Asparagus Soup

In my kitchen, asparagus fall under seasonal, finger food, which means I lightly roast them and eat straight up, maybe with some beef tenderloin since I discovered this incredible recipe. Fresh and shaved in a salad is another fantastic way to eat it, something I learned from one of Alice Waters books. But the key word is seasonal. And it means I can eat the whole stalk, there´s no bending to see where it breaks and discarding most of it.

We, of the southern hemisphere, are currently living a lovely autumn, full of colorful ocre leaves and humidity. 

Royal Potato Pesto Egg Salad

Few things make me happier, foodwise, than to open my refrigerator and find two or three different things that I can spoon or fork directly from the bowl, often with the door open. On days I´m feeling very proper, I present a nice plate with different things in it. Like an everyday mini buffet lunch or dinner.

I can´t think of any better meal than one that involves a lot of dishes I like that get piled up in my plate. Maybe a very good sandwich, like this with serrano ham, mozzarella and arugula, can compete with that. 

Or a killer barbecue, but then, my barbecues involve several meats and salads, so we´d be back to the buffet like idea. Though to tell you the truth, I dislike the word buffet a lot, have no clue to why, I just do, but it serves its purpose very well here.

Savory Brioche Pockets with Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese

These past weeks have been tiring, more emotionally than physically, but just for normal everyday reasons like work, family and life in general. 
The weather has gotten colder, a fact, and I can´t seem to get my house to be the right degree of warmth I like, personal issues about socks and gloves, which I already commented, aside, it´s too stuffy so I open a window, and before I realize it my kitchen is just too cold to let the brioche dough rise in the time frame that it should. You know,  normal crappy bouts of crankiness here and there, a normal week.

The sponge is cracked and the butter is soft

Brioche making is a pleasure for me, and a recipe that talks about it stuffed with caramelized onions and goat cheese gets me pumped. Or it should´ve. But I was not in my best attire this week and it was somewhat an effort to make yet another recipe with a deadline.
I should´ve skipped this recipe probably, but hey, it was nancy silverton and it was brioche, how could I say no?

8 Hour Cheesecake with Roasted Grapes (gluten free) #SundaySupper

After 24 hours in the fridge

Some cold fronts made an appearance this week, requiring the heating system to be turned on, and socks to be worn to bed. Yes, I wear socks and gloves inside my house most of the winter, because no matter how well heated the house is, there´s usually a big difference in temperature with the rest of my body, which is beyond my control, very John Malkovich in Dangerous Liaisons, btw a fantastic movie, in my opinion, about human character.

Cheddar Scallion Pecan Quick Bread #FRD2013

We´re joining forces today within the French Fridays with Dorie group, to participate in a day I particularly find very inspiring. Jamie Oliver started the idea, and this is the culmination, with so many of us around the world cooking and sharing. This group is sponsored by Mardi, the amazing blogger behind Eat.Live.Travel.Write, and is part of our usual Friday programming.

“Food Revolution Day is a chance for people all over the world to come together and stand up for good food and essential cooking skills. It’s a chance for people to come together in homes, schools, workplaces and communities to cook and share their kitchen skills, food knowledge and resources. Food Revolution Day is a global day of action to raise awareness about the importance of good food and better food education for everyone.

The theme for this year’s Food Revolution Day is “Cook it. Share it.” – something all of us here at French Fridays with Dorie are passionate about already!” 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream

`Decide what you want,

 decide what you are willing to exchange for it,

 establish your priorities and go to work.´ 

      H.L.Hunt

Words I stumbled across at a moment of confusion and upheaval in my life some weeks ago, but not too many. The exchange part was the hardest to decide, but I´m almost down to the end of my listing the priorities while starting to work on it. Let´s see how it goes.

In the meantime, I have some sensational ice cream for you. Chocolate chip cookie ice cream.

My food blog is no doubt a priority because food is my passion, will always be, and this is the perfect way to express myself. So I´m working on it too, establishing priorities within the priorities.

A few days ago I got a message on facebook from the oldest daughter of two of my best friends (they are married to each other), asking me if I had anything to do with the blog Vintage Kitchen. Huh? Is this a trick question? I was suspicious, similar to the time my door bell rang in january and there was a man with a package I had never ordered. So I answered yes, of course, I am the blog.

Vintage Mondays - Pastel Azteca

Sometimes I open my fridge and freezer and am surprised at the amount of food I hoard without even realizing. If you didn´t know me better, and most don´t really, you´d think I was preparing to give birth to very hungry eighteen year old triplets. Or quadruplets, all boys.
Well now you do know that´s not happening, at all. For the record, I live alone and eat most of my meals by myself, with the exception of my weekly brunch and dinner with friends or the times when my on/off boyfriend of the last five years happens to be around.  So how on earth do I buy so much stuff in the first place?

This pastel azteca is a result of said moments, when I found 8 or 9 frozen vegetable packets. Do I add a few each time I go to the supermarket without realizing? I´m baffled at my own habits. 
And I wonder, does that apply to other aspects of my life? I have a creepy feeling it does. Let´s not find out though. I´m not in the mood for some soul cleaning right now.

A new vintage Monday and some new, and hopefully interesting, finds to share with you. 

Since food always comes first in this blog, here are some very interesting recipes that I would want to tackle asap:

Peach Doughnuts from The Ginger Bread Lad 

Chocolate Crusted Banana Blondies from Cake Duchess

Coconut Baklava from Diethood

Blackberry Farm Griddle Cakes (gluten free) from Bon Appetit

Carnitas from Smitten Kitchen with Homemade Tortillas from Juanita´s Cocina (my first time making both)

Guacamole Rice from Foxes Love Lemons

Esquites (Mexican Corn Salad) from Kimchi Mom

Stuffed Buttenut Squash from Elizabeth´s Kitchen (it´s pumpkin season here!)