A Troiss

Hi everyone, T here! A lil backstory about me—I call DC my home but I am a Jersey girl at heart. Recently, I took a trip up to spend time with the fam for my dad’s birthday. I know a lot of people assume that going home means being spoiled by your parents for 72 hours, but in my case, not so much… my mom has mandated that I make dinner at least one night. I generally use this time to my advantage, testing out various recipes on the guinea pigs…err…family members. I was fortunate enough to make dinner on my dad’s birthday, so instead of attempting something crazy like a cassoulet, I chose to make a couple of family favorites…

I have been making this roasted acorn squash and gorgonzola pizza since my days in college. It is super easy to make but will definitely impress your diners. The sweetness and spiciness of the squash really plays well with the saltiness of the cheese and the freshness of the arugula. But reader, do be aware that if you are blue cheese adverse, this pizza is not for you. I have made this on several occasions and the blue cheese haters either loathed it or adoried it. Regardless, I LOVE and so does the fam. To accompany the pizza, I made some French onion soup ala Julia Child. This is a good and satisfying recipe if you are on a budget or low on ingredients…you basically need onion, beef stock , white wine, bread and cheese…et voila! Also, the end product is really pretty, who doesn't like pretty food? In the recipe, it says to stir onions for 30-40 min to caramelize. I really recommend that you do not skip this step. I know it’s long and tedious, and has taken me longer than 40 min to get the desired colored, but it’s absolutely necessary. Also…don’t nix the wine...because I said so.

-T

Ain't it purrrty