and do: go to a museum #4

I don't get excited about most science-y things. (As you may guess by my use of the word "science-y".) But food science? Combined with stunning photography? That I can get excited about. I've got this exhibition, The Photography of Modernist Cuisine, on my calendar and hope you add it to yours.

The Photography of Modernist Cuisine
Pacific Science Center, Seattle
October 26, 2013 - February 17, 2014

Image via Modernist Cuisine

make: pumpkin soup

Yes, it's true. It's full on pumpkin season. And I'm not immune. After last week's pumpkin bread, I was left with several extra cups of pureed pumpkin. And the fall weather gods agreed that it was time for soup. I ad-libbed this one, so I don't have a recipe to share (but you can find a bunch of delicious pumpkin soup recipes that I've been pinning over here). It was a combo of light coconut milk, caramelized onions, veggie broth, green curry paste, and toasted pepitas. As you can see in the photo, I supplemented and made it the ultimate fall meal with a side of roasted brussels sprouts.

pinning for friday #6

Easy. Minimal. Chic. That's my attitude towards dressing and cooking this week. P.S. -- never tried a fried egg over pasta? Stop. Go to the kitchen. Do it now. All you need for deliciousness is pasta, an egg, salt, and parmesan. If you're not hungry now, have it this weekend. Enjoy it and everything else this Saturday and Sunday brings. And if you want to follow my pins throughout the week, you can find me wishing and daydreaming over here.

Images 1, 2, 3, 4

make: stuffed eggplant

Before I traveled to Italy, I thought I didn't like Italian food. I soon learned that I didn't like Americanized Italian food. I love thin crust pizza. I love pasta dressed with nothing more than sharp cheese and black pepper. I love fried zucchini flowers and fresh mozzarella. Italian food is simple. And delicious in its simplicity. I made this stuffed eggplant recipe the other night. It had been over a year and I'd nearly forgotten about it. Thank goodness something tapped my memory. It's simple. And it's delicious. The recipe is from the cookbook/memoir A Year in the Village of Eternity by Tracey Lawson -- a book I read several years after my travels to Italy and one of the many things that has me dying to go back.

make: fresh plum sauce

I like to think I am a decent home cook. There are a few dishes I can respectively cook up without consulting a recipe. I like to think I make a decent risotto. I've got the basic steps down. A couple years ago I worked on perfecting a basic tomato sauce. Experimenting with the right ratio of onions, garlic, chile flakes, herbs, and splash(es) of balsamic vinegar. But, right here, I will admit that besides tomato sauce and pesto, I don't venture into the realm of sauces. Last week, I had a lot of pluots. And in my attempt to not bake up copious amounts of dessert, I opened up my browser and searched for savory plum dishes (thinking specifically pluot recipes would be few and far between). Happily, I found this Melissa Clark recipe. I thought it looked tasty. So I continued my search with the terms "vegetarian" and "plum sauce." Not so many hits on that one. Nevertheless, I was determined to make this fresh plum sauce. Or, in my case, pluot sauce. I marinated tofu in it for a couple of hours. Lightly pan-fried it. Steamed some broccoli and added a scoop of brown rice to the plate. It was...different. I mean, I think I liked it. Maybe the pluot for plums wasn't the way to go? The second round of tofu in the frying pan got crispier and the sauce started to caramelize. Definitely yummier. Will I make it again? Maybe. Next summer. When the bounty of fresh fruit is again forcing an attempt to think outside of dessert. Also, next time, I think I'll use plums.