Gobblin.net

It’s the end of the year, and you know what that means. A week ago I had every intention of doing my part for blogging tradition by posting a top 10 list or two, but try as I might, I couldn’t really think of any category of stuff that I had 10 things worth recommending or punditizing. I love video games, for example, but considering that I still haven’t played GTA4, Fallout 3, Metal Gear Solid 4, Gears of War 2, Left for Dead or Wrath of the Lich King, would a top-10 list mean anything? So I guess I’ll buck the list trend and post my very personal highlights and trends of the past year. Nothing too formal — just a chance to reflect in public. Part 1 covers food, music and books. Part 2 will recap highlights in movies, games and life.  Even though there aren’t any rankings to dispute in the comments section, please do share your own highlights and hopes! Read more…

So a week after my promise to try to keep the posting momentum going, I’ve fallen behind again. I haven’t been idle, tough. In addition to the day job and the freelance work (which takes me longer and longer to do, the less of it I have, ironically enough), I’ve been making soup. Lots and lots of soup! The weekly soup pot is my new cooking obsession. It’s simple, healthful, there are new options with every season, and there’s no better way to stretch your dime with good home cooking. And as things get chillier outside, nothing satisfies like a hot bowl of soup! (Skub would agree)

Ever since reading Michael Polan’s excellent The Omnivore’s Dilemma, I’ve tried my best to stick to seasonal and local foods whenever possible, which is not only good for the Earth, but it’s great for improving your cooking skills as it keeps you from falling into culinary ruts. Last week, the market was overflowing with fresh Dungeoness Crabs, so I decided to make a crab gumbo served over wild rice. (Okay, so I cheated the seasonal thing here with out-of-season Okra…) This week, it was the fresh greens that moved me, so I made a Kale/Lentil/Soyrizo soup with yogurt that fused Indian and Spanish tastes to remarkably good effect. I started with a recipe on Epicurious, then went to town with some variations that I’ll share here:

A recipe, for you:

• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 bunches of fresh kale, stems trimmed away, coarsely chopped
• 1 package of Soyrizo
• 1 cup red or green lentils
• 1 can garbanzo beans
• 2 large carrots, sliced
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 10 cups vegetable stock
• 1 tbps each curry powder, garam masala and cayenne pepper
• Plain Yogurt (1/4 cup per serving)
• Cilantro (for garnish)
• Salt and pepper to taste (preferably grey salt, right, Michael Chiarello?)

1. Sautee the onion and garlic in the olive oil until tender
2. Stir in ½ the Soyrizo and the spices
3. Stir in the Kale and cook until wilted ( 5 minutes)
4. Add everything else!
5. Simmer for about half an hour, with a lid on the pot, until the lentils are tender
6. Heat up the rest of the soyrizo until crumbly
7. Serve soup with a healthy dollop of yogurt on top, sprinkled with soyrizo and a few leaves of cilantro.

I know, I know. Actually reading recipes is so old fashioned – but we can’t all do our cooking with the Nintendo DS like Lisa Kudrow. But if you’re looking for a new tastesplosion of the soupy kind, this recipe’s a keeper. I’d post a picture, but right now I’m camera-less. It looks something like this, though (only tastier). I wonder where the farmer’s market will lead me next week? As long as I don’t stuck with just persimmons for my soup, I’m sure it’ll be okay.

PS, WordPress 2.7 is great!