A Fruitful Foodful Weekend in Denver

Pre-gaming all by myself with my favorite cocktail, the Pisco Sour anticipating Cyrus’ arrival for dinner

Pisco Sour

• 3-4 oz Pisco
• 1-2 oz squeezed lemon juice (I like lemon, but lime works just the same & is great too)
• 1 egg white
• 3/4 oz homemade simple syrup (I prefer to use Mauritian sugar cubes or use my fine homemade vanilla sugar)

Directions:  Shake it til you can’t shake it no mo’!~  Then add ice and give it another shake-a-roo.  This method ensures the best white frothy foamy effect from the egg white.  Top it off with a few drops of Angostura Bitters and don’t be scared to be creative with a nice tooth-picked design.

While waiting for my sauce to cook, I went out on the balcony to light my chiminea and take a peak at the dark silhouette of my distant mountain view just after sunset.

Veggie Lasagna

Added apples to soup for a little tinge of tartness…meanwhile, cooking the potatoes and making veggie broth for the soup

Sauteed zucchini, onions, and leeks, with roasted eggplant and garlic set aside for layering into the lasagna

Reserving some leeks, garlic, and onions for special toppings

In the Vitamix…

Leek, Roasted Garlic, Potato Soup!

I garnished the soup with basil from my patio plant, sun-dried tomato, and muddled basil infused olive oil.

My new copper wine glasses I got for my birthday from my sweet aunts, Dynda and Lisa

Boule Toast with caramelized leeks, onions, and garlic atop mozzarella

After all that food we had last night, I still had a hankering to make Pumpkin Waffles in the morning. Then we took a steamy dip in the jacuzzi–what a way to start off the weekend.

Pumpkin waffles to die for, so will follow with recipe

Pumpkin Waffles

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
4 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups homemade buttermilk (see below)
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
Butter or oil to apply to waffle iron for non-stick

Preheat oven to 250°F if keeping some warm and warm evenly on both sides as will get soggy quickly.

Preheat waffle iron. Sift together flour, brown sugar, baking powder and soda, salt, and spices. Whisk egg yolks in a large bowl with vanilla, buttermilk, pumpkin, and butter until smooth. Whisk in dry ingredients just until combined.

In a mixing bowl with a whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites until they hold soft peaks (as in, far softer than the over-beaten whites you’ll see in my picture above). Folk them gently into the waffle batter, until just combined.

Brush waffle iron lightly with oil and spoon batter into waffle iron, spreading quickly. Cook to your preference.  Serves up to 4 hungry people!  I split this recipe and is perfect amount for two people with no waste.

**Homemade Buttermilk

Measure out the 2 cups whipping cream (future buttermilk) and add about 2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice and 1-2 T apple cider vinegar and stir.  Let sit for at least 10 mins and will begin to curdle quickly.  I like this better than store bought buttermilk…plus it’s fun to watch the transformation of the cream and smells delicious!

Pumpkin waffles served with Great Aunt Priscilla and Cork’s Homemade Apple Butter I scored at the family reunion auction

I served the waffles with Jalapeno Onion Home-fries that left a spicy aroma that lingered in my apartment for days.

Tried a new fancy schmancy restaurant in Denver tonight called Bittersweet

My entree at beautiful Bittersweet

Cyrus and I both chose the Arctic Char.  It was placed on a colorful bed of Kuri squash, house bacon, local potato, pickled shiitake mushroom, with a buerre rouge.  Neither of us were familiar with this cold water fish that is related to the trout and salmon, but it all was delightful to boot!

Special longtime friends Alex and Lindsey Cyrus grew up with in Texas that also live in Denver

Cyrus with the “Midas Touch”–Cyrus and I took a stroll on Sunday to walk off the Bittersweet celebrations last night.  It was a great relaxing way to end the weekend.

Did I mention we also walked around the lake to my favorite neighborhood coffee shop -Coda – and enjoyed a cold coffee bevi on the back patio?  Then we spontaneously decided to try the much anticipated local Thai cafe next door where I threw a small fit, because I ordered the wrong item getting the “Pak U.S. Thai” instead of the PAD Thai I thought I ordered.  I was almost drooling over everyone else’s noodles for about 20 minutes as everyone around me seemed to be enjoying that PAD Thai.  The solution being, I ordered us a third meal; suffice it to say, no doggie bag needed.  On our way back, we didn’t get too far before we strolled up to Joyride Brewing, getting lured in by enticing open air atmosphere to share a pint of their seasonal Scarecrow Pumpkin Ale.  This was a fabulous weekend!

 

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