Update on the Revisit to Squash Pizza

Remember my Butternut Squash Phyllo Pizza adventure?

Well, we revisited it last night, but I put it on naan this time. And added baby zucchini (courgette for you UK folk).

Then, with the leftover naan dough . . . we made . . . dessert naan! Sugar, cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg, a drizzle of honey on the warm bread. With tea.

Then we watched Rise of the Planet of the Apes and I had really weird dreams.

Pho Real.

Lots of cultures have their versions of the 'Clean Out the Fridge' meal. Americans do casseroles; Brits do pies; lots of places do soups. The ingredients vary across cultures according to what their 'staples' are, which are those things that are always in the fridge and always ready to be used when all the special stuff runs out. My staples have been leaning towards the East lately, and I constantly go for Fried Rice when I've run out of meat and all I've got is a couple half portions of veg, an egg and piles of onion/garlic/ginger (the trio never leaves my kitchen).

But lately, I've been into soups as a method of fridge cleaning. One of my new favorites to make at home is Pho, which is a lovely change from fried rice and uses very similar ingredients (while simultaneously helping me clean out my ever-growing stock-pile of, well, STOCK).

It's sooooo easy and soooooo satisfying. Piping-hot broth does wonders for the psyche.

You, too, can make Vietnamese Pho.

Update on the Anniversary Spoils

The Maltby Street Market Spoils were dinner:

And dessert.

These are like Russian Tea Cakes or Pecan Puffs, but with Bergamot Oranges as the main flavor. And a nice punch of sea salt. Mmmmmmmm (it's the only recipe that I could find, really, using these funny, perfumey oranges!)

A Very Hipster Anniversary

Merry Christmas!
Happy New Year!
Happy Martin Luther King Jr Day!
Happy Anniversary to us!
(did I miss anything?)

Hope your holidays were grand. Here's just a little taste of ours...

My husband's hands kneading the dough for his family's famous Cinnamon Bread.

A post-Christmas standing rib roast cooked to medium-rare perfection by my father-in-law.

We also had a Thanksgiving Retake (my family's full Thanksgiving meal remade by my Dad – et al –for all the daughters who weren't able to be at the original feast). We're spoiled. And I forgot to take out my camera. Just imagine the gravy...

Now, we're back in London and celebrating 4 years of marriage! With wedded-bliss as our excuse, we finally got our butts down to the Maltby Street Market and Borough Market today and my stomach and pantry are very happy. I like the way hipsters live (and eat):

Monmouth Coffee (aka Hipster Heaven)

Maltby Street Market . . . The Shoes

. . . The Sinks

. . . The Citrus

. . . The Radiators (?!)

. . . and Kernel Brewery! (Delicious for breakfast, I would say.)

Borough Market . . .

. . . Bread and Husband. Mmmmmmmm

. . . Cracklin' Pork Belly and Applesauce Baguette!! (by Roast)

 (I'm still reveling in the glory of this sandwich. Great textures and tastes!)

. . . The View.

Pretty Starbucks :)

Our Spoils . . . The Beer.

. . . The Bleu.

. . . The Bread.

. . . The Beauty.