Food Lab's Best Basic Guacamole

I saw this recipe posted on Food Lab: The Best Guacamole (and the Science of Avocados) and knew that I had to try it. I had a bunch of avocados in my kitchen...and they were getting riper by the minute. 

This really is a fantastic guacamole that takes about 15 minutes to make. I made two adjustments: I used about 1/3 cup of cilantro (instead of the recommended 1/2 cup) and replaced serrano chili with jalapeño because that's what I had in my house. My only caveat is this: don't serve this guacamole with super-salty chips. The dip has enough salt in it, and if you use a salty chip, it could be a bit a much. That said, this is now going to be my go-to guacamole recipe. Chunky, creamy and the heat's just right. There aren't many ingredients (6 to be exact) and this is a very affordable homemade party dip. The texture is perfect and the taste is fabulous! Enjoy.

Best Basic Guacamole (Adapted from J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, Serious Eats) 
Serves 8 as an appetizer
Ingredients
1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 jalapeño chili, roughly chopped (original recipe uses serrano)
1/3 cup picked cilantro leaves, finely chopped, divided (original recipe uses 1/2 cup)
2 teaspoons kosher salt (*go with 1 1/2 teaspoons to start, and add more to taste)
4 ripe avocados
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Preparation
Place onion, chili, half of cilantro leaves, and salt in a mortar and pestle. Pound into a fine paste. Alternatively, combine onion, chili, half of cilantro, salt, and half of lime juice in a food processor or blender and process until smooth paste is formed, scraping down sides as necessary.
Split each avocado in half, discard pits, and spoon out flesh into a medium bowl. Roughly mash with a stiff whisk. Add onion/chili puree, remaining cilantro leaves, and half of lime juice. Fold to combine. Season to taste with more salt and lime juice. Serve immediately with warm tortilla chips.

'Root Down' Inspired Carrot and Red Curry Soup

Our dear friend Megan came to visit us a few weeks ago from Los Angeles. Megan is also affectionately called "Min"-- as in Minister, as in Universal Life Church, as in they ordain online! She presided over our wedding ceremony at Wave Hill a few years ago. (And so that my mother doesn't read this post and have a kanipshin, you should note that we also had a separate religious ceremony, one officiated by a rabbi.)

We had a wonderful time talking, walking, drinking, and dining. We strolled around the Washington Park neighborhood and had some great ice cream at Bonnie Brae, an old-fashioned, classic ice cream parlor not far from the park. We also scoped out some homes in Congress Park, which admittedly is a bit premature since we don't know if we will stay in Denver long-term, but a girl can dream, right?! 
We ate at Shish Kabob on Capital Hill and my falafel sandwich was lip-smacking good. Plans to visit the Clyfford Still Museum were foiled when we found out the museum is closed on Mondays, but I'll take Min on her next visit.
On Megan's final night, my husband watched the boys and Megan and I had ladies night. Our venue? Root Down-- a fantastic neighborhood eatery with great design and even more amazing food...seasonal and delicious. I ordered the Carrot Soup with Thai Red Curry and Apple-Pear Chutney as a starter-- it was wonderful. My entree was a delicious Butternut-Ricotta Gnocchi (with mushrooms, spinach, black currants, shallots, chile flake, brown butter, sage-hazelnut pesto & pecorino). For dessert we split a Mexican Chocolate Mousse that was to-die-for. Back to the soup. Like I said, it was delicious. I haven't been able to get it out of my head and I wanted to recreate it. 

After a bit of research, I found a Red Curry Carrot Soup recipe from an old Food & Wine magazine. While it wasn't exactly the same as the Root Down version, my craving was sated. I simplified the dish a bit, but you can see the original recipe here. Serve with a little drizzle of canola oil, some matchstick scallions and a pinch of finely chopped basil. Yum.

Red Curry Carrot Soup (Adapted from Grace Parisi, Food & Wine Magazine, June 1999)

Serves 2 - 4 
Ingredients
1 tablespoon canola oil
6 large carrots, or 8 medium-sized carrots, peeled
2 slices peeled fresh ginger, about 1/4 inch slices
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
4 cups vegetable stock
1 1/2 cups water
1/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 teaspoon red curry paste
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 scallion, cut into matchsticks
1 tablespoon cilantro leaves (optional)
1 tablespoon finely chopped basil (optional)
Preparation
Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the sliced carrots and ginger and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until the carrots are crisp-tender and lightly browned, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the onion and cook until softened but not browned, about 2 minutes.
Add the vegetable stock, water, coconut milk and curry paste to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat until the carrots are tender, about 25 minutes. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup. Or, puree the soup in batches using a blender. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls, sprinkle with the scallion, cilantro and basil and serve. 

"Put a Bird On It"

I named my blog Sparrows and Spatulas because, well, I love birds. I also thought it would be a cute title for a weblog that documents my growing children (the 'sparrows') and the food we cook (the 'spatulas'). The image of the sparrow also worked well because birds travel from place to place, and I thought this blog would be a good place to document the places we visit-- whether they be near or far. 
I've been getting hundreds of hits a day (why, oh why, don't people leave comments?!), so I figured it was time to get a logo.
My friend Andrew put me in touch with his friend Peter Wu- an LA-based artist who also does design work on the side. He came up with this logo and he nailed it. (The 2 little leaves represent Otis and Theo. Love it!) So, this is a big thank you to Peter for his work! You did a great job.

Super Bowl Chili and Our Trip to Breckenridge

This week I was going to take the boys to one of our regular morning places, the Denver Children's Museum. But when my husband suggested that we head to the mountains for a little day trip instead, I was on board. We decided to go to Breckenridge-- a beautiful, historic ski town which I like calling "The Ridge," but which most locals refer to, simply, as Breck. The 22nd International Snow Sculpture Championship was taking place and we both agreed that the boys would like it. It was absolutely gorgeous. 

I should note that this is the best winter I've ever had. Most winter days are between 40 and 50 degrees...and there are some 60 degree days sprinkled in there too. But we also get snow. And what's winter without snow? You need to have sledding, snow fights and snowman building, right? 

Anyway, our day trip took us up into the mountains on I-70 and the ride was absolutely spectacular. Here are a few pictures from our outing. The snow sculptures were great, though some of the more ephemeral pieces gave way to nature by the time we got there and were reduced to rubble. But there were still some great sculptures-- my personal favorite was "Ice House," the Canadian entry.

When we got back home I decided to make a quick, simple, one-pot dinner of vegetarian black bean chili with orange and cumin. It's also the perfect thing to make for the Super Bowl today! (Go Giants? That's my hometown team, but let's be honest, I've never successfully watched an entire game of football in my life.) I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit and it turned out great. I added salt and pepper to taste, and a good amount of Panola Hot Sauce. I topped it with a tablespoon of sour cream (though you could easily keep this vegan) and a little bit of chopped cilantro. Perfect! 

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Vegetarian Black Bean Chili with Orange and Cumin (Courtesy of Bon Appetit) 
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 oranges
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, pressed
4 teaspoons chili powder
4 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 15.5-ounce cans seasoned black beans, drained
2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes in juice
Hot pepper sauce
Sour cream or plain yogurt
Chopped fresh cilantro
Preparation
Grate enough orange peel to measure 1 1/2 teaspoons. Juice oranges. Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions; sauté 5 minutes. Mix in garlic and spices. Add beans, tomatoes, and half of orange juice. Simmer over medium heat until heated through and flavors blend, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Mix in orange peel and remaining orange juice. Season to taste with hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Ladle chili into bowls. Top with sour cream and cilantro. Pass extra hot sauce alongside.

Mushroom Risotto (from the Gorgeously Green Diet)

Risotto. It's earned the reputation of being difficult to make and, truth be told, I've mucked-it up more times than I care to mention. Before trying this recipe, my little arborio rice dish never came out right. It was always far from the creamy dish it should have been. Without fail, it would come out pasty and goopy, and quite frankly, not very edible. The outcome was always the same: hot mess.

But my dear friend Charlotta put me onto this recipe, one that she said was fool-proof. And indeed it is. It comes from The Gorgeously Green Diet and I've made it three times...successfully! Whooo-wee. The white wine and the dried mushrooms give the dish so much flavor-- and I just top it off with a little olive oil, shaved parmesan and lemon juice.

Like many risotto dishes, this recipe uses dried mushrooms instead of fresh ones. That's because the water used to rehydrate (reconstitute) the dried mushrooms adds so much flavor to the dish (I added the mushroom-infused water toward the end of the cooking process). I used porcini, portobello, hen of woods and "forest blend" so far, but next time I think I'll add some fresh chantarelles as well. 

You can make this risotto with confidence and without fear that your culinary efforts will result in a mushy mess. Then pour yourself a nice glass of chilled white wine and enjoy. 

Bon Appetito.

Mushroom Risotto (Courtesy of The Gorgeously Green Diet)

Serves 4-6

Ingredients 

1-ounce package mixed dried mushrooms

About 1 quart vegetable stock

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

4 celery stalks, finely chopped

1 3/4 cups risotto rice 

2 wineglasses (dry) white wine 

1 tablespoon butter

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Freshly grade Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Put the mushrooms in a measuring cup and cover with 2 cups of hot water. Set aside.

Pour stock into a medium saucepan and heat gently. Keep warm over low heat. 

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and celery and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add the rice, turn up the heat, and stir until the rice looks translucent (mine never got completely translucent--but close). Add the wine and stir until almost evaporated.

Now you are ready to add your first ladle of stock (you never leave a risotto- it needs to be nursed!). Keep stirring as you add more and more stock, waiting until each addition is absorbed until you add the next ladle. After 15 minutes, taste to see if the rice is cooked; if it needs more time (and mine did), add a ladleful of the water that the mushrooms have been soaking in. The risotto is cooked when the rice is slighly al dente. Take it off the heat and stir in the mushrooms and butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste, spoon into bowls, and top with a generous dusting of cheese (I added a drizzle of olive oil and a bit of lemon juice too). Enjoy!