Posts tagged basil

Hunger Games was frackin’ amazing.

I made some small snacks to munch on while we got dressed up for the midnight showing (I decked out all Capitol).

Prim’s reaping gift to Katniss was basil-wrapped goat cheese. These crostinis are a nod to that. Honeyed goat cheese on Mellark raisin nut bread is topped with a basil leaf and served with deadly nightlock berries on the side.

Nightlock Berries:

Strawberries for Mayor Undersee:

We also had hot chocolate like they drank on the train, but I didn’t get any pics so it didn’t happen. I wanted to make some apple goat cheese tarts and the breads from each district, but didn’t have time.

Seriously, awesome movie. Great adaptation. Really well cast (Hutcherson finally grew on me). I can’t believe the racism surrounding Rue’s casting. Ridiculous.

Okay, only 4 more days. We can do this.

Tomato Soup—classic, simple, delicious.
All the best photographers catch themselves in spoon reflections. Look it up.

Throughout this soup series, I’ve tried to stay somewhat true to the original recipe. That did not happen here. I love Ina Garten and I’m positive that her soup was phenomenal—but I was in the mood for a simple soup with just a few fresh ingredients. Sorry Ina, it’s nothing personally (you’re still Contessa over my heart). I like quickly cooking things on a high heat rather than slowly cooking over a long period of time. I think that flavors are heightened without being turned into a slow-cooked, bland, nutrient-reduced mush. I call it blitzcooking. Okay, no I don’t really. But it sounds cool, right?   

Simple Tomato Soup
Serves 4ish

• Olive oil
• 6-8 Ripe Roma Tomatoes or 3-4 of a larger variety
• 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• Half a large bunch of fresh basil leaves (roughly maybe a cup, it’s kind of hard to over-basil.)
• 1 cup Tomato paste + 1 cup water (or equivalent tomato sauce)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: A tbs or so of any hard cheese and/or heavy cream to make a creamier soup and/or sun-dried tomatoes.

1. Roughly chop the tomatoes and then cook them in a well-oiled skillet on high heat. Let them sizzle for a few minutes, occasionally stirring. Add the garlic and turn off the heat (the garlic will cook a little from the remaining heat).
2. Toss all of the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Add more liquid and season if need be.
3. Add any of the optional ingredients that you want—they’ll all be tasty.
4. Garnish with a splash of cream or fresh basil.
5. Eat.