been enthralled by his potato recipes for the past few weeks, so I thought I'd extend the tater love and go for one more goodie!