Cream of Tomato Soup...

There is one comfort food we turn to when the weather turns colder and wetter like it has been lately. A delicious bowl of tomato soup, not only warms and comforts us, often it reminds us of simpler times in our past.

This old favorite recipe of mine is quick and easy. It does not call for fresh tomatoes but if you have them, use them. This recipe uses tomato puree because during the winter months it’s hard to find good fresh tomatoes.



Cream of Tomato Soup

Ingredients:
3 sweet onions, finely chopped
Vegetable oil for sautéing onions
¼ cup sugar
4½ cups tomato puree
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon Allspice
1-2 Bay leaves
Salt and Pepper to Taste
1½ - 2 cups of half and half cream, scalded

3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped for garnish

In a Dutch oven type pot, sauté onions in a little vegetable oil, add sugar and cook until the onions are caramelized or light golden in color. Then add remaining ingredients except cream; stir mixture well and simmer for about 30 minutes.

In a small sauce pan, heat half & half until hot, but not boiling. Gradually add cream to the tomato mixture and stir. Heat but do not bring to a boil after adding the cream.

Float chopped basil on top and serve

Serves 6

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George’s notes:

• The canned condensed version of the soup is one of the leading styles in the U.S. and is most associated with the Campbell Soup Company.

• Campbell Soup’s slogan ~ "M'm! M'm! Good! M'm! M'm! Good!, That's what Campbell's soups are, M'm! M'm! Good!" is one of the most recognizable slogans in advertising history.

• Many toppings can also be used on tomato soup, such as sour cream, shredded cheese, crackers or salsa.

Chowders...

Most of us think of chowders as heavy fare, suitable for hunkering down ~ while a winter storm rages outside. In fact, that is exactly how American chowder started in the fishing camps of New England.

But there is no real reason chowders should be limited to a particular season. The word, actually, can be applied to any thick, rich soup containing large pieces of substance. ~ I also think, despite the claims of some who prefer Manhattan Chowder, that chowder is typified by the inclusion of milk or cream, which automatically provides richness.

Given such a simple definition, chowders can take advantage of whatever ingredients you have on hand. Potatoes and cheese are good choices in the winter. Hard squashes like acorn and butternut make delightful fall chowders. A couple of years ago, I had an incredible tomato chowder in August, and fresh corn chowder is hard to beat. And given the season's notorious unpredictability, heartier chowders that warm your bones still may find a welcome place at the table on days when a cold snap catches you by surprise — as it did in some parts of the country last week.

The origin of the word "chowder" is somewhat ambiguous. Most authorities, including the Oxford English Dictionary, assert it originates from the French term faire la chaudiere, which literally means "make something in a cauldron." Others claim the word is from the Old English word jowter, which refers to a fish peddler.

The first chowders were based on seafood: miscellaneous fish, cod, oysters, shrimp, crab, clam and even lobster, which was once known as a poor-man's food. Until the 20th century, seafood of all sorts was cheap and plentiful in New England, and chowders were made of whatever was in the day's catch or could be collected on the shores.

Because of the abundance of clams — and their ready accessibility to anyone, fisherman or not — New England clam chowder became the ideal example for chowders. It is a lusciously thick, creamy broth with chunks of clam, potato and onion.

From its beginnings in New England, chowder spread westward across the continent, and was modified and adapted along the way. Potato chowder, corn chowder and potato-corn chowder are the most common variants, but chowders made of mixed vegetables, kale and spinach have also popped up.

Chicken chowder, usually mixed with corn, potatoes or both, also is common. And when chowder reached the West Coast, salmon chowders became popular. One of my favorite chowder variations is cheddar chowder, which is made by cooking bacon, browning onions in the bacon fat with some flour, then heating cream and milk, and melting sharp cheddar into the mix.

Most of the New England clam chowders I've eaten have been either too thin or thickened with a roux, which can give chowder a gravy-like character. I prefer a soup with the consistency of half and half.

An old chowder-head taught me to put oyster crackers in a plastic bag, pound them into fine crumbs with a beer bottle, and use them to thicken the chowder. This works beautifully with clam chowder. Unlike many soups, chowders have few ingredients, so there is no place for subtlety. Chowder should step up to you and look you squarely in the eye with no hesitancy or hidden agenda. And because there are so few components, they should be the best and freshest you can find. You can't hide poor ingredients in these simple bowls of honest fare.

This is an old favorite of mine with a history nearly as long as that of chowder itself. It makes a hearty winter dish, by highlighting the deep, earthy flavors of new potatoes. However hard you scrub the potatoes, you'll still taste the earth they were born in, and that's the way a potato should taste. There's a reason the French call them pommes de terre, or apples of the earth.

New Potato Chowder

Ingredients:

6 strips bacon

1 medium onion, coarsely diced

3 cups chicken broth

1 pound mixed baby potatoes, cut into ½ -inch dice

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon ground mustard

Additional salt and pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, cook bacon over medium-low heat until semi-crisp. Drain bacon, chop coarsely and reserve for garnish. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of grease.

Add diced onion and cook until it begins to brown. Increase heat to high, add a bit of chicken broth and deglaze the pot. Add remaining chicken broth and bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, add potatoes and salt, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.

Remove 1 cup of potatoes and mash thoroughly with a bit of the stock to loosen them up, then stir back in along with the heavy cream and mustard, and return to a simmer.

Adjust seasonings and serve, garnished with chopped bacon.

Serves 6

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George’s notes:

• When most of us think of chowder, New England-style fish or clam chowder is what comes to mind, but they are only two of the dozens of home-style chowders you can make from this book. Once you discover the diversity of ingredients you can cook into a chowder and see the scope of styles and colors open to you, you will wonder how we ever came to think there were only one or two chowders in the world.
• Authentic chowder is characterized by generous chunks of local seasonal ingredients served in a moderate amount of broth. Another basic characteristic of chowder is its ease of preparation—even chowders that take more than an hour to make don't require anything more than keeping an eye on the pot. A big pot of chowder is perfect for a large gathering of family and friends, and because chowder truly is best when made ahead, you'll have plenty of time to enjoy your company.

Pea & Ham Soup...

Last night the “deep freeze” weather was finally getting to me, so I made a pot of one of my favorite soups. Some years ago, I got this recipe at the Boat House, a wonderful restaurant on Mirror Lake in Lake Placid, New York. Although it is a warm and deeply satisfying dish, it has a fresh and vibrant character. If it were possible to pick peas from the pod and cook them within a matter of hours, then I would insist that everyone used fresh peas, but the frozen peas available to us at the supermarket are fresher than the most so called fresh varieties. This is because the latter are frozen within minutes of being picked, preserving the intensity of the fresh flavor.



Pea & Ham Soup

Ingredients:
3 cups of fresh shelled peas, divided*
1 cup of the pods from the peas
~ picked over, removing the ends
1 shallot, cut in half
1 clove of garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper
1 cup ham, cubed

In a large Dutch oven type pot, heat olive oil on medium and add garlic, pods, and shallot. Cook for about 3 minutes. Then add 2 cups of the peas and the stock. Season with salt and pepper, to taste and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and puree until smooth. Return to the pot and add the reminder of the peas and the ham. Place pot on a medium heat burner and warm for about 5 to 10 minutes, so all is heated through.

* I like to use some of the whole peas to give the soup texture, but you can puree all 3 cups, if you prefer.

Serves 4

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George’s notes:

• Pea soup with diced ham is a hearty, soul-warming bowl of delicious goodness. It's also one of the easiest soup recipes there is to prepare.
• The common garden pea, also known simply as green pea. But there's nothing common about its flavor, particularly during the peak months of March, April and May and again from August to November. The French are famous for their tiny, young green peas known as petits pois. Choose peas that have plump, unblemished, bright green pods; the peas inside should be glossy, crunchy and sweet.

Lentil Soup...

With the recent cold rainy snap we have had around the country, yesterday I turn to my favorite winter soup for comfort. It is a recipe originally from Nava Atlas' "Vegetariana", which I have tweaked a little over the years. It is one of those soup recipes that is perfect for cold winter days, because just about every ingredient is already on the pantry shelf, or on hand. That way you do not have to weather the storm and go out to shop for them.

Its best if I walk you through this recipe, because the way I have written it down you would think I was nipping at the cooking sherry to beat the cold & damp weather, so here it goes…

Combine in a large pot:
½ cup dried lentils, washed and picked over
½ cup brown rice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 Bay leaves
3 cups water or 3 cups vegetable broth

Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer over low heat for 10 to 12 minutes.

Then add:
2 additional cups water or broth
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
1 large celery stalk, finely chopped
1 large leek, finely chopped
1 bunch of kale, course chopped
Handfull of finely chopped celery leaves, they add such great flavor to a recipe
1 can (14-oz ) chopped tomatoes with liquid
½ cup tomato sauce or tomato juice
¼ cup dry red wine or sherry
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon dried marjoram
½ teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

Cover and simmer for half an hour or so, until lentils and rice are done.


This lentil soup is especially exceptional when made with the Ro-Tel tomatoes & chili’s, and a rich homemade vegetable broth…. plus you can take the onus of being vegetarian off by adding about half a pound of kielbasa or other smoked sausage, sliced into rounds, towards the end of the cooking time, and serving it with a little grated cheddar cheese on top.

I made it once with all of the above, and the end of a little box of imported green lentils from France and my dinner guest almost swooned from sheer gastronomic ecstasy. Like all really great soups, it is even better when warmed over the next day.

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George’s notes:

• I have found that exploring vegetarian and vegan cookbooks are a great way to prepare healthier meals and expand ones knowledge of the various food substitutes out in the marketplace.

How to Carve a Turkey...

On Thanksgiving Day there is one minor, not so inconsequential detail left to tend to before dinnertime. Somebody has to carve the turkey! I recently came upon these carving tips to help make it easier to serve your turkey. To make sure you put the perfect finishing touches on your beautiful roasted turkey, you will need a few tools for the task of carving your turkey:

• A good, reliable, sharp knife.
• A long-handled carving fork to hold the bird.
• A large, clean cutting board or work surface on which to carve.
• A good-sized platter for serving.

Just follow these easy steps and enjoy your Thanksgiving dinner:


Step 1
Place bird on a carving board and remove any stuffing. Holding the end of the drumstick, pull the leg away from the body and cut between the thigh joint and body to remove the entire leg. Repeat with other leg.




Step 2
To separate the drumstick and thigh, cut through the connecting joint.




Step 3
Holding the drumstick by the end, slice meat into ¼ -inch slices. Cut thigh meat parallel to the bone into ¼ -inch slices.




Step 4
Hold the bird with a meat fork and make a deep cut into the breast meat just above the wing area.




Step 5
Slice down from the top of the breast into the cut made in Step 4. Slice meat ¼ -inch thick.




Step 6
To remove wings, cut through the connecting joints by the wing bones and backbone.




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Once you have craved up your turkey, save the carcass and use it to make a turkey soup; like the homemade recipe below.

The first thing you need to do is make your turkey stock which is very easy. There are 2 ways you can do this. Do you want a hearty soup with lots of vegetables or one with less vegetables? I prefer a nice hearty soup.

First thing you need to do for this turkey soup recipe is pick the turkey off of the bone and set it a side for later use.

Now put the turkey bones and skin in a large stock pot. Scrape the bottom of the roaster pan and add the scrapings to the pot as well. Fill the pot with about 4 quarts of water. Let it simmer for 3 hours.

Strain the stock.

Now you can stop here if you like and continue the next day by refrigerating it, or you can continue. Either way here is what you will need.


Homemade Turkey Soup

Ingredients:
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
4 celery stalks, chopped
2 Large Onions, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
1 ½ teaspoon Thyme
2 cups turkey,
¼ cup fresh Parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large stock containing your homemade stock, about 3 quarts ~ add the carrots, onions, celery, garlic and simmer for 45 minutes. Then drop in the turkey, parsley and thyme. Simmer for 15 more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

If you wanted to, you could add some leftover rice and turn your soup into a homemade turkey rice soup.

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George’s notes:
Wishing all a very Happy Thanksgiving Day!
Photographs courtesy of The Aiken (S.C.) Standard

Curried Potato and Spinach Soup...

A bowl of soup - to me means something warm and tasty on a cold night. It’s a meal in itself, which takes little effort to prepare, as long as you remember these all important key points:

~ a good flavorful base
~ a decent stock, homemade or a good quality brand
~ balanced seasoning

After that, the simplest of ingredients can be added from a few potatoes, a bunch of fresh thyme and rosemary with onion and garlic, or some pumpkin puree that you froze for another day. Try a soothing Asian Miso soup with fish sauce... or grab a hearty ham hock with delectable meaty morsels and your favorite garden vegetables.

The brilliant thing about soup is that once the ingredients have been thrown in a pot, they can quietly bubble away while a loaf of sourdough warms in the oven. After an hour of doing what needs to be done, dinner is ready. Below is a soup I made up for just those cold nights:



Curried Potato and Spinach soup

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 carrot, peeled and finely grated
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 to 2 teaspoons curry powder *
⅛ teaspoon thyme
4 cups chicken stock
1 ½ pounds potatoes, peeled
Salt & pepper to taste
1 cup fresh baby spinach

* This depends on how much you like curry

Melt the butter in a large pot then add the onion, carrot, garlic, curry powder and thyme. Stir while cooking for 4 to 7 minutes. Add the potatoes and seasoning. Then stir in the stock.

Simmer for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are falling apart. Add the spinach, stir through then turn off the heat. Ladle the soup into warmed soup bowls and serve with the garlic toast.

Serves 4

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On a health note:

I recently read an interesting study about curry. It said that curry may help kill cancer cells. A molecule found in the yellow curry spice turmeric may one day be used to treat cancer. Researchers found that esophageal cancer cells treated with curcumin, the substance that gives turmeric its yellow color, began dying within 24 hours. These data support previous research that suggests curcumin can suppress tumors and that people who eat lots of curry may have a reduced cancer risk. Esophageal cancers are particularly deadly and take the lives of more than a half a million people each year.

Here is the full article from LONDON (Reuters):

Scientists say curry compound kills cancer cells

Cheshire Cheddar Chowder...

Talk about cheesy goodness on a cold night. This chowder will warm your tummy and your soul. I suppose its origins are English, but I first had it at The Beehive Tavern in East Sandwich, MA, where ordering seafood chowder or their famous roast turkey rubin was my usual order. But I couldn't resist trying their cheddar cheese chowder. Ever since having this rich flavorful soup, I have been trying to replicate their smooth consistency. I think last night I mastered it and more.



Cheshire Cheddar Chowder

Ingredients:
6 strips thick-cut bacon
1 medium Spanish onion, diced
⅓ cup flour
1 quart milk, warmed in microwave
2 cups half & half, warmed in microwave
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
1 pound Cheshire cheese, shredded
~ (extra-sharp cheddar may be used)
Croutons (see below)

Cook bacon in a Dutch oven or heavy soup pot over medium heat until medium crisp. Drain and chop coarsely. Set aside.

Pour off all but ⅓ cup of bacon fat. Sauté onion until translucent, scraping up browned bacon bits from the bottom of the pan. Add flour and reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add milk and half and half and cook, stirring, until thickened. Whisk in mustard, salt and pepper. Stir in cheese a handful at a time, stirring until melted before adding next handful.

Serve garnished with bacon and croutons.

Serves 6

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Croutons
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
2 cups stale bread, cut into ½ -inch cubes
½ teaspoon powdered garlic
¼ teaspoon salt

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl.

Spread them out evenly on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes; turning bread cubes periodically, until lightly browned. Great garnish for soups and salads!

George’s Firehouse Chili...

How often have you heard a cook say they have the best chili recipe? Chili recipes come in many forms and in many degrees of heat. Over a number of years and many additions & subtractions, I have finally perfected my Firehouse Chili. As you will see, you can make it as spicy and “hot” as you like. But one ingredient that sets this chili from all the rest ~ chocolate. Yes, I use coco powder as one of the ingredients, which gives it smoothness and helps to mellow the spicy without reducing the fire.

With the season changing and the days cooling down, what satisfies the appetite more than a good bowl of chili. Make sure that you let this chili simmer slowly for at least two hours, so all the ingredients can bring their full flavor to the mix. And the aroma will definitely fill your kitchen with a sensational smell. I like to serve this with a wedge of my cornbread.

George’s Firehouse Chili

Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef
One 29-ounce can tomato sauce
One 29-ounce can kidney beans (with liquid)
One 29-ounce can black beans (with liquid)
1 cup diced onion (1 medium onion)
½ cup diced green chili (2 chilies)
½ cup diced green bell pepper
¼ cup diced celery (1 stalk)
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 teaspoons cumin powder
3 tablespoons chili powder
1½ tablespoons Dutch Chocolate Coco
1½ teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups water

Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat; drain off the fat. Using a fork, crumble the cooked beef into pea-size pieces.
In a large pot, combine the beef plus all the remaining ingredients, and bring to a simmer over low heat.
Cook, stirring every 15 minutes, for 2 to 3 hours.

Serves 6

Serve accompanied by any or all of these condiments:
• sour cream
• grated cheddar cheese
• chopped scallions

To spice it up:
One Alarm Chili: add ½ teaspoon more black pepper

Two Alarm Chili: add 1 teaspoon black pepper and a tablespoon cayenne pepper

Three Alarm – All City Fire Chili: add 1 teaspoon black pepper and a tablespoon cayenne pepper & add 5 or 6 sliced jalapeno peppers to the pot

A symphony of flavor....

Here’s a richly spiced, eye-opening soup which launches the taste buds into the main course, or makes a meal in itself with bread and cheese. The lime at the end is optional: you may wish to sharpen it if your pumpkins or apples are especially sweet. The dollop of crème fraiche is mandatory to conduct the symphony of flavor.

Spiced Pumpkin and Apple Soup

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 walnut-sized piece of fresh ginger, chopped
3 whole star anise
½ whole nutmeg, grated
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, crushed
2 teaspoons salt, or to your taste
freshly ground black pepper
8 cups pumpkin, peeled and chopped
2 cooking apple, peeled, cored and chopped
6 cups vegetable stock
juice of one lime (optional)

To serve:
Crème Fraiche
Sprig of fresh parsley
Grated apple
Slice of lime

Melt the butter in a lidded pan and soften the onion, garlic and ginger with the salt and spices over a low flame. When the onions are translucent, add the pumpkin and apple. Cover and sweat for 15 minutes, stirring now and then. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove the star anise (it should have floated to the top), and puree the soup. Taste and sharpen with the lime juice if desired. Serve each bowl with a dollop of crème fraiche, a sprinkling of chopped parsley, and a few croutons on top.

Serves 4-6
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Crème Fraiche

Ingredients:
2 cups pasteurized heavy cream (whipping cream)
2 tablespoons cultured buttermilk

Bring the cream to 110 degree F in a medium saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat and stir the butter milk into the hot cream.
Transfer the cream mixture to a glass bowl and cover it with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel. Allow the crème fraiche to culture for 18 to 36 hours at room temperature. It is ready when it has a rich, slightly sour taste and has slightly thickened in consistency. Refrigerate the finished crème fraiche. and use it within one week.

This homemade crème fraiche recipe makes 2 cups.

Pimento Cheese Bisque

Several weeks ago I was visiting friends in Aiken, SC and had lunch at one of my favorite little restaurants, The West Side Bowery Café. The chefs there are brilliant and creative; serving a wide range of dishes, both classic and original – like their Pimento Cheese Bisque. Walking into The West Side Bowery Café you think you're in a first-rate Michelin-starred restaurant in any great city around the world. From the greeting to the seasonal menu, the daily specials, the service, the presentation and the warm thanks you'll receive when you leave, you'll have a wonderful dining experience. No one goes to The West Side Bowery Café only once.

After getting home from Aiken, I had to try and duplicate this wonderful soup. I started with my own pimento cheese recipe and then gradually incorporated it into a classic bisque base. Here is the recipe that developed:


Pimento Cheese Bisque
"This bisque is like no other. It has a great taste; it’s full of flavor and very satisfying."

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups hot milk
1 four-ounce jar pimentos, drained and chopped
¼ cup red bell pepper, chopped
¼ cup yellow bell pepper, chopped
¼ cup green bell pepper, chopped
½ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¼ cup Durkee's Famous Sauce ®
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Salt and cayenne pepper to taste
¼ cup Sherry
1 cup hot chicken broth (add to thin bisque, if needed)

Reserve 1 tablespoon each serving of the bell peppers for garnish



In a double boiler over boiling water, melt the butter and add the flour, stirring until blended. Add hot milk and stir until smooth.

Using a food-processor combine the pimentos, bell peppers, sour cream, Dijon mustard, Durkee’s, Grand Marnier and grated cheese - working in short intervals, pulse until the mixture is smooth.

Slowly add in batches the cheese mixer to warm milk, stirring until smooth. Do Not Let It Come To A Boil! Season with salt and cayenne pepper; Stir in Sherry.

Serve warm with a pinch of the combined bell peppers.

Serves 6