Blue Cayenne

This creamy Cauliflower and Zucchini Soup is just the mug of soup you need to warm your body and spirit during this winter’s chill. It’s definitely soup weather–even here in relatively warm southern California. 

Cauliflower, of course, is good for you, too, as you move yourself past those holiday binges. It is low in calories and high in nutrients.

The origin story for cauliflower is pretty interesting. According to Oz Telem, the author of the cookbook Cauliflower (a whole cookbook devoted to cauliflower!), cauliflower, is a member of the Brassicaceae family. Vegetables in this family have been cultivated for around 4000 years with their common ancestor being the wild cabbage. According to Telem, as wild cabbage came under cultivation, varieties of the plant developed into cabbage as we know it, kohlrabi, and broccoli. At some point cauliflower emerged as a desirable mutation and the rest is history. (Thanks to my good friend Debbie, I’m fortunate to have a copy of Telem’s book on my bookshelf. )

This is an Eating Well Magazine recipe. You can find the original recipe here.

Here is the recipe as I prepared it in my kitchen. 

You know that little piece of gorgonzola sitting in the back of the cheese drawer in your refrigerator? Take it out along with that piece of lonely cheddar you’ve been putting off using? Add in other bits and pieces of leftover cheese from your cheese stash, blitz the whole thing in your food processor and voilà, you’ve made a delicious cheese spread in no time.  

This is a genius “recipe” from Jacques Pepin–a recipe he attributes to his father who used to combine leftover bits of Camembert, Brie, Swiss, blue cheese and goat cheese into a tasty spread. You can combine whatever cheeses you have on hand. In this case, I had some gorgonzola, a bit of provolone and a chunk of leftover cheddar. Delicious!

This recipe is adapted from one that appeared in Food and Wine Magazine here.

I don’t know about you, but I grew up with  cranberry sauce right out of the can for Thanksgiving. You know…the jellied sauce with the ridges.

It’s somebody’s birthday this year.

This year marks the 110th birthday of the canned jellied treat. Invented in 1912 by Massachusetts farmer (and future founder of the Ocean Spray Cooperative) Marcus Urann, cranberry sauce is a solid American Thanksgiving tradition.  Ocean Spray sold an amazing 75 million cans of the stuff last year. Just Wow!

In recent years, though, home cooks have gone a bit rogue with the holiday treat–making their own and experimenting with all sorts of additions.

I love the stuff and usually make mine following a sweet spicy recipe I’ve used for many years. (You can find that sweet recipe here.) 

I’ve also experimented with other “takes” on the treat. Here is a recipe that incorporates jalapenos into the sauce: Cranberry Sauce With Jalapenos. 

Here is still another: Cranberry Relish With Jalapenos.

Today, I’m featuring  yet another idea, a piquant Cranberry Chutney recipe from David Lebovitz. (You can find the original recipe here: Cranberry Chutney.)  It’s  homemade, piquant, and edgy with a vinegary bite.

Wishing you a happy holiday. 

Here is the recipe as I prepared it in my kitchen.