Roasted Root Vegetable Soup

**~* *~* *
The Dish
**~* *~* *

Roasted Root Vegetable Soup with Roasted Garlic

Butternut Squash - 1 med = Cut into small chunks
Carrots - 5 = Cut into 2 inched length
Turnip - 3 med = Cut into small chunks or wedges
Beets - 3 med = Cut into small chunks or wedges
Garlic - 1 whole = cut off the tip
Olive Oil = 2 tbsp

Optional Vegetarian:
- Vegetable bullion plus hot water = 3 cups
Optional Non-vegetarian:
- Organic chicken stock = 2 cups

1- In roasting pan, spread out all vegetable and garlic evenly on pan
2- Drizzle a bit of olive oil over veggie, especially the garlic
3- Roast for 1 hour in oven - 400 F
4- When vegetable is nice and brown. Put root vegetable in a pot
5- Squeeze the garlic inside the pan with the vegetables
6- Add stock and boil for 30 minutes
7- Puree vegetable with a hand-held blender
8- Salt and pepper to taste

* **~* *~** *
The Ceramic
* **~* *~** *

Lois Aronow Porcelain

Lois is famous for her textured glaze and the unusual color combinations. There is a special tacile and visual quality to the plate. I enjoy eating out of this porcelain plate in front of the TV after a hectic day of work. I am sure the plate would look great in a formal dinner setting. My favorite color is the white glaze on turq - like a famous New York jewelery store, at where Audrey Hepburn ate breakfast. Another favorite is the white on white with platinum lustre rim.

Italian Bean Soup

**~* *~* *
The Dish
**~* *~* *

Fragioli Soup

Cannelini Beans - 350 gm = soaked overnight with 2 gloves of garlics
Carrots- 2 med = chopped
Onions - 1 large = chopped
Celery - 2 stocks = chopped
Tomatoes - 3 large = diced

Parmagiana Cheese - grated = as much as you like

Herb Stock Cube = disolved in hot water
Optional Wine - 1 cup

1- In hot pan, sautee onion, celery and carrots with some olive oil.
2- Add the drained cannelini beans and tomatoes into the pan; add in wine and cover, let the wine evaporates in the cooking.
3- Add in small amount of stock liquid, barely covering the beans. Do not add too much liquid.
4- Simmer the beans and add in more liquid as needed.
5- The soup is ready when the beans are soft.
6- Serve with shaved parmagiana cheese. (for the non-vegans)

* **~* *~** *
The Ceramic
* **~* *~** *

Marisa Arna Porcelain

I bought these Marisa Arna porcelain bowls at the Chelsea Craft Fair a few years back. They are the best handmade bowls. They are the right size for soup and stew. They fit perfectly in the hands and the footrings are at the right spot for holding. Eventhough they are thin, they feel very strong because they are fired to above cone 8 and they are translucent and beautiful. When I moved from London, I have to give them away. I am still crying inside thinking about it.