Reader Pics: Photo Fabulous Pho

A couple weeks ago I wrote to you about Jaden Hair's amazing Beef Pho, aka Vietnamese beef noodle soup. I gushed and I gushed and this week my friend, Sarah, emailed me that she made it! Yippy! I love inspiring my friends, family and all of you out there to cook delicious things. Here's a picture she took (truly beautiful!! Wish I coulda used it for my original post!) and a little bit about her experience making Pho:

 "I did the parboiling step to get a lighter, clearer broth.  I was able to find the flat noodles in the gluten free section of the grocery store, so you might want to try there (sooo many rice pasta shapes available!)  And because I don't have the tolerance pho fresh chilies as a garnish, I put half a chili into the broth for the last hour of simmering just to give it a little heat.  It was sooo good. Its really raining here today and I'm really really looking phoward to going for a run in the rain after work, coming home and having a hot shower and settling down in front of the fire with a bowl of pho.  mmmm."

Thank you so much pho the inspiration!"

 So, if anyone else has made or is planning to make any dishes I share with you, please please please send me a picture and little bit about your experience to share with everyone.

Daring Bakers' Challenge: French Macarons

This is my second challenge with the Daring Bakers and let me tell you, girl's getting an education. The 2009 October Daring Bakers' challenge was brought to us by Ami of the fabulous blog, Baking Without Fear. She chose macarons from Claudia Fleming's The Last Course: The Desserts from the Gramercy Tavern as the challenge recipe.

Roasted Game Hens with Bread and Leek Stuffing

As fall moves swiftly into winter, my trips to the market with baby girl are yielding fewer and fewer fabulous finds. The berries, stone fruits, eggplants and tomatoes have all gone into hibernation and, as the days grow shorter, the hens at Bradley Farm are sleeping more and laying less. Never before this year have I taken such advantage of the seasons. Never have I relied on them for my meals in such a heavy manner. And never have I mourned harvest's end as I do now. In some ways, I can relate to our ancestors who must have felt the same grim anticipation upon buttoning their coats against the first chill and finding their zucchini plants sparse for the first time in months.

Daring Cooks: Vietnamese Pho (Beef Noodle Soup)

Just a few weeks ago, I posted about making puffed pastry during my first Daring Bakers Challenge. I also joined the Daring Cooks because, just like the DBC, it's a great way to get out of my comfort zone and try new things. It's also a fabulous way to meet new people and share an experience since writing is rather solitary.

This month's challenge came compliments of Jaden Hair who authors one of my favorite blogs of all time, Steamy Kitchen, and she's also just released her first cookbook, The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook: 101 Asian Recipes Simple Enough for Tonight's Dinner. For the challenge, Jaden chose her recipe for Pho, which is a classic Vietnamese noodle dish consisting of rich chicken, seafood or beef broth with lots of fresh herbs and vegetables. If you haven't had Pho, then you're missing out. It's soothing, filling and also very healthy.

Killer Sandwich: Robusto on Baguette

Baby girl's amazing nanny has been out for the last six weeks with an ankle injury. While I work from home, meeting deadlines with a toddler running all over town isn't easy. I've been working every minute of her naptime and staying up late into the night. While it's been stressful, there's been an incredible up side to having baby girl all to myself these past several weeks: we've had a great time.