Out My Window on a Saturday Morning

“Who’s the most beautiful in the Land?”

I believe I am making the world a better place with beautiful photography. If you are looking for beautiful portrait, nature, or documentary photography, or someone you know is looking for photography that helps to create a more artful and beautiful life, please contact me.

Spicy Shrimp Vegetable Tomato Soup

Last January, Susan said, “Bruce, Will you make soup for us every day during this month?” And, I did. I am making soup every day this January, too, more because we’ve been sick since New Year’s Eve. UGH! On Friday night, I made a Shrimp and Vegetable Spicy Tomato Soup. Delicious! And for lunch on Saturday I used the leftover tomato soup to make a Tomato Wild Rice Soup. Also delicious.

See recipe below. Note: the recipe called for fennel, which I love (Remember my Kale, Kielbasa, Fennel, White Bean and Tortellini Soup?), but the store didn’t have any. I consulted my smartphone and learned that celery is a good substitute for fennel. Plus. I added Star Anise.

The Star Anise really helped to spice up the soup as did the Bloody May mix 🙂

Here’s the Tomato and Rice Soup:

On Sunday I made a Mushroom Barley Soup:

OH! And earlier in the week, I made a Fish Chowder. YUM!

All recipes based on ones from The Soup Bowl, a great cookbook!

I believe I am making the world a better place with beautiful photography. If you are looking for beautiful portrait, nature, or documentary photography, or someone you know is looking for photography that helps to create a more artful and beautiful life, please contact me.

Portrait Of A Young Woman

Lauren. Grand Niece. Scholar Athlete.

Christmas Eve. 2019/

I believe I am making the world a better place with beautiful photography. If you are looking for beautiful portrait, nature, or documentary photography, or someone you know is looking for photography that helps to create a more artful and beautiful life, please contact me.

Lemony Carrot and Cauliflower Soup

Susan said, “Bruce, do we still have some cauliflower from our Christmas Eve Party? If so, listen to this recipe from Melissa Clark. She writes;”

“The beauty of a soup like this — other than its bone-warming properties — is that you don’t need a recipe. You can pretty much simmer together any combination of vegetables with a little water or broth, purée it, top it with good olive oil and salt, and end up with something good to eat. The addition of miso paste and crushed coriander to the broth, and fresh lemon and cilantro at the end, zips things up without negating the comfort factor.”

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for serving
  • 1 large white onion, peeled and diced (2 cups)
  • 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 5 medium carrots (1 pound), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2 cups)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, more as needed
  • 3 tablespoons white miso
  • 1 small (or half of a large) head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets
  • ½ teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice, more to taste
  • Smoky chile powder, for serving (I added this right before using my immersion blender.)
  • Coarse sea salt, for serving
  • Cilantro leaves, for serving
  • Toasted Pumpkin Seeds (my addition)

Preparation

  1. In a large, dry pot over medium heat, toast coriander seeds until fragrant and dark golden-brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and coarsely crush.
  2. Return the pot to medium heat. Add the oil and heat until warm. Stir in onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly colored, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute.
  3. Add carrots, crushed coriander, salt and 6 cups water to the pot. Stir in the miso until it dissolves. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook, uncovered, 5 minutes. Stir in cauliflower and cook, covered, over medium-low heat until the vegetables are very tender, about 10 minutes.
  4. Remove the soup from the heat. Using an immersion blender, purée the soup until smooth. (Alternatively, you can let soup cool slightly then purée it in batches in a food processor or blender.) If necessary, return the puréed soup to the heat to warm through. Stir in the lemon zest and juice just before serving. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with chile, sea salt and cilantro leaves.

So DELICIOUS! I served it with homemade French Bread.

I believe I am making the world a better place with beautiful photography. If you are looking for beautiful portrait, nature, or documentary photography, or someone you know is looking for photography that helps to create a more artful and beautiful life, please contact me.

Good Advice for The New Year

Begin here. Begin now. Be here now.

I believe I am making the world a better place with beautiful photography. If you are looking for beautiful portrait, nature, or documentary photography, or someone you know is looking for photography that helps to create a more artful and beautiful life, please contact me.

Gene Palma

Happy New Year

Gene Palma

Wishing you a Happy New Year.
Can I get a drum roll please?
And how about a prayer dears
For Susan and me; we cough and sneeze
All day long this first day of the year.
She sleeps. I sleep. We take turns.
I had to put the brisket in the crock pot.
Will not eat tonight as we have no appetite
But I yearn for a slice on the bread I made
And a side of cole slaw and mashed potatoes.