Sometimes You Win

Lately the kiddo has been trying to assert herself over the dinner table. I tell you not much compares to the parental moment there. After nine hours of dealing with impossible deadlines and technical details at work, and an hour in traffic, I arrive home to mouths waiting to be fed with just enough time to set down the briefcase and pick up the spatula.

Through the miracle of leftovers, I can usually hit table service in 20 minutes. As I am patting myself on the back for this amazing feat and some relatively decent balanced meals there, I get this from the pint-sized food critic:

"I don't like that."

"Now, you did not even taste it, so how do you know?"

"I just don't."

There are a few choice items running through my mind. You'll sit down and eat it and like it, cause after a long day, that's all you get. Fine, go hungry. But, I worked so hard to make something you would like!

"Okay," I say. "You don't have to eat it if you try it and do not like it. But you should try it. That way I will know what you like, what you don't, and be able to fix things that work for us all."

She tried it.

"OH, I LOVE THIS!"

Yeah, sometimes you win. And sometimes, the kid just gets to be a little hungry leaving the table. Hard-headed and just a little bit hungry.

February Book Giveaway

First, congrats to Foodie32, winner of "How to Drink." Surely this is a valid pursuit during the pit of winter here. Think hot toddy.

For the rest of us, we hit the New Year all full of good intentions and resolutions, new diets and exercise regimen only to slam headlong into February's contrived holiday centered on chocolate. What cruel mockery is this when we are already down and longing for spring?

I say, pop a cork, toast that hairy little bugger who predicts six more weeks of bitter cold, and maybe consider what wine pairing would go best with GROUNDHOG CONFIT.

So, I am reading about passion this month. Passion for wine, passion for food. Two volumes by Deirdre Heekin. The first is Libation and is my giveaway this month. The book covers personal essays about Heekin's self-taught path to develop her sense of smell and palate to become the sommalier at Osteria Pane e Salute, the restaurant and wine bar she co-owns with chef husband, Caleb Barber. It offers an informative way to learn about wine through an easy-to-read narrative that is far less dry than a heavily-oaked Cabernet.


Heekin's second book, In Late Winter We Ate Pears, covers her and her chef husband's year of living in Italy. Part memoir, part food writing and part recipe book, the text serves up 80 recipes by season. Recipes include items like Red Snapper with Fennel Sauce and Fresh Figs with Balsamic and Mint.

If you would like to win yourself my copy of Libation, just leave a comment below here. I'll do a random number thing and the winner will be drawn from all who comment (Except spam comments. Because I remove those with a vengeance.).

Books courtesy of Chelsea Green Publishing.

Mastering the Art of Sustainable Cooking Guide

Well, the good news is one of my posts made the top 15 and is published in the guide by Brighter Planet. It was reviewed by a panel of judges that included Alice Waters!

Less good news, I did not win one of the top five spots and Kindle. But, that's fine since I am wondering what Apple has going for their reader to come out soon ...

You can download the Sustainable Guide with some good information on our "foodprint" and the top 15 posts here.

First, Get a Sharp Knife

With its gnarled, thick rind, this heirloom pumpkin looks like anything but something to eat. It's not often you find yourself in the kitchen, staring at an ingredient, trying to figure out an attack plan. Usually this moment only comes confronting your food when it is still running, or pinching.

Take a deep breath. Get a sharp knife.

A big, heavy, ugly beast. Thump. Right there in front of you.

Take a moment to size it up. Look at the angles. Then take your first cut down the deepest seam. Take your next cut down the opposite side. Turn the pumpkin over and make the cuts meet at the bottom. Grab the thing and pull it apart.

You just got it down by half and all you had to do was start. From here, the goal is to slice away the rind, a bit at a time, where you can. When you get a piece cleared, cut it off into cubes.

Slowly, piece by piece, you get there. If you hurry, you'll get hurt. It's not a race. More of a test of patience.

And not unlike any other problem in life, really. If you work at it, take it piece by piece, sooner or later, you'll get it down to size.

Finally, save the seeds. Compost the rest. Use everything wisely.

I think about these things in the kitchen. Even when I am just cutting a pumpkin.

Pumpkin and Crab Soup

2 tbs. olive oil

1 onion chopped

2 leeks, white and an inch of light green, chopped

3 ribs celery, chopped

2 tbs. dried thyme, or 4 tbs. fresh thyme

2 lbs. cubed pumpkin

1 lb. peeled, cubed sweet potato

2 cups seafood stock

4 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup half and half

1 tbs. butter

1 lb. crab claw meat

salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the celery, leek, onion and sweat for 10 minutes over low heat. Add the thyme, pumpkin and sweet potato and the 6 cups of stock. Bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and cover. Simmer for about 30 minutes until the potato and pumpkin are soft.

Puree with a stick blender. Swirl in the butter and half and half to add richness. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the crab meat and mix until heated through.

Serve with grated Gruyere or Parmesan on top.

Have to admit, this is not the best recipe for Pumpkin and Crab Soup. John Besh has a better one, I think, in his My New Orleans one. It uses twice the crab meat amount (and the big lump kind that costs twice as much) and double the amount of real cream plus garlic and cayenne to keep it Cajun. Very tasty. Still, this lighter approach is pretty good, especially when you are on the New Year "eat better" track. For now.