I am no fan of winter. There’s not much to like about this season, in my opinion. Sure, the snow can be pretty but in a big city, it tends to go gray. And yes, the absence of humidity does lead to good hair days. But no one can appreciate my hair because it’s plastered to my head underneath a toque. Basically, you spend 3-4 months covered in so many layers of clothing that you’re more or less egg-shaped, which isn’t great for the ol’ self-esteem. So I do nothing more than try and survive this season. And my winter survival plan always includes having something simmering on the stove. Crafting low and slow dishes keeps me focused, cozy, and yes happy. And today’s Chicken Meatball Mulligatawny Soup is one of those dishes that so firmly put a smile on my face.
French Onion Soup – Overthinking Classics
The winter is here in full force and I don’t have much to say about it because, well, I don’t want to start a new year of recipes off with negativity in my heart. So instead, I will highlight my favorite winter activity – refining my comfort food skills. When my world turns into a frozen tundra, I fall back on my favorites. Classic dishes that tickle my nostalgia and warm my toes. That’s why it’s lucky that we’re starting 2022 with another installment in my Overthinking Classics series. Today, we’re tackling what I think is the most January-friendly dish of all time – French Onion Soup.
Miso Mussel Parsnip Bisque
We’ve arrived at the soup course of my 2021 holiday menu, and I’m going to be honest, this is my favorite dish. It may seem anti-climatic to serve a scene-stealer as a second course but that’s just how it goes sometimes. It’s not the bisque’s fault it’s flawless. So what kind of bisque are we talking about here? This is a Miso Mussel Parsnip Bisque and it is exactly what it sounds like. This is definitely one of my more descriptive recipe titles. The dish is mussels and parsnips pureed into a creamy bisque finished with heavy cream. The surface of the bisque is accented with sesame oil, black sesame seeds, daikon microgreens, a mussel on a half shell, and yet more cream. And yes, it is as good as it sounds, so let’s get started.
Red Curry Sweet Potato Soup with Peanut Butter Swirl
The title for today’s recipe reads like a laundry list of my favorite things. Adding red curry paste to soups is well-trodden territory on this blog. And pairing peanut butter with chili, well, that’s practically old hat at this point. Except it’s not. It never gets old for me. Peanut butter and spice just belong together and I know I’m not alone in believing this. There are enough spicy peanut noodle recipes out there that you could probably try a new one every night for the next 10 years. Thai Panang curry is one of my favorite spicy peanut concoctions and this Red Curry Sweet Potato Soup is more or less a love letter to that dish. If you have not tried it, run, don’t walk. It’s a dish you ought to experience. I mean, as long as you don’t have a peanut allergy.