spicy cauliflower soup

spicy cauliflower soup

Cooking with seasonal vegetables is fun and rewarding. In the summertime, we love growing tomatoes and basil in our garden. All year long, we look forward to walking outside and eating sweet juicy tomatoes right off the vine, still warm from the sun. Last summer, we made a burst tomato galette with homegrown sungold tomatoes, and it was so unbelievably sweet, tangy, and delicious that we are still dreaming about it six months later. As temperatures drop in autumn (relatively speaking, this is LA after all!), we begin finding fall fruits like crisp apples and pears at the farmers market, along with cool-weather greens like kale and peppery arugula. In the springtime, southern California is at its most colorful, with plants and trees in full bloom, and we celebrate with fresh, sweet asparagus and artichokes, and ruby-red strawberries for dessert. But here we are, snuggling up in warm blankets, sitting by the fire, in the middle of winter, at the peak of cauliflower season. These cream-colored, delicately-flavored vegetables are at their best in winter, and have always been one of our favorites. In this appetizing soup, fresh seasonal cauliflower is combined with sautéed onions, sweet carrots, and blended with aromatic herbs and spices like coriander, cumin, cilantro, and a few pinches of red pepper flakes, to make a delicious, creamy, and comforting bowl of soup that will keep you warm and cozy until spring arrives.

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vegetarian kimchi

vegetarian kimchi

One of our favorite places to eat in Los Angeles is Western Doma Noodles, a quaint little Korean restaurant located in a tiny strip mall in the middle of Koreatown run by Baik, the sweetest lady in the world who makes everyone feel welcome. Although she doesn’t speak much English, she greets us every time with a warm smile and remembers that we are both vegetarian. It’s a special place for us. We had a lovely meal there for Ryan’s birthday in November before seeing the touring production of Beauty And The Beast at the Pantages. We always order the bibimbap, a signature Korean dish of seasoned vegetables served atop a sizzling-hot stone bowl of white rice topped with an egg and mixed with a generous spoonful of spicy chili paste. One of the best parts of Korean cuisine is the delicious banchan, small side dishes set in the middle of the table for everyone to share. Baik is so considerate and brings us an assorted vegetarian selection that is slightly different each time we visit. There are usually at least ten dishes to sample including Korean-style potato salad, steamed and marinated vegetables, pickled cucumbers and radishes, sautéed tofu, seasoned seaweed, and of course kimchi, an essential banchan for a traditional Korean meal. We were recently discussing fermented foods with our dear friend Christine at Yommme, and she mentioned to us that she had a delicious recipe for vegetarian kimchi that was easy to make. We fell in love with her roasted tandoori cauliflower that we wrote about in November, so we were eager to give this a try. We just made our first batch last week, and from the very first taste it was clear: this is, without question, the best kimchi we have ever had!

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winter shakshuka

winter shakshuka

Although we didn’t get a white Christmas while visiting Portland, we had an unexpected white New Years in Los Angeles. On the first day of January, we traveled above the city where everything is peaceful and quiet and the air is clean and smells like fresh pine. We are so lucky to be just thirty minutes from The Angeles National Forest with gorgeous mountains and countless places to explore, stretching over 1000 square miles of uninhabited land. We found ourselves strolling through icy trails lined with beautiful manzanitas and majestic oaks still dusted with snow from last week’s brief rains. The hike began at 4500 feet, and while we were expecting chilly temperatures, we had no idea that we would be walking in snow! But the sun was out, it was a beautiful day, and we enjoyed peanut butter and honey sandwiches sitting on a boulder on the side of the trail while soaking in the sun’s rays. After a brief drive back into civilization, we came home to put the final touches on an original new recipe, a warm and comforting skillet of tender cauliflower, sautéed leeks, diced tomatoes, bright red chard, and poached eggs nestled between the vegetables, which is topped with deeply toasted pine nuts and a dollop of lime-infused Greek yogurt: say hello to winter shakshuka.

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thyme gimlets

thyme gimlet

How is it already the end of December? It feels like just last week we were enjoying pumpkin pie and stuffing at Thanksgiving, and yet somehow 2016 is only a day away. It has been a festive month for us, with holiday sing-alongs, Hanukkah latke parties, and a brief but lovely trip up to Portland to visit family for Christmas. But before the year is over, we have one last recipe to share with you. New Years Eve is tomorrow night, and we have the perfect cocktail for your celebration—a deliciously refreshing drink, wintry, ice-cold, and an aromatic twist on a familiar classic: thyme gimlets.

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hot nutella with toasted marshmallows

hot nutella with toasted marshmallows

What has four ingredients, takes five minutes to make, is rich, warm, chocolatey, and even better than a cup of hot cocoa? Allow us to introduce you to this glorious and comforting drink: hot Nutella with toasted marshmallows. Our original plan was to post a fancy layered holiday cake today, but as we learned this weekend, it still needs work before we can share it. We spent all of Sunday baking, then ended up throwing the entire failcake in the trash after taking just a few bites, so it will have to wait till next year! When deciding what to make instead, the thought of something quick and easy sounded most appealing after this long and disappointing cake fiasco. We were in the kitchen discussing ideas, and in a moment of inspiration, Adam suggested, “What if instead of hot chocolate… it was hot Nutella?” We knew immediately that this was the ideal treat to share with you this week: simple to make, sweet, indulgent, and perfect for the holidays. With quick and easy toasted marshmallows—it takes literally 30 seconds in the broiler—and an option to spike these hot drinks with a splash of liquor, they satisfy adults and kids alike!

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