What’s Cooking This Weekend, Tricia Keels?

This week I introduced you to my friend Tricia Keels, who showed me how to host a soup swap, and who runs many swaps and food events through Souper Heroes here in Columbus, Ohio.

To wrap up the week, I asked Tricia to be my guinea pig in a new weekly column that turns to our fellow cooks and asks them: What’s cooking this weekend? Here’s what Tricia’s cooking — and nope, it’s not soup, but it is connected to her very ambitious New Year’s resolution!

Pumpkin lasagna. I adapted it from this Rachael Ray recipe.

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to use all the food in my pantry. All the grains, all the pastas, and all the canned goods. Every fall when Trader Joe’s stocks its organic pumpkin I buy a can or two every time I’m, at the store. I’ve got two cans left. After this weekend, I will have none. Next ingredient to use up is buckwheat.

I love cooking on the weekends when my husband is home. I cook almost every night for our three children but it is a juggling act between homework, who hit whom, when’s karate pick up? On the weekend my husband is home and can help with all that so I can focus on tackling something new in the kitchen. The smoke detector goes off less on the weekends. Ha!

Preserved lemons and Maldon salt are my two favorite ingredients right now. I love making my own preserved lemons. There is something about canning in my kitchen that makes me feel accomplished. And Maldon salt … those crispy flakes are life changing.

Our new dishwasher is on dish duty! We just replaced our 20-year-old dishwasher that required completely washing the dishes before putting into the dishwasher. This new technology does all that for you. We’ve finally caught up!

Thanks so much Tricia! Readers, your turn — what’s cooking in your kitchen this weekend?

Tricia runs an organization called Souper Heroes that hosts a monthly event called Soup and Bread. It raises money for the local food bank and gives people yet another way to eat soup.

• Souper Heroes
• No Chefs Allowed – A podcast Tricia hosts with her sister in Chicago.