Some dishes, I think, are just too predictable, too obvious to even be mentioned to others—“Hey! Guess what I cooked today?”—and certainly they are not to be blogged about! Talk about roasted chicken. Or even braised chicken. They just seem to be too… (Fill in the blank), because I/we assume that everyone knows how to make them. Well, we know that this is isn’t so. Some people out there do need exactly those types of recipes.

However! What if I/we could make three meals out of one predictable, too obvious dish? It sure can save a lot of people a lot of time and get three dinners done!

It starts with chicken thighs roasted in tomatoes and herbs. Simple.

You have that for dinner,

… and you take the leftover sauce the next day and buzz it in the food processor to make the ever-predictable pasta with tomato sauce as a second meal (using 1-2 cups of the sauce). Easy, simple. Everyone can do that.

… and the third time around, you eat any leftover sauce as a soup, ooooor you can make shakshuka! How very simple.

Now, what do you say about that?

I say this is efficiency at its best.

Simple and predictable roasted chicken with tomato sauce and herbs

Serves 4-6

4 whole chicken legs, (split to thigh and leg, optional)
1 can 28 oz. diced/crushed tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1/2 to 1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 handful fresh herbs such as parsley and thyme (or use 1 teaspoon dried herbs)
1/4 cup white wine, optional
A good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper

Put all the ingredients in a 9 * 13-inch baking dish, season well and roast at 375 degrees F for 50-60 minutes.

For pasta sauce, soup, and/or shakshuka:

Put everything that is left in the pan besides chicken in a food processor bowl and pulse till smooth. (I didn’t measure how much sauce was left. Will do next time…)

Use some of the sauce for pasta and some to be eaten as tomato soup or use it to make shakshuka.

I was behind to join Twitter, behind with setting up a “fan” page on Facebook (mostly because I dislike to use the word “fan”, but do go and visit me there for updates, OK?), and then behind with making matzo balls… Technology-wise, I wonder, is it an age “thing” that I’m so behind? But matzo ball-wise? I have no excuse. In any case, I dismiss it all with a good old-fashioned defense technique for reasoning:“I had no time”. And besides, it might officially be spring, but looking out of my window I see gray sky, gray clouds, and every now and then a drop of rain. So, it’s never too late, right?!

We were invited to a Passover Seder at friends of friends’ house. That happened…… 3 weeks ago. Little Mr. Smarty Pants devoured the soup with soft and fluffy matzo balls floating in it. In fact, I think that besides a few matzos, and dessert (of course), this was the only thing he ate the whole night. I, personally, adopted the chopped chicken liver and wouldn’t let anyone else touch it. But I really liked the matzo balls’ soup too. A lot. With memories lingering and cravings developing, I wanted to make it and eat it and soon. Since I had lousy homemade chicken stock (2nd batch! Yippie! Ruhlman approved on Twitter!) it was a short way to achieving this goal. So, believe it or not, I bought a box, yes, a box, of matzo ball mix!

I did make real, made from scratch, matzo balls once, about…. 4-5 years ago? I assume I had a beginner’s luck because they turned out perfectly (I used an Ina Garten’s recipe). Dizzy by my success – ‘cause it involves beating egg whites and I didn’t have much skills doing that 4-5 years ago – I offered to cook it for a client. That was back in those days when I had a personal chef business. The matzo balls separated to float in bits in the soup. Ha! Luckily, that client was a very sweet person, and at home that day. “It’s Ok, leave it like that”, she said. “We’ll eat it. It’s good. We won’t mind”. If she hadn’t been home and witnessed it as it happened, I would have thrown them away being too embarrassed to charge money for the mess. But she wanted them anyway. And she was right, they are delicious, even when they are falling apart.

However, recalling this episode, I’ve decided to play it safe this time and I used a boxed mix. It was easy and quick to make. I liked the texture, fluffy and tender. Some people like ‘em rock hard. Go figure… And this is another way the world is divided… Which camp do you belong to – soft matzo balls or hard matzo balls? It’s a serious choice.

Regardless of which school you belong to, using a cookie scoop makes the job a lot easier and less messy.

And while the balls were cooking in the stock (it takes 30 minutes) I had a chance to spy on my family; supposedly there were having fun outside in the sun.

I wandered what Suburban Cowboy and the kids were up to…

A-ha!

Busted!

He was…of course… attached to a laptop, so very focused

Instead of doing something more household-oriented like, let’s say, clean the grill… or fix something… change a burnt light bulb, or mow the lawn? But in any case, the kids won’t leave him alone. They want his attention and flock around him,

until they gave up and moved on to mind their on business.

And then it was time for me to yell, “Ki-eeds, lunch is reeeeeadyyyy… Come insa-aide…. Wash your ha-ands….”

I just love these sort of weekends.

Staying at home, doing domestic stuff, having an easy, comforting lunch, watching/spying on my family, running errands… I like it.

***

Matzo ball soup

So, since using a boxed mix, there really isn’t a recipe.

To make the matzo balls, simply follow the instructions on the package.

While the matzo balls paste is resting, heat up your lousy homemade chicken stock.

If you’d like, add any frozen veggies you have or leftovers from previous lunches or dinners that you’d like in a soup.

And, please, don’t wait for summer.

How’s the weather where you live? Still good for soup?

I have already compared my glamorous suburban life to meatballs before. So what else is left to say?

Do you like chicken?

Do you like meatballs?

Do you like cheese in your chicken meatballs?

Oh, oh, I know, do you like a crusty bottom on your meatballs?

‘Cause these little guys have nice crusty bottoms, and they’re well-tanned ones too!

They get it from their mother, ahem, eh, from the pan

What other virtues do they have?

They’re easy-peasy to make, fun to eat, cheesy (I’ve already said so), and bite size (love that). I think they’ll make good appetizers when dressed up in something fancy and their bottoms covered.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a pile of laundry to take care of.

But before I go, to entertain you a bit more, this is the photo I took on December 2008 (with a point and shoot) when I made the meatballs and their soup:

I’m pretty sure that the exact same photo with a DSLR + minus the artificial yellow light would have looked much fancier…

Italian Wedding Soup’s chicken meatballs

The complete recipe plus the soup can be found in Barefoot Contessa “Back to Basics” cookbook or online, click here. This is my adaptation for the meatballs.

*One of my favorite shortcuts is to prepare herb flavored fresh breadcrumbs ahead of time and keep them in the freezer for exactly this sort of recipes. Click here to see.

Makes 6-8 servings, about 40 meatballs

1-1/2 pound ground chicken thighs
2/3 cup fresh bread crumbs*
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley*
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano/Parmesan, or any cheese you have and like
3 tablespoons milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Put the chicken, bread crumbs, parsley, garlic, cheese, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with your hands.

With a teaspoon, or cookie scoop (my favorite kitchen tool, it makes less mess (see a photo of one in this cookie post)), drop 1 to 1 1/4-inch meatballs onto a lightly greased sheet pan.

Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned.

We need to have a serious talk.

To make it easier, I’ll start with the bottom line:

“Any lousy chicken stock you will make at home will taste far superior to ANY store-bought stock or broth you will buy.”

Now, let me tell you something.

The last time I made chicken stock was about 3-4 years ago. I got busy with the kiddies and stopped making it. I thought I didn’t have time for this.

So, I tried different brands, organic, free-range, sodium free, stocks, broths, in cartons, cans, and even frozen fresh stock for $7 per pint! The frozen fresh became the preferred one. Because I thought I nailed it. I believed I have found the perfect solution: an organic, fresh, make from scratch (by someone else) substitution to real homemade chicken stock. I put my trust in that stock and made a $7 “investment” each time I bought it. Then, one day, when dinner plans have changed and I couldn’t use the stock right away, I left it to thaw in a fridge for 2 days. When I finally wanted to use my thawed stock (in a soup), I poured it into a measuring cup since I only needed 2 cups and, to my absolute surprise and shock, water poured out! Water.

I looked at the bottom of the container and there I saw some brown bits/residue lying on the bottom. This did not look appealing. I also felt cheated for paying $7 for this stock. The previous times I used it, I reheated it in a small pot and immediately added it to the main dish so I never noticed this “feature”. It always looked brown and homogenous as good stock should be. At that point in time my stock option has changed. That frozen one was the best substitute compared to the others (besides buying real stock at the farmers market) – although it always tasted somewhat pale – or so I thought. To that point, I felt good when I used it, as if my conscious was clear (yeah, just like the stock!), but that incident ruined it for me. I was left with no other choice but to go back to making my own. But how?

It’s not that I didn’t know how to make stock. I made it many times before, using a big fat tall pot. The problems were: 1) finding the time to do it. After all, it’s a process that takes hours, 2) it needs some planning ahead, and 3) you need a lot of bones. In short, it’s not something you can do spontaneously. Or at least this is what I thought…

Then, one evening, I had an insight.

Do you know how seeking perfection in everything you do might cause a person to not do anything at all? Does it ever happen to you? It sure happens to me…

My solution? Forget about perfection! Make small, spontaneous stock investments.

Isn’t it gorgeous?!

In the past, I had a “bone collection” (I know, this doesn’t sound good) from leftovers of roasted chickens we ate, only by the time I had enough (4-5 lbs.), some got lost in the freezer or were too old and freezer burnt. From time to time I bought bones/carcasses of organic chickens to complete the collection but then I felt silly paying for bones. And, still, making a big pot of stock felt like a big project. Like a special occasion.

And, then a few days ago, we had a lovely dinner of simple grilled chicken drummettes, mashed sweet potatoes, and a Caesar salad. As I was watching the bones piling on the plates, I had an“A-ha!” moment – you know I have those from time to time… – and I quickly snatched them from the others plates so I won’t forget later and toss them in the trash. My family was still eating the last drummettes, but I got too excited to sit. I put the bones in a small pot with 1/2 fat carrot, 1/2 onion, 1 celery stalk, 1 smashed garlic clove, and a handful of peppercorns, covered with cold water, and brought it to a boil. 2-1/2 hours later I had a pint and a half of homemade chicken stock.

Now, this might not be how you are supposed to make chicken stock by the book. For more hard core how-to, go see Michael Ruhlman’s blog. So I named it My Lousy Chicken Stock ‘cos it’s not perfectly made, and I can feel better about it, but:

1) it’s homemade and so much better than any store bought or brand you will buy

2) it’s doable for the average bone collector

3) it’s cheaper. With a handful of basic veggies and the bones – free, I’d say I spent less than $1

4) the biggest benefit, you know what’s in there!

So if you ever felt intimidated to make your own chicken stock at home, this lousy one is for you.

I tell you, in this market, you should invest in some stock. The profit? It’s priceless.

And, next time you have a plate that looks like this

or this

you’ll know what to do… Right?!

Oh, one more thing.

I personally know some of you and I can hear you saying “but I don’t have celery”, or “but I don’t have bay leaf” or… so I’ll give you a discount. Use what you have. I didn’t have parsley that night. So what? It didn’t stop me from investing. But, even better, next time you plan to roast or grill a chicken, buy some!

Lousy homemade chicken stock

Makes 1-1/2 quarts

chicken bones, leftovers from 4 servings of roasted or grilled chicken
1 small carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
1/2 onion, peeled
1 garlic clove, whole and smashed
1 bay leaf
a few whole black peppercorns (OK, use ground)
a few parsley sprigs
salt, optional

Put all the ingredients in a pot. Cover with water. Bring to a boil. When boiling, lower the heat and skim any froth or fat that rose to the surface. Lower the heat to a bare simmer (only a random bubble should appear every now and then) and cook for 2-3 hours.

Strain the stock through a sieve set over a big bowl or another pot (or, if you’re into it, line the sieve with 2 layers of paper towel to catch the little bits and soak some of the fat. Those of you who have cheesecloth at home probably don’t need my lousy version for chicken stock, right?!).

Cool in an ice bath (= put the pot in a clean sink and fill it with cold water and ice to lower the temperature of the hot stock quickly so you can then store in the fridge). Store in containers and chill in the fridge. Optional: when completely cooled, remove any hardened fat that formed on the surface. That’s the classic thing to do although I’m sure my grandma would say that some fat is good for you and it sure taste good.

If not using within 1-2 days, label with name and date and freeze.

This soup has been waiting to be published for a looong time. With all the holidays bustle of shopping and cookies baking, it got buried under a pile of other recipes and things to do and write about that wouldn’t wait any longer.

It’s been waiting since…. hmmm, 3 weeks ago? It was freezing cold here. The temperatures were in the lower 20’s Fahrenheit during the day and much lower at night. Each time I went outside I thought my nose was going to fall off. However, the days were beautiful and sunny with clear blue sky and the nights were gorgeous too with deep infinite dark blue color, sparkling stars, and a full moon. Then we went back to normal grey and rainy days so typical of winter in Seattle (Gosh, I’ve become quite the weather girl due to this big chill and I’m giving you the weather report…) but every day I see snowy photos from places around the world which reminded me of the big brrrr we just had and, of course, the soup!

While it was so freezing outside, our gas fireplace worked non-stop (although it is programmed to shut off when the temps reach 68 F) and the heating system worked around the clock as well, but it was still chilly in the house. The only truly warm place was in the kitchen by the stove so that’s where I went and what else was left for me to do besides to make soup?!

Now, it’s freezing again. Yesterday I left my car outside instead of parking in the garage as I always do. It had ice all over it, including the windows. I reached for my mittens but they were soooo cold too… I really don’t understand the people who keep all their stuff (I won’t say “junk”) in garage and park their cars outside. I would have put the stuff out and the car in. Luckily, soup is still “in” (better choice of word than “cool”, right?). So here you go, it’s time to take the dust of this soup and share it with you to help you warm up a bit. Lots of veggies, flavors, and textures. Slurp slurp. Life is good!

***

By the way, I *love* your comments on the cookie post! It gives me a chance to get to you know a little and check out your blog, if you have one. I want you to know that I read each and every comment and e-mail that you readers send me!

To those who have no idea what I’m talking about, there’s a cookie scoop giveaway too! Click here to check it out.

Minestrone soup

The recipe is based on a recipe by Wolfgang Puck from his cookbook “Wolfgang Puck Makes It Easy”. I make it even easier.

Use as much of the canned tomato juice as you like. The whole can will make the soup more acidic and tomato-y, and less will… you know… But don’t skip the parmesan and pesto because they really tie up all the flavors together, OK?

Makes 6-8 servings

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion (about 1 cup), peeled and chopped
2-4 oz.bacon or pancetta, chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes, liquid reserved
1 14-oz. can cannellini beans, drained, rinsed in water and drained again
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1/4 cup parsley, leaves on the stems
2 potatoes, peeled and cut to cubes
1-2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and chopped
3 sprigs fresh thyme
Salt and black pepper
1 cup small shaped pasta, uncooked

Serve with:
Parmesan, grated
Pesto, store-bought or home-made

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and bacon and cook, stirring from time to time, until the onion is tender and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute.

Add the tomatoes with their liquid (see note above), the beans, carrots, celery, parsley, potatoes, zucchini, thyme, salt and pepper. Add water to cover, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook about 30-40 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

About 10 minutes before serving (check the pasta’s cooking instruction on the package), add the pasta to the soup. If the mixture is too thick, add water. Simmer until the pasta is cooked.

Serve and add to each bowl of soup some grated parmesan and pesto.

I consider myself a pretty adventurous eater. So what is chicken soup doing here? Well, I’m not so much an adventurous home cook anymore. I blame it on the kids.

I’m just kidding.

A little.

But yes, since I became a mom I do feel sometimes that my joy of cooking is being affected by the fact that I have one child who doesn’t like X and and another one who doesn’t like Z and I try constantly to maneuver between those ever changing likes and dislikes. I also don’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen – time I actually do not have on my hands anymore – because I rather play with them kiddies or give them some kind of attention here and there instead of watching them from the kitchen. But it doesn’t mean that I’ll trade any of them for an iron chef meal any time soon. Eating everything roasted with salt and pepper and a little olive oil (Boring… Not to mention hot dogs) for dinner is a small price to pay compared to having a family with all the ups and downs that come with it.

And then, I get my chance to explore and have my little culinary adventures when we go out to eat. I am always looking for new things, new ideas, ingredients I haven’t tried yet, innovative and creative dishes. I’m taking notes about those findings in a little notebook that I always keep in my purse. Which reminds me of one time we ate at a new restaurant in town. I was very excited about their Kobacha stew – it was delicious and I never ate Kobacha before – and wrote a few notes in my little notebook about it. The waiter noticed and asked me if I was going to write a review about them? Am I a journalist? I said I was neither. Afterwards he brought me a spoon for dessert AND it was a little dirty. He apologized and replaced it immediately after I told him, but I opened my little notebook and pretended to be writing something about it. For a second he froze. But then he understood that I was just pulling his leg. Figuratively…

Back at home, these days, I find myself going back to the basics.

Simple food. Simple ingredients.

Food I think the kids would love. (But it doesn’t always work that way.)

Food I repeat over and over hoping my children will remember when they grow up. (The good and the bad.)

Food I can make in 29 minutes (‘cause 30 minutes is already taken…)

Things that will warm our bellies, and hopefully our souls too.

I’ve been through some ups and down lately. You know. It has taken some of my energy away from cooking to some extent. Another good excuse. (Why only blame it on the kidz?)

And I told you about my failed attempts for a come back even though there were still a few good recipes I shared.

And now I have this one.

Chicken soup!

Which I am absolutely positively 100% sure you are all familiar with and have made it and/or ate it before at least once in your life, right?!

If not a million times!

However, I still want to share it with you.

Because it did make me feel all better inside. I felt warm like a fluffy down comforter on a chilly rainy gray day when you can’t see the sun, or even remember there IS a sun. It has cheered me up and perked up my soul. But we can discuss the placebo effect of chicken soup in more length some other time…

My son asked for chicken noodle soup, and his wish is my command.

Of course he did not expect there will be vegetables in there swimming alongside the noodles, but, what can you do? I am that kind of mom.

Nurit’s chicken soup

Makes 6-8 servings

6 chicken drumsticks and/or thighs
1 onion, peeled, and halved with the root attached
2 garlic cloves, smashed
2 celery sticks, cut into big chunks
1 celeriac (celery root), peeled and cut into big chunks, optional
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into big chunks
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into big chunks
1 yam, peeled and cut into big chunks
4-6 carrots, peeled and cut into big chunks
salt
black pepper, ground or a few peppercorn put in a tea infuser
1/2 bunch parsley, tied with a string

For serving, add cooked noodles, chopped green onion, cooked kale

Start by placing the chicken in a large pot together with the onion, garlic, and celery sticks. Cover with enough water to cover all the vegetables you will add later and bring to a boil. When the water boils, lower the heat and skim the scum/foam that rose to the top with a spoon or a strainer.

Add all the vegetables, besides parsley, 2 tablespoons salt, and pepper. Cook for about 30-40 minutes keeping the soup simmering gently, until the chicken and vegetables are cooked through. As the soup cooks, check to see if it needs some more skimming/if more foam keeps rising to the surface.

Season with salt and pepper as needed.

Note: I like to cut the vegetables into big chunks so they don’t break while they cook. I also fight the temptation to stir the soup often, and keep an eye on the “gentle simmer” until the soup is done which helps to have a clearer broth and veggies intact.

What’s in your chicken soup?

Since the movie Julie & Julia came out (Have you watched it yet? You should!), I’ve been seeing and hearing so much about Julia Child’s Potage Parmentier (potato-leek soup) and her famous  Boeuf Bourguignon recipes. A perfect timing indeed since, if you haven’t noticed yet where you live, like say in… California, fall is here. This puts me in the mood for something warm and good.

I have an excellent recipe for Beef Bourguignon that I promise to share with you very soon. In the meantime, this potato and leek soup, a version of Potage Parmentier, is so simple to make and so delicious to eat, that I declare it pure genius-ness. You see that little dollop of sour cream and a few snipped chive sprigs? Totally unnecessary. The soup is so good on its own. If you don’t mind, I’ll use a cliché here: its life’s simple pleasures… you know. This is what it’s all about!And speaking of movies, you might have heard “I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream?” so many times to make your ears fall off, no?! Since the movie “Down by Law” came out in 1986 – that’s 23 years for God’s sakes! Ahhch, I’m so old! I was in high school when I watched it – people have been saying this phrase over and over and overrrrrrrrrrr. Well, I’ve got a new one for you:

I slurp, you slurp, we all slurp for hot soup.

And if you start hearing it on the streets, or on the blogosphere, just remember that it was HERE where you heard it for the first time, OK?

EG, please send me an e-mail so I can make the contact between you and Chavrie’s representative to get your prize.

Potato leek soup

Julia Child’s recipe, uses only water but has an added heavy cream or butter. You can find that recipe here. I decided to use another recipe that I’ve been cooking in the past years. You’ll be quite surprised by the cost-effectiveness of this recipe: little work, basic ingredients, big big flavor. Very satisfying and hearty, we all slurped down this soup, and one of us in particular asked for seconds and thirds. Hint: it’s a pint size special someone.

Makes 6 servings

2 tablespoons butter
2 leeks with lots of white and pale green on then, dark green part removed, thinly sliced
2-3 large potatoes (Russet or Yukon Gold), peeled and large diced
1 quart vegetable stock*
1 quart water
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, ground, to taste
1/4 cup sour cream or heavy cream, to serve – optional
2-3 tablespoons minced parsley or chives – optional

In a big pot, over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the leeks and sauté until they soften a few minutes.
Add the potatoes, stock, and water, season with salt and pepper, bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook, partially covered, for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
Mash the vegetables using a potato masher, a fork, or puree in a blender. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
Before serving, stir in the cream, if you decide to use it. Pour into a soup bowls or cups, and garnish with the herbs.

*I recommend  checking the freezer section at the grocery store for fresh frozen stocks.

Yesterday turned out to be a beautiful sunny day. It started grayish and rainy but around 10 am the sky became clearer and bluer. That made me happy and at the same time nervous, realizing all of a sudden that summer is coming to an…. end. I had a little panic attack. Then I started thinking… soon there will be no fresh corn and no more pluots! Oy vey.

My favorite pluot variety – I think it is called Dinosaurs? At least, maybe, that’s what the lady at the market said – is already out of season. It has crimson skin and flesh and a heavenly perfumey smell and a divine floral flavor. I knew this was coming and so I warned the whoooole world in advance. No, I did not stand in downtown Seattle with a message written on a cardboard. I did it on Twitter, so don’t say that I did not warn you!

Back to the lady at the market… She had 5 other varieties of pluots but no “dinosaurs” and she agreed with me that they ARE “The Kings” of plouts and confirmed that they are indeed gone until next year. How sad. Just ttt… tragic. Ok, maybe a little.

Now, I know that to someone who is not that much into pluots, or into food in general (like most of the people I know), this might(?) sound pathetic or at least very melodramatic. They might think I’m a crazy woman with a distorted list of priorities. BUT this only means they have no idea what I’m talking about ‘cos they never had a good pluot their entire lives. To that I would answer: “Ah-ha-ha! Now, THAT is just crazy and sad!”

So, we went corn hunting and pluot hunting. And where’s the best place to do that? Of course, the farmers market. Ahhhh, the farmers market on a sunny day. T’was a beautiful day at the market… I only wish my camera’s battery did not die after the 5th photo…

But I did find a new stand for wild foraged mushrooms and huckleberries.

One year ago: Orzo salad, Leftovers: Roasted Chicken, Tender and crisp chicken legs with sweet tomatoes, Lamb with chickpeas, yogurt and pan-roasted veg
 

Fresh foraged wild mushrooms. Not something you see every day, right?! This meant only one thing. Must make wild mushroom soup.

But first some Miscellaneous:

1. Please take 2 minutes to nominate my blog on the Foodbuzz Blog Awards created to recognize outstanding talent, creativity and hard work in the food blog community. To start, click here. Thank you!

2. Check out the new giveaway of some serious food goodies, click here.

* * * * *

Foraged wild mushrooms soup

Adapted from Jamie’s Dinners cookbook

Serves 6

a handful of dried porcini mushrooms
olive oil
1 lb. (450 grams) mixed fresh wild mushrooms (like chanterelles, shitake, oyster, lobster…), cleaned & sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 cup red/yellow onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter
a few thyme sprigs, leaves picked
salt
black pepper, ground
1 qt. (1 liter) chicken stock*
a handful of parsley leaves, roughly chopped
1/4 cup heavy cream/mascarpone/crème fresh/sour cream
1/2 big lemon, zested and juiced
truffle oil, optional

Place the porcini in a small bowl and add boiling water just to cover, leave to soak.

Meanwhile, get a large pot nice and hot, then add a good couple of lugs of olive oil and the fresh mushrooms. Stir for a minute, then add garlic, onion, butter and thyme and a little salt and pepper.

After about a minute you’ll notice moisture cooking out of the mushrooms, at this point take the porcini out of their liquid with a fork, chop them and add to the pot. Strain the soaking liquid 9use a sieve lined with paper towel) to remove any grit, and add it to the pan. Continue cooking for about 20 minutes until most of the moisture disappears.

Season with more salt and pepper, and add the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Puree the soup to the desired consistency using  food processor/blender/hand blender. (I like to leave it a bit chunky and not completely smooth). Add the parsley and heavy cream/mascarpone, stir and season to taste.

To finish the soup, add the lemon zest and juice. Serve with a few drops of truffle oil and/or a dollop of sour cream just before serving.

* Chicken stock: if you don’t make your own (which I believe most of you don’t. I know I haven’t made one in 3 years… Too busy being a mom), I recommend buying a fresh frozen one. Check the freezer at your grocery store. It taste a lot better than any canned or carton of stock/broth.

* * *

One last thing, I wanted to show you the photo of the same soup that I took last year on 12/2008 with a point-and-shoot camera, at night, and with much less experience with food photography. Isn’t it funny?

Let’s cut to the chase, shall we?!

Summer.

Tomato = Fruit.

“Heirloom tomatoes” is the password.

Make those ripe, even overripe ones.

Go to the farmers market or a farm stand, ask about the hidden box containing very ripe and juicy heirloom tomatoes for only $2 or so per pound. Double sweet deal! Just like the markets in the old days…

Go back home with your treasure.

Warning: you really must have good tomatoes for this soup which has such a short list of ingredients. (Forget about the perfectly plastic tomatoes at the average grocery store)

Make soup.

It takes only 5 minutes!

And don’t forget the new cookbook giveaway in celebration of the blog’s 1 year birthday!

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Sweet summer heirloom tomatoes soup

Serves 4 as a first course

about 3 lbs. of ripe and juicy tomatoes, all kinds (optional – peel* and remove seeds)
1-2 tablespoons of basil leaves
1-2 tablespoons of mint leaves
salt and black pepper
about 1/3 – 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and process until all tomatoes are crushed. Do this to the consistency you like.

Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. Add more herbs if you want.

Serve at room temperature.

* I find this serrated peeler to be very handy for peeling tomatoes.

Also try Love-ly Heirloom tomatoes salad

Spring break.

Two words that shouldn’t be paired together, I think. But schools are closed and my husband and son left for a week and flew to visit family and relatives living out of state.

It was me and baby at home. I really didn’t like being apart. In fact, I hated it.

But, I find that it is also an opportunity to slow down, relax a bit, reflect, think, and reflect a bit more about all kinds of stuff. Not having my two guys around, no constant buzz in my head, I came to some profound discoveries and conclusions:

1. a 1 year-old makes a lot more mess then a 6 years-old

2. 6 years-old makes my brain tired, baby makes my body tired, but oh, how these two complete me and nourish my soul

3. I’m a bit of a loner and I love to be at home even when it’s half empty (or half full. Depends on how you look at it…)

4. I love to write on gray and rainy days

5. food doesn’t taste the same when 2 people, versus 4, sit around the kitchen table to eat

6. I missed my husband so

7. the first two days it felt as if I’m having my own little vacation (I got a massage!)

8. on the 5th day I realized that I was a bit depressed during the 3rd and 4th days

9. I couldn’t wait for the 7th day to arrive, when they will be back home

10. when cooking for 1+1/2 – that’s me plus baby – I prefer lighter cooking and more vegetarian dishes.

This soup was wonderful and so quick and easy to make. Unbelievable.

Peas and tarragon soup

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit magazine, April 2009
Makes 4 servings

1 package frozen peas, thawed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 shallots, sliced
4 cups (or more) vegetable broth (or 2 cups broth and 2 cups water)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
Salt
Black pepper, ground
Plain nonfat yogurt or sour cream, for serving

Heat oil in a medium size pot over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until golden and almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add the peas and broth (or water, if using), tarragon, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low and cook until flavors blend and peas are tender, about 5 minutes.

Cool slightly. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until completely smooth, or use a hand blender. Return to the same pot and reheat. Thin with more broth/water to the desired consistency. Correct seasoning with salt and pepper.
Ladle soup into 6 bowls and serve with yogurt or sour cream.

This recipe was submitted to Souper Sundays event on Kahakai Kitchen blog and to Cream Puffs in Venice’s Magaznie Mondays event.