Monday in the park with William

Deborah
As summer progresses, the opportunities for outdoor dining keep piling up. This week I decided to take advantage of the time honored hard-core New Yorker tradition of waiting on line in Central Park for free tickets to Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte Theater.  I was advised by those in the know to score my spot by 6:30 AM on the day of the performance. Really? Ouch, that seemed awfully early, especially as the tickets do not get handed out till one PM. But, I was game. Sitting in the park on a beautiful day, how bad could that be?

The line in Central Park on Monday was not so long!

All I can say is come prepared. I brought a folding chair, a hat, water and a snack. Some people on the line arrived with folded mattresses and took a long nap. Not a bad idea at 6:30 AM!

For the edibles, think about something crunchy and light that won't wilt in the sun during your six hour wait. Green Bean Dijonnaise is a worthy choice. The beans will stay crunchy after a quick blanching and the flavor just gets better as the beans sit in the mustardy vinaigrette.

Look for plump, smooth beans at the farmers markets in the next few weeks.

Another great picnic choice would be Amanda's Watermelon Gazpacho.  Pack it in a thermos to keep it cool and enjoy this very tasty and refreshing cold soup on the hottest of days. I must admit when Amanda first suggested her recipe last week I was a tiny bit sceptical. Watermelon is not a favorite of mine and the thought of combining this melon with tomatoes struck me as possibly underwhelming. 

Curious about how it would taste I gave it a shot. DELICIOUS!! I was so surprised and delighted with the quick batch I made, I already have plans to make it again. Amanda suggests skipping the onions but I urge you to use them. Soaking chopped raw onions in cold water for a few minutes before adding them to the soup (or a salad) will remove some of the bite that people often find objectionable. I did not have any dill so I used fresh mint and chives for the herbs, a very good alternative. The sweetness of the watermelon was balanced by the onion and chili peppers and it gave the gazpacho a really interesting depth of flavor. This is a recipe worth trying and it could not be simpler to make!

Watermelon gazpacho is a WINNER!

My morning wait in the park was well worth it. The six hours of sitting on the line actually flew by and I was grateful for the opportunity to stop and experience some stillness for a while. The production of Measure for Measure that my husband and I attended that evening was riveting and rollicking, a true Shakesperean crazy quilt of a plot that flirted with the bawdy and macabre.  How great to be a hard-core New Yorker in the summer!

Green Bean Dijonnaise with Pickled Shallots

 For the pickled shallots:

1 shallot

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

In a small pan combine the vinegar, salt and sugar and heat on a low flame till the sugar and salt dissolves. Turn heat off and add the shallots. Let the shallots sit in the vinegar mixture till cooled, then drain and reserve the shallots for the salad.

 For the green beans:

1 pound green beans, ends trimmed

1 quart water

1 Tablespoon salt

Bring water to a boil in a medium sauce pan. Add the salt and the trimmed green beans. Cook beans for about two minutes, till they are slightly softened, but still bright green. Taste beans to determine doneness. Drain the cooked beans and run cold water over them to quickly cool them down a bit. Drain beans again and arrange on a serving plate. Top the beans with the pickled shallots and toss with the Dijon vinaigrette.

for the Dijon vinaigrette:

1 Tbs. Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 clove garlic, crushed and finely chopped

3 Tbs. red wine vinegar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

In a small bowl combine the mustard, salt pepper, garlic and vinegar. Whisk to combine. Continue to whisk as you slowly drizzle in the olive oil, till the dressing thickens and emulsifies.

What's that green?

-DeborahWalking across Central Park this Friday afternoon I was floating on air; the promise of a new season had me elevated. Good fortune found me with my camera. Bad fortune showed the battery quickly dying. I managed to shoot a few Springtime sightings before the camera went black.

Daffodils are beginning to pop up at the 69th Street entrance on Central Park West.

Buds!

and more buds!

The grass is doing its damnedest to make an appearance.

Even the sea lions at the zoo were taking advantage of the blast of sunshine.

My giddy mood altered quickly when I got home to discover my sweetie hubby sick and cranky with a wicked head cold. SOUP was all he wanted, so I got down to business, looked into my empty cupboard and fridge and improvised a simple miso soup to soothe his throat and warm the belly.

Miso soup is so easy to make and it can handle a variety of ingredients. The miso paste itself comes in several types. I like a medium flavored miso (red) for soups rather than the dark versions (barley) or the light (white) misos. I'm not a connoisseur, but I find the medium color the most versatile. It is fun to sample different misos to see which you prefer.

MISO SOUP
Preparation:
•Heat up a quart of water or vegetable stock in a saucepan.
•When it comes to a boil add a cup of thinly sliced or grated vegetables
-some possibilities are scallions, carrots, winter squash, summer squash, mushrooms, sprouts, leafy greens, tofu, green beans, sea vegetables
•cook for about five minutes until the vegetables are tender.
•add a swig of soy sauce.
•add a small bundle of rice noodles, stir and cook five more minutes.
•place a quarter cup of miso into a stainer and lower the strainer into the soup pot stirring to dissolve the miso into the broth, do not let soup boil once miso has been added.
•taste and adjust seasoning
•serve

My husband was grateful for the steaming savory liquid, but seriously questioned what the green stuff was. SPINACH, eat it!

Amanda I would love a glass of wine right now. Forget the miso soup. What will make me think of Spring?

Amanda
In the wine world, nothing shouts "Spring" more than a beautiful, crisp glass of Rose! I haven't gone that route yet. Rather I am waiting, ever so patiently, for that first perfect Spring day. I don't want my first sip of Rose for the year to be wasted on a not-so-great day. I wait too long for that moment to have it thrown away if the weather is not "just right". So I will continue to wait.

There's nothing like sipping a glass of Rose outside, on a warm, sunny Spring day. Extremely versatile when it comes to food, pair a pretty pink wine with barbeque, grilled vegetables, salads, fish, and even omelets. There are so many wonderful values out there, and a plethora of styles to choose from. For a bigger, bolder style, seek out a Rose from the Bordeaux region of France. The Chateau Fontenille Bordeaux Clairet is a fine example, and only $11.99! A blend of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, this Rose is full of fresh fruit and fine character. For something more crisp and light, France offers plenty of options. Look for something from Tavel, or Cotes de Provence. Domaine Ott, while pricey, can offer beautiful representations of Provence. Their Les Domaniers is a spicey blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah. At around $22 it's not necessarily an "everyday" wine - but it is worth the price! Looking for something with loads of fruit? Check out a Rose from Chile, Spain or Argentina. One of my perennial favorites is the Crios Rose of Malbec from Susanna Balbo. This Argentine gem can be found in the $10 price range.

Roses are fun, warm-weather wine. Remember, these are meant to be enjoyed when young - do not cellar these. Make sure the ones you are buying are recent vintages too - look for 2010's. Stay away from anything like 2008 or before. So, go stock up on some Roses! Crack open a bottle on the first perfect Spring day that comes your way!

something different

Deborah
This week's episode of No Reservations got me hankering for something exotic. Anthony Bourdain was wandering all over Istanbul eating everything in sight. The one dish that really caught my eye was part of a home-cooked meal; baked artichoke hearts with peas and fava bean puree. Wow.
As I generally do after watching one of his shows, I wandered over to my cookbooks and scanned around for further inspiration. This time I  immediately gravitated towards Paula Wolfert, someone I consider a high priestess of Meditteranian cookbook writers. Her meticulous research and devotion to authenticity always provides interesting reading. The two books of hers that I own (Mediterranean Cooking and The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen) did not have the recipe I was looking for, but I got distracted by her Turkish Red Lentil Soup.

Dried Red lentils are so pretty AND they are easy to cook. Too bad they lose their pert orange color; when cooked and tender they turn a pale yellow.

The soup recipe sounded easy to make so I gave it a try. The procedure was basically just cooking onions, garlic, red lentils and rice in water till softened. The unusal part of the recipe is that as a finishing touch Wolfert has you create a roux from butter and flour, cooking until it is "hazelnut brown" in color and then adding stock to it before adding this to the soup. This was an unfamiliar technique for me as far as soups go, so I was excited to try it. Leave plenty of time to cook the roux, if you try this. I cooked mine on the lowest heat for about 45 minutes, which was as long as it took for the lentils to cook.
The other intriguing finish was a SIZZLE created by melting butter and then briefly sauting paprika and dried mint and then stirring that into the soup as a garnish.

tada!

Well, the soup came out great, very smooth and creamy, almost too smooth, I think.  I would probably only puree half the ingredients next time and leave some texture. The flavor was surprisingly exotic and unfamiliar considering the simple ingredients. I really felt like I was tasting something different. What a nice treat, and I did not have to leave home!

Turkish Red Lentil Soup

adapted from Paula Wolfert's The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen

For the Soup:

1Tb butter

1/3 cup grated onion (one small onion)

1 clove of garlic, mashed

1 cup red lentils, rinsed and drained

2 Tbs white rice

1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

1 1/2 quarts water

For the Roux:

2 Tbs butter

2 Tbs flour

2 cups vegetable stock

For the SIZZLE:

1 Tbs. butter

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp dried mint, pressed through a sieve to make a powder

To make the soup- In a large soup pot, saute the onion and garlic in the butter for 5 minutes, till golden. Add the lentils, rice, tomatoes and water and bring to a boil. Cover pot and lower  flame to a simmer, cook for 45 minutes.

MEANWHILE- to make the roux- In a small sauce pan melt the butter, then add the flour and whisk to combine so there are no lumps. Slowly heat the mixture under a VERY low flame and stir from time to time. The roux will gradually take on a warm golden color. Wolfert says go for a hazelnut brown, which took me about 45 minutes to achieve. Slowly add in the stock, whisking to prevent lumps. Cook for 5 minutes.

Back to the soup- Transfer half the soup with a slotted spoon to a food processor or blender and the other half to a clean pot. Don't add all the liquid, you wont need it, remember you are going to be adding two more cups of the roux liquid into this. Blend the soup until it is very smooth and add it to the pot with the unblended half. Add the roux liquid to the soup pot and warm  everything together for 5 minutes on a low heat.

Make the SIZZLE: In a very small pot, melt the butter and add the paprika and the mint. Cook for 5 minutes and then drizzle the sizzle into the finished soup.

serves 4

baby it's cold outside

Deborah

Oooooh, man it is cold out. I am not much for this weather. It is only good for one thing- staying home to cook! Yeah, you saw that coming. The fun of changing seasons for a cook is the fun of changing cooking techniques. Slow, long braises and stews, roastings and bakings comprise my winter activities in the kitchen. And then there is all the tasting. What am I complaining about?

White beans happened to be on my mind. Amanda's white bean, barley and kale soup  was a great starting point, but I didn't have barley nor kale on hand (yes, the kale is marinating in a vinegar bath as we speak). What I had on hand was sun-dried tomatoes. My thought was to make a bean dish that would feature the tomatoes as a bright surprising accent to counterpoint the savory-creamy-earthy flavor of the beans. The bean dish could be served with rice as a warm comfort meal on a cold day.

Small dried white beans cook in about an hour without soaking. I put them in a pot covered in 3 inches of cold water, bring them up to a boil, cover and simmer at a low temp for at least an hour till they are tender and creamy.

Oh, the challenges of photographing food while it is cooking. See how my camera lens has fogged up with the cooking steam. I let the beans cook and allow most of the water to absorb.

Meanwhile:

For flavoring I round up the usual suspects; garlic onions celery carrots.

Do you see what looks like a rock at the right edge of the cutting board? It IS a rock (or should I say a stone?) I call it my kitchen rock. It was picked up on the beach at Ditch Plains, Montauk and I use it to smash garlic cloves. I crush seeds and nuts with it too. Not just any rock would do. I picked up and threw back many a rock in choosing the one with the smooth surface that fit my hand perfectly.  It is a great tool, very early cavewoman.

These vegetables I consider my base flavor. They get lightly sauteed in olive oil and salt and pepper till they just begin to soften but still have a crunch. I want them to retain their shape in the final dish.

Next I think about my accent flavors. In this case it is chopped parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, a bay leaf and two dried chilies. These will give the dish it's distinctive identity. I add them to the pan with the other vegetables and cook for a few minutes to let all the flavors mingle and develop.

Once everything is at their peak doneness I turn off the heat and wait for the beans to finish cooking. You will notice that I am cooking the beans separately from the flavorings at this point. That is because I want all the ingredients to retain their identities and not turn to total mush during the slow process of cooking the beans. Once the beans are cooked I drain them from whatever cooking liquid is left and combine them with the sauteed ingredients.

I will cook everything together briefly and adjust the seasoning and even add some lemon zest, grated cheese and a swirl of high quality olive oil to finish the dish. The flavors get even better if you refrigerate it overnight. This is a yummy, hearty dish that warms the soul but still has a light flavor with the promise of springtime in the crunchy vegetables and sunny warmth of the tomatoes.

An alternative to this is to make it into a soup. Add some vegetable or chicken stock to the finished dish above (and in this case I added some spinach for color) and cook for another 15 minutes for the flavors to further develop.

 Both dishes taste great. The sun-dried tomato adds the tart brightness I am looking for. The carrots and celery still have a little crunch which adds texture and interest. Pluck out the bay leaf and the chilies before serving if you like. My daughter's boyfriend declared the soup a winner and polished it off before I could put away any leftovers. He suggested I make a bigger batch next time. Got it.

White Beans with Sun-dried Tomatoes
1/2 lb. dried white beans
2 quarts of water
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 dried chiles
salt and pepper to taste

Soup:
6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup of cooked chopped spinach

Finish bean dish or soup with:
1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbs. lemon zest
3 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese

Sort through dried beans, rinse and put in large pot with 2 quarts of water or enough to cover them by three inches. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for at least on hour till beans are soft and creamy.
In a saute pan heat the olive oil. Add the garlic, onions, carrot and celery and cook for about five minutes until they begin to soften a bit. Add the parsley, tomatoes bay leaf and chilies and continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.
Drain the cooked beans and add the vegetables in a small pot. Heat through for about 8 minutes.
For the soup: Add 6 cups of chicken or vegetable stock and 1 cup of cooked chopped spinach. Cook for 15 mintues. 
Finish dish with lemon zest, grated cheese and or olive oil if you like.

Amanda
Deb - I'm anxious to find out how your kale dish turns out! Let me know! This white bean stew sounds so "comforting". I spend a lot of time in the kitchen during the winter, and probably 80% of my concoctions are stews and soups. Just so wonderful and perfect in so many ways. For lunch, dinner and really anytime of the day, they are the quintessential wintertime meal!


For a wine, I'm first thinking of the beans and their "earthy and creamy" characteristics you talk about. This makes me think immediately of a red burgundy, famous for the very same qualities. The problem is, however, the high price tag associated with red Burgundy. In Burgundy, the wines are "classified" according to their geographical location. Instead of the producer's name being prominent on the label, the location is more focused upon. The producer's name usually shows up somewhere on the label, but it is typically not what you see first when you look at the label. The designations from best quality down are Grand Crus, Premier Crus, village appellations and regional appellations. Grand Cru Burgundy are extremely expensive (typically $100+), and are site-specific, produced from only the best vineyard sites. The name of the vineyard is listed as the name of the appellation on the label, i.e Corton. Premier Cru wines are the next level down, and are also site specific though the sites are not of the same quality as Grand Cru. On the label, you will see the name of the village of origin, then the Premier Cru status (1er Cru), and finally the vineyard name.  Next come Village wines, which are made from a blend of wines from "lesser" vineyard sites. Specific qualities and characteristics are attributed to wines from the individual villages. Regional wines are made from wines coming from an area much larger than an individual village. The system can be somewhat confusing when first starting out in an attempt to understand how the wines are classified. But - I am slowly getting to my point here. Under the group of regional wines, there is a subgroup called AOC Bourgogne. These are "generic" wines, and can be made anywhere throughout the region. The wines are simpler, yet still representative of the village. And, the wines are not made for long term cellaring/drinking, but rather should be enjoyed in  the near term.


Sooooo, my point is this - although Burgundy prices are extremely high, it is possible to find some of the AOC Bourgogne wines which are priced much more affordably, yet are delicious and true to the terroir of their villages. This is what I'd recommend for a "comfort" food. I just wanted to give a little explanation and "lesson" about what differentiates one Burgundy from another.


Domaine Fichet Bourgogne Tradition 2007 is a great choice for this dish. Oh - I forgot to mention for those of you who are not familiar with Burgundy - they are always 100% Pinot Noir (except for Beaujolais which is made from the Gamay grape). The Tradition has the typical fruit of Pinot from Burgundy, and that wonderful earthiness which will pair so perfectly with Deb's dish. It is soft and easy drinking, and can be found for $14.99.

Peace in the new year

Deborah

A message for the New Year.  This inscription is part of a monument marking the former site of the Vatican Pavilion from the 1964 Worlds Fair in Flushing Meadow Park

This has been an especially hectic and personal holiday season for both Amanda and me. We are really looking forward to getting back to our tri-weekly posts after the New Year (and decade!) begins. Please accept the following which is a post I wrote last year for another blog. The black eye pea salsa recipe is one of my favorites and is very holiday appropriate.

Sometimes my daughter's compulsion to play with her food results in a couscous message I can get behind.

Best wishes to everyone for the new year!

From the blog: dsoffel.blogspot.com 

Originally Published: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2008

Deborah

I am thinking about black-eyed peas, a traditional Southern dish served on New years day to represent good luck. On the cusp of a new era we can use all the luck available, so I hail the tiny pea as a perfect party food for the season.

Cheap and easy to cook, they come dried, frozen or canned. I have tried all three varieties with happy results. My black eyed pea salsa served as a dip with pita chips was a big hit at an election night party I attended with friends. Lots of red onions, minced jalapeno and garlic and a good glug of sharp red wine vinegar bring this dish together. Let it sit for a while so the flavors develop. I threw in a large handful of garden mint, the last of the summer crop harvested before the frost sets in. Cilantro, parsley and chervil are all good substitutes.

With any left over peas I made a simple soup, tossing them into chicken stock and adding chopped kale and cooked macaroni, seasoned to taste. Adding a large spoonful of parmesan cheese doesn’t hurt. This makes a perfect hardy lunch as the weather cools.

Black-eyed peas are particularly cute with their cream colored skin and little button of black. They have a deep rich nutty flavor that can stand up to aggressive seasoning. They are inexpensive and plentiful, so enjoy this humble bearer of good fortune.

Black-eyed pea salsa

1.5 cups dried Black-eyed peas, picked over (or 2 cups canned peas rinsed and drained or 2 cups defrosted frozen peas)
2 quarts water
1 T red wine vinegar
1 t salt
1 t sugar
1 garlic clove finely minced
zest of a lime (optional)
.5 cup red onion, small dice
1 jalapeno pepper, finely minced
.5 cup fresh chopped herbs (parsley, mint, cilantro, chervil, chives or any combination of these)

Rinse dried peas and add to sauce pan with water. Bring to a boil, then simmer tightly covered for about 40 minutes or until peas are very tender.
Drain and set aside.

In a mixing bowl combine the vinegar, salt, sugar and garlic wisking to blend. Add in the cooked peas, the onion, jalapeno and herbs. Toss to combine and taste for seasoning. Add the lime zest if you prefer a more zingy bright flavor. Let salsa sit for an hour to allow the flavor to develop. Salas will keep in the fridge for up to four days. Serve with pita chips.

Soup's On

Amanda

I have a new love. It's rich and complex, soft and elegant. Its beautiful caramel hue is so inviting. It warms my soul. Armagnac. So perfect this time of year. Incredibly wonderful to sip a snifter of this soothing elixir in front of a fireplace on a cold winter's night. Indescribable. I discovered it last week and fell immediately, and hard. I sit now, snifter beside me, reflecting on my night's concoction.


Fine Cooking was always one of my favorite food magazines. This is due to the fact that the writers actually try to teach you something, and not merely provide recipes. They give you step by step guidelines for techniques such as braising, roasting, grilling, etc. They instruct in a way that enables you to create your own recipes, with your own ingredients, following the basic steps. My goal as a novice "cook" was to become confident enough to not have to follow recipes, but rather create them on my own. My husband is a culinary graduate and has always offered me insight on the proper techniques used in the kitchen. When we first met, I did everything all wrong. I didn't think the "steps" to creating a dish were important, as long as the finish product tasted good. I learned quickly how wrong I was. The order in which ingredients are sauteed, how hot the oil must be before frying something, how to tell if something is done cooking not necessarily by the temperature, but by how it feels to the touch - all things a good cook must come to understand, and I learned them well. Through my husband, and of course Fine Cooking, I have learned a lot, and it has made me more skilled in the kitchen.


Which brings me to tonight's recipe - a basic white bean, kale and barley soup, which I created on my own following very simple, basic "soup-making" steps. I'm on a serious quest to lose 10 pounds before my upcoming family vacation to Mexico in January. I wanted to make the healthiest, and most satisfying soup possible. I started out with my aromatics - onion and celery. I also added some sliced carrots. After sauteeing for several minutes in some olive oil, until the onion and celery were translucent and soft, I added some organic, low sodium vegetable broth from Whole Foods. I am trying very hard to cut down on my sodium intake, so I set out to use as little salt as possible. (Admittedly, the soup is a little bland as a result. Feel free to add as much salt as suits you!)

I brought the broth and vegetables to a boil, and added a little over a 1/4 cup of pearl barley and a big sprig of rosemary. I let it simmer for about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes until the barley was done. At this point, I added a large amount of kale and 1 can of white beans.

finished product

I have a large appetite and I am trying to cut down on my portion size. The addition of the barley was intended to make this meal a little more satisfying. I also added quite a bit of pepper. As I mentioned, it could definitely use salt, but I will not succumb. When I reheat it everyday for lunch this week, I will add a touch of shredded pecorino romano for extra flavoring. The soup looks beautiful and is very tasty.


But I do have a question for all of you who have more experience than I:  Is there anything I can use in place of salt to make up for its absence?


Healthy White Bean, Barley and Kale Soup
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, sliced on an angle about 1/4" thick
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped celery
64 oz low sodium vegetable broth
2 large sprigs rosemary
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup pearl barley
1 15 oz can white beans
three large handfuls roughly chopped, or hand-torn kale


Basically, follow the directions above. Start by sauteeing the onion, carrots, garlic and celery, until translucent. Add the vegetable broth and rosemary sprigs and bring to a boil. Add barley and simmer about 1/2 hour until barley is done. Add white beans and kale at the end. Let the kale wilt a bit, add salt and pepper to taste, and serve.


I refridgerate mine and eat it all week. Probably gives me about 6 servings.


Deborah
Thanks for the great recipe Amanda. Cooks love it when someone else does the cooking for us once in a while! I am sure your family enjoyed the soup. As for the salt, well, there is really no way I can tell you how to make things taste as good without it. Professional cooks rely on salt to enhance flavor and bring a dish together. A small amount of salt can go a long way and unless there is a very specific reason to eliminate it altogether I would add just enough to enhance a dish. I prefer to season things at every stage of cooking and never use salt at the table when I eat. Most professionals consider it a terrible insult to have someone salt their food after it has been served. It implies that the food has not been seasoned correctly. The addition of pecorino romano to your soup will indeed add missing flavor because IT IS SALTY. 
Limit salt, use it judiciously, add lots of herbs and spices to flavor food, eat in moderation.  Amanda, it sounds like you are taking some very smart steps to eat more healthfully and will lose those pounds before your trip. Good luck!

old becomes new

Deborah
The best part about Thanksgiving?  Leftovers! Really good leftovers and LOTS of them! I have two soup recipes to share that are perfect for the day (or two) after Thanksgiving. The first soup I actually call Leftover soup. It is adapted from a recipe I found in Saveur magazine several years ago where you take ALL your leftovers and dump them in a pot with water and simmer for an hour. If you are eating turkey, add leftover turkey too. It may be hard to believe, but this soup really tastes good and I am not kidding when I say ALL the leftovers, including stuffing! I described this soup to my sister this morning and she said, um, yuck. Well, fine, don't try it. It is good and you will never know.

These are some of the things I put in my Leftover soup this year from L to R: butternut squash braised in apple cider, swiss chard gratin, leeks baked in mustard cream.

Adding some fresh ingredients like chopped parsley will help bring the soup to life.

This is what the soup looks like while it is cooking. See, not so strange. Hey, my kids ate it and LOVED it.  THAT is the true test!

The other soup has two inspirations, the first being a cup of leftover pumpkin puree that didn't make it into a pie. The other piece is some fiery chili peppers that my sister (yes the same skeptical one) brought home from her recent trip to Vietnam.

My sister brought me some spices from a market in Vietnam, packed in these sweet little baskets. I can't wait to try them all. The chili peppers are insanely good, really fiery and fresh with an indescribable fragrance.

The ensuing soup is a cream of pumpkin with ginger/garlic/chili paste. It is sweetened with leftover applesauce and in this case heavy cream (leftover from the creamed onions) where I might otherwise use coconut milk. This soup's distinctive flavor is a blend of creamy sweet and spicy and it is delicious. It is perfect in small portions as an appetizer because it is so rich.

Making a paste with a mortar and pestle is really fun. You get to POUND your food. Very satisfying.

So look around your kitchen and don't be afraid to put those Thanksgiving day leftovers to good use. These soups will bring yesterday's mashed potatoes to today's new heights.

Leftover Soup
1 onion chopped
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 cup of stuffing
1 cup of mashed potatoes
1 cup of baked squash
1 cup of gravy (optional for vegetarians)
1 cup of cooked turkey meat (optional for vegetarians)
1 cup of any cooked vegetable
6 cups of water or stock
1/2 cup chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste


Saute chopped onion in olive oil in a large soup pot. When onion is softened and golden add all the remaining ingredients and simmer for one hour. Taste to adjust seasoning. Serve over cooked macaroni or noodles if you like!

Pumpkin Ginger Soup
1 inch of peeled fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves
2 dried chili peppers
1 Tbs canola oil
1 cup of pumpkin puree
1/2 cup applesauce
4 cups water
1/2 cup heavy cream or coconut milk
With a mortar and pestle pound ginger, chili and garlic into a paste (or use a blender, adding a Tbs of water to make the paste). Heat oil in soup pot and saute ginger paste for five minutes till it starts to turn golden. Add the rest of the ingredients except the cream and simmer for 15 minutes till the flavors are blended. Taste to see if the flavors are balanced. Add salt or a teaspoon of sugar to get the right blend. Put the soup in a food processor or food mill to puree. Put pureed soup back into the pot and add the heavy cream or coconut milk and bring soup up to a simmer. Serve hot!

Amanda
Well, the first one does sound "different", but I could definitely see why it would be delicious. On Thanksgiving, I like to make a "mish-mosh" of all the different flavors on my plate, letting every dish blend into the other. I scoop up a little of everything in each bite. So, why wouldn't this soup taste good? That's exactly what it is. And, it makes my job of wine pairing very easy! I would enjoy the same wines I would have with my Thanksgiving feast! Deb - there was no cranberry sauce in your soup. What are your thoughts on adding it? Just curious! So, getting back to the wines - I would choose a buttery, rich Chardonnay and/or a fruit forward, soft and elegant Pinot Noir.


The pumpkin ginger soup sounds outrageous! I definitely will give that a try. To pair a wine with anything, again, you must look to the seasonings, spices, herbs, and sauces. Pair the wine with those elements. The ginger, chile and coconut milk ingredients are reminscent of Thai cuisine. Certain wines have an afinity with Asian flavors. Look to a Gewurtztraminer, with wonderful flavors and aromas of lychee fruit and spice. I think this combination would be absolutely fabulous! Hugel makes outstanding Gewurtztraminer as does Schaetzel. As I often mention, always ask your local wine shop for recommendations.  But my advice would be to look to Alsace, France for a spectacular example of this incredibly aromatic, wonderful varietal.

A Gourmet beginning

Deborah
The news of Gourmet magazine's closing hit me like the loss of an old friend I haven't seen in years. Memories of our time together came flooding back, along with a certain chagrin that I hadn't kept in touch. Having moved on to other sources for culinary information and inspiration years ago, Gourmet magazine was now a source of nostalgia, profound nostalgia as it turns out.

I first encountered the magazine as a young 11 year old girl at my mother's side. My mother was a young girl herself at that time. At age 29, she was a new bride beginning a second marriage with three children from a previous marriage in tow. My mother's cooking at that point was simple and serviceable, with specialties being spaghetti and meatballs and meatloaf. Her new husband was European and so our mother decided that we needed to learn how to cook more sophisticated food for him, to sweeten the domestic pot as it were. He was, in fact, Scottish and his culinary viewpoint was even more narrow than our own, but we did not know that then. He resembled George Harrison, had a cool accent and was putting up with three kids, so impress him we must.

My mother embarked on her subscription to Gourmet magazine and each month would pass the issue around to my younger sister and I to mark off recipes we wanted to try. My mother had no qualms about setting us youngsters up at the stove and the results were staggering. We were making fancy, delicious dishes out of what seemed to us piles of unrelated ingredients. Following the instructions as closely as chemistry lab experiments we tried out our first gazpacho, our first curries, our first cassoulet. Culinary courage and curiosity exploded in our home as we poured over the beautiful pages that represented exotic sophistication to our young inexperienced selves.

As the years went by and my family grew, my brothers were also drawn into the kitchen. We became known to our extended family and friends as the cooking family. No occasion was lost for a group cook-a-thon with way too many of us in the kitchen, but fortunately no spoiled broth. My mother continued her subscription throughout her life and as an adult I would look forward to curling up with copies of the latest issues when visiting her and my step-father for weekends in Sag Harbor. My mother died way too young at age 65 in 2003 and now Gourmet is gone. I will always have them linked in my mind. And I am grateful for the culinary push they both gave me.

A prize specimen from my local nursery in Forest Hills, Queens.  Cinderella would be proud to ride around in this!


In the spirit of culinary adventure I thought of this soup which can be made from any of the winter squashes including pumpkin. The most recent version I made was with acorn squash. I like to roast the squash first to really intensify the flavor and get some caramelization going. Winter squashes tend to be sweet and can handle a lot of strong flavors as a counter balance. So don't fear the cayenne. It will give the soup some integrity. The addition of the apple brings some tart, acidic sweetness to the mix and is a trick my mother picked up from reading Gourmet.

Chili peppers are the spice of life!

Acorn Squash Soup with Ginger and Coconut milk
1 Acorn squash, peeled and chopped into large cubes
1 green apple, peeled and chopped
2 inch piece of peeled ginger
4 cloves of peeled garlic
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 teas. salt
1 onion, chopped
3 cups vegetable or chicken stock or water
1 cup coconut milk
1 tsp. cayenne pepper

Butternut squash makes great soup too.

Preheat oven to 400 F
Lay the acorn squash and the apples in a single layer on a large roasting pan. Sprinkle with a little s & p and roast in the oven for 20 minutes until the squash begins to soften and brown a little bit.

If you have a mortar and pestle pound the ginger and garlic into a paste. If you don't have one, put them in a food processor with a tablespoon of water to blend into paste.
Heat the oil in a large sauce pan and add the ginger-garlic paste. Cook over a medium low heat until the paste begins to slowly turn a golden color, about 2 minutes. Add the onions and salt and cook till softened and translucent, about 5 minutes more. Add the roasted squash and apples and the stock or water and bring to a simmer. Let the pot simmer for 25- 20 minutes until squash is completely tender when poked with a fork.
Turn off heat and allow soup to cool for a bit before adding to a blender or food processor (try to wait because hot food really expands and splashes out when blended). Blend until very smooth. Pour soup back into the pot and TASTE IT.
At this point you want to adjust the seasonings. If it is too bland, add a little salt and/or sugar ( a pinch at a time, keep tasting). Once the flavor tastes balanced to you add the coconut milk and the cayenne and bring the soup up to a simmer. Let soup simmer for 5 minutes till all the flavors are blended and the soup is warm enough to serve.

enjoy!

Amanda
Beautiful commentary on Gourmet magazine, Deb. I loved the magazine as well, but it obviously holds a much deeper connection for you. I always referred to the magazine around the holidays - no magazine could compete with their Thanksgiving issue!

Not all bad

Deborah
So many fall lovers have been extolling the pleasures of the season to me since my last post. Don't get me wrong. I really do love fall, all those crunchy leaves underfoot, long shadows on the streets, sweaters out of the closet finally. My problem seems to be that my little backyard just doesn't have much pizzazz this time of year. It looks so dreamy in the Spring with pale green shoots and flowering bulbs. And in Summer while I don't get enough sun for a satisfying vegetable garden, my plants stay green and cool even on the hottest summer dog days. I tend to have more passion than skill when it comes to gardening, but I'm working on it.

Not every garden in Queens is as pitiful as mine this fall. 

Don't those kale leaves look wonderful? Perfect in soup!

Fall brings finality to all my summer garden ambitions and then there are those darn short days. BUT change is good and fall recipes are great! Sticking to the theme of soup this week I am offering up my lentil soup recipe. This is one of those recipes that can accommodate massive improvisation. I urge anyone who tries this to have fun and play, yes play with your food.

I think of the recipe in four stages:

One- vegetables/aromatics that get gently softened in oil.  This would include onions, garlic, celery, carrots, fennel, celery root, bell pepper, leeks, etc. These are the vegetables that won't completely fall apart or be grossly mushy after an hour of cooking.

If you like things spicy, why not add some chili peppers like these beauties growing at Stone Barns Center for Agriculture

Two- the liquid and seasonings get added now. For liquids think of vegetable or meat stock, tomato juice, tomato paste, or even water.  For seasonings I might add herbs or curry powder or chili powder, what ever I'm in the mood for. Again, you can play and experiment.

Three- When the liquid is simmering I add the lentils, along with maybe rice, potatoes, cubed pumpkin. This is the starchy stuff that will thicken the soup.

Four- Finishing the last 5 minutes of cooking with green vegetables like chopped swiss chard, green beans, broccoli florets, anything that will taste good with a brief blanch in the soup liquid and will add color or a little crunch of texture.

Even pale wax beans will look pretty in the soup


Depending on the flavor direction I have been going in I will also add any of the following: some grated cheese, a splash of vinegar or lemon juice, a dollop of pesto, a drizzle of olive oil.

Four steps with lots of chopping may seem like a lot of work, but you really don't have to pay much attention to what you are doing (not that I'm advocating inattention at the stove). The recipe is very forgiving. Lentils cook quickly and they have a very comforting earthly flavor. This soup will happily feed a crowd, is very cost effective and it can be eaten all week.

I love to serve this soup over macaroni or noodles, which I cook separately.

I am going to sit in my backyard with a bowl of lentil soup and warm myself in the beautiful October sun.

Lentil Soup 
2 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped into small bite sized pieces
1 large carrot, peeled or scrubbed and chopped into small bite sized pieces
1 clove garlic finely minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbs. tomato paste
4 cups of vegetable or chicken stock
1 tsp. thyme
1 bay leaf
3/4 cup lentils
1/2 cup diced potato
1 cup chopped swiss chard
1/2 cup green beans cut into 1" lengths
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
3 Tbs grated Romano cheese
1 Tbs high quality extra virgin olive oil

Part One:
Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan and add the onion, celery, garlic and carrots, the salt and pepper. Gently sweat vegetables till they begin to soften, about 5-8 minutes.

Part Two:
Add the tomato paste, the thyme and the bay leaf and cook with the vegetables for about 30 seconds to mix well. Add the stock and raise heat a bit to bring to a simmer.

Part Three:
When the liquid is simmering add the lentils and the potatoes. Cook at a simmer for about 25- 30 minutes until the lentils are soft.

Part Four:
Add the chard and the green beans and cook for another 5 or 10 minutes till the green vegetables are cooked but not mushy. Finish with the vinegar, cheese and a drizzle of good quality of extra virgin olive oil.

serves 4 and can easily be multiplied

Amanda
I have to say that each post and each recipe sounds better than the last. This presents a bit of a problem for me. Case and point: Yesterday, I went to the market and purchased the ingredients to make the Cauliflower soup (I also added Kale to the mix). My plan was to make it this evening. This Lentil Soup recipe just about resulted in the abandonment of the said previous plan. I was on my way to the store this afternoon to pick up what I would need to make the Lentil Soup this evening, when it occurred to me there was an expectant head of cauliflower and bunch of kale in my fridge eagerly awaiting my return home from work.  "One thing at a time" I convinced myself, and ultimately decided to let the Lentil Soup wait a few more days.

But - I do at least have a wine (or wines) in mind. Definitely not too big or too bold for this meal. (Remember - it is difficult to pair wine with soup...) My thoughts immediately turn to red - something earthy, perhaps mushroomy, light-medium bodied with soft fruit and spice. Pinot Noir, maybe? Not the big, ripe, highly concentrated Pinots from California. I'd like to say Burgundy, and I know it would work well. However, though I'm confident this meal is wonderful, does it merit the high price demanded by Burgundy? Wines simply labeled "Bourgogne" can include grapes from all over the region and typically run between $15-$25. This would be the best bet for Burgundy. Even so, it's not cheap for a bowl of Lentil Soup (even a spectacular one at that!)

The Marlborough region of New Zealand provides an alternative. The wines typically have bright red fruit flavors, but also a smoky, herbal quality that would work well here. In the wines from this region, there is a similar "terroir" characteristic as is found in Burgundy, as well as those funky, earthy, savory flavors. When I think of lentils, I think of similar flavor descriptives, so I think this would be a match made in legume heaven!

A Little Comfort

Deborah

The weather is changing. The cheeks I am kissing are cool to the touch. It is officially fall. I am slow to accept this change. My garden looks awful. The mint looks mangy, my echinechia is black. I have been so busy cooking I have not had a chance to tidy up back there. I need some comfort food to console me for the inevitable farewell to backyard picnics for a while.

Comfort food for me is represented by one orange clogs wearing package, Mario Batali. Don't ask me why, I'm not Italian. Somehow Batali's food speaks to my inner soul. Simple yet rigourous cooking techniques combined with excellent ingredients is how I would characterize his style. I loved his TV show, I adore his cook books and I would eat in any of his restuarants anytime I am invited. :- )

It is always in the fall and winter that I turn to Battali's recipes. I am thinking now of a cauliflower soup I watched him demo on Molto Mario a few years ago. It was so basic and so smart and when I made it soooooooo good. Cauliflower is often a hard sell in my house, but this soup manages to woo even the most skeptical. The flavor is earthy and nutty, warming to the mouth and soul. When I make it for myself I sometimes leave out the tomatoes. I also don't always have homemade stock on hand and so will use store bought (with out compromising anything except bragging rights).

I did a little search on the web to see who else likes this recipe and it turns out just about everybody. Every cooking blog and cooking web site has it posted. Ok, maybe not EVERY site, but almost. Which just proves that it is GOOD! So give it a try and get yourself a little comfort.


(My version of) Mario Batali's
Cauliflower Soup: Minestra di Cavolofiore

2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound cauliflower, cut into florets
4 cups Brown Chicken or vegetable Stock
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 bay leaves
Pinch red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

In a pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, and add the cauliflower. Stir over high heat for 5 minutes, until the cauliflower is just beginning to get tender. Add the garlic and cook another minute till garlic begins to soften. Add stock, bay leaf, pepper flakes, and salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer and cook until the cauliflower is tender, about 15 minutes. Add water, if necessary, to ensure that all the cauliflower is submerged in hot liquid.
Add grated cheese to the simmering soup to finish cooking for one more minute. Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with a little high quality extra-virgin olive oil before serving.

4 servings

I added some shredded collard greens that I had on hand. Batali's recipes are a reflection of peasant style cooking, and lend themselves well to an improvisational style where you use what you have.

Amanda
I am going to make this tomorrow! I've been waiting for a wonderful, "fall" soup recipe to come into my life! But I must say, you had me stumped on this one. I was having a difficult time coming up with a wine to enjoy along side this soup. I had two things going against me: first, generally, wine is very difficult to pair with soup. Second, cauliflower is a tough match for wine. So, after tossing around a few ideas in my mind, I appealed to my boss, Chuck Russo, owner of Wine and Spirit World. His family has been in the wine industry for 60 years, so I figured if anyone had a recommendation, it would be Chuck. Definitely white, he suggested. We discussed a few options and finely decided that a nice refreshing white would be the best option. Spanish white, such as an albarino would work well. Godello would also be a delicious option. Godello is Spain's answer to Chardonnay. Rich and wonderful, it is one of my favorite white varietals. For producers, look for Val de Sil. They make a few different ones and all are in the $12 to $20 price range.