italian vegetable soup with rice

Some things just go well together. Like sofas, soup, and rainy Seattle days. For the last seven months, I've had some excellent soups and plenty of rainy days, but no sofa. Going without a piece of cushy furniture to sit on for that long would drive most people crazy. I didn't particularly enjoy it, but it seemed better to me than spending money on something I didn't really like. And, as you likely learned in the last post, I can be very selective. (Some people would say "picky," but that seems so negative....) I sat on dozens of sofas and looked at even more, but none of them were quite what I wanted. Too modern. Too casual. These cushions are too floppy. That one has a skirt. This went on for so long that I was beginning to wonder if I was edging in on a new record for sofa shopping. However, it all came to an end last week when a stroll through a local showroom unexpectedly yielded a sofa I actually liked -- so much that I didn't spend more than three minutes looking at it before I handed the salesman my credit card. (He seemed a bit surprised, but that's just the way it works when you know what you like.) Is this the sofa I would come up with if I had the chance to design my own? No. But it still makes me happy. And it's a heck of a lot better than the nest of pillows and blankets I was sitting on before it arrived.

The recipe for this soup comes from a cookbook Dad gave me for Christmas. It was one of my favorite presents because it wasn't on my list -- he picked it out himself after reading a review of it in the Wall Street Journal. As usual, I made a few changes to the original recipe. You won't see any kidney beans floating around in my soup because I like garbanzo beans a whole lot more, so I just doubled up on those. I also added the step about skimming off the foam because I think the foam is a little unappetizing. Have you ever heard anyone say, "I'll take some of the soup with the neon-orange foam on top. It looks great!"? Not so much.

I liked this soup. (Good thing, too, because I'm up to my eyeballs in it.) It's healthy, tastes fresh, and you can pull it together relatively easily. It's not so extraordinary that I won't try other vegetable soup recipes in the future, but it was a good place to start.

[Before you jump into this recipe, please note that it makes enough feed you, your neighbors, and 20 of their closest friends. You need a BIG pot.]

Italian Vegetable Soup with Rice
Adapted from the New England Soup Factory Cookbook
Serves 10-12

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, diced
2 ribs celery, sliced
6 carrots, peeled and sliced
4 gloves garlic, minced
1 28-ounce cans organic diced tomatoes
1 28-ounce can organic crushed or ground tomatoes
12 cups organic vegetable or free-range chicken stock
4 cups tomato juice
1 14.5-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 14.5-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 bay leaves
2 medium zucchini, sliced
2 medium yellow squash, sliced
1/3 cup uncooked white rice
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 bunch fresh basil, torn into small pieces
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat a large stockpot (at least 8 quarts) over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, celery, carrots, and garlic. Saute until vegetables have softened, 5-7 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, stock, tomato juice, beans, and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the zucchini, squash, and rice. Return to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer an additional 30 minutes. Add the peas, basil, and vinegar and cook until heated through. Skim the accumulated foam off the surface of the soup, remove the bay leaves, and add salt and pepper to taste before serving.

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coq au vin

Hello, Friend! My heart leapt when a big box of culinary happiness was delivered to my doorstep on Wednesday. It was finally here! I carefully tugged my new cooking companion out of the box. Hefty, deep, shiny, and red. Even better than I imagined! It was love at first sight. La Cocotte love, to be precise.

I started shopping for a Dutch oven about three years ago. Williams-Sonoma (otherwise known as My Favorite Store On Earth) was naturally my first stop, but at the time, they only handled Le Creuset. Fantastic cookware, for sure, but something about the colors just didn't strike a chord with me. None of the Le Creuset colors were "me." So I kept looking...for about two years...and didn't come up with anything better. But last year I stumbled upon what is now one of my absolute favorite blogs, and this post in particular. What is that beautiful purple thing in the picture and, more importantly, where can I get something like it for myself?! The beautiful purple thing was a 7-quart, oval La Cocotte by Staub, and it was available from the cookware treasure trove that is chefsresource.com (the only store that carries Staub's full line). I want to tell you that I went out (stayed in) and purchased a red one immediately, but if you're following the timeline here you know that isn't true. No, I waited very patiently for almost a year and Santa, in all his holiday splendor, brought it to me for Christmas. (Well, in his infinite wisdom, he gave me a picture of it for Christmas and said he would send it out to Seattle so I didn't have to pay to ship it. Great!)

La Cocotte and I cooked together last night as though we had been doing it for years. Unfortunately, only one of us had the ability to save this recipe...and it wasn't the pot. The recipe came from a book I received from The Athlete for Christmas. I was super excited to make something from it, and even though this dish didn't meet my standards, I'm still pretty enthused about the book so you'll definitely see other recipes from it in the future. Anyway, I'll spare you my complaints about the dish and skip right to telling what I will do differently next time:

1.) Cook, not just garnish, with a spice that pairs well with chicken. Thyme, tarragon, anything you want, really, because the curious list of ingredients doesn't demand a single one.

2.) Use smaller/thinner breasts of chicken. I'm always tempted to buy the big juicy pieces and throw them right in the pot, but the chicken doesn't cook long enough here for the sauce to penetrate thick pieces. They just end up being bland.

So, all in all, this is an interesting concept for a more healthful version of coq au vin, but it needs a little help to make a passing grade.

Coq au Vin
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma's Essentials of Healthful Cooking
Serves 4

16 pearl onions, about 1/2 pound
1/2 lemon
6 baby artichoke
2 slices preservative-free bacon
4 skinless chicken breast halves, about 5 ounces each
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, brushed clean, stems removed, and cut into slices
1 tablespoon flour
1 1/2 cups fruity dry white wine (Pinot Gris or White Burgundy)
1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish

Bring a saucepan half full of water to a boil. Add the onions and boil for about 2 minutes. Drain, plunge into cold water to cool, and then slip off the skins. Cut a shallow cross into the root end of each onion to keep it from telescoping during cooking. Set aside.

Empty the saucepan and refill with the same amount of water. Squeeze the juice from the lemon half into the pan. Working with 1 artichoke at a time and using a sharp knife, slice off the top half or so of the leaves. Starting at the base, pull off and discard the tough outer leaves, then pull off the outside leaves until you reach the pale green inner leaves. Remove the tough outside flesh from the stem and drop the artichoke into the pan.

When all the artichokes are trimmed and in the pan, bring them to a boil over high heat and then reduce the heat to medium. Cook gently, uncovered, until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well. When the artichokes are cool enough to handle, use a small sharp knife to cut off all the leaves. With a spoon, scoop out any prickly choke to expose the heart. Cut the hearts in half lengthwise and set aside.

In a large Dutch oven or other deep, heavy pot over medium heat, fry the bacon until it is crisp, about 5 minutes. Reserve the bacon for another use and remove all but 1 tablespoon of rendered fat from the pot.

Return the pot to medium heat, add the chicken breasts, and sear on all sides until lightly browned, 6-8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

Raise the heat to medium-high, add the shallot, pearl onions, and mushrooms and saute until the mushrooms release their liquid and the onions have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and stir for 1 minute. Stir in 1/2 cup of the wine, reduce the heat to medium, and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

Return the chicken to the pot and pour in the remaining 1 cup of wine and the broth. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the chicken is very tender, 1 - 1 1/4 hours. Add the artichokes to the pot and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, remove from heat, garnish with parsley, and serve.

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citrus-glazed polenta cake

As you may have noticed, I took a little hiatus from blogging. I didn't intend to. In fact, I didn't want you to even notice that I went away on a business trip, and knowing I wouldn't have access to a kitchen on the trip, I prepared extra recipes before I left so I would have something to post while I was out of town. Ah...yes, I like to pride myself on being prepared.

The best-laid plans of mice and men, right? Mmhmm. I was in New York City all by myself for over a week, so I thought for sure I'd have time to post, at least in the evenings. Given my occasional hermit-like tendencies, I promise you this was a reasonable thought. Plus, I had a pishy-posh hotel room, so I was certain I would spend enough time in it to post once or twice. Obviously I was wrong. Between concerts (work), networking at a bar (also work), and keeping up with things back at the office (the not quite as exciting work), there wasn't a spare second that wasn't spent working, sleeping, or getting ready for the next event on my schedule.

But I had a good time. A great time, in fact. Being thrown into New York City for one week twice within a year is a liberating experience for a girl from a little coal-mining town. And even though I was even busier this time than before, I made an effort to see some of the city.

The number one thing on my sightseeing to-do list was seeing the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. Yes, it's mid-January and I'm still infatuated with Christmas, so before I go any further, let me tell you my little theory about why I love Christmas so much -- all the time. I was conceived, not so very many years ago, in early December, I figure. And Mom's way of telling Dad about their impending bundle of holiday joy was to wrap up a little slip from the doctor that documented her pregnancy. I was a Christmas present, so I think it's natural that I'm capable of carrying the spirit of the season all year long.

Anyway, I saw the Rockefeller Center tree on its very last day, and even though it was no longer lit up, it still delighted me. I probably spent about an hour walking around the plaza, looking at the tree from various angles. What a treat! For a moment it was like I had a company-paid trip to see a Christmas tree, and lights or no lights, it made me happy.

I managed to squeeze a few other things into my trip: the Buttercup Bakeshop, some very interesting secret-room shopping in Chinatown, a 6:00 a.m. trip to the Chelsea Antiques Garage, and a visit to one of my favorite restaurants, Fiorello's. A lot of work, but a lot of fun, too. What a great week!

This cake presents a lovely opportunity for you to learn from my mistake. It looks perfectly fine in the picture, right? Sure. But, oh, it is not fine. Not fine because I did not follow the directions. The recipe plainly states that one should use "instant" or "fine" polenta. Not finding any such product in the three grocery stores I tried, I trotted out of the third store with a package that was simply labeled "polenta," assuming those coarse bits of corn in the bag would soften right up once they were mixed with wet ingredients and baked. Wrong. Wrong. WRONG. The cake had the horrible texture of sand and small stones in my mouth -- not even remotely edible. The flavor, however, was good. If I eventually stumble upon the right polenta and make this cake again, I think I'll use a little less lemon zest and more of the orange and lime since the lemon flavor was the most pronounced. I'll also make the glaze with far less confectioners' sugar because the suggested 2 cups is overpowering. I think this cake could be quite good with a couple of tweaks, so I'll gladly give it another try with the right ingredients one day.

Citrus-Glazed Polenta Cake
(torta di polenta con agrumi)
From Dolce Italiano: Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen
Yields one 9" cake

1 1/2 cups flour, plus more for dusting
1 lemon
1 lime
1 orange
3/4 cup instant or fine polenta
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour a 9" springform pan. Grate the zest from the lemon, lime, and orange and set aside. Reserve the fruit for the glaze.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, polenta, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until they are pale yellow and have tripled in volume, about 3-4 minutes. Beat in the reserved citrus zests.

Add the flour mixture to the eggs in three additions, alternating with the oil and beginning and ending with the flour, beating just until each addition is incorporated. Pour the batter into the pan, smooth the top with a spatula, and bake until the cake pulls away from the pan and springs back lightly when touched, about 25-30 minutes. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then remove the sides to allow the cake to cool completely.

While the cake is cooling, make the glaze: squeeze 1 tablespoon of juice from each of the reserved fruits into a bowl. Gradually whisk in the confectioners' sugar until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake and allow it to set until it is completely dry.

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crab chowder

This post comes to you courtesy of a blogging event called Taste & Create, where participating bloggers are paired up and given the task of creating one dish from his or her partner's blog. Sometimes I feel a little overwhelmed by all the cooking possibilities. Cupcakes? Crumbles? Quiche? How can I choose? So I decided to take advantage of this opportunity to have my options narrowed to the recipes on just one person's blog.

I was paired up with Terry from Seduction Meals and I chose to recreate her recipe for lobster and corn chowder. Actually, I made a crab chowder because fresh Dungeness crab was available and the box of frozen lobster was really expensive. This was the first time I had ever made a chowder completely from scratch and I was thrilled with the result. I like chowders in general, but this one is particularly good because you can actually taste all of the individual ingredients you are supposed to taste, from the chives to the celery to the seafood. That makes it a winner in my book, but an added bonus is that the broth is rich but not heavy. This chowder has a smooth (seductive, even) consistency and isn't gloppy like many other chowders. Thanks to Terry for her terrific spin on the original recipe, and to Nicole at For the Love of Food for hosting this event. You'll find the recipe below as I put it together.

Crab Chowder
Adapted from this recipe by Terry at Seduction Meals; based on a Williams-Sonoma recipe
Serves 4-6

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups of free-range, organic chicken broth
1 cup of clam juice
3 ears of corn, kernels removed
3 strips of bacon, diced
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 large carrots, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
2 cups of heavy cream
1 cup of sherry
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, diced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
1/2 pound fresh Dungeness crab meat, picked apart to remove shells

In a large pot over medium-high heat, bring the chicken broth, clam juice, and sherry to a simmer and cook until reduced to about 2 1/2 cups, 25-30 minutes.

In a stock pot over medium heat, saute bacon, stirring occasionally until crispy and browned, 3 - 4 minutes. Add onion, carrots, celery, and corn kernels and saute stirring until vegetables are tender, 5-10 minutes.

Add the chicken broth mixture, chives, thyme, and cream to the stock pot and bring to a simmer. Stir in the potatoes, return to a simmer, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes. Season the chowder to taste and then stir in the crab meat. Remove the chowder from the burner as soon as the crab has heated through, about 1 minute. Serve immediately.

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fried goat cheese salad with maple-mustard vinaigrette

My brain is made up of multiple parts. I'm not referring to the standard anatomical parts, but instead to some other "special" parts. For example, there is a part that blindly believes I can never own too many vintage Shiny Brite ornaments, and a part that has secretly been a little afraid of semis and ice cream trucks (I know...) ever since I saw Stephen King's Maximum Overdrive as a child. Among these many special parts of my brain is a part that, thankfully, only rears its self-righteous, indignant, listen-to-me-right-now head every once in a while, when it unreasonably thinks the rest of my brain has taken total leave of its senses. And the other day as I was driving home, it started to talk to me...just whispering at first, but it quickly escalated into a full-blown scream:

What are you doing out here? (no reply)
How come you moved so far away from your family and friends? Please be quiet.
Wasn't it nice to be home, and at Notre Dame, for the holidays? I'm not listening to you.
And don't you want to work in Nashville, much closer to--STOP!

I'm sure this appearance of The Voice -- the one that delights in questioning my life decision-making skills -- was brought on by a little bout of homesickness that arose after I returned from a Christmas holiday that was even more family oriented than usual. Fortunately, I won out in the end, as I usually do, by drowning it out with the loudest music my ears can stand. There are worse ways to deal with Doubt, I'm sure.

This is not a salad for those days when your brain -- or anyone else, for that matter -- is screaming at you, lest the screaming prevent you from fully appreciating how glorious this salad is. The fried goat cheese is like an upscale, swoonworthy version of a mozzarella stick and it pairs perfectly with the Dijon vinaigrette. I made a few changes from Jennifer's original recipe, which calls for roasted beets in addition to the fried goat cheese. I chose to omit the beets here, but I have made the recipe as directed before and if you're a fan of beets, you will certainly appreciate what they add to the salad. The other change I made was to cut back on some of the oil in the vinaigrette and increase the mustard and vinegar. Jennifer's recipe yields a vinaigrette with a delicious, mellow flavor, but I prefer my dressings to be a little more on the tart side. If your tastes parallel mine, use my adaptation as a guide. If not, pop over to her site for the original.

Fried Goat Cheese Salad With Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette
Adapted from this recipe by Jennifer, The Domestic Goddess
Serves 3-4 as a side salad

Fried Goat Cheese
8 ounces soft goat cheese, cut into thick slices*
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil for pan-frying goat cheese

Preheat a frying pan with oil over medium heat. In a bowl stir together bread crumbs, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs with remaining salt and pepper. Coat each piece of cheese evenly with egg mixture and then with crumb mixture, pressing gently, and transfer to pan. Fry goat cheese, turning over once, until crumbs are lightly browned on both sides, about 2 minutes.

* I like to use the garlic-herb goat cheese.

Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

4-6 cups mixed baby salad greens
Toasted pine nuts for garnish (optional)

In a small bowl, whisk together all vinaigrette ingredients except for the oil. Slowly pour in oil while continuing to whisk ingredients to emulsify. Arrange salad greens on individual serving plates. Pour half the dressing over the greens, add the slices of goat cheese, and then drizzle on the other half of the dressing and serve immediately.

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