stewing like there's no tomorrow

MOROCCAN VEGETABLE STEW


on TV, they've made their first course and have dessert in the oven before the first commercial break. in my reality, at that point, i generally have half an onion sliced and one foot in a sneaker, ready to head out for that stick of butter i could have sworn was in the fridge yesterday.

when it comes to cooking, i have yet to master any of the skills that actually matter when it comes to daily survival, that is, planning ahead, ensuring that i have the necessary ingredients, peeling and chopping efficiently (the veggies, not my fingers), etc. thus, i am actually completely helpless when i arrive home hungry at night. and that is why cafe podima, the whole foods salad bar, and tony the tiger are my friends.

so there, i've said it. since blogs are supposed to be all about confessing one's true selves to the world, i here fully admit to you that i have no idea how to cook dinner for myself at the end of the day.

fortunately, i have found a temporary solution in soups and stews. they are the perfect food to make the night before and feast upon the next day, paired with a fresh loaf of crusty bread. they also, for the most part, get better the longer they simmer.

and so moroccan vegetable stew was what i chose to make for potluck night with my college roommates. we had courses ranging from rachel's salad topped with apple, walnut, and goat cheese to feng's mexican corn to joanna's dream bars (did i get those names right...?). juliana's hot and sour soup is the only other dish that i managed to capture on film (i have learned that it is not the best party activity, asking people to hold their hot food really still while i try to capture it without using a flash). oh yes, and rachel brought yummy wine (an awesome pick, though i cannot recall anything about it, besides that it was a cabernet).

PREPPING FOR THE STEW


spices (cloves. cinnamon, cumin, tumeric, chili powder, nutmeg)


root veggies in spice

JULIANA'S HOT & SOUR SOUP