Friday, January 11, 2013

Cauliflower Soup

As I mentioned before I'm obsessed with soups and this recipe only proves my recent obsession with soup even more. Enjoy!


Needed:
3 heads garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (plus more for drizzling)
3 white onions, peeled and thinly sliced
4 heads cauliflower: 3 cored and thinly sliced, 1 broken into small florets
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
1 cup dry white wine
6 cups veggie stock (plus more to thin, if desired)
2 cups heavy cream (plus more to thin, if desired)
2 1/2 cups (plus 3 tablespoons) finely grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Preparation:
  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees
  • Cut off tops of garlic heads
  • Place each on a piece of parchment-lined aluminum foil
  • Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil
  • Wrap tightly in foil, and bake until garlic is very soft, about 1 hour
  • Let cool
  • Squeeze garlic from peel; set aside
  • Increase oven to 350 degrees
  • Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat.
  • Add onions; season with salt and pepper.
  • Cook, stirring, until soft but not browned. 
  • Stir in sliced cauliflower and wine.
  • Simmer until wine is reduced by half. 
  • Add stock; bring to a simmer. 
  • Cover and cook for 20 minutes. 
  • Remove cover, and simmer until cauliflower is soft, about 15 minutes. 
  • Remove from heat.





  • Stir in cream and 2 1/2 cups Parmesan. 
  • Season with salt and pepper. 
  • Stir in garlic. 
  • Puree in batches until smooth. 
  • Thin with more stock or cream, if desired. 
  • Return to pot; keep warm on low heat.




  • Heat remaining 1/4 cup olive oil over high heat in a saute pan until almost smoking. 
  • Add cauliflower florets, stirring until browned. 
  • Season with salt and pepper. 
  • Transfer pan to oven and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. 
  • Stir in thyme, parsley, and remaining 3 tablespoons Parmesan. 
 
  To serve: Ladle soup into bowls, and garnish with cauliflower florets.

Kevin had eaten this soup many times before but it was our first attempt to make it ourselves and I must say we did a fabulous job. The soup turned out even better than we expected. I can't wait to try this again or mix things up and do a cheesy-broccoli version!

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Winter Lake House Trip

In late November Kevin and I journeyed back to upstate New York to hang out at his family's lake house for a long weekend. We were celebrating his birthday and taking a little break from the hustle and bustle of city life.

We arrived with snow flurries in the air, bare trees all around us, and a freezing cold lake to look out to. Even though the weather and surroundings were completely different from our summer trip, meaning less outside adventures, it was still fun and relaxing its own way.

We spent the weekend cooking up festive recipes, drinking delicious brews, and enjoying the calmness of the lake. Till next time lake house!

Monday, January 7, 2013

Favorite Moments

Favorite Concerts of 2012
After attending 70 concerts 2012, including #100 of my lifetime, it's hard to pick a specific favorite so here are a few that I couldn't imagine not seeing in the past year.

January 13, 2012 - The Bright Light Social Hour @ North Star Bar, PA
Source via The Swollen Fox
Hands down my favorite music discovery in 2012, The Bright Light Social Hour knows how to rock the house and literally brought me to a state of euphoria throughout their set. I hand learned of the band only hours before the concert and became an avid fan by the end of it!

March 30, 2012 - Delta Spirit @ TLA, PA
Source via The Swollen Fox
After over a year of listening and obsessing over Delta Spirit I finally got to seem them live in 2012. It ended up being the first of four times seeing them in the year but it was certainly worth the wait. Rocking out to a live version of "Bushwick Blues" was definitely one of my favorite music moments of the year.

July 20-22, 2012 - XPoNential Music Festival @ Wiggins Park, NJ
This might be slightly cheating since it was a festival but XPoNential's lineup was exceptional this year! Including performances from Wilco, The Avett Brothers, Dr. Dog, Dawes, The Lumineers, Delta Spirit, Kaki King, Kathleen Edwards, Delta Rae, JC Brooks and The Uptown Sound, and J.D. McPherson...See! I wasn't kidding when I said their line-up was stacked.

August 17, 2012 - My Morning Jacket @ The Mann Center, PA
Source via The Swollen Fox
Can anything top hearing My Morning Jacket cover "Rocket Man" as the skies open up to an epic downpour? I don't think so. This was my third time seeing MMJ and they once again did not disappoint.

Favorite Trips 
2012 was full of big and small trips in and out of the country. Here's a look back at some of my favorite frolicking adventures. 

After realizing there isn't much to do in Cleveland besides the Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame Museum we headed to Pittsburgh to explore a much more exciting city. Fries on their sandwiches, Cathedrals that could be mistaken for Hogwarts, a jokester named Andy Warhol, gorgeous skylines, and fun ice cream games I must say this city is pretty awesome. 

Bonnaroo is more than a music festival, it is truly an all around experience. From the 14 hour drive down to Tennessee to the camping, endless music, silent disco dance parties, and the epic stories that come out of the four day festival exceed your expectations every year. 

My epic two week adventure with my twinnie Elizabeth was unforgettable but I  have to say Portugal is my favorite place we visited. Portugal it's the hidden treasure of Europe; A rich history, beautiful culture, and some of the most hospitable locals I've ever encountered, it's impossible not to instantly fall in love with the country. 

Tanning, Swimming, Kayaking, Music and of course craft-brews it was a great way to spend one of the last weekends of Summer. 

Favorite Festive Recipes



Black Bean Burgers [recipe forthcoming]


Favorite Random Moments 













2013 Adventures Coming Soon!

Saturday, January 5, 2013

2012


2012 was certainly a year full of adventures. Some planned and enjoyed to the fullest. Others eye-opening and difficult to swallow. Yet all of them were unforgettable learning experiences, allowing me to realize so much about myself and where I want to be in 2013.

Due to a hectic end of the year (weren't you preparing for the end of the world too?!) I have a bunch of festive-recipes to catch up on AND my first adventure in 2013 is not only planned but it's next weekend!

That's right folks, in a few days I'll be heading south to visit my best-friend in Miami. I haven't been down to visit her in too long to count so let's just say I'm beyond excited to get away from the bitter-cold weather of Philadelphia and reunite with my soul-mate for FOUR whole days in the sunshine state.

Keep an eye out for epic frolicking adventures and of course lots of yummy recipes!

So here's to a fabulous 2013 for all of us jokestaaaaas ツ