I could try to explain why I haven’t been here, in this space, but really there are no excuses. Life just interfered, once again.

I have a good feeling about this summer though. There’s a pile of cookbooks sitting on my bookshelf (thanks to a well-stocked local library) that have been really inspiring me lately. The arrival of the spring and early summer produce in my local grocery stores and markets has been tempting me back into the kitchen, after a winter spent braising and making countless vats of soup. One can only eat so many root vegetables before the very thought of a fresh salad, bursting with bright green flavours, becomes incredibly appealing! I’m also out of school for the summer, which means more time to mess around in the kitchen. Not to mention the presence of a second person in the kitchen – cooking with and for someone else is a vast improvement on my usual solo suppers.

Anyway, the idea is this – I’m just dying to get back into the kitchen!

So to start things off, I’ve made you some salad. It may not look like much, but the flavour is unbelievable – cool, fresh, and disarmingly complex. The quinoa provides a slightly nutty backdrop, upon which the asparagus and corn are showcased. The creamy goat cheese brings all of those contrasting flavours and textures together, adding just a subtle tang. I can’t stop thinking about this salad! I’m definitely going to be revisiting this recipe later this summer, perhaps adding some late-summer produce such as thinly sliced raw zucchini and juicy tomatoes.

We enjoyed this in the park on a sunny afternoon – this is perfect picnic food. Its crunchy texture and refreshing flavours are a great antidote for a warm summer afternoon. It’s also delicious at room temperature.

Quinoa Salad with Asparagus, Corn, Chicken, and Goat Cheese

Adapted from Bon Appetit, August 2009

The original recipe called for semi-pearled faro, an ingredient I couldn’t find at any grocery stores in my area. The quinoa was a delicious substitute, and I loved the texture it added. I also used asparagus instead of green beans since there’s been a lot of lovely local asparagus around here lately. This recipe is very adaptable – feel free to try your own variation based on what’s in your fridge and what looks good at the grocery store!

- ½ cup quinoa

- 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided

- ½ lb skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

- ¾ lb asparagus, cut into 2” lengths

- 3 ears of fresh yellow corn, kernels removed

- 3 green onions, thinly sliced

- 1 Tbsp minced fresh mint

- ½ tsp coarse kosher salt

- 2 Tbsp cider vinegar

- 2 Tbsp minced shallot

- 1 tsp Dijon mustard

- 4 oz fresh goat cheese, crumbled (about 1¼ cups)

Cook quinoa & cool.

Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.

Season chicken with salt and pepper.

Add the chicken to the skillet and cook until golden and cooked through (about 8 minutes per side).

Cool the chicken and cut into ¾” cubes.

Cook the asparagus in a large saucepan of boiling water until crisp tender, about 3 minutes.

Drain and rinse under cold running water.

Pat the asparagus dry with a kitchen towel.

Mix the quinoa, chicken, asparagus, corn kernels, and green onions.

Combine the remaining oil, mint, and ½ tsp coarse salt in a small bowl.

Whisk in the vinegar, shallot, and mustard.

Pour the dressing mixture over the salad, tossing to coat.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle with goat cheese before serving.

Serves 4

So what do you do when everything is hanging in the balance? Well, I make soup. This week it was a creamy cauliflower soup that I chanced upon in Smitten Kitchen’s archives. It’s exactly what I was looking for – hearty and comforting, with the added bonus of being pretty darn healthy too. I like that in a soup. I bumped up the flavour a little bit from the original by adding more garlic, some chili-garlic sauce (I suspect a pinch or two of red pepper flakes would be work just as well) and some fresh rosemary I had in the fridge. These strong flavours were muted by the cauliflower, and the balance ended up being just right for my palate. I’ll be eating this soup for the next few days for lunch, accompanied by a simple salad or some bread. Perfect food for imperfect times.

Cauliflower Soup

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

- 1 Tbsp olive oil

- 1 medium onion, finely chopped

- 3 cloves of garlic, minced

- ¾ tsp chili-garlic sauce

- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped

- 1 head cauliflower, coarsely chopped, leaves and core removed

- 4 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock

- ½ cup Parmesan

- Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.

Add onions, garlic, and rosemary. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add chili-garlic sauce and stir to incorporate. Cook for 1 minute more.

Add cauliflower and stock, stirring to mix.

Bring to a boil, then cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low.

Simmer for about 15 minutes, until the cauliflower is very tender and almost falling apart.

Purée the soup using either an immersion blender or a regular blender (in batches).

Stir in the Parmesan.

Season with salt and pepper.

So, let’s start at the basics, shall we? I’m an environmental engineering student from Canada (for any Canadians reading who are curious about the specifics of my geography, I’m originally from New Brunswick and am now studying/living/working in Ontario). My interests vary from art to soccer to environmental issues to music. The least of these interests is probably math/engineering. I’m not entirely sure how I ended up where I am today, but so far so good.

One of my main interests has always been cooking and really just food in general. Since before I could even reach the stovetop all I have ever wanted to do was cook. I would beg my mother to let me help her make dinner. She’d let me drag a kitchen chair over to the counter so that I could watch her chop and stir and sear. While most of my elementary school classmates went home to watch cartoons, I preferred to spend my after-school TV time watching cooking shows. Back then, my favourite show was The Urban Peasant on CBC and I watched it religiously every day after school, sitting mesmerized, captivated by the colourful and exciting images on the screen. As soon as I learned how to write, I started to copy down the recipes from that show and would try to convince my parents to cook them. One of my favourite games was to pretend that I was a chef in a fancy restaurant, and I would spend hours agonizing over the perfect menu and preparing “delicacies” for my parents.

I’m sure that my parents thought that it was just a weird phase, kind of like being afraid of the dark or having an imaginary friend. Maybe that is how it started out, but somewhere along the way it turned into a true passion. In any case, even though I’m now old enough to cook for myself, my old love of cooking has definitely stuck with me. It’s been one of the few constants throughout my life. I’ve always wanted to learn more about food.

So how did I come to start this blog? I stumbled into the world of food blogs a little over the year ago and have been toying with the idea of starting my own blog ever since. Until now I haven’t had the courage to take the plunge. I’m hoping that this will be a place where I can talk about all things food-related so that I can stop boring my family and friends and hopefully learn some things along the way!

I did, however, manage to make one last “real” meal before the sanctions were imposed – a richly flavoured mushroom risotto. I think a lot of people are intimidated by risotto, especially new cooks. Until about a year ago, I was one of those people – I viewed risotto as a strictly “restaurant dish” that was much too finicky and complicated to try at home. Then I actually tried it. I soon realized how easy risotto can be to make and it’s been one of my favourite dinners ever since. Isn’t it funny how so many of the things that we build up in our heads as being too difficult are actually just things that we’re too scared to try?

Risotto is a great dish to learn to make, because not only is it delicious, but it’s also incredibly adaptable. Once you have the technique down, you’ll be able to whip a risotto in no time and with almost any ingredients that you happen to have lying around! This makes it a great alternative for using up leftovers, which is useful for those days when you can’t bear to eat another bowl of [insert leftovers here] soup. The only thing to be careful of are the basic proportions – it’s important to keep the ratio of rice to stock to “add-ins” roughly the same.

Anyway, back to the recipe. I adapted this from several Jamie Oliver recipes, one from his book “Jamie at Home” and the other from “Jamie in Italy.” I was looking for a risotto with a strong mushroom flavour, since I find that many recipes don’t deliver that and you end up eating pallid, tasteless risotto with a sprinkling of mushrooms on top. Roasting the mushrooms deepens their flavour, and when combined with a mushroom-infused broth, the result is a dish that actually tastes of mushrooms. Which, if you like mushrooms as much as I do, is a very good thing.

Roasted Mushroom Risotto
Adapted from Jamie Oliver, “Jamie at Home”
Serves 4

I knew that I would be keeping this to reheat during the week, so I made it a bit looser by adding a little extra stock at the end. I’ve found that this makes it easier to reheat, because risotto can tend to get dry and thick once it’s been stored. I also usually add a bit of butter (or even water) to the leftovers before reheating.

­- 2 Tbsp olive oil
­- 2 Tbsp butter
­- 3 large handfuls mushrooms (mixed – I used cremini, Portobello, oyster, and shiitake), chopped into 1″ long pieces.
­- 1 sprig rosemary (or thyme), leaves picked and finely chopped
­- 1 onion, finely chopped
­- 4 stalks celery, finely chopped
­-  2 cloves garlic, sliced
­-  2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
­- 1½ cups Arborio rice
­- ¼ cup white wine or vermouth
­- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
­- ¼ cup dried mushrooms (optional), rehydrated
­- Handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
­- 1 lemon
­- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
­- Salt and pepper

Heat oven to 400ºF.
In a saucepan, add the stock, rehydrated mushrooms, and any mushroom trimmings (stems, etc.).
Bring the stock to a boil, then reduce heat to medium – keep the stock simmering.
Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a skillet (use one with high sides and a lid) over medium-high heat.
Add mushrooms and cook 1-2 minutes until starting to brown.
Add sliced garlic and rosemary, and cook for 2 minutes more.
Spread mushroom mixture on a baking sheet, and bake for 6-10 minutes.
Lower heat on the skillet to medium, and heat remaining oil and 1 Tbsp butter.
Add onion, celery, and chopped garlic, and cook for 15 minutes without colouring.
Add the rice, and stir to coat with oil.
After about 1 minute, the rice will start to get slightly translucent.
Add the wine, and cook until evaporated (about 1-2 minutes).
Add your first ladleful of hot stock and a good pinch of salt to the rice, stirring to incorporate.
Wait until the stock has been absorbed before adding more stock.
Keep adding stock and stirring (not constantly stirring) until most of the stock has been added and the rice is almost al dente. This should take about 15 minutes.
Add the mushrooms and any accumulated juices.
Go back to adding stock and stirring until the rice is al dente. This should take 5-10 minutes. You may not need all of the stock.
When the rice is done, the mixture should be creamy but the rice should still have distinct shape. It should also look a bit looser than you think you want it.
Remove the pan from the heat.
Add the remaining 1 Tbsp of butter, Parmesan, and parsley.
Cover and let sit for 2 minutes.
Add a good squeeze of lemon (to taste), and salt and pepper to taste.

So what do I think? I love squash and always await its arrival in my local farmer’s market with eager anticipation every fall. I find that (most) varieties of squash have a wonderful slightly sweet taste that somehow manages to be both earthy and vibrant at the same time. Now that squash is back in season here in Canada, it’s time for them to reclaim their place in my kitchen, displacing summer’s bounty of tomatoes, zucchini, and corn. There’s just something about this time of year, when the trees in my neighbourhood are covered with golden and crimson leaves and I start to once again wake up to dark mornings and icy windows. It makes me want to curl up and read books under my favourite blanket, preferably with a cup of warm soup nearby. Squash seem to fit this mood perfectly, with their mellow flavours and autumnal colours.

So here’s some soup for you. Whether you are a long-time lover of squash or a new initiate, I hope that it brings you some warmth and comfort this fall season.

I made this soup last weekend for some friends, neither of whom had ever tried squash before. They both loved it, which they seemed to be a bit surprised about. It is sweet with just a hint of spices, intensely flavoured yet light on the tongue.

Apple Squash Soup
Serves 4-6

- 3 cups cubed butternut squash (about 1 lb whole)
- 3 cups cubed acorn squash (about 1 lb whole)
- 2 small McIntosh apples, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- ¼ cup cream
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp coriander
- Pinch nutmeg
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp butter

Heat oil and butter in large pot over medium-high heat.
Sauté onions until softened and slightly opaque.
Add garlic and apple, cook several more minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add all spices, cook for 1 min.
Add squash and broth; bring to boil.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer until squash is very tender, about 20 minutes.
Puree the soup in blender, working in batches.
Return soup to pot.
Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
Stir in cream and sugar.
Bring to simmer.