learning how to cook (again)

I've been reading the book An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace
It's a journey with food in your kitchen with your host Tamar Adler.
It's a joy to read....and it'll be read and re-read.  I may loan it out, if you ask nicely.

It's inspired me to get back into the kitchen.  I don't know about other cooks, but I ebb and flow from eating well to eating not so well, to getting too much takeout.  It all seems to spiral together with sleep, exercise and my general well being.  When I'm exercising, I like to eat well, and I sleep well, when one of those gets out of kilter, everything thing goes.

So I'm back on track.  At least this week.

I've learned how to poach an egg.  Super fun.

I remembered that I love to bake bread...and all I need to do it take time to mix up some dough (with some spent grains for texture) and then I can bake it fresh every day.

Before:

After:

I was wondering what to make for meals this week when I made it to the chapter on veggies.  I was reminded of the joy of oven roasting them.

On Saturday, I roasted beets, carrots and parsnips.  (Not pictured: beets)

Saturday night I enjoyed beet salad with walnuts and goat cheese.

Yesterday I roasted cauliflower and broccoli.

And, per Tamar's recommendation, I popped the core of the cauliflower and the thick stems of the broccoli in some water and simmered until they were mushy.  I knew I would use it for something....so I let it cool and popped it in the fridge.

Imagine my joy as today's weather was damp, rainy and a bit chilly.  It had soup written all over it.

I made cream of broccoflower soup.

Here's the recipe.

In a soup pot add some olive oil and a smashed clove of garlic.  Heat it slowly.  I added a splash of water so I wouldn't burn the garlic.  When the garlic was tender, I pulled it out.
Meanwhile I was enjoying my new blender as I blended the cauliflower and broccoli remains.
I added that to the soup pot and brought it to a boil, then reduced to simmer.
When it was warm I added some milk, some Parmesan cheese and some freshly cracked pepper.
When that was all mixed in, I tasted it and added some salt and a pat of butter....(that was to make up for the skim milk)

When it was done I added some of the oven roasted cauliflower for texture and garnished with parm and parsley.  Super delicious.

Here's to more fun recipes...book inspired and kitchen created.