soup is good food.
“je bent een soep mens.” oma used to say this to me when she told me we were having one of my favorite meals of fresh, crusty baguette, creamy & stinky cheeses & a delicious from-scratch soup. it means “you are a soup person” & she was right. soup possibilities are endless – from an elegant consomme to a salty beer & cheese & for many food-loving people a great soup is the ultimate test of kitchen prowess, yet soup is also accessible & familiar. lately i have been making a lot of soup with the intention of stocking the freezer but somehow it disappears before there are leftovers. to my chicken soup i add a 6-minute boiled egg to each bowl before serving because i heart eggs & because the silky yolk thickens the broth. to make a heartier soup you could add cubes of potato or a handful of rice. this is such a flexible recipe – you can get creative & make it your own by omitting the greens & adding other vegetables, skip the egg, add sausage…
simple chicken soup with greens (serves 6)
6 chicken thighs or 1 whole (2 split) chicken breast, skin-on, bone-in
4 T olive oil, divided
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
2 celery stalks, diced
3 carrots, diced
1 large onion, diced
several sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 tsp. red chili flakes (more if you want a kick)
1/4 – 1/2 C white wine or dry sherry
2 quarts chicken stock (preferably homemade)
1 bunch of dark, leafy greens (collards, kale) stems removed, leaves chopped
condiments:
6 6-minute eggs*, peeled
chopped parsley
lemon
preheat oven to 400 degrees. place chicken on a cookie sheet and season with salt and pepper. drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil & roast until skin is brown and crispy, about 45 minutes. when cool enough to handle, remove skin. remove meat from the bones, shred & set aside. i like to reserve a little schmaltz to add to the soup because, well, it’s chicken-y & delicious.
in a large pot over high heat add the remaining olive oil, onion, celery, carrot, thyme, chili flakes, salt & pepper to taste. stir occasionally until onion is lightly browned; stir in shredded chicken. still over high heat add wine / sherry to deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits. once liquid has been absorbed, add stock & reserved schmaltz, if using. bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer. add greens to pot and continue to simmer until tender. adjust seasoning & remove from heat.
to serve place one egg in each bowl & ladle hot soup over the egg. garnish with parsley & a squeeze of lemon.
*place eggs in a medium sauce pan, fill pan with water until water is 1″ above eggs & place over high heat. as soon as water comes to a boil, turn off heat & cover pan. after six minutes, run cold water over eggs until cool enough to handle & peel.
baby, it’s (not very) cold outside.
the calendar says fall & there is finally the hint of a nip in the air. time for an extra blanket, more bourbon & cozy outerwear.
afri-can.
i just returned from a hot & sunny desert getaway & it’s been raining here, back at home, ever since. i had a flash of disappointment until i realized how much i could accomplish if i stayed indoors (& didn’t get sucked into a project runway all-stars marathon) to unpack, organize & clean. but after sitting over here and looking at this pile of papers & then moving over there and seeing that pile of laundry, i decided that the best thing would be to cook something that reminded me of simpler times.
oh-so many years ago, b & i took a year to explore this country & then some. we drove from san francisco to the southwest, through the deep south, flew to st. maarten, worked in florida, flew to cuba, drove up the east coast, worked on the vineyard, drove to vermont and back across through new york, kentucky, tennessee & through the arches of utah. phew. we stayed with smiling, gracious friends along the way & before moving on, we would do a carpentry project & cook a big dinner as a thank you. the carpentry projects varied but the dinner was always african chicken curry with rice. the chicken is falling-off-the-bone tender, the curry is spicy-slightly-sweet-tangy, the ingredients are easy to find (even in arkansas) & it takes seriously little time to put it together before it’s bubbling on the stove. this curry makes the house smell delightful – perfect for a rainy day when you don’t want to do much but want to feel like you’ve done something. and you have – feeding your loves is the best.
before the simmer.
african chicken curry (serves 6)
2T olive oil
1 1/2 C chicken broth
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
4T curry powder
1tsp. oregano, dried
1tsp. summer savory, dried (may substitute dried parsley)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 jalapenos, sliced in half lengthwise (1 if you prefer less spicy)
12 chicken thighs, skinned, bone-in
1/2C brown sugar
4 – 5 peppers (combination of red, orange &/or yellow), sliced
1 large onion, sliced
1/2 C currants
2C lowfat yogurt
condiments:
mango chutney
cilantro
chopped roasted, salted peanuts
combine oil, broth, salt, pepper, curry, summer savory (or parsley if using), garlic, oregano & jalapeno in a large, heavy pot & simmer for 10 minutes. add chicken & sprinkle with brown sugar. add peppers, onion & currants. if needed, add water to pot to just cover chicken. cover & simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
ladle about 2 cups of the hot cooking liquid from the pot to a small bowl and let cool. stir in yogurt and return to chicken.
ladle over rice in shallow bowls. top with cilantro, peanuts and a dollop of chutney.
after the simmer.
castle in the sky.
my favorites & i are back from the desert & it was as magical as ever. there’s nothing like a getaway to auntie em’s castle to put things in perspective. i come back reminded of what path i want to take, how i want to take it & with whom.
my happy place - on or around a horse.
i heart bun(s).
go to the treasure island flea market. eat a pillow-y steamed pork belly bun (you should probably have two) from the chairman & wash it down with a glass of rose while you take in the view of the bay. thank me later. the indoor/outdoor market happens on the last weekend of the month, rain or shine, & it’s a great way to spend the day. oh and did i mention that there’s wine?
oink oink.
one dish wonder.
a cold, rainy night calls for a certain kind of dinner & this chicken fits the bill – rich & creamy, simple & familiar. i am a fan of one-pot meals & love pulling a bubbling dish from the oven that can go directly to the table-directly to my plate-directly to my mouth. yum. this recipe comes from my aunt, who is a fabulous cook, & it is a dish she has been making for decades. the fresh mushrooms are my addition – i like the added texture & deepened flavor. and don’t skimp on the parsley! it brightens the whole dish.
have i mentioned that i am a child of the 70’s?
aunt loretta’s mushroom chicken (serves 6)
12 chicken thighs, skin-on, bone-in*
2 tsp. poultry seasoning
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
½ C dry sherry
½ C chicken broth
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2C crimini mushrooms, sliced
generous fistful of parsley, roughly chopped
preheat oven to 350 degrees.
season chicken with salt, pepper & poultry seasoning and place skin side down in roasting pan.
combine mushroom soup, sherry & chicken broth in a sauce pan, bring to a boil. stir in garlic & mushrooms. pour sauce over chicken.
bake chicken for 45 minutes. remove from oven, turn chicken pieces over (skin side up), baste with sauce & return to oven for 1 hour, or until meat is very tender. scatter parsley on top, stirring some into the sauce.
*i prefer dark meat but white will work, just be sure to shorten the cooking time as it cooks more quickly and has a tendency to dry out.
so saucy!
it’s easy being green.
sometimes you have to pass up the well-marbled rib eyes and the juicy roasts that are staring at you in the grocery store while you make your way back to the greens. and by you i mean i. and by pass up i mean stand in front of them while imagining all of the meat-tastic possibilities. and sometimes the meat wins. but not today – i am in need of kale. i really, really like kale. a lot. sauteed, creamed, pureed, braised… but this raw kale salad, from the esalen institute in big sur, is one of my favorite preparations – it’s super healthful and so delicious. because i can eat a freakish amount of this on my own i always make extra so there’s some left for the loves of my life.
esalen kale salad (serves 6)
1/3 cup bragg’s liquid aminos or tamari*
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup flax seed oil or extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium red onion
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 pound fresh kale
1/2 cup sunflower sprouts
1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts
1 avocado, diced
combine the bragg’s or tamari and lemon juice in a bowl and whisk together. slowly drizzle in the oil as you whisk vigorously. slice the onion into thin half moons and allow to marinate in the dressing as you prepare the rest of the salad.
toast the seeds in a heavy bottomed pan (cast-iron is the best) over medium heat until seeds are just golden and fragrant. toast each seed type separately as each size requires different toasting times. cool to room temperature.
de-stem the kale and slice leaves into 1/4 inch ribbons.
toss the seeds, spouts, mushrooms (if using) and kale with the onions and as much dressing as necessary to lightly but completely dress the kale. thoroughly massage the kale with your hands until well-dressed. add the avocado and combine gently before serving.
*bragg’s liquid aminos is a natural soy sauce alternative; tamari is aged soy sauce. both are available at health food stores & many grocery stores.
xo.
happy valentine’s day!!
this little piggie.
i ate lunch at southie. i had a fried pork belly sandwich. be jealous. southie is a sweet little spot that, at lunch, serves sandwiches, salads & a few sweets. they also serve breakfast & dinner, each with a different menu & each menu changes daily, though some dishes stay put.
so about my fried pork belly sandwich. it was decadent. it was served on an open-face baguette smeared with fennel mustard & topped with crunchy cucumber, spicy jalapeno & lots of verdant cilantro. resting on top were three large, rectangles of pork belly, cracklins-like on the outside, moist & fatty on the inside. mamma had “the stand-by” – a cup of the soup of the day (mushroom) & a grilled cheese. the earthy mushroom soup was finished with just a bit of white truffle oil & parmesan. the grilled cheese was toasty-cripsy on the outside & oozing melty white cheddar on the inside. she ended her lunch with a tart lemon square sitting in a pool of creme anglaise. the lemon square was good but the creme anglaise was great – i could eat a bowl of it on its own.
i see that they have port-infused chicken liver pate on the dinner menu so i’ll be heading back…
do go changin’.
i like an outfit change or two over the course of a day. i like how it separates my day from my night. plus it makes me feel fancier than i really am.
for work
for play
—
for work:
tank top – target
skirt – vintage / etsy
boots – guess
necklace – versa
for play:
fur jacket – vintage / ver unica
leather pants – vintage
shoes – pelle moda
whaticookedwhatiwore 