Author: -N-

Soup of the Evening

I have had a squash or two lying around for a few days. I’ve roasted one, so tonight I decided to make soup out of the other. It is an acorn squash, which is not an easy one to peel and dice because of its ridges, but peel and dice it I did. I think next time, I will probably cook it before I turn it into soup!

Anyway, I took half a yellow onion, diced it fine, and sauteed it in olive oil and butter. Then, I took the diced, peeled acorn squash – seeds removed – and added it to the mix. I let it both onion and squash caramelize a bit. Then I added about 1 cup of sliced apple – I had one with a bruise, so I cut out the bruise – and added it to the onions and acorn squash, stirred it a bit, then added two cups of chicken broth (unsalted) and another two cups of water. Seasoning was a teaspoon of dried thyme. Then, left on its own to simmer about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, I got the blender out, as the plan is puree it all, and return it to the pot. From there . . . it may be enough with a bit of salt and pepper for the final seasoning, or I may give it a bit of a bit by adding some ginger or aleppo pepper. In the end, though, I just pureed it in the blender, added a bit of salt and pepper, a bit of extra water to thin it out, and a dollop of sour cream. Suggestion:  do this in small batches – my kitchen had soup all over the place because I just put the whole mess in the blender, forgetting that blenders are enthusiastic!

The result is a soft, creamy soup, with a delicate sweetness from the apple, and more suited to an appetizer than a “hearty” meal. With a nice salad, and a tasty roll, the result is also perfect for a light meal.

Acorn Squash Veloute

  • 2 T. each live oil and sweet butter
  • 1/2 yellow onion
  • 1 acorn squash
  • 1 sweet apple
  • 2 c. chicken broth, unsalted
  • 2 c. water
  • Dried thyme, salt, pepper
  • Sour cream

In a 3 to 4 quart sauce pan, place diced onion and saute in heated olive oil and butter. Peel and seed squash; chop into chunks. Add to onion when onion is pale yellow, and continue to saute, allowing onion and squash to caramelize a bit. Dice apple, add to onions and squash. Add 2 c. unsalted chicken broth. Bring to simmer. Add 1-2 tsp. dried thyme. Simmer covered until all ingredients are tender. Puree in blender in small amounts, then return to sauce pan. Thin with water if necessary, and balance seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Warm but do not boil.

Serve in bowls with a small dollop of sour cream on top, or a drizzle of thin cream.

Comment

Next time I make this, though, I will roast the squash in the oven and scoop out the seeds and flesh. Peeling it was not hard, just annoying!  The flavor may be more pronounced as a result.

Time

48 years ago today, I was in the gym, crawling around on the floor, playing kick volleyball with all the kids in my class.  It was cold and snowy outdoors in upstate New York, if I recall properly.  For some reason, the teacher, Miss Viviani, walked out and then in.  She said, “The President has been shot.”  Minutes later she did the same, and came back to announce, “The President is dead.”

The loss of President Kennedy was a terrible event, one which I believe marked a tragic downturn in American history and politics.

The world is so very different today, and so very much the same. I’m no longer a kid in elementary school. President Kennedy’s family is grown, some gone; there are grandchildren. People I know have died, had children, have grandchildren. Time continues, and our own little space – shared with billions – is just as important as national events and crises.

Cherish what you have, as it will be gone far too soon.

Vultures & Brownies

It seems like there are machines out there, waiting for blogs to post new posts!  I received oodles of spam in the past 24 hours, as comments on my previous post.  Hmm.  The vultures are circling . . .

That aside, we had friends over for dinner – homemade pork chili verde and chocolate brownies for dessert.  The chili verde is a wonderful dish for cold nights as it is filled with pork, pasillas, jalapenos, tomatillos, cilantro, onions, garlic, cumin and crushed coriander. The brownies are plain old comfort food, easy to make, and very tasty, chocolatey, and filled with pecans.

– – – Brownies! – – –

Brownies

Preheat oven to 350 F.

  • 4 squares unsweetened Baker’s chocolate
  • 1 stick butter
  • 4 eggs
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 c. sugar
  • 1 c. flour
  • 1 c. pecans, with some set aside to sprinkle on top

Bring eggs out to warm to room temperature. Melt chocolate and butter together over low heat on stove. Cool to room temperature. Beat eggs, salt, and sugar together until thick and lemony. Beat the eggs very well, to incorporate a lot of air, as this is the only leavening used in this recipe.

After eggs are properly beaten, using a spoon (not an electric mixer), stir in melted chocolate and butter until not quite completely mixed in. Add flour, continue to mix until incorporated and mixture is evenly colored. Add pecans. Pour batter into 9×13 inch pan, bake at 350 F for 30-35 minutes. Bake less for gooey-er brownies.

My opinion is that a metal pan is best for this recipe. If you use a glass pan or convection oven, drop the temperature by 25 degrees.

Save some batter to lick – it’s awfully good!  But if you worry about salmonella, avoid this step in the clean-up.

A Commentary on Leeching and Spam, with Other Stuff

A few months ago, someone came across this blog and posted the patterns page elsewhere online. That site seems to be a spam target – since then I have been inundated with everything from groupon ads to pornography, and in about as many languages as flavors of spam.

Since that site posting, I have a lot of hits from people coming to download and leech the patterns – and no one, absolutely not a single person, has said “thank you” – just a wham-bam, take ’em all.  However, the person who posted the pattern page got a thank-you!

So, this brings me to give some thought about even writing a blog.  In reality, it is for me.  It is my collection of thoughts and links – my own encyclopedia and directory to people and places I enjoy.  I don’t expect to have followers – and those who do, I really am flattered! – but I also think that we all should remember we are connecting with people over the internet, anonymous as that world is.

Into the Trees

In the meanwhile, I keep trying out different photography software.  Currently, I am testing out Nik’s Silver Efex 2.  I really like the controls it has, and how it moves seamlessly out of Photoshop and Lightroom.  I am probably overdoing the B&W on a number of pictures, but that is something I expect I will learn to temper.

In painting, drawing, design, it seems so easy to balance compositional elements!  Photography, though, is another story altogether.  What you see is what you get.  Then you have to choose – through judicious use of software (as well as hours spent learning it!) – what to keep, what to discard, what to tone down, what focus upon, how to draw the eye.

I have another 13 days of the free trial of Silver Efex.  I like what I see so far.  And, with a week off from work for Thanksgiving (furlough days, such fun!), I think I should be able to do a few things besides eat.

More with HDR Express

One thing I find I like about HDR, if not pushed too far, is that it can create a good sense of the original light without a loss of detail. I still have 8 days left on my trial version of HDR Express, so that is the toy I chose to play with this morning. Yesterday’s picture shooting up into the tulip tree was the subject.

Manipulating images in other software, such as Photoscape or FastStone, allows me to lighten and darken them. I did this with the idea of merging multiple images in HDR Express, but HDR Express likes being boss, and reads the metadata from the same 3 images, and shuts its processes down – it realizes that you’ve got the same picture. That is a frustrating limitation. Removing all the metadata doesn’t change the situation. However! There is a work-around that is rather nice.

In Lightroom, open up the image you want, adjust the image so it is dark, and then right click on the image and export to HDR Express. It then pops open HDR Express, and HDR Express takes a few minutes, and creates 5 images, ranging from dark to light for your viewing pleasure. The differences are not immense, but if you watch the histogram on the upper right of the screen, you can see what the program is doing to your picture.

Below is a composite picture of the tulip tree out front. The top one is the original one I shot, which was dark to begin with, so I didn’t change it when I sent it to HDR Express via Lightroom. The middle one is my adjustment in Photoscape, which did a good job, but the intensity of the blue sky was a bit lacking. Finally, the bottom image is the one I exported to HDR Express, and it produced a rather pleasant image, with all the detail of the trunk, while retaining the colors of the leaves against that intensely blue sky I saw in my lens.

Top to Bottom - Original Picture - Lightened in Photoscape - HDR Express Image from Original

The Nikon Hit Man doesn’t like the idea of having to use lighting or post-processing to get the perfect image. I disagree.  Post-processing is often necessary, and has been done forever by artists in the darkroom – dodging and burning are forms of post-processing. The thing is, sitting at a computer putzing with software is pretty dull stuff, so for us restless souls, it’s something of a nuisance. In a darkroom, you are moving around, not sitting at a desk. Big difference. Modern technology has its points, but movement is not often one of them!

I am in agreement, though, with the Nikon Hit Man about the original image: it should be as perfect as possible. This means you think about it before hand (if you can) by choosing the right lens, exposure settings on your camera, and so on. Not always easy to do – or remember – because there are so many things you can forget as well! And that is why programs which allow image manipulation are assets to the photographer. Nonetheless, for people who like the physical realities of art, software is more challenging than trying out a new medium, and often far more frustrating.

Life isn’t perfect, but we adapt!