Category Archives: Soup

Broccoli Soup

Posted on July 6, 2010 by Geek Baker| Leave a comment

Well, I still haven’t tried my hand at anything blog-worthy.  A weekend full of sunshine, lakes, and cookouts will do that for you.  But my brother did recently send me a link to that drool-inducing broccoli soup I had while visiting him out in April.

This soup was wonderful.  The texture was perfect: thick and creamy.  And the flavor was just really fresh to me even with all the cheese.  Its maybe not for the hottest of summer nights but keep this one on your radar for those fall evenings which will be here before you know it.

Enjoy!


Creamy Broccoli Soup

Adapted from Claire Robinson’s 5 Ingredient Fix

Ingredients -

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 shallots, peeled and sliced
  • 1 1/2 pounds fresh broccoli florets, roughly chopped
  • Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • Hot water, if needed
  • 12 ounces mascarpone cheese, divided

Directions -

1. Heat the oil in large pot over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook briefly to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the broccoli, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

2. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, then cover the pan and cook until the vegetables are fork tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool for about 5 minutes.

3. Carefully add the soup to a blender, in small batches, and blend until smooth (or use an immersion blender as my brother & sil did). Pour the puree into a clean large saucepan over low heat. Add hot water to thin, if necessary. Whisk in all but 1/2 cup of the mascarpone. Taste and adjust the seasoning, as necessary.

4. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each bowl with a small dollop of mascarpone.

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Posted in Broccoli, Soup

I had no idea chili could be like this….

Posted on May 26, 2010 by Geek Baker| Leave a comment

Well, you may have noticed that Scandinavian delicacies went by the wayside some time ago.  Kladdkakas and chokladbollar have now been replaced with Bell’s Pale Ale and Cincinnati-Style Chili.  You would think with a sweet tooth as large as mine I would be disappointed with such a trade, but you would be wrong.  So very wrong.

First of all - Chili + Middle Easter Flair = some kind of fantastic

Second of all – Cincinnati, really? Props to the midwestern boys…

History of Cincinnati Chili

Outside of the state of Texas, Cincinnati, Ohio, is the most chili-crazed city in the United States. Cincinnati prides itself on being a true chili capital, with more than 180 chili parlors. Cincinnati-style chili is quite different from its more familiar Texas cousin, and it has developed a cult-like popularity.

What makes it different is the way the meat is cooked. The chili has a thinner consistency and is prepared with an unusual blend of spices that includes cinnamon, chocolate or cocoa, allspice, and Worcestershire. this is truly the unofficial grub of Cincinnati.

The people of Cincinnati enjoy their chili spooned over freshly made pasta and topped with a combination of chopped onions, shredded Cheddar cheese, refried beans or kidney beans, and crushed oyster crackers. If you choose “the works,” you are eating what they call Five-Way Chili. Make sure to pile on the toppings – that’s what sets it apart from any other chili dish.

  • two-way: spaghetti and chili
  • three-way: spaghetti, chili, and shredded cheese
  • four-way: spaghetti, chili, shredded cheese, and either diced onions or beans
  • five-way: spaghetti, chili, shredded cheese, diced onions, and beans
  • cheese coney: hot dog topped with chili, shredded cheese, diced onions, and mustard
  • chili cheese fries: french fries topped with chili and shredded cheese

Macedonian immigrant Tom Kiradjieff created Cincinnati chili in 1922. With his brother, John, Kiradjieff opened a small Greek restaurant called the Empress. The restaurant did poorly however, until Kiradjieff started offering a chili made with Middle Eastern spices, which could be served in a variety of ways. He called it his “spaghetti chili.” Kiradjieff’s “five way” was a concoction of a mound of spaghetti toped with chili, chopped onion, kidney beans, and shredded yellow cheese, served with oyster crackers and a side order of hot dogs topped with more shredded cheese.





My friend and chef didn’t use a recipe but here’s a tasty looking one from the fine folks at the Food Network……..Cincinnati Chili Recipe

ps – he made it with beef last night but said he has made it with vegetarian substitutes (Morningstar Farm Crumbles or the like) with good results.


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Posted in Soup

Soup

Posted on November 17, 2009 by Geek Baker| Leave a comment

It may have taken a while, but Fall finally came to Chicago.  *sigh*  Overcast, cold, windy….most certainly soup weather.  I will most likely be having soup from a can tonight (not enough time to properly cook between work and bikram yoga), but if I did have time I would be making cream of tomato soup with side of crusty french bread.  Here’s the recipe for a simple, old-fashioned cream of tomato soup from Marion Cunningham’s The Fannie Farmer Cookbook.

Pure Cream of Tomato Soup


Ingredients:

  • 5 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 4 cups milk
  • 1/2 bay leaf
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3 cups tomatoes, chopped (fresh or canned)

Directions:

Melt the butter in a soup pot. Add the onion and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the onion is softened but not browned. Sprinkle the flour over the butter mixture and continue to stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk, bay leaf, sugar, and salt and continue to cook and stir until slightly thickened. Stir the baking soda into the tomatoes. Add the tomatoes to the milk, and bring just to a simmer. Remove from the heat and put through a strainer. Taste and correct seasonings. Reheat before serving.

Note: I would probably top this soup off with a healthy dollop of white bean puree and a sprinkling of sharp cheddar cheese………..

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Posted in Soup, Vegetarian Cuisine