Tag: mangiavita

Hey all, it’s a foodie lover’s favorite time of year. Thanksgiving!! However, as many of you can probably relate to this, we don’t have enough room let alone a dining table, to host the holidays at our house. So we’re traveling to my sister’s house in New Jersey for a pot-luck sort of holiday. We’re all working women (and men) and the idea is that it’s much more manageable to make one fantastic dish instead of being responsible for the whole meal.

We got designated soup and we immediately decided on butternut squash. We found this incredible recipe on Epicurious that called for brandy and sour cream (hello, delish!). We followed the recipe but for a few exceptions – we used half the called for chicken stock because the consistency was just right without adding all of it. Also we didn’t use a strainer for the soup because once it was blended it was gorgeous and smooth all on it’s very own.

I can’t wait to serve this soup today – we’re feeding ten and I have no doubt that it will be a hit. So here’s to you, my readers, I hope you’re all going to be enjoying your families and eating a delicious and comforting Thanksgiving meal. I’ll see you guys at the table. Yours, BB.

For the complete recipe click here:
epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Calvados-Laced-Squash-Soup-with-Cinnamon-and-Bay-Leaves-107250

Brooklyn’s Belly, a column about the adventures of a foodie in Dumbo Brooklyn is written by Nicole Cummo Tereza of Mangia Vita. Nicole, a graphic designer, food lover, and food blogger, is a Dumbo resident.

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Poor Bryan got all four, count ’em four, wisdom teeth pulled on Monday. I stayed home with him to make sure he was okay, and planned a day full of slurpable meals. Vanilla milkshake for his first foray into food after the surgery. Banana, yogurt and frozen fruit smoothie for lunch. Homemade, healthy, and hearty pureed vegetable soup for dinner. The three H’s!

I followed a recipe in a Williams Sonoma cookbook for soups, and riffed off of it a bit. Here’s the loose version – and know you can add ANY vegetable to this soup. Use what you have at home. Use what’s on it’s way out. Use what you love best, and use as much of it as you want! This is just a guideline, and as in all homemade rustic soups, a base for you to have fun and experiment with.

Chop 3 leeks, small onions, or shallots (which ever you prefer) and sautee in olive oil. Once softened add 3 chopped zucchini, 3 peeled and chopped waxy potatoes, 3 peeled and chopped carrots. Cook until soft and add 6 cups chicken or veggie stock and 1 tablespoon tomato paste. Simmer for 30-35 minutes and add 1 drained and rinsed can of chick peas. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Blend with a hand mixer or in batches in a blender. Before serving add chopped fresh parsley, and the zest and juice from 1 lemon. Also a healthy grating of fresh parmesan can’t hurt.

Like I said, there are infinite ways to play around. Use a can of stewed tomatoes, chopped spinach, or shredded cabbage. Have a can of cannelini beans lying around? Dump that in. Add rice or pasta! Go crazy, and please, report back. I’d LOVE to get some new ideas and see what you guys are up to.

Until next week, B.B.

Brooklyn’s Belly, a column about the adventures of a foodie in Dumbo Brooklyn is written by Nicole Cummo Tereza of Mangia Vita. Nicole, a graphic designer, food lover, and food blogger, is a Dumbo resident.

On the same day we picked up our CSA I saw that Saveur had Twittered a link to a what seemed like quite a delish broccoli recipe. Coincidence? I think not… Kitchenist, a fellow food blogger, was featuring a beautiful broccoli pesto puree, which gave me a pretty major ‘Aha’ moment. Now, I’ve made pesto with basil (the original) and I’ve made it with Spinach – I’ve even substituted pine nuts with chick peas, but I have never, ever entertained the thought of making pesto with broccoli. In a flash I forwarded the link to Bryan and asked him to pick up some feta on the way home, for this will be dinner tonight!

He got home before I did, and as he likes to do, he already started cooking. “No feta,” he said. “It’s extra saltiness you don’t need, we have plenty of Parmesan to do the trick.” So he followed the recipe all except for the feta. 1/4 cup each olive oil and parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes, 1 garlic clove, 1/2 cup pine nuts (or chick peas), juice of one lemon and a pinch of good salt. Boil or steam one head of broccoli cut into florets for 3-4 minutes, immerse in cold water to stop cooking, and when cooled blend all the ingredients.

We cooked some Israeli couscous (our personal fave) in stock, sauteed up a handful of cremini mushrooms and chopped cauliflower (from the CSA) in garlic, olive oil, and chopped fennel. Added a touch of chopped fresh cilantro to the couscous and we were ready to go. Onto the plate went the couscous and veggie saute and on top we ladled very healthy portions of the broccoli pesto.

Now, let me tell you how freaking good this pesto is. It’s cheesy, and creamy with just the right amount of kick, layered on top of that distinct but subtle broccoli flavor. And with the cauliflower and fennel there was really great texture. A whole world of possibilities opened up! How delicious would this be over whole wheat pasta? On bruschetta? Or how about a cauliflower pesto instead?

For the full recipe click here: kitchenist.com/cooking/snacks-etc/broccoli-pesto-puree/1363.

And please, let me know how it turns out!!
Signing off, BB.