Crema Di Pomodoro (cream of tomato soup)

 Ingredients:

About 1 loaf of Italian or French bread
2 carrots
2 celery ribs
1 medium onion
3 garlic cloves
3 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 cup dry white wine
4 1/2 cups of canned crushed tomatoes in puree
1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano, crumbled
3-4 cups water
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup sour cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

cut enough bread into 3/4 inch cubes to measure about 3 cups and arrange in one layer in a shallow baking pan. toast bread in middle of oven until golden and crisp, 10 to 15 minutes.

Finely chop carrots, celery, onion and garlic. In a heavy 4-5 quart pan cook chopped vegetables and garlic in oil with salt and pepper to taste over moderately low heat, stirring, until tender but not browned, about 10 minutes. add wine and boil 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, oregano, and 1 cup of water and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes. Remove pan from heat and whisk in heavy cream and sour cream. Cool soup for 10 minutes. In a blender puree soup int aches, transferring as pureed to a large bowl.

Return soup to pan and thin to desired consistency with remaining water. Season soup with salt and pepper and heat over moderate heat, stirring until heated through. Do not let boil.

Serve soup ladled over croutons in large bowls.

Grilled Corn and Pepper Soup

 Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of butter

2 ears of corn grilled

1 onion chopped

1 red pepper grilled, peeled, seeded and chopped

1 1/2 cups of half and half

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 tablespoon of minced dill

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Melt butter in a medium saucepan. While it melts, cut kernels from corn. Set aside 1/4 cup of the kernels.

Add remaining corn and onion to saucepan and cook over medium heat until slightly softened, 2 minutes. Add bell pepper and continue to cook, stirring frequently, 3 minutes. add half and half, broth and dill and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until vegetables are very tender, 15 minutes.

Puree soup in blender inn batches until very smooth. strain into clean saucepan, reheat and season with slat and pepper to taste. Top with reserved corn prior to serving.

Garnet and Ray's Corn Chowder

 Ingredients:

2 TBS of butter

1 large onion, diced

1-2 celery stalks, diced

large baking potato, diced

1-2 small cloves of garlic

1 tsp cumin

1- 1 1/2 cans of chicken stock

6-8 large ears of corn cooked with kernels removed

salt and pepper to taste

1-2 cups of half and half

Grated Cheese (mixed types)

Cilantro

Directions:

In a large cause pan, melt butter and add onions, clery, potato, garlic and cumin and cook for 10-15 minutes. Add 1 can of chicken stock then add the corn and cook an additional 15 minutes.

Puree in batches and adjust thickness of the soup with either stock or half and half. Taste for seasoning. Recipe says to add an additional teaspoon of cumin. 

Serve in bowls topped with shredded cheese.

Mom's Smokey Baked Beans

 Ingredients:

1 16-18 ounce can of B&M Baked Beans

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 tsp of dry mustard

1/4 cup ketchup

2 slices of bacon cut in 1 inch pieces

1 tsp of liquid smoke

Combine ingredients and bake in covered casserole at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Remove cover and cook another 1/2 hour.

Mom's Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients:

1 ham bone or 3-4 ham hocks
1 16 ounce bag of red beans
2 stalks of celery chopped
1 red or green bell pepper chopped
1 roasted jalapeno pepper (canned) chopped
1 large onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic miinced
1/4 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 tsp of cumin
1 bay leaf
2 tsp Worcestershire sacue
1/4 tsp of tabasco
Juice eof one lemon.

Directions:

Do not add salt until the very end because ham will be salty and the beans will not cook thoroughly if water is salted.

Wash the beans in several rinses. Cover with cold water and soak over night. Discard the water used to soak the beans. Put the means in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add all the ingredients except the lemon juice. Bring to a boil and simmer covered for several hous until beans are cooked.

After about 2 hours, when tender, remove the ham bones from the pot. Debone the ham and reserve.

Remove cover and cook until the thickend to desired consistency.

Add the deboned ham and the lemon juice to the mixture and adjust the seasonings to your taste. Serve hot over white rice. 

Potato, Bacon and Gruyere Soup

 The following chunky potato soup was inspired by a smooth version that one of our food editors enjoyed at The Bernerhof Inn in Glen, New Hampshire

Ingredients:

4 slices bacon, chopped

3 medium onions, chopped fine

3 cups chicken broth

3 1/4 cups water

3 pounds boiling poratoes (preferably yellow-fleshed)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 pound Gruyere cheese, grated (about 2 1/2 cups)

1 Tablespoon Madeira or Sherry

1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce

3 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves.

Directions:

In a heavy kettle cook bacon over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp. Remove bacon and spoon all but 1 tablespoon fat. Add onions and saute over mmoderately high heat, stirring, until pale golden. Add broth andd 3 cups of water and bring to a boil.

Peel potatoes and cut into 3/4 inch cubes. Add potatoes to soup and simmer, covered, about 10 minutes.

In a small bowl whisk together flour and remaining 1/4 cup of water until smooth and add to the simmering soup, whisking. Simmer soup, covered, 5 minutes.

In a blender puree Gruyere with 3 cups of hot soup broth. Stir puree into soup with Madeira, Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper to taste.

Cream of Brie and Red Pepper Soup

 Two flavorful soups are swirled in each bowl, creating a beautiful pattern. This unique recipe comes from Orchids at the Palm Court in the Omni Netherland Plaza hotel

Brie Soup:

2 tablespoons of butter
1/4 cup minced leeks (white part only)
1/4 cup minced shallots
2 tablespoons of all purpose flour
1 quart of simmering unnsalted chicken stock
20 ounces of Brie cheese, rind discarded, cut into pieces.
1/4 cup whipping cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Red Pepper Soup

1 pound of red bell peppers, cored and seeded

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons of Hungarian paprika

1 Tablespoon all purpose flour

1 1/4 cup unsalted chicken stock

1 cup whipping cream

sour cream

snipped fresh chives

Directions:

For Brie Soup: Melt butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add leeks and shallots and cook until translucent, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add flour and stir 2 minutes. Whisk in simmering stock. Simmer until reduced to 2 1/4 cups, about 15 minutes.  Add Brie and stir until melted. Mix in cream, salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover soup tightly and refrigerate.)

For Pepper Soup: Bring water to boil in base of steamer. Place peppers on steamer rack. Cover and cook until skin pulls away easily, about 25 minutes. Peel peppers, Chop finely.

Melt butter in another heavy medium saucepan over low heat. Add peppers and stir 1 minutes. Add paprika and flour and stir 2 miutes. Cover and cook until peppers are tender, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Mix in stock and cream. Simmer until soup is reduced to 3 cups, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Puree soup in processor. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover soup tightly and refrigerate.)

Reheat both soups in separate heavy sauccepans over low heat, stirring frequently. Spoon 1/2 cup Brie soup into ladle. Spoon 1/2 cup pepper soup into another ladle. Holding ladles next to each other, pour both soups into heated bowl at same time. Swirl two soups together slightly with toothpick. Repeat.

Top each bowl of soup with a dollop of sour cream. Sprinkle with chives and serve.

Green Goddess Chive Salad Dressing

 Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 green onion, coarsley chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 tablespoon tarragon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon or 1/2 tsp dried
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sacue
2 Tablespoons parsley
(Mom's notes suggest using some fresh lemon juice to taste)
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.

House Vinaigrette Le Bernadin Cookbook

 Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons red-wine vinegar

3 Tablespoons of sherry vinegar

2 teaspoons Dihon mustard

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 pinches freshly ground white pepper

1/2 cup plus 1 Tablespoon of olive oil

1/2 cup plus 1 Tablespoon of corn oil

Directions:
In a bowl, whhisk together vinegars, mustard, sea slat, and white pepper until mustard is iincorporated. In a very slow stream whisk in olive oil and then corn oil whisk until emulsified.

Garnet's Vinaigrette

 Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons of lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 tsp crushed tarragon (at the end)

Directions:

Whip lemon juice, salt, mustard, and pepper adding the oil gradually. Whip in the tarragon at the end.

Spago House Salad Dressing

Ingredients:

2 large shallots, minced (1 heaping tablespoon)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons zinfandel vinegar
2 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Salt
Freshly ground pepper 

Directions:

In a small bowl, shisk together the shallots and the mustard. Whisk in the vinegars and then the olive and vegetable oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a covered container until needed.

Hot German Potato Salad

 Ingredients:

6 Medium Potatoes
6 Slices of Bacon
1 medium onion
2 Tablespoons of flour
1-2 Tablespoons of sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon of salt (less if using liquid smoke)
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon of liquid smoke
1/4 to 1/2 cup vinegar
3/4 cup water 
Pepper

Directions:

Cook the potatoes in their jackets until tender. Set aside.

Fry the bacon until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and set on paper towels. Reserve bacon fat.

Dice the onion into the facon fat and cook until tender. Remove from heat and add the flour, mixing thoroughly. Add a tablespoon of sugar, the salt, cleery seed, pepper, and liquid smoke. Heat the mixture and stir in gradually the vinegar and water. Taste for sweetness and seasoning. Cut up the potates in cubes and add to the mixture. Crumble the bacon and add to the dish before serving. 

Serve warm.

Lemon Rice Salad with Capers and Pine Nuts

 Ingredients:

3/4 cup of pine nuts
6 cups of cooked rice
2 cups (1/2 dice) roast chicken or pork
1/2 cup minced Italian Parsley
1 small orange or red bell pepper, cored seeded and cut into 1/4 inch dice
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup capers, rinsed and drained
zest of 1 lemon
1/3 cup lemon juice
2/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Freshly ground pepper
6 leaves butter lettuce

Directions:

• Toast the pine nuts in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until nicely browned. set aside to cool.
• Combine the rice, chicken or pork, parsley, bell pepper, green onions, capers, lemon zest, and pine nuts in a large bowl. Toss lightly to combine.
• Whisk together the lemon juice, oil, salt, sugar, and pepper totaste in a 2-cup measuring cup. Add the dressing to the rice mixture and toss to mix. place a lettuce leaf on each plate, top it with a mound of rice salad, then serve immediately

Derby Day Pie

Ingredients:

2 eggs, room temperature

1 cup of sugar

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup chopped peancs, lightly toasted

1 tablespoon bourbon

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 9-inch unbaked pie shell

Whipped cream for garnish

Directions:

Preheat ove to  350. Beat eggs on high speed in small bowl of electric mixer until light and lemon colored. Gradually beat in sugar. Reduce speed to low, add flour and butter and mix until thoroughly combined. Stir in chips, nuts and flavorings. Turn mixture into unbaked pie shell. Bake until golden brown, about 40 minutes. 

Note: The pie will have a glistening crust and a tester inserted iinn the middle will come out clean but glossy. Set aside for 2 to 5 hours. Before serving, reheat the pie for 10 minutes at 300 degrees. Cover with whipped crream and serve.

Bullock's Heavenly Lemon Pie

Ingredients:

Meringue Crust:

4 egg whites
1 cup of sugar
non-stick cooking spray

t teaspoon of lemon juice

Beat egg whites on high speed until soft leads form, 3 to 4 minutes. Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff but not dry. Blend in juice last. Coat 9-inch pie pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon meringue mixture into pan, and with a tablespoon, push mixture up around edges to form pie shell. Bake at 200 degrees for 2 hours. Cool.

Filling:

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

Grated zest and juice of one large lemon

2 cups whipping cream whipped

1 tablespoon, powdered sugar

Beat egg yolks with sugar, lemon zest and juice until light in color and slightly thickened. Cook, stirring in top of double boiler set over, but not touching simmering water until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from and cool thoroughly. Fold in half of whipped cream. Turn into meringue crust and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set. Fold powdered sugar into remaining whipped cream and spread over chilled pie. 

Senate Navy Bean Soup (Culinary SOS)

 

Ingredients:

2 cups of dry navy beans

12 cups water

1 meaty ham bone or 2-3 ham hocks

1/2 cup cooked mashed potatoes

3 onions, minced

4-5 stalks of celery, minced

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/4 cup minced parsely

Hot water

Salt

Freshly group pepper

Lemon sllices for garnish

Directions:

Soak beans overnight in water. Add ham bone and simmer until beans start to become tender, about 1 hour. Mix in mashed potatoes until smooth. Add onions, celery, garlic and parsley and simmer until beans are soft, about an hour.

Remove ham bone, then dice meat and return meat to soup. Thin with hot water if necessary (soup should be thick). Season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with lemon slices. 

Cream of Celery Soup

 Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

5 cups of chopped celery

2 medium onions, chopped

1  1-pound celery root, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 10-ounce russet potato, peeled, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1 teaspoon celery salt

2 14 1/2 ounce cans of low salt chicken broth

1 cup of whipping cream

Directions:

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. add the celery and onions. cover and cook until very tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Stir iin the celery root, portato, garlic and celecry saolt. Add 2 cans of broth; cover and simmer unitil all vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes. Puree in blender in batches. 

(Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)

Pour the soup into large saucepan. Add cream; bring to a simmer, stirring often. Thin with more broth if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls.

Serves 6

Cream of Asparagus Soup

 Ingredients:

1/4 cup of unsalted butter

1 mild onion, finely chopped

1 celery stalk with leaves, finely chopped

4 cups of chicken or vegetable stock

3 pounds of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces, tips reserved

2 baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon of dried basil

2 cups of heavy cream

Salt and white pepper

Directions

In a large saucepan melt the butter over low to medium heat. Add the onion and celery and saute' until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add the stock, all the asparagus stalks and about two-thirds of the tips, the potatoes and basil. raise the heat and bring to a boil, skimming away any froth from the surface. reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

In small batches, puree the soup in a food mill or blender taking care to avoid splattering. If using a blender you many want to strain soup through a strainer using a wooden spoon to press liquid through the strainer. Return the puree to the pan. Stir in the cream, season to taste with salt and white pepper and warm over low heat.

Meanwhile, bring a small saucepan filled with water to a boil. Lightly salt the water and add the reserved asparagus tips. Cook until just tender-crisp, 3-4 minutes. Drain well.

Spoon the soup into warmed bowls and garnish with the asparagus tips.

Serves 6-8

Zucchini Gratin (Mom)

 Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds zucchini, grated

3 green onions, sliced

garlic, chopped

butter

salt

pepper

jack cheese

Directions:

Grate the zucchini and press to remove water using a ricer. 

El Cholo's Chiles Rellenos (In Mom's recipe file)

 INGREDIENTS:

Relleno Sauce

1 tablespoon of oil

3 garlic cloves, diced

1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano

1/2 onion chopped

2 teaspoons vinegar

1 green bell pepper,  seeded and diced

1 28 ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes

2 whole canned green chiles, diced

1/2 cup of chicken broth

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 bay leaves

Salt

Directions:

In a large sauce pan over medium heat, eat the oil. Stir in the garlic, oregano, onion, vinegar, bell pepper, tomatoes (and their juice), chiles and broth. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes, then stir in the black pepper, bay leaves and salt to taste.

Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables have softened and the tomatoes start to break apart. About 25 minutes. 

Remove from the heat, discard the bay leaves, ad mash the tomatoes with a potato masher of whisk until you  have a coarse sauce. Season again to taste and set aside in a warm place.

Chiles Rellenos

Ingredients

1/4 pound grated cheddar cheese

6 whole canned green chiles ( I would use fresh poblano chiles)

6 eggs, separated

Vegetable oil

Relleno Sauce

Directions:

Divide the cheese into 6 mounds and roll each mound into a football-shaped ball with your hands. Slit each chile lengthwise halfway and gently stuff a ball of cheese in each. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, 4-6 minutes. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks until frothy. Gently fold the yolks into the whites to complete your egg batter.

In a large skillet or frying pan, add enough oil to come up the sides by on-half inch. Heat the oil until a thermometer inserted reads 350 

Gently spoon a little egg batter into the pan, spreading it so it is roughly the dimensions of one side of a stuffed chile. As soon as the batter begins to set (1-2 minutes) lay a chile over the top then spread the equivalent of batter over the top of the chile. 

Turn over the cchile relleno and fry an additional 1 to 2 minutes until golden on all sides. Remove the chile relleno with a slotted spatula or spoon, and place on a warm plate. Repeat until you have cooked all six chile rellenos.

Spoon 1/2 cup of sauce over each chile relleno and serve immediately.