Δαφνη Ευτυχια Αρθουρος

A food note I'd forgotten to write about ... At the Thai restaurant we went to last weekend, I tried the chive dumplings. They smelled like boiled lawn clippings, not very appealing, but they tasted good. In addition to finding the taste both pleasant and interesting, I found the disconnect between smell and taste fascinating.

And ... I wrote this down while it was baking in case it turned out to be a variation especially worth repeating (I'm trying to learn a new habit, of taking notes before I forget what I did). It came out well, but it's not the best version of this dish that I've made so far ... but since I've already typed it in, I may as well share it (and make sure I can find it again):

(Yeah, I know, it's perfectly good if you just cut it in half, scoop it, sprinkle some cinnamon on it, and toss it in the oven. But the geometry invites doing fancier things to it... (Oh bother, did I just hear snickering from the Freudians? Whatever.))

Butternut Squash With Stuff In And On, variation #N+1

• 1/2 of a smallish butternut squash, seeds scooped out
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• some fraction of a red onion, chopped
• 2 of those odd dried peppers anniemal gave me
• 1 serrano pepper, cut into slivers
• basil
• butter
• nutmeg
• paprika
• olive oil

Soak red peppers in hot water to soften them.

Brown the chopped onion (as much as looks like it'll fit in the hollow of the squash) in olive oil.

Cut a shallow 'V' up the neck of the squash. Place cut-side-up in a baking dish.

Sprinkle the squash lightly with basil and nutmeg, distribute the garlic evenly over it, then arrange the serrano slivers on top (and lining the hollow).

Fill the hollow of the squash with the onion. Sprinkle very lightly with paprika.

Arrange thin butter pats on top of everything else, then slit the red peppers, unfold them, and spread them overtop of everything.

Cover with foil and bake at 375F until it looks and smells done.

I'd hoped that enough of the flavour from the red peppers would work its way down, but they dried out too quickly. I'll try putting them between the squash and another topping before giving up on using them in this dish.