New Home, New Endeavors

As many of you already know, Sophia and my residence on Quinn Street Attic is no longer our home. We both have relocated in different cities, borders away from each other. We've decided, however, that in spite of our new lives, we will continue to share our lives, particularly our cooking lives, on this humble blog.

Upon arriving in my new home, I discovered this lovely edition of the Bread Baker's Apprentice waiting for me.

Not only is Bread Baker's Apprentice filled with infinite detail about the bread making process but its expertise is referenced on many a blog. I must say that I am a bit intimidated by this book yet I have no doubt that it will bring me further to being a better baker of bread.

Raw Kale Avocado Soup

Kale Avocado Soup 
Courtesy of Dr. Sachen Patel  
http://drpatelsdiet.com/2011/02/13/raw-asian-ginger-soup-vegan-and-gluten-free/

1/2 an Avocado
2 tsp ginger root
1 – 2 cloves of garlic
2 cups of turnip greens (can also use kale or collard greens)
1 medium sized cucumber
1/2 tsp tumeric
1.5 cups of hot water
juice of 1 lime
Cilantro to taste
Add the contents to your blender. Add chopped cilantro on top.
Dr. Patel claims that this soup will clear your sinuses and will promote regularity.


This recipe was earthy and a bit too watery for our taste. I added another half of an avocado, a dash of tamari soy sauce and a few slices of jalapeno pepper to add flavor. It was a very green and light tasting soup, which I served alongside a main dish of raw Asian marinated mushrooms.

Coriander Avocado Soup

Courtesy of Russell James, the Raw Chef
http://therawchef.com/therawchefblog/raw-food-recipe-avocado-lime-soup

Recipe as shown on the Raw Chef website:

2 avocados
3/4 of a medium cucumber
1 stalk celery
Juice of 1 lime
Small handful of fresh coriander (cilantro)
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon tamari
1 cup water (if wanting warm soup use hot water)

Sour cream and chopped chives to garnish

- Blend all ingredients, except the sour cream and chopped chives in a high-speed blender until smooth.

- Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with sour cream and chopped chives.

Sour cream

1 1/2 cups cashews
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt

- Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender. Add a little extra water one tablespoon at a time if you’re having trouble getting the cashews smooth.

The flavor was subtle and smooth. I added a little bit of cayenne, but it didn't make much of a difference. Either way, this soup is perfect on its own without any alterations. My boyfriend claimed that the sour cream actually was very similar to the real thing.

Raw Marinated Asian Style Mushrooms

Raw Marinated Asian Style Mushrooms
Courtesy of Gone Raw
http://goneraw.com/recipe/asian-inspired-marinated-portebello-mushroom-steak

Here is the recipe as shown on the Gone Raw website.

4 large sliced portabello mushrooms 

2 Tablespoons of Sesame oil

2 Tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinager

1-2 cloves of garlic

1 Tablespoon of chopped ginger

1-2 Tablespoons of tamari or braggs

2 Tablespoons of raw, unhulled sesame seeds

Place into a mixing bowl and add all the ingredients then gently massage the mushrooms until they are evenly covered. Put into the fridge and allow to marinate for 2 hours or more. The longer you leave them the more the flavours will soak into the mushrooms. 

These made for a great raw substitute for stir fry. I served them over cauliflower rice. I would happily eat this over a salad or as a side whether or not I was on a raw diet. 

Cauliflower Rice
Food process cauliflower florets until resembles a grainy mixture. You may season it however you wish. I chose to use Borsari Seasoned Sea salt, a few leaves from my thai basil plant, parsley flakes and onion salt.

Shameless Plugging

I've got a new blog! It's craftier than this one, but it has some food... you should follow it, too!

it's here

I hang out with my dog a lot, so he'll be on there pretty often. He's pretty cute, too.

Feta Pumpkin Squash Bake Revisited

Sophia and I have both made this recipe before as seen on Baking Equals Love.

This time around I wanted to eat this creamy dish over pasta. I found however that the feta did not melt into a crusty topping as it is shown on Baking Equals Love. I thought I'd reflect on how I would change this recipe for my own uses in the future when serving it over pasta. 

-I would saute shallots in lieu of the onion soup mix. 

-I would also mix in the herb of choice  in with the pumpkin or squash mixture ( I used sage this time around because I had some in the fridge).  

-I would also mix the feta in with the pumpkin and cream mixture and then add mozzarella and parmesan cheese on top to get that cheesy crust topping.

-I would also bake cooked pasta with the mix. 

-I also like to sprinkle with red chili flakes. 

Pumpkin Latte

* I actually made this back in the fall and forgot to publish the post!

This was so delicious even the strictly 'black coffee/espresso' drinker in the house loved it!!

Courtesy of Bakergirl
(http://buddingbaketress.blogspot.com/2011/09/pumpkin-spice-syrup-for-homemade.html)

Pumpkin Syrup 

1/3 cup pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cups water

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally to keep syrup from burning. 

Let mixture cook together until it becomes syrup-y and begins to coat the spoon (for about 10-15 minutes), then remove from heat.

Refrigerate in a heat-proof container. The syrup will thicken a bit in the refrigerator, but will become syrup-y again when heated. 

*Do mind the pumpkin bits, which are sugary and chewy. They will be in abundance when using real homemade pumpkin puree. This may be avoided if you go through the extra fine process of refining your pumpkin puree by draining through a sieve and then pureeing twice over.  

Pumpkin Latte 
 2 tablespoons syrup 
2-3 tablespoons of heavy cream OR 2 cups milk 


Blend until frothy. Pour into cup and add hot coffee or espresso. 


*I personally found the syrup to be a bit too sweet for my liking so I think next time I'll try to make it wit only one tablespoon of syrup. It's easier to make this in larger portions so I tend to only have it when I've got company to drink it with. Otherwise there is very little of the syrup mixture to blend. 


*Being the glutton that I am, I also enjoyed this latte much more when I added whipped cream on top.  You can also substitute with frothed milk if you so prefer.