Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Vegetable Roast

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it is officially okay to start thinking about winter, and Christmas! And Hanukkah too! 
I can't wait for there to be snow. It has flurried a bit here in Madison but nothing substantial enough to stick to the ground. Even though there isn't snow, and it actually isn't that cold, I'm pretending like it is. I love wearing all my coats, hats, scarves, and boots, listening to Christmas music all the time, lighting my roland pine candles, and snuggling under blankets to read or watch movies.

Like everyone, after Thanksgiving I wanted something healthy and full of vegetables. For my birthday this summer I got the cookbook Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi. It has beautiful pictures and delicious recipes, and is definitely vegetable filled.
I made this recipe from it. It has roasted sweet potato, parsnips, garlic, onions, cherry tomatoes, herbs, and a lemon caper dressing. Yum.






Thursday, November 22, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving!









Sugared Cranberry Brie Bites




Cranberry Sauce with Orange, Pear, and Spices



Roast Turkey with Truffle Butter

Dinner Rolls

Salad with Walnuts, Goat Cheese, and Pomegranite

Sweet Potatoes

Spinach Gratin


Mashed Potatoes

Mushroom and Leek Bread Pudding


Orange Stewed Carrots and Parsnips

Gravy



Pumpkin and Pecan Pie

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Nostrano

It's only mid-November, but I'm really starting to want it to be winter. Because winter means snow, and snow means cozy pajamas, lighting candles and pretending I'm in front of a fireplace, baking and eating cookies, and drinking lots of hot chocolate. There were some snow flurries the other day, and I got really excited, but unfortunately nothing stuck to the ground. From the way the weather forecast looks I'm probably going to have to wait until after thanksgiving for snow. 
But just because I'm excited for winter doesn't mean I can't enjoy the last bits of fall! 
Last week Richard and I went to a restaurant here in Madison called Nostrano. Like many of the restaurants I love, it has a delicious seasonal menu. I love seasonal menus for many reasons. One is because it means the menu is always changing, which is really exciting for me! Especially if it is a restaurant I like to go to often. Another reason is that I often get to try new and interesting foods that are only in season for a brief amount of time. And, of course, I am always craving foods and flavors of the season so the menus always make me happy!
Everything we had at Nostrano was amazing. The soup was so smooth and creamy, even though there was no cream. The pappardelle was one of the best pastas I have ever had in my life. I love the thick, hand cut noodles cooked al dente which perfectly blended with the deliciously saucy lamb ragu. 
It was obvious to everyone in the restaurant that we enjoyed our meal, especially the dessert, because as we tasted it a woman next to us laughed and said "You guys are smiling a lot, so that must be good." Yes, yes it was.  



SQUASH SOUP

RYE SPATZLI | PUMPKIN SEEDS | SMOKED MAPLE | SAG


WARM CHICORY SALAD

FARM EGG | ROASTED SUNCHOKES | SMOKED GUANCIALE | BLACK TRUFFLE VINAIGRETTE

SCallops

Scallops | Cauliflower | Pistachios 


WHOLE WHEAT PAPPARDELLE

LAMB RAGĂ™ | CEYLON CINNAMON | PRESERVED MEYER LEMON | MINT


RABBIT BOUDIN BLANC & CONFIT

GNOCCHI | SPINACH | HEN OF THE WOODS MUSHROOMS | PICHOLINE OLIVES


AFFOGATO

CARAMEL GELATO | SEA SALT | ESPRESSO | BOMBOLINI 



CIALDA

CHESTNUT WAFFLE | HONEYCRISP APPLES | RAW HONEY | MASCARPONE SORBETTO