Andouille Sausage and Shrimp Gumbo Soup

Andouille Sausage and Shrimp Gumbo Soup

Andouille Sausage and Shrimp Gumbo Soup

This recipe is similar to the one I posted last month. For Jimmy Buffett Day, I shared my version of his sister Lucy Buffett’s Summer Seafood Gumbo. Here, the gumbo is finished with smoky, creole-spiced Andouille Pork Sausage instead of crab, and more shrimp stock for soupier style.

“Gumbo Soup” is a term sometimes used to describe a thinner version of gumbo. It has the same ingredients and flavors as traditional gumbo but with a more broth-like consistency, closer to a soup than a stew. Both ways are excellent, just a little different.

Andouille Sausage and Shrimp Gumbo Soup Recipe

Continue reading “Andouille Sausage and Shrimp Gumbo Soup”

Chicken Noodle Soup with Calabrian Chili Matzoh Balls

Chicken Noodle Soup with Calabrian Chili Matzoh Balls

Chicken Noodle Soup
with
Calabrian Chili Matzoh Balls

Over the years I’ve made hundreds of matzoh balls, usually in the Traditional style, but often with a twist with different flavors or techniques such as: Saffron, Mexican, Horseradish, Fried, Vietnamese, Turkey, Edible Flowers, and more!

This time, I added Calabrian chili to the mix to make fabulously flavorful and somewhat spicy matzoh balls with a distinct Italian flair.

Trader Joe’s Italian Bomba Hot Pepper Sauce is made with Calabrian chili peppers sourced from a trusted pepper cultivator in Calabria, Italy (the “toe” of Italy’s “boot”). Their Italian Bomba Hot Sauce is a tribute to a centuries-old culinary tradition.

Since the 1500s, Calabrian hot chili peppers have been a staple of Southern Italian cuisine, especially when crushed, fermented, and mixed into a fiery hot condiment, just like this Bomba Sauce. The natural fruity notes of the peppers are amplified by the slightly pickled flavor and texture they take on during fermentation, making it particularly suited for pasta dishes and pizzas, and who knew, matzoh balls too?

Chicken Noodle Soup with Calabrian Chili Matzoh Balls Recipe

Continue reading “Chicken Noodle Soup with Calabrian Chili Matzoh Balls”

Mock Turtle Soup and the Threatened Desert Tortoise

Mock Turtle Soup

🐢 Mock Turtle Soup 🐢
and
The Threatened Desert Tortoise

We are fortunate to live on the border of an area known for its rich cultural heritage, and its unique geological and ecological features. In 2002 Congress designated the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area to preserve and protect 48,438 acres of southern Nevada’s Mojave Desert for future generations.

Our community is separated from the conservation area by a little traveled road called Democracy Drive. Turns out, the other day while on Democracy Drive I spotted this not-so-little fella meandering into the middle of the road.

Concerned for his well-being, I stopped, kept my distance, took some pics, but not being familiar with desert tortoise protocol, there was nothing I could do at the moment.

desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)

I went to the Ranger Station on Nawghaw Poa Road to find out more about him. They said the desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) is the largest reptile and the only wild land tortoise found in the southwestern United States.

And the Mojave desert tortoise was federally listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as a threatened species on April 2, 1990.

Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area

They said to handle all tortoise carefully and only if authorized to do so! Tortoises can be injured and can die from improper handling. Do not approach tortoises unless absolutely necessary, as your presence can induce stress in the animal.

When you must approach a tortoise, move slowly and approach from the rear of the animal. Pick up the tortoise gently and keep it level at all times. When handling large tortoises, grasp the animal with both hands, one at each side of the animal.

I was told that persons handling tortoises should wear surgical type gloves to inhibit the transmission of diseases. If gloves aren’t available make sure to sanitize your hands. Since I won’t be moving an endangered desert tortoise anytime soon, they did say another alternative would be to call the ranger station if a tortoise is in danger and they will come to take care of him.

If you are in Southern Nevada, and see a desert tortoise in danger call the Sloan Canyon Park Ranger at 702-233-6339. Additionally for any lost turtles, especially desert tortoises, call the Wild Desert Tortoise Assistance Line at 702-593-9027.

Mock Turtle Soup and the Endangered Desert Tortoise

Turtle or tortoise? It depends on who you ask or where you are in the world, but most people recognize tortoises as terrestrial or land-loving with stubby feet (better for digging than swimming) and a heavy, dome-shaped carapace. Aquatic and semi-aquatic turtles are known as just that, turtles. Turtles tend to have more webbed feet (but not always) and their shells are more flat and streamlined.

Mock Turtle Soup

Now let’s talk about the soup!

Turtle soup is traditionally made from sea turtle, snapping turtle, box turtle, or terrapin depending on the region of the world. It has NEVER culinarily been made from desert tortoise! However, it was the local desert tortoise that inspired me to research and prepare Mock Turtle Soup.

Mock (imitation) turtle soup contains no turtle and can be made from many different kinds of meats including ground beef, oxtail, calf’s head, veal shoulder and others.

On his terrific blog Hunt Gather Cook, James Beard Award-winning author and chef Hank Shaw, writes that turtle meat tastes like a cool combination of chicken thigh, clam and pork with at least four different textures and colors coming from the same turtle.

It was his description that lead to my recipe for Mock Turtle Soup which includes grilled chicken thighs, crisped and diced pork belly, and chopped clams. This super-tasty combination of heterogeneous ingredients results in a unique soup that is quite compelling with its various flavors and textures. And although I have not tried snapping turtle, I suspect this soup may imitate the flavors and textures quite well.

Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area

Mock Turtle Soup Recipe

Continue reading “Mock Turtle Soup and the Threatened Desert Tortoise”

Senate Bean Soup

Senate Bean Soup

🇺🇸 Senate Bean Soup 🇺🇸

Today, March 30, 1940, we are dining at the United States Senate Office Building Restaurant. We choose a bowl of “Old-Fashioned Bean Soup” for 15 cents, a “Lettuce Salad” for 15 cents, “Iced Tea” for 5 cents, and a cup of “Coffee” before we go back to the office, for another 5 cents. The bill for our very pleasant luncheon in the Senate dining room is 40 cents each.

Bean soup has been a required and beloved menu tradition in Senate restaurants for well over a century. There are competing stories about the origin of the mandate that bean soup be served daily.

According to one story, the Senate’s bean soup tradition began early in the 20th century at the request of Senator Fred Dubois of Idaho, who as chair of the committee overseeing the Senate Restaurant, passed a resolution in the committee requiring that bean soup be on the menu daily.

Another story attributes the request to Senator Knute Nelson of Minnesota, who expressed his fondness for the soup in 1903 and insisted that it be on the menu each day.

Lunch in the Senate Dining Room

The name change from “Old-Fashioned Bean Soup” to “Senate Bean Soup” on the Senate menu occurred in 1977. This change was part of a broader update to the Senate restaurant’s offerings and menu presentation, aiming to modernize and capitalize on the soup’s long-standing popularity and association with the U.S. Senate.

Senate Bean Soup Menu

There are two official recipes for Bean Soup on the government website senate.gov here. My recipe combines elements from both of them.

One includes mashed potatoes, celery, garlic, and parsley, the other does not. One includes butter, the other does not. One uses ham and a ham bone, the other uses smoked ham hocks.

In my recipe I add celery and garlic but do not include potatoes. And because we are fans of onion, celery, garlic and smoked ham, my recipe includes proportionally more of these ingredients than the originals. I also finish the soup with a sprinkling of parsley.

P.S. There are no carrots in Senate Bean Soup.

Senate Dining Room Menu

Senate Bean Soup Recipe

Continue reading “Senate Bean Soup”

No-Cook Mexican Corn Soup

No-Cook Mexican Corn Soup

🌽 No-Cook Mexican Corn Soup 🌽

Fresh Corn, Golden Tomatoes, Yellow Bell Pepper
Tortilla Strips, Avocado, Jalapeño, Pepitas
Mexican Crema, Cotija Cheese, Lime Juice, Cilantro

Well…  it’s a “no-cook” recipe, except for the tortilla strips. And I highly recommend frying your own tortillas. The toppings on this raw soup take it over the top – visually, texturally, and flavorfully. The chilled soup itself is refreshingly delicious but definitely don’t skimp on the garnishes.

Corn season in the United States typically runs from late spring to early fall, so we are at the start of another glorious corn extravaganza.

It’s at peak sweetness and flavor when freshly picked. After harvesting, the sugars in corn begin to convert to starches, which diminishes its sweetness and overall flavor. Fresh corn is also higher in moisture, for these reasons this tasty soup is best using only fresh picked corn.

The time it takes for fresh corn to get from the field to the supermarket can vary based on several factors, including the proximity of the farm to the market, the distribution process, and logistical efficiency. However, under typical conditions, fresh corn generally reaches the supermarket within 1 to 3 days after being picked. Once at the supermarket, the corn is typically stocked on shelves quickly to ensure freshness, usually within hours of arrival.

If you can get it from a local farm or farmers market, even better!

No-Cook Mexican Corn Soup

No-Cook Mexican Corn Soup Recipe

Continue reading “No-Cook Mexican Corn Soup”