Shortrib Soup with Isreali Couscos

 

I had 2 slabs of Prime Shortribs. So I had a half bottle of Stags Leap Artemis Cab and

well we got soup.  Finished with Gruyere Cheese and Truffle Butter

 

 

 

French Onion Soup and Pizza Dog

 

 

 

5 Yello medium onion sliced thin

 

 

Saute'd slowly to release their natural sugars

 

 

 

 

After an hour yeah, this is what I ended up with.

 

 

 

 

In a separate pot I seared 3 prime short rib bones with meat for 2 hours

The last 45 minutes I added the caramelized onions. BTW deglaze the pan from the saute pan

 

 

 

French Onion Soup my way

 

There are recipes all over the web for the soup.  It's so about the flavor.

I usually have my butcher cut me up a femur sideways into 3 as we have 3 dogs

and I give the bones after they have cooled down and have done there job in the soup.

I happened to only have the prime long short ribs in freezer.

 

In pot searing the short ribs I added a potful of water

I added salt and pepper, frenche thyme and herbs de provence

I also added classic french stock to it and let is simmer away until the meat can shred away

about 1:45-2:00 hours.

 

During the last 45 minutes I put the onions in and remove the bones.

Taste for flavor.

Is it ready? 

Then off to the broiler topping with some good crusty bread and gruyere cheese

Topped with chive after it's all said and done.

 

I love Scambria French bread in Napa I get extra so I can make croutons and that is

what I topped this with the cheese and threw a little extra cheese after.

 

Bon appetit

 

 

 

Cream of Mushroom Soup

my way

 

I made a pot of the Nilaga, but I knew hubby would want something else so

I had the Cream of Mushroom Soup in my mind.

 

It's so much better homemade so here is my version.

 

Now 3 of my favorite fungi weapons are:

Tube of Black Truffle Concentrate imported from Italy

Ground Porcini Powder and Procini Boullion

Ground Shitake Mushroom Powder I made myself

 

You'll need:

 

1-2 containers of Crimini's I slice my own but you can get them sliced

4-5 dried Morel's rehydrated strain and reserve liquid

Some Chanterelle's if available they're expensive so it's a bonus if you use

Fresh Shitake if available a handful sliced.

1 leek cleaned and sliced

1/2 yellow onion sliced

1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic

1 teaspoon Hawaiian Salt

1.5 Tablespoons Porcini Powder (if you don't have this you can take dried porcini and and process into powder)

1.5 Tablespoons of Shitake Powder

1/2 teaspoon pepper is using ground 3-4 turns on the grinder

White pepper to your flavoring I use a couple turns on the grinder 

3 Tablespoon Flour or Wondra

2 quarts of water

1 teaspoon of thyme

1/2 Heavy Cream you can use half and half as well

1 Tablepoon Butter to finish

1-2 teaspoon snipped chives to finish

 1-2 Tablespoons of cooked Pancetta Lardons or 1 nice slice cut into lardons,cooked and set aside

Add: Dollup of Creme Fraiche if desired.

Serve with Artisan Crusty Bread, Crostini any bread of  your choice

 

Use a nice pan that will caramelize the mushrooms in be able to hold your soup.

I have a 3 QT All Clad Pan which is perfect

Cook the pancetta lardons and set aside

Caramelize the mushrooms in a little olive oil with a tad of butter ratio along with the oil rendered from Pancetta on medium-high heat don't keep stirring them just let them brown and toasty and flip as you go you'll know. Remove and set aside

Saute' the onions and leeks then add garlic

Add mushrooms back in and toss slightly

I add the flour here and stir to cook the flour taste away add a little oil here if it looks too dry.

Then add the water/stock slowly and it will start to thicken add enough of the liquid until your thickened desire. Don't take it to gravy so add a little more water to loosen the soup

Add thyme I grow my own so chopped it up to release those wonderful flavors

Add the Porcini and Shitake Powder stir and let it simmer for 30 minutes on medium heat covered.

Taste flavor and adjust seasoning here if needed.

Add the cream and cook for 1-2 minutes if the soup is too thin you can thicken with a cornstarch solution or wondra solution

Add the pancetta lardons, the butter, and chive and stir to finish off.

 

Serve with Artisan Crusty Bread, Crostini any bread of your choice

Bon  Appetit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love the Shrimp Dumpling Soup from

Wong's Cuisine here in town.

 

On my way for my labs I picked up some

Won Ton Pi at the local Noodle Factory.  $1.30

 

Picked up some Gulf Prawns, Water Chestnuts, Bamboo Shoots,

Pea Sprouts and Bean Sprouts.

 

Well here you have it my way, but of course I know I am missing

some certain seasoning.

 

But nonetheless it still came out ono.

 

Bon Appetit!

 

 

Cream of Fennel and Apple Soup

Cream of Fennel and Apple Soup

Okay....I don't really like Fennel, just a little.  So I used 1 and half Granny Smith in this soup.

It turned out really good.



Wonton Pi Soup with Chicken and Sweet Pea Sprouts

I love Wonton Soup but if the Wonton is funky I won't like it.

But I like really only the Wonton Pi, I had some left over fried chicken drummettes, so I shredded that.

Cut up the Wonton Pi and after it was all said and done with good chicken broth I placed the Swee Pea Sprouts. mmmmm good.



Short Rib Soup

This was simply a soup with short rib meat, of course bone in to make the broth.  Inside also are, Isreal Couscus, Red Quinoa, Lentils, Chive and Carrots.  Voila!

Lobster Bisque with Langoustine Tails

This was my Lobster Bisque with Langoustine Tails

Clam Chowder my way

Pasta Medley Soup

Vegetable Soup

It's not Campbell's Soup it's plain ole' vegetable soup with tubbitini pasta.

Clam Chowder and Foccacia Bread

Well I love a GOOD bowl of Clam Chowder , we love Albonetti's in Monterey, so I gave it another whirl.  I had made the Shrimp Bisque last week and took a little of that technique into here.  I think I have tried every cooking version to make clam chowder.  My fish monger had chopped clams already packaged ready to cook (mmmm) one less headache and was reasonable $5.00 for a brick.  I used it all as hubby likes clams.

I diced small carrot

1 sliced thin and cleaned throughly 1 leek

Diced 1/4 of a sweet vidalia onion

2 stalks of celery sliced diced thinly

2-3 dutch baby golden potatoes chopped

1 garlic clove crushed and pasted with salt and pepper

1 1/4 inch Molinari Pancetta sliced thinly into lardons

Have a 1/2 pint of organic cream

1/2 of half and half

1 cube of some good organic butter

1/2 cup of white wine the kind that you want to drink don't use the cheap stuff

snipped chive optional

olive oil

1 pinch of saffron soaking in 1 shot glass of warm water

Old Bay Seasoning to your taste

Kosher Salt and Pepper

1/2 cup flour and wondra mixed

1 bottle clam juice

1 small container of clam stock (your fish monger might have some fish stock handy)

Also Morin has a Fish Base now as well.

I try to use organic everything as much as possible.

So hear goes I cooked in this order, provided you prepped your veggies above.

Cook your Pancetta Lardons slow-medium heat once done take them out.

Leave the rendered oil, and add a litte olive oil and move on below.

Saute' slowly the leeks and onion then add garlic in 1 T of the butter with a little olive oil

once they are translucent add the garlic and stir around once that is done

add the veggies and slowly cook them away. Once these are tender

add the wondra/flour mix and stir around again on slow fire don't rush it.,

add 1 T butter here or 2 and a little olive oil and stir around until the flour cooks itself out it will look like a glob.

Slowly add in the clam juice and stock and keep stirring like making homemade gravy it should start smoothing out.

Then add the wine and let it cook away for 15-20 min on med heat don't let it over boil just a nice simmer.

salt and pepper to taste

Add the clams let that simmer 5 more minutes.

Add the cream and half and half and remaining butter add the saffron liquid and flowers.Simmer 5-10 minutes

If you want it think it should be thick here already.  If you want it thinner add more half and half or water up to you or wine.  Or if you have a little more fish stock use that but don't use chicken stock that will mess up the flavor.

That's it serve with Sourdough or in small Sourdough Bowls.  Of course, I made fresh Foccacia

Bon Appetit.

Shrimp Bisque with Scallop

I took time this morning since it was cold, and made shrimp bisque.  I didn't have any Remy or Hennessy,

so I opted to buy E & J Brandy to flambe' the prawns.

I also threw in some Longostein Tails I found at Trader Joe's it added to the flavor and topped off with a nice

seared Scallop.

An hour and a half later voila' this was quite yummy.  The baguette (La Brea) I prefer Il Fornaio but Podesto's was out.

Brown Rice Duck Congee

When I really didn't feel good last week, I had the flu and I normally don't eat congee only when I am really sick.  So here it is, Brown Rice Congee with Roast Duck from the Chinese Deli here.

1/2  cup (dry)Brown Rice Medley (It's my mix, Brown Jasmine, Wild Rice, Gen Mai Brown and a little Jasmine) I rinse the rice first then add:

Lots of stock, garlic, onion and the duck shredded , salt and white pepper then simmer away for an hour.

Today

I have out of the loop for a bit.  Mom in law was gravely ill, mom lost her battle to breast cancer after being in remission on 9/22 and my father passed away from a heart attack on 10/3.  They will be deeply missed.
Things are so going to be different we know that .  It's been difficult for both families.

I cooked 10 days straight at one point and forget to take pictures of everything.  I guess family was so much more important.

I came down with a cold the other dayand feeling quite drained.

So I cooked today I cooked white corn they looked good we'll have to see how sweet they actually are.

I made a Butter Mochi Cake with Huckleberries fresh ones that I got at the Ferry Bldg last week.  Since I have this cold, I also made some cream of Mushroom and Chicken Soup with Orzo.  I saute'd the mushrooms separately in Sweet Marsala and butter and incorporated into the soup later.

French Onion Soup

French Onion Soup

Who doesn't like a good bowl of French Onion Soup.  I don't mean the basic on you get at chain restaurants.

I mean good homemade stuff.  My sister in law and husband and hubby and I dined at

Le Normandi in Pacific Grove.  I tell you the Chef there can make a darn onolicious French Onion Soup.

I was salivating for that soup today.  It's 100 degrees and yeah I made the soup anyway.

So the butcher at the market saw me pacing the meat aisle they are used to me now.  I asked for Beef Bone and oh yeah he cut me up a nice one with some thick marrow and I was happy.  $1.64.  Got some stash of Gruyere Cheese hmmm was $21.99 a pound.  While I was at it picked up some more Molinari Pancetta I like their seasonings.

So I cooked away the bones for a while, and some beef base, Herbs de Provence and Grey Fleur De Sel,  thyme, 1/2 bottle of Turning leaf Chardonnay and 1 bay leaf. That simmered for a couple hours. 

With candle lit in kitchen,  I cut at 2 yellow and 2 mau'i onions on the mandolin and carmelized those baby's up.  I didn't shed one tear, thanks to Martha Stewarts advice to light a candle when cutting lots of onions.

And, yeah oh la la, it came out yummy.

Bon Appetito!!!

This is a Vegetarian Soup, I made.  Legumes, Black Eyed Peas, Lentils, Farrow and Barley, mandolin sliced zucchini chips and carrots and mushrooms in a Porcini Mushroom base and topped off with Chives.

Cream of Asparagus Soup

Dinner Tonight

Cream of Asparagus Soup

Since it's in Season and just about done why not.

So it rained at work today and home base so felt like comfort food.

I started a Pot Roast for tomorrow since it takes a while.

Made Taco Meat for the middle of the week.

I wanted soup and why not I made Cream of Asparagus Soup

voile' here it is Bon Appetit!!!

I grilled the Asparagus with Olive Oil and Seasoning until they are charred on each side.

In a pot 1 saute'd 1/2 sweet onion and garlic,

Added 3 cups Chicken  Stock

1 Squirt of Anchovy Paste

Salt, Pepper, White Pepper and Old Bay Seasoning to Taste, Healthy amount of Thyme

1 Tablespoon Butter

I chopped the Asparagus and then puree'd those guys

Add to stock

I add 1 heaping Tablespoon of Cream Cheese I thought I had Cream Fraiche but none.

Then I used an immersion blender

Simmer for 5 minutes

I added 1/2 cup of Heavy Cream

Let thicken and ready to serve

Yummy with Croutons, I baked those while the Soup was on.

Dinner Tonight Orzo Pasta with Ebi and Aspragus in Saffron Lobster Base

Well I needed to keep it simple tonight.  I didn't feel like leftover Skirt Steak. 
So this is something new.  I had Ebi Shrimp leftover from the Fresh Rice Rolls the other day.
I have 2 bunches of Asparagus.  I alway have a jar of Lobster Base (Really I do), Saffron (the real stuff)

Cook Orzo as directed, I didn't use the whole box.  I only make to order so I used 1/2 enough for 2  1.5 cup servings. (8 minutes)

In a separate Pot, boil 2 cups water, add 1 heaping teaspoon of Lobster Base, add saffron and 1/2 teaspoon of crushed garlic, season with Old Bay Seasoning to your taste.  Take out a cup of the broth.

Slice Asparagus very thin French Cut  put to the side.

Have Ebi defrosted it's already cooked for sushi grade anyway.

Drain Orzo, toss into pot with Lobster Broth, add asparagus, add chopped chive, add parmesan and it will thicken.  Turn off stove the orzo will absorb the broth.

Voile' it's done.

Roast Duck Udon, Soft Shell Crab with Tangerine Reduction Sauce

Udon 2 stacks of Organic Udon Noodles (dried) cooked as directed

1/4 slab of Kamaboko sliced thin

Sweet Peas cut on diagonal

Dashi Soup Stock cook as directed

Couple Drops of Sesame See oil.

Also add wakamae if available or enoki mushrooms

The soft shell crab I bought at Oto's and was frozen but if see them fresh it's better of course.

I seasoned lightly and coated with a Rice Flour and Panko Mixture with Old Bay Seasoning Salt and Pepper and pan fried.

The sauce was dash of shoyu, juice of 2 tangerines or 1 orange, 1 tablespoon butter cooked and reduced down

Tonight was simple

I had some left over Roasted Duck, I had mushrooms, sweet peas , dashi and Kamaboko.

Soft Shell Crab Appetizer coated in flour and Panko with a Tangerine Reduction Sauce.

Oh yeah brown rice.

So sounds more like comfort food tonight as I am a tad under the weather.