Hated or adored the polarizing holiday of the year is almost upon us. Thankfully it’s on a Sunday this year so we wont have to sit through the crush of delivered bouquets teeming with overwrought posies and yards of pastel ribbon at the office. My unfortunate floral allergy simply doesn’t have a chance against the evil scent of lilies in small confined spaces. In case you’re wondering though I’m perfectly willing to accept roses in vast quantities in the privacy of my own home.

Flowers aside, there is one thing about Valentine’s Day that I have missed over the years – those adorable little cards. In Kindergarten I broke my elbow. Absurdly enough, after I broke it, I cried harder about the fact that I would A. not be able to go to the library that night as we’d be spending the evening in the emergency room and b. that I would miss our class Valentine’s Day party. I used to love receiving heaps of mini Smurf, She-Ra, and Thunder Cat illustrated cards during elementary school parties. Coupled with sugar cookies sprinkled with spicy red hots and cherry heart-shaped lollipops and you have the basic tools to create a child’s dream day.

Obviously you can see why I’d be more upset about losing out on the chance at receiving special treats than getting a cast put on. Fortunately my teacher at the time, Mrs. Dalessandro, made a special trip to my house to bring me a plate of the class pink and red hued goodies as well as my stash of badly lettered greetings.

This year I decided to bring the tradition back after I found a set of scratch and sniff cards at Paper Source that I just couldn’t resist. While writing them out yesterday, with Watson’s assistance of course,  I was transported back twenty years. Who needs a time machine when you’re surrounded by the scent of artificial strawberry, vanilla, orange and blueberry? So friends and family keep an eye on your mailbox…

{ 12 comments }

Share:
  • StumbleUpon
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • TwitThis
  • Kirtsy

A few months ago I won a giveaway on The Beholder blog for an amazon gift card that allowed me to finally fulfill my dream of owning a proper Cuisinart Food Processor. Previously CK and I were the not-so-proud owners of an absolutely horrible contraption that we bought out of necessity one afternoon at Target many moons ago. Sure it did the job, but not well and anytime you attempted to process a liquid it would gleefully spray the contents out of the absurd built-in salad shooter spout that you could never block off completely. Needless to say, many cooking hissy fits have commenced via this evil and constantly malfunctioning machine.

But my food processing strife is now thoroughly in the past. My kitchen with a Cuisinart has become a calm space that allowed me to quickly compose a delightful Roasted Butternut Squash soup without christening my counters or giving myself third-degree collateral damage burns.

Simplicity is the overarching theme of our weeknight dinner menus these days and this Ina Garten concoction absolutely fits that bill. After chopping up onions, apples, and squash I was free as a bird for the next 45 minutes – ample time to throw in a load of laundry, play with the cats, and help my sister with an essay. Then, while the processed soup ingredients were bubbling away in their pot of broth and curry powder I quickly prepped the toppings. I do have one warning for you: go easy on the raw scallions. Too many and you’ll really sour the while soup experience. Personally I’d opt for extra bananas instead. Bananas and curry were a completely new combination for me and the duo now ranks somewhere at the top of my list of “really super awesome” things.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup and Curry Condiments
Recipe originally published by Ina Garten

3 to 4 pounds butternut squash, peeled and seeded
2 yellow onions
2 McIntosh apples, peeled and cored
3 tablespoons good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 to 4 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1/2 teaspoon good curry powder

Condiments for serving:
Scallions, white and green parts, trimmed and sliced diagonally
Flaked sweetened coconut, lightly toasted
Roasted salted cashews, toasted and chopped
Diced banana

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut the butternut squash, onions, and apples into 1-inch cubes. Place them on a sheet pan and toss them with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Divide the squash mixture between 2 sheet pans and spread in a single layer. Roast for 35 to 45 minutes, tossing occasionally, until very tender.

Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock to a simmer. When the vegetables are done, put them through a food mill fitted with the medium blade. (Alternatively, you can place the roasted vegetables in batches in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add some of the chicken stock and coarsely puree.) When all of the vegetables are processed, place them in a large pot and add enough chicken stock to make a thick soup. Add the curry powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Taste for seasonings to be sure there’s enough salt and pepper to bring out the curry flavor. Reheat and serve hot with condiments either on the side or on top of each serving.

{ 10 comments }

Share:
  • StumbleUpon
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • TwitThis
  • Kirtsy

Tagliarelle with Truffle Butter

January 8, 2010
Thumbnail image for Tagliarelle with Truffle Butter

My enjoyment of truffle laced dishes has existed for quite some time, but this like quickly turned to love when I experienced the out-of-the-world deliciousness of the Rosemary-Truffle fries that are served at Chef Will Gilson’s Cambridge based restaurant Garden at the Cellar. If you eat at this establishment I positively demand that you order [...]

Read the full article →

Almost-Famous Cinnamon Rolls

December 30, 2009
Thumbnail image for Almost-Famous Cinnamon Rolls

The art of the copycat recipe is a fickle thing. The much-loved foods that we enjoy in various restaurant settings are almost never truly conducive to at home production. Probably because we would all die of fright if we ever seriously saw just how much butter, cream, and salt goes into, for instance, your favorite [...]

Read the full article →

Sticky Gingerbread

December 22, 2009
Thumbnail image for Sticky Gingerbread

I’ve been less than enthused about Christmas in general over the past few weeks and frankly my overall feelings toward this holiday of holidays are still rather up-in-the air mere hours away from the big event. There’s something not quite right this year. Perhaps it’s the fact that I wasn’t able to put our adorable [...]

Read the full article →

An Erin Cooks Contest: How to Sew a Button: And Other Nifty Things Your Grandmother Knew

December 14, 2009
Thumbnail image for An Erin Cooks Contest: How to Sew a Button: And Other Nifty Things Your Grandmother Knew

Note: This contest has now ended. Congratulations to Angie for being lucky #53! Thank you all for your entries and please be sure to check back soon for more fabulous giveaways.
I shouldn’t admit this but I’m totally that person who will send her shirt that’s sporting a missing button to the dry cleaner in order [...]

Read the full article →

The Official Cookie Exchange Rubric

December 11, 2009
Thumbnail image for The Official Cookie Exchange Rubric

I’ve been conscripted into a true battle of culinary wills next week: aka the annual office cookie exchange. My boss, Karen, has made it known in no uncertain terms that my fellow co-workers and I are expected to seriously represent at this event. Hopefully the Coconut Sandwich Cookies I intend to bring wont embarrass us. [...]

Read the full article →

An ErinCooks Contest: Julie & Julia DVD

December 3, 2009
Thumbnail image for An ErinCooks Contest: Julie & Julia DVD

Note: This contest has now ended. Congratulations to Myra for being lucky #137! Thank you all for your entries and please be sure to check back next week for another fabulous giveaway.
I think we’re all well aware of my love for both Julie Powell and the fantastic film version of Julie & Julia. In fact, [...]

Read the full article →