Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbor's Kitchen...

As soon as I walk into this space, I know if that were a real commandment, I'd be breaking it.  And breaking it hard.  Those of us who cook and are forced challenged to "get creative" with minuscule kitchens feel the sting every time we walk into someone elses's beautiful kitchen.  We look at their (audible gasp) cabinet space, counter space & WHAT?!  You have built in ovens AND a center island?!

OK, maybe that's just me...  I look at my tiny space & feel a tinge of frustration, but remind myself that plenty of people have it worse.  Although it doesn't usually make me feel much better when I'm balancing things on top of one another just to find a little extra space to set down a cutting board.

To further torture myself, I look at "dream kitchens" online.  Twisted, isn't it?
What?  That wound didn't sting enough?!  Let's sprinkle a little salt in there...  make mine Maldon please.
I seem to have gone off on a bit of a tangent, my apologies.

The point is, we work with what we have and sometimes what we have can be a bit trying.   So does that push those of us that have to "rise to the challenge" to be a bit more creative?  I'm sure it has nothing to do with it, but I'd like to think so... Now that I've had my little rant, off to the 3x5 space I'm relegated to. Thanks for listening.

I had no intention of doing back to back soup recipes, yet here we are. 
Chicken Noodle soup.  Not exactly ground-breaking, earth-shattering, cutting-edge haute cuisine, but something everyone should have in their arsenal.  When it's good,  it's really good and it possesses inexplicable magic.  A good bowl of chicken soup can make you feel so much better when you're under the weather.  It satisfies your soul and can warm you to the core on a bone-chilling day. 

There are more variations of this soup out there than one could ever imagine. 
Certainly there are faster versions than this, and when I don't have the time to let my stock simmer all day I put everything in the pot and go from there... but, that being said this is how I prefer to do it as it makes the most intensely "chicken-y" flavored broth.

For me, it is also one of those "base" soups that you can play with.  Once you nail down the basic procedure you can start swapping out ingredients, changing up seasonings, vegetables, etc.  Add a few stalks of lemongrass to perfume it with a wonderfully fragrant citrus flavor.  Add in Asian greens, some shiitakes, swap out egg noodles for small dumplings or udon noodles and you've just created a completely different soup. 

The broth (stock) of your soup is the key.  It needs time so don't rush it. If you give it time to develop there will be a major payoff when it's done.  Season it properly and let the flavors deepen and that soup will banish the memories of any bland, colorless sad excuse for chicken soup you've ever had.

Deep Golden Broth!

 

 

Chicken Noodle Soup



For the stock:
3 - 4 lbs chicken carcasses (necks & backs included, skin and excess fat removed)
12 cups water
1 onion, rough chop
3 carrots, rough chop
2 stalks celery, rough chop
1 bay leaf
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 clove garlic, peeled & smashed
1 small bunch thyme
1 small bunch parsley

Combine all ingredients in a large stock pot and simmer uncovered for 4 - 6 hours.  Stock should not boil, it should be kept at a gentle simmer. Longer is better, you can simmer up to 8 hours if you have the time, but 6 hours will give you a rich, deep stock.

Skim the "scum" from the top every 15 - 20 minutes for the first couple of hours, then you will only need to do it a few more times for the remainder of the cooking time.   Skimming the stock will result in a cleaner flavor and clearer broth.  Add hot water to pot as needed to keep chicken and vegetables submerged.

Strain stock through a fine mesh strainer and discard solids.  If not using immediately, cool down and refrigerate.  After it has cooled completely, remove solidified fat from top and discard.


For the soup:
1 onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
3 lbs chicken (If you are using boneless chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces )
8 cups chicken stock
4 oz egg noodles
1 TB canola oil
salt & pepper

In a large stock pot, heat canola oil over medium heat.  Add onions and saute 2 -3 minutes.  Add chicken to pot and saute until lightly browned. Add carrots and celery and saute 2 -3 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Add stock and simmer until chicken is cooked through. 

If you are using chicken on the bone, remove from soup and let it cool until you are able to handle it, then remove meat from bone and cut into bite size pieces.

Add egg noodles and cook according to package directions, usually 6 - 8 minutes.  Serve & eat!

 

*For those of you who are thinking "Is this girl nuts?!"  Before you come after me like a mob of angry villagers, here's a quickie version:



Heat canola oil in stock pot and saute onions until they just begin to turn golden brown.  Add chicken pieces and saute until it is nicely browned.

Add 8 cups water and bay leaf.  Let it simmer for 20 - 30 minutes, skimming the surface as needed.  Remove chicken pieces and let them cool until you are able to handle them.

Add celery and carrots to broth.  While they are simmering,  take the meat off the bones and cut into bite sized pieces.  Add the chicken meat back into the soup and add noodles.  Cook another 6 - 8 minutes until noodles are done.

Wedding Soup

Italian Wedding Soup.  Just the name evokes thoughts of over-the-top Italian affairs, with miles of food and a Venetian hour that would make any diabetic go into a sugar coma just from looking at it.

Italian weddings in New York are a sight to be seen.  If you've ever watched "My Sweet Sixteen" or any of the wedding shows, then you are familiar with what I'm talking about.

Everything is over the top, extravagant and then maybe just a little more...   I was invited to an event of this magnitude last year and let me tell you, it was AWESOME.  They even had someone making cotton candy...

Although these affairs are a sight to behold,  I doubt that was what someone had in mind when this recipe was born.
Its origins actually have nothing to do with weddings at all, but with the "marriage" of meat and greens.  There are hundreds of variations of this soup, but the one common thread is meat (usually in the form of tiny meatballs) and greens.

This happens to be one of my favorites, as it covers most of MY major food groups (meatballs, noodles & veggies) and as is the case with all meals of this sort, you will have leftovers for lunch the next day.


Wedding Soup

• turkey meatballs
• 10 - 12 cups chicken stock
• 1 large onion, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 5 oz pkg. baby spinach
• 3 stalks celery, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
• 1/2 pound thin noodles
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

1. First, make the meatballs.  Brown them in batches over medium-high heat and set aside.  Don't worry if they aren't cooked all the way through,  they will finish cooking in the soup.
2. Add olive oil to a large stock pot and allow to heat up over medium heat.  Add onions and cook until translucent and soft, then add carrots & celery.  Season with salt & pepper.
3. Cook for a few minutes until vegetables begin to soften.  Add garlic, stir to combine and then add meatballs.
4. Pour the stock in and let it come up to a simmer.  Season again with salt & pepper.
5. Add the spinach and stir to combine as you are adding it.  It will look like too much initially, but spinach wilts down to nothing.
6. Add the noodles and continue to let it simmer.
7. Whisk eggs with 2 tbsp of the Parmesan cheese and add to the soup while stirring.  It will form ribbons of cheesy egg goodness.
8. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle a little Parmesan on top for garnish.

Mangia!

Thai One On...

Salty, sweet, hot & sour.  These four words describe the flavors of Thai food.  Thai food is all about balance and that is one of the things I love most about it.  The flavors hit your tongue on every level.  There is an element of all of these tastes in every bite.  The beauty of Thai food is that none of the flavors overpower the others,  they all exist harmoniously on your palate and it is some of the most unique food you will ever have.

One of my favorite things to have in warmer weather are summer rolls.  They are light and refreshing with a nice bit of crunch to satisfy the need for some texture.  The ingredients can be anything you want them to be, so if you are in the mood for these but need to use what is already on hand, no worries.
From traditional summer rolls to the ones I'll be making today; which are a bit of a twist on tradition,  they are a great summer meal and best of all, they are easy on the wallet and on the waist.



Duck Summer Rolls with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce

• 1 magret duck breast (if you don't like or can't find, omit or use chicken)
• 6 rice paper spring roll wrappers (find in asian markets or some grocery stores)
• 1/2 bunch mint, chopped
• 1/2 bunch thai basil, chopped (use regular basil if you can't find thai)
• 1 large carrot, julienned or shredded
• 1 med. seedless cucumber, julienned
• 1/2 of an avocado, thinly sliced
• 1/4 pkg. cellophane noodles

The first bit of business here is to cook the duck breast.
- Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Score the fat and season with salt & pepper. When scoring the fat you need to have light touch.  The purpose is to get through the fat without touching the meat.

- Put on a low flame and let the fat render out. 
- Once the skin is a deep golden brown, turn the duck over & put it in the oven for 6-8 minutes.

   (Duck cooking in it's own fat...  I mean be serious here!  does it get ANY better than that?!)


Duck isn't something I usually just have laying around,  but I happened to have one and thus a recipe evolved...  It is my luxury item here, as it isn't cheap but well worth it.

- Once the duck is cooked, remove from heat and let it rest.  Never, ever cut into meat right away.  It needs to be left alone so the juices can re-distribute and it will be juicy.  If you cut it open right away, all the flavor will end up on your cutting board instead in your food.

- For the vegetables: if you own a mandoline it is easiest to julienne or shred them on that.  If not, use a box grater.  We all have those and while it won't be exactly the same,  it still works.  (Many stores sell Japanese mandolines, which is what I use. They are inexpensive, versatile and worth every penny). 

- The cellophane noodles just need to soak in nearly boiling water for a few minutes and they are ready to go.  The same goes for the rice paper wrappers (except less time).

Before you start assembly, it is important to have everything ready to go.  The rice noodles should be soaked and drained, the meat cut into thin slices, the vegetables shredded and the herbs chopped.  This little bit of prep will make the process go more smoothly and will save you time in the long run.

Slide the wrappers into the hot water, one by one, and let them sit for about 30 seconds.  Pull them out (carefully) and lay them out on a flat work surface. Try to leave a little space between each one so they don't touch,  they tend to get sticky and if they do get stuck together,  pull them apart very slowly so you don't tear them.

Lay the ingredients on top of one another in a line along the bottom third of the wrapper. 

Begin rolling up, when you are at the halfway point, fold in the two sides like you are making a burrito and continue rolling to the end. 
Lay seam side down so the weight of the filling will help hold the seal.  When all the rolls are done, set aside and start the sauce.

Spicy Peanut sauce

• 1/2 c. peanut butter
• 2-3 TB hoisin sauce
• 2 TB rice wine vinegar
• 1 TB sesame oil
• 1 1/2 TB Sriracha (hot sauce)
• 3-4 TB soy sauce
• 2 TB tamarind paste (if you can't find, omit)
• water

- Whisk everything together until it is a smooth paste and thin with water until desired consistency.

And the libation of choice with this delicious summer supper?  The new ginger lemongrass drink I've been working on, of course...  Recipe coming soon!
Happy Eating  xo

Girls Just Wanna Have Pho

My obsession for noodles is a direct result of my Mother's love for all things starch.  I love noodles and I don't discriminate.   Spaghetti with red sauce, linguine & clams, angel hair with lemon, butter and cheese, sesame noodles, lo mein with chinese vegetables, egg noodles, spaetzle, kugel (both sweet & savory), soba noodles, fideos, pancit (a Filipino noodle dish), pad thai... but then, there are noodles with broth!   Here is where I start to swoon.

During our childhood we all had chicken noodle soup, I always wanted mine extra noodle-y please (and I still do).  But now there are so many choices to feed this obsession!  Udon, those thick chewy noodles swimming in broth just waiting to be slurped up, ramen noodles (the thing we all survived on during our poor college years), beef noodle soup, Italian wedding soup and last but most certainly not least is Pho.   The Vietnamese "do it yourself" soup.

Although it felt like the middle of July, I needed my fix.  I had to have a bowl of noodles and the weather was certainly not going to deter me.  I was on a mission and there was only one place that would suffice.  I had been craving Pho for weeks and tonight was the night.

My face perched over the bowl inhaling the lime kissed broth, getting a "noodle facial" if you will... knowing full well I'm about to be in gastronomic bliss.  It's the noodles and broth thing that really gets me.  It is the epitome of comfort food.  It's what I want when I'm sick, when I've had a rough day, when it's cold outside or when I just need a little comforting...  and this bowl of noodles did not disappoint.

It was everything I could've asked for.  The broth was sublime, the vegetables still had life to them, the chicken was tender and the noodles were absolute perfection.  I honestly could not have been happier at that moment, with my chopsticks tucked into a pile of rice noodles. 

That's the thing about food, it does more than just feed you...  it nourishes your soul.