A Meatless Mecca: Moosewood Restaurant

If you haven't already -- check out our Blog Love Fest 2009 -- we've got some great blogs on there (26 so far! -- Thanks for participating, people!). I'm planning to put up a sidebar button later today so we can enjoy the link love until next month's big share. So head over, share your blog (deadline is December 15th), and take a look at what others are writing.

Let's get to it! Moosewood Restaurant (If you haven't heard. It's kind of a big deal in the vegetarian community.)

I think I've mentioned that we relatively recently moved from Ithaca, NY, where we lived within half a mile of Moosewood for nearly eight years. I hadn't thought much about this fact until last fall . . . when I was walking the aisles of my local bookstore, picking up several cookbooks. I admit, I got a bit misty-eyed . . . for Ithaca, Moosewood-specifically, offers such amazing cuisine. And we have yet to find anything comparable in our new location.

When you can't find it -- make it, right? So, that day I picked up two new cookbooks: Simple Suppers and their fantastic Book of Desserts (both can be found here), adding to my collection that includes: Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant and Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home. I drooled for a while over the photos in Simple Suppers, drove home, and then got to work.

My favorite recipe so far is for this Thai Butternut Squash Soup.

What you'll need . . .

. . . for the soup part

• 1 cup coconut milk (I used the light variety)
• 1/2 teaspoon Thai red curry paste
• 4 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 12-ounce packages of frozen cooked winter squash
• 1 lime
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach

. . . for the tofu part

• 1/2 cake firm tofu (about 8 ounces)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Thai red curry paste
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Method . . .

1.) In a soup pot, whisk together the coconut milk, curry paste, sugar, salt, and broth.
2.) Add frozen squash, cover, and bring to a simmer.
3.) Cook covered, until the squash is thawed, for about 15 minutes.
4.) Meanwhile, prepare the tofu by cutting it into small cubes and putting it in a bowl.
5.) Toss with the soy sauce and curry paste.
6.) Heat oil in a small skillet on medium-high heat, and when the oil is hot: add the tofu and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes and then set aside.
7.) Lightly grate the lime peel and juice the lime.
8.) Add 1 teaspoon of the zest and 2 tablespoons of the juice to the simmering soup.
9.) Stir in the spinach and tofu -- and cook just until the spinach wilts.
10.) Add more sugar and salt to taste. Serve the soup garnished with cilantro if you like.

NOTE: If you eat seafood, you may also substitute 1/2 pound of peeled and deveined shrimp for the tofu.

Thinking of making the pilgrimage to Moosewood? I'll make your research a little easier:



Moosewood Restaurant
215 N. Cayuga Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
Directions

And while you're there, stop by GreenStar, a cooperative grocery market specializing in fair-trade, free-range, organic, vegetarian foods. Though I'm not entirely sure, I imagine Moosewood buys many of its ingredients there (locally). *Sniff* -- there I go getting sad again. Someday we'll move back!

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever <3