B is for Beautiful

Isn't it funny how memories are so linked with food?  Sometimes even incredibly indirectly.  For dinner the other night, I made a gratin of butternut squash, which turned out beautifully.  Blog-worthy, we call that.  After the meal, in my head, I was rough-drafting what I was going to say about the dish in a post, and was surprised to find my mind going in a completely different direction than I intended.  Which is rather how the most beautiful moments in life happen, I think.

There I sat, pondering away on how beautiful butternut squash is; how vibrant and lively, and yet how delicately, sweetly unassuming when eaten.  Into my head popped a wee fragment of a memory of how my Grandma B used to pronounce the word beautiful.  B-E-A-U-tiful!  she'd say, every time, in a sort of sing-songy voice, emphasizing each vowel at the beginning of the word, with the "U" receiving the most attention and highest pitch.  As if, when we choose to acclaim the beauty of something, we must truly go for it, give it the praise it deserves.  (And conversely, we must refrain from shallow, meaningless compliments, I believe Grandma B would have advised.)  B-E-A-U-tiful kept playing out in my mind, over and over.  That line of thought led me down a little reminiscing sort of path, of my grandma.

This is one of those indirectly-related-food-memories, obviously.  Grandma B was decidedly not a cook.  Her most successful dish was coleslaw.  The least, liverwurst sandwiches.  (Shudder.)  Which we used to feed to their poodle, Jacques, as soon as her back was turned to pour a wee gin and tonic.  (Grandma B pronounced it Jock.  Just so you know.)

Grandma B was very cool.  Especially considering that grandmothers generally aren't thought of as cool.  She wore amazing pant suits well past the 70's, and rocked them.  She ran a music store, and let me come stay for weeks in the summer, helping out in the store.  I got to run the cash register, by the way.  And take as much free sheet music and records as I liked as my pay.  Oh yeah, those were the days.  She drank G & T's, because in her mind, that's what ladies drank.  And in her later years, she drank Seagram's on the rocks.  I think this made her a little bit bad-ass.  She smoked (what grandmother didn't, in those days?), but only with a cigarette holder, because it was low-class, otherwise.  She taught me to shuffle cards, and deal like I worked in a casino, at about age 8.  Grandma B never swore, but she did teach me what I thought was a scandalously named card game, Screw Your Neighbor.  She used to wake me in the middle of the sticky-hot, Walla Walla nights, to go sit outside and watch the stars, drinking an icy-cold limeade.  I'm pretty sure hers had a tipple of Seagram's in it.  I was never treated as many children are by grandparents, neither coddled nor condescended to, but rather felt as if I were, if not exactly a peer, perhaps a protegé.  As if she were pleased to spend time with me.  Grandma B was the perfect combination of old-school etiquette, and graceful rebel.  She was an amazing conunudrum.  (Pronounced AY-MAY-zing, of course.)

Grandma B is no longer with us, but there are, from time to inexplicable time, random flashes of memories of her, that absolutely delight me.  There is absolutely no logical reason that my mind took off on its reminiscences of her, in relation to butternut squash.  Other than that I think it's beautiful.  As was she.  I can only dream of being that cool.

So, the recipe.  It comes from a book I found on the library shelf, Parisian Home Cooking, by Michael Roberts.  It is one of those dishes that is incredibly simple to prepare, and yet knocks your socks off with its contradictorily bold and subtle flavors.  Fresh bay leaves, ground cardamom, and ground coriander, tease something new and exciting out of the squash, while still remaining ever-respectful of its graceful, tranquil essence.  Beautiful.

Gratinéed Winter Squash - Gratin de Courge - adapted from Parisian Home Cooking
-serves 4

Ingredients
1 medium butternut, or other winter squash, approximately 1 pound or so
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 fresh bay leaves
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground coriander
3/4 to 1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 deg F.  Butter a large baking dish.

Prepare the squash.  If using a butternut, slice off each end, then stand on one of the sliced ends, and cut in half, top to bottom.  Scoop out seeds, then slice into half-rounds, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.  Using a sharp knife, cut the peel off each semi-round of squash.  Place in a large bowl, and toss to coat with all ingredients, except cheese.

Pour the squash mixture out into your prepared baking dish, cover tightly with foil (or a lid, if you have one), and bake for 35 minutes, or until the squash is tender.

Remove the dish from the oven, and turn on the broiler, set to high.  Uncover the baking dish, remove the bay leaves, and sprinkle with cheese.  Place under the broiler until the surface bubbles and turns golden.  Serve immediately.

We ate our gratin with some roasted beets and green beans, tossed in balsamic.  

B-E-A-U-tiful.

Centering

This time of year always sneaks up on a person, don't you think?  One minute we're barefoot, enjoying the sunny outdoors, and the next we're stacking firewood, and layering on hats, scarves, and mittens.  I always feel rather taken by surprise when November rolls around, and this year, it has hit me even harder.

It's a doozy of a busy time right now, what with finally getting around to finishing renovations, and trying to wrap our heads around a move.  Add to that a realtor, kids in school, after-school activities, work, and well, Life.  I get it.  It's just Life.  It's the way it goes.  Being a Grown-up does get rather complicated once in a while, though.

I know many people who positively thrive in an all-action sort of lifestyle.  They love keeping busy, going at things with a frenetic pace, and never seem to need to sit down to take a breath, and recoup.  I am most emphatically not one of those people.  I admire them.  I don't get them, but hey, more power to you, if you are one of those.

I am one of those who needs more of a manageable pace, to feel comfortable. Slow and steady wins the race, in my world.  I'm the tortoise, I guess.  I can handle a lot, don't get me wrong.  But I do get to a point, which I refer to as a Constant State of Overwhelm, where things are moving too quickly to enjoy them, let alone make sense of them.  When this State comes up, I have to have myself a wee time out.  I can usually tell when I'm teetering on the precipice of a meltdown.  (Snap at anyone in striking distance...Crackle, the state of my nerves...Pop!  She's about to blow!)  The Mister can always tell when I'm about to lose my cookies, bless him.  I don't know how he keeps keepin' on, that guy's a trooper, I tell you.  When he sees me getting close to that dangerous edge, he always gives me a little space to take a moment, to center myself.

Phew.

That was a close one.

One of the very best things for me to get back to a good place (aside from a good night's sleep), is to head to the kitchen.  A little chopping, a little seasoning, a little stirring...and time to breathe, while making a good meal. That's the ticket.

Here's what I came up with last night:

A very simple, delicious soup of beautiful butternut squash, a bit of sweet potato (just ask any Kiwi mama, she'll assure you it's good for your soul), a little quinoa, and a few warming spices thrown in.  Gently sweet, eminently satisfying, and just the thing to feel nurtured in the midst of chaos.  This is quick and easy enough to prepare in a time when you can't possibly have all your wits about you, and just methodical enough to bring anyone back to a happy, centered place.  I hope you enjoy.

Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato, and Quinoa Soup - makes 4 to 6 main course servings

Ingredients
Half a large, or one whole small butternut squash - approx 3 to 4 cups, cut into half-inch cubes
1 smallish sweet potato, about 1 to 1 1/2 cups, cut into half-inch cubes
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 cup chopped sweet or bell peppers, any color (I had yellow sweet peppers)
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
5 or 6 cups chicken or veg stock (less if you prefer it to be more stew-like, more if you like a soup)
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp paprika
small bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Optional Garnish:  grated sharp cheddar, hot chili sauce, sour cream

Warm the oil in a large stockpot, over medium-low heat, then add the onions, and gently cook until softened and translucent, about 8 minutes.  Do not  brown.  Next add in the peppers, squash, and garlic, and season with salt and pepper.  Cook for 3 or 4 minutes, then add in the spices, and stir continuously for one minute, to toast the spices and enhance their flavor.  Pour in the stock, and throw in the sweet potato, and check again for seasoning.  Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer, and add the quinoa.  Allow to cook for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened, and the quinoa is cooked through.

Toss in the cilantro, taste once more for seasoning, and adjust if necessary.  Serve in bowls, garnished with a nice sharp cheddar, and hot sauce, if you like.  (Sour cream for the kiddos.)

Wee Disclaimer:  I realize my photos are utter rubbish.  While I did enjoy the respite afforded by cooking, I couldn't quite spare the patience to try harder with the camera.  Oh well.  It is really lovely soup, I promise.