Miracle Childhood Baby Food Trauma Reversal? You Decide...

I have an aversion to winter squash and pumpkin. Even pumpkin pie - no likee. (I know, I know.  I, too, am beginning to sense a theme in my posts already..."I used to be picky about this food and now I like it! Praise the Flying Spaghetti Monster, RAmen!")

I've thought about this particular pickiness, and I've decided that it is the similarity to baby food that turns me off. It's ridiculously deep-seated and irrational, but there it is. And often the flavorings in most, even savory, squash and pumpkin-based recipes don't help: mild and sweet rule the day. Yet I encounter squash and pumpkin soups all the time - other people must love them.

I arrive for my shift at the cafe yesterday and the soup of the day I'm to prepare? Tunisian Pumpkin Soup. Okay. I don't actually have to love everything I make, right?

The soup itself (from Moosewood Daily Special, see My Favorite Cookbooks) was the standard vegan pureed pumpkin soup. Not spectacular, but not nasty either. But then the MAGIC ingredient: The "Tunisian Spice Swirl" dolloped on top of the soup. HOLY TASTY, Batman! As a result of that flavor, I ate the soup for lunch AND dinner yesterday, and have been pondering other recipes that could use a dose of the swirl.

I don't have the exact recipe here at home, because my copy of the cookbook is happily in foster care at the cafe, but here's what went into the spice swirl:
Olive Oil
Minced Garlic
Fresh Ground Coriander Seed*
Fresh Ground Caraway Seed*
Cayenne Pepper
Salt
Fresh Cilantro
Lemon Juice

*PLEASE see My #1 Cooking Tip about spices!

Eat well and often,
Liz