A Soup for the Seemingly Incurably Sick

The past week, starting around last Sunday, was a long, long, long week. The longest I can remember. And even though the days passed in a stressful frenzy, the week as a whole dragged as if ten seconds were tacked onto every single one. The main reason: it was the first week of my last semester in college so the aptly named “syllabus week” was destined to be a bit of a bore. Along with that, it is the week where you have to face the fact that there will be no rest for quite a few months (the syllabi give me friendly reminder of the vast readings, papers, presentations, and projects looming in the distance). And finally, just my luck, I ended up with a doozy of a cold starting on day one so all of my professors most likely got a lovely first impression of me as “that lazy student who looks half-drugged, sounds like a duck when she talks, and will probably only come to a handful of classes”. Oh but I will prove then wrong now that I no longer feel like my brain is nothing more that a pile of slightly jellified oatmeal.

It was one of those colds that seems to take its sweet ole time moving along. Honestly, if I’m to get sick, I just want it to hit me. BAM! Just like that. First I’m healthy, then I’m sick, and by day two I’m already on the road to recovery. This cold was one where, a week into thing, you wake up, praying it will finally be the day where you hit the downhill slope, only to realize that the symptoms are just ever so slightly worse. It lingers for weeks after, providing just enough of a cough and nasal drippage that people think you’re nastily sick when, in reality, it’s been weeks since you were contagious.

Yes, this was one of those colds. It has drained my entire body, physically and mentally, and to be honest my desire to cook has been quite minimal. And when everything tasted like cardboard anyway, what was the point in making something good. Yet, finally, I am just now able to start tasting my food. I’ve been yearning for a hint of flavor, something to awaken my tastebuds, and I really found something to kick start my renewed sense. This is something along the lines of a southwestern style potato soup. It vegetarian, virtually fat-free, but it is tremendous in flavor, hearty and creamy in texture, and packs a huge punch of heat. Half a jalapeno and a good bit of cayenne add a hidden kick while a surprising addition of molasses rounds it out with a deep, sweetness. After only a few bites, my sinuses were amazingly clearer than I remember them being in a while. Best yet, once I was finished peeling and dicing, the whole thing came together in twenty minutes of largely idle time. I took a bite and was simply just in shock that something with so many levels of flavor was so simple.

At a time when I thought that this cold would never end, this soup came along to knock enough sense and energy into me to remind me that these things do pass. Here’s to a more successful second week…and three more days of leftover soup. 

Southwest Potato Soup
serves 4-6
adapted from The Wednesday Chef

I strayed a little from the original recipe. I used a mixture of red and sweet potatoes, rather than just sweet, added the beans for a little heft, and pureed, only half of the soup to leave some potato chunkiness. I bought a little baguette to go on the side but in hindsight I now wish I had bought a large bag of tortilla chips and used them as a spoon equivalent. Therefore I may just have to buy a bag of chips tomorrow.

Ingredients
olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
½ jalapeno, finely diced
2½ pounds of a mix of red potatoes and sweet potatoes, peeled and cud into ¾ inch cubes
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1-14 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 Tbs. molasses
¼ tsp. cayenne
a pinch of cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste
to serve: a spoonful of plain yogurt, diced avocado, and tortilla chips

In a soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and jalapeno and sauté for about 3 minutes until soft. Add the potatoes and the stock and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for about 13-15 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Remove from heat.

Transfer half of the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Return the puree to the pot and return the pot to the heat. Add the corn, beans, molasses, cayenne, cinnamon, salt, and pepper, and return to a light boil until reheated through.

Serve in a bowl with a dollop of plain yogurt or sour cream, some diced pieces of avocado, perhaps some diced tomatoes or cheddar cheese, and tortilla chips on the side for scooping up the soup.

Pumpkin Polenta

In my defense, I made this creamy, starchy, and comforting delight back in the days of 2011, before the New Year health kick charged in for its month-long (maybe two) appearance. However, in my admittance I had Chipotle, movie theatre popcorn, and chocolate covered toffee for lunch yesterday so I remain, as your first impression of this post led you to believe, guilty as charged.

This polenta is just something I could not pass up. I looked so inviting on this blog, bright orange from a hefty dose of pumpkin (and you know how much I love my pumpkin and orange foods), its flavored heightened with a touch of paprika, cayenne, and nutmeg. It’s sprinkled with a handful or two of aged cheddar cheese, and intensified with a scattering of pork.

The swelled grains of cornmeal, turned into indulgent creaminess by the mere activations of its starches, serves at a perfect nest for spicy chorizo meatballs, dark and crusted on the outside. It slid slowly into the stomach leaving a hot path along the esophagus and sat like warm steamy bath in my stomach. Its something you eat on a biting cold night. It’s also great for people who are a little upset. It has that calming tendency yet rejuvenation from the gentle heat that kicks in a while after the initial taste.

I know you are probably researching salad recipes right now and other low-carb, lean-protein, veg-rich dishes. I saw the health craze every year when I headed back to college: the salad bar line was a little longer than normal, the gyms looked like a war zone after an epic battle for the elliptical machine, and every girl dresses as if she is ready to work out at the drop of a hat (oh wait, they do that year-round). But I ask you to still consider a little polenta indulgence. In fact, the more I think about it, the actual polenta part of this recipe (meatballs aside) is really not to bad in the health department. It has plenty of protein on its own and is crammed with calcium and beta rich pumpkin. Plus, with all of the add-ins and flavorings, you end up with something quite a bit more advanced than your standard polenta. Pair it with a succulent sauté of mushrooms and dark kale and I think you can end you day relatively guilt free yet filled with warming and rich food.

Pumpkin Polenta
serves 4 as a main adapted slightly from Evil Shenanigans

I’m not including the meatball recipe because it is simply ground chorizo mixed with a little onion and breadcrumbs, formed into meatballs and cooked in a frying pan until done. And it’s really more of a suggestion. You could also sprinkle over some bacon or like I said, some sautéed leafy greens or even some warmed black beans. This also reheats nicely.*

Ingredients
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. butter
½ onion, finely chopped
1 garlic glove, minced
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. paprika
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. nutmeg
1 can pumpkin puree
1 cup milk
3 cups good-quality chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup polenta
¾-1 cup shredded aged cheddar cheese
2 Tbs. cream cheese

Heat the oven to 325 degrees. In a Dutch oven or an ovenproof pot with a lid, heat the oil and butter over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, cayenne, paprika, salt, and nutmeg. Stir and continue to cook for another minute. Add the pumpkin puree and mix to combine. Cook for about 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the pumpkin is slightly toasted.

Whisk in the milk and the broth, breaking any lumps in the pumpkin mixture, until smooth. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, remove from the heat and slowly pour in the polenta, whisking constantly. Once added, give the mixture a final stir, cover with the lid and place in the oven for 30 minutes. Stir every ten minutes, adding more broth, milk, or water if it starts to look dry.

Meanwhile, cook any additions you plan to eat with your polenta, whether it be chorizo meatballs, bacon, or vegetable/beans.

When the polenta is finished cooking, remove from the oven and add the grated cheese and the cream cheese. Stir until completely combined and add any more liquids if necessary until you reach you desired consistency. Serve immediately.

*Pour any excess into a glass or ceramic dish, spread even, and refrigerate. To prepare leftovers, you can cut the set polenta into wedges and pan-fry them or mash a portion of it in a bowl into fine crumbles, add some water and/or milk and microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring vigorously every 30 seconds, until creamy and hot.

December Favorites and Last Post of 2011

Hello Everyone

I do hope you have been enjoying your holiday as much as I have. I love having the time to read books, visit with friends and family long unseen, and to simply forget about nagging errands and to-do lists; to enjoy good food and company. It has been a pretty good December. School finished well, setting me up nicely for my final college semester. There’s been lots of good cooking going on and I’ve also spent the last week or so constantly glued to my new iphone. I never thought the day world come where I would admit reliance on a piece of technology but boy, my phone sure is a fun toy.

I spent Christmas at my grandparent’s house this year, as I have done for the past few years.  I actually quite like it. I used to think there was nothing like waking up Christmas morning in my own bed but have now come to realize that nothing beats spending the morning with as much family as possible: my aunts and uncles, cousins, grandparents, and my parents and sister. Christmas Eve was filled with so much laughter and joy. We sat around the table, in a constant state of chatting and snacking, the sounds of football games and “It’s a Wonderful Life” in the background. We moved straight from lunch to a snack of spinach artichoke dip with pita chips, to chicken stew and my homemade ciabatta for dinner, and then a literal tableful of desserts. My salted caramel ice cream and my aunt’s chocolate and almond cake made a winning pair.

The night ended with the traditional Christmas Eve game of Pictionary, a long-standing tradition since I was about eight-years-old. The game is old-school Pictionary, created in 1989, and the box is complete with a picture of happy game-players, men with handlebar moustaches and oversized teal sweaters and women in tapered light-washed jeans and side ponytails. It’s is essentially two whiteboards hinged together and a stack of cards listing items to draw, but regardless the game somehow always makes for extraordinary entertainment, so much so that we end the competitive Pictionary battle with stomachs aching and eyes streaming from laughing so hard.

So, Christmas is over, New Years’ is approaching, and soon enough, back to real life. But for now I will enjoy this last week of laziness, guiltless gorging, and finishing off my store of chocolate before those resolutions take effect. More than anything, I just hope for a good year. My resolution is to simply come to resolutions. This coming year will be my ultimate time for ending and hopeful beginnings so I want to end college well, to decide what I want in my life, to find a job, to check off the remaining things of my college bucket list, and to avoid feeling lost and confused as much as possible.

To finish of my last post of 2011, I want to give you my list of December favorites as well as a super easy recipe for some chocolate bark I made to share during the holiday. A great gift and the perfect way to turn ordinary chocolate into a sweet and satly treat.

Happy New Year everyone!

December Favorites

This great list of homemade gifts

I suppose I should start making something like this for myself

If only I was in London I could have tried the chocolate magic wands

Animal food art

Can't wait to start reading this and this

Food trends of 2012

Want to order a jar of this

I could NOT stop laughing at this

Made these cookies for my friends and we devoured them all!

Salty, Sweet, and Crunchy Chocolate Bark

Ingredients
8 oz. good quality dark chocolate (I used Callebaut)
a handful of toasted pecans
a handful of toasted, unsweetened coconut
a handful of soy nuts
a handful of chopped, dried cherries

Line a bread loaf pan with parchment paper on both sides. Prepare a double boiler on the stove with a metal or glass bowl sitting on a pan of simmering water. Chop the chocolate into small chunks and place it in the bowl of the double boiler. Stir with a heatproof spatula until fully melted and glossy. Once melted, remove the bowl from the heat and pour in the mix-ins. Stir to coat with the chocolate. Pour everything into the prepared bread tin and use the spatula to even out the chocolate, spreading it to all edges and pressing the top flat and even. Sprinkle the top with a little more pecans, coconut, soy nuts, and cherries so that people will know what is inside. Place in the refrigerator for about an hour until totally firm. Once set, remove from the tin, peel off the parchment, and cut the chocolate into blocks (whatever size you like) with a sharp knife. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Because Everyone Else Has...

I will too.

I’ve been on a search for a really long time. That search for the absolute ultimate brownie. For the one that transcends and stands apart from all other baked goods. It was a laborious search before I settled on one to make. I didn’t just want to pick any ‘ole brownie recipe of the existing millions at random. I knew what I was looking for but was scared of choosing the wrong option and ending up with an entire tray that did not meet my vision. Now granted, a brownie is a brownie no matter how you cut it (chocolate, butter, sugar…all good) yet it is amazing how many varieties do exist. And I had a mission in mind and nothing but one result was going to satisfy me.

I am a very anti-box mix sort of person. I don’t care if its the most expensive one on the shelf but box mix brownies are nothing more to me than a lackluster and poor excuse for dense chocolate cake. They are so deficient of chocolate flavor that the main taste component more so resembles the cardboard box it was packed in. A brownie should not a have a flaky and fluffy crumb to it. That’s what cake is for people. With brownies, I want something creamy, melting, and rich with just the right amount of leaven to make something with a little more springiness and tenderness than fudge. That happy medium between cake, cookies, and candy that stands all on its own.

I finally decided that I found a winner after seeing the recipe for Alice Medrich’s Cocoa Brownies on Smitten Kitchen’s blog. Just by the picture I know it was what I was looking for. They looked dense, rich, and intense, yet still carried a delicacy and lightness. I bookmarked this and later, after just a little more brownie recipe research, realized that everyone and their mother has made this recipe with the same results: they are the best brownies to ever exist. If I could take them and give them a name of my own it would without a doubt be something along the lines of black velvet. Smooth, but with a dark side. Creamy, but daringly bold. They are what I’ve been looking for such a long time.

And let me just say that they are easy easy easy. People go for box mixes to avoid struggle but I swear this is easier. It requires nothing more than a double boiler. Now, don’t let the fancy terminology scare you off; this is just a metal bowl sitting over simmering water. There is no need for a mixer, its only 6 ingredients (seven if you count the pinch of salt), and it dirties nothing more than a bowl and a wooden spoon that you get to lick clean anyway. Do I have your attention now? They get the deepest, most intense flavor from nothing but straight up Dutch-processed cocoa melted into a grainy tar-like paste with butter and sugar. It’s gets mixed with a few eggs, vanilla, and the tiniest smidge of flour and it magically transforms into literal liquid velvet. It bakes off, rising slightly with the subtle gluten network giving it some bounce but for the most part it stays compact, sealing the fudgy richness inside. And when you cut in, the deep black interior is revealed, dark with the secrets of its mind-blowing powers hidden within. You will blow people away with these. They will literally think you are a culinary genius and to be honest, this simple recipe makes for brownies that are far superior to anything I’ve EVER had in a restaurant. Just wait for it, that pinnacle moment when all of your guest reach in for these and before you know it, a crowd of people, lost in chocolate induced coma, are standing around your kitchen, a smile playing on their mouth and teeth as black as the night. It’s a sight to see.

Cocoa Brownies
Recipe originally from Alice Medrich
makes 16 or 25 brownies

These are great on their own but I always have a tendency to want to jazz thing up a little. The first time I made these I topped them with a simple ganache and candy cane pieces. That’s what is pictured above. I did overcook the first round a little because my oven at school is abnormally hot, but I made them a second time yesterday and cooked them to exactly they way they are supposed to be. This time I gave them a coating of soft amaretto ganache and a dusting of cocoa power. And since they were still a little gooey and soft, I kept them in the freezer for about an hour to firm them up, which made for really clean, perfectly squared slices.

Ingredients
10 Tbs. butter
1¼ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup plus 2 Tbs. Dutch-processed cocoa powder
¼ tsp. salt
2 eggs
½ tsp. vanilla
½ cup all-purpose flour

For the ganache
3 oz. dark chocolate
3 oz heavy cream
possible mix-ins (1 Tbs. amaretto or other liqueur of choice or 3 chopped candy canes or anything else that suits your fancy)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a 8X8 inch brownie pan with parchment paper so that it hangs over the edge and lightly coat it with oil. Set aside. Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a metal or glass bowl. Place the over a saucepan filled with about one inch of water (the bowl should not touch the water) set over medium heat so that it is simmering. Stir the mixture occasionally with a rubber spatula until it starts to melt and then stir constantly until all of the butter is melted and the mixture is just warm to touch. Remove from the double boiler and set the bowl aside to cool for a minute.

Add the eggs one at a time and beat each one into the mixture with a wooden spoon. Once fully incorporated, the mixture should go from a grainy paste into a very smooth batter. Mix in the vanilla and then add the flour and fold in until just incorporated. Finally, using the wooden spoon, give the mixture 40 vigorous stirs. Pour into the prepared pan and cook for about 25 minutes until the top is set and springy. A toothpick will not come out clean but don’t worry, they are done. Pop into the freezer for about 30 minutes to an hour to firm up.

Once the brownies have been in the freezer for the hour you can eat them as they are or top them with the ganache. To make the ganache, finely chop the chocolate and place it in a metal of glass bowl. Heat the cream in the microwave until just boiling. Pour it over the chocolate and let it sit for 30 seconds. Then stir it until it is smooth and glossy. You and incorporate any mix-ins or flavorings at this point. Pour it over the brownies and place back into the freezer for about 30 minutes to set. Once the ganache is firm, remove the brownies from the pan by pulling up on the parchment. Cut with a sharp knife into however many pieces you desire and dust with cocoa powder.

Salty Vanilla and Cardamom Caramels

I’ve been having a really intense crafting itch lately. I don’t know if it came from the upsurge of holiday spirit and the homemade gift guides I’ve been poring over. Or it could be a way to procrastinate from studying for my finals. But maybe it’s my outlet for the angst and worry I have over the fact that in only one week, I’ll have one semester of college left before the real world hits. “Oh, to only be able to make pretty little crafts for a living and get rich by writing a book on it,” is what the dream world in my mind might be telling me. Sounds a whole lot nicer than what reality is telling me…“you’ll never find a job with a career in media studies.”

I’ve been searching for an excuse to create prettily wrapped edible gifts for a while. I’ve had a Michael’s supplies lists and a hoard of recipes ready to roll and this past weekend the opportunity came about to make use of some of that. I finished my internship this week and of course I needed a parting gift, right? Move over CSS Web Styling Guide and hello candy thermometer. But what to make? Then I remembered that last Christmas, in London, I would go to the Melt counter at Selfridges and buy one of their salted vanilla caramels for a mere pound and would sneak little sweet bites throughout the day. They were wrapped up in a square of parchment, the ends twisted up tight so that the caramel squeezed against the paper hinting at the greasy yet beautiful butteriness within. Thinking of those, I had to make them.

I used this Ina Garten recipe because it had the best reviews but with some slight changes. The major change is that I didn’t use fleur de sel. Don’t get me wrong; I was more than ready to pay the hefty price for the lovely delicate salt, but in this small town, it was nowhere to be found. I used pink Himalayan sea salt instead, which was actually still nice. I also infused them with some cardamom too to give a richer, smoky flavor and dipped them halfway in some nice dark chocolate just for the sake of it.

They turned out wonderfully, cooked to the firm ball stage so that they are sturdy but still turn into a puddle the second they touch my tongue. They firm up quite a bit in the fridge (which really worried me at first because I thought I overcooked it and made brittle) but just a few minutes at room temperature softened them up to optimal chewiness. These are not those caramels that most liken to instant cavities. These don’t have the time to stick to the teeth before they melt into creamy sweetness. The salt makes the slightly burnt sugar taste stand out even more and the spices add depth without overwhelming the caramel. Finally, the chocolate...well, enough said. I wrapped these too with parchment, popped them in a craft paper box with some burgundy raffia, whipped up a little label and tied it all together with some twine. 

I will probably have to take a little break from the baking next week (that’s what I say now) but once the tests are finished and I’m back home with nothing but time and Christmas cheer, the candies, cookies, and crackers and fun packages are going to make a massive appearance. My friends and I took an oath of no gift exchanges this year but surely they’ll forgive me for succumbing to my need to bake and craft. In the mean time, however I’ll make do with this fabulous creation: rum balls, malt balls, ice cream…sound like a finals week savior!

Salted Caramels
adapted form Ina Garten
makes 32 caramels

Ingredients
1½ cups sugar
¼ cup light corn syrup
¼ cup water
1 cup heavy cream
5 Tbs. unsalted butter
½ vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped out
1 tsp. cardamom
1 tsp. fine sea salt or fleur de sel plus more for sprinkling
4 oz. good dark chocolate

Line an 8 inch square baking dish or pyrex dish with parchment paper, letting it hang over two sides (this will make it so you can lift the caramels out). Lightly oil the paper with vegetable oil. In a deep saucepan, combine the water, sugar, and corn syrup and bring it to a boil on medium-high heat until it is golden brown in color. Do not stir but occasionally swirl the pan. Meanwhile, in another saucepan, bring the cream, butter, vanilla seeds and pod pieces, cardamom, and salt to a simmer. Once simmering, remove from heat, remove the vanilla pods, and set aside.

Once the sugar is done boiling, remove from the heat and VERY CAREFULLY, pour in the cream mixture while stirring with a wooden spoon. Once all combined, return to a medium-low heat and let cook, without stirring until it reaches 248 degrees on a candy thermometer or firm ball stage. Once it reaches temperature, pour into the prepared pan and smooth out the top with the wooden spoon to pop any bubbles. Place in the refrigerator for a few hours to set. Once set, take out of the refrigerator and remove from the pan by pulling up on the parchment. It you have trouble taking it out, dip the bottom of the pan in a bowl of hot water until it comes loose. Cut the caramels into 32 pieces and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to dip them in the chocolate.

When ready to dip them, place a metal bowl over a pan of shallow simmering water to make a double boiler. Place the chocolate in the bowl and stir until melted. Dip the caramels halfway in the chocolate and place them on a parchment-lined sheet to harden. Sprinkle each with a little bit of the salt. Once the chocolate has completely hardened, wrap them in parchment squares and store either in the refrigerator or at room temperature.