Mushroom Soup

We made this delicious soup a couple of weeks ago.  The splash of soy sauce gave it a nice bit of saltiness.  Mine did not seem to be as silky as the photo, it should possibly be strained before serving.  From Tasting Table. 

hello, monday!

Image from saipua.

Had a lovely (but, as usual, too short) weekend.

Took the "meat butchery" class at the Chopping Block. VERY informative. I discovered a passable ability to filet and skin a fish, but may have to leave the whole chicken to the professionals.

Can't wait to get my hands on this beautiful book!

I really like this salad recipe, only with another lettuce instead of the mustard greens. Just too bitter for me! Have made it once with some quickly baked kale and a second time with red leaf lettuce.

I liked everything about this lemon ricotta pancake recipe. Do it. You will not be sorry you did!

Sunday supper

Sunday Suppers are back! We were enjoying a lazy, unseasonably warm Sunday in front of the TV with all of the windows open, getting caught up fresh air as well as our backlog of DVR recordings when we were suddenly inspired by a Micheal Symon episode on grilling: BLT Salad with heirloom tomatoes and grilled romaine, Pork Souvlaki with grilled citrus, and Grilled French Toast with strawberries and rosemary. Pretty simple and definitely delicious. We made a mad dash to Whole Foods at 5pm and had the whole thing done and food on our forks by 8:30. The pork receipe calls for a long period of marinating, but in the episode Symon said it could be done in an hour.

apples and falling leaves

Its suddenly brisk outside and the trees are getting ready for another Chicago winter. Have been so inspired by the pretty, swirling red and gold leaves and the bushels and bushels of apples at the farmers market that I combined the two. Old-Fashioned Apple Pie recipe from this month's Food & Wine. Really simple, just dough and apples with cinnamon and nutmeg. I used leftover crust dough and a fun cutter to make the decorative leaves.
*Photos by my personal photographer/husband.

cilantro lime butter

Put this on your corn right away. you will not be sorry.

Cilantro Lime Butter:

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

1 lime, zested and juiced

2 teaspoons salt

3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Put the butter in a mixing bowl and, using a rubber spatula, mix in the cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, salt and cayenne. Use immediately or refrigerate.

Yield: 3/4 cup

You can roast the corn in foil with the butter (in oven at 400F, 25 minutes). From Food Network. We just grilled it and buttered it.

watermelon bombe

Nothing says summer like watermelon, and what if it was a watermelon/sorbet/ice cream combo that looks like a half watermelon that you can slice? What?! I know. Kind of fun! Directions here.

Art fair brunch

Hosted a brunch last weekend during the Old Town Art Fair. The weather was great, the neighborhood was packed, and we got to see some great friends. All in all, couldn't have been better! Surprise hit were the bacon/cheddar/scallion scones, recipe here. We gave ourselves a break picked up grilled cheeses and chicken skewers from catering/chocolate, our neighborhood caterer. His tiny sandwiches are always a hit and it was nice to be able to just pick them up the morning of and plop them on a plate!

Skillet baked eggs and asparagus

Made this quick and easy recipe from the New York Times over the weekend with some Green City Market asparagus and it was delicious, especially with a side of prosciutto! We used basil and chives as our 2 herb choices.

3 tablespoons olive oil, more for drizzling

3/4 pounds asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 scallions, white and light green parts, thinly sliced

8 large eggs

6 tablespoons roughly chopped soft herbs like basil, cilantro, chives or parsley (use at least 2)

1/3 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Lemon wedges, for serving

Flaky sea salt for sprinkling.

1. Heat the oven to 300 degrees. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil until shimmering. Add the asparagus and the scallions and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until asparagus is browned and tender.

2. Whisk together the eggs, 4 tablespoons of the herbs, and cream. Whisk in Parmesan, salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture over asparagus and place the skillet in the oven.

3. Bake for about 20 minutes, until set, but still slightly jiggly in the center. Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before serving. It is best warm, not hot.

4. Squeeze one or two lemon wedges over it, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with flaky sea salt and remaining herbs. Cut into wedges.

Yield: 4 servings.

Mason jar meals

Love yet another use for mason jars. So simple and portable! From the decorated cookie via black*eiffel.

Braised artichokes

YUM. Tried this recipe last weekend and it was easy + delicious. From Food network.

Ingredients

• 2 lemons
• 3 artichokes
• 3 cloves garlic, halved lengthwise
• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup chicken stock

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Fill a medium bowl with water and squeeze the juice of 1 lemon in the bowl, tossing in the lemon halves as well. Rinse each artichoke and trim 1/2-inch off of the stalk. Trim 1-inch off the top of each artichoke. Then cut each artichoke in half, from stalk to tip, and remove the choke with a spoon. Remove the tough outer leaves and trim the outside of the stalk with a paring knife. Add the prepped artichokes to the bowl of lemon water to keep from browning.

Slice the remaining lemon. In a baking dish large enough to place the artichokes in 1 even layer, place the slices in the dish to form a bed for the artichokes. In the center of each artichoke, add a garlic half and drizzle with half the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then place cut side down on top of the lemon slices. Pour the chicken stock around the sides, drizzle the remaining olive oil over the tops of the artichokes, sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover and firmly seal with aluminum foil. Bake in the oven until fork-tender and the leaves peel off easily, about 1 hour.

Chick and egg cupcakes

Just in case you needed the sugar high of Peeps + cupcake + jellybeans. Food network.

Sunday supper

Last night we made our first foray into shellfish with steamed mussels in a white wine based broth. We used a Muscadet to cook with and as our pairing. The mussels cook surprisingly quickly once scrubbed and rinsed. We served with grilled french bread, broccolini in a sherry vinaigrette and a steamed artichoke. For dessert, I baked a shaker ginger lemon pie, recipe from the Cheap Tart Bakery, found on Tasting Table. Easy to make, but beware, the filling needs to be refrigerated overnight so start a day early!

Breakfast skillet

The breakfast skillet was a weekend staple last year and the cold weather has brought it back in style. Found while browsing a William Sonoma catalog.

We sometimes do it without the hollandaise, but if you take the time to make the sauce, you will not be sad.

Ingredients:

2 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes (about 10), cut into wedges

3 slices applewood-smoked bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

5 Tbs. vegetable oil

4 garlic cloves

1 fresh rosemary sprig

3 fresh thyme sprigs

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

2 Tbs. unsalted butter

1 lb. spinach, washed and stemmed


For the hollandaise sauce:

12 Tbs. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

5 egg yolks

2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

2 Tbs. white wine

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

3/4 tsp. Tabasco

1 1/2 tsp. curry powder


4 oz. Gouda cheese, cut into 4 slices

8 poached eggs

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 400°F. Place a small roasting pan in the oven and heat for 12 minutes.

In a large bowl, stir together the potatoes, bacon, oil, garlic, rosemary and thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the potato mixture to the preheated roasting pan and roast for 30 minutes. Stir the mixture and continue to roast until the bacon is crisp and the potatoes are tender and golden, about 12 minutes more. Remove the pan from the oven. Discard the garlic and herbs. Cover the pan with aluminum foil to keep warm. Keep the oven set at 400°F.

Meanwhile, in a fry pan over low heat, melt the butter. Add the spinach, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the spinach to a colander and drain the excess water. Set aside.

To make the hollandaise sauce, in a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Set aside. In a bowl, combine the egg yolks, lemon juice, wine, salt and Tabasco. Using an immersion blender on high speed, blend until combined, about 30 seconds. Reduce the speed to low and add the melted butter in a slow, steady stream. Add the curry powder, increase the speed to high and blend for 1 minute more. Pour the hollandaise sauce into a small sauceboat.

Place the spinach in the center of four 6-inch cast-iron skillets, dividing evenly. Arrange the potato-bacon mixture around the spinach and place 1 cheese slice on top of each spinach mound. Transfer to the oven and bake until the spinach is warmed through and the cheese is melted, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and top each skillet with 2 poached eggs and 1/4 cup hollandaise sauce. Serve immediately and pass the remaining sauce at the table. Serves 4.

Adapted from a recipe by Ben Ford, Chef, Ford's Filling Station, Los Angeles, CA.

Happy weekend things

My good friend Maxine baked her daughter a kitty birthday cake. Happy 1st birthday to Delphine!!

New furry boots for me! They are the only thing getting me excited for the coming chilly weather.

Butternut squash soup. Its my new fave cuddle-up-with-a-bowl-of-soup meal. I used the following receipe from food network and added a shallot to the onion sauteeing, 3 or 4 leaves of chopped sage and 1/4 tsp cumin at the end for a little bit more spice. stir.

Ingredients

1 (2 to 3 pound) butternut squash, peeled and seeded

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 medium onion, chopped

6 cups chicken stock

Nutmeg

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Cut squash into 1-inch chunks. In large pot melt butter. Add onion (and shallot) and cook until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add squash and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until squash is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove squash chunks with slotted spoon and place in a blender and puree. Return blended squash to pot. Stir and season with sage, cumin, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Serves 6.

I heart artichokes

My favorite vegetable (its actually a thistle, not sure if that is a vegetable) is the artichoke. Its not the just the slightly bitter but still sweet and delicious taste, but the whole process of preparing and eating an artichoke that I find relaxing and somehow more civilized than any other vegetable. Its surprisingly easy, but does take a bit of patience to get to the good part. I like to steam mine and eat with an aioli or lemon butter sauce, getting down to the middle and then scraping out the choke to get to the yummy heart. A few months ago, The New York Times had a great dipping sauce and easy steaming directions.

2 large or 4 medium artichokes

1 lemon, cut in half

Dipping sauce, below

1. Lay an artichoke on its side on a cutting board. Using a large, sharp knife, cut away the entire top quarter in one slice. Rub the top with the cut lemon. Cut off the stem at the bottom, so the artichoke will stand upright, and rub the bottom with lemon. Pull off the tough bottom leaves (bracts). Then, using scissors, cut away the thorny end of each remaining bract. Rub the edges with lemon.

2. Bring two inches of water to a boil in a steamer or pasta pot, and place the artichokes in the steaming basket. If they are too big to fit, place them directly in the water. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes or until a leaf easily pulls away. Remove from the heat. Serve hot or at room temperature with a sauce for dipping the leaves. Use your teeth to scrape the flesh from the bottom of the leaf. Have a bowl or plate on the side for the discarded leaves. When you reach the papery leaves that cover the heart in the middle, cut them away along with the choke and discard. Divvy up the heart and enjoy.

Yogurt-Mayonnaise Vinaigrette

Traditionally steamed artichokes are served with drawn butter or with a mayonnaise. I use a vinaigrette-based sauce thickened with just a bit of mayonnaise and yogurt.

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or sherry vinegar

Sea salt or kosher salt to taste

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 small garlic clove, minced or pureed

2 tablespoon Best Foods or Hellmann’s mayonnaise

2 tablespoons plain low-fat yogurt

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Whisk together the vinegar, salt, Dijon mustard and garlic. Whisk in the mayonnaise, yogurt and olive oil, and blend well. Taste, adjust salt, and add pepper. Use as a dip for artichokes or other vegetables.

Yield: 3/4 cup

Not only is the artichoke delicious, but is also a good source of magnesium, potassium and fiber. I was reading this week that only 23 percent of American adults eat vegetables 3 or more times a day (and lettuce on a burger counts as a serving!). I probably fall into the veggie- insufficient catagory so will be upping my artichoke intake to compensate!

*image via flickr

Zucchini Linguini

We made this pasta with a giant farmer's market zucchini for lunch on Sunday and would definitely do it again. We used kalamata olive since they were already in the fridge. The breadcrumbs sound unnecessary, but add a great little bit of crunch to the dish. Its a quick one too, 30 minutes from start to finish.

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4 to 6.

Coarse salt

1 pound linguine

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

3 cloves garlic, peeled

4 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise, then sliced very thinly crosswise

1 large red onion, thinly sliced

20 Gaeta or Nicoise olives, pitted

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Sicilian

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup Breadcrumbs

DIRECTIONS

Fill a 10-quart stockpot with 7 quarts water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons coarse salt. Add pasta, stir until water returns to a boil, and cook pasta, according to package directions, until al dente.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add oil and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add onion and zucchini and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add olives, oregano, and red pepper flakes; season with salt to taste.

Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Add pasta to skillet and toss to combine. If pasta seems dry, add reserved cooking water 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing between each addition. Transfer pasta to a large platter, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with bread crumbs; serve immediately.

First published May 2008

*Recipe and photo from martha

Serious garnish

We made bloody marys for world cup final watching this weekend, paying special attention to my favorite part- the garnish. Our skewer featured genoa salame, swiss cheese, pickles and a pimiento stuffed olive with a celery stalk on the side. YUM.

Bloody recipe from Anne Burrell's show, Secrets of a Restaurant Chef. She is kind of over the top goofy but really does a good job of explaining the steps to the recipes.

Ingredients

• 1 quart vegetable juice
• 3 tablespoons celery salt, plus more for rimming the glass (after making this, I think a little less is better)
• 2 tablespoons horseradish
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 to 2 teaspoons Sriracha
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• Lime wedges
• Vodka
• Celery stalks, for garnish
• Large green olives, for garnish

Directions

In a large pitcher combine the vegetable juice, celery salt, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, Sriracha and sherry vinegar. Stir well to combine.

Add some celery salt to a small plate.

Run a lime wedge around the edge of the cocktail glasses and then dip the glasses in the celery salt. Fill the glasses 2/3 of the way with ice cubes. Add 2 ounces of vodka to each glass and then fill the rest of the way with the Bloody Mary mix. Stir to combine and garnish with celery stalks and olives.