The Flavors of Autumn

Now that summer is officially over weekend lunches will be more often then not centered around different soups. While a bowl of soup can be enjoyed year round there is something more satisfying when it is enjoyed on a cool, crisp autumn afternoon. Today was the perfect day to try out a new recipe which included sweet potatoes, fresh Bosc pears which I picked from Danny's backyard tree last weekend and peppers fresh from my cousin Kim and Debbie's back yard garden. On the side we enjoyed my mother in law's raspberry corn muffins along with cheddar and pepper jack cheese and local farm fresh apples. The soup was creamy on the palate and the different flavors made my taste buds dance in delight. The spicy smell of the soup was also very appealing to the senses and created the perfect fragrance which filled the house on this beautiful fall afternoon.

Spicy Sweet Potato Soup
I Sauteed 1 large Onion with a little olive oil
I steamed several peeled, cubed sweet potato's
Once both were soft I combined in a stock pot with several cups of chicken stock and the water from the steamer. I added salt, black pepper and curry powder to taste and brought to a boil.

In the same skillet I used for the onion I Sauteed several Bosc pears which I peeled, cored and sliced with 2 tablespoons of butter. I added one diced hot banana pepper as well as a diced sweet bell pepper. I sauteed until everything began to soften then I added several pinches of brown sugar and 3/4 cup of half & half. (cream would be even better but I was using what I had on hand) Once everything is heated through I combined into the stock pot and with a stick blender (mine broke so I processed mine in a blender in several batches) puree until you have a thick creamy consistency. The soup has a nice balance of sweetness from the pears and brown sugar, a creaminess from the potatoes and half & half, along with a hint of heat and spice from the curry powder and diced hot pepper. The best part is all of these help balance each other out and none of them were overwhelming. Everyone including my father in law and Alex enjoyed it, which equals success in my book! I served each bowl piping hot with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkled with fresh diced peppers.

Roast Beast - Boston, Massachusetts

I realize that I usually post food that I have made here but tonight I am making a special exception. This past Thursday I took the day off and the family and I went to Boston for the Owl City concert. Before we left I did a little research to determine where we were going to eat prior to the concert. I didn't want to go to a normal chain restaurant and was determined to find somewhere that we would get a good hearty meal that was different from every other restaurant you normally find walking around the city.

After doing some searching online I found a place called Roast Beast. I was surprised that I never noticed this restaurant before. I have driven past it countless times but never saw the sign pointing the way down the stairs in the corner nook of the building to a little taste of heaven!

The menu is basic, you pick your meat of choice, Roast Beef or Turkey, how big you want it and the type of roll you want it on. Then it gets exciting because they have 14 different sauces to choose from and they are more than willing to put one or all of them on your sandwich. We were the only ones there at the time so they asked what our favorite tastes were and let us sample several different ones and made suggestions as to which combinations were their favorites. Once you decide on your sauce then you get to pick from 15 different cheeses. They offer lettuce, tomatoes and onions to finish off the sandwich.

(Photo by Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff)

They also offer spicy pickles and the 6 different types of brownie squares made this a must go establishment if you ever find yourself in the area. My only regret was despite us ordering 5 different sandwiches I never took a picture because all I could think about was getting mine and eating every bite of it! You can see some pictures of their food on their web site which I will post below. I know I will be a regular customer whenever I am working in the area - I strongly recommend you give it a try if you are ever in Boston and in need of a tasty, forever memorable, hearty sandwich! (As do my wife and kids)

http://www.roastbeast.com

Pesto Pasta

Tonight I cooked mini farfalle pasta and tossed it with the pesto sauce I made this weekend and some diced tomatoes. To round out the meal we had steamed beets and greens and hot italian sausage, peppers and onions. The great thing about pesto is you can make it when you have lots of fresh herbs and freeze it for use throughout the year. I like to portion it out in and freeze it in ice cube trays for a quick addition to any deserving meal.

Pesto

Blend together fresh Basil, Parsley, Garlic, Olive Oil, and Grated Romano or Parmigiano Cheese 

Yup it's that easy - I like to season with a few red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and toasted pignoli nuts. 

MANGIA!

Pasta e fagioli

La cucina piccola fal la casa grande - A small kitchen makes the house big.

There is nothing quite like sitting down with the family for a hearty dinner of pasta e fagioli when the days are growing shorter and a cool breeze has chilled the house just enough to justify putting on a warm sweater. Tonight was one of those nights and as I sit writing this my stomach and my heart have been warmed with the joy of comfort food. As I said in my last post some of the best food is the simplest.

If you have never made pasta bean soup you are missing out on one of life's simplest pleasures. It can be made how ever you desire but my normal base is made with the following ingredients. Sauteed diced onion, celery and garlic once everything starts to soften I add diced peeled tomatoes, cannellini beans, chicken stock and season with dried oregano, diced fresh parsley, salt and pepper. Tonight we topped our soup with grilled chicken and pecorino romano. Tonight the kids opted for pipette as the pasta because it holds more broth than elbows or the traditional ditalini.  I love having a nice crostini with my soup but tonight I opted to toast the left over rolls we had from dinner the other night and topped it with the caponata I made this weekend. Now for some cuddle time with the wife and as the old Italian proverb says: "A tavola non si invecchia" - At the table with good friends and family you do not become old.

Everyday Italian

This past week my Italian heritage has consumed our family food preparation. Summer is ending along with the production of the staple vegetables in everyone's gardens. I have been blessed the past several days with lots of eggplant, basil, parsley, oregano and lots of different peppers from our garden and thanks to Aunt Rosalie a big bag of Roma tomatoes. So when life gives you goodies like these you can't help but cook Italian!

The past several days have been spent filling the house with the aroma of me making fresh pesto sauce with the basil, parsley and garlic I grew, a big pot of Pasta E Fagoiloi (pasta bean soup) and a big batch of Caponata (Italian Eggplant appetizer.) I also cooked down the remaining tomatoes which were then transformed into my homemade pasta sauce.

One thing so many people overlook is the simplicity of Italian cooking, whether it is the hearty meals of the north or the delectable seafood plates that have made Sicily famous. Authentic Italian cooking is made of simple ingredients that are on hand and cooked with love. Don't get me wrong I can make an impressive fancy meal and it too would be "Italian" but in my honest opinion the meals that are my favorite comfort foods are made up of a little of this and a little of that. If you can embrace the idea of using what you have in your refrigerator, freezer, pantry and back yard garden to make a meal without the need to follow a recipe, I promise that you will never go hungry and will end up eating the best meals ever.

I was blessed growing up with an Italian mother and grandmother who not only loved to cook, they loved to spend time teaching me how to cook. I may have gone to school for formal chef training but it is my childhood experiences that I fall back on every time I'm in the kitchen, whether I am cooking for my family or for a large group of people. I guess that is why I am proud to have Aquilino as my middle name and have many friends, family and even the occasional stranger consider me a...

I will be sure to post pictures of the food throughout the week - feel free to let me know in the comment section if you have any questions about the preparation of the dishes!

It's the most important meal of the day

I love cooking, especially for my wife. Rebecca does so much for our family and sneaking out into the kitchen and making her a nice breakfast is one of my favorite things to do. Growing up I loved when my mom would make me "Egg in a basket" and I enjoy making it as much as I do eating them now that I have mastered making them to peoples liking (The kids like their yolks runny while Rebecca likes a soft cooked yolk) which I will admit took lots of practice.

First and foremost food is for sustenance but I am a firm believer that it is even more enjoyable when you make food fun. I am often laughed at because I like to garnish everything no matter how simple the meal or dessert. Like Andrew Zimmern says, "If it looks good, Eat it" Lots of garnishes are multi-purpose. We enjoy growing different flowers on our property that look great in the yard but are also edible and often quite tasty! My garnishes are usually simple but effective. They add color to the plate and I have found when things are bright and cheery they always seem to taste better. In this plate a sliced strawberry, a sprig of curly parsley and a Nasturtium flower make an ordinary breakfast into the best meal of the day!