Month: April 2005

Caramelized Zucchini Soup with Rosemary and Walnuts

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It’s the scenario that haunts us all from time to time: you come home from work, you’re hungry, it’s late, you open the fridge – and there’s nothing there. Maybe the supermarket is closed or too far away, maybe you’re just too tired to go, but in any case there’s no question of acquiring more ingredients. Don’t panic. And don’t pick up the phone to call for a pizza just yet. Do you have any vegetables hidden away at the back your fridge, or maybe in your freezer? If not, I’m afraid I can’t help you, so go ahead and order that pizza. But if you do, you might want to try my formula for concocting a soul-warming soup from the dregs of your refrigerator and cupboards. It’s nearly foolproof, because it allows for infinite variations based on what you have on hand. And I like the results so much I even use it when my fridge is full!

I haven’t given any exact measurements here, because everything will depend on the quantity of vegetables you have. The best strategy is to add things sparingly if you’re not sure, and increase the quantity later on if you want more. As far as the stock goes, it’s better to have too little than too much, because you can always add more to thin things out, whereas it can take quite a while to boil off what you don’t want (and you run the risk of things getting too salty with over-reduction).

Step 1. The vegetable. This can be whatever you have on hand, including a mixture of different things. Great options are zucchini, winter squash, sweet potato, leeks, corn, spinach, peppers, parsnip, turnip, eggplant, cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes, beets, onions…
Step 2. The caramelization. This step primes the vegetable to release as much flavor as possible in the soup. For most vegetables, just cut them into manageable chunks (not too small), toss them with olive oil in a roasting pan and put them in a 375-degree oven for as long as they need to get a bit crusty and caramelized. Things like eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, winter squash and sweet potato can be roasted in their skins (peppers, tomatoes and eggplant can even be charred under the broiler if you like) and then peeled before proceeding. I also toss several *unpeeled* cloves of garlic in the pan with the vegetables. When the veggies are nicely caramelized, put them into a heavy-bottomed pot on the stove. Don’t forget to peel the garlic.
Step 3. The stock. Honestly, I use bouillon cubes (Not anymore – I use Better than Bouillon! Try the organic chicken. You’ll never use cubes again!). If I had the patience to make homemade stock I would use that, but whatever you have on hand will be fine. Cover the vegetables with the stock so that they’re covered by about a 1/2 inch of liquid.
Step 4. The herbs and spices. Fresh or dried – it’s your choice. There are the usual suspects, such as basil, thyme and curry, and untraditional ones, which are only limited by your imagination. Try chipotle chiles, or even chocolate! Toss in as many as you like and let everything simmer until the vegetables are starting to get soft.

Step 5. The enhancement. Here is where you can really get creative. Nuts are fantastic here, they add thickness and character without overpowering the other flavors. Walnuts, almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, cashews – lightly toast a handful and add them to the soup. Let them simmer with everything else for at least 10-15 minutes. Peanut or other nut butters are also great, as are grated or crumbled cheeses – though I add these just before the final step so they don’t get stringy. Parmesan, smoked mozzarella, cheddar, pepper jack, feta, goat… Something else I’ve been experimenting with lately is booze: brandy, port, marsala, vermouth, sherry… Like the cheese, add a glug or two just before the end.
Step 6. The enrichment. This brings it all together, gives the soup some richness and thickens it up. Traditional is of course cream, but there are other possibilities: cream cheese, yogurt, coconut milk, butter… The only thing to remember here is that some of these don’t take too well to boiling, so heat the soup gently after this step.
Step 7. The emulsion. If you have a hand blender, this step will be a cinch. If you only have a normal blender, carefully pour the hot liquid into it and cover the top tightly with a towel before you turn it on. Trust me on this one – if you don’t keep that lid down with all your strength, you will have new decor on your kitchen walls!
Step 8. The final tweak. Check to make sure the balance of salt is to your liking; think about also whether a pinch of sugar or a squeeze of lemon would enhance the flavors. Correct the seasoning, heat for another couple of minutes, and serve to hungry people in big steaming bowls.

Some of my favorite combinations:
zucchini with rosemary and walnuts
sweet potato with curry, cashews and coconut milk
corn, yellow pepper and basil
cauliflower, almond and parmesan
eggplant with cumin, cilantro and lemon
butternut squash with sage, pecans and browned butter
broccoli, thyme and blue cheese
roasted red pepper with cilantro, feta and lime
mushroom (try a mixture of fresh+dried) with marsala and hazelnuts  

…Bon Appétit!

Irn Bru

irnbru.gifHere’s a useful bit of trivia: what are the only two countries in the world that have a local soft drink that outsells Coca-Cola? The answer: Scotland and Peru. The soft drinks in question, Scotland’s Irn Bru and Peru’s Inca Kola, share a remarkably similar profile, offering caffeine-rich fluorescent fizz that has spawned a national obsession.

Irn Bru has been made in Scotland since 1901 by the Barr family company. It started life back then as Iron Brew, which was an unquestionably more logical spelling, but in 1946 the government deemed the name to be false representation, due to the fact that the product isn’t actually brewed. Amazingly enough, however, it does contain iron: listed at the very end of the ingredient list is 0.002% ammonium ferric (III) citrate. Don’t know how much good that will do you, but apparently quite a lot, judging from the alarming number of toddlers to be seen on the streets here with bright orange bottles dangling from their mouths.

In fact, walk the streets of Edinburgh and you will see people of all ages and backgrounds quaffing the stuff. It’s touted as the world’s best hangover cure, which is a matter of serious debate among Scots. This claim does have some foundation in fact – all caffeinated drinks will soothe headaches to an extent, and sugary drinks replace lost fluids and sugars sustained after a particularly heavy night out (the only kind you can have here).

Irn Bru has been known for creating controversy with its advertisements, and in the words of one local "has the best adverts apart from beer".

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Apparently its fame is spreading, as well – Russians, Japanese, and yes, even Americans are falling for it.

And what does it taste like, you ask? Irn Bru describes its taste as hints of citrus and vanilla. I don’t agree. Like all good phosphorescent soft drinks, its flavor profile builds with a full bouquet of cotton candy and finishes with a crescendo of pure bubblegum.

 

The King of Sauces, Catalan-Style

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Roasted Scallions with Salsa Romesco

In Spain, olive oil is like religion. Everyone has it, it’s supposedly good for you, and people don’t give it too much thought. It also permeates nearly every aspect of life in Spain, and can be found anointing everything from vegetables to meat, bread to dessert. It is so pervasive, and so versatile, that it doesn’t seem to occur to most Spaniards that there could be anything else to embellish food with. Well, maybe apart from mayonnaise, but that’s another post.

This entry is not actually about Spanish olive oil, although tomes could easily be written on it. Instead I wanted to give you the necessary context to fully appreciate the difference in saucing habits between Catalonia and the rest of Spain.  While most of Spain is happily glugging on the oil, perhaps frying a few cloves of garlic in it first or tossing in some parsley, in Catalonia cooks have invented and perfected sauces so rich and complex that they would give Escoffier a run for his money. The crown jewel of Catalan – indeed of Spanish – sauces, is (in my humble opinion) salsa romesco. Romesco is the creation of the inhabitants of Tarragona, a city which lies just south of Barcelona on the Mediterranean, and which until recently wasn’t well known throughout the rest of Catalonia. These days, however, it’s pretty much ubiquitous throughout the region, and you have a good chance of finding a delicious version in any restaurant that serves Catalan cuisine. Tell this to a Tarragonese and he will of course insist that nowhere outside of Tarragona is the sauce properly made.  In any case, it really doesn’t matter, because the basic ingredients that go into romesco have the magical ability to taste fantastic no matter how you put them together.

The basis of a romesco is red pepper. In Tarragona, they use a local dried sweet-hot pepper called the ñora which is not widely exported (update: here’s a source!); as a substitute Colman Andrews suggests Ancho chiles, if you live somewhere where you can find those. Penelope Casas in The Foods and Wines of Spain suggests a ‘New Mexico’ type dried chile, which I haven’t tried. What I have tried, and liked very much, are simple roasted red bell peppers, or if you can find them, a bottle of imported piquillo peppers. What goes into the sauce next is a layering of flavors that build upon this pepper base like instruments in an orchestra: nutty toasted almonds, pungent garlic, sweet tomatoes, piquant vinegar, spicy chile, and rich, fruity olive oil. It is sometimes thickened with a bit of fried bread, can contain hazelnuts as well as almonds, is often slightly sweet as well as sour, and in general can go through about a hundred different permutations. It can be thick and coarse like a tapenade, or it can be fluid and smooth like fresh cream. It can be served as an accompaniment to grilled or roasted vegetables, meats or fish, or it can form the basis of a cooking sauce in which seafood is simmered. I’ve served it over pasta, and spread it on sandwiches. I’m sure you could even put it on pizza.

Whichever version you choose to make, however, and in whatever form you choose to eat it, it will be one of the most fantastically tasty things you ever have the pleasure of putting in your mouth. Give me romesco over olive oil any day!

‘Tarragona’ Romesco from Catalan Cuisine
3 dried ancho chiles, soaked in warm water for 1 hour, seeded and minced
1 small fresh hot chile, seeded and minced
extra-virgin olive oil
2 tomatoes
6 cloves garlic, minced
24 blanched almonds, lightly toasted
24 hazelnuts, lightly toasted
2 sprigs parsley, minced
2 slices fried bread
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
salt

Preheat the oven to 350F. Sauté the fresh and dried peppers briefly in a small amount of oil. Bake the tomatoes in a lightly oiled dish for 10 minutes; then remove and cool. With a mortar and pestle or in a food processor, make a thick paste of the garlic and sauteed peppers. Work in the nuts, parsley, and fried bread. Carefully peel and seed the tomatoes, and coarsely chop. Work the tomatoes into the mixture, then add vinegar and 2-3 tablespoons of oil and salt to taste. The mixture should be thickly liquid.

My Romesco
4 T. olive oil
1/3 c. blanched almonds
1/2 c. tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped (can be fresh or canned)
3 red bell peppers, roasted, seeded and skinned (or 1 small jar pimientos del piquillo)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 t. sweet paprika
1 t. sugar
1/4 t. red pepper flakes or hot chile powder
3 T. red wine vinegar
salt to taste

In 2 T. olive oil, fry the almonds until golden, about 2 minutes.  Put almonds, tomatoes, garlic, paprika and pepper flakes in a food processor; mix together the remaining oil and vinegar and add in a thin, steady stream while running the processor.  Season with sugar, salt and pepper, cover, and let stand 1 hour before serving.