NOURISH HEALTH + TASTE + STYLE

Winter's Warmth :: Le Soup

So what do you get when...you've been daydreaming about a friend's trip to Morocco + a chilly February afternoon + a random assortment of leftover root veggies, winter squashes & herbs in your fridge?  A wildly coloful and flavorful SOUP!  After taking stock of my fridge and spice arsenal, I went to work on this rich, hearty soup that's not exactly Moroccan, and not exactly South Asian.  I wouldn't go as far as calling it the bastard soup child of both cuisines, I think the love soup child is a kinder, more appropriate reference.  Regardless, the flavors whirl themselves together wonderfully, leaving you happily slurping an steamy bowl of aromatic goodness.  Slurp away! 

Crushing On :: Occhipinti Wines

I'm not sure if it was ironic or simply good timing, but I don't really care either way.  I was plotting a post just last week about one of my absolute favorite winemakers (I'm slightly obsessed), and then who turns up on my doorstep Saturday morning smack in the middle of the New York Times Style Magazine.  Say "bongiorno" to Arianna Occhipinti and Occhipinti wines.  Many thanks to the fantastic Mr. Todd Selby who photoraphed Occhipinti in his NYT feature column, Edible Selby - appropriately titled "Natural Woman."  I discovered Occhipinti's wines - the SP68 Vittoria Rosso to be exact - at L'Artusi (a great Italian spot in the WV) a few years back and I've been hooked ever since.  At 29, Occhipinti is producing some of the most striking wines I've tasted - she's producing in southern Sicily where she's from...and she's doing it using natural biodynamic methods to farm the grapes (read: zero chemicals).  She's a woman with a mission, and I'm fully on board.  

Here's her recipe for grape marmalade as published in T Magazine (insert Italian accent).

1 kg grape moscato

.3 kg sugar

Remove the seeds from the grape and discard it.  After, put the grape in a pot with the sugar and mix by a wood spoon until the fruit changes thanks to the caramelization of the sugar.  When it is dense, put everything into a glass jar when it is hot.  Close and seal.  It is ready.

You'll find Occhipinti wines online and at Astor Wines.  Oh, and of course at L'Artusi thanks to Joey Campanale, owner, beverage director and wine slueth.

 

Some Egg Action :: Quiche with Kale, Sundried Tomatoes and Fontina

How did I spend my Saturday morning on this long holiday weekend?  A sunshine-filled run outside followed by blaring a few Whitney Houston songs (come on, you know you're listening to them as well), and baking up a gorgeous kale and sundried tomato studded quiche.  Quiche and I go way back...a love affair that was fostered by my grandmother Bebe whose famous cheddar cheese-onion quiche will make anyone's knees wobble.  In her spirit, I dreamt up a slightly more healthful quiche for a friend's baby shower a few weeks back and have been thinking about it ever since.  The toothsomeness of kale, rich in Vitamin C and fiber, the zesty kick of sundried tomatoes, creamy fontina and a wholesome crust made with rye flour.  Good, good stuff.  As a result, I am currently obsessed with rye flour and have taken to the task of experimenting with it in a variety of baked goods...from scones, to savory crackers, crusts and more.  It's a great high-fiber, low-gluten flour option that imparts flavor and gives a bit more depth to whatever you're baking.   

And with that, I'll be having another slice of quiche for tomorrow's breakfast...while rocking out to the beloved Ms. Whitney.

 

Oh, and if you're wondering, here are a few pics and the rest of the baby shower menu below...

 

quiche with roasted mushrooms, caramelized shallots & gruyere

quiche with kale, sundried tomatoes & fontina

tartine with fresh ricotta & apple-cherry compote

tea sandwiches with cucumber, radish, watercress & chives

blood orange tea cake with almond glaze

grapefruit & prosecco sparkler with earl grey & rosemary infused simple syrup