Love actually is all around
I wish I could say that I have spent the past six weeks testing and writing out a fabulous newsletter for the fast-approaching Super Bowl of cooking. As of the time I’m writing this, I haven’t given a single thought to our Thanksgiving menu this year (Don’t worry fam, I’ll send out my planning spreadsheet soon!). Instead, I’m here to share a small food-centric way in which I have been relishing the little joys in life.
I have previously waxed poetic about my love for a Saturday morning bagel. But recently, this love has grown even deeper thanks to a Saturday morning tradition Poppy and I have started: I take her to my favorite bagel shop, she sits on my lap and gnaws on a plain bagel while I enjoy my egg and cheese, and for about 45 minutes, we just sit there and watch.
Much like the opening airport scene in Love Actually, I sit there with rose-colored glasses and take in just how much joy there is. Like how approximately 75% of the kids that come into the shop are still in their PJs. Or the man standing in line tapping his foot to Beyoncé’s music playing through the speaker. Or the little girl who was pushed into the shop in a bright pink plastic car, wearing a dragon costume and yellow polka dotted raincoat. Hood on, only bright blue sunny skies outside.
This Thanksgiving, I hope that you too are able to bask in the little joys of life—I suspect you will find that love actually is all around.
Roasted Honeynut Squash & Coconut Soup with Spiced Oil Topping
The 411:
’s recipe for roasted squash soup defies any notions you might have about the similarity between puréed soups and baby food. In this recipe, whole squashes, shallots, and a head of garlic are dusted with curry powder and then roasted. These ingredients get puréed with coconut milk and the soup is topped with a crispy spiced oil and lots of cilantro.Zoe’s Tips: If you’re wondering, “What is a honeynut squash?”, it’s a hybrid squash that’s intensely sweet and looks like a mini butternut squash. Your local farmer’s market will be the place to find them, but if like me, you can’t find them, then any winter squash will do.
Taste-to-Time Ratio1: 7:8
Roasted Romanesco with Pistachios and Fried-Caper Vinaigrette
The 411: This is another recipe from the genius that is Eden Grinshpan. In this dish, romanesco or cauliflower is boiled until tender, then roasted until crispy. It’s then topped with the most delightful vinaigrette, which is really just a confluence of my favorite things: fried capers, chopped pistachios, lemon, and lots of dill.
Zoe’s Tips: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: cauliflower is very difficult to burn. Give it plenty of time in the oven to get as roasty and crispy as you’d like. I prefer to serve this dish as a main course, atop a pile of fluffy couscous.
Taste-to-Time Ratio: 9:7
Happy Thanksgiving, friends!
The Taste-to-Time Ratio is a ratio that evaluates flavor on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest) with time on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the fastest). For example, our family favorite mac and cheese that requires 2 types of cheese, toasted baguette breadcrumbs, approximately all your kitchen pans, and 2 hours of baking is a 10:3 - insanely delicious, but not a quick weeknight meal.