I’m exhausted. I had one week off and am now launching myself in 5 assignments during the next 5 weeks before my next one week off happens again. I obviously didn’t rest. I’m doing stuff around the house. Not regular everyday cleaning and tidying up but more electrical stuff. “LIGHTING” can be everything, adding shine. In the same way that the perfect balance of flavors in a dish can make it “SHINE”. 

I’ve gotten used to a dimly-lit apartment, but that’s because it’s all floor to ceiling and wall to wall windows in each room, except for the bathroom and entrance hall. They have daylight and moonlight every day but no overhead lighting, just “accents, here and there. Dimly-lit is great for a party but more difficult for work and chores early in the morning and later in the evening.

Obviously, I plan to rip out the kitchen and bathroom in a few years and install built-in closets in every room, either floor to ceiling or “floating” cabinets. But like I said, that’s in 2 years.

For the time being or phase 1, I decided to increase the lighting with new fixtures (mostly LED’s) and to reorganize the older ones, and I installed everything yesterday, almost invisibly, where the installations could hardly be seen but where with a flip of a switch or a voice command, the work areas can be gently or brightly flooded with light. I’m so happy every time I do this type of handy stuff around the house. But I’m obsessive and need to stop and get back to preparing my work-related files. It’s going to be abnormally very busy this March and April. This is “good news”.

A simple tasting soup is not always as simple in its ingredients and assembly. You think you’re tasting 1 main ingredient but other ingredients and preparations were necessary to make that main flavor shine through. The cauliflower has the STAR ROLEand not just a GUEST STAR APPEARANCE, but many supporting actors and technicians need to work together to make all of that happen.

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED HERE …

I balanced out the ratio of different vegetables and not just cauliflower, to increase that cream of cauliflower taste, that can be so comforting in these end of the winter months. The vegetables are not roasted though, they’re gently oven-baked but well-covered and sealed to almost steam them too. All the extra vegetable remains and cuttings and cores and leaves and stalks are used to make the broth, that the cooked and tender vegetables are later added to, then blended and combined with those buttery milk and cream flavors and textures.

I also add something most of you are unfamiliar with. It’s called MIZITHRA cheese. It’s a Greek cheese, originally from Mystra near Sparta and exists in a soft form like ricotta or a salt-dried version, making it firmer and finally the version I make by letting some smaller pieces dry out completely for grating or for using to flavor soups (in the same way that parmesan rind is used but this isn’t a rind, just hard & dry piece of heaven, after a few weeks in the fridge. And it’s delicious, quite salty and milky but mild too.

This creamy soup will be a comfort after a long but pleasant weekday of work or a busy chore-filled weekend.

And so this is how I make my almost perfect (I’m trying to be modest) “crème de la crème” end of the winter & waiting for spring cream of cauliflower soup . . . :)