Overcoming Childhood Prejudices - Liver and Onions

Getting kids to eat can be a challenge, as any parent knows. It certainly doesn't help that children are now marketed to by major corporations who make billions of dollars peddling garbage, enticing them to eat chemical filled "non-foods" that do nothing more than cause obesity. Getting kids to eat stuff that is actually good for them can sometimes seem impossible!

It doesn't help when we as adults still carry in our minds the same prejudices we had as children. Who, as a child, liked eating squash, brussel sprouts, spinach, or the all-time worst, liver? Often times we decided we didn't like these and other foods before we even tried them! We would stick our tongues out and timidly touch a small amount of whatever it was our parents were trying to get us to eat and then react as dramatically as we could, acting as though our parents had just tried to feed us raw fish heads! From that moment on we officially "hated" that particular food item, never again allowing it near our plates, much less on our forks! When we become parents, we begin passing these prejudices on to our children, often without even being aware that we are doing so.

It is a proven fact that as we grow older, our taste buds change. As an adult, I have found that I often am forced to re-evaluate my childhood prejudices and try a food that I've always sworn up and down that I would never ever eat again. Squash, for example. As a kid, I utterly loathed this vegetable. As an adult, however, I have had to admit that not only do I not loathe it, I actually rather enjoy it. I like the variety of flavors found in different types of squash and the different ways of cooking it.

Not always have my tastes changed. I still don't like cured ham. Fresh ham, yes, but cured ham has a taste that I just cannot bring myself to like. The same goes with yams. By this, I mean the orange fleshed tuber that is usually finds its way to the Thanksgiving dinner table (though truthfully, they are actually sweet potatoes). Yes, I can already hear many of you saying "But you've never tried my sweet potatoes!" Honestly, I have given this one as many chances to be liked as I possibly can. I've had them with maple syrup, marshmallows and savory. I've had them roasted, baked, in soups and even as sweet potato fries. I still do not like them. I have, however, discovered that the white meat sweet potatoes are quite delicious. Therefore I have partially relinquished my lifelong prejudice against the sweet potato.

Some time back I found myself giving all this some thought and as I reflected on the subject, I began thinking about the King of all hated foods, liver. Most people can't even say the word casually without their faces contorting. As I thought about this much hated organ, I realized that some years back I had actually developed something of a fondness for chicken liver. Could it be that my tastes had changed enough that I might actually like beef liver now? There was only one way to find out!

The absolute key to making decent liver is soaking the meat in milk. Do not skip this step! Liver can often have a bitter flavor caused by impurities in the meat (the purpose of the liver is, after all, to clean the system) and soaking the liver in milk will help get rid of these, giving the liver a much milder and less gamey flavor. The liver should soak for at least 30 minutes but I like to give it a couple hours.

To begin, place in a large shallow dish:
1 - 1-1/2 lbs fresh beef liver
enough milk to cover the meat
Set the dish aside in the refrigerator and allow to soak for at least 1/2 hour, preferably 1-2 hours.
When you're ready to begin cooking, heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a large pan and add in :
2 sweet Walla Walla onions, sliced thin
a dash of salt and pepper
Saute the onions over low-medium heat until they begin to brown, about 30 minutes or so. While the onions are cooking, prepare your flour dredge with:
1/2 c flour
1 t salt
1/2 t white pepper
1/2 t ground thyme
Mix dry ingredients together well and set aside on a plate. Remove the liver from the fridge. Drain the milk completely. Sprinkle the meat very lightly with:
2 t balsamic or red wine vinegar
Dredge the liver in the flour mixture, coating each piece well. When onions are browned a bit, remove them from the pan and set them aside. Add a little more oil to the pan and increase the heat to medium-high. Once the pan has become hot, add the liver and allow it to sear for a minute or two on each side. Reduce the heat back down to low-medium and add the onions back to the pan. Cover and cook until the liver has an even reddish color when you cut into it, about 5 minutes or so. You want to be careful not to overcook it or it will dry out. It should look like a steak cooked medium-rare.
This evening, in the spirit of traumatizing the inner child of some of you, I have decided to serve the liver and onions with a side of brussel sprouts. They are, after all, in season and neither my wife nor I ever had a problem as kids with eating what my siblings and I used to refer to as "baby cabbages." Cooked in melted butter with a light sprinkle of white wine vinegar, we have ourselves a wonderful feast! No munchkins allowed!

Bon Appetit!

Padre Peredur's Pork Chili Verde

It's the end of summer and harvest time is upon us. There are lots of great fruits and vegetables available now which is a stark reminder that I haven't written anything on my blog for months now! I've been so busy with other things for the past several months that I've had almost no time to be in the kitchen. 

Last week, Kat came home with a very large box of fresh tomatillos and I knew that my "vacation" was over! Tomatillos are one of my favorite autumn fruits. Like a little green tomato wrapped in a husk, tomatillos are perfect for both salsa verde and chili verde. Both are welcome in my house anytime! Kat made salsa verde last week for a barbecue we had and it was fantastic! For all the tomatillos she used in that recipe she only put a small dent in our supply, leaving me lots to make chili with.

This is a recipe I came up with a few years ago and has been one of my favorites ever since. I start with a bone-in pork shoulder roast. Of course, this means I have to bone it myself, which can be tricky as the shoulder blade is a rather twisty-curvy bone and can be difficult to get all the meat off of. If you are completely intimidated, ask your butcher to de-bone the roast for you.

I also like to roast my vegetables under the broiler before making the chili. I roast all the tomatillos and fresh chiles that I am putting into the pot. I usually do not use all fresh chiles, however, as roasting and skinning that many peppers can be rather labor intensive. If you wish to put the time into doing this, by all means do so! I usually roast a few peppers and use canned for the rest. Today I have fresh jalapeños, a banana pepper and a poblano pepper that I will be roasting with the tomatillos.
 

What I have done today is to start with:

1 bone-in pork shoulder roast ("Boston Butt"), approx. 4 lbs

Carefully carve out the bone and trim the meat. Cut the meat into bite sized pieces, season with a small amount of salt and pepper and set aside in the refrigerator for an hour or two. Also make sure to save the bone and any odd bits of meat. Meanwhile, rend the fat over low heat until well liquified. Set this aside as well.

Take a cookie sheet and line it with foil. Wash and halve:

approx. 2-3 lbs of fresh tomatillos (you may substitute up to half of these with green tomatoes, if you choose)

Arrange the tomatillo/tomato halves on the cookie sheet along with:

5 fresh jalapeños

and broil for about 10 minutes or so, flipping the peppers about halfway through. When finished broiling, remove the pan from the oven and dice everything. Do not skin the jalapeños or tomatillos. The charred skins add a nice color to the chili. The tomatillos will let off a bit of their juices while broiling. Do not throw this away! Save the juices and add it to the pot when the time comes!

Using a little of the fat rendered from the pork, brown the pork over medium-high heat. Do this in 2 or even 3 batches if necessary, so as not to overcrowd the pan. Once the pork is browned, set it aside. Add to the pan:

1 large onion, diced

Saute the onion over low heat until soft, scraping up the fond from the bottom of the pot as the onions cook. Add:

7-8 cloves of garlic (roughly 1 small head), finely chopped

Stir until garlic begins to cook, about 1 minute. Add in:

2 T flour

Stir to combine. Add to the pot:

1 qt. chicken stock

2 c water (if needed)

1 large can mild green chilies, drained, sliced

1 large can hominy, white or yellow (optional)

2 T dried oregano

1 T sugar

2 t salt

2 t ground cumin (I prefer to roast and grind my own with a mortar and pestle)

1 t chili powder

juice from 2 limes

Add in the browned pork, along with the pork bits and the bone from the roast. Bring to a near boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 1-1/2 to 2 hours. The chili should thicken quite a bit. When the soup is nearly finished, remove the pork bone. Clean off any remaining bits of meat and add them back into the pot with:
1/2 c chopped cilantro

Serve topped with shredded Monterey Jack cheese and a garnishment of fresh cilantro, with either corn chips or corn tortillas on the side.

Enjoy!

*burp*

Making Falafel from Scratch

Greetings again, friends and fellow foodies! It seems like forever since I've written a blog post. As they say, "Life happens," and sometimes we get called away. My time in the kitchen has been drastically reduced as of late, due to all of my attention being focused on other things. Now, upon their completion, I find myself a bit peckish and in the mood for something new.

My wife Kat recently purchased a large sack of dried chick peas to make hummus with (for Kat's recipe, click here) and that seemed like a good place to start. One of the earliest cultivated vegetables, these large roundish legumes are also known as garbanzo beans. They are used in a variety of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes, and one of the most popular is falafel. 

I have eaten falafel on a few occasions and thought it was okay. Most of the time that I'd tried it, if not every time, it was made from a mix. Now I'm sure that there may be some mixes out there that are good but those that I tried were not that impressive. How hard could it be to make them from scratch? The answer - not hard at if you have a food processor!

Making falafel takes a little time. The end result is worth it, though, so it's best to be patient and not to rush the process. I started by soaking the beans. They must be soaked for at least 8 hours. I used:

2 c dried garbanzo beans

enough water to cover the beans by a couple inches

After 8-10 hours of soaking, I drained the beans real good. Taking out the food processor, I placed in the bowl with the chopper blade the following ingredients:

1 medium onion, peeled and quartered

5 - 8 cloves of garlic, peeled

1 c flat leaf parsley

1 c cilantro leaves

1/2 t red pepper flakes

a squeeze of lemon juice

I processed everything real well, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure the onions and garlic were chopped well. This didn't take anymore than 30 seconds or so. Scraping out the food processor bowl into a large mixing bowl, I returned the bowl to the machine.and added in the garbanzo beans. I processed them until the beans were finely ground, not too fine but fine enough to where there were no large chunks of bean visible when I sifted through it. I added the ground beans to the mixing bowl with the onion/parsley mixture.
I've found that to get the best flavored falafel (or anything else, for that matter), it is best to use whole coriander and cumin seeds. I take a tablespoon of each and toast them in a small cast iron skillet I have. Toasting them only takes a couple minutes - you can hear the seeds crackle when they're done. Using a mortar and pestle, I grind the seeds into powder. Doing this takes a little extra time but the flavor difference is out of this world! It is very definitely worth the effort to do this if you can.
(Note: coriander seeds tend to grind down a bit more than cumin seeds. If you are grinding whole seeds, use a tablespoon of each. If you are using pre-ground spices, use the measurements below.)

In a separate small bowl, I sifted together:

3/4 c flour

2 t baking powder

1 T kosher salt

1 T ground cumin

2 t ground coriander

1 t fresh ground black pepper

I whisked together the flour and spices and added them to the large mixing bowl. I mixed everything in the bowl real well, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl real well to incorporate all the ingredients. Once combined, I covered the bowl and refrigerated it for a few hours. It actually gets better after about 6 hours but it must rest for at least 2 hours! Impatience here is highly imprudent! I find that the falafel mix is best after sitting for at least 12 hours, and have kept it in the fridge for a couple of days.

To cook the falafel, take a large pan and heat a good amount to vegetable oil 350°. It is not recommended to use a deep fryer, as that may cause the falafel to fall apart. Roll the falafel into balls about 1-1/2" in diameter. If the dough is too wet, squeeze out any excess moisture. Flatten each ball slightly and cook in hot oil until dark brown on each side. Drain them on paper towels and NOM!

Falafel is best with a good sauce so in the downtime can be used to make one. Here is Kat's recipe for Tzatziki Sauce. Place in a food processor bowl:

1 medium cucumber, peeled and seeded
1/4 c fresh mint leaves (or 2 T dried)
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 t salt
Process until the ingredients are fine. Place in a bowl and stir in:
1-1/2 c plain yogurt

1-1/2 t lemon juice

Mix well and refrigerate until you're ready to eat.

There you have it! Fresh, made from scratch, falafel. One hint to remember, make sure you dry your parsley and cilantro real well after washing it, before you put it in the food processor. You want to be sure to eliminate any excess moisture so your falafel doesn't turn out too watery. Don't forget, this recipe turns out the best if you take your time and let it rest before cooking. I've also discovered that letting it rest reduces and even eliminates any gassy side effects from the chick peas. A reward for your patience!

Cheers!

How a Real Man Makes Quiche

Quiche. The first time I ever encountered the word, I was told it was something real men didn't eat. I had no clue what it was or why real men didn't eat it, only that it must something gross with lots of vegetables and no meat. The first quiche I ever saw was a runny, undercooked nastiness that did nothing to inspire me to ever want to try a bite. It was not for many years, in fact, that I actually tried quiche and found it to be "not that bad."

Lately, however, I have discovered a new passion for this dish. It's perfect in its simplicity. Eggs, cheese, cream. Add to this base whatever flavor combinations you like. Bake it in a pie shell. Perfect. It's fantastic for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Spinach and Mushroom Quiche with Feta

I have recently taken to making a quiche on Sunday evening and eating it for breakfast all week (though I never seem to get past Wednesday!). The versatility of the dish allows for such a wide variety of flavors and ingredients that I never get sick of it.

Today, I am posting a couple of different quiche recipes. Really, they're the same recipe with different ingredient combinations. I typically use an all butter pie crust, the same one I discussed in my Dec. 19, 2010 post. I will usually cut back a bit on the sugar, though I still add a teaspoon or so. I find it's best to make a double crust and then freeze half of it for later use. If you are going to use the other half in 2 days or so, keep it in the refrigerator. Otherwise, you can freeze it for up to a month, if you wrap it well in plastic wrap and wax paper. If you freeze it, be sure to thaw the crust completely before you try to roll it out. The crust for the quiche is not pre-baked though lately I've considered experimenting with that, just to see what happens.

The quiche recipe I prefer calls for 4 large eggs. There are some recipes I've encountered that only call for 3 but I like the eggier version better. Most recipes call for cream or half-n-half. You may certainly use these ingredients if you choose. Seeing as how I make quiche so frequently, I have substituted these with a combination of evaporated milk and low-fat milk. Okay so it's still got some fat going on, I realize, but cutting out 2 cups of cream is never bad for the waistline!

Southwestern Quiche
Preheat your oven to 425°. Roll out the pie crust and line a 9" pie dish. Cover this with plastic and refrigerate until you're ready to use it.
In a large saute pan, heat
2 T olive oil
until the oil is hot and add:
1/2 onion, diced fine
1-2 red or green jalepeños, seeded and diced
Cook over medium heat until peppers begin to soften, about 5 minutes or so. Add:
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
Stir into onions and peppers and cook for a minute. Remove ingredients from the pan and set aside.

Southwestern Quiche

In a large bowl, mix together:
8-10 oz ground pork
1 t table salt
1/2 t chili powder
1/2 t ground cumin
1/2 t dried oregano
Return the saute pan to the heat and cook sausage over medium heat until lightly browned. At the last minute, toss in:
1/4 c cilantro leaves
Stir leaves into sausage and remove from heat.
In a large bowl, whisk together:
4 large eggs
1-12 oz can evaporated milk
1/2 c milk
1/2 t salt
1/2 t white pepper
When well combined, stir in onions and peppers along with sausage and
1 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Immediately pour into chilled pie crust. Sprinkle the top with:
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
Place in 425° oven for 15 minutes. Turn the quiche halfway and lower the temperature to 350°. Bake for another 20-25 minutes, until the quiche has set up but still barely jiggles in the middle. You can also test it by carefully inserting a knife blade in the center. If it comes out clean, it's done.
Allow the quiche to cool for a bit before cutting into it. I usually try to hold myself back for at least a half an hour but an hour is better. The longer the quiche sits, the firmer it will set up.

This recipe obviously makes a spicier quiche, the jalepeños giving it enough of a kick to make any real man proud. Still, sometimes a kinder, gentler approach is best. There's nothing wrong with going meatless on occasion, like for example the quiche I made this evening...

Spinach and Mushroom Quiche with Feta
As before, we begin with the oven at 425° and a pie shell in the fridge. In our saute pan we will combine:
2 T olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
We'll cook this until it softens and add:
1 garlic clove, minced
Stir the garlic into the onions and cook for a minute, then remove from the pan and set aside. Place the pan back on the heat and add:
2 t olive oil
1 c sliced crimini or portobello mushrooms
1/2 t salt
Cook over medium heat until the mushrooms begin to brown. Add:
1-1/2 c baby spinach leaves
Stir and heat until the spinach leaves have wilted. Remove mushrooms and spinach from the pan, leaving behind any liquid.
In a large bowl, whisk together:
4 large eggs
1-12 oz can evaporated milk
1/2 c milk
1-1/2 t dried basil
1/2 t salt
1/2 t white pepper
dash of nutmeg
Whisk until well combined. Stir in onions, peppers, mushrooms and spinach along with:
1 c crumbled feta cheese (about 4-6 oz)
Pour into chilled pie crust and sprinkle the top with:
1/2 c shredded mozzarella cheese
Bake as above, first at 425° for 15 minutes, then at 350° for 20-25 minutes, turning halfway through. Let it cool on a rack for an hour.

So many flavors, so many possibilities! Perhaps next week, I'll do a classic Quiche Lorraine with bacon and swiss cheese. Or maybe a smoked salmon quiche...

Cheers!

Quiche Update

Since writing the above post, I have experimented with a couple of different variations of crusts. I made one quiche with a crust made from whole wheat pastry flour. I used no white flour at all. I found the crust to not hold together quite as well as just using white flour. It was still very tasty but I think next time I'll try half whole wheat flour and half white and see how that works out.

In her comment posted below, The Improbable Farmer says that she fears pie crust and makes her quiche crustless. Kat had also been wanting to try this, not for fear of making the crust but of the calories therein. She decided to try making one with some of the fresh asparagus we have. She sprayed the pie plate with non-stick spray, then poured in the filling. Instead of baking it at 425° for the first 15 minutes, she just baked it at 350° for 40-45 minutes on an insulated baking sheet (to prevent the bottom from overcooking). 

The result was fantastic! The custard was perfectly cooked around the outside and the quiche held its form wonderfully when served. It was every bit as good as a regular quiche without the unnecessary calories. We loved it so much, we may never go back to crusted quiche again!

Peredur

May 24, 2011

Review: The Food Substitutions Bible

I have recently acquired a copy of David Joachim's wonderful book, The Food Substitutions Bible and I cannot praise this book enough! Just like The Flavor Bible, this book is an invaluable tool in helping you break the grip of recipe dependency and get on with the business of being creative in the kitchen.

The copy I purchased (pictured to the right) is the second edition of Joachim's book, and contains over 1500 additional substitutions not included in the first edition (with the blue cover). It is also about 25% larger than the first and is expanded throughout.

As the title says, this book is filled with substitution suggestions for just about any ingredient you can name. Anyone who has spent any time in the kitchen has had a time when a recipe called for an item they didn't have. My early days of cooking were filled with these experiences, usually ending up with a phone call to my  mother asking what I should do if I don't have buttermilk or baking powder for the recipe I had already started. Now I don't have to do that anymore. I can pull out the book instead, which is much quicker, and call my mom later to tell her how wonderful the recipe turned out!

There are so many food substitutions in this book, it boggles the mind. Everything from Spam to popcorn, duck eggs to korerima, and a thousand other ingredients that I've never heard of! (FYI, if you do find yourself in need of korerima, you can use an equal amount of ground cardamom in its stead.)

The thing about this book is that it's title is deceptive. It is much more than a food substitution guide. There are also substitution ideas for equipment and even cooking techniques. Say for example you would like to try an Asian recipe that calls for cooking in a clay pot but you don't have one. What to do? Should you run out and buy special cookware? I suppose you could. You could also, according to The Food Substitutions Bible, try using either a deep casserole dish or a dutch oven while reducing the temperature by about 100°F and the cooking time by about a half an hour.

One of the most wonderful things about this book are the Ingredient Guides at the back. Lists of apple varieties (including the flavor and texture of each and the best way to use them), dried beans, chili peppers, grains, honey, mushrooms, pasta, rices, vinegars, etc, etc. What the flavor differences are, what each can be substituted for; these lists are invaluable! In addition, there are measurement equivalents that I've never seen in any other book. If a recipe calls for a cup of evaporated milk, how many cans should you buy? According to the Can and Package Size Equivalents chart in the back of the book, a 6 oz. can of evaporated milk is 2/3 cup, while the 14-1/2 oz can is 1-2/3 cups. A #2 can is 20 oz. or 2-1/2 cups and a great big #10 can is 13 cups. Another interesting table is for Temperature Equivalents. Exactly what temperature is "a moderate oven?" According to this list it is 350°F, 180°C, or gas mark 4. Lukewarm water is 95°F or 35°C.

If you are at all serious about cooking, especially if you are among those who create your own recipes, this book is a must have! This is a book I wished I owned years ago and it is a most welcome addition to my book collection now!

Happy cooking (and don't forget to call your mothers)!

Chard and Kale Salad

Eating green leafy vegetables is one of the healthiest things you can do. Especially in the wintertime, when your body needs it the most. When it comes to leafy veggies, the darker the leaf the better is is for you. This puts kale and chard, two winter favorites, right at the top of the list.

The thing about kale and chard, however, is that the leaves tend to be much thicker and therefore tougher to chew. They nearly always have to be cooked. Using them in cold salads is usually out of the question. Usually.

Things like citric acid and salt tend to help break down leafy material. By applying these ingredients to the leafs and allowing them to "cook" overnight, a cold kale salad becomes an easy and delicious option to your wintertime menu! Remember, this salad must be made at least one day ahead!

Begin by whisking together in a large bowl:

3/4 c olive oil

1/2 c lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 t sea salt

1 t cayenne pepper

Trim::

1 bunch chard

1 bunch kale

Wash the leaves well and shake off all excess water. Rub the marinade into each leaf real well and set the leaves aside in a large bowl. Do not neglect this step! It is very important to rub the marinade into each leaf! When all the leaves have been marinated, add to them:

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

2 medium avocados, cubed

1-1/2 c shitake mushrooms, thinly sliced

Pour the marinade over the salad and mix well by hand, mashing the avocados into the leaves. When well mixed and thoroughly coated, cover the salad and refrigerate overnight. The leaves will cook in the lemon juice and salt and should be wilted the next day. Garnish with:

seeds from 1 medium pomegranate

or

toasted walnuts

A tasty side salad any time of year. It's also great on its own, garnished with a piece of salmon or grilled chicken.

Cheers!

Peredur vs Squashzilla

Banana squash - the behemoth of the squash family. Known for taking on entire armies and feeding them all!

Kat and I had a mammoth sized pink banana squash in the basement for the past couple of months and I finally decided that it was time to take up the gauntlet and create a very large pot of squash soup. Besides, I just got all sorts of new kitchen toys - including the top thing on my list, an immersion blender! - and I was dying to use them. 

Squashzilla done been kilt!

The first task at hand was to slay the giant. It put up quite a fight but, in the end, I was able to overpower it. Using a large chef's knife, I kilt the squash!

Secondly, I needed to bake the squash. Oh, I suppose I didn't actually need to bake it but I kind of prefer it to boiling. I hacked the squash, now dead, into 4 (still very large) pieces. I baked them at 350° for about 50 minutes or so, until the meat was tender. I removed it from the oven and cut it into pieces, discarding the skin.

At this point, I decided to roast the seeds. The seeds for this squash are, as you can imagine, huge! They are plump and fat and just screaming out for someone to roast them! I rinsed off the seeds real well, just as I would do with pumpkin seeds. I generously covered them with:

2 T kosher salt

2 t garlic powder

2 t cumin powder

1 t onion powder

1 dried Dundicut chili pepper, ground with a mortar and pestle (I just happened across these little peppers at a store the other day. They are extremely hot. You may use chili powder instead.)

Toss the seeds with the seasonings and bake at 300° for about 45-60 minutes, stirring them every 10 minutes or so. Roast them until they get a nice dark golden color. Yum!

Anyway, back to the soup. I did not use fresh onion or garlic this time because I was using a quart of homemade turkey broth. I usually make my broth rather strongly flavored and didn't think I would need too much more onion or garlic, opting to use a small amount of powdered instead.

Taking out my favorite stock pot (which turned out to be barely big enough to hold the monster), I combined:

1 qt homemade turkey stock

6 c water

about 8-10 c roasted squash meat

1 T ground sage 

1 T brown sugar

2 t kosher salt

2 t allspice

1-1/2 t garlic powder

1 t onion powder

1 t thyme

1 t fresh ground black pepper

1 t ground cardamom 

Gently bring the soup to a simmer and cook over low-medium heat for about 20 minutes or so to let the flavors combine. Using an immersion blender, carefully blend the soup until it is creamy and there are no chunks of squash. Reduce the heat to low and add:

1 c white wine

Stir in the wine and then slowly add:

2 c milk or half-and-half

Stir well. Adjust seasonings as desired. Serve topped with:

grated Asiago cheese

chopped parsley (optional)

The soup turned out fabulous, the Asiago really adding a lot of character to the mildly sweet flavor of the squash and spices. If your soup doesn't come out thick enough, for whatever reason, you might also consider mixing the cheese right into the soup!

A tasty New Year to all!

Easy Sunday Night Marinara Sauce

The holidays are nearly upon us again and things are beginning to get hectic. It's been tough to find the time to cook, much less write about it afterwards! Today, I am baking more holiday cookies and snacks to be given as gifts. I'm starting the day with Orange Spice Oatmeal Cookies (see last week's post) and am following that with Ginger Snaps (see A Perfect Day for Gingersnaps) and Candied Pecans (see Thursday's Spread - The Aftermath). As it turns out, we have some friends that will be dropping by this evening and I'll be adding dinner to that list. What to do?

With all the mess I had going in the kitchen I wanted something I could put together easily and quickly, preferably something I could cook on the stove since the oven would be in use. I figured a marinara sauce would be best and easiest.

For this recipe, I am not getting all fancy with fresh tomatoes or anything, I'm pretty much sticking to the pantry staples. I sometimes add olives and/or bell peppers to this recipe but today I'm keeping it to what I have on hand.

Start by taking a large pot and sautéing:

1/4 c olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

When onion begins to sweat, add:

1-1/2 c sliced crimini mushrooms

Cook over medium heat until the mushrooms begin to brown. Add:

4 cloves garlic, minced

Stir together for about 1 minute and add:

2 c water

1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes

2 6 oz. cans tomato paste

Stir well until tomato paste is well incorporated. Add in:

2 bay leaves

1 T sugar

2 t salt

2 t oregano leaves (2 T if fresh)

1 t basil (1 T if fresh)

1 t thyme (1 T if fresh)

1 t parsley (1 T if fresh)

1 t fresh ground black pepper

Bring sauce to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Cook for at least one hour. If you choose to take the sauce away from Marinara and toward a Bolognese, you can add meat at this point. At about the time you're going to start the water for the pasta, add in:

1/2 c dry red wine

1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese (if needed to thicken)

Continue to simmer until pasta is done. Serve with Parmesan and garlic bread.

Sunday night dinner made easy. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a plate of spaghetti to eat!

Cheers!

My Favorite 1970's Casserole!

Today's post is dedicated to my good friend Paul Weir, a true aficionado of classic American cuisine.

If you are in your late 30's or older, I'm willing to bet you have a favorite - even if you won't admit it! I'm talking 1970's casserole dishes, that monstrosity of cuisine that came close to scarring an entire generation. Looking at some of these old recipes, with all their processed food ingredients like Velveeta "cheese" and hot dogs, it's no wonder that the following generation embraced fast food the way they did!

Still, for those of us who grew up in that period, there is almost always one favorite, that one dish that you still make even if your spouse thinks you're completely nuts. For many it's Green Bean Casserole, with condensed cream of mushroom soup and those crispy onions that come in a can. For me, it was always what in my family was called "Tater Tot Casserole". 

The beauty of Tater Tot Casserole is its absolute simplicity. There are 4 ingredients. A 12 year old can make this casserole and, as I can vouch, has on many an occasion! It's hamburger and tater tots and there is not a kid anywhere that will not think this is the most incredible thing they've ever had! Which is why this recipe has stuck with me for all these years and is still one of my most favoritest comfort foods!

Making Tater Tot Casserole is easy. Simply take:

1-1/2 lbs. ground beef

and press it into the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish so that the raw hamburger completely covers the bottom. Then spread over the top of the beef:

1 can cream of mushroom soup

Over the top of this pour:

1 can French onion soup

Working in rows, arrange:

1 32oz package tater tots

over the top of the onion soup. You may wish to leave a 1/2" space around the top between the dish and the tots, as the burger will shrink a bit when it cooks. Sprinkle the tots with salt and pepper. Bake the casserole at 425° for 40-45 minutes, until top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before cutting. Serves 4-6.

As you can see, this recipe is painfully easy. One of the best things too is that, because this recipe is so simple with minimal ingredients, you can style it to your own taste! Try adding mushrooms, peppers, garlic, bacon, and/or cheese to the recipe. Flavor it with herbs, spice it up with chili powder or curry. Or keep the kids happy and just leave it plain. Anyway you go, this casserole has a good chance of ending up on your "favorites" list and, if you're like me, will be one of your guilty pleasures for years to come!

Cheers!

Pecan Pie vs Pumpkin Pie

Photo by Kat

 Today begins the cooking and preparation for tomorrows big turkey feast. And when I say "big turkey," I do mean it! We've got a 24 lb. free-range turkey, giving us something to be mighty thankful for this year!

I will be doing most of the cooking this year, though not all. My dear friend Mae will be playing hostess after we made a deal that if she had everyone over, I would do most of the work. I would like to have hosted myself but Kat and I only have room in our tiny house for about 3 guests. At last count, we're expecting 15 or so for Thanksgiving and that number may still rise! A few other friends will be pitching in on the cooking and bringing dishes. There will be absolutely no shortage of food!

Here is a brief rundown of this years menu:

Roasted Turkey, brined in apple cider with oranges and spices

Tofurkey (not mine, I promise!)

Polenta Giblet Stuffing

Gluten-free Vegetarian Stuffing

Garlic Mashed Potatoes with gravy

Orange Spice Cranberry Sauce

Waldorf Salad

Green Bean Casserole

Ginger Carrots

Homemade Whole Wheat Rolls with butter

Gluten-free Pecan Pie

Bourbon Pecan Pie

Scratch Pumpkin Pie

I'm fairly sure no one will go hungry tomorrow. I will be preparing all but the gluten free stuff, Waldorf Salad, the carrots and green beans. At the last minute I decided to make a Pumpkin Pie. That's a desert that seems to be falling out of favor more and more as people begin exploring more non-traditional Thanksgiving ideas. Some people are pumpkin pie aficionados. Others are not and most of those seem to downright hate the stuff. Myself, I've never been the biggest fan. This may be entirely to having spent my life eating pumpkin pie from a can. Tonight, I'm going to make a pie from scratch. I'm certain someone will eat it!

Now pecan pie, well that's a whole different story! Pecan pie is, hands down my favorite and I look forward to Thanksgiving just so I can make one. Chess pie, a corn syrup based custard of which pecan pie is but one variety, is a Southern specialty and there are endless ways to make it. Add pecans, buttermilk, maple syrup., whiskey, vanilla. The flavor combinations are endless and everyone has their favorite. Make a cornmeal crust and it will take you to another world!

Today's cooking begins with the rolls. These I made completely by hand, not even using a spoon! While the dough was rising, I set to work on other things, like getting the turkey into the brine. This year I took a tip from Pure & Yummy on making apple cider brine. I did mine a little differently, using the following recipe:

3 quarts apple cider

6 cinnamon sticks, broken

about 10 whole cloves

1 t allspice (I would have used whole if I had it)

2 bay leaves

2/3 c kosher salt

2/3 c sugar

I mixed all these together in a stock pot and brought the mixture to a boil in order to dissolve the salt and sugar. Once done, I set the pot out on the front porch to cool (it's about 31° outside right now). Once it had cooled, I took our turkey and cleaned it out real good, washing it and patting it dry. I put it inside a large 5 gallon bucket, adding ice and cold water to finish filling the container. I sealed it tight and put it in the shed out back until tomorrow. It will only get down to the mid-20's tonight, not enough to freeze the brine (the salt will see to that!).

Next on the list today - making Orange Cranberry Sauce. I already outlined this process in an earlier post. The difference this time is that I did not use vanilla bean, preferring the taste without.

Next up, pie crust. The recipe I like the best is a butter crust from America's Test Kitchen. I've never gotten anything but rave reviews anytime I've ever made it. At first, I was only going to make the Bourbon Pecan Pie but, since no one had offered to bring a pumpkin and because we have 3 little pie pumpkins in the basement, I thought that it would be just as easy to make 2 pies as one. I roasted one of the pumpkins and pureed the meat to use later.

I made a 2 crust batch of pie dough and split it in two pieces. I wrapped each in plastic and put it in the fridge until later.

By this point the dough for the rolls had risen and could be rolled out into little balls about 1" to 1-1/2" in diameter. In retrospect, these were too small. I've only made rolls a couple of times and am still learning how big to make them. I placed the rolls on the parchment lined cookie sheets and let them rise until they had doubled in size. I then baked them at 350° for a half and hour or so.

Once I had finished with the rolls, it was time to start on the polenta. Since the oven was free for the time being, I decided to roast the seeds from the pumpkin. I cooked the polenta for a half an hour or so and poured it into a greased cookie sheet to cool overnight.

Photo by Kat

Now it was pie time. I started with the pecan. First, I preheated the oven to 400°. Taking one of the crusts out of the fridge, I rolled it out into a disc big enough for a 9" pie dish. I fit the crust into the dish, then covered it with foil, carefully pressing it down to cover the bottom and sides of the crust. Then I filled the foil with pie weights. You can buy these at a kitchen store if you like spending money. Or you can use rice or, as I did, pinto beans. I won't be eating these beans but I will keep them around for the next pie! I baked the crust for about 15 minutes. I set it aside while I made the filling.

Bourbon Pecan Pie Filling
Heat the oven to 275° and place the rack to the middle setting. Set up a double boiler or place a heat proof bowl over a saucepan of water. Melt:
6 T unsalted butter
Once the butter is melted, remove the bowl from the heat and stir in:
1 c dark brown sugar
Add:
3/4 c light corn syrup
3 eggs
1 shot Kentucky bourbon
1/2 t salt
Whisk everything together well and place bowl back over the heat. Continue heating, stirring regularly, until the temperature reaches 130°. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in:
2 c chopped pecans
Pour the filling into the prebaked crust and bake for 50-60 minutes until the custard jiggles. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack It is best to let the pie sit overnight, which is why I like to bake a pecan pie at least a day in advance.

Now that pie #1 was out of the way it was time for pie #2. This time there was no crust to prebake, and pumpkin is an easier pie to make than pecan.

From Scratch Pumpkin Pie
Heat the oven to 425°. Prepare a 9" pie dish with crust and refrigerate until ready for use. In a large mixing bowl, combine:
2 c pumpkin puree
1 c evaporated milk
1/2 c brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t cinnamon
1 t allspice
1 t ginger
1 t cardamom
1/2 t ground clove
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t salt
Whisk everything together until smooth and creamy. Pour into chilled pie crust and bake at 425° for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350° and continue baking for another 45 minutes. If the crust starts to get too dark before the pie is finished, take a strip of foil and carefully cover the outer edge of the pie. The pie is done when a knife stuck in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.

All right, that's it! I'm off to bed to rest up for tomorrow. Have a Happy Turkey Day everyone!

Photo by Kat

A Wild Hare for Stew

Courtesy www.failblog.org

Bunnies. They're cuddly, fuzzy, adorable - and oh so delicious! And they are definitely on the menu tonight!

Every now and again, one of our local markets brings in some rabbit. I've been getting a strong craving for a good rabbit stew for some time now and so I jumped on the opportunity to pick up a little while I had the chance. Unfortunately, I could only get a 2 lb. rabbit. I would have preferred more like 3 lbs.

There are several methods of going about making Rabbit Stew. Having just acquired a couple of cases of 2006 Mia's Playground Pinot Noir, I thought it would be appropriate to use that as a base for the stew. I added a bit of homemade chicken stock as well, as I thought it might compliment the flavor. If you do this recipe at home, you should know that I make my chicken stock strong - a 1/2 cup of mine is the same as at least a cup of store bought stock. I also thought that using sweet potato instead of Yukon Golds. (Note that when I say sweet potato that I am not referring to yams, which are orange in color, but to white colored sweet potatoes which are a different species entirely.) With fresh herbs from the garden and double-smoked bacon from the Russian market down the street, I was ready to prepare a mean pot of rabbit stew!

To begin, take a stock pot and, over medium heat, rend the fat from:

6-8 oz. slab bacon, cut into 1/4" cubes

Once the bacon is crispy and the fat has been rendered, remove the bacon and set it aside, leaving the fat in the pan. In a large plate, whisk together:

1/2 c flour

1 t kosher salt

1/2 t black pepper

Clean, dry and then dredge in the flour:

3 lbs. rabbit

Brown the rabbit in bacon grease over medium heat. You may have to do this in 2 or 3 batches. If you need more fat, use bacon grease if you have it or vegetable oil if you don't. When rabbit is nice and brown, remove it from the pan and set aside. Add to the pot:

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

1 c chopped celery

Saute in stock pot, stirring up the fond from the bottom of the pot. After about 5 minutes or so, when the onion and celery begin to become tender, add:

4 large garlic cloves, minced

Stir the garlic into the onions and cook for about a minute. Add:

a bottle of good Pinot Noir

4 c water

1/2 c chicken stock

1 t dry mustard

Increase the heat until the liquid begins to simmer and add the rabbit, bacon, and an herb bundle consisting of:

2 large sprigs rosemary

2 sprigs thyme

1 bay leaf

Cover and simmer for about 2 hours. Open a second bottle of Pinot and drink it while you wait. It was about this time that a couple of friends dropped by, one of whom brought a bunch of chanterelle mushrooms that he had picked. They were beautiful and fresh and I couldn't resist the idea of adding them to the stew.
After 2 hours, remove the herb bundle from the pot. Make a beurre manie by mixing together:
2 T melted butter
2 T flour
Mix well and add in some of the liquid from the pot. Continue to do this until the beurre manie is runny, then whisk the mixture back into the soup. Add in:

2 medium sweet potatoes, diced

2 carrots, sliced

In a saute pan, cook over medium heat:
1 T butter
1 c chopped chanterelle mushrooms
a pinch of salt and a dash of pepper

Cook the mushrooms until they are heated through but still firm. Just before the vegetables are cooked (which should take about 20 minutes), add the mushrooms. Adjust seasonings as necessary. Remove from the heat and serve with lots of napkins!

The mushrooms were just the ingredient the stew needed. It gave the stew an even more rustic flavor and reminded me a bit of boeuf bourguinon. The unfortunate thing was that the rabbit I purchased was rather lean on meat and left us working hard for minimal return. Still, it was delicious and went well with the pumpernickel rolls I had on hand. All in all, a very tasty meal!

For the Love of Squash

I've become fascinated with squash. There was a time when, like everyone else my age, I hated squash. No squash would ever pass these lips, I declared, no matter what sweet yummy stuff might accompany it. Squash was squash and it all sucked! Period!

Then I grew up. Squash is now quickly becoming one of my favorite vegetables if for no other reason than there are so many unique varieties, each one different in flavor and texture. I also seem to be fascinated by the bowl-like shape of the squash, and find myself compelled to use them as serving dishes. This was the case again tonight after I brought one of the many heirloom squashes we have in the basement upstairs. It was shaped sort of like a flat pumpkin and was kind of blueish green in color with an orange colored meat. I thought I would cut it in half at its equator and that would give me two shallow dishes. But what was I going to put in them?

I've made stuffings for squash, I've served soup in them, what next? My answer was quick in coming - PASTA! After all, why not? I wouldn't hesitate to serve pasta topped with squash, why not squash topped with pasta and a nice cream sauce? It sounded perfect to me! I promptly popped open The Flavor Bible and looked up "winter squash." I decided not to take the sweet route with maple syrup or brown sugar, opting instead for a more savory flavor with thyme, garlic, cumin and such.

I began by halving the squash as previously mentioned, along its equator. I scraped out the seeds and membrane and set aside some of this. I then applied:
4 T butter
1/2 t kosher salt
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t cumin powder
to the squash halves. I poked each several times with a fork and baked it at 350° for about 35-40 minutes, until the flesh was tender. I removed the squash from the oven and set it aside, covered in foil.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet over low heat, I melted:
1/2 c butter
Once the butter had melted, I added:
1 c squash membrane, large pieces cut up
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 t kosher salt
fresh ground nutmeg
I sauteed these ingredients for about 20 minutes. I then drained the ingredients with a fine mesh strainer, pressing down on the squash with the back of a wooden spoon to get all the butter out.and back into the pan. You should press through a little squash through the strainer, this is okay. Add:
2 T flour
Stir well and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir in:
1/4 c chicken stock
Stir to completely combine with the roux. Slowly add:
2 c milk
1/2 t kosher salt
dash of white pepper
Stirring frequently over medium heat, warm sauce just to a gentle simmer. Adjust seasonings as necessary. Add:
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
2 T lemon juice
1/2 t fresh grated nutmeg
In a small pot, boil water and cook angel hair pasta. When pasta is finished serve inside cooked squash, topped with sauce and fresh ground nutmeg.

The end result was good, the squash having a very nice, almost pumpkiny taste. The sauce was thick and creamy with the taste of the thyme and cheese being dominant. The dish was delicious but had plenty of room for further experimentation. This particular recipe is vegetarian - one could certainly add meat, or even other veggies. Chili peppers would spice it up quite a bit as well.

Play! Create! It's why God made so many ingredients!

Turkey Quesadilla Pie

Tonight's dinner was one of my favorite turkey leftover meals. I originally found it on some promotional recipe card and insisted, much against the protests of my wife, to create the recipe exactly as it was on the card. The result was not overly appealing, being bland and characterless with no real spice or flavor. Still, I felt the dish had potential and decided to play with it. Kat insisted I was wasting my time but I had hope of something better for the quesadilla pie.

The thing I like about the recipe is it's simplicity. It doesn't take long to make and it's very satisfying (when made correctly). It is comfort food, to be sure. The recipe calls for using a tortilla as a pie shell and it works well! The topping in the original recipe was just flour and egg - no seasoning whatsoever! It was bland and boring. With the addition of some fresh herbs and peppers, this dish really woke up!

I now present it to you, that perhaps you may add it to your repertoire of Things To Do With Leftover Turkey. I think you'll find it to be a nice change.

Adjust rack to center of oven and preheat to 450°. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray. Press in:

a 10-inch flour tortilla

Spray the tortilla with cooking spray. Set aside. In a large bowl, toss together:

3 c shredded cooked chicken or turkey

1/2 c finely chopped fresh cilantro

juice from 1 lime

2 small jalapeños, finely chopped

1/4 c finely chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1-1/2 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese* (plus 1 c – see below)

1 T finely chopped fresh oregano

1 t kosher salt

1/2 t cumin

fresh ground black pepper

Spread chicken filling over tortilla. In medium mixing bowl, whisk together:

1 c all-purpose flour

1 t baking powder

1/2 t cayenne

Set aside. In small bowl, whisk:

2 large eggs

1 c milk

With wooden spoon, add egg mixture to flour and stir until well combined. Pour mixture over chicken. Top with:

1 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Bake for about 20 minutes until top is golden brown. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve with sour cream, guacamole, and pico de gallo.

Serves 6.

Quick. Easy. Satisfying. Yum!

Curry Cauliflower Soup

I've never really cared for cauliflower. I've turned my nose up at it for most of my life. It was only when I had real Indian food that I came to truly appreciate this vegetable. Inspired by the curry and the heat, as well as the dark and rainy weather outside in Portland, I decided tonight to turn a head of cauliflower into a pot of delicious creamed soup.

I used chicken stock in tonight's soup because I had some on hand. To keep the recipe vegetarian, simply substitute this with vegetable broth. I also went heavy on the garlic - 7 large cloves! - for no particular reason than it struck my fancy at the moment. They turned out not to overwhelm the soup, however, and supported the curry and spices quite well. I also used evaporated milk, as I usually do, instead of cream to cut back a little on the fat content.

I began by sauteing in a large stock pot over medium heat,

4 T butter

1 medium onion, chopped

I cooked the onions for about 5 minutes until they became translucent. Then I added:

7 large cloves garlic, chopped

I cooked the garlic for a minute or so and added:

3 T flour

I stirred the flour into the onions and cooked it for a few minutes until it began to brown a bit. Then I added:

1 qt chicken stock

1 qt water

1 c vermouth (or white wine)

1 bay leaf

1 T curry powder

1-1/2 t cardamom

2 t kosher salt

1 t turmeric 

1 t paprika

1/2 t black pepper

1/2 t white pepper

a pinch of saffron

I increased the heat to high to bring the liquid to a simmer. Once the broth began to simmer, I added:

1 head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into pieces

Setting the heat to low-medium, I covered the pot and allowed the cauliflower to cook through. It took about 20 minutes or so. Once the cauliflower was nice and tender, I creamed it in the blender, working in small batches and being careful to cover the top of the blender. I creamed it until it was smooth and poured the soup back into the pot. I added:

1 12oz can evaporated milk

1 T lemon juice

1 T grated parmesan

I stirred the soup well to incorporate the above ingredients real well. I adjusted the seasonings a bit and that's it! Dinner's served! I ate mine in a mug with a dash of paprika. It could also be served garnished with croutons and/or cilantro.

I love cauliflower!

Roasted Squash Soup

With a basement full of squash and an unexpected day off, I decided that today I would come up with a  new recipe. My squash selection is quite varied and includes a few varieties I've never tried before, as well as an unidentified variety from our backyard. We had a sizable harvest of what my wife and I began calling "mystery squash" this fall. We didn't plant it, rather it grew from seeds that had apparently gotten tossed into the compost pile and then redistributed in the garden. In early summer I started seeing squash plants popping up in several places that I hadn't planted them. One turned out the be an acorn squash plant. Another was "mystery squash." The fruits are green and oblong, looking and smelling from the outside much like a watermelon but maturing with a light, meaty flesh that is almost white in color and is very mild. Whatever it is it's delicious, which is a good thing because we have lots! We also had a generous harvest of acorn squash and had recently gotten several squash of various varieties through our food buying club. I settled in on a butternut, an acorn and a mystery squash to make soup out of, along with a bright orange-red gourd called a red kuri squash that I decided to halve and use as 2 serving bowls.

My original intention was to make a soup using a base of chicken stock, topping the finished soup with crumbled bacon. I had a change of plans, however, when I got a call from my friend Tracy who just got back from Alaska and whom I hadn't seen in several months. I invited her over and planned on an extra for dinner. The thing is, Tracy is vegetarian! I was not going to be able to use either the chicken stock or the bacon! I ran down to the freezer and got a quart of the vegetable broth I had made the other day. I also grabbed another acorn squash to provide myself with two more soup bowls.

To begin with, I cut the acorn, butternut and mystery squash into pieces, cleaning out the seeds and discarding them. I lightly sprinkled them with salt and baked them at 425 degrees for about 40 minutes, until the squash was soft and tender. I peeled the squash and scraped out all the meat I could, setting it aside. This step can actually be done ahead of time. You should have at least:

5-6 c cooked squash

If using squash bowls, prepare them now by cutting the squash in half from stem to base. Scrape out and discard insides. You might need to shave a bit off of the bottoms of each half to get them to sit straight. Pierce the flesh with a fork, salt lightly and sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake at 425 for about 40 minutes, or until the flesh is tender, while the soup is cooking. 

Using a large stock pot, cook over medium heat:

4 T unsalted butter

1 medium onion, chopped

2 T chopped fresh sage

Saute the onions until they begin to soften, then add:

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

Cook until the garlic becomes fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in:

3 T flour

Combine flour well and cook for several minutes until flour begins to brown slightly. Add:

1 qt homemade vegetable broth

1 c white wine

1 c water

2 t kosher salt

1/2 t white pepper

Cook over medium-high heat until broth begins to simmer, then add squash meat. Stir well, cover and reduce heat to low. Continue cooking for another 20 minutes or so.

If you have an immersion blender, use it. Otherwise, place the soup a little at a time into a blender and puree it until it is smooth and creamy. Remember to use caution by covering the blender with a towel and holding the lid on while blending! Clean out any bits that might still be in the stock pot and return the soup to the pot. Over low heat, slowly stir in:

1-1/2 c evaporated milk or half-n-half

1/2 t ground nutmeg

Stir well, adjusting seasonings as necessary. Remove the squash halves from the oven and place each half into a bowl or on a rimmed plate. Fill the squash with soup and sprinkle the top with fresh ground nutmeg.

Delicious! The flavor was light and creamy, delicate enough so that the nutmeg just came through. A fabulous vegetarian meal that was surprisingly easy to make, which is good because I will certainly be making this soup again!