Recipe of the Month: Not Your Average Carrot Soup

This is one of Chef Nadia's recipes. It's not your usual carrot soup because it doesn't have any ginger, but it does have apples and beer! Enjoy.

Peel one and a half pounds of carrots, and cut into wedges. Toss with 3 TBL olive oil.

Roast at 425 degrees until golden brown, approximately 25 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Peel and chop 1 fuji or gala apple. Slice 2 stalks celery. Dice 1/2 yellow onion or 2 small shallots.

Saute the apple, celery and onion in 2 TBL olive oil in a medium sized pot on medium heat for about 10-15 minutes or until very nicely caramelized. Sprinkle in 2-4 TBL ground cumin and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add carrots and deglaze pan with 3/4 bottle of dark beer and keep cooking until beer is half reduced. Turn off and let come to room temperature.

Blend with 1-2 qts veggie or beef stock (tastes WAY better with beef stock) until creamy to desired thickness. Add 1/2 cup cream if you like (optional). Add salt and pepper to taste. Can be frozen up to 1 month. We like it served with a dollop of sour cream. You can also substitute squash or pumpkin for the carrots.

Soulmates Bridal Soiree

It's not everyday you get married. Which is why selecting your wedding location, the caterer, your cake, and the all important dress can sometimes feel like some of the biggest decisions of your life. We know, you want everything to be perfect. That's where we come in, like a superhero, eager to save the day and ease your worries.

This week we participated in the Soulmates Bridal Soiree at one of our favorite new venues, the Museum of Ventura County. We met soon to be brides and grooms, future mother in laws, and hard-working maids of honor, all in the throws of wedding decision making. Throughout the evening they met with photographers, cake bakers, cupcakers, makeup artists, videographers, DJ's, and more. And, since its what we do best, we fed them. Here's a peek at the menu:

Fried Mirliton with black bean pico de gallo and ranch dressing
Goat cheese stuffed figs with pomegranate molasses
Baked apple mac n' cheese bites
Mango, mint, and crab summer rolls with chili lime dressing
Pomegranate macaroons
Coffee macaroons with hazelnut ganache
Vanilla bean macaroons with white chocolate rose ganache