Tomato-Basil Soup

This has become a classic soup during my lifetime. I recall when La Madeleine restaurants in Dallas served it to rave comments, sold it bottled at grocery stores, and yet ... I never tried it.

I love regular Tomato Soup and though I believed the accolades I just didn't think I needed to eat Tomato Soup that often. It turns out I was wrong.

Rose came across it when living in L.A. and immediately found a recipe which she made regularly. She's been back in Dallas for years now, living at home, and it has become a staple for our meatless Friday meals. We love it, especially paired with a Grilled Jalapeño Jack Cheese Sandwich.

As my husband observed, "I always just thought I didn't like Tomato Soup before. Turns out I was eating the wrong soup!"

It helps that it is super easy.

Note: this freezes well and we often make a double recipe so that there's always some on hand.

Tomato-Basil Soup

Step 1:
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 red onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced

Heat olive oil over medium-low heat in a dutch oven or large pot. Once hot, add onions and season generously with salt. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until soft and starting to turn golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute, stirring to avoid burning the garlic.

Step 2:
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
4 cups good-quality chicken stock
Salt and pepper

Stir in the tomatoes and chicken stock. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower heat to maintain a simmer for at least 15 minutes. Feel free to leave it longer if you forget about it.

Purée mixture using an immersion blender or carefully transfer soup to a blender and blend until smooth. If using a blender, return mixture to the pot.

Step 3:
1 cup heavy cream
1 bunch basil, torn into small bite-size pieces
Parmesan cheese, grated for garnish

Stir in the cream and basil and let simmer for at least 15 minutes or until preferred consistency. Serve immediately, topped with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, black pepper, and basil.

Chicken-Rice Soup with Garbanzos and Green Chile

This is from The Border Cookbook by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison. It was easy, homey, and perfect for a cold night in Texas. It makes a huge batch and, based on my breakfast the next day, the flavor improves over time.

I didn't serve it with a lot of extras but the recipe notes say you can add various extras like shredded Monterey Jack, chopped cilantro, lime juice, and avocado. Everyone said this made them think of a variation of Chicken Tortilla Soup, especially if you had the extras to add.

My cooking notes:

• This was a super-thick soup. I think that next time I will try using half the rice and see what a less solid version is like.
  
• I used about 3 cups of chicken instead of the amount below, just because that is what I had on hand.
• If you don't want to use rotisserie chicken: cook the chicken in the way I do for Chicken Tortilla Soup. I include it here for anyone who is interested. Simmer 1-1/2 - 2 pounds chicken thighs in 8 cups chicken stock until done. Let cool on a plate and then discard skin. Pull meat off the bone in bite sized pieces. This enriches the broth and gives good moist chicken that will stand up to the later simmering. Reserve broth and chicken.
• I skipped the bay leaf
• I used 1 tablespoon cumin
• I used poblano chiles, skipped the roasting, and just chopped it up to add with the chicken, etc.
• We served it with grated Monterey Jack (hand grated so it would melt well, not like the pre-shredded kind). The cheese added a great layer of flavor.
  

Chicken Rice Soup with Garbanzos and Green Chile

1/4 cup butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup uncooked rice
8 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
15 ounce can garbanzos (chickpeas), drained
3/4 cup chopped roasted mild green chiles
1 cup cubed cooked chicken
1 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper

In a heavy sauce pan, warm the butter over low heat. When melted, add the onion and garlic. Cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes.

Stir in the rice and saute it briefly until the grains become opaque. Pour in the stock, add the remaining ingredients, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes until rice is very soft. Serve hot.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Goodness gracious, I first shared this recipe in 2004. That is so long ago! In the meantime, I've made a number of time-saving changes or those that up the flavor. This soup is so simple and so delicious you've got to try it so I'm rerunning it, revised.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Step 1:
1-1/2 - 2 pounds chicken thighs
6 cups chicken stock

Simmer the chicken thighs in the broth until done. Let cool on a plate and then discard skin. Pull meat off the bone in bite sized pieces. This enriches the broth and gives good moist chicken that will stand up to the later simmering. Reserve broth and chicken.

Step 2:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2-3 tomatoes, chopped (app. 2 cups)
OR instead of the above use 2 cups fresh pico de gallo from your grocery store (if your grocery store does that)

In a large stock pot, heat oil. Saute everything for about 10 minutes.

Step 3:
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder (I've also used ancho chili powder, which my husband loves in this dish)
1 teaspoon salt
Reserved chicken and broth from Step 1

Add all, return to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve up in big bowls to make room for accompaniments below.

Step 4:
Lime wedges
Shredded Monterey Jack
Sour Cream
Tortilla chips

Crumble some tortilla chips in the bottom of the bowl (or let each person add their own at the table), ladle soup over them. Serve with accompaniments.

Shrimp Soup with Cumin

This is from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything. My mother loves this soup. She says that she feels as if she is in an elegant restaurant whenever she has it. So, in some cases, it literally carries you away from your hum drum life!

It is easy, delicious and ... elegant.

Shrimp Soup with Cumin
Yield - 4 bowls

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled
4 thick slices French or Italian bread
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
5 cups shrimp stock, chicken stock, water or a combination
1 to 1-1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled

PREPARATION
Combine olive oil and garlic in a large, deep saucepan or casserole and turn heat to medium. Add the garlic cloves and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are a very deep golden, almost brown, about 10 minutes. Remove them with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Turn heat to low and brown the bread in the oil on both sides, in batches if necessary; it will take about 5 minutes. Remove the slices and spread each with about 1/2 clove of the cooked garlic. Mince the remaining garlic. (I just use a whole glove on each slice.)

Cut each of the shrimp into 3 or 4 pieces. Put stock into the pan, turn heat to medium and bring to a gentle boil. Add shrimp, cumin, salt and pepper and cook over low heat for 3 or 4 minutes.
Place a piece of bread in each of four bowls, then ladle in a portion of soup with shrimp. Sprinkle with minced garlic, garnish and serve.

Green Soup (Hara Shorva)

This is from Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking. She says it is India's version of cream of pea soup. But It is both more highly spiced and more delicious than a traditional pea soup. The spices lift this soup to a whole new level. With a salad and maybe a roll it is a delicious meatless meal.


Green Soup

1 medium potato, peeled and roughly diced
1 medium onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
5 cups chicken stock
3/4 inch cube of fresh ginger, peeled
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
5 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/2 fresh hot green chili
10 ounces shelled green peas, fresh or frozen
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground roasted cumin seeds (we usually skip this step)
2/3 cup heavy cream

Combine the potato, onion, chicken stock, ginger, ground coriander and ground cumin in a pot and bring to a boil. Cover and turn heat to low, simmer for 30 minutes.

Fish out the cube of ginger and discard it. Add the cilantro, green chili, peas, salt, lemon juice and ground roasted cumin seeds. Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered for 2-3 minutes or until the peas are just tender.

Empty the soup into the container of an electric blender in 2-3 batches and blend until it is smooth. Put the soup into a clean pot. Add the cream and bring to a simmer to heat through. Serves 5-6.

Leek And Potato Soup

This is from James Beard's American Cookery which is one of my favorite cookbooks. This is a recipe that everyone should have because it makes a simple, delicious soup which is still hearty enough to be a main meal with a salad and perhaps a roll on the side.

The nutmeg and cayenne add a flavor signature which is not common but which I find addictive. (This also makes a good breakfast if your taste runs to the untraditional as mine does.) I have tinkered with it, of course, and my variations are listed below the main recipe. The other variations are James Beard's.

Leek And Potato Soup

5 leeks
3 tablespoons butter
3 cups potatoes, diced
1 quart chicken broth
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour

Wash the leeks, split them lengthwise, and cut into thin slices after removing all sand. Saute in 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet for about 4 minutes. Add the potatoes and the broth and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender. Season to taste with salt, cayenne and nutmeg. Strain out the vegetables and puree in food processor. Return to the broth. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over low heat and stir in the flour. Add 1-1/2 cups of the broth and blend well until the mixture thickens. Return to the kettle and stir until soup comes to a boil.

My variation:

• Use a small onion instead of leeks
• Use 4 cups potatoes and do not thicken with roux.
• Use 1/8 t. cayenne

Vichyssoise variation:

• Prepare soup as above and allow it to cool. Add 1-1/2 cups heavy cream and blend well. Chill in refrigerator. Serve chilled.
• Or chill the soup without the heavy cream. Serve in chilled cups with a large spoonful of sour cream and chopped chives.

Still another variation:
Do not put the vegetables through a food mill but serve pieces of leek and diced potatoes in the thickened soup.

Brodo

This is the Brodo mentioned in the corn and pancetta risotto, both recipes from Salt to Taste by Marco Canora with Catherine Young.

I've never made this, but I'm not the boss of your kitchen, and it's technically part of the risotto recipe. All that follows is the Brodo recipe as written by the authors.

Author's Note:
Brodo is not stock, but broth. Stock is made from simmering bones and broth is made from simmering meat. The practical difference is that stock contains more gelatin and is therefore an easier starting place for sauces. Because broths are made with whole pieces of meat and poultry rather than bones, they usually have deeper, more complex flavor. Broths also tend to be less cloudy - the protein in the meats in the pot acts as a filter that clarifies the broth as it simmers, leaving you with a beautifully clear liquid.

Brodo is easy to make with ingredients from the supermarket. Start with a chicken. Put it whole in the pot, then add 2 pounds of beef stew meat on the bone and a turkey drumstick (or two wings). Cover the meat by about 4 inches with water (you'll need about 7 quarts in all) and bring it to a boil over high heat.

As soon as the broth boils, begin to "clarify" it, lowering the heat to medium and pilling the pot to one side of the burner so it's partially off the burner. This forces the broth to boil in an oval circuit from top to bottom, circulating all the liquid over and around the meat. As the broth circulates, the fat and other impurities in the broth float to the surface. What will you see when you look into the pot? The broth will bubble along one side of the pot. The rest of the surface will look active but not be bubbling. Fat and scum will rise with the bubbles and settle on top.

Skim every 5 minutes or so. Be finicky about how you do this. Dip the ladle into the broth near the center of the pot just deep enough to barely submerge the front edge. Then keep it still. A thin stream of fat and foamy broth will be drawn into the ladle. Do this a couple times, then wait another 5 minutes and do it again, continuing until the brodo looks clear, about half an hour.

Once the broth is clear, add aromatic vegetables. Chop and then add 2 onions, 1/2 bunch of celery, and 3 carrots. Add a 12-oz can of tomatoes, 1 teaspoon peppercorns, and 1/2 bunch of flat-leaf parsley and simmer the broth until it's flavorful, about 2 hours.

Strain the broth; discard the vegetables but not the meat. (In my mind brodo is forever linked with polpettone, the fried morsels of minced meat that, in my family, give a second life to the chicken, beef, and turkey used in the broth.) You'll wind up with 3.5 quarts of broth that can be refrigerated or frozen.

Chard Soup with Cumin, Cilantro, and Lime

This is from Deborah Madison's Vegetable Literacy. Smaller, tender chard leaves are best (says Madison), but I used giant ones and it was still delicious. Don't worry about chopping too precisely during prep, because this is all going into a blender when it's done.

8 cups packed trimmed chard leaves (about 1 pound or 20 leaves)
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, sliced
1 small potato (about 4 ounces), scrubbed and sliced
1 carrot, scrubbed and sliced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
Finely cut cilantro stems and leaves to make 1 cup
Sea salt
1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt
Freshly ground pepper
Grated zest and juice of 1 lime

Rinse the chard, chop it coarsely, and set aside in a colander to drain.

Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, potato, and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes to soften. Stir in the tomato paste, smashing it into the vegetables, and then add the cumin, coriander, cilantro, and chard leaves. Sprinkle over 1.5 teaspoons salt, cover the pan, and allow the leaves to cook down substantially before adding 5 cups water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer, cover partially, until the potato has softened.

Cool slightly, then add the sour cream and puree in a blender until smooth. Return the soup to the pot over gentle heat. Taste for salt, season with pepper, and stir in the lime zest and juice. Ladle into bowls and serve.

With Texture: Add cooked rice, crisped coarse bread crumbs, or skinny tortilla strips to each serving.
With Other Greens: In spring and early summer, include other greens, such as tender sorrel leaves, wild nettles, lovage leaves, lamb's-quarters, and so on.

Mama Chang's Hot and Sour Soup

This is Joanne Chang's recipe from Flour, Too, and it makes me want to see the rest of her recipes. It's easy, fast, and delicious. I've never had hot and sour soup that I liked before this, although I tried to like it several times. This recipe is a keeper, though.

Chang writes that she wrote the recipe with button mushrooms because they are easy to find, but suggests using wood ear mushrooms if you can get them. I will further suggest that if you use wood ear mushrooms, buy them dried and rehydrate them instead of using fresh ones. I have only used button mushrooms in this recipe, but I did once use fresh wood ears in a different soup recipe and they were very slimy the next day. I ended up removing them before eating the rest of the soup.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
4 scallions, white and green parts, minced, plus 2 tablespoons chopped for garnish
8 ounces ground pork
4 cups chicken stock
One 1-pound block soft or firm tofu (not silken and not extra-firm), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 or 5 medium button mushrooms, wiped clean and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2/3 cup rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sesame oil, plus 2 teaspoons for garnish
1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
2 large eggs
White pepper for garnish

In the saucepan, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add the garlic, ginger, scallions, and ground pork and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 1 minute. Break up the pork into smaller pieces but don't worry about breaking it down completely. Add the stock and bring to a simmer.

Add the tofu, mushrooms, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, black pepper, sesame oil, and Sriracha sauce and bring the soup back to a simmer over medium-high heat. (Taste the soup. If you want it hotter, add more Sriracha sauce; if you want it more sour, add more vinegar.)

In a small bowl, whisk the eggs until blended. With the soup at a steady simmer, slowly whisk in the eggs so they form strands. Bring the soup back to a simmer. Divide the soup among four bowls and garnish each with a little sesame oil, scallion, and white pepper. Serve immediately. The soup can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Oaxacan Black Bean Soup

This is another easy, delicious recipe from Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen. Even my husband liked this, and he's not a bean soup lover.

I didn't add the shrimp because I couldn't wrap my mental taste palate around them in black bean soup. Also I was just throwing this together and didn't have any. We didn't miss them but I might try them next time.


Oaxacan Black Bean Soup
Makes 7 cups, serving 6

• 12 ounces (about 2 cups) black beans, picked over
• 4 avocado leaves or 1 stalk fennel, roughly chopped (I used a bit of ground fennel seed)
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) chorizo sausage, casing removed, crumbled
• 1 small white onion, diced
• Salt, about 1 teaspoon (I needed much more ... about a tablespoon)
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil, for frying
• 4 to 6 corn tortillas (preferably stale sort-bought ones), sliced into 1/8-inch wide strips, for garnish (Bayless says you can use broken, good quality chips instead of frying up the tortilla strips ... and I did. Delicious!)
• 8 ounces (about 12) medium-large shrimp, peeled (optional)
• 1/2 cup crumbled Mexican queso fresco or pressed, salted farmer's cheese

The beans
Place the beans in a medium-size (4-quart) pot, cover with 6 cups water, remove any beans that float and heat slowly to a simmer.

If using the avocado leaves, toast them briefly directly over a medium gas flame or on a hot griddle. Add the avocado leaves (or fennel), chorizo, and onion to the beans, partially cover and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the beans are fully tender, 1-1/2 to 2 hours. If you see the beans peeking up through the liquid, add hot water to cover them by 1/2-inch.

Finishing the soup
Use an immersion blender to coarsely puree the soup, or puree in batches in a food processor or loosely covered blender. Return it to the pot. Add enough water to thin to a medium-thick consistency. Taste and season with salt.

Heat the oil in a medium size (8 to 9-inch) skillet over medium-high. When hot, add about 1/3 of the tortilla strips and fry, turning frequently, until they are crisp. Drain on paper towels. Fry the remaining strips in 2 batches.

Serving the soup
If using the shrimp, devein each one by making a shallow incision down the back, exposing the (usually) dark intestinal track; scrape it out. Heat the soup to a boil, add the shrimp and cook until just done, abut 2 minutes. Ladle into warm soup bowls, top with a few of the crisp tortilla strips and sprinkle with a little cheese.

Variation
Bayless has several variations including this one which I might try: leave out the avocado leaves and chorizo, using several chopped canned chipotles added with the dry beans.

Cincinnati-Style Chili

Here comes Fall weather and the first thing that springs to my mind is chili. Talking to my mother about a planned October visit for a horror-movie fest (this is my mother's passion, not mine) she brought up making a pot of chili. "There's just something about cooler weather," she said. To be fair, her weather is not going to be very cool since she lives in Florida, but we will crank the air-conditioning and pretend it is a chilly Midwest fall day.

The only question I have is whether she's thinking of Texas-style chili or the sort I remember from school lunches, which I really loved also. Since she grew up in Cincinnati I have a feeling I know which she'll pick. It was when looking through the archives to send her the links for choosing that I found I never shared this delicious recipe.

It is from Gourmet magazine and the only gussying up that I can detect is using black beans instead of the traditional kidney beans. I'm good either way. Love beans in my chili, although that horrifies and mystifies my Texas-bred husband and children. Good thing I'm adaptable!

Cincinnati-Style Chili

Step 1:

1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 pounds ground beef

Cook until softened. Add beef and cook, until no longer pink.

Step 2:

3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon each: ground coriander, allspice, oregano
1/4 teaspoon each: cayenne, cinnamon, ground cloves, mace
1 bay leaf

Add all and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Step 3:

1-1/2 cups water
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon wine vinegar
1 tablespoon molasses
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed

Add all and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally and adding more water if necessary to keep beef barely covered, for 2 hours, or until thickened but soupy enough to be ladled. Discard bay leaf and season with salt and pepper.

Quick Asian-Style Dumpling Soup

This came from Cook's Country magazine, which I actually prefer quite a bit to Cook's Illustrated, though both tend to go on and on about how they got to their eventual recipe. C'est la vie. One can easily skim or skip and see what the darned recipe looks like.

An exception to this tendency is the eight recipes that are always on cardstock in the middle of the publication, perforated so one can easily detach them and have a ready made recipe card with picture on one side and recipe on the other.

I'm a sucker for Asian soups of all sorts and this one looked tempting with dumplings, green onions, and mushrooms poised in the bowl of broth. My one fear was that it wasn't hearty enough for a main dish.

This recipe delivered on both flavor and filling ability, especially when accompanied by a baguette and salad (dressed with Balsamic Vinaigrette). I made a half recipe for the two of us which was a hearty meal. I think next time I'll make a full recipe up to the point of adding the dumplings, saving half the soup base for adding dumplings a second evening.

I'll be making this one again, definitely.

Quick Asian-Style Dumpling Soup

Serves 4

4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 scallions, white and green parts separated, sliced thin on bias
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced thin (I used regular mushrooms, so sue me)
6 cups chicken broth
16 ounces frozen Asian-style dumplings or potstickers
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice

Cook bacon in large saucepan over medium heat until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel-lined plate. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from pan and return pan to medium heat. (Conversely, if you don't have 2 tablespoons of fat, then add vegetable oil to achieve that measurement.)

Add scallion whites, ginger, and pepper flakes and cook until scallion whites have softened, about 2 minutes.

Add mushrooms and cook until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.

Add broth and bring to boil.

Add dumplings and simmer over medium-low heat until dumplings are cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in fish sauce and lime juice.

Serve, sprinkled with scallion greens and bacon.

Curried Cream of Chicken Soup

This is from The Silver Palate Cookbook. It is simple, delicious, and a touch out of the ordinary, both because of the curry flavor and the "cream" method which calls for half-and-half but is just as good with regular milk!

Step 1:
6 tablespoons butter (I use 2 tablespoons)
2 cups minced onions
2 carrots, peeled and chopped

Cook over low heat, covered, until tender.

Step 2:
2 tablespoons curry powder
5 cups chicken stock
6 parsley sprigs
1 chicken, quartered
½ cup rice
Salt and pepper to taste

Add all. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer until chicken is done. Cool chicken in stock. Remove meat from bones and dice it.

Step 3:
1 cup half and half (I use milk, either whole or 2%, depending on what I've got around)
10 ounces frozen peas, defrosted

Remove fat from broth. Strain soup through strainer.

Put solids and 1 cup stock in food processor and puree. Return to pot and add milk. Stir in reserved stock until soup reaches desired consistency. Add chicken and peas and simmer for 15 minutes or until peas are done. Season to taste.

Turkey Bone Gumbo

Here's what I'm making this weekend. I've got the stock made and the turkey reserved. Now I've just got to get the time to put the whole thing together which should happen this weekend. For those who've forgotten or never tried Turkey Bone Gumbo I thought I'd repost it since our family loves it so.

-------------

After I reviewed Gumbo Tales, Sara Roahen very graciously emailed me some recipes. The Turkey Bone Gumbo had caught my eye and I made it after Thanksgiving. Oooo, now that was some good gumbo! So savory, so rich.

However, I didn't want to go spreading her recipes around. Then I recently finished Cooking Up a Storm: Recipes Lost and Found from the Times-Picayune of New Orleans. An excellent look at the basic cooking of New Orleans, it also had a recipe for Turkey Bone Gumbo that is very similar to Sara Roahen's. I now felt ok about putting the recipe out there. What follows is a combination of her recipe and of the one from Cooking Up a Storm.

The difference is that both recipes recommend saving any turkey meat from the carcass used for making broth and then to include it in the gumbo. I tried this, against my better judgment, which I am sorry to say was confirmed. After simmering for so long, the only thing that the salvaged turkey meat resembles is wood chips. Just save regular turkey meat (forgo a sandwich or two) and don't worry about recovering those bits of turkey from the cooked carcass. They will make the broth all the richer and you can toss them out without worry.

Roux making is not nearly as scary as you might think from reading recipes for it. Also, more important than anything else is keeping an eye on the color and keeping it from burning. My stove must cook hotter than either Roahen's or the recipe contributor from Cooking Up a Storm. I had roux ready in 10-15 minutes.

This is definitely a good reason to cook a turkey. I might have to do that this weekend ... my mouth is watering thinking of this gumbo.

For the stock
Step 1
1 turkey carcass
2 yellow onions, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2-4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 gallon water, or enough to cover carcass

Combine all ingredients in a big pot, bring to a boil and then lower heat, simmering uncovered for about two hours. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Drain the stock, reserving all liquid. Discard all solids.

For the gumbo

Step 1
1 cup vegetable oil
1-1/4 cups flour

In a large cast-iron pot or enameled cast-iron Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour and continue to stir constantly—either with a whisk or a wooden spoon. Cook for 20-25 minutes to make a dark brown roux, the color of chocolate. If you sense that your roux is in danger of burning, reduce the heat immediately and continue to stir.

Step 2
1-1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 pound andouille or smoked sausage, cut into ¼-inch cubes

Then stir in onion, bell pepper, and celery, salt, cayenne and continue to stir for about 5 minutes, until vegetables begin to wilt. Be prepared: when cold vegetables hit hot roux, they emit a cloud of steam and a loud hissing. Add sausage, and continue to cook for about 5 minutes.

Step 3
3-4 bay leaves
6 cups turkey stock
2-3 cups chopped leftover turkey meat
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Add bay leaves and stock to the pot, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 45 minutes. Skim off any fat that rises to the surface. Add all reserved turkey meat and continue to simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours.

Step 4
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped green onion tops
1/2 tablespoon filé powder
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Add black pepper and taste; adjust seasoning. Thin out with more stock or water if necessary. Just before serving, add parsley, green onions, and lemon juice. In order to properly incorporate filé powder, mix it first with a few tablespoons of stock; stir to a smooth consistency and then add to the gumbo. Serve with white rice, and potato salad if desired. Serves 8-10.

Best Simple Chili

By popular demand, I am reposting this which I ran in 2004 (that seems so long ago!). This is not too spicy as long as you are not using really hot chili powder.

Just remember ... no beans. As we discovered on vacation one time, we have raised the girls to be good Texans in that respect. "No beans," Rose said sharply. "Chili should never have beans and that is that."

Because you need something to have with the Skillet Cornbread, here's my favorite chili recipe. I found this in Matt Martinez' Culinary Frontier, one of the best Tex-Mex cookbooks ever. I almost always have to adjust seasonings but I can live with that because he has the easiest techniques I have ever found to replace the usual ones found in Mexican cookbooks.

From Matt Martinez's Culinary Frontier. I'm pretty sure I increased the seasonings in this but otherwise it is his recipe.

Step 1:
1 pound ground beef
3-4 tablespoons chili powder
1-2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 cloves minced garlic
2-3 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
4 tablespoons chopped onion
Brown the meat, then drain most of the fat. Add all the seasonings, garlic and onion and saute for 2 minutes.

Step 2:
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 cups water
2-4 tablespoons cornmeal
Add tomatoes and water, and simmer uncovered until tender, about 1 hour or more, until the meat reaches the desired tenderness. (If the chili seems too soupy, mix the cornmeal with a little water and mix it into the chili. Simmer for 15 minutes to thicken.)

Fragrant Vietnamese Chicken-Noodle Soup

Yes, I used Jim Fobel's Big Flavors this week as my main source. What can I say? Big flavors grab me.

This takes more time than you would think, due to the many fresh ingredients that need preparation. However, it is all very simple. Just don't do what I did and walk into the kitchen 45 minutes before you plan on serving dinner, only to see that the chicken should be marinated for 1-2 hours ... and then grilled or broiled. Guess what? It did just dandy with 1/2 hour of marinating.

My recipe notes:

• I added basil, which makes it the spitting image of my favorite bowl of soup at our local Vietnamese restaurant.
• I didn't have the thin rice sticks called for but, rather, broad rice noodles. They made for a bit more difficult eating perhaps, but worked perfectly well.
• Not wanting to deal with grilling or broiling at the moment, I simply sauteed the chicken in the pot I later used for the soup.
• I always use limes with this. Not only does it seem more authentic to me, but I like limes better.
  

Everyone loves this, even our discriminating Hannah.

Makes 4 main-course or 8 soup-course servings.

Chicken and Marinade
3 tablespoons Vietnamese or Thai fish sauce (nuoc mam or nam pla)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon sugar
1 large garlic clove, minced or crushed through a press
1 pound split skinless and boneless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Soup
8 ounces thin dried rice noodles or rice sticks (1/16")
8 cups chicken stock
About 1/4 cup Vietnamese or Thai fish sauce (nuoc mam or nam pla)
5 large, thin slices fresh ginger
1 large garlic clove, minced or crushed through a press
8 whole scallions, cut into 1-1/2" lengths
4 cups fresh bean sprouts (12 ounces), rinsed and drained
2 cups finely shredded romaine lettuce (preferably the small inner leaves)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil (my addition)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped, unsalted, roasted peanuts
1 lemon or lime, cut into 8 wedges
Vietnamese chili-garlic sauce

1. Marinate the chicken. In a large, shallow glass dish, stir together the fish sauce, lemon juice, ginger, sugar, and garlic. Add the chicken, turning to coat all. cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
2. Preheat a charcoal grill or the broiler. Take the chicken from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels; discard the marinade. lightly coat the chicken with the vegetable oil. Grill or broil for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until cooked to the center. Let stand until needed. If making ahead, when cool, cover and refrigerate. Tear into 1/2" wide shreds. If the chicken is cold, reheat in a small amount of the soup broth.
3. Make the soup. Drop the rice noodles into a large pot of boiling water over high heat. After the water returns to a boil, cook for 1 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water. let air-dry in the colander, tossing occasionally, for at least 30 minutes or as long as 2 hours.
4. In a large saucepan or soup pot, combine the chicken stock, 1/4 cup of the fish sauce, ginger, and garlic. Bring to a boil over moderate heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. cover and keep warm until serving time.
5. Just before ladling into bowls, bring the soup to a boil. Remove the ginger slices and add the scallions. Taste and add more fish sauce, if desired.
6. For main-course servings, choose 4 large (6-cup) bowls. Into each, arrange one-fourth of the noodles (they will heat in the broth); one-fourth of the shredded chicken; 1 cup of the bean sprouts; 1/2 cup shredded lettuce; 2 tablespoons each of the mint, basil and cilantro; and 1 tablespoon of the chopped peanuts. Ladle in about 2 cups of the scalding hot broth, putting some of the scallions in each. Serve hot, garnished with lemon wedges. Guests should spoon in a little of the chili sauce to taste. For soup-course servings, use large shallow soup plates and halve the quantities given above.
   

Brunswick Stew

I have meant to share this recipe with y'all so many times. However, the cookbook (my beloved The New Doubleday Cookbook) is huge and the idea of lugging it to the office (yes, I do too much blogging at work!) stopped me until this time.

Today I am at home waiting for the oven repairman to come (scheduled time between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ... and you thought that cable companies were bad about making people wait upon their convenience) and so have remembered to type this in.

This is a family favorite. My own family made it often in the sumer as I was growing up, although not from this recipe. It always was one of those "no recipe" dishes as I recall. When I came across this recipe it added just enough "umph" to make it even more savory and tooth licking (the addition of tomatoes and a bit of sugar to the broth are the essentials of what is different). I always make a half recipe because that makes plenty for a meal and gives us half left for the freezer.

Serve it with biscuits, preferably those dead easy Cream Biscuits or Skillet Cornbread ... both are so delicious with honey.

1 (6-pound) stewing hen, cleaned and dressed
1 gallon cold water
2 stalks celery (include tops)
1 tablespoon sugar
5 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/2" cubes
3 medium-size yellow onions, peeled and coarsely chopped (I leave the onion whole and put it in at the beginning to flavor the broth, then discard it afterward)
6 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, cored, seeded and coarsely chopped (I substitute two 14-ounce cans of diced tomatoes, drained)
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen baby lima beans (do not thaw)
1 (10-ounce) packages frozen whole kernel corn (do not thaw)
1 medium-size sweet green pepper, cored and cut in short, thin slivers (I don't use this)
2 tablespoons salt (I use 1 to 1-1/2 tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon pepper (I use more)

Remove fat from body cavity of bird, then place gird and giblets in a very large kettle. Add water and celery, cover, and simmer 1-2 hours until just tender. Remove bird and giblets from broth and cool. Strain broth and skim off fat. Rinse kettle, pour in broth, add sugar, all vegetables but corn and green pepper, cover, and simmer 1 hour. Meanwhile, skin chicken, cut meat in 1" chunks and dice giblets. Return chicken and giblets to kettle, add remaining ingredients, cover, and simmer 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste for salt, adding more if needed. Serve piping hot in soup bowls as a main dish. particularly good with coleslaw and Hushpuppies or crisp corn sticks.

Potato Chowder

It isn't cold enough here in Texas for this delicious looking chowder from my friend Marcia, but I bet there are some cold spells going through further north. If so, give this a try

Here is the recipe....I should say list of ingredients. Everything is according to how much you make and how much seasoning you prefer. I had forgotten it was this way.

Potato Chowder

(approximate measurements)
potatoes - peeled and diced, 5 lbs.
onion diced, 2 medium
celery chopped, 4 stalks w/chopped leaves
carrots sliced in small pieces, 1 lb.
butter, 1 stick
parsley chopped as a condiment w/serving
grated cheese, 1-1/2 cups
cream style corn, 1 can
milk, 16 ozs.or more w/ some cream
bacon, 1/2 to 1lb., fried crisp and crumbled

Cover potatoes, onion, carrots, celery, salt and pepper with water and cook until tender(really falling apart) add butter, milk, cheese and simmer until cheese and butter melt and flavors blend. (Stirring periodically.) Add bacon and parsley, after blending all the other ingredients with electric stirring stick or hand mixer. This is a very hearty soup. Enjoy!

Something Old: Kansas City Steak and Vegetable Soup

I have been trying to get a chance for several days to put this recipe out there for y'all. Especially for those who have not been having this terrible, terrible 80+ degree weather.

My husband is not a soup fan (except for Chicken Tortilla Soup, which is a whole other ball game). Naturally, that means I love all soup with a passion. When I say that I'm making soup, even this soup which is a proven family favorite, for dinner his response is tepidly polite.

And then he tastes it and tastes it again. And says, "This is really good!' (This has happened more than once.)

It is from The Soup Mix Gourmet (which puts it in the category of being cringe-making a la hiding the Velveeta in my shopping cart so no one else sees it and judges it the way that I would judge them). But it is soooo good, do give it a try.


2 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 pounds boneless sirloin, trimmed of fat and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I use chuck, which cooks more gracefully for a long time.)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic mashed (I put them through a garlic press)
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
1 envelope Knorr Tomato Beef Soup Mix (I suspect that this is not being made anymore which is a shame because it is wonderful ... I use Knorr Tomato Basil instead)
1 envelope Lipton Beefy Onion Soup Mix
6 cups water (the recipe calls for 4 cups of water but that is really, really thick and not very souplike)
1 cup peeled potatoes cut into 1/2-inch dice
1-1/2 cups corn kernels, either cut fresh from the cob or frozen (and defrosted)
2 cups green beans cut into 1-inch pieces (I can get frozen haricot verts for a good price and so just break those into small pieces instead. I leave them frozen before adding them.)

Heat the oil in a 5-quart stockpot over medium-high heat. Dry the beef with paper towels and sprinkle it with the salt and pepper. Brown the beef in batches in the hot oil, turning it frequently.

When all of the beef is browned, return it to the stock-pot, add the onion, garlic, celery, and carrots, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 4 minutes.

Add the soup mixes, water, and potatoes and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the beef is tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. (I add the potatoes after half an hour of cooking, otherwise they tend to lose their shape and identity by the time the soup is done.)

Add the corn and green beans and cook the soup until the beans are tender, another 6 minutes. Correct the seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.