i spent some time down by the icy river today, just listening to the sweet moaning shifts and cracking. there is something oddly comforting in the eerie sound. like listening to the song of the whale.i want to share a recipe for an African-style sweet potato, peanut, and coconut soup that i made on Sunday. There are no exact measurements, as i just tossed ingredients into the pot that I knew would taste good together, conservatively adding, tasting as i went, then adding more if it needed. Culinary experimentation excites me, just as the processes of taking photos and photo-manipulating does.

ingredients:

4-5 skinny, small sweet potatoes (that’s what I had on hand, but you could use 2 regular-sized ones)
one quart of chicken broth or your own stock
1/4 cup of peanut butter
coconut milk
cumin
curry
red pepper

loose instructions:

wash and peel sweet potatoes and chop into small chunks.
place potatoes in a pot with chicken broth and cook on medium heat until they begin to soften.
add 1/4 cup of peanut butter. cumin and curry to taste. add a dash of red pepper.
once potatoes are completely soft, turn off heat and use immersion hand blender or upright blender to puree it.
slowly add coconut milk (just a bit at a time to prevent curdling), stirring constantly — I stop adding the milk once the soup has reach desired consistency.

optional fresh cilantro garnish before serving + goes well with herb crackers and a sharp cheddar.

i hope you will enjoy it.

XO