Lentil and 6 Grain Soup

As you might imagine, being the Cheese, Wine and Specialty Manager I get a few perks, like samples of beer, wine, and cheese. But I also orchestrate the demos of products at the store. Soofoo is one of the those foods and I was fortunate to receive a sample. Not to sound like an advertisement for the product, but having it on hand allowed this soup to come together in a snap.

I was hankering for a good, hearty soup and this great mix of lentils and grains really made it happen. Pulling some lamb stock from the freezer that was demanding to be used and combining it with veggies, bay leaves and a splash of red wine vinegar led to the creation of what will be a new classic in my repertoire.

Jalapeno Popper Cheese Dip

In case you hadn't noticed, the Superbowl is this weekend. Not that I am a huge football fan (not the American version, anyway, but still vaguely rooting for the Packers, Midwest roots and all) but lots of food blogs are listing snacks to make for the big game day. That's why I ran home and made this gorgeous gooey dish of heart-stopping goodness.

Kevin of Closet Cooking loves making cheese dips and many of his recipes are on my to-do list. But this one could not wait. So I didn't. Yummy! The best part was how easy it was to prepare! Easy to prepare has been my primary focus lately - no reason, just want it quick and now!

Farewell to The Minimalist - Bittman's top 25

I came late to the Mark Bittman party - I only discovered him a couple of years ago through his column in the food section of the New York Times, The Minimalist. But I fell instantly in love with him - his personality, his cooking, his simple approach to cooking, and his down-to-earth desire to help everyone learn to cook, well, everything.

This past week he posted his last column for The Minimalist and listed his top 25 dishes (I don't know how he could have chosen, that sounds impossible to me!) I was shocked to realize I had only made one of them and it wasn't even his recipe - No Knead Bread from Jim Leahy. Still, I wanted to mark the occasion of his 13 year column run and so this post.

Thankfully, his food writing career is not over - he'll still be making contributions to the New York Times, although through the Opinion department, writing more about food, its politics, and the shifting culture of it all. Also, he will have a show on the Food Channel, which I am very excited about! His "Spain, On the Road Again" for PBS (along with Gwyneth Paltrow, Mario Batali and Claudia Bassols) was inspiring and entertaining, at least when he and Claudia were talking, eating and sampling, so I trust his new show will be loads of fun as well.

He started out working for America's Test Kitchen (now Cooks' Illustrated) and has written several cookbooks (and this list doesn't even include them all). He's be doing this for 30 plus years, and bless his heart, wants to give us more. That's passion!

Have you got a favorite Bittman recipe, moment or dish that you has a special place in your heart? I'd love to hear about any and all stories. Love that man!

Hugs!

Winter Vegetable Saute with Caraway

People seem stumped as to what vegetables to eat in the winter time. While roots - pureed, roasted, in soups - have a place in my kitchen I still love to toss together quick sautees like this one when I need something quick for lunch. Using red cabbage and fennel ensures the dish is on the sweeter side but still savory enough for my sour-loving palate.

I intended to add this to some cooked grains but realized that it would also make a great side dish for dinner. Pair it with a pork chop or cutlet or some sweet Italian sausage and you have a great meal.

Mixed Olive Tapenade

As I posted recently, I have cured some olives at home. The only trouble was there were a lot of them, and they turned out to olives which are not a particular favorite (Manzanilla are the Spanish olive easily found in any store stuffed with a red pimento). Not the end of the world, but not my chosen olive for eating as a snack. I immediately thought of making some tapenade to put them to good use.

When I spied this recipe I knew I had a winner. It is a nice mix of a variety of olives plus with the addition of the basil and roasted red pepper it props up the briney-ness of the olives and adds some sweetness. It was perfect for the array of small plates I put out for company who came to watch the Golden Globes a few weeks ago.

Capellini with Moroccan Style Sundried Tomato Pesto

Capellini (angel hair) pasta is one of my favorite types of pasta. I like its texture much better than spaghetti or linguini - there is less to it so I get more taste of the sauce.

This past weekend I bought a classic Moroccan cookbook, Paula Wolfert's Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco and have been devouring it as I do all great cookbooks. While there are plenty of recipes, she also gives tremendous details about the culture, history and markets of Morocco and I am eating it up!