Carrot-ginger-coconut risotto with carrot-top pesto

Friends, I was positively desperate for some creative time in the kitchen last night and am glad I put my foot down to putter and cook.

I'd gone to the market earlier and picked up a gorgeous bunch of fresh carrots with an excess of feathery green tops as well as a can of coconut milk for no good reason except that it was on sale. When I got home, I came across the lone ghost pepper I'd bought last week.

Jack is fascinated by ghost peppers' second-place ranking on the Scoville heat index. You don't often see ghost peppers around here, so when I saw it, I snapped it up for fun. He circled it warily for a few days before deciding exploration, much less a straight taste, wasn't worth it. 

As I made dinner for the boys and then started on our squash-based side dish, I noodled on the carrots and coconut milk and it being Monday which I like to try and make meatless. 

Risotto!

I washed and spun the carrot tops as well as the greens from a bunch of radishes I'd bought for Oliver.

Pesto!

And then it all coalesced into a coconut-carrot-ginger risotto with a bit of heat from the ghost pepper and a cool, colorful bit of zip from a fresh carrot top pesto. 

I was thrilled. This dish is hearty but not weighty, comforting but still sunny. I loved enjoying the small bowl of leftovers today for lunch.

Squash love, smart people

Today has been as calm as Wednesday was busy. Both wonderful, and three cheers for balance!

I found this morning that a recipe of mine, Roasted Delicata Squash with Bacon-Shallots, Pomegranate, and Yogurt Sauce, was chosen as a community pick on Food52. I adore this new photo of it. Thank you F52 and Mark Weinberg. 

As awful as this election has been, I have to say that there are some very.funny.very.smart.people out there making hilarious lemonade out of the preponderance of lemons DT is throwing at us. Observe, should you need/want a laugh.

Pretty much everything Alexandra Petri has written for the Washington Post.

And, the fact that someone purchased the URL nastywomengetshitdone.com which links DIRECTLY to hillaryclinton.com. GENIUS!

Waltzing and cupcakes

I know you have all been champing at the bit to hear how the first night of cotillion was. Did J's clothes hurt all evening? Was learning to waltz horrific?

I am thrilled to share that his shoes and stiff collar quickly ceased inflicting pain, "the waltz is not very hard. I can teach you, Mom!" and my dear child learned the six steps of proper self-introduction.

Can I get an amen for this latter feature of cotillion? Stand up, smile and make eye contact, extend hand, shake firmly and pump twice, and introduce self. I was so overjoyed by this lesson that I may have issued some sort of bribe: I'm going to be watching you, honey, and every time I see you introduce yourself OR, if you already know the person, smile/make eye contact/inquire about their well-being I will make a mental note and you may very well receive some sort of reward after some time passes.

As it turns out, Jack started a business yesterday, Jack's Silver Polishing, and made business cards. He was going to drop them in people's mailboxes, but I said, "Honey, you'd be better served by knocking on doors, using your new introduction skills, and handing out cards that way."

"OK, Mom. I'll try it." Will wonders never cease?!

He felt well-received so I do believe cotillion is and will continue to be a grand success. 

We had dinner with friends last night, by the way. Look at my cupcakes. Cute and festive, yes?