�One-Step� Chicken Noodle Soup � For When You�re Sick of Following Recipes

Or, just plain sick. Yes, I�m a little under the weather, but as they say, the show must go on, and that �show� ended up being me just throwing all my chicken noodle soup ingredients into a pot, crossing my fingers, and hoping for the best.

And while I know this method didn�t produce �the best� chicken noodle soup, I was amazed at how really good it was, and how remarkably close it was to a certain canned variety. I can�t give brand names, but it rhymes with Frogresso.

If you do decide to use this one-step approach, there are a few things you need to pay attention to. You�ll want to use a pasta or noodle that�s at least a large as the fusilli I used so it doesn�t completely break down; as well as, to be sure to dice/slice your veggies nice and thin, so they get tender relatively quickly.

I just used a knife, but I bet you have one of those vegetable slicers somewhere, and this would be the perfect operation to use it for. Above and beyond that, feel free to add in other �medicinal� ingredients, such as garlic, ginger, and hot chilies. But whether you embellish or not, or you�re sick, or feeling just fine, I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

1 pound raw or cooked chicken meat (I used 2 cubed-up breasts)

1/2 cup dried fusilli pasta (corkscrew pasta)

1/3 finely minced onions

1 carrot, very thinly sliced

1 rib celery, thinly sliced

salt, freshly ground black pepper, and cayenne to taste

2 teaspoons ketchup

1 fresh thyme sprig, or pinch of dried thyme, optional

4 cups chicken broth

2 tablespoons freshly chopped Italian parsley

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Potato Leek Soup (aka Vichyssoise) � The Perfect Autumn in San Francisco Soup

This can be a strange time of year for weather in San Francisco. Our climate can suddenly swing from hot and humid, to cold and wet; which makes this potato leek soup a very valuable addition to the recipe repertoire. 

There is nothing better on a chilly, damp day than a steaming bowl of this; and conversely, few things are as delicious, and refreshing on a hot, sweaty day than a bowl of ice cold vichyssoise. As long as you cook the leeks long enough, you can�t go wrong either way.

Since the amounts of leeks and potatoes in yours may not be exactly the same as mine, be prepared to adjust the amount of stock in this recipe. It's always easier to add than reduce, so as long as your potatoes are covered, I�d play it by ear until it�s blended, and go from there. So, no matter what the weather, I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 6 portions:

1 1/2 pound leeks (about 4 or 5)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 1/4 pound Yukon gold potatoes

3 to 4 cups chicken broth/vegetable stock, or as needed to adjust the thickness

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup cr�me fraiche, plus more to garnish (click here for recipe video)

pinch of cayenne pepper

sliced fresh chives for garnish

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Just Corn Soup � Finally, Less is More!

This is one of my all-time favorite ways to enjoy fresh, summer corn, and a great lesson in just how little help these sweet ears need. If you�re using perfect, peak season ears, a little butter, salt and pepper is really all you need. And no, water never counts.

In case you�re wondering why we blended half the corn at the beginning, even though we were going to blend it at the end anyway, I have a great reason for that. The first time I made this soup, it came out so perfectly delicious that I�m now afraid to change the steps.

I blended the corn, and started cooking; not knowing it would look so terrible and broken. It tasted amazing, but looked like a horrible mistake, so I ended up giving it a little blitz with the stick blender. That did the trick, and I had something that looked as gorgeous as it tasted.

Would it taste the same if you simmered the corn in the water, and then blended it all at the end? I�m not sure, but my instincts say no. By the way, if you don�t have a stick blender, you�ll have to carefully puree about half the soup in a blender (in batches if necessary), and then add it back in. I really hope you give this amazing corn soup a try soon. Enjoy!

Makes 4 small portions:

3 cups packed fresh sweet white corn kernels (about 3-4 ears)

3 cups cold water

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

generously season with salt

cayenne to taste

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�Gazpacho Verde� with Burrata Cheese � Swampy, in a Good Way

I�m not crazy about the name for this recipe, but I honestly didn�t know what else to call it, and I blame Twitter for that. Allow me to explain. I saw a photo on there of what I thought was a burrata sitting in a pool of green gazpacho soup, but after a closer look, it turned out to be salsa verde.

That does sound pretty good, but due to the mistaken identity, I was now fixated on the idea of serving this fresh, extra-creamy mozzarella in a bowl of ice cold, cucumber and herb-based gazpacho.

Except, I wanted the cheese to be the star of the dish, with the soup acting almost as a sauce. I thought of calling it something like, �Burrata in a Swamp,� but that didn�t pass the wife test, so long story short, I went with the search engine friendly name you see at the top of the post.

I really wanted a thin, light texture to play off the gooey cheese, so I didn�t add any bread, and also strained it through a fine sieve. The gazpacho seems colder, and more intense this way, and in my opinion works better than a thicker version would. So, whether you�re going to do this with the cheese or not, I really hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredient for 4 portions �Gazpacho Verde� with Burrata:

8 ounces burrata cheese (1/4 cup per serving)

3 cups sliced English cucumber (about one large)

2 cloves garlic, sliced

2 tablespoons picked fresh oregano leaves

1 cup packed picked basil leaves

1/4 to 1/3 cup seasoned *rice vinegar, to taste

1/4 cup olive oil

pinch cayenne pepper

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup water, plus more as needed

*If using regular rice vinegar, season to taste with salt and sugar. You can also use white wine or sherry vinegar, and do the same.

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Black Lentil Soup � Always Bet on Black

There�s absolutely nothing wrong with green lentil soup, but once you start making it with black �beluga� lentils, you�ll have a hard time going back. These black beauties cook up melt-in-your-mouth tender, but still retain their structural integrity, which gives the soup both a thick, satisfying body, and a light, non-starchy mouthfeel.

The flavor is wonderfully meaty, especially when you toss in a handful of bacon, and they require absolutely no finesse to prepare perfectly. Just simmer until you have achieved lentil tenderness, adding broth as needed. That�s pretty much it.

I�m told black lentils are really good for you, which is weird, since I�ve never asked anybody. Nevertheless, this is a soup you can feel good about putting into your body, unlike that �Bacon Jalape�o Popper Chowder� recipe you got off Pinterest. We�re still right in the middle of soup season, so the next time you feel like a hot bowl, I hope you give this black lentil soup a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 large portions:

2 tsp vegetable oil

4 oz bacon

1 cup yellow onion, large dice

1 cup carrots, large dice

1 cup celery, large dice

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp dried thyme

salt and pepper to taste

cayenne to taste

1 1/4 cup black lentils

5 to 6 cups chicken broth, or as needed
1 bay leaf

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
1 tsp extra good extra virgin olive oil

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Soup Weather

From what I hear, this could be the coldest winter in decades, and although that plush Snuggie does a decent job of keeping you warm (and fashionable), there's nothing like a steaming bowl of soup when it's freezing outside. Here's a small, but comforting collection of my all-time frigid weather favs.

Of course, it's absolutely gorgeous today in San Francisco, and isn't even winter for half the world, but I always like to tailor these recap posts to the least fortunate (weather-wise) among us. So keep warm, inside and out, and as always, enjoy!

	Bumblebee Soup No actual bees were harmed in the making of this awesome soup.
	Spanish Bread and Garlic Soup More proof that when it comes to food, the Spanish are winning.
	American French Onion Soup I forget what makes it "American," but it must be something great.
	Cream of Cauliflower with Bacon Gremolata Did we mention the bacon gremolata?
	Minestrone Soup First ballot "Winter Soup Hall of Fame" inductee.
	Cream of Asparagus Soup Might seem a little more spring-ish, but that's the idea. It warms while it reminds.

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Turkey Matzo Ball Soup � That Old Thanksgivingukkah Classic

Soup is always an obvious choice for leftover-turkey-themed videos, but it wasn�t until I heard about �Thanksgivingukkah,� that I knew that soup would be turkey matzo ball.

This year, Thanksgiving and the first day of Hanukkah fall on the same date for the first time since 1888, and this rare occurrence has been deemed, �Thanksgivingukkah.� And when we say rare, we mean rare, as this convergence will not happen again for another 77,000 years!

As I mention in the video, while pleased with my matzo ball skills, I�m not sure I�ve ever had the real thing (if that even exists), and so I don�t have anything to measure mine against. I�ve had it at delicatessens out here, but never in NYC, or other more legit locations. I�m using what seems to be a fairly standard formula, and they are quite light and tender, so until informed otherwise, I�m going assume these are pretty good.

However, there is one thing I would love to know. Why do �we� boil the matzo balls in salted water, instead of the soup? I�ve heard it�s so the broth doesn�t get cloudy, but is that really all there is to it? Speaking of the broth, yours will undoubtedly be superior to mine. By the time I got to this video, I only had a few scrawny pounds of meat and bones left, and yet it still came out wonderfully flavorful.

If you use all the scraps from a decent sized bird, you should get an incredibly rich broth, which is exactly what you want to be ladling over your matzo balls. As far as extra ingredients go, I like a minimalist approach with this soup, but of course, feel free to embellish your stockpot with whatever you see fit.

Some of this will be determined by how you season your Thanksgiving bird, and I can personally verify that this year�s Peruvian version worked nicely. So, I hope you enjoy the coming Thanksgivingukkah, and here�s hoping the end of your turkey means the beginning of a delicious matzo ball soup. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions (I only served one matzo ball, but this will make enough soup for 4 portions with 2 matzo balls per serving):

For the turkey broth:

3-4 pounds of roasted turkey bones and meat scraps (use everything you have, the fattier the pieces the better)

at least 2 quarts water or chicken broth, or enough to cover

1 large onion, chopped

2 ribs celery

- simmer on low for 3 hours or until all the meat falls off the bones and it�s flavorless.

- skim and reserve at least 4 tbsp of the melted fat that rises to the top

- strain, and you should have about 6 cups of broth. If you have more, reduce down to 6 cups (do not season with salt until reduced). If you didn�t get quite 6 cups, just add some chicken broth to make up the difference.

Note: my turkey was already very well seasoned, so I didn�t need to add much to the stockpot. You can adjust your broth according, and can certainly add things like bay leaf, thyme springs, parsley stems, etc.

For the matzo balls (makes 8):

2 large beaten eggs

2 tbsp rendered melted turkey fat

1 tsp fine salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

pinch of cayenne

2 tbsp seltzer or club soda

1/2 cup matzo meal

- Mix and chill 30 minutes at least

- Boil in salted water (1 1/2 quarts water with 1 1/2 tablespoons salt) for 30 minutes and serve with turkey broth

For the soup:

2 tbsp rendered melted turkey fat

1 cup diced onion

1/2 cup diced carrot

1/2 cup diced celery
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

6 cups very rich turkey or chicken broth (see recipe above)

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp chopped parsley

1 tbsp chopped dill

8 cooked matzo balls!

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Happy National Vichyssoise Day Eve

Warning: this is not vichyssoise.

I enjoy making fun of arbitrarily designated food holidays as much as the next food blogger, and like many, I use them as a convenient excuse to repost seasonally appropriate recipes, not really caring how the day came about, but National Vichyssoise Day is different.

Seriously, someone needs to find out how it came to be that we�re celebrating a chilled potato and leek soup in the middle of November. I took a quick look, and while there are countless references to the day, as usual, no info on its genesis. As a B-list YouTube celebrity, I�m far too busy to do any further research, but if any of you food detectives crack the case, please let me know.

Shockingly, I�ve not done a vichyssoise video yet, so you�ll have to settle for this incredibly comforting ham and potato soup. While not as seasonally inappropriate as Vichyssoise, it�s delicious nonetheless, and one of our most popular soup recipes ever. Enjoy!

Click here for the ingredients, and to read the original post.

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Tomato Bisque � Soup Might Not Count as a Meal, but Bisque Certainly Does

It�s been awhile since I dropped a Seinfeld reference, but this hearty tomato bisque had me reminiscing about the famous �soup�s not a meal� episode. It�s rich, hearty, and satisfyingly thick without being heavy. Sorry, Bania, it counts. 

There are different opinions on what makes something a bisque. Technically, it�s made from some sort of shellfish puree, but modern usage includes vegetables as well. Above and beyond that, it has to have cream, and be thickened with rice.

One problem with many of the tomato soups I�ve had, is that they are either thickened with tons of tomato paste, which is like eating a bowl of pasta sauce, or they�re thickened with a flour roux or cornstarch slurry, which leaves them too pasty for me. A little rice thickens the soup just as well , but also gives it a nice silky texture.

As far as the canned tomatoes go, we�re using the same argument here we use for tomato sauce. Unless you have some amazingly sweet, vine-ripened specimens around, that you�ve peeled, seeded, and cooked down to get rid of the excess moisture, then chances are San Marzano tomatoes will produce a superior product.

I tried to stress in the video how important it is to adjust the seasonings to your liking,  especially the sweetness. Many of us were raised on Campbell�s tomato soup (and grilled cheese sandwiches, of course), and because that flavor is so ingrained in our taste memories, you need to get this at least close for it to work. Taste, adjust, taste, adjust, and as always, enjoy!

Ingredients for 6 Portions:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 cup diced onion

1/2 cup diced celery

3 cloves garlic

1 quart chicken broth, plus more as needed

1 (28-oz) can crushed San Marzano tomatoes, or about 3 1/2 cups of other crushed tomatoes

1/2 tsp paprika

3 tbsp white long grain rice

1/2 cup heavy cream
1 or 2 tsp sugar, or to taste

salt and pepper to taste

cayenne to taste

basil to garnish

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Minestrone Soup is a Once in a Lifetime Experience

I always feel a little apprehensive when I post a recipe like this minestrone soup. It�s the type of dish I never make the same way twice, and the fear is that someone will watch and assume that this is my �official� version.

You don�t need a recipe for minestrone, just like you don�t need a recipe for a great sandwich, or an epic salad. To make minestrone soup precisely same way every time, using a very specific list of ingredients and amounts, is to trample on the soul of this Italian classic.

Having said all that, what if you happen to make it so incredibly delicious one time that you want to experience the exact same shuddering soupgasm in the future? That seems like a perfectly sound reason for why you should write down the recipe�except cooking food doesn�t work that way.

Your perception of how a recipe tastes involves so many factors above and far beyond the list of ingredients. Remember that time you made that super awesome whatever, and it was so perfect, and then you made it again, exactly the same way, but somehow it just didn�t taste as great? This is why.

So, I hope you give this amazing minestrone recipe a try soon�but only once. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
3 oz pancetta

2 tbsp olive oil

1 diced onion

1 cup diced celery

4 minced garlic cloves

4 cups chicken broth

1 (28-oz) can plum tomatoes, crushed fine

2 cups water, plus more as needed

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp dried Italian herb blend (mine was thyme, oregano, rosemary, basil)

red pepper flakes to taste

1 cup freshly shucked cranberry beans (aka shelling beans)
2 or 3 cups chopped cabbage

1 (15-oz) can garbanzo beans, drained

1 bunch swiss chard, chopped

2/3 cup raw ditalini pasta

extra virgin olive oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and fresh Italian parsley to garnish the top

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Jamie Oliver's Parents� Spicy Butternut Squash Soup� Because I Have Gas Problems

I had a lovely apple-braised pork shoulder recipe all set to post today, but was unable to finish it off because PG&E turned off the gas line to do repairs on our street. So, stay tuned for that tomorrow, but in the meantime, here�s a great butternut squash soup video from Trevor and Sally Oliver, parents of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver. Jamie�s one of my favorites, and not only are his parents adorable, but you can see where he gets some of his skills from. Enjoy!

This video was originally posted on Thisisbrandculture's YouTube Channel, February 22, 2011.

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Ham and Potato Soup � Tuberlicious!

This title is dedicated to all those who chimed in on our root vegetable gratin video to let me know that a potato is a tuber, and not a root, even though I mentioned that fact in the video and the post! Bless your hearts. ;-)

I know we did a black bean soup not too long ago, but I had a piece of leftover ham that needed to be used up, and this time of year you just can�t have too many soup recipes. In addition to being a proven antidote for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), the recipe is definitely filling enough to serve as a main course.

The version I presented here is a little on the lighter side, but by adding more meat (including bacon, sausage, etc.), and finishing with cheese, you can significantly increase its heartiness.

By the way, if you do want to finish this with some nice sharp cheddar, or perhaps a pepper Jack, do NOT add it until you�ve turned off the heat. Cooking the cheese is never a good thing, unless you want an oil slick floating on the surface of your soup. There will be plenty of residual heat to melt shredded cheese, so turn off the heat, stir it in, and dig in.

If you�re one of these vegetarian types, may I suggest you caramelize some diced mushrooms to a dark meaty brown first, and then proceed with the rest of the procedure as shown. Either way, I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb gold potato (or any other kind will work)

1 onion

1 carrot

1 celery
8 oz diced smoked ham

3 cloves garlic

3 tbsp butter

1/4 cup flour

4 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

1/2 cup cream

salt and pepper to taste

cayenne

chives

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Quick and Easy Black Bean Soup � Something from Almost Nothing

This black bean soup saved me during a recent attack of, �Oh my God, there is nothing in kitchen to cook with!� Even though it sometimes seems that way, there's rarely, literally nothing to cook with. I quickly found a few slices of bacon, a couple cans of beans, and an onion, and with the help of a spicy lime and green onion relish, turned it into a very decent bowl of soup.

It got me thinking about all those long shelf life, must-have pantry and fridge staples you can count on to produce a meal when lacking supplies. My short list is olive oil, beans, pasta, bacon, Parmigiano-Reggiano, eggs, tomato sauce, anchovies, salami, capers, garlic, onions, potatoes, and fresh citrus. As long as those things are close by, I can still look forward to a great meal no matter how sparse the rest of the provisions.

By the way, this will work with any smashable bean, and rumor has it that a handful of sausage in place of the bacon is a great variation. With wet, chillier days ahead, I think you�ll have occasion to give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 Servings:

6 slices bacon

1 large onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups chicken broth or water

2 cans black beans, rinsed, plus 1 can of water

pinch dried oregano

pinch cayenne

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp black pepper

salt and pepper to taste

For the relish (note � I only made a little bit in the video. This is enough for 4 servings):

1/3 cup minced green onion

2 tsp crushed or minced red chilies

juice of one lime

green onions to garnish

sour cream to garnish

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Gumbo a Go Go � Duck, Andouille Sausage, Smoked Pork Hock, Gulf Shrimp and Langoustine Gumbo

It�s not easy to pry gumbo-making secrets from a cook in New Orleans, but you should have better luck if you slip them some truth serum, in the form of several well-made sazeracs. 

This particular gumbo, featuring duck, andouille sausage, smoked pork hock, gulf shrimp, and langoustine, was inspired by my recent trip to New Orleans, where I sampled a half-dozen varieties.

One rye whiskey-induced tip was to cook the famous Cajun roux in some duck fat instead of the more common and mundane vegetable oil. The roux is the soul of the gumbo and one of the challenges of this recipe is giving the fat and flour enough time to turn into that deep brick red-brown color.

My little trick here is to add a couple extra spoons of flour after the roux is browned. The dark roux gives the gumbo its signature flavor, but it doesn�t have much thickening power. I just cooked it a couple minutes, and then stirred in the stock.

Another tweak is using pickled okra instead of fresh or frozen. This particular perversion was born out of necessity rather than some brilliant thought on my part. Of course, if this technique catches on, that story will change. The pickled okra gave the gumbo a great flavor and added a little bit of acidity, which is always welcome in something this substantial.

This can be made with hundreds of different combinations of smoked meats, game, poultry, and seafood; and in my opinion, the more the merrier. As usual, I�d love to hear about any variations you may come up with. As you�ll see, the procedure is pretty straightforward, although you�re talking about a full day�s project. This is a dish that takes time, but I still hope you give it a try. Enjoy!

2 duck legs

1 tbsp vegetable oil, more as needed

1 cup flour, plus 2 tbsp for second addition
6 cups chicken broth

1 pound andouille sausage

1 large onion, chopped

4 green onions chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

1 cup diced peppers (any combination of sweet and hot)

1 cup diced tomatoes

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste

1 smoked pork hock
2 cups water, or as needed
1 cup sliced okra, fresh, frozen or pickled
1 pound gulf shrimp
1 pound crawfish tail meat or langoustine
rice to garnish

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Fresh Tomato Gazpacho � Crumbled Stale Wet Bread Sold Separately

I feel kind of bad posting a recipe that leaves out what is arguably the most important ingredient, and such is the case with this gazpacho. This garden salad masquerading as a cold soup was originally a way for field hands to stretch their resources by crumbling up stale bread into a mixture of crushed tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers.

Sorry, panzanella, but I�ve never been a big fan of the whole wet bread thing. Even versions I�ve had where the crumbs where completely pureed in, weren�t as pleasing to me as all-veg versions. Besides, some culinary traditions are simply leftover from a time when people had to do it that way, you know, so they wouldn�t starve to death. I call this the rutabaga syndrome.

Happily, most of us can now survive just fine without fortifying our gazpacho with such additions. Having said that, if you grew up eating that style, I�ll assume you think I�m insane for even suggesting there�s another way to make it, as you rightfully should.

Like I said in the video, this is not even worth trying unless you�re going to use some killer, end-of-summer, super-sweet tomatoes. After a long wait, we finally have some decent ones here in San Francisco. There just isn�t any substitute, so happy hunting, and I hope you find some so you give this a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 large vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled and diced

1/2 English cucumber, diced

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

1/4 cup minced green onion

1 large jalapeno, seeded and minced

2 cloves minced garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

pinch dried oregano

cayenne to taste

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 pint �Sweet 100� cherry tomatoes

1 lime, juiced, or to taste

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

chiffonade of fresh basil leaves or cilantro

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Spicy Coconut Shrimp Bisque � It's the Besh!

This spicy coconut shrimp bisque recipe was inspired by a similar soup I saw Chef John Besh make during a demo I attended at the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival. As I watched him make it, I couldn't wait to get back to San Francisco to give it a try.

How close is this to his version? I have no idea, as I was drunk on tequila. Besides the coconut milk, I can barely remember what he put in it. After doing a pre-show shot with his assistants, Besh jokingly instructed the floor staff to pour the audience a shot. Minutes later, much to his delight, shots of tequila were distributed throughout the room.

Just that would have made for an amusing anecdote, but it didn't stop there. By the time the demo ended 45 minutes later, we had enjoyed five rounds of drinks, with Besh and his sous chef more than keeping pace. Remarkably, when the show ended, the well-oiled chef had managed to produce a seriously delicious looking bisque with dumplings. What a show off.

Anyway, I know it's been a while since I posted a real video recipe, but I really think this one will have been worth the wait. I loved how this turned out, and I think you will as well. I hope you give it a try, and maybe tweak it with some different combinations of seafood and garnishes. Cheers! Err, I mean, enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 pound shrimp, shells reserved

2 1/2 cups water

4 tablespoons butter, divided

1/3 cup chopped green onions

1/3 cup diced celery

1/4 cup diced jalapeno

1/4 cup flour

2 cups prepared tomato soup

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/4 teaspoon red curry paste, or to taste

salt and/or fish sauce to taste

basil chiffonade

rice crackers

View the complete recipe

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Cream of Mushroom Soup � Pure Liquid Moon-Soaked Earth

I can't believe I haven't posted a video recipe for cream of mushroom soup! It's such a classic cool weather staple, and quite simple to make � as long as you have a few hours to spare.

The secret to this deep rich potage is a long slow caramelization, the key to unlocking the mushroom's magic. Oh, and by the way, I mean that literally. Mushrooms are by far the most mysterious and magical things we eat.

Scientists still don't really understand how and why they grow like they do. While every other food you eat gets its energy from the sun, Agaricus bisporus, the common button mushroom, does not. Some believe mushrooms are powered by the moon, which I find fascinating to contemplate.

This is a very minimalist formula, and meant to transform the browned bits of fungus into pure earthy essence of mushroom. You can use whatever exotic mushrooms you can get a hold of, but it works quite well with the ubiquitous white button mushroom. Enjoy!




Ingredients:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 pounds white or brown button mushrooms, sliced
1 yellow onion, diced
1 rounded tbsp flour
6 sprigs fresh thyme, tied into a bundle with kitchen string, plus some picked leaves to garnish
2 cloves garlic, peeled, left whole
4 cups chicken broth or stock
1 cup water
1 cup heavy cream
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

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Cream of Cauliflower with Blue Cheese Fritters � The Best Soup I've Ever Made?

I arrived back to San Francisco late last night, weary from traveling, and my very busy week in NYC, and despite planning to sleep in, I woke up very early, excited to finish this amazing cream of cauliflower with blue cheese fritters video recipe.

Either that, or I'm still on east coast time. Soup is not usually a subject associated with thrilling culinary experiences. Soup is comforting, soothing, soul-warming � not something that chefs normally day-dream about. This soup was a different story. It may be the single greatest soup I have every made.

Sometimes an idea for a recipe pops into my head and even before I make it, I have a pretty good idea on what the results will be like. But, when I went over this combination in my head, I really had no idea how successful it would be. To say I was happy with the results would be a serious understatement.

I was pretty sure blue cheese would be a nice addition to cauliflower soup, but the challenge was what would be the best delivery system for the sharp, funky cheese. I looked at many fritter recipes, but nothing was inspiring me. Then, for whatever reason, I thought about P�te � choux.

P�te � choux is an old-school, eggy pastry dough used to make things like �clairs and cream puffs. I though this would make a much lighter fritter than the traditional flour and baking powder versions, and that certainly turned out to be the case.

The dough fried up perfectly � beautifully golden brown outside, yet tender and moist inside � the perfect enclosure for the molten blue cheese. The combination of these light puffs and the earthy soup was magnificent. I can't remember ever being so happy eating a soup.

I really hope you give this a try, and even if you can't summon the courage to make the fritters (what's wrong with you?), I still think the soup alone is well worth making. Enjoy!



Ingredients:
For the fritters (a small batch - about 12 fritters):
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
pinch of salt
1 egg
2 oz crumbled, very firm blue cheese

For the soup:
1 onion
2 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic
salt to taste
1 head cauliflower
1 quart water or stock
nutmeg to taste
cayenne to taste
1/2 cup cream

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Hot Soup

Michele and I stopped for some Korean food on the way home from a thoroughly enjoyable trip to Berkeley Bowl. Sahn Maru, in Oakland, CA, is one restaurant that will never have a customer send back a bowl of soup for not being hot enough!

Directly below, you'll see the iPhone video I took of our spicy soft tofu soup. My phone was off at the time, so this was after it had cooled for a minute! It was the hottest soup I've ever been served.



When I posted to YouTube, I was amused to see that many others had filmed this same soupy scene, so I gathered a small collection. There is something mesmerizing about watching this soup boil in the cast iron pots. Below these, I've posted a video recipe for how to make this super-delicious soup! (you just need to find the pots!)


How to Make Korean Soft Tofu Soup (aka Stew)

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