"I Crave Vegetables but Can't Chew" Vegetable Soup

Hello all five of my followers.  It has been quite a long while since I last vented through the medium of cooking and blogging.

Winter in my New England town is quite depressing; sunset at 4 PM, constant snow on the ground, heat-sucking weather, not much to do outside, and classes to attend after the storm of the decade.  However, hearty soups, stews, chilies, and sweets have kept me sane and happy.  The fragrance of spices and earthy aromatics that fills the apartment is enough to fill my mind with nostalgic memories of home as a youngster while I ate a big bowl of chili after a long day of playing in the snow building snowmen, sledding, and making forts.  This olfactory sensation in combination with long runs in the blistering cold, followed by a steamy shower was enough to push me through my final winter here... I can see spring in site.  Morning temperatures are double digits and Mother Nature even was generous enough to offer a real treat today by letting the temperature rise above freezing! Hurra! However, I still need that occasional mental retreat so I'm always looking for soup variations because honestly I can only eat split pea soup, chicken soup, and chili so many times.  This recipe is a vegetable packed version of lentil soup with which I was quite satisfied.

Recently, I had major jaw surgery that left me incapable of chewing... It has been a long and mentally trying time.  So many things that are out of reach... ribs... burgers... cereal... bread... cookies... but enough sobbing and reminiscing.  Surprisingly, there are quite a few very enjoyable soft dishes that I am able to eat. I've been enjoying decadent oatmeals, health-nut smoothies with VEGA vegetable supplement (with a soon to come review featuring the ultimate showdown between Blendtec of "Will it blend" and the industry standard choice of Vitamix), and cheesy egg variations.  However, what I crave more than anything else is salad and fresh vegetables.  I've been searching for any kind of recipe that softens the veg enough for me to eat it without becoming mush.  I tried creamed corn and creamed spinach with success, but peas and green beans are quite disgusting blended.  Earlier this week I made Smittenkitchen's adaptation of lentils with roasted butternut squash and goat cheese, that was marvelous; tangy and great texture.  But I was still left with a yearning so I devised a soup full of my favorite winter vegetables.  I think it covers about 2/3 of the food pyramid requirements for the day, so there is no need to feel any guilt having that third scoop of ice cream.

Lentil and Tons of Vegetables Soup

• 1 lb mixture of green and yellow split peas and lentils
• 1 onion
• 1 cup each of: carrot, parsnip, celery, diced
• 5-7 cups of stock
• 1 lb sausage (I used chicken sausage)
• 1 cup of corn
• 8 oz mushroom, chopped
• 1 lb frozen spinach
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon of: thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• dash of cayenne or chipotle
• Big splash of red wine vinegar

Heat a stock pot with olive oil. Saute the onion and celery until translucent then add the sausage until cooked.  Add the stock and the lentils.  Simmer for 30 minutes.  Add the carrot and parsnip. Cook another 20 minutes until vegetables are just softened.  Add corn, mushrooms, spinach, and herbs, spices, and vinegar.  Let sit a few minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Enjoy with an extra splash of vinegar if you like or crumbled goat cheese.

Bunch of Bad Apples Applesauce

As I promised, I am back this week with a recipe to use all those fall apples taking up space in the kitchen and causing your pantry to smell of rot.  A few weeks ago my roommates went apple picking without my supervision and came back with 25 lb of apples, but only one of them eats apples.  Back to today, I have a huge pile of apples sitting in the kitchen starting to go bad, even after an apple pie was made.  My first thought to use up these mushy fruit is applesauce.  Since the apples are cooked and do not need to retain their shape, like say apple dumplings, apple sauce is the perfect recipe to not let apples go to waste.  It is a warm, soft, sweet, and tantalizing dish that can be served hot or cold for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, or a snack.  It is a comfort food that immediately takes me back to my childhood when my mom would so often make me applesauce to fit my picky appetite.  I remember sitting at the counter with her while peeling apples on our old mechanical contraption that peeled, cored, and sliced them simultaneously.  Even the smell of applesauce takes me back to the golden childhood years, and sometimes that is a much needed feeling.  Store bought goop won't do; only homemade will satisfy this craving.  However, this recipe has an adult kick: whisky.  So on this rainy afternoon, I took the time to make fresh applesauce for lunch before returning to work.

This recipe is incredibly simple, yet rewarding.  All you have to do it peel, boil, and mash the apples.

• 3 lb of apples peeled and rough diced (use a variety of Gala, Fuji, Grannysmith, Golden Delicious as they provide the perfect combination of flavor and textures)
• 1/2 c sugar
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 1 Tbl cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg (fresh grated please)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• juice of one lemon
• splash of whiskey at the end
• optional: raisins, all spice, apple cider instead of water

Put the apples in a large pot and add water to almost the top of apples.  Add sugar and bring to a boil.  When soft, mash apples to desired consistency (I like mine chunky) and add the rest of the ingredients.  Season to taste.  Eat warm or chill for later. Enjoy.

Pumpkin Chili

Fall has officially hit. The leaves are golden and beautiful, the nights have a slight chill in the air, and everyone I know has a cold. With all its splendor comes a dead period for fresh fruits and vegetables... unless you know where to look.  In fall, I turn to one of my favorite varieties of fruits: squash.  Whenever you are shopping in your local market, these fruits might not stand out to you like the bright, shiny apples also in season but the culinary possibilities of squash should cause you to take a second look as you walk by.  Don't be afraid of their tough exterior and intimidating hard, bitter fleshy insides.  When properly prepared, these beasts of fall unleash a ton of flavor; for example, roasting them to top fresh greens with chevre and caramelized onion.  When added to dishes, they can enhance your dish to another level; risotto is my favorite.  I'm familiar with four basic squash types: zucchini, acorn, butternut, and of course pumpkin, which is the concern of this post.  Many people only are familiar with pumpkin of two types.  First, the nostalgic big guy that you cut up as a kid into scary faces and devious demons.  Second, the gross goop that comes out of a Libby's can to make tasteless pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving.  Please don't let these experiences deter you from exploring the possibilities of pumpkin.  There are few things I have found that pumpkin does not improve.  Add it to morning oatmeal with cinnamon and ginger for a fall twist, muffins for a moist improvement, or risotto for a nice texture contrast.  However, success is dependent, crucially dependent, on using either freshly roasted pumpkin (my favorite and a absolute must for pumpkin pie) or buying high quality canned pumpkin (which I did for this recipe despite my reservations).

I was out shopping this last weekend and some nice looking pumpkins caught my eye.  Eager to pop this baby in the oven, I reluctantly walked away because I didn't have time to properly roast the pumpkin, scoop out the flesh, and pulverize it in my tiny food processor.  But at this point, I had pumpkin in my blood and was craving something to satisfy this yearning.  I found some decent looking canned, but I wasn't prepared to take the leap by using it as a primary ingredient.  So standing in the meat aisle, I thought about which dish could use a little pumpkin mojo.  I looked up and saw ground turkey staring back at me. Then it hit me! "Eureka," I yelled as I ran down the aisle (not naked). Pumpkin chili. Chili is hearty enough and has enough punch from the spices to be able to stand up to pumpkin.  The wheels started turning in my head as I began to formulate some ideas for a recipe.  All in all, I was quite pleased with this new fall twist on a winter classic.  The pumpkin flavor did not overpower the rest of the ingredients, but it provided a silky texture and subtle smooth taste that balanced the heat nicely.

Recipe for Pumpkin Chili with Turkey

• 1 onion, diced
• 1 celery, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 2 lb ground turkey
• 2 bell peppers, diced
• 2 Tbl chili powder
• 1Tbl ground cumin
• 1 tsp chipotle powder (or fresh chipotle is even better)
• 2 tsp salt
• pepper
• 1 tsp oregeno
• 32 oz diced tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)
• 4 oz tomato paste
• 1 can of pumpkin (or fresh roasted but it is not as crucial in this recipe)
• 32 oz beans (I used half black and half kidney but feel free to play)

Add the first three ingredients to the pan and saute until half way done.  Add turkey and bell peppers and cook until turkey is not pink, being careful to break up the turkey into bite sized pieces. Add the spices and garlic. Stir for 30 seconds to activate the spices.  

Add the tomatoes, paste, and pumpkin and let simmer for 30 minutes. Add the beans, season to taste, and serve with a dollop of sour cream. Yum!

Enjoy. We have 20 lb of fresh picked apples so next post look forward to something with apples. 

Labor Day Lazy Day

Labor Day is the quintessential american holiday: overindulgence of food, sipping cold drinks in a coozy cup, telling tall tales to friends, sitting in lawn chairs in the back yard.  What more could a person want? Well this year my roommates and I decided to celebrate this great american tradition a day early.  This break in tradition was allowed for by increasing the frivolity and gluttony.  We started off the day with a leisurely bike ride down to a local ice creamery for lunch.  An hour long ride along the water led us to The Daily Scoop where I got a double dip cone of coffee heath and maple walnut, my staple.  After chatting on the patio we headed back to Providence to get ready for the celebration.  The bike ride served as time for me to contemplate the dinner menu.  Now when I think of Labor Day, I think of grilling meat and eating the last of the fresh produce of the season.  So obviously hot dogs were the main course; easy decision.  I don't want to already be repeating recipes, but I had to make panzanella just one last time this summer.  Grilled vegetables rounded off the meal.  My roommate had the spectacular idea to make summer in a cup: mojitos. Quick shower, shoes on, out the door, in the car, off to the farm.  Luckily, Rhode Island vegetable season lasts a little longer than in Missouri.  The tomatoes were still gorgeous, the corn sweet, and the basil fragrant.  According to the farm I got "the best cucumber in the world," but somehow I doubt that.

I started the panzanella by toasting country bread.  Then I marinated the red onion in the vinaigrette while I chopped all the vegetables. Thirty minutes before serving I put it all together to let the bread soak up the juicy goodness and to let the flavors marry.  It is my absolute favorite summertime recipe.  Unfortunately this will be the last opportunity I can make it until next summer. It will be sorely missed.  But soon hearty stews with a glass of stout will replace it and I will be happy again.

Seven Stars country loaf.

Tomato, cucumber, roasted pepper, feta

Dinner

Question: How many Brown students does it take to grill hot dogs? Answer is 3.  One to analyze the best way to grill them.  One to question the utility of the hot dog.  And one to question the higher reason as to why a hot dog is a hot dog. So as men do, we all had to be around the grill to manage the meats. Random pokes.  Meaningless suggestions.  Standing around pretending to be busy.  Oh yeah grilling.  Along with hot dogs, we tossed on corn on the cob and broccoli.  After giving the buns a quick toast we were set.

Meanwhile, the girls were making the mojitos with simple syrup, fresh lime, club soda, rum, and freshly picked mint from our backyard.  They were magnificently refreshing and crisp.  Summertime in a glass.  These will definitely return before winter peaks its ugly head from its hole.

And the feast began.  It was a lovely salute to summer's end.  I wish everyday could be this relaxing.  Next week, I will welcome fall with apples and squash after a bike ride and kayaking.

Good times with friends. 

Back to School Comfort Food

I haven't been keeping up on my food explorations the past month as much as I would have liked.  Upon arriving home from my summer research project, I took it upon myself to take a few weeks to relax before school starts and the job search commences.  I spent my weekends at the lake which is devoid of internet and most human contact so that I could recharge my batteries.  But inevitably the days grew shorter as summer came to a close and I flew back to Providence.  Now that I have settled into my new apartment with three of my college buddies, I  am starting to be able to cook again. My kitchen here is much smaller and more ill-equipped than I have become accustomed to the past few years, but I am learning how to make the most of the space.  Hurricane Earl was suppose to unleash its furry upon New England today (which ended up being nothing more than a few rain drops) so I wanted to make a homey meal that was comforting during the rain downpour and tree-uprooting wind gusts.  In the refrigerator we had a nice assorted of random items, a speciality of one of my roommates: leeks, random bread pieces, ground beef, onions. The leeks were amazing specimens from the local farm.  I wanted to make something special with them.  Risotto? Soup? Then it hit me. When I first got my Ad Hoc cookbook by Thomas Keller I made a mental bookmark when I saw his recipe for Leek Bread Pudding.  Everything of his that I have made has been divine, but sometimes tiresome and intimidating.  I knew that this recipe would really highlight these tremendous leeks.  I followed the adapted SmittenKitchen recipe that was a little lighter with less cream since I intended on making dessert.  I first sauteed the leeks to soften their flavor and texture.  

Then I whisked together two eggs, 3 c. milk, chives, thyme, salt, and pepper.  While all this was cooking I put the torn bread pieces in a 200 degree oven to dry out.  All this was combined in a 9x9 pan along with cheddar.  

After 1 hour in a 350 degree oven, the resulting pudding was puffed, golden, and delicious.  Unlike most bread puddings, this one was savory and did not overwhelm my tongue with fat globules.  Once again, bravo to Mr. Keller. 

Now what to do with the beef. I saw this month that Epicurious had a recipe for high-brow sloppy joes.  I was hesitant.  The sloppy joes I have had have been at school or out of a can.  Bad beef simmered in bbq sauce and smothered in ketchup to cover up any taste or unusual textures.  Putting my predilections aside, I decided to give them a fair chance.  To start, I sauteed a large onion along with one celery rib and a carrot. 

Once this mixture was translucent, I added 1.5 lb ground beef.  On the rare occasion I did not have cumin so I added oregano and a cajun spice mix along with chili powder once the beef was cooked.  Finally, I simmered the beef mixture with pureed fresh tomato, brown sugar, red wine, balsamic, and Worcestershire. 

Slap the sloppy joe on the fresh cut bun.  Top with irish cheddar.  Spoon some pudding on the side.  Dinner was served.

Admittedly this is not the most glamorous dinner, but that is not the point of comfort food.  I always criticize and find room for improvement but I recommend trying these recipes.  The most important part of the rainy day meal is dessert.  We had mint chip ice cream in the freezer so I opted to make chocolate peace cookies. They were very simple and quick to make.  A fool proof recipe that just involved mixing together all the ingredients.  And no eggs! The cookies were decadently dark when I took them out of the oven due to their high concentration of cocoa powder and chocolate chips.  They had almost a chewy brownie texture, not crispy like a regular cookie.  They were ideal to pair with ice cream; the soft, chewy texture with the bitter chocolate provided a nice contrast to the creamy, sweet ice cream that excited my tongue.  Sorry, I got too excited once the cookies and ice cream were in my bowl.  I meant to take a picture but somehow my bowl was empty by the time I got my camera...

I'm tired of cooking... Let's eat out!

It was my first night at home since the beginning of the summer.  My small hometown does not have a lot to offer in the way of exotic or elegant food.  We have a strip of fast food chains and local greasy spoons.  However, we have a few hidden gems.  There is a small butcher shop outside of town that will cut steaks for you right when you order them.  Now that is fresh.  My favorite is an extra thick cut filet mignon vacuum sealed in marinade.  It is the most tender and flavorful filet I have purchased.  Just a quick sear on a hot grill later along with some sautéed mushrooms and you are in heaven.  As well, we have quite a large proportion of hispanic residents so in the past few years a lot of great, authentic mexican restaurants have popped up.  This is true and real food, no Tex-Mex here.  There is a grocery store that sells homemade tamales (made by the mother of the shop owner) every Friday and Saturday.  There is another restaurant that is called Dos Arcos that my parents frequent at least once a week.  It is simple, cheap, tasty mexican food.  It has a pretty vast menu.  Our meal usually begins with housemade salsa and queso fundido, which is crumbled chorizo sauteed in a super hot cast-iron skillet until some of the great, telltale red grease seeps out then queso is added until it melts.  "Hot plate, hot plate!" the waiter warns as he lowers the still sizzling pan onto the table.  It spicy, cheesy and salty with chips: my favorite dish.  My grandma ate almost an entire dish of it before my family could get a few bites. For my main course I usually get the chile verde, a dish made by stewing pork shoulder in a green, tangy chile sauce.  The food is all fresh made and so tasty. The staff is friendly and I can get a huge meal for under ten dollars too.

Once a year my town hosts a huge event that brings people from across the country.  The population of my town triples for the weekend of Marian Days.  The celebration is basically like Christmas but for Mary; the date seems to have been arbitrarily chosen to be a weekend in August.  It attracts thousands of Vietnamese to my town each year.  It is quite a site to see all the camps set up surrounding the church.  Traffic basically shuts down for a week and extra police force has to be brought in from surrounding towns.  It provides a lot of irritation as well as excitement to the local community.  Some people hate that time of year and leave town.  On the other hand myself, I like to wander around the camp sites to see the variety of shops and people.  One perk for the town is that the visitors set up restaurants tents that serve Vietnamese delicacies.  Each year I try to find a dish more unusual and exotic than the last.  Vermicelli, whole fried crabs, shrimp rolls, bulls balls in broth, but this year trumped them all.  I could only read three words describing the dish as "fried whole fish."  I thought "hmmm this could be interesting." I've had fried fish many times on my fishing trips to Canada but this was entirely different.  When they say whole fried fish, they mean the whole thing.  They gutted and descaled some of it but fins, eyes, tail, TEETH were all left intact.  It was a beastly fish that was a foot long with big, ugly teeth.  They slashed the sides to promote even cooking, put on a light batter, and flash fried it... about a day before I ate it.  The whole fish was served to me on a plate with chop sticks, carrots, parsley, and fish sauce.  It was pretty good but a little plain.  The appearance set a stage that the flavor of the fish did not live up to.

Yesterday, I was in KC.  I started off the morning with my usual greek yogurt and berries.  Then we went to see the cheap show of Dinner for Schmucks.  The movie looked hilarious from the commercials, but it was full of painfully awkward situations that were simply not enjoyable.  Jemaine from Flight of the Conchords was the funniest part of the movie but he just had a supporting role.   After almost walking out of the movie, we ate at a vegetarian/vegan restaurant called Eden Alley.  It's a very unusual place because it serves no meat but is located on an expensive shopping district in a area that loves red meat.  But to my surprise, we walked in and it was very busy.  The restaurant is in a big room that is filled with vintage, antique shop tables and chairs designed by local artists.  Everything they make has the option of being vegan, but it does not taste vegan.  I once had mushroom loaf (like meat loaf) and would never have guessed that it did not have meat.  For our meal, I had a tomato based black bean soup with sirachi sauce and a salad with beets, green apples, couscous, dried cranberries, mandarin oranges, feta, and a poppy seed dressing.  The soup was the best black bean that I have ever tried.  The beans were not overcooked and just gave way with the right amount of pressure.  The tomato base provided a much deeper texture and flavor than the traditional broth base.  The sirachi gave it a nice bite as it went down my throat.  Their dessert tray looked amazing, and I was shocked to find out that most of the cakes were vegan.  Now I am not usually a cake person, but I just had to try a piece.  I got a huge slice of avocado-lemon poppy seed cake and my girlfriend had coconut cloud cake (not vegan).  The cake was a funky yellow color and incredibly dense (it's hard to get a fluffy cake without butter or eggs).  It was covered in florescent green icing.  I was a little skeptical but on my first bite I was blown away.  I never thought vegan cake could taste like it.  It was moist and flavorful with tones of lemon and the subtle creaminess of avocado.  I think they might have used the avocado to replace the butter, which is genius.  It was delicious, but definitely not cake in the traditional sense.  The texture was very heavy and had varying density which provided a lot of different textures.  A new word is needed to describe this "cake." The coconut cloud cake was just like the name describes.  The white cake was like and airy with a pillowy coconut frosting floating on top.  When we first got the massive slices we were intimidated and prepared to have leftover cake to take home.  But after those first bites everything changed. Ten minutes later and even forensic specialists wouldn't have been able to find a trace of cake.  It was so amazing we cleaned the plates.  And afterwards, I didn't feel weighed down like I usually do after eating cake.  I will definitely have it again.  They sell a cookbook that I am excited to try out, hoping they have the recipe.  Eden Alley is a must try if you ever visit Kansas City. 

Last Supper in Chicago

My last week in Chicago was a whirlwind.  Up to the last day I was working on finishing and cleaning up my 12 page research paper on electric rickshaws in India.  At the same time, I was designing a presentation about my work and preparing for questions to defend my work.  Then the little things like packing all my things into not enough bags, cleaning the apartment, doing laundry, grocery shopping, running errands, etc. I gave my final presentation, said goodbyes, and rushed to the apartment to finish packing and get ready for the airport.  I was so busy that I had to make my last supper the week before I left, but oh was it a good one.

I've mentioned before how amazing the Green City Farmers' Market, in Chicago, is and that it has an amazing selection of high-quality food.  I usually only allowed myself to buy vegetables, but for my last week I splurged on meat.  But this was not just any run of the mill meat.  After talking to all the stand owners, I decided to buy from a local supplier of Berkshire Pork.  They had ribs, butt, bacon, and two types of pork chops.  I decided to go with the t-bone steak of pork, the bone in pork rib chop.  It was a little pricey, but I have been lucky enough to taste Berkshire Pork once before in my life.  I have forever been converted and ruined from eating grocery store pork.  The Berkshire makes conventional pork taste like a McRib.  This special, rare pig breed has a much more concentrated "pork" flavor and is incredibly juicy due to the high marbling.  Each bite packs a huge punch of flavor that will knock your socks off.  For meals with produce like this, I like to let it be the star of the show without too many fancy accompaniments or flavor enhancements.  The meat is so succulent and flavorful on its own that I don't want to tamper with it.  I also like to cook from inspiration without a lot of recipe structure.  As I mentioned earlier, I had some wonderful 18 year vintage sweet balsamic vinegar.  On the counter were some bruised and past edible peaches.  Hmmm... salty pork, acid vinegar, sweet peaches.  To cook the pork chop, I took a note from steak preparation.  I super heated a cast-iron skillet then slapped on the chop to let it sizzle for a few minutes per side until is was crusty and caramelized, but still raw in the middle.  It finished cooking in a 350 oven for a few minutes until is was just above pink.  To deglaze the pan, I added a generous splash of balsamic and chicken stock.  I let that boil, then added sliced peaches, and let it reduce to a thick, dark sauce.  The dish was very simple and elegant.  The seared pork chop was juicy with an intense natural pork flavor and the peach-balsamic sauce lended complex notes of sweet and sour that didn't over power the meat.  I was told that it was the best pork chop ever made and the bone had to be gnawed on to get all the goodness.  For the side dishes I had some inedible, week-old stale bread, heirloom tomatoes, peppers, green beans and great vinegar.  The first thing that came to mind was the classic tucsan bread salad, panzanella. It was designed as a way to use up old bread that cannot otherwise be eaten, much like bread pudding.  My sister, and fellow food lover and cook, first made this for me a few years ago and I fell in love with this simple salad.  It has a wide range of flavors and textures: crunchy, soft, chewy, cheesey, acidic, sweet, salty.  It's one of my favorite summer dishes because it really highlights all the best produce of the summer farmers' market.