YSL @ the Denver Art Museum

In what is certainly a major coup for the Denver Art Museum, the museum is currently playing host to Yves Saint Laurent - The Retrospective. Through July 8th, you can view the stunning, expansive collection of clothing created by Yves Saint Laurent over the course of 40 years. The exhibit includes 2,000 haute couture garments, as well as photographs, sketches, fabric swatches, and videos about Saint Laurent. A recreation of his workspace reveals that he was immaculate and methodical in his work and provided some insight into what inspired him. I learned that not only is he responsible for feminizing "le smoking" (the tuxedo), but also for popularizing the pea coat, the tunic, and the safari look for women. I was in awe at how I still would just love to wear 95% of what was on display. Apparently his second favorite color (second only to black) was bright pink - a man after my own heart. If you plan to be in Denver before July 8th, this is a must-see!

All images but the last credit to the Denver Art Museum.

Egg & Kale Sauté

I've been part of a CSA before and I loved it - the interaction with the farmers, the surprise of the contents each week, and the delicious produce.  However, I found that I could never keep up with what I received and wound up wasting food each week (freezer space is not always readily available).  Enter In Season Local Market located in the Highlands and in Louisville where you can purchase only Colorado made or grown goods like at a farmer's market or through a CSA, but you only buy what you need.  They carry some of my favorite local products (e.g., ice cream from Little Man, habanero pickles from Colorado Country Kitchen) and there are always surprising finds.

Chicken eggs on the left, duck eggs on the right

Over the weekend, I was lucky to snatch up a half dozen duck eggs from Mini Moos and Kids Too, a farm in Canon City, Colorado.  I've had their goat cheese before but never their eggs and the owner of the farm was at In Season making a delivery and talked me into half a dozen.  They are larger than chicken eggs and the yolk to white ratio weighs more heavily toward yolk.  Most importantly, duck eggs are delicious!

I'll eat a fried egg or two on top of most anything - pasta, salad, steak, whatever!  Today I went had two bunches of kale on hand, and so I sautéed kale and topped it off with duck eggs.  It was the perfect lunch - healthy and delicious.  Note that this kale dish makes an excellent side (and serves approximately 6 people), but I think it really shines when complemented by an egg.  If you serve this as a side dish, omit the 4 eggs and stop after the first instruction below.

Egg & Kale Sauté
Yield = 2 servings (as a main dish)
Adapted from Bon Appétit

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup thinly sliced onion
• 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 
• 1 3/4 pounds kale, stems removed and leaves roughly chopped (I used two bunches)
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
• 4 eggs

Preparation

• Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat.  Add onions and garlic.  Cook, stirring often, until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add red pepper flakes; stir 1 minute. Add kale and sauté for approximately 5 minutes, until crisp-tender.  Stir in the apple cider vinegar.  Add butter; toss until melted.  Season with salt and pepper.
• As the kale is cooking, fry four eggs over easy so the yolk does not solidify.  Serve 2 eggs over a bed of kale and season with salt and pepper.

Look at those orange yolks!

Steamboat Springs

Happy President's Day!  We enjoyed a long weekend in Steamboat Springs (and particularly the 27" of powder we got last night).  I'm planning to get back into the kitchen this week, but until then a few photos from Steamboat Springs, Colorado...

August Zweydinger Skis

The mountains have snow and we have our first days on theslope next week.  I can just imagine myself skiing with these on my feet!  I might not be any better but I'd certainly look better. These August Zweydinger skis are designed and handcrafted in Germany and while they remind me of Rob's Arbor Snowboard, but they are even classier and more natural-looking.  All images courtesy of August Zweydinger.

Buttercup Squash Soup & the Boulder Farmer's Market

What makes you giddy?  This question was posed after several bottles of wine and many microbrews at a recent dinner party.  And if you know me, it won't come as a surprise that my response was the farmer's market!  I am sure Rob rolled his eyes, but it is true - there is just something about the stacks of vegetables, the flowers, the Colorado-made pasta, hummus, cheese and burritos, and the joy of wandering around, watching the other market-goers.  In the case of last weekend you can also add sunshine and the rainbow of fall colors to that list.  The Saturday Boulder Farmer's Market and fall in Colorado is not to be missed.

The fall weather continues to inspire my cooking and since my parents left for vacation and bequeathed the remaining squash in their garden to me, I am inundated with buttercup, acorn and butternut squash.  No complaints here!  The original recipe for this soup called for a mix of butternut and acorn squash (4 cups of each).  I made it instead with 8 cups of buttercup squash and it was creamy and smooth (without any cream, I might add) and the flavor was intense.  If you can't find buttercup squash, I am sure this will be equally as good with acorn, butternut, or whatever you can find at the market.  The original recipe also called for adding 1/4 cup of whipping cream and sugar.  If you taste the soup and think it needs to be sweetened, go for it.

I garnished mine with a dollop of Homemade Ricotta.  I made a second batch of the ricotta and conducted an experiment.  Instead of using 4 cups of whole milk, I used 2 cups of skim milk and 2 cups of whole milk.  Truthfully, there was no perceptible change... and I feel a little less guilty adding it to, literally, everything that I eat.

Buttercup Squash Soup
Yield = 8 servings
Adapted from December 1996 Bon Appétit 

Ingredients

1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 large garlic cloves, chopped

3 14 1/2-ounce cans low-salt chicken broth (about 6 cups)

8 cups 1-inch pieces peeled buttercup squash (about 3 pounds)

1 1/4 teaspoons minced fresh thyme

1 1/4 teaspoons minced fresh sage

Preparation

Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes.  Add broth, all squash and herbs; bring to boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer until squash is very tender, about 20 minutes.

Working in batches, puree soup in blender or with an immersion blender.  Return soup to same pot and bring to a simmer.  Season with salt and pepper.  The soup can be made 1 day ahead.  Chill.  Rewarm over medium heat before serving.