I have a soft spot for pumpkin soup.
The pumpkin mushroom soup at the Back Burner is always a must-order dish when I visit the Hockessin restaurant. You also can buy quarts of it at the next-door take-out shop, Back Burner to Go.
While in Florence last Saturday, we tried to eat at Cibreo Teatro del Sale, a great restaurant where you pay a 5 Euro membership fee and 25 Euro for dinner and can have all the food and wine you want. (They also have entertainment. That night it was Chicago jazz, believe it or not) But, sorry, no reservations available.
The pumpkin mushroom soup at the Back Burner is always a must-order dish when I visit the Hockessin restaurant. You also can buy quarts of it at the next-door take-out shop, Back Burner to Go.
While in Florence last Saturday, we tried to eat at Cibreo Teatro del Sale, a great restaurant where you pay a 5 Euro membership fee and 25 Euro for dinner and can have all the food and wine you want. (They also have entertainment. That night it was Chicago jazz, believe it or not) But, sorry, no reservations available.
Then, we tried Il Cibreo, a popular haunt for many foodies. Again, no seats there or at their nearby trattoria. (It was All Saints weekend, a popular holiday in Italy.)
Strolling the streets of the historic Santa Croce district, we spied Bistrot Baldoria, a hip, fun restaurant on the piazza that had carved, mini jack o'lanterns votives on the tables. One look at the menu - creamy pumpkin soup - and I was hooked. The owner, a young woman, served us the soup and said she had opened the restaurant, which served modern versions of classic Florentine dishes, only two months earlier. (No web site yet.)
The velvety pumpkin soup, a chef's special, was made of sweet roasted pumpkin puree and some fresh rosemary and thyme. (It was probably thinned with either water or chicken broth and a whisper of cream.) A round of lightly grilled polenta rested on the bottom of the bowl. Aged balsamic vinegar was lightly swirled on top and the soup was garnished with two slices of cooked spiced apples.
Talk about autumn in a bowl! It was simple, not overly sweet and utterly delicious. I can't wait to get into the kitchen and try to reproduce it.
Strolling the streets of the historic Santa Croce district, we spied Bistrot Baldoria, a hip, fun restaurant on the piazza that had carved, mini jack o'lanterns votives on the tables. One look at the menu - creamy pumpkin soup - and I was hooked. The owner, a young woman, served us the soup and said she had opened the restaurant, which served modern versions of classic Florentine dishes, only two months earlier. (No web site yet.)
The velvety pumpkin soup, a chef's special, was made of sweet roasted pumpkin puree and some fresh rosemary and thyme. (It was probably thinned with either water or chicken broth and a whisper of cream.) A round of lightly grilled polenta rested on the bottom of the bowl. Aged balsamic vinegar was lightly swirled on top and the soup was garnished with two slices of cooked spiced apples.
Talk about autumn in a bowl! It was simple, not overly sweet and utterly delicious. I can't wait to get into the kitchen and try to reproduce it.
No comments:
Post a Comment