There Are Pandas, and Then There Are Pandas.
And this isn't either of them! The Pandas we're talking about here, are watches, not bears. And what got me thinking about them (again) was a link posted this morning by @cm.rook who pointed a few of us to the very attractive (and not terribly priced) Yema "Rallygraph" Panda which, in it's most traditional arrangement, looks like the one on the left, but can also be had in the version on the right: The model on the left is a true Panda, while the model on the right is called a reverse Panda. The reason for that distinction is clear--Panda bears, only come in the first arrangement. Now at this point, everyone should be thinking about the most well-know Panda, The Rolex Panda, which is actually a Daytona, and among Rolex Daytonas, the most famous of which is the Paul Newman Daytona, which was famous first, because it was Paul's, and second because it sold at auction for $17.8 million (US Dollars). The story of that auction is well-known so I'll only...
Nov 8, 2019
Pumpkin Ginger Tortellini Soup
Ingredients 9 lb. (the contents of about two or three medium-size pumpkins) of pumpkin, with seeds and strings removed ½ cup olive oil, divided ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed ½ medium yellow onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 5 cups chicken or vegetable stock 1 cup apple cider 12 oz. fresh cheese tortellini1.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line one or two rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil.2. Cut the pumpkin into roughly even-size 2-in. cubes. Toss the cubes lightly with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast the pumpkin for about 45 minutes, or until softened and a light golden brown.*3. Meanwhile, in a large heavy stockpot over medium heat, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and cinnamon and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Slowly pour in the stock and bring everything to a simmer.4. Use a large spoon to add the roasted pumpkin to the simmering soup. Then use an immersion blender to puree the mixture until smooth, or, alternatively, scoop the soup into a blender and puree until smooth.5. Pour the soup back into the pot and pour in the apple cider and tortellini. Simmer the soup until the tortellini is cooked through and floats to the top, about 6 to 8 minutes. Serve hot.**