Guys , I don’t know what it is with you and food.  I think , perhaps, some of you think cooking is difficult, time consuming and therefore , not worth it.  One of my standard questions in the dating-that’s-really-an-interview process is: “So, do you cook?” 

There are many reasons I ask, but one of them is that it’s fucking sexy when a man I’m attracted to can cook me something, and cook it well  – that’s not a euphemism, but it usually, conveniently, translates into other areas. One of my favorite guy-cooked-for-me memories was when a boyfriend of mine  sauteed shrimp in butter and garlic – and that’s what we had for dinner.  Simple, yummy, drippy, slippery, and good.  He wasn’t a culinary wizard, but he had confidence in that dish – he knew he could do it and do it well. And he did.

But, this post isn’t about men and cooking.  

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My most recent planned recipe adventure (on Twitter: #recipeadventure) was a fantastic ice cream recipe that I saw on TastingTable.com.

Roasted Strawberry and Buttermilk Ice Cream.  This is not for the calorically-timid. Heavy cream, whole milk, sugar … Do not fear. 

How can  you fear something so prettily pink?

 

It was great fun to make this ice cream; if I’m honest, it’s because making ice cream isn’t done very often, is it? It’s far far too easy to run to the market and buy it.  Making ice cream feels so damn wholesome, real, authentic.  Like making pie.  I’d say it feels “American”, but it doesn’t, necessarily, it just feels nice.    You cannot make ice cream and not feel excited, hopeful, optimistic – when it’s over, you’ll have a yummy sweet treat.  Who doesn’t like that. Communists and meanies, that’s who.

This recipe was really very easy, slightly time consuming.  I  had to break out my dictionary once during the preparation, which is exactly what I have time to do when I’m boiling milk and cream and sugar.

The biggest bummer about the recipe was that the combination has to chill for four hours *after* being churned in an ice cream maker.  So, I recommend starting it earlier in the day than I did. 

I tweeted about having ice cream for breakfast, the next day, and that’s just what I did – well, technically, I had it for *dessert* after a late breakfast/brunch of onion/mushroom/potato/egg/pork tenderloin/truffle butter scramble.  

 

Truth be told, I really think that this could be made *without* an ice cream maker.  It was very thick before I poured it in and gave it a stir or two – the majority of the setting occurred in the freezer, overnight. 

It wasn’t very good when let to soften, though, so I recommend against that.

 But, back to my earlier point.

I made a butternut squash soup the other day that was SO easy and fast, I didn’t believe it myself.

I bought the squash cubed and packaged (cheater, cheater, squash-eater, I know, I know) primarily because I knew it would be an insane week, and a couple steps eliminated saved my sanity and possibly a few lives.

Roasting and scooping a butternut squash is simple, but as I said, lives were saved, and I’m all about humanity.

Anyway.

I used a recipe I have from one of my absolute favorite cookbooks for basics and modified it.  It was the pumpkin soup recipe.

I didn’t use pumpkin. I didn’t use heavy cream. I didn’t use chicken stock , and I jazzed it up a bit.

The whole thing took about 30 minutes, truth be told, so put those thoughts of “Ugh, cooking takes too long” to bed.

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So, I bought cubed , raw squash from the supermarket.  I boiled it to cook it it. While it was cooking, I sauteed vidalia onion in some full on, real, unsalted butter. A lot of it. I don’t know how much, several tablespoons, I think (at least).

To that , I added milk (the amount in the pumpkin soup recipe) and some salt and pepper.  I mentioned I didn’t have chicken stock. This was a surprise to me.   Some freak put the empty package ( I had dehydrated stock) back in the cupboard. Who would do that?! Someone in a hurry who doesn’t make soup often, that’s who. 

So,  I used water.  Then, while all that simmered, I pureed the cooked squash in my handy-dandy food processor (one of the best gifts ever) and added the pureed squash to the milk/water/onion concoction.

I simmered it all, and tasted it – and it was pretty flipping bland, I will admit. So, I  added some garam masala, sweet curry and fresh grated nutmeg (oh, and a little more salt) to taste – I did not measure those, so I can’t tell you how much. Just go with what you like, taste as you go.

Thirty minutes, no lie.  And it was satisfying. I suggest enjoying it  with a big hunk. Of bread (oh, you thought this was gonna get interesting? No.).

So, go forth, cook, simmer, roast, boil, indulge, enjoy. 

Make something cool. Or hot.