Wonderful Weekend in Asheville… delicious cuisine! March 28, 2010

For a quick vacation, we visited Asheville, NC this weekend.  We were thrilled to find a dog-friendly hotel, near downtown.  The weather was beautiful on Saturday, so we decided to head to Roan Mountain for the day.  While it is about 1.5 hours from Asheville, it’s worth the trip.  The views are spectacular!  The hiking is not too strenuous, and you can go as far as you’d like!  We’re planning to return sometime, perhaps when the rhododendron bushes are blooming!

Saturday evening we had a wonderful time walking around downtown Asheville.  We decided to try the Laughing Seed Cafe for dinner.  The restaurant is completely vegetarian, with several vegan and gluten free options.  We were extremely pleased with the quality and flavor of our meals.  Chris had the whole grain risotto, and I had the wild mushroom enchiladas.  Both were delicious!  Next time, I would like to try the Tico Burrito… it sounds scrumptious!

For breakfast on Sunday, we decided to dine at one of our favorite establishments in Asheville, Early Girl Eatery.  One reason that we love this place is their commitment to high quality local produce.  These folks are passionate about their ingredients and you can taste it!  ”Made from scratch” is their motto, quite refreshing in my opinion.  To learn more about the owners, John and Julie Stehling and their amazing restaurant, click here.  After sipping on coffee for about 20 minutes (btw so pleased they had soy milk as an option for me), we finally picked our breakfast orders.  Chris chose the Early Girl Benny: grit cakes topped with poached eggs, tomatoes, spinach, avocado, and a scrumptious tomato “gravy.”  I went with the Omelet Special, containing portobello mushrooms and goat cheese.  I must also mention that mine came with home-fries (so good) and a made from scratch biscuit.  My mouth is watering just remembering it!  Although my dish isn’t on the everyday menu, Early Girl consistently has specials that are quite spectacular.

SNOW! February 3, 2010

Although this post is more about SNOW than cooking, I had to write it!  In central North Carolina, we are not accustomed to receiving much any snow.  Thus, even mere flurries are exciting!  Last weekend, when we received 5 inches (roughly) in our area, the roads were a mess, everything closed, and the local news provided non-stop coverage.  Our family had a blast, especially our pup, Agnes.  Here are some pictures of the fun!

Quick and Easy Recipe:

Chris made Snow Cream — a favorite treat!  We did not have any sweetened condensed milk (the preferred ingredient), but he was able to use evaporated milk, sugar, and flavoring.  We had three varieties: coconut, vanilla, and maple (using maple syrup).  Quite tasty!

Potato, Cauliflower, and Cheese Soup January 18, 2010

Tonight I made a new recipe for Potato, Cauliflower, and Cheese Soup.  It was not difficult to make, and didn’t take too long, either.  Since I was home for MLK Day, I was able to take my time, but it only took about 45 minutes total.  The blend of flavors was excellent!  I especially enjoyed the blue cheese!

Here’s how to make it:

Butter, Onions, and Garlic

Melt about 1 tbs of butter.  Then add onions and garlic.  Cook until the onions are translucent.  This only takes about 5 min.  The aroma will soon fill your kitchen!

Milk, Potatoes, Cauliflower, & Spices

Then add 1 lb diced potatoes, 1 lb cauliflower, 4 cups milk, 1 cup vegetable broth.  I also added a few dashes of salt and some red pepper.  Allow this mixture to come to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Maple View Farm Milk (Skim)

The original recipe called for 5 cups whole milk, but given my lactose issues, I decided to substitute 4 cups skim milk and 1 cup vegetable broth.  I prefer to use milk that I can trace back to the source, therefore we typically buy Maple View Farm milk (based out of Hillsboro, NC).  I like that they use glass bottles, which you can (and should) return to the store where you purchased the milk.  When you buy the milk, you pay a “bottle deposit,” and the money is refunded when you turn in the empty bottle.  Although you may go directly to the farm to buy the milk, I usually end up buying it from Harris Teeter or Whole Foods.

After Blending

After the potatoes have softened, use a blender or a food processor to liquify the soup.  I used a blender, and I needed to do several batches.  I took this opportunity to taste the soup — mmmm.  It needed a little bit more red pepper (IMO), so I added another dash.  After blending the soup, I warmed it up again and added about 1/3 a cup of blue cheese (from WI) and 1 1/2 cups of cheddar (from NY).  I wish I had found cheese made closer to home.  After the cheese melts, the soup is finished!

Agnes' Nap

Since I still had some time before Chris came home, I decided to make like Agnes and take a power nap while the soup stayed warm on the stove.

Final Product

When Chris came home, we enjoyed the soup with a side of biscuits and some white wine.  He and I both enjoyed it!  As you can see from the picture, Agnes was quite interested as well.

Although it does take some time, I would definitely make this soup again.  It was a tasty, wholesome dinner, that I enjoyed making this afternoon.  Another great benefit — we have 3.5 more servings for lunches this week.

Soups are an excellent way to warm your soul, especially in the chill of winter.  What’s your favorite soup?