Follow up on Cinderalla...

Hubby was amazed by how much fun I could derive from a three dollar pumpkin. I'm a lot like a little girl with an easy-bake oven, I told him. And for others like me, who love to experiment with food, the kitchen is clearly our playground.


Janice was right about Cinderalla here. She did give me lots and lots of mashed pumpkin. And now that our Chef-in-training has mastered GF pie crust, we're all anxious for our first pumpkin pie using this gorgeous gal.

And there was still plenty of pumpkin for the pumpkin bisque, which is simmering on the stove as I write this. The recipe called for onion, garlic, leeks, celery, pumpkin, chicken stock, and sherry. I wrapped my herbs (rosemary, tyme and sage) into a sachet using cheescloth, so it can be lifted out of the bisque at the end. It's the first course of a dinner that will bring two cousins together for their first visit since Christmas.

Today, it seems, our lives unfold far apart from those we long to remain connected to; in this situation, great food can play an important role in bringing us together, in luring us home. For great food, as for family, we must be thankful.