Sunday Feast № 48 | Focaccia with Roasted Pumpkin

It is well into pumpkin season and I've also been meaning to make bread. This adaptation of a recipe from Food & Wine magazine November 2014 issue (yes, I am going through my old issues) is mainly to do with the fact that I do not have a stand up mixer, so elbow grease it was instead. What I do have is great central heating that allowed me to proof the dough with the bowl or baking sheet standing on a wooden cutting board on top of a column radiator for that perfect 80-90°F/27-32°C range. Lose some. Win some. Watch the initial roasting of the pumpkin slices knowing that they will roast again atop of the focaccia dough.

Sunday Feast № 44 | Festival des Pommes, with Honey Glazed Roast Pork with Apples as a Main Attraction

"An impressionistic tour of Normandy, where the apple is king and calvados completes the meal" said the subtitle to a story in Saveur magazine May 2016 issue. That also means apple cider, or as it was in my misreading of a recipe I locked onto - apple cider vinegar. Yes, that is what I used even though looking at the recipe again, it distinctly calls for just apple cider. Did the swap matter? No, it was super tasty just as the run through the ingredients promised.    If the photo here does not grab you, please ignore it, I was in a rush to eat and feed, and proceed with cooking your own. Absolutely worth it. All that butter and honey help, I'm sure. Also, if you happen to have those big size apples, three is enough. Pair it with apple, celeriac, and carrot salad and apple cider to drink. Finish off with after-dinner swigs of calvados. Life is good.

Sunday Feast № 36 | Roasted Trout with Thyme

This is a recipe I picked up a long time ago. Really long time ago. It is the easiest way to prepare a meal that can be served on a bed of lettuce or with Turkish bread and salad or with some sautéed potatoes and salad, and paired with a nice sauvignon blanc or similar dry white wine. Till now, I always did it with a whole trout, head and all, but as it turns out fillets work just as well. They have the added advantage of visual assessment for doneness as you can see the flesh turning opaque. Clean, filling, and very satisfying.