Happy New Year!
We had lots of fun this holiday weekend hosting Sophie and checking out two new movies: Django and Zero Dark Thirty.
Though it was tempting to go out and party on New Year's Eve night, the idea of staying warm and cozy at home was even more appealing. And thanks to a lovely gift from a co-worker, we had the best champagne to accompany our quiet evening!
poppin' bottles by our window
(Mel is loving jazzing up pics with her new Instagram app!)
We were also pleasantly surprised to discover that we can see the NYE fireworks from our window! Twenty minutes of spectacular sparkles to ring in 2013.
though this Instagram pic could never do the actual fireworks justice,
the burst does look cool framed by the reflection of our Christmas lights!
We made New Year's Day a quiet pajama day, and enjoyed trying a new vegetarian recipe: acorn squash lasagna.
Overall, we were pleased with the aesthetic of this dish. Lovely layers of no-boil noodles, squash and a mix of ricotta/parmesan cheese. The aroma of the dish was lovely (DJ detected the sage immediately), and the overall taste for the first few bites was delightful. However, after a while the consistency felt very pasty as we chewed. Great flavors, but not enough sauce. Bummer.
We realized that part of the problem may have been that the recipe called for a much smaller baking dish, so we had a lot more noodles and thinner layers of squash. But even then, we predict that a thicker layer of squash would not necessarily make things any less pasty since the squash is starchy in and of itself. So, we're going to come up with some ideas for additions to the recipe to help push it to the next level. But we think this will be a good foundation for something great!
And not to worry: our chef egos are not bruised! One of our 2013 goals is to take our cooking to the next level, and part of that is being very open to critique. As we've learned from reading about chefs and watching all these cooking shows, being open to feedback is what takes you from good to great. We're ready!
Overall, we were pleased with the aesthetic of this dish. Lovely layers of no-boil noodles, squash and a mix of ricotta/parmesan cheese. The aroma of the dish was lovely (DJ detected the sage immediately), and the overall taste for the first few bites was delightful. However, after a while the consistency felt very pasty as we chewed. Great flavors, but not enough sauce. Bummer.
We realized that part of the problem may have been that the recipe called for a much smaller baking dish, so we had a lot more noodles and thinner layers of squash. But even then, we predict that a thicker layer of squash would not necessarily make things any less pasty since the squash is starchy in and of itself. So, we're going to come up with some ideas for additions to the recipe to help push it to the next level. But we think this will be a good foundation for something great!
And not to worry: our chef egos are not bruised! One of our 2013 goals is to take our cooking to the next level, and part of that is being very open to critique. As we've learned from reading about chefs and watching all these cooking shows, being open to feedback is what takes you from good to great. We're ready!
2012 has been lovely and we're looking forward to all that 2013 holds!
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