Butternut Squash Soup with Pumpkin Butter

Preparation Preheat the oven to 375 °F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with the vegetable oil spray. Place the squash halves, cut side down, in the prepared dish. Pierce the skin sides several times with a fork. Bake until the squash is tender, about 45 minutes. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Using a large spoon, scrape the flesh from the cooked squash into a food processor. Discard the skins. Add 1 1/2 cups of the chicken broth, the cinnamon, marjoram, thyme, and nutmeg and puree until smooth. Transfer the puree to a large saucepan. Whisk the milk into the soup over medium heat. If you prefer a thinner consistency, add the remaining broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls. Top with a dollop of pumpkin butter and sprinkle with chopped pistachio nuts before serving. Make it your own: Roll diced squash in a bit of canola oil and ground cinnamon. Spread on a sheet pan, sprinkle with brown sugar, and bake at 375°F for 15 to 20 minutes. Add these sweet bits of squash when pureeing the soup. Substitute crème fraîche or sour cream for the pumpkin butter. Serve the soup chilled or warm in shot glasses as a party starter. Reprinted with permission from In the Kitchen with David: Comfort Foods That Take You Home by David Venable. Copyright © 2012 by David Venable; photographs copyright © 2012 by Ben Fink Photography Inc. Published by Ballantine Books, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher David Venable joined QVC as a program host in 1993 and has since helped establish and build the multimedia retailer's gourmet food business. His hit show, In the Kitchen with David, offers a unique interactive viewership experience and features the latest in gourmet foods, cookware, kitchen gadgets, and cookbooks. While not a chef, Venable, well-known as QVC's Resident Foodie, loves to cook, and his passion revolves around all things food. Prior to joining QVC, Venable was an anchor/reporter for WOAY-TV in Oak Hill, West Virginia, and CBS-affiliate WTAJ-TV in Altoona, Pennsylvania. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and lives in Pennsylvania.

Preparation Preheat the oven to 375 °F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with the vegetable oil spray. Place the squash halves, cut side down, in the prepared dish. Pierce the skin sides several times with a fork. Bake until the squash is tender, about 45 minutes. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Using a large spoon, scrape the flesh from the cooked squash into a food processor. Discard the skins. Add 1 1/2 cups of the chicken broth, the cinnamon, marjoram, thyme, and nutmeg and puree until smooth. Transfer the puree to a large saucepan. Whisk the milk into the soup over medium heat. If you prefer a thinner consistency, add the remaining broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls. Top with a dollop of pumpkin butter and sprinkle with chopped pistachio nuts before serving. Make it your own: Roll diced squash in a bit of canola oil and ground cinnamon. Spread on a sheet pan, sprinkle with brown sugar, and bake at 375°F for 15 to 20 minutes. Add these sweet bits of squash when pureeing the soup. Substitute crème fraîche or sour cream for the pumpkin butter. Serve the soup chilled or warm in shot glasses as a party starter. Reprinted with permission from In the Kitchen with David: Comfort Foods That Take You Home by David Venable. Copyright © 2012 by David Venable; photographs copyright © 2012 by Ben Fink Photography Inc. Published by Ballantine Books, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher David Venable joined QVC as a program host in 1993 and has since helped establish and build the multimedia retailer's gourmet food business. His hit show, In the Kitchen with David, offers a unique interactive viewership experience and features the latest in gourmet foods, cookware, kitchen gadgets, and cookbooks. While not a chef, Venable, well-known as QVC's Resident Foodie, loves to cook, and his passion revolves around all things food. Prior to joining QVC, Venable was an anchor/reporter for WOAY-TV in Oak Hill, West Virginia, and CBS-affiliate WTAJ-TV in Altoona, Pennsylvania. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and lives in Pennsylvania.