The Global Kitchen

Tom Kha Gai is my favorite soup on the menu of our local Thai restaurant. They serve it in one of those aluminum chimneys. It's usually the only thinkg I get.

Anyway I've been meaning to replicate it for a couple of years but never got around to it. I looked a lot of different recipes and took notes from each one but settled on measurements from THIS recipe on the Food Tastes Good blog.

I added a can of straw mushrooms, rinsed very well, and skipped the red bell pepper, salt and red pepper flakes. I made my own nam prik pao(Thai roasted red chili paste but I used a recipe from my Hot Sour Salty Sweet cookbook which doesn't call for palm sugar. My block of palm sugar was harder than cement and I would have needed a jackhammer to break it apart so I used brown sugar.

The end result was very close to what I get at the restaurant. The heat was just right for me. Gradual and flavorful.

I took the leftovers to work served over jasmin rice and it held up very well. I'm definitely making it again next week.

It's been cold and rainy here and I've been thinking chili would hit the spot. Chili is another food I used to hate as a kid. What was I thinking? It's hearty, filling and there are so many variatons.

People are fanatical about their recipes with secret ingredients and other tricks. I just found this recipe in Cooking Light back in 2003 and quit looking. I just wish I had the forsight to cook up some of my dried Rancho Gordo beans in place of the canned beans. Next time. A big glob of Daisy sour cream and some shredded cheddar and the bowl is finished.

This recipe makes a LOT of chili but the good news is it freezes very well.

Enjoy.

Recipe HERE

Ughh you wouldn't know it from my picture but this soup is delicious!!! I've been eying leeks at the grocery store and thinking about making a potato leek soup but I've only had it with a cream base and I wasn't up for that.

Then I read Christine's Blue Rose Cafe Blog and found exactly what I was looking for. She posted a review of this soup and mentioned it's chicken broth based yet creamy. Creamy and delicious!

I confess I did use 2 cups of broth and 1/2 cup of water to up the flavor. Some reviewers even used wine in place of some of the broth. I also sauteed a few chopped garlic cloves with the leeks. I used my immersion blender to puree.

The prep and cook time are also very short so this is perfect for a weekday meal. I don't think I'll need the recipe again either.

Recipe HERE courtesy of Gourmet Magazine, March 1992.

This isn't really bread soup but rather a bean and vegetable soup with croutons. This version is from Tuscany.

The croutons are easy to make and delicious. Just cube some bread(I bought one of those mini-baguettes). Heat some olive oil and a crushed garlic clove in a skillet. Add some salt and bread cubes. Toss until brown on all sides. Oh and do not leave the croutons on the counter. You will eat them every time you go stir the soup!

I used kale because it's one of those things that's really good for me but I don't eat enough of it. I've never had collards so I might try that next time.

The soup is hearty and excellent. Definitely use dried or fresh pod beans as they give the broth incredible flavor.

Bread Soup
Zuppa de Pane

Adapted from How to cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman

1 1/2 cup cranberry, pinto or other pink spotted bean. I used cranberry beans.
6 cups vegetable stock
2 medium onions, chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 cups shredded savoy cabbage, spinach, kale, or collards
salt and fresh ground pepper
Croutons (see above)
chopped Italian parsley
Extra Virgin Olive Oil for garnish

Soak beans

Drain beans and combine with stock and one chopped onion. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until beans are very soft(this took about an hour an 40 minutes). Stir occasionally. Add salt, pepper and greens and simmer until tender. Five minutes for spinach, 15 minuted for kale.

Stir in croutons and garnish with parsley, onions and a drizzle of olive oil.

I recently read a novel called Pomegranate Soup by Marsha Mehran about three Persian sisters who relocated to Ireland after the Revolution, opened a cafe and entranced the locals with their exotic cuisine. Think Chocolat or Like Water for Chocolate. The novel contains the recipes mentioned in the book.

Anyway I never thought of using pomegranate in a savory dish and this recipe caught my eye. and a Google search turned up many other variations.

I settled on the recipe from the book because I had most of the ingredients on hand. I liked the soup but didn't swoon over it like the characters in the book. It had a nice sour savory-ness and was quite "herby" but the lamb really needed to be seasoned.

I also considered THIS recipe and I think it's the one I should have made. And probaly will make in the near future.

Pomegranate Soup
Marsha Mehran

2 onions chopped
2 tbs olive oil
1/2 cup yellow split peas rinsed
3/4 cup rice
6 cups water
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp tumeric
2 cups parsley, chopped
2 cups cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup mint, chopped
1 cup scallions, chopped
1 lb ground lamb
2 cups pomegranate juice
1 tbs sugar
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs angelica powder(I din't have any wand wasn't in the mood to track it down and the recipe said "optional")

In a large stockpot saute the onion in the olive oil until golden. Add peas, rice, water, salt, pepper, tumeric and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer covered 30 minutes. Add parsley, cilantro, mint and scallions and simmer 15 minutes. Meanwhile roll lamb into medium meatballs. Add meatballs and remaining ingredients to the pot and simmer, covered for 45 minutes.

I've decided to start working my way through all the Rancho Gordo beans and various grains I have squirreled away.

I decided to start with RG's runner cannellini beans. I pre-soaked a cup of these bad boys for 2 hours, bringing the water to a boil first and keeping them covered.

Those I used in a salad inspired by THIS recipe on the RG website. I used fresh basil instead of oregano, canned tomatoes and olive oil and white wine vinegar. I spooned it on a bed of greens for lunch. It would also be a good filling in a whole wheat pita.



I soaked another half cup for the Farro-Mushroom soup.

Farro is my favorite grain and I need to eat more of it so choosing this recipe was a no brainer.

The farro-mushroom soup comes from Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. He says it's from Lucca, Italy. I've been to Lucca and loved it. Anything that reminds me of Tuscany is a good thing.

The recipe actually starts as a farro soup with a mushroom adaptation. Lo and behold I had some dried porcini's so there was another item liberated from my pantry.



The soup is excellent but next time I'll use canned beans to reduce the cook time. I did use canned tomatoes.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
2 celery stalks, trimmed and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup farro, spelt or barley
1 cup dried white beans, soaked for several hours or overnight
2 cups chopped tomatoes (canned are fine; do not drain)
6 cups stock or water, more as necessary
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil,
optional Freshly grated Parmesan

Put oil in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat; a minute later add onion, celery, carrots, a large pinch of salt and some pepper. Cook until vegetables are glossy and onion is softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, and stir; add farro, beans, tomatoes and stock, and stir.

Bring to a boil, then adjust heat so mixture simmers steadily. Cook until farro and beans are tender, at least an hour, adding stock or water as necessary if mixture becomes too thick. Stir in parsley and basil (if using), then cook another 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, then serve with lots of Parmesan

It's not really soup season here but I'm so freakin' tired of summer I had to do it! I'm hoping for cooler weather soon.

Also I sort of had all the ingredients on hand and by sort of I mean I used canned tomatoes. I also wanted to start digging into my stash of RG beans. I used borlotti beans.

I love the soup! It's pretty hearty so a green salad and some bread are all that's needed to round out the meal. If you use vegetable broth instead of water you could serve it whole instead of pureed and it would be excellent. I used an immersion blender for that step.

It's an all day soup. 8 hours to soak the beans and up to 3 1/2 hours cooking time. I'm not sure why the recipe on Epicurious said 50 minutes. It also makes the house smell really really good.




Tuscan Farro and Bean Soup
Gourmet August 2006
Adapted from Beth Elon, author of A Culinary Traveler in Tuscany

Servings: Makes 6 to 8 servings.

1 cup dried borlotti or cranberry beans
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for drizzling
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
1 celery rib, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
10 cups water
1 large tomato (1/2 lb), coarsely chopped
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
10 fresh sage leaves
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup whole-grain farro
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Pick over and rinse beans. Soak in cold water to cover by 2 inches at least 8 hours and up to 12 hours. Alternatively, quick-soak beans. Drain well.

Heat oil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook onion, carrots, celery, and garlic, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in water, drained beans, tomato, parsley, sage, and thyme and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook at a bare simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally and adding more water if necessary to keep beans covered, until beans are tender, 2 to 3 hours.

Discard thyme sprigs, then blend mixture in batches in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), transferring to a large bowl. Return soup to pot and bring to a boil. Add farro and salt, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until farro is tender (it will be chewy like barley), about 30 minutes. Stir in pepper and serve drizzled with additional oil.

Cooks' Notes:
• To quick-soak, put beans in a 4- to 5-quart pot and cover with cold water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, uncovered, then boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 1 hour before draining.
• Soup can be made 5 days ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, then chilled, covered. Thin with water when reheating.

It's 113 degrees outside. I didn't want to cook. I also didn't want to grill so I stopped at the store and bought the ingredients for this soup and a roast chicken. Iced cantaloupe. What could sound cooler than that?

I was first introduced to cantaloupe soup in Provence several years ago. We were walking through a village and noticed a small packed-with-locals restaurant, with a patio where everyone was devouring this bright orange soup. By that time we had already become familiar with the Cavaillon melon which is the best cantaloupe on the planet end of story. There is even a giant statue of a melon in the town of Cavaillon France.

We were there during the height of the season and ate them for breakfast lunch and dinner and would have smuggled them home if we could.

I've seen them in a grocery store here once and I urge you if you ever see them you must buy one and devour it as soon as possible!!! They look a bit like striped honeydews on the outside. Or even better book a trip to Provence in June.



The french soup was amazing and had a hint of red pepper. I tried to replicate it once but failed. I really needed the French melon.

I was excited when I saw this recipe and it lived up to my expectations. There's even a drink alternative which is to puree the soup as directed, strain, add the lime zest and jalapeno and pour in glasses with a splash of vodka.

My picture is a little dark. The actual soup is a vibrant cantaloupe color.



Iced Cantaloupe Soup with Jalapeno and Basil

makes 2 to 4 servings as a first course -
Adapted from The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper by Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift.
Ingredients

One 2 1/2 pound intensely sweet-smelling ripe cantaloupe
2 cups ice cubes
Generous pinch of salt
4 or 5 grinds of black pepper
2 tablespoons sugar
Juice of 2 large limes (about 1/2 cup)
Grated zest of 1/2 large lime

Finish:
1 or 2 jalapeños, seeded and cut into fine dice
10 to 12 fresh basil leaves, coarse chopped
1/2 medium red onion, cut into 1/8-inch dice (optional)
Procedure

1. Cut the melon into quarters. Scoop out its seeds and trim away the rind. Slice it into chunks and put them into a food processor. Add the ice, salt, pepper, sugar, and lime juice, and puree. Stir in the grated zest.

2. Place the jalapeños, basil, and onion in separate small serving bowls. Pour the puree into individual soup bowls or into a pitcher for further chilling.

3. To serve, pour the soup into bowls and pass the condiments. The basil and jalapeño are the essential finishes for the soup, while the onion is an attractive option.

I LOVE Gazpacho! And every time I stumble upon a new recipe I have to try it. It's the perfect summer recipe. Easy, cool and nutritious. It's 109 degrees outside so I'm up for anything that doesn't require me to turn on the stove. Heck the grill is pre-heated before I even light it!

This gazpacho is a bit different as a lot of the veggies are added later instead of being pureed together. I like a chunky gazpacho. The pumpkin seeds give it a nice little crunch too.

The recipe comes from the July 08 issue of Bon Appetit.

Taking pictures of chunky green soup is a challenge. Trust me when I say this is good. I think it makes a better side dish or starter course than a main course though.



Tomatillo-Pepita Gazpacho

Makes 8 servings
* Prep: 35 minutes
* Total: 3 hours 35 minutes (includes chilling time)


Ingredients

* 1/2 cup (generous) unsalted shelled pepitas (about 21/2 ounces)
* 2 pounds tomatillos, husked, rinsed
* 1 large fresh poblano chile
* 1 garlic clove, pressed
* 1 cup vegetable broth
* 1/3 cup chopped green onion
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 small unpeeled English hothouse cucumber, diced
* 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, diced
* 1 12-ounce container cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered if large

Preparation
Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Finely grind pepitas in processor; leave in processor. Grill tomatillos and poblano chile until tomatillos are slightly charred and soft and chile is charred all over, turning occasionally, 12 to 15 minutes. Add tomatillos to processor. Peel, seed, and coarsely chop chile; add to processor. Add garlic; process soup to coarse puree. Transfer to large bowl. Stir in vegetable broth. Season soup with salt and pepper. Cover; chill until cold, about 3 hours.

Mix in green onion and all remaining ingredients. Divide soup among bowls.

Ingredient Tip: Pepitas are available at many supermarkets and at natural foods stores and Latin markets. Look for tomatillos and poblano chiles (also called pasillas) in the produce section of supermarkets, specialty foods stores, and Latin markets.

Nutritional Information
8 servings
One serving contains the following:
Calories (kcal) 172.11
% Calories from Fat 66.9
Fat (g) 12.79
Saturated Fat (g) 1.84
Cholesterol (mg) 0
Carbohydrates (g) 14.09
Dietary Fiber (g) 4.79
Total Sugars (g) 6.46
Net Carbs (g) 9.30
Protein (g) 2.83

Holy cats this is astounding!!! On a scale of one to 10 I give it a solid 20!!

I wanted to use up the pozole I cooked up a couple of weeks ago and found this highly rated recipe on Epicurious. It was listed under Healthy Mexican so that was an added bonus. It was a bit labor intensive but well worth the effort. This soup is seriously awesome!! I put avocado tossed with lime juice in my soup.

I took inventory of my pantry and freezer and discovered I had everything but the tomatillos for this soup. Not making a big shopping list is a good thing!

This soup is wonderful! I loved the way the sweetness of the zucchini, the tartness of the tomatillo and the smokiness of the chipotle had a party in my mouth.

I cooked dried black beans last night so there will be more black bean recipes to come.



Southwestern Mixed Vegetable Soup
How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman

2 tbs grapeseed or corn oil
1 large onion roughly chopped
1 tbs minced garlic
1 dried chipotle(I used canned in adobo and minced it)
1 tbs ground cumin
1 tbs fresh oregano or epazote leaves
salt and ground pepper
1 cup corn kernels (I used frozen unthawed)
1 cup cooked black beans
1 large potato peeled and rough chopped(I used 2 red potatoes and left the peel on)
3 tomatillos cut into chunks or use canned
1 med tomato rough chopped
1 zucchini rough chopped
6 cups vegetable stock
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

Sautee onion in oil for 10 minutes or until browned over medium heat
Add garlic, cumin and oregano with a little salt and pepper
Sautee 30 seconds.
Add remaining vegetables and beans and sautee till shiny about 1 minute.
Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until potato is done. Season to taste, pour into bowlsa and top with cilantro.

I have a new favorite corn muffin recipe! Oh my these are so heavenly I had to quickly wrap up the extras and put them in the freezer so I wouldn't eat them all! I did take one as they cooled and drizzled it with butter and honey.

I was also excited about making posole. I've ordered it in restaurants but have never thought to make it myself, mainly because canned hominy does not sound appealing and I couldn't find dried at the grocery store when I thought to look.

So I decided to order some dried with my last Rancho Gordo order to see if there's a difference. There is! This recipe came with my order and I had to try it.

I did use Penzey's hot chili powder which made the soup a bit spicier than I like but I just ate an extra corn muffin to cool my mouth.



Posole Rojo
Steve Sando, Rancho Gordo

1 tbs olive oil
2 med white onions, chopped
8 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup tomato paste
3 tbs chili powder
1 tbs Mexican oregano(mine is Turkish)
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
4 cups cooked hominy
7 cups cooked shredded chicken(I poached boneless skinless breasts in chicken broth)
salt and pepper

Garnishes, diced avocado, chopped cilantro, finely chopped onions, chili powder (HA! is he kidding?)crumbled queso fresco, thinly sliced radishes in any combination.

I garnished with avocado, cilantro and queso fresco.

1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and cook until soft. Add tomato paste and spices stirring until mixed and warmed.

2. Add 4 cups of water, broth and hominy. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add chicken and serve with garnishes.

Publish Post

Corniest Corn Muffins

- makes 12 muffins -
Adapted from Baking From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
6 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
1 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 tablespoons corn oil
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 cup corn kernels (add up to 1/3 cup more if you’d like), fresh, frozen or canned (in which case they should be drained and patted dry)

Procedure

Getting ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter or spray the 12 muffin molds in a regular-size muffin tin, or fit the molds with paper muffin cups.

Working in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. In a large glass measuring cup with a spout or in another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, melted butter, oil, egg and yolk. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Don’t worry about being thorough – the batter will be lumpy and that’s just the way it should be. Stir in the corn kernels. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin molds.

Slide the pan into the oven and bake 15 to 18 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Pull the pan from the oven and carefully lift each muffin out of its mold and onto a rack to cool.

Serving: The muffins are great warm or at room temperature and particularly great split, toasted and slathered with butter or jam or both (if they’re not in breadbasket at dinner, that is).

Storing: Like all muffins, these are best eaten the day they are made. If you want to keep them, it’s best to wrap them airtight and pop them into the freezer, where they’ll keep for about a month; re-warm in a 300°F oven, if you’d like, or split them and toast them—do that and they’ll be that much more delicious with butter.

I was craving soup so I perused my recipe collection and found this, which I used to make quite a bit. I have no idea why I put it aside.

I love this soup! It's so easy, healthy and tasty. Precisely why I'm planning on taking it to a cook-off at work! I used the homemade vegetable stock previously posted here.

The modifications I made are as follows:

I added the sweet potatoes with the carrots. That was an accident as they're the same color and I grabbed the wrong bowl. No harm done.

I used an immersion blender to puree the veggies with the tomato juice because I have a nice immersion blender precisely for this task. Saves pouring hot liquid and potential splatter too.

I added very little sugar. I think it can actually be skipped altogether.

I like thick soup so I didn't add any additional liquid.


WEST AFRICAN PEANUT SOUP
(from "Sundays at the Moosewood Restaurant")

2 cups chopped onion
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp cayenne or other ground chiles
1 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger
1 cup chopped carrots
2 cups chopped sweet potatoes
4 cups vegetable stock or water
2 cups tomato juice
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 Tbsp sugar
chopped scallions
chopped roasted peanuts

Sauté onion in oil until it is translucent.
Stir in cayenne and ginger. Add carrots and
sauté a couple minutes more. Mix in potatoes
and stock, bring to a boil, simmer 15 minutes
(until the vegetables are tender). Puree the
vegetables with tomato juice (and some of the
cooking liquid if necessary) in a blender or
food processor. Return the puree to the pot.
Stir in the peanut butter until smooth. Check
sweetness and add sugar if necessary. Reheat
gently, using a heat diffuser if necessary to
prevent scorching. Add more water, stock, or
tomato juice to make a thinner soup if
desired. Serve topped with plenty of chopped
scallions and chopped roasted peanuts.

Serves 6-8

This is so easy to make. Throw everything in a pot. Boil and simmer for 30 minutes. There's minimal chopping too.

This stew is more about the veggies than the barley. It's very filling and healthy.

I used three medium French fingerling potatoes. My mushrooms consisted of button and a dried porcini and some other mushroom blend. Adding the reconstituting water to the broth really added a lot of flavor.

1/3 cup is a small amount of barley but if you have leftovers they grow overnight !



Barley & Mushroom Stew
Mark Bittman: How to Cook Everything Vegetarian)

Makes 4 servings
Time: about 30 minutes

Here barley almost plays a supporting role, as a toothsome component of a hearty vegetable stew. Use any root vegetables you like here and serve with crusty bread.

1 cup chopped onion
2 med. carrots, cut into chunks
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
2 medium potatoes, preferably low starch, peeled and quartered*
8 garlic cloves, peeled
2 cups sliced mushrooms, preferably an assortment, or 1 cup sliced button mushrooms and ½ cup dried porcini other dried mushrooms, reconstituted in hot water to cover
1/3 cup pearled barley
1 tsp. fresh thyme or ½ tsp. dried
salt & freshly ground pepper
3 cups vegetable stock or water
chopped parsley or celery leaves for garnish(I didn't use it)

1. Combine all the ingredients except the parsley in a sauce pan. (If you use dried mushrooms, include their strained liquid and reduce the amount of stock or water accordingly.) Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then turn the heat down so the mixture barely bubbles. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice.

2. The stew is done when everything is tender. Taste, adjust the seasoning, garnish and serve.