Sunday, December 30, 2012

Rosemary Root Vegetable Soup/Rosemary's Baby

I BROUGHT THE SNOW TO MASSACHUSETTS

I also still don't know how to spell Massachusetts, despite living here for almost 7 months. Thank goodness for spell check.

It was really cold and snowy here so all I did was cook. All day long. Alongside this homemade soup and bread in this entry, I also made pasta, pesto, muffins, salad, and salad dressing - all from scratch. Yes, even the pasta. It was the perfect way to spend the day. Watching Rosemary's Baby was the perfect way to end it. I wish every day was Saturday.

The recipe for the bread came from this awesome book called Ratio, which I would highly recommend for any aspiring baker. It gives you the basic ratios for the main ingredients in staple foods such as bread, pasta, and even sausage. You can then add things as you wish and pretty much end up with something delicious. It reads more like a book than a cookbook, with long detailed explanations behind the methodology of each recipe. So far, it gave me the best damned bread I've ever had. It was a great gift from a great person :)

Get it!


Recipe: Rosemary Root Vegetable Soup


Ingredients:

1/2 lb carrots
1/2 lb parsnips
1/2 lb turnips
1/2 acorn squash
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary
enough bouillon for 4 cups water
4 cups water

Directions:

Wash and cut the carrots, parsnips, turnips, and acorn squash into large chunks. Place in a baking pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven at 400 for about 40 minutes, or until tender.

Set the roots aside to cool a bit. Saute the onion in the bottom of a large soup pan. After about 5 minutes, add the garlic. While those are cooking, remove the peels from the acorn squash. After a couple of minutes with the garlic, throw those root veggies in there. Stir that around for another few minutes. Add the bouillon and water and put a lid on it. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Turn off the burner and allow the mixture to cool. Either blend in batches in a food processor or use an immersion blender to make it smooooth. Serve hot with some crusty bread!

I'm not going to include the recipe for the bread, because I think you should just buy the book. There's a lot that goes into the technique behind making it. I followed the recipe using the dutch oven recipe, and added some rosemary into the dough. I am not exaggerating when I say it is the best bread I have ever had.

Bread in a dutch oven!
You should buy the book and make it.

Step-by-Step Instructions


Cut the root veggies into chunks. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes or until tender. Set aside to cool.


Dice the onion and saute at the bottom of a large soup pot for about 5 minutes, or until slightly brown.

Add the rosemary and diced garlic, and cook for another 5 minutes.

Stir in the root vegetables and cook for another 5 minutes. 
Add the bouillon and water. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. 

Blend in a food processor or with an immersion blender until smooth.

Serve hot! I ate mine alongside some salad and fresh bread. SO good on a cold snowy day like this.

Review: Rosemary's Baby


I got this one from Criterion a while back when they were having their sale, but never got around to watching it. It finally seemed an appropriate accompaniment to my rosemary soup and bread.

I can see why this film is such a classic. As much as I want to dislike Roman Polanski, I really enjoy every film he has put out (this one, this one, and most recently this one). He had a remarkable childhood, surviving one of the greatest tragedies in human history, only later to do some pretty horrible things. I'll leave the research and judgement up to you. I'm just here to write about the movie.

Having just moved to a large New York apartment, Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse find themselves among some strange older next door neighbors. Guy falls upon some unexpected success in his acting career, and the two decide they are ready to have a baby. The strange old neighbors take an odd interest in Rosemary's pregnancy, and well, you probably know the story but I won't ruin it for people who don't.

I love a horror film that can hold its own without over the top violence and gore. You can feel tension throughout its entirety, and each role was performed fantastically. Even though it was filmed in 1968, the pace is perfect and the odd bits of humor keep the story rolling. I would recommend this one for snowy nights like these, curled up with someone special (for me tonight that was our stuffed duck Quackers).


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