Walking through the market this time of year in San Francisco is a great time for inspiration.

For example, fresh pumpkin squash jumped out at me to make it onto a soup.?? I like to cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, then roast it at about 400 degrees for about 35 to 45 minutes. Next, I scoop the squash and mix with just enough stock to get a soup texture.?? I like adding saut?ed red pepper and fresh ginger.?? After pureeing it, I??ll add ant more stock if needed, then just warm it through and add some salt, pepper, and some herbs such as sage and oregano.

On our San Francisco Food Tour of North Beach\Little Italy and Chinatown, part of the fun is seeing and tasting what people use for inspiration. Regardless of whether it is Chinatown or North Beach\Little Italy, it seems to be based on what is in season.   On our San Francisco Food Tours, that seems fairly common, food changes according to what is in season.  The result is that inspiration seems to a seasonal inspiration, whether it a vegetable, seafood, poultry, or meat, having it fresh makes all of the difference.  That is when the food is at its peak of flavor and not much needs to be done to it.  All that one needs to do is to bring out its natural flavor. Maybe that what inspiration is all about, taking what is fresh and just enjoying its natural flavor.

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