One of the nicest smells in the world—in my humble opinion—is the scent of bread baking. It’s nice in all seasons, but especially in colder months. To walk into a bakery on a frigid snowy day, pushing open the door and stepping into the warm, yeasty-smelling air, is an extremely pleasurable moment. Other baking smells are enticing too, of course: cinnamon mingled with sugar or chocolate chip cookies right out of the oven or the steam rising when you slice into a loaf of freshly baked banana bread or the spicy kick of ginger and cloves in a square of moist gingerbread cake.
Read moreSIMPLE POTATO LEEK SOUP
Life, lately:
1. "How long would it take to watch all seasons of Project Runway, working backwards from season 16?" she mused to herself. Ever equal to a challenge, she dives in, bolstering herself with dishes of white chocolate baking chips from the freezer. (She is me, guys. I love Heidi Klum and sometimes now I whisper aufwiedersehen softly to my threadbare, overly-loved and worn teddy bear before I leave in the morning. It's perfectly fine if you all stop reading now after discovering how patently uncool I, in fact, am.)
Read moreGINGERED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
My mother is a very good cook. She is also an expert woodworker, makes a killer chocolate biscotti, and she picks up the phone whenever one of her four daughters call, which (if you know anything about family) should earn her sainthood since at least one of us four is always in the midst of a crisis. That's just basic math.
Read moreBUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH MISO AND COCONUT MILK
I've written about this soup before, but it merits revisiting. Each time I cook it, I find myself on the phone with my mother, or my sister, or a friend, vehemently explaining how good it is, as if they have nothing better to do than drop everything and make soup.
But if they did, and if you do, I promise you'll thank me.
Read moreBUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH MISO AND COCONUT
This soup is a love letter of sorts to many things. To autumn -- and its vibrant, hearty, filling produce -- and to new jobs and new people who inspire me, and to remembering to appreciate the small, quiet moments. And in those small, quiet moments, to give to others when you can. Give material things, but also give your own self: your heart, your excitements, your thoughts.
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