Pip's Plate

One more year, and one more round of birthday cakes under my belt! I turned 29 last week and my friends pulled through with some delicious and ambitious cakes. Thank you everyone for your birthday wishes!

Kayla’s 14 Layer Cake (yes, fourteen layer cake)
Courtesy of the genius Bakerella

Maxine’s Donut Cake
It didn’t really taste like a donut, but doesn’t it look like one? Lemon chiffon cake with chocolate frosting.

Have you heard of the 100 Mile Challenge? In 2005, Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon began a one-year experiment in local eating. Think about that: everything they ate had to come from within a 100-mile radius from where they lived. That morning cup of coffee you have every morning? Unless those beans are grown within 100 miles of you, forget it. It doesn’t matter that they might be roasted 100 miles from you; if they didn’t grow 100 miles from you, then it’s off the table.

The 100 Mile Challenge gained in popularity and members of their local community participated in their own version for 100 days. There is currently a documentary on The Discover Channel following these community members. More about the 100 Mile Challenge tv show here.

You can take the pledge and do your own research, but how about starting with answering the question “What is my 100 mile radius?”

Here’s mine:

And you can find yours here

What would be difficult to live without? How would you find what you’re looking for? This really makes you think about where your food comes from.

I know I wouldn’t have a problem getting wine

It’s soup season, for sure! Although this first November weekend in Minnesota has been 60 degrees so far, there’s nothing like have a comforting bowl of soup after spending the day raking leaves.

This butternut squash soup recipe is silky and delicious. I was inspired to make a squash soup like this after having lunch at one of my favorite places, French Meadow, and having to make the horribly difficult decision between tomato soup and coconut squash soup. I opted for the tomato soup, and I don’t regret it. But I was still craving coconut curry squash soup!

I suggest having this squash soup with a green salad tossed with a simple vinaigrette (or your favorite) with some goat or feta cheese and fall fruit (pears or apples). A nice hunk of toasted bread would be good with it too.

Coconut Curry Squash Soup
Makes: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

2 large butternut squash (5 pounds total)—halved lengthwise, peeled and seeded
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 leek, white and tender green part only, thinly sliced and washed free of sand
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger (use a microplane grater to do this if you have one)
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 cup dry white wine
6 cups water
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 thyme sprig

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Set the squash, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Fill each cavity with 1/2 tablespoon of butter; season with salt and pepper. Roast the squash for about 1 hour and 20 minutes, until tender; cut into large pieces.
2. Meanwhile, in an 8-quart soup pot, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the olive oil. Add the onion, leek, shallot, ginger and curry powder and cook over moderate heat until lightly browned. Add the wine and cook until evaporated, frequently stirring so as not to burn.
3. Add the cooked squash, water, coconut milk and thyme sprig. Simmer over moderately low heat for 15 minutes.
4. Discard the thyme sprig. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

You can also freeze this soup if you want to make it on a Sunday and have it later in the fall or winter. It’s a great way to still have fresh homemade soup without having to spend all day in the kitchen. I recommend putting the soup in 1- or 2-serving size containers and freezing them. That way you can just take one out and have it without needing to defrost the entire 6 servings of soup.

Recipe from Food & Wine Magazine