Category Archives: 30 Seconds to Taste

I felt like doing something crafty this week, so I flipped through my latest copy of Martha Stewart Living and came across this great idea for herb-infused honey.  To make a lovely and delicious gift, simply transfer store-bought honey into an old-fashioned mason jar; then, add a few large sprigs of your favorite herb.  I added rosemary to mine.  And I have to fess up; I saved a jar for myself, and I tried a little for dessert last night.  Ladled over a piece of pound cake, this honey is to die for!  But it could also be pretty stellar served over a creamy burrata or a warm Brie with crusty French bread. Yum-yum!

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This week, I’ve been playing around with the “customizable soup” recipes that Mark Bittman put together for The New York Times a few weeks back. Up to great things, as always, Mr. Bittman has managed to create four basic vegetable soup recipes that can be tweaked to create a multitude of soups to suit any palate.

As Bittman explains, there is the creamy soup, which relies on cream, yogurt, half and half, or coconut milk and a blender to achieve a smooth, comforting texture.

There is the brothy soup, which is light and easy to pair with a variety of starches.

There is the earthy soup, chockfull of beans.

And last but not least, there is the hearty soup, packed with chunks of fresh vegetables and lots of flavor.

Last week, I served up the curried cauliflower soup garnished with fresh cilantro and a dollop of yogurt to rave reviews. This week, I made the chickpea-and-pasta soup flavored with lots of fresh rosemary, and it was just as fabulous. There’s not much cool weather left, but with these recipes in hand, I plan to keep stirring up soup well into spring.

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