Happy New Year!
Raise of hands, who’s making resolutions to eat better, exercise more, lose weight?
Well, lately I’ve got the exercise part down. (Easy – just find something that’s a ton of fun! 😉 )
Lose weight? Hahahaaaa…. these hips are quite stubborn, I’m afraid.
And eat better… well, I try that every month or so, but things (ahem, somebody’s got a sweet tooth) somehow always get in the way.
Don’t worry – I’m not one to suggest a juice cleanse (I’d probably kill somebody) or going carb-free (I tried that once… can you say, “hangry”?)
I don’t have the discipline to go on any of those fad diets. But what I can do is introduce more tasty, healthy things to my life.
This carrot soup is easy, good for you, and thanks to the dukkah, it’s pretty interestingly-flavored, too. No boring health food here!
Recipe from Bon Appetit’s December 2012 issue.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted, shelled raw natural pistachios
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 2 tsp coriander seeds
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1/4 tsp whole black peppercorns
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 lbs carrots, peeled, cut into 1″ pieces
- 2 tbsp (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- fresh ground black pepper
- 1 qt vegetable broth
- low-fat plain Greek yogurt
Cooking Directions
- Toast pistachios in a skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about six minutes. Transfer to a small plate and let cool. Add sesame seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, and peppercorns to same skillet. Toast, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer spices to the plate with the nuts and let cool. Transfer nut and spice mixture and salt to a food processor or a mortar and pestle and coarsely grind.
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Place the carrots on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the butter, season to taste with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Roast until the carrots are tender and just beginning to brown, about 25 minutes. Let the carrots cool slightly.
- Transfer the carrots to a blender. Add the vegetable broth. Blend mixture until soup is very smooth, 1-2 minutes. Pour the soup into a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. You can add a little water to the soup for a thinner consistency, if desired. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper.
- Divide hot soup among bowls. Spoon a dollop of yogurt on top of each bowl of soup. Sprinkle with the dukkah spice mixture.
Restored after our nap (not to mention, those wonderful heated bathroom floors – best thing ever for feet frozen by walking all over London in cold, rainy weather!)…
… off we went, to explore once again.
This time, we put on our tourist hats for a bit, and stopped by the Buckingham Palace.
From there, we wandered through a nearby park.
Duck!
That’s the London Eye way off in the distance.
And a cute little cottage where the bird-keeper lives. Wouldn’t you love to live there, right in the middle of a beautiful park?
From there, more wandering…
… down into Picadilly Circus Station.
We took a the Picadilly Line to King’s Cross, then the Thameslink Line to Farringdon Station.
A few streets later, through the drizzly rain…
We found ourselves at St. John’s Restaurant and Bar.
We had hoped to have dinner at the restaurant, but when we arrived we found it was reservations only.
Luckily for us, the bar portion of the restaurant also served food, and was open to walk-ins.
We started off with Welsh rarebit. This was the first time either of us had tried it, but who wouldn’t like a hot, cheesy toast on a cold, drizzly day?
Next was bone marrow (because, yum), which came with toast and a parsley salad.
It was fantastic.
But surprisingly, it was the parsley salad that was the real star of the meal. The freshness of it really went marvelously with the rich bone marrow.
Lastly, we got poached rhubarb with toasted brioche and vanilla ice cream for dessert.
Neither of us had tried rhubarb before this, although we were well aware of how the entire food blogging community goes wild over it every spring.
To be honest, we weren’t really fans. (Although the brioche and ice cream were fantastic.) It was incredibly tart, and I was convinced rhubarb just wasn’t my thing. That is, until a few months later, when we tried rhubarb a second time… and I fell in love. Now I know better!
Overall, it was a tasty meal, although I do wish we had gotten to try the restaurant.
Next week, we’ll see Big Ben and the London Eye… and as always, more food!
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This week in my world…
(Yes, I know there are 52 weeks in a year, but we skipped two weeks when we were out of the country in the spring – travel posts for those two weeks coming soon!)
Flying over snow-capped mountains on the way home from Arizona.
Home-grown Thai chilis.
About to be ground up with salt, which Son will then sprinkle over pineapple.
Christmas #2 at home. Yes, we have a fake fireplace on our TV in front of our real fireplace.
Tried a new Chinese restaurant. It was mostly meh, but before the meal they gave us a dish of seaweed-seasoned peanuts that were SO GOOD.
The xiao long bao weren’t too bad. But then, I always adore xiao long bao.
Hot tofu soup is the best on rainy days.
So spicy! But so good.
Making tamago for New Year’s.
Kampyo gourd.
Powering up for a day of sushi making!
And… we’re off!
First, we make the kappa maki.
Then, it’s the vegan sushi.
Next, it’s time for futomaki.
Then we finish off with the bacon crunchy shrimp roll, spicy shrimp inari, and sashimi… then it’s time to eat!!!
Good words for this year.
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“Peppahkaka!” my aunt exclaimed, when we showed up with these cookies.
“Peppahkaka!” my uncle gave me two thumbs up, when he arrived two hours later.
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When, while cleaning out a house that has been well-lived in (and accumulating boxes) for multiple decades, you open a box and find a hand-written recipe in your grandmother’s writing… of course you need to find an opportunity to make it.
Half a year later, this recipe was first in line on my holiday baking list. I gathered the ingredients, softened the butter (which is surprisingly difficult in a house that tends to stay colder than 60°F all winter), and started mixing.
It’s funny how strong scent memories can be. Based on the name, I hadn’t had any recollection of ever eating these cookies. But as I stuck my hands in the bowl, kneading the stiff cookie dough together, the scent wafting up brought me back to my childhood.
The best feeling ever is when someone goes back for seconds (and thirds!) of something I’ve cooked or baked. (And, not to worry – I’ve had plenty of failures over the years, which make the successes that much sweeter!)
Over the course of the last two days, my aunts, uncle, and both grandparents have been sneaking cookies left and right! They’ve told me that these taste just like how Grandma used to make them. A Christmas success!
Pepparkakor (Swedish Ginger Cookies)
Makes ~25 dozen small (1″) cookies, or fewer larger cookies
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp ground ginger
- 1 tbsp ground cloves
- 1/2 lb unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp light molasses
- 1 large egg
- juice and zest of one orange
Cooking Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Sift the flour with the baking soda and spices.
- Cream the butter with the sugar. Mix in the molasses and egg. Add dry ingredients, then mix until blended. (You may need to use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or if you’re like me, just use your hands.)
- Turn onto lightly floured board (or sandwich between two sheets of parchment paper). Roll as thin as possible, then use cookie cutters to cut into shapes.
- Bake 7 – 10 minutes, or until slightly browned around the edges.
- Enjoy!
This week in my world…
My aunt gave my sister a bunch of really tasty curry buns… and my sister was sweet enough to bring one down to LA so I could try!
Had a bunch of Son’s friends over for a dinner party this week. This caramelized onion dip was BOMB.
Sour cream deviled eggs with bacon.
Yorkshire puddings! Such a sense of relief when they actually popped!
My first time ever making prime rib. Amazingly, it was an overwhelming success!
One of his friends always brings desserts from a nearby Japanese bakery. The black sesame cream puffs are my favorite.
We made our citrus tree into a Citrusmus tree. Christmacitrus tree?
My aunt makes really good cheese boards.
I ate way too much cheese.
Crostini with mayo, kimchi, pulled wild boar shoulder, and watercress. SO GOOD.
Artichoke.
Arizona… you’re awesome, but you have a serious gnome problem.
Reflections.
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