Curried Apple and Parsnip Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This simple soup makes a fabulous lunch or first course for a special dinner. I make it several times during the course of the winter because my family enjoys soups that are fortified with curry powder and I find they help ward off the damp chill that is so pervasive at this time of year. It is quick and nearly effortless to make, especially if you have a food processor and immersion blender. Don't be put off by the parsnips in the soup. They are a mildly flavored root vegetable and they blend beautifully with the companion apples and curry powder. So, the next time those North winds start to blow I hope you'll remember this lovely soup. Here is how it's made.

Peruvian Causa Rellena

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Peruvian food is amazingly good. It's delicious, fairly easy to make and nearly as colorful as the parrot-like hues worn by the children of the country. One of the first dishes I wanted to share with you is this riveting appetizer that is made from freshly mashed potatoes. It's been estimated that there are over 4000 varieties of potatoes found in Peru, so it should come as no surprise to find that they play a large role in the staple diet of the country. What is surprising is the number of ways in which they are prepared. Tonight's feature, called causa, is served as a starter in Peru. It is a potato terrine that is layered with a mayonnaise based salad and other complimentary ingredients that add color to the dish. Causa, in its most primitive form, was made with potatoes and aji, a yellow pepper that is indigenous to Peru. Oral tradition elevated this humble dish and created a backstory to explain its creation. It's believed that the modern causa was first made by a woman who had to feed a battalion of soldiers intent on celebrating Peruvian Independence day. She had little food on hand, so she created a potato terrine using bits and bobs of what she had in her kitchen.  The key element to a good causa is the quality of the potato that is used to prepare it. In Peru, a potato called papa amarilla is used. I suspect you won't find it in your local market, but the Yukon Gold variety can be used as a substitute and you'll be able to approximate the flavor, if not the color, of the Peruvian variety. The yellow aji chiles that are used in Peruvian kitchens will be even harder to find. Hungarian sweet paprika can be used in its place, though aji chili powder is available online and you can order it here. If you think Peruvian food will appeal to your family and you want to experiment, I urge you to order the real thing. It makes a difference. As strange as the combination of ingredients may sound, causa is delicious and really worth the small effort it takes to make it. I hope you'll give it a try.

Causa Rellena...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Chef Felix

Ingredients:
8 yellow potatoes (about 2 to 3 pounds), peeled
3 fresh yellow chile peppers or 2 tablespoons aji chili powder
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or butter
2 gloves garlic
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
2 ripe avocados
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional garnish:
Hard boiled egg slices
Red pepper strips
Black olive halves
Parsley leaves

Directions:
1) Cook potatoes in salted water until soft. Smoothly mash or rice and set aside.
2) If using fresh chile peppers, remove seeds and membranes and saute peppers and garlic in vegetable oil until softened. Add peppers and lime juice to a food processor or blender and process until smooth. If using chili powder, add it to lime juice and mix well. Stir lime/chile mixture into potatoes. Adjust seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste.
3) Poach chicken in water seasoned with salt, pepper. Shred the cooked chicken, and mix with
mayonnaise and mustard. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4) Oil 1 large or 6 small ring molds. Using 1/3 of potato mixture, spread a potato layer into bottom of each mold and top with a layer of sliced avocado. Cover with another layer of potato mixture and top with a layer of chicken salad. Finish molds with a final layer of potatoes. Smooth tops, unmold and chill. Garnish before serving. Yield: 6 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Oven Roasted Cauliflower

Two Years Ago Today: Sampling the Colors of India

Three Years Ago Today: Polpettone - Tuscan Stovetop Meatloaf

Tomato Crostini

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The shelves and bins at our local markets are starting to sag and bulge under the weight of produce coming from nearby farms. Peppers, especially the sweet green ones, have heard the biblical injunction to be fruitful and multiply, and there are more of them available than can ever be consumed. I suspect the excess will soon join overripe blackberries as fodder for local compost heaps. We have melons galore and corn, which is so problematic in other areas of the country, is plentiful here. Early apples are starting to come in and peaches, now in their prime, are picked daily and make their way to freezers and canning kettles throughout the county. Tomatoes are slow this year, but local heirlooms have arrived and boxes of plum tomatoes can be found if you are willing to expand your definition of what "local" means. Those in the markets, whatever their origin, are blood red, sweetly fragrant and ready to be put-by. This is also the time of year to enjoy all those dishes whose flavor is dependent on summer tomatoes. Several years ago, I found the recipe I'm featuring tonight in The River Cafe Classic Italian Cookbook by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers. It has become my go-to crostini recipe and I use it a lot at this time of year. While the crostini are simple to make, they are truly delicious and the recipe is a perfect addition to this week's collection of simple, scrumptious dishes. I know most of you can make crostini with your eyes closed, but I do hope you'll give this version a try. It is really special. If you use seasonally ripe tomatoes, fresh basil and good bread, you are in for a real taste treat. Here's the recipe.


Tomato Crostini...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of The River Cafe Classic Italian Cookbook and an original recipe by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers

Ingredients:
2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cored, halved, seeded, chopped into 1/4-inch-thick slices
3 garlic cloves, 2 minced, 1 halved
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive plus more for drizzling
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 loaf ciabatta or baguette, cut on a diagonal into 1/3" pieces, toasted or grilled
1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped

Directions:
1) Combine tomatoes and minced garlic in a large bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil and vinegar; toss to mix well. Cover and let tomatoes marinate at room temperature, stirring occasionally, for 2–3 hours to allow flavors to develop.
2) Rub one side of toasted bread with cut sides of remaining garlic clove; drizzle bread with oil and cut in half crosswise. Add basil to tomato mixture in bowl and toss well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Arrange crostini on a platter. Spoon some tomato mixture on top of each crostini.

One Year Ago Today: Pasta with Bread Crumbs and Herbed Tomatoes

Two Years Ago Today: Mexican Rice

Three Years Ago Today: Biscotti Regina

Asparagus Soup with Green Garlic and Eggs

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I'm not a vegetarian, much less a vegan, but I have been known to make some darn good meatless meals. We had a guest this weekend who avoids meat, and I wanted to serve  a really nice meal that I knew she would enjoy. I have lots of meatless recipes, many of them developed specifically for her, but she visits so often that I've worked my way through the recipes I'm really proud of. While searching for new ideas and options, I found a recipe for asparagus soup that had been developed by Martha Shulman for The New York Times. The recipe was unusual in that it uses green garlic. Green garlic is young garlic that is harvested before the cloves have begun to mature. When pulled, it resembles a large scallion with a deep green stalk and a pale white bulb. It can be found in farmer's markets for a week or two in the springtime. While its flavor is unique an adequate substitute can be fashioned by combining one small leek with one large garlic clove. The soup is really easy to make and the only spot that might cause you trouble is the tempering of the eggs. If you follow the directions in the recipe below, you'll be fine, as long as you remember the soup must stay at a low, slow simmer once eggs are added. I also recommend that this be done just before you plan to serve the soup. I let my soup sit for a while and the lovely creamy broth began to turn green. The wait time did not affect the flavor of the soup, but it did lose some of its eye appeal. This is a really nice spring soup and I heartily recommend it when asparagus is in season . I hope you'll come back tomorrow when I'll be featuring the vegetable crepes that were served with it. Here's the recipe for the soup.

Asparagus Soup with Green Garlic and Eggs...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Martha Rose Shulman via The New York Times

Instructions:
1 pound asparagus
5 cups chicken stock, vegetable stock, or water
1 bulb spring garlic, separated into cloves if cloves have formed, peeled and thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 large eggs
1/4 cup freshly grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup pasta or rice, cooked, or 4 to 6 slices toasted Italian bread (optional)

Directions:
1) Break off woody ends of the asparagus stalks. Combine them with stock or water and garlic in a soup pot and bring to a simmer. Simmer 15 minutes. Remove asparagus stems from broth with a slotted spoon. Discard Stems. Season broth to taste with salt and pepper. Cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces and add to broth. Simmer 8 to 12 to minutes. Asparagus should be tender and fragrant, but remain bright in color. Do not overcook.
2) Just before serving, beat eggs, cheese, and parsley together in a bowl. With soup at a bare simmer, whisk a ladleful into egg mixture, stir well and then whisk back into soup. Have the soup at a bare simmer. Making sure that the soup isn’t boiling, whisk a ladleful into the egg mixture. Stir well and whisk back into the soup. Whisk constantly over very low heat for 3 minutes, then ladle into bowls and serve over a toasted slice of peasant bread or over a large spoonful of pasta or rice. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.








One Year Ago Today:  Cottage Cheese Rolls

















Two Years Ago Today: Curried Cream of Cauliflower and Apple Soup

50 Women Game Changers in Food - #39 Ina Garten - Crostini with Tuna Tapenade

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...There is, of course, the famous smile and the throaty laugh you'd recognize wherever you heard it, but the best identifier of all is the string of rhetorical questions that are threaded through her conversation and writing. This week, Ina Garten is the subject of our ongoing feature that highlights the lives and careers of those who made the Gourmet Live list of 50 Women Game Changers in food. That really comes as no surprise. After all, what's not to like? She is one of two children born to a mother who was an intellectual and a father who was a successful surgeon. As a child and young woman, she was kept from the kitchen and encouraged, instead, to excel in her studies. She began dating Jeffrey, her future husband, when she was 16 years old. She married him when she was 20 and followed him to Fort Bragg, North Carolina where he completed his military service. Following his discharge, they traveled to France for an extended vacation and it was here that she became seriously interested in food and cooking. On their return, they moved to Washington, D.C. where she completed an M.B.A. and worked as a budget analyst, creating nuclear energy budgets and policy papers for Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. As a sideline, she began to flip and sell real estate and used her free time to entertain and cook for friends. The profits from her real estate ventures made it possible to buy The Barefoot Contessa, a specialty food store in Westhampton Beach, New York. She did much of the cooking herself but she employed local chefs and bakers to supplement her efforts as the business grew. The store was immediately successful and it was twice moved to larger facilities, eventually ending up in the wealthy community of East Hampton, Long Island. She sold the store in 1996 and explored other outlets for her talents. She began to write and in 1999 her first cookbook, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook became a sleeper best seller. It was rapidly followed by Barefoot Contessa Parties! and Barefoot Contessa Family Style. She has since written four other books and combined revenue from the sales of all the books is now 6 million dollars. In 1992, she began her own series on the Food Network. It's estimated that her show draws about 1 million viewers per episode. Viewers are drawn to her quiet style and steadiness. She seems to be more approachable than Martha Stewart or Nigella Lawson whose shows target the same audience and her fan base is extremely loyal. In 2009, she was awarded an Emmy as Best Culinary Host in daytime television. She has also created a company that sells specialty foods and that line will be expanded as the market grows. Her career is amazing for a woman with no culinary training, but I suspect Ina would be successful at anything she chose to do. Who knew?

There is no shortage of recipes developed by Ina Garten. I've chosen one that's super simple to prepare. I've been trying to add more appetizers and snacks to my repertoire, so I very selfishly picked a recipe that would help fill in the gaps. I have lots of fussy and time consuming starters, but I wanted something really easy to make. Her recipe for Crostini with Tuna Tapenade was perfect for my purposes. Those of you who makes this will be really pleased, though I want to caution against the use of too much lemon juice. It can be overpowering, even in a dish as strongly flavored as this. I used a single tablespoon of lemon and was quite pleased with the results. If you'd like to see Ina make this tapenade, you can find a short clip, here. Ina's recipe follows. How easy is that?

Crostini with Tuna Tapenade...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Ina Garten

Ingredients:
10 to 12 ounces canned or jarred Italian tuna packed in olive oil
2 teaspoons anchovy paste
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
1 to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons good olive oil, plus extra for brushing bread
1/3 cup Italian mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup pitted and chopped kalamata olives
1 tablespoon drained capers
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
36 slices French bread, cut diagonally

Directions:
1) Drain all but a tablespoon of olive oil from the tuna and then flake the fish into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the anchovy paste, thyme, parsley, lemon zest, and garlic and pulse a few times. Add the lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, and the mascarpone and process until almost smooth. Add the olives, capers, salt, and pepper and pulse just to incorporate. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2) Meanwhile, heat a gas or charcoal grill or preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Brush the bread lightly on one side with olive oil. Grill the crostini on both sides until lightly browned or arrange the bread on a sheet pan and bake for 6 to 8 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.
3) Mound the tapenade on each toast, sprinkle with parsley, and serve. Alternatively, mound tapenadae in center of a serving plate and surround with crostini.



The following bloggers are also featuring the recipes of Ina Garten today. I hope you'll pay them all a visit. They are great cooks who have wonderful blogs.

Val - More Than Burnt Toast, Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed, Susan - The Spice Garden
Heather - girlichef, Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney, Amrita - Beetles Kitchen Escapades
Mary - One Perfect Bite, Sue - The View from Great Island, Barbara - Movable Feasts
Linda A - There and Back Again, Nancy - Picadillo, Mireya - My Healthy Eating Habits
Veronica - My Catholic Kitchen, Annie - Most Lovely Things, Jeanette - Healthy Living
Claudia - Journey of an Italian Cook, Alyce - More Time at the Table
Kathy - Bakeaway with Me

Next week we will highlight the career and recipes of Elena Arzak. It will be really interesting to see what everyone comes up with. If you'd like to join us please email me for additional information no later than Monday, March 19th.

Cullen Skink - A Smoked Fish Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I've finally found a market that carries an impressive selection of smoked fish. They don't advertise the fact because most of their stock is promised to ethnic restaurants, but if you are charming enough and the planets are perfectly aligned they might deign to save a pound or two for you. This Saturday I entered the charmed circle and came home with two pounds of Finnan Haddie, the smoked haddock I'd been waiting for. Traditional Finnan Haddie is lightly smoked - so lightly that it's actually not quite fully cooked. My original plan was to make an Irish smoked fish chowder, but then I remembered a similar dish that's a bit more interesting and a lot easier to make. Some will argue that Cullen Skink is the world's greatest fish soup. That's a bit of an over statement, but I can assure you that if you like smoked fish or are looking for something new to try, I think you'll really like this Scottish soup. The aromas coming from the soup pot will stimulate the poorest of appetites and have everyone asking, "Is it soup yet?" The name of the soup conjures unfortunate images, but it's easily explained. Cullen is a fishing town on the Moray Firth, an inlet that attracts and harbors haddock. Skink is a bit harder to explain. In Ireland and Scotland it simply means a broth or weak soup. I must warn you there is nothing weak about this particular skink. It is hearty, full-flavored and delightfully creamy. It is more assertive than an American chowder and heartier than a French bisque. While it can be made with any smoked fish, haddock has much to commend it. I prefer it because, cooked properly, it will not toughen as the soup simmers. The basics of the chowder are quite straightforward. Haddock is simmered in water to form a broth that's used to impart its smoky flavor to vegetables that are added to the soup. The soup is thickened with potatoes and enriched with milk, not cream. It's a fairly substantial, rich tasting soup that is best enjoyed in small portions. There are many recipes for Cullen Skink. The recipe that follows is a slight adaption of one developed by Felicity Cloake. I think you'll enjoy it.

Cullen Skink...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite adapted from an original recipe by Felicity Cloake

Ingredients:
1-1/2 pounds undyed smoked haddock, skin on
A bay leaf
Knob of butter (walnut-sized, about 2 tablespoons)
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 leek, washed and cut into chunks
3 medium potatoes, peeled, cut into chunks
2 cups whole milk
1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Chives, chopped, to serve

Directions:
1) Put fish into a pan large enough to hold it comfortably, and cover with cold water. Add bay leaf, and bring gently to a boil. Fish is usually cooked through when a boil is reached. If it does flake, give it another minute or so. Remove fish from pan and rapidly boil to reduce liquid to two cups. Remove from heat and set aside.
2) Melt butter in another pan set over medium-low heat, and add onion and leek. Cover and allow to sweat, without coloring, for about 10 minutes until softened. Season with black pepper.
3) Add potato and stir to coat with butter. Pour in reserved haddock cooking liquid and bring to a simmer. Cook until potato is tender.
4) Meanwhile, remove skin, and any bones, from haddock, and break into flakes.
5) Lift out a very generous slotted spoonful of potatoes and leeks, and set aside. Discard bay leaf. Add milk, and half of flaked haddock to pan, and either mash roughly or blend until fairly smooth.
6) Add lemon juice and season to taste. Spoon a portion of soup into each of 6 bowls. Add a generous spoonful of reserved potato, leek and haddock mixture to each serving and sprinkle with chives. Serve immediately. Yield: 6 servings.









One Year Ago Today: Dublin Coddle















Two Years Ago Today: Tortilla Soup








Links to other fish soup recipes:
Vietnamese Fish Soup: Canh Ngot - Pham Fatale
Italian Fish Soup: Zuppa di Pesce - What's Cookin' Italian-Style Cuisine
Simple Fish Soup - Jaana's Kitchen
Provencal Seafood Bisque - Simply Recipes
Oyster Stew - Seriously Soupy

Irish Celery and Apple Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Margaret Johnson is an Irish-American writer who is a recognized authority on Irish food and drink. This passionate cook holds dual citizenship in the US and Ireland and has authored five cookbooks that explore the customs and cuisine of the Emerald Isle. Today's recipe, an adaption of an old Irish favorite, is her creation, and color alone makes it worthy of consideration for a St. Patrick's Day celebration. Fortunately, it has more than color going for it. If you enjoy the taste of celery, you will love this uniquely flavored soup that is made more interesting with help from apples that add a slightly sour aspect to the soup. The combination works well, and while I can't recommend serving this in large portions, it makes an ideal first course. I served it last weekend with an Italian-type meal that included Arista and I was really pleased at the way all the flavors came together. This is a fast, easy and inexpensive soup that is also mercifully low in calories. It can be made well-ahead of serving, though its color darkens slightly as it sits. I know those of you who are adventuresome will enjoy this palate brightener. Here's the recipe for this truly simple starter.

Irish Celery and Apple Soup...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Margaret Johnson

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch celery, chopped
5 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
6 cups homemade chicken stock, or canned low-salt chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup light cream or half-and-half
2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Directions:
1) Melt butter in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add celery and apples and cook another 5 minutes. Add stock or broth, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 10 to15 minutes.
2) Transfer solids to a blender or processor and working in batches, process until smooth (I used an immersion blender for this task). Return to same saucepan and season with salt and pepper. Whisk in cream. Heat through over low heat. To serve, ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with parsley. Yield: 10 to 12 one cup servings.








One Year Ago Today: A Formula for Turkey Meatloaf















Two Years Ago Today: Cranberry Cocktail

Old Salzburg Garlic Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is the second of the two garlic soups I keep in my recipe arsenal. Both are creamy soups, but they achieve that smoothness in different ways. One uses sour cream, while the other uses a copious quantity of light cream to loosen the heavy base. Both are cooked in the same fashion as a good onion soup, where onions are first cooked in a covered pot until they collapse and give up liquid, and then browned until a beautiful golden slurry is formed. I must admit I like this recipe as much as the first and find it slightly easier to make. The recipe comes from the kitchens of the Hotel Schloss Fuschl on the outskirts of Salzburg, Austria. It sits on the banks of Lake Fuschl and it is actually a converted castle originally built as a hunting lodge and summer palace for the archbishops of Salzburg. The soup is delicious, but my active imagination would find it even more tasty sitting on the deck overlooking that gorgeous lake. The location and attendant ambiance would definitely enhance the flavor of the soup and quickly break the tie I spoke of. Those archbishops sure knew how to live, and while I can't match the ambiance they enjoyed, I can provide the soup. Here's the recipe.


Old Salzburg Garlic Soup...from thekitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of the Hotel Schloss Fuschl

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups thinly sliced onion
1/2 cup chopped garlic
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
6 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
Grated nutmeg, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
Croutons
Minced fresh parsley leaves, for garnish

Directions:
1) Combine onions and garlic in a large stock pot set over medium heat. Cook
slowly over medium heat until onions are golden brown. This can take 30 to 40 minutes. 2
2) Add 1/2 cup flour and cook mixture, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes. Add stock, wine, and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer about 20 minutes.
3) Strain mixture through a fine sieve into another pot. Stir in sour cream and freshly grated nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste.
4) Ladle into bowls and garnish with toasted croutons and parsley. Yield: 4 to 5 servings.







One Year Ago Today: Sun-Dried Tomato Soup















Two Years Ago Today: Chinese Donut Sticks - You Tiou (Oil Fried Ghosts)

Of Cabbages and Kings - Turkey, Leftovers and Julia Child's Senegalaise Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite..."The time has come," the Walrus said, "To talk of many things: Of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbage and kings....." Even the Jabberwocky would be impressed by the amount of ground we are about to cover. So, relax, grab your favorite beverage and once you're comfortable, we'll start talking turkey, or lack thereof.

Many of you were surprised to learn that my holiday dinner plans did not include a turkey. Rest assured, there is nothing subversive or elitist in that decision. As it happens, there will be no children at the table this year, so I felt no compunction to prepare a ritual meal. I've made a lot of turkeys in my day. When my children were small, we had turkey at least once a month. Back then, turkeys weren't brined or salted, so roasting a bird was a simple undertaking. It was also a marvelously inexpensive way to feed a family. Some of you may be old enough to remember when supermarkets actually gave turkeys away during the holiday. Even in off-season, it was not unusual to find birds that cost 19 to 29 cents a pound. A lot of us ate a lot of turkey back in the day, and I suspect it lost its "special" status because of that. Those of you who worry about such things will be happy to know we had turkey for our dinner last night. While a just roasted bird may not be our favorite meal, the dishes made from its leavings number among those at the top of the list. This soup is one of them.

The soup, called Veloute De Volaille a La Senegalaise, is Julia Child's version of curried turkey soup. It is made from carcass stock, good curry powder and leftover vegetables. The finished soup is worthy of company and I guarantee it will impress your guests. As a matter of fact, I'll be serving it as a first course on Saturday night as a prelude to the star of the evening, a gorgeous beef filet . The soup is a two step process that I hope you'll try. I use a mild curry powder to make this. If you prefer to use one with more heat, proceed with caution. The soup can be made well ahead of time, though you'll want to film it with a light coat of cream to prevent a skin from forming. You can also freeze it.



Before moving onto the recipe, I wanted to let you know about a cookbook that has been written by a fellow blogger, Stephen Crout. Stephen's blog is called The Obsessive Chef and his new book, A Cook's Book for Cooks, can be purchased here. Stephen is a talented writer and while his book is more a dialogue on food than a standard recipe book, I think you'll find it both interesting and provocative.






Julia Child's Curried Turkey Soup - Veloute De Volaille a la Senegalaise...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Julia Child

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup finely minced onions
1-3 tablespoons curry powder
4-8 tablespoons flour (dependent on amount of mashed potatoes, if used)
5-6 cups poultry stock (see below)
Optional: leftover vegetables
1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
1 cup diced cooked turkey meat
4 tablespoons minced parsley or chives

Directions:
Melt butter in a large saucepan. Stir in curry powder and cook slowly for 1 minute. Add onions and cook for about 10 minutes without browning. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Vigorously beat in poultry stock with a wire whisk. If you are using leftover mashed potatoes, they should be added at this time. Return soup to heat and whisk in cream, one tablespoon at a time, until soup is of desired thickness. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in turkey, herbs and up to 1 cup diced leftover vegetables, if using. Bring to a simmer just before serving. If soup is not to be served immediately or will be served cold, film surface with stock or cream to prevent a skin from forming. Chill if to be served cold. Yield: 6 servings.


Julia Child's Poultry Stock

Ingredients:
1 turkey carcass
2 to 3 pounds turkey necks, hearts and gizzards
2 tablespoons salt
2 large carrots, roughly chopped
2 celery stalk, roughly chopped
2 leeks, roughly chopped
2 peeled onions stuck with 2 cloves
1 large herb bouquet: 8 parsley sprigs, 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon thyme or sage

Directions:
Chop up carcass and place in a large kettle with necks and other poultry parts. Cover by 2 inches of water. Add salt and bring to a simmer. Skim surface to remove scum for about 5 minutes, or until it almost ceases to rise. Add vegetables and herb bouquet and simmer, uncovered, for about 4 hours, skimming fat and scum as required. Add water if required to keep ingredients covered. Strain liquid into a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let cool uncovered, then chill. When chilled, scrape off surface fat. Keep refrigerated until ready to use. Stock can be frozen.

Turkish-Style Pumpkin Hummus

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The young women of Turkey, especially those whose fate has placed them in larger towns and cities, are lovely and lead lives quite similar to yours or mine. Yet, a trip to villages just outside these cities illustrates the vagaries of fate and tells a story of a completely different kind. Turkey is justly famous for its food and the abundance of its table. The land supports the growth of fruits and vegetables and grains, and a trip to a Turkish market presents a veritable rainbow of color and a range of choice that's guaranteed to please anyone who likes to cook. I'd love to tell you that that abundance is the result of shared labor, but to do so would be a lie. Women man the farms and while they are in the fields their husbands and fathers are otherwise engaged. The work is backbreaking and the faces of these women are lined and cracked liked ill-fired terra cotta bricks. They age quickly and even their veils can't hide the ravages of the sun and the heavy work they do. The nature of our trip placed us on Turkish highways for long periods of time. We would occasionally stop to stretch and take a look at what was going on around us. One of the stops we made was at a roadside stand where melons and squash were being sold. We were offered samples of local melons and the Silver Fox, who is powerless in the hands of small children, was approached by a little guy carrying a melon that was the size of his head. I want you to know that melon made it with us from the outskirts of Ankara to Istanbul before it was finally eaten. It was delicious, if slightly overripe.That same market also sold pumpkin which I learned had a prominent place in the Turkish diet. With pumpkin readily available in our own markets at this time of year, I thought you might enjoy this quick and easy version of hummus that is made with it instead of chickpeas. This is wonderful when made with fresh pumpkin but the canned variety is an acceptable substitute. I like to make this dip the day before I plan to serve it. Here's the recipe.

Pumpkin Hummus...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy ofSaad Fayed

Ingredients:
1 15-ounce canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons tahini
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in bowl of a food processor and pulse until mixture is smooth and creamy. Spoon into a serving bowl and garnish as desired. Serve with toasted pita bread or chips.

One Year Ago Today: Apple Oatmeal Bread with Raisins















Two Years Ago Today: Old-Fashioned Double Chocolate Pudding

50 Women Game Changers in Food - #9 Irma S. Rombauer - Shrimp and Grapefruit Cocktail

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It is hard to believe that a widow who was a better hostess than cook, created a publishing dynasty based on recipes designed to lift the spirits and please the stomachs of a Depression weary nation. Irma Rombauer was that woman. Her cookbook, the Joy of Cooking, written following the suicide of her husband during the Great Depression, went on, in eight editions, to sell 18 million copies. She was born to a wealthy German immigrant family and raised in comfort. While she never had a job, her exposure to the trappings of wealth and extensive travel led her to consider herself a Renaissance woman. Her experiences were varied and, prior to her marriage, she had a brief assignation, that her biographer actually calls a tryst, with the writer Booth Tarkington. In retrospect, she probably found St. Louis to be a bit confining. She completed the cookbook in 1931 but she had to use her own money to have it published. It did not appear nationally until 1936, when it was distributed by Bobbs-Merrill. Her cookbook was unusual in that it was filled with wit and conviviality, as well as recipes that appealed to time-pressed housewives. She knew her audience and her cookbook changed with the times. During the depression she understood the struggle women had putting inexpensive food on their tables and when WWII shortages affected the ability of women to feed their families, hers was the first major cookbook to address the problems of rationing. Through it all, her cookbooks reflected her own sense of fun. In 1951, her daughter Marion assumed control of the family franchise and added a sense conscientiousness to the book that appealed to women of the time. The two attributes were combined in the 75th edition of the cookbook that was released in 2006. It's entirely fitting that Irma S. Rombauer claims 8th place on the Gourmet Live list of 50 Women Game-Changers in Food.

I've chosen one of her earliest recipes to represent the work she's done. It is a slightly different take on shrimp cocktail that is both interesting and delicious. While it appeared in the 1931 edition of the Joy of Cooking, it has recently been revived and popularized by Chef Jose Andres at his restaurant America Eats. Here's the recipe.

Shrimp in Grapefruit Cocktail...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Irma S. Rombauer

Ingredients:
Grapefruit Dressing
1/2 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
4 teaspoons sherry vinegar
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
Shrimp
2 quarts water
2-1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
Ice
20 whole, deveined shrimp
Garnish
8 grapefruit segments
Sweet paprika
Freshly ground pepper
Sea salt

Directions:
1) To make the grapefruit dressing: Strain the grapefruit juice into a large bowl and add the vinegar and mustard. Add the olive oil in a slow stream, continuously whisking to emulsify. Add salt to taste and store in the refrigerator.
2) To cook the shrimp: Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Have a bowl of salted ice water at the ready. Add the shrimp to the boiling water and cook for about 1 minute (cooking time will depend on the size of the shrimp). Remove the shrimp from the boiling water as soon as they are cooked and immediately place them in the salted ice water. When completely cool, quickly remove the shrimp from the water to prevent oversaturation.
3) To serve the shrimp: Marinate the shrimp in the grapefruit dressing for a few minutes. Arrange 5 shrimp on a salad plate. Add 2 grapefruit segments per plate and spoon more dressing on top. Dust with paprika, and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and sea salt. Serve immediately.Yield: 4 servings.

The following bloggers are also paying tribute to Irma S. Rombauer this week. I hope you'll visit all of them.

Val - More Than Burnt Toast
Joanne - Eats Well With Others
Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed
Susan - The Spice Garden
Claudia - A Seasonal Cook in Turkey
Heather - girlichef
Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney
Jeanette - Healthy Living
April - Abby Sweets
Katie - Making Michael Pollan Proud
Mary - One Perfect Bite
Kathleen -Bake Away with Me
Viola - The Life is Good Kitchen
Sue - The View from Great Island


Next week we will highlight the food and recipes of Hannah Glasse and Mrs. Beeton. It will be really interesting to see what everyone comes up with. If you'd like to join us please email me for additional information. Everyone is welcome.

Venetian Risi e Bisi - Rice and Peas - Easter 2011

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I had gone to market in search of English peas and while there I happened on a display of large canned hams that I hadn't seen in years. They were a feature of holiday meals and throughout the 50's and 60's you'd be hard pressed to attend a party where they weren't served. The hams were usually topped with rings of pineapple and studded with maraschino cherries before being glazed and warmed for service. They weren't bad and they fit the lifestyles of woman trying to cast off years of rationing and cooking that kept them in the kitchen for hours at a time. The women who emerged from the war loved the simplicity of Danish modern furniture and the ease of frozen food. A company ready ham that need only to be warmed was perfect for their needs. That ubiquitous ham was part of Easter dinner in many homes across the country. Strange as it seems, while the food was simple, the holiday itself seemed more important then it does today. The Easter bunny was on a par with Santa and egg hunts replaced the magic of empty stockings miraculously filled by elves or angels. In those simpler times, Easter really did mean bonnets and parades, and to the delight of little girls, the holiday came with new outfits that included shinny Mary Janes.

It was also a more overtly religious holiday than it appears to be today. We spent a lot of time in church during Holy Week, but it wasn't as oppressive as you might think. I will forever be moved when I hear the "Exultet" and the "Alleluia" from the Easter vigil services and I'm so grateful they were part of my childhood. While Easter may have no meaning for many, it's my hope that we all believe in new beginnings and the triumph of good over evil. So, whatever your beliefs, I hope you all bask in the sun of this new day.

After that introduction, I was sorely tempted to make a canned ham and share it with you, but then I realized you'd probably stone me and I wanted no part of that. So, I'm heading back to the peas with which I began this post. “Risi e bisi” (rice and peas) is a classic Venetian dish. While many think it is a risotto, it is actually a very light soup. There should always be just enough liquid in the bowl to require a spoon for eating. It is very easy to make and you'll love it as long as you don't overcook the rice. The soup can be table ready in half an hour and it is a perfect light meal to break a fast or settle an uneasy stomach. The soup will absorb liquid as it sits, so it's best to serve it as soon as the rice is ready. If you have leftovers you will have to add stock when you reheat the soup. I think you'll really like this one. Here's the recipe.


Risi e Bisi...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Saveur

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
1 yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped
3 pounds fresh peas, shelled to yield 3 cups
Pinch of salt
1 cup Chicken Stock
1 cup arborio rice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Grated parmigiano-reggiano

Directions:
1) Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes. Add peas and salt, and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
2) Add chicken stock and 2 cups water, and bring to a boil. Stir in rice and parsley, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until rice is al dente and peas are very soft, about 20 minutes.
3) Adjust seasonings and serve immediately before rice absorbs liquid. Top with grated parmigiano-reggiano, if you like. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Cook's Note: While this dish is best made with fresh peas, 3 cups of frozen peas can be substituted.








Easter Sunday One year Ago: Roasted Yellow Pepper Soup












Two Years Ago Today: Garlic Herb Rolls








You might also enjoy these recipes:
Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup - Very Culinary
Chicken and Rice Soup - Foodie Journey
Broccoli Wild Rice Soup - Meals 4 Moms
Shrimp and Rice Soup - 400 Calories or Less
Lemon Chicken and Rice Soup - Barbara Bakes
Basil Tomato Rice Soup - Creatively Domestic
Italian Chicken and Rice Soup - Pots and Plots
Spring English Pea Potato and Rice Soup - Cannelle and Vanille
Ginger Chicken Rice Soup - He Cooks She Cooks
Vegetable and Rice Soup - Our Island Kitchen

Mushroom Galette

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It's been a busy day. I've started working on the dishes that I'll be featuring while we are traveling and the first day of cooking is always daunting. I managed to get a lot done, but as the sun set I had a "Eureka" moment. Surrounded by plates of food, I had forgotten about dinner and nothing on my counters was suitable for an evening meal. I grabbed a pie crust from the freezer and mushrooms and cheese from the refrigerator and threw together this homely galette. It normally is a much grander affair. On a good day, wild mushrooms, sauteed with fresh herbs and shallots, are tossed with a premium blue cheese and wrapped in a cloak of puff pastry that's baked until the color defines rich golden brown. That didn't happen tonight. I took every shortcut imaginable, but there is an upside to this sad tale. It worked. If I hadn't had the good stuff, I never would have known that this wasn't the real thing. The recipe I pillaged belongs Joanne Weir who is one of my favorite foodies. She stays under the radar but her recipes are spot on and I love her style. I'm going to share her recipe for Warm Stilton and Mushroom Galette with you and let you guess where I took my shortcuts. Here's her recipe.

Mushroom Galette...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Joanne Weir

Ingredients:
Crust:
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, frozen in the freezer 1 hour
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons ice cold butter, cut into 12 pieces
4 tablespoons sour cream
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 cup ice water
Filling:
1/4 ounce dry porcini mushrooms
1 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 green onions, white and green, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon freshly chopped rosemary
1/2 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme
1 pound cultivated or button mushrooms, thinly sliced
4 ounces Stilton or other blue-veined cheese

Directions:
1) To make crust: Place flour and salt in a food processor and pulse two times to combine. Add butter and pulse several times until most of the mixture is size of bread crumbs with a few pieces remaining pea sized. Dump mixture out onto a work surface in a pile. Spread it out a little. Make a well in center of mixture. Whisk together sour cream, lemon juice and water; add half of liquid to well. With your fingertips, mix liquid with dry mixture until large lumps hold together. Remove large lumps and repeat with remaining liquid, using as much liquid as needed to hold dough together. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
2) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place dry porcini mushrooms in a small bowl, cover with boiling water and let sit 30 minutes. Drain mushrooms and reserve liquid for another use. Finely mince mushrooms and reserve.
3) In a large frying pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add green onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 5 minutes. Add rosemary and thyme and continue to cook 1 minute. Increase heat to high, add fresh and minced dried mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are soft and liquid from mushrooms has completely evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool.
4) Roll dough on a floured surface to make a 12-inch circle. Place on a baking sheet. In a bowl, combine Stilton and mushrooms. Spread mixture over dough, leaving a 1-1/2-inch border around edges. Fold uncovered edge of pastry over mushrooms and cheese, pleating it to make it fit. There will be an opening in center of tart. Bake until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. Slide galette onto a serving plate. Serve hot, warm or room temperature.
Yield: 6 first course servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Roasted Vegetable Galettes - The Baking Barrister
Ham and Cheese Galettes - Chow and Chatter
Savory Galettes - A Yankee in a Southern Kitchen
Savory Goat Cheese Parmesan Galette - Use Real Butter
Cabbage and Mushroom Galette - Lisa is Cooking
Zucchini Galette - A Good Appetite

Corn Soup a la Patricia Wells

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Please, Please, Please.... If you haven't had this soup, try it now while fresh corn is still available. I can't say enough good things about this very simple starter. Freshly shucked corn is scraped from the cob and simmered, along with the cobs, in a low fat milk. The flavor of the corn infuses the milk which thickens slightly as it cooks. The mixture is then pureed to almost perfect smoothness before being seasoned with salt and pepper. The soup is finished with a garnish of fresh cilantro and a sprinkling of smoked Spanish paprika. It's the creation of Patricia Wells and it is another example her simply elegant handling of ingredients. I've made no changes to her recipe. I do, however, capture and use all the "milk" from the scraped cobs and let the soup steep for an hour more than the recipe suggests. I rarely get excited about recipes, but this one made my socks go up and down. I've frozen a more than adequate quantity for our Thanksgiving dinner. It is easy, inexpensive and would make a perfect first course for a holiday meal. The sprinkling of smoked paprika takes the soup to another level, so be sure to use it. It adds flair and a unique flavor component to the soup. I know you'll love this. Here's how it's made.

Addendum: This recipe works only with fresh sweet corn. The cob and "milk" both add additional flavor that gives the soup its intensive corn taste.

Corn Soup a la Patricia Wells...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Patricia Wells

Ingredients:
3 ears fresh corn, shucked
6 cups 1% milk
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1/4 fresh cilantro leaves (for garnish)
about 1 teaspoon hot smoked spanish pimentón de la Vera

Directions:
1) With a sharp knife scrape kernels off corn cobs. Be sure to catch any milky liquid that is released while you do this.
2) Place kernels, cobs and milky liquid in a saucepan or skillet large enough to hold them in a single layer. Add milk and salt. Cover and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook at a bare simmer for 45 minutes. I let mine simmer for an hour and then sit for an hour before proceeding.
3) Remove corn cobs, and put milk and corn mixture in a blender and puree until corn is broken up but still maintains a bit of texture. Adjust seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste.
4) Just before serving, garnish with pimentón and cilantro. Serve warm or cold. Yield: 6 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Farmer's Market Corn Salsa - Christine's Cuisine
Buttermilk Corn Bread - Sea Salt with Food
Chicken and Sweet Corn Soup - Closet Cooking
Fresh Corn and Tomato Pie - Sass and Veracity
Fresh Corn and Tomato Saute - The Parsley Thief
Corn Fritters with Maple Syrup - Meats, Roots and Leaves
Corn and Edamame Succotash - One Perfect Bite
Sweet Corn Ice Cream - One Perfect Bite

Peanut and Pumpkin Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is the easier of the two recipes I have for peanut and pumpkin soup. I love to serve this as a starter for meals that are simple and need a bit of a jolt. Most peanut soups are associated with West Africa, but French settlers in Louisiana and Southeast Asia also made peanut soups that can be memorable. The trick, of course, is to temper the peanut taste so it does not overpower other ingredients in the soup. Many folks use peanut butter to achieve this unique taste, but I prefer to use a peanut milk and curry powder to get the flavor I'm looking for. A peanut milk can be made by combing 2 parts of chicken broth with 1 part roasted peanuts and blending them until the mixture is perfectly smooth. You'll need six cups of peanut milk for this recipe. It is very easy to make and adds a perfect nutty taste to this very simple soup. I also cheat a bit with the pumpkin puree. Mine comes from a can and it works perfectly well in this recipe. The soup keeps well, but it will thicken as it stands, so you will probably have to thin it if you do not serve it immediately. Here's the recipe I use for this fairly uncommon soup.

Peanut and Pumpkin Soup...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
3 cups pumpkin puree
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup coarsely chopped red onions
2 teaspoons curry powder
6 cups peanut milk
2/3 cup fruit chutney
3 cups chicken broth

Directions:
1) Combine oil and butter in a frying pan set over medium heat. When the mixture shimmers, add red onion and saute until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add curry powder and toss with onions until well mixed and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
2) To make peanut milk: Combine 3 cups of peanuts with 6 cups of water or broth in jar of a blender. Process until perfectly smooth. Set aside.
3) In jar of an electric blender, combine pumpkin, chutney and onion mixture. Pulse until smooth, adding peanut milk as needed to process.
4) Combine pumpkin mixture with remaining peanut milk and chicken broth in a large saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes longer. Serve hot or warm. Yield: 8 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Thai Pumpkin Soup with Coconut Milk - Le Delicieux
Moroccan Chicken and Pumpkin Soup - Kitchen Wench
Coconut Curry and Pumpkin Soup - Flavor Diva
Pumpkin and Peanut Butter Soup - Chef In You
Gingered Squash Soup - eCurry
Pumpkin-Sage Soup - Streaming Gourmet