The Art of Food

Butternut Squash Soup with Cauliflower and Goat Cheese

Ingredients:

• 1 2lb butternut squash, peeled and chopped into cubes
• 2 quarts organic free-range chicken stock
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 fresh red chili or a jalepeno pepper, deseeded and chopped
• 1 head of cauliflower, florets cut off and into equal sizes
• Goat cheese
• Croutons. Check out my recipe for homemade croutons here!
• Fresh basil
• Chili flakes
• Dried rosemary
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

To Make:

1. In a large soup pot, heat up some olive oil on medium heat and add in your chopped onion, celery, carrot, chili pepper, and garlic. Add 1 tablespoon of dried rosemary. Saute gently on medium-low heat, stirring often, until veggies are soft. About 10 minutes.
2. Add in your butternut squash and the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Turn heat down and simmer for 30 minutes with a lid askew. 
3. When the squash has softened, puree with a hand blender or transfer the soup into a regular blender. 
4. Put the soup back on the stove on medium-low heat and add the cauliflower.  Taste at this point and season with salt and pepper until desired taste is reached. You may also add in chili flakes if you like a little kick. 
5. Simmer for another 10 minutes. The cauliflower should be softer but still firm to the bite. Not mushy…
6. Serve with wonderful croutons, a few crumbles of goat cheese, some fresh basil, and a drizzle of olive oil. 
7. Enjoy!

Best cold weather soup. Also really good for a holiday menu. 

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Shrimp and Corn Chowder with Grilled Cheese

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 large leek
• 1 lb potatoes
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 6 strips of bacon
• 3 ears of corn or 1 2/3 cups frozen corn
• 1/2 lb large shrimp
• 1 3/4 cup heavy cream or half and half
• 1 pinch chili flakes
• Bread of cheese sandwiches and favorite cheese
• Butter to spread on the bread
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil

To Make:

1. Cut the ends of the leek and quarter it. Run it under cold water, making sure to get in the cracks so the dirt gets out. 
2. Peel and dice your potatoes.
3. Pour chicken broth into a small-medium sized pan and bring to boil.
4. While that’s getting going, in a large pot, on high heat, add some olive oil and the bacon. Once it’s crisp, use a pair of kitchen tongs to remove onto a paper towel covered plate so the bacon doesn’t get soggy. 
5. Leave the bacon fat in the pot and add your chopped ingredients to the pot on medium-high heat. Stir often until leeks are softened, about 4 mins.
6. Add the corn and shrimp. 
7. Pour in the hot chicken broth and the heavy cream and stir. Add a good pinch of salt, pepper, and chili flakes. 
8. Bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
9. Blitz with an immersion blender until the consistency is half creamy, half chunky. 
10. Chop up your bacon slices into bacon bits and sprinkle on top of the soup. 

Grilled Cheese:

1. Butter each slice of bread with butter.
2. In a large skillet on medium heat, add the slices of bread butter side down and toast for 1 minute.
3. Add your desired cheese to the top of the bread and flip one of the slices onto another one, forming a sandwich. Continue frying until golden brown. Flip the entire sandwich over so the other side can be toasted. 
4. When both sides are golden brown, take off heat and slice down the middle. 

Serve with bowls of the chowder. Enjoy!

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Matzo Ball Soup

…for when you’re feeling low.

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Parsnip and Ginger Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 lbs parsnips, peeled and chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 1 3/4 quarts chicken stock
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
• Olive oil
• Cilantro
• Salt and pepper

To Make:

1. Chop up all your veggies.
2. Boil broth in a medium pot.
3. In a large soup pot, add some olive oil to the bottom and heat up.
4. Once hot, add all the chopped veg and stir.
5. With a lid on at an angle, cook everything for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are golden and everything has softened. 
6. Add boiling broth to the veggies and bring to boil.
7. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 more minutes with the lid on. 
8. Season with salt and pepper. Using an immersion blender, pulse the soup until it is smooth and creamy. 
9. Garnish with cilantro leaves and a drizzle of good olive oil. Serve with some nice pieces of fresh bread.
10. Enjoy!

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Restaurant in Review: Ramen Yamadaya

The writing was on the wall of Ramen Yamadaya. 120 pounds of pork cooked for at least 20 hours! If that’s not a soup base, I don’t know what is.

A few nights ago, we came here for some good old fashioned comfort food with a few friends. We left with stomachs filled to the brim and about ten pounds heavier from all the fat we’d accumulated.

Judging from the amount of pork fat injected into this soup, it’s hard to see how anyone can leave here feeling comfortable. There’s the soup base itself, which truly does taste as if 120 pounds of pork has been swimming in broth for 20+ hours. There’s the added (and for some reason, cold) pieces of pork swimming amongst the noodles. There’s the two large chunks of pork belly saying their hellos. And finally, there’s the oh-so-good runny yolk in the middle, hard boiled egg. Combine all that with a good serving of noodles and you’ve got yourself the biggest heart attack in a bowl.

However, aside from your stomach feeling like it’s below the floor boards result, this is a mighty tasty soup, just not for the faint of heart, literally.

So while Jonathan Gold may be singing this ramen’s praises, I’m still on the hunt for the best tea egg and the well balanced ramen I’ve come to expect. So far, the best one I’ve tasted is Oshima Ramen in Denver, CO.

Here’s hoping LA can top it.

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gastrogirl:

soba noodle soup with shrimp and veggies.

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