Curried Butternut Squash Soup
Yesterday I picked all the meat off our leftover Thanksgiving turkey and boiled the bones to make turkey stock. I felt a little like Ma Ingalls making my own broth, but the whole process was just too easy for me to forgo. I followed Kalyn Denny’s instructions for making broth with turkey bones and it turned out great. In the end, I netted 12 free cups of turkey stock for my troubles! That much low-sodium, organic broth would cost at least $10 at the grocery store. Besides saving money, it felt really good not to waste any parts of our Thanksgiving turkey. I had previously...
Read MoreRicotta Brulee from Asti Trattoria
The owners of Asti and Fino, some of my favorite restaurants in Austin, have given all of us an early holiday present! Last week they published three recipes from the menus of Asti and Fino: Five Easy Pieces, cocktail by Josh Loving Moroccan Vegetables Ricotta Brulee We were so lucky to enjoy the ricotta brulee on our Thanksgiving table this year. My friend Nathan Russell made it according to Asti’s recipe, adding his own spiced cherry compote on top. It was delicious! We joked during dinner that if cheesecake and creme brulee had a baby, it would taste just like Asti’s...
Read MoreThanksgiving 2010 Recap
There is so much to be thankful for this year. A new husband, a happy home, more blessings than I can count. Rami’s and my first Thanksgiving as a family was magical. We shared a wonderful meal here at home with our friends the Russells before heading over to the Pittel’s home for dinner number two. Around both tables we shared hours of conversation and laughter with good friends. The joy and love I felt was utterly humbling. Food, of course, played a huge part in making yesterday great. Cooking with local, sustainably produced ingredients made the meal delicious and...
Read MoreThanksgiving Update!
Things are moving right along for Thanksgiving this year. I was pretty overwhelmed yesterday, so I revisited the Thanksgiving menu I made earlier this month and made some changes. The produce on the menu is still locally-sourced, and I’m making everything from scratch. However, this simplified version of the menu cuts a few dishes I prepared last week and for earlier potluck meals– no repeats this way. I also added a few items to make a first course on Thursday: a cheese plate and deviled eggs. Lynne Rossetto Kasper mentioned both of these things on “The Splendid...
Read More

