Weekend Highlights: Revisiting an Old Favorite

 When I was in college, oh, about a decade ago (!), one of the things that I loved most about where I went to school (LA) was the abundance of excellent vegetarian restaurants. And while I am no longer vegetarian, some of the things that I learned to love at that time in my life have kept their hold on me. Primarily this involves foods that I ate at Real Food Daily, the most amazing vegan restaurant, that I regularly make at home from their first cookbook. Soba noodles with peanut sauce, skillet cornbread, balsamic vinaigrette, and this weekend, carrot cashew butter.


I am aware that the fact that carrot cashew butter had me dancing around the kitchen will just make you think I'm strange and easily excited, but let me also tell you that it is one of the best things to come out of my kitchen in a long time. You cook a lb of carrots and one onion until then are tender, then puree them with maple syrup, Chinese five spice powder, miso, raw cashews, and a bit of salt. The result is surprisingly decadent, and a flavor quite unique. At the restaurant, they serve this instead of butter with bread. At home, I eat it with a spoon for a snack.



It was a good weekend in the kitchen and I made a whole long list of things—including buckwheat crackers which you can see above, and dinner for the friend (and her husband) who is going to marry us in July. I also was fortunate enough to remember the simple pleasure of curling up with a mug of tea and a good book, reading in the warm winter sunshine.