Perfect Pumpkin Soup for Winter

[vc_row center_row=”” margin_right=””][vc_column][vcex_image_grid columns=”2″ thumbnail_link=”none” img_width=”9999″ img_height=”9999″ image_ids=”2650,2643″][vc_column_text]We are non-conformists, so this is going to look a little different from normal recipes. I don’t have a ton of time, and I really hate having a dirty kitchen (since my husband and his German-self yells at me). Every part of the below process, except the bread, goes in 1 bowl, 1 pan or 1 dish.

This is certainly not a quick dish, but it is the kind of dish you can walk away from and let cook while you do something else. As with all soups, it is always better the next day, which makes a dinner party very easy on the day of if you can plan ahead.[/vc_column_text][vcex_spacing][vc_column_text]

A L L T H E

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Fixings

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(10) 10oz bowls of soup including garnishes & 10 slices of bread

Bread

Crunchy topping (Toss and sauté.)
- 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup raw sesame seeds
- 1/2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
Base (Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients, form into a frisbee, cover with a kitchen towl and set aside to let rise for 1 hour. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.)
- 3 cups of gluten free all purpose flour
- 1 tsp xantham gum
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 eggs (cold)
- 2 tsp yeast + 1/4 cup hot water
- 1 cup water

Soup

Base (Peel pumpkin and cut into 1″ chunks, bake with half of onion, 3 cloves of garlic and cubed potato for 30 minutes, then switch to broil for 10 minutes. Meanwhile chop and sauté all the remaining ingredients (except herbs) until the onions are clear and the rest is a nice golden brown. Add water to the middle of your large pot and put a lid on it until boil. Pull out everything from the oven and toss into the soup. Let cook for 30 minutes. Put in herbs and add additional salt or herbs as needed for flavor. Add more water as needed. When ready to serve, add in coconut milk and use an emersion blender to make a chunky substance. You can substitute using a blender, but only do up to 1/2 of the soup. Do not blend entirely.)
- 1 medium green, yellow or red pumpkin
- 1 large yellow onion
- 6 cloves of garlic
- 1 potato
- 4 small carrots without tops
- 3 stalks of celery
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper
- Handful of fresh thyme & oregano
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
Toasted pumpkin seeds (Toss and bake.)
- Seeds from pumpkin leftovers
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper
Carrots (Toss and sauté.)
- 20 peeled small carrots with partially cut tops
- 1 tbsp honey
- Salt
- Olive oil
Flat pancakes (Mix together and fry.)
- 2 cups gluten free all purpose flour
- 1 tsp xantham gum
- 1 tsp ground flax seed + 2 tbsp warm water (let this stand for 2 minutes)
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1 can Aranciata San Pellagrino
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Water as needed for consistency
Crispy kale topping (Toss and bake.)
- 1 bunch of curly kale
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper

Make sure that you are properly making your pumpkin nice and crispy by putting it first on bake around 300 degrees for about 45 minutes, and then broiling at 500 degrees for 10 minutes. You want it to be a dark, golden color. Make sure to rotate often.

Timing is everything. If you can get the bread mixed and rising while you get the pumpkin cut and in the oven, you will have enough time to lower the temperature of the oven and put in the bread before the soup is done. Juggling is what parents do best, so this shouldn’t be a challenge!

Your taste buds are different then mine, so I am going to leave the olive oil, salt and pepper quantities to you. Salt enough to bring out the flavor, but don’t overwhelm. Leave the option to your guests to add a second helping of salt if they desire.

Arrange the soup and its toppings however you think it will look best. Don’t feel shy to give it a go and try something a little outrageous with the presentation and don’t feel obliged to make it look like our version. You can even put a side plate with the pancakes and the carrots and bread if you choose.

What you will have at the end of your labor, is a hearty and tasty meal. It is more than just a soup, and it is perfect for parties where you just want to sit around the fire or the coffee table, without messing with a formal sit down meal. This is a great meal to have with friends because it is thoughtfully prepared, and in some ways labored over.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row center_row=”” margin_right=””][vc_column][vcex_spacing][vc_column_text]

D O N ‘ T H A V E T I M E T O M A K E I T F R E S H ?

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Buy Instead

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M E A L W I T H F R I E N D S

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Monica’s House, Fall 2011

[/vc_column_text][vcex_spacing][vc_column_text]What fun! I had been staying with my friend Monica on a trip back to London, just having given up my apartment and have moved back to the States and I wanted to see all my friends. Monica let me host everyone at her house. For some reason many of the photos are lost, but the food ones remain and the two photos of my best friends, Surrinder and Monica. I loved being able to cook dinner for everyone and it was a great way to catch up on a sunny, but chilly weekend day.[/vc_column_text][vcex_spacing][vcex_image_carousel items_scroll=”page” item_width=”230px” min_slides=”4″ max_slides=”4″ img_width=”500″ img_height=”400″ image_ids=”2670,2654,2669,2653″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vcex_spacing][vc_column_text]

D E C O R A T E Y O U R

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Pumpkin

[/vc_column_text][vcex_spacing][vcex_feature_box style=”left-image-right-content” heading=”” content_width=”70%” media_width=”30%” img_width=”9999″ img_height=”9999″ image=”2656″]Celebrate the season with something unique on your table or at your seating area. Decorate for the fall with leaves, or even use mini pumpkins for the serving bowls. Found a few ideas through Blovely Events, too.

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September 23, 2015December 28, 2018

Wyse Organics Delivery Meal System Review

Part of a balanced, healthy lifestyle is eating fresh from the farm, but people have busy lives and cooking farm fresh takes time. If you happen to live in the NYC or Long Island area, you have an option that we strongly recommend from people we know and respect: Wyse Organics. This is not just any meal delivery service; it is in essence a private chef service with an affordable price tag. You can trust you are getting good quality, exceptional flavor and fresh, local ingredients.

Delicious organic entrées.

Plans include entrées, sides and soups or kids meals. View Meal Plans.

You can view the listing in our shop
or go directly to Wyse Organics.

Chef Wyse has made it easier than ever to get delicious and healthful meals delivered right to your door. Annual subscription plans start at $149 per month.

Using only local and organic ingredients, our menu changes with the seasons. This way the ingredients are at their freshest and provide the best flavor. From ripe tomatoes in the summer to pumpkins, squash and winter greens in the winter are all sourced from the best organic farms on Long Island and the surrounding region.

Wyse Organics Instruction Video from Wyse Organics on Vimeo.

Healthy eating shouldn’t be hard. Using modern sous vide and flash freezing techniques, we’ve made it easy for you to create a restaurant-quality culinary experience in 3 steps. If you have additional questions, please reference the Wyse Organics FAQs.

Wyse Farm Stories – Green Thumb from Wyse Organics on Vimeo.

Founded in 2014 by private Chef Allan Wyse and global organic food entrepreneur Erik Bruun Bindslev, Wyse Organics is a start-up with a mission to empower more people to savor the best organic, local and seasonal flavors from the comfort of home.

Wyse Mix & Match Video Series

Wyse Mashed Organic Zucchini with Spaghetti

This episode has Chef Allan Wyse using Wyse Organics frozen mashed zucchini from Quail Hill Farm in Amagansett in combination with spaghetti. Its an easy, organic and healthy 10 min. meal.

WYSE MIX & MATCH: Wyse Mashed Organic Zucchini with Spaghetti from Wyse Organics on Vimeo.

Wyse Braised Kale & Chard with Organic Lamb Chops

In this episode Chef Allan Wyse uses Wyse Organics Braised Kale & Chard as a perfect side for organic lamb chops. An easy 10 minute meal from Wyse Organics.

WYSE MIX & MATCH: Wyse Braised Kale & Chard with Organic Lamb Chops from Wyse Organics on Vimeo.

Chef Allan Wyse

Chef Wyse is a celebrated private chef amongst New York’s A-list. From Horizon Media to Cosmopolitan Magazine, Fran Drescher, Mario Cantone and Kim Cattrall both of Sex and the City fame and numerous Fortune 500 CEOs. Allan’s name is synonymous with fresh, delicious and organic first-rate cuisine. Raised with an organic garden in his backyard, Chef Wyse has always known the importance of using only the best ingredients in his kitchen. He crafted his trade working in some of the world’s finest restaurants, including Daniel’s and The Modern in New York City. Chef Wyse has cooked alongside the world’s most renowned chefs such as Daniel Boulud and Marc Aumont.

Allan has appeared on “Food Networks” iron chef chairman’s challenge, promoted both the Vita Mix blender and Turbo Chef Ovens (with Charlie Trotter) and hosted his own cooking show Wysecooking. Allan is based in Southampton, New York.

Erik Brunn Bindslev

Erik’s career spans more than 2 decades in which he has built up a responsible and long-term approach to global business. He is truly at home as a strategic partner for his clients building and managing multi-stakeholder brand building models. Current and past clients include: Linda McCartney Foods (vegetarian food business – London), Lady Carole Bamford and Family (luxury food/lifestyle and fashion/spa – London and Tokyo), HRH Prince of Wales (luxury food and lifestyle – London), COJEAN (high-end foodservice concept – Paris), Hakkasan Group (fine dining restaurant and clubs – London and Las Vegas), BlowToGo (mobile hair services- London)

Erik has lived in São Paulo, Buenos Aires, Sydney, Paris, Copenhagen and London. He shares his time between his base in London, Long Island’s East End and travelling around the world.

September 12, 2015September 15, 2015

Ra’Co Tip: Mistakes

Making mistakes is part of the journey of life and in some way is the more educational route. Often you will learn a new life lesson along the way. But so many of us get caught up in the concept of perfection forgetting that perfection doesn’t lead to a rounded experience overall and that allowing mistakes to happen via risk is often the most important hidden reward.

Remember to be conscious as your mistake is made, or to reflect on it after the fact if you are not aware during. Be thoughtful about honoring your time and energy required to figure out how you got there and how you will get out of it. Often your intentional path will be adjusted based on your new found learnings.

An act or thought that unintentionally deviates from what is correct, right, or true.

I left Hospitality Services, Inc work full time for myself building a design studio and to give it a try with a business partner and best friend. We had dreams of building a product line in her namesake and creating a sustainable business. She had no business experience or investment capital and she was weary about getting involved. I pushed her to do something out of her comfort zone and to focus on sweat equity instead of HEARING her say, “No.” The end result was what you would expect; a loss of a 12 year old friendship and a product line in her name that she had no desire to do anything with. We parted ways.

Learning: What I learned from this was to listen better and to really HEAR people. I get it now when someone says, “No” and I back away willingly.

My new path due to my mistake: I realized my friend and I had co-dependent friendship that wouldn’t stand the test of time, and letting it go enabled me to walk away and build a new set of healthy friendships. One of those relationships was Kurt. Another piece of this was realizing that I didn’t want to have a lifestyle product line or to invest in building a brick n’ mortar operation. I wanted to be free from all boundaries to travel and explore. I moved to London right after the end of our business, then onto Ithaca, Beacon, New York City and finally Guatemala.

September 5, 2015December 27, 2018

Ra’Co Tip: Be Kind

Our mother’s always told us to treat others as we want to be treated, but now as a parent myself I would like to establish this as “Be Kind to Everyone, No Matter What.” There really are no reasons or excuses why kindness shouldn’t be how you want to be treated, and in life I believe things have been left too esoteric and not direct enough.

The term ‘Kind’ stems from the Germanic root of kin meaning natural or native to. In someways I believe Kind to be a form of truth and wholeness growing from within something. It is also a physical act of doing something for someone else and can be split between being a noun and a verb depending on how it is put into action.

I have had a lot of kindness bestowed upon me in life. First my parents who offered me every opportunity, then wonderful teachers who shared their incredible journey’s with me and finally staff who have doted and cared for me throughout the years. I see life as a journey through acts of Kind, and like others gifts to me of kindness, I always return the favor. My heart is fuller because of it.

One story comes to mind which I wanted to share:
In 2010 as I was ending my marriage to my 1st husband, I had to find a new place to live in London. I looked absolutely everywhere to find a good roommate situation in a non-shit hole. It was honestly a challenge for my price range I could afford. I looked first in some of the hip and trendy sections of town which seemed more affordable, but I came up short. At 28 it seemed I was a bit washed up and out of my league in terms of ‘hipness.’

I found Luca through a roommate site and sent her an email of my situation. After yoga one Saturday we met at the apartment. I was seriously like a scared little girl and I remember at the time I had horrendous acne from stress and allergies. I really couldn’t be in a worst spot emotionally. Luca interviewed me as I had been interviewed 10x before in the other apartments I looked into. Towards the end of the conversation I felt comfortable and more at ease with her so I told her how much I wanted to find a good place to heal. I was broken from living away from home, having lost my partner and was beginning to transition away from a company I built more than a decade before.

She called me later that evening with the decision for me to be able to live with her. This to me was one of the greatest acts of Kind I had received and mostly because it was from her. Luca is a selfless, giving and wonderful friend. She offered me a chance to reset my life and helped to ground me once again. She was going through a similar situation with her long term boyfriend from Australia, so we were two hot single girls living together in a fabulous apartment in Camden Town, North London.

While we have not stayed too much in touch outside of the occasional Facebook message and email, Luca will always hold a special place in my heart due to her kindness.

Resources

Stories of Kindness around the world, Kindspring.org
Origin of the word Kind, Answers.com

July 12, 2011December 28, 2018

Restaurant De Kas in Amsterdam

I am fortunate to have clients all around the world and to be able to travel to experience the best and most unique food opportunities that exist on the planet. After being introduced to the Dutch consulting practice of KPMG in May 2011, I have been staying connected and hoping that we could find a way to partner up on a few projects. Our new client and friend, selected a wonderful location for the discussion – De Kas Restaurant.

This space is out of this world or rather ‘on the farm’. With a beautiful and picturesque stage, set in the in middle of Frankendael Park in East Amsterdam, this used to be a working production facility for growing food for blue collar workers in the late 1920s through the Great Depression. When scheduled to be demolished in the early 2000’s Gert Jan Hageman took it upon himself to develop a spectacular restaurant concept.

The dining area is situated in and around a variety of different food production areas. Mostly for show, but nonetheless useful, there are two major growing areas at the front of the building at the entrance which leave little to the imagination about where the food will be eaten. It is great from an education standpoint to recognize what it takes to provide you with the food that you are eating.

Walking into the room at night must have a very different appreciation than what one would have during the day, but regardless you are overwhelmed with sense of space. Vaulted ceilings surround and are even higher than you can imagine. The lighting is minimal and simplistic, making the glassware and people’s eyes twinkle. My client mentioned that there were several very well known faces in the audience that he recognized from the Amsterdam elite community. While I didn’t pick up on that component, I did feel like we all looked like stars under the endless ceiling.

A preplanned menu is always my preference – way less decisions to be made and we were fortunate to have a conscious and thoughtful chef who took my allergies into consideration (some of which didn’t translate perfectly, but the gist of it was clear and I was able to eat almost everything on my plate). The taste profile was a mix between what I would know of traditional Danish food blended with Norwegian and French cuisine. The scallops (which are shown below) were my particular favorite. The presentation was embedded into some sort of fairytale, with the shell acting as the stage and the radish and spinach leaf looking the part of the props. Fabulous.

The kitchen was open plan and glass so you could enjoy watching your meal prepared. The entire restaurant design met the integrity of the original greenhouse and it flowed beautifully. The simplicity of the choices and the thoughtfulness of the execution made this space unique.

Sustainable? This is such a tough question. I would say that they have done a lot of things right and considered the environment all along the way, but with the massive ceiling, facility and quantity of plates served at dinner might have bumped it out of that category.

An experience, absolutely. Enjoy!