Tag: soup

Tuscan Kale Soup with Artichoke & Chicken Sausage

tuscan kale soup
Tuscan Kale Soup
Artichoke Hearts & Chicken Sausage
Chicken Broth with Flavored with Fennel Seed & Red Chile Flakes
Served with Toasted Ciabatta

Back in January, a recipe for “Italian Chicken Sausage and Artichoke Soup with Chard” in Sunset magazine caught my interest. Over the past months I’ve added onion, garlic, fennel seed, and red chile flake to the original recipe. And sometimes substitute kale for chard. My procedure is quick and easy, and the synergistic result far exceeds the expectation of boxed chicken broth and canned artichoke hearts.

In less than a half hour, this soup is on the table. I’ve served it as an everyday meal, as a starter to a rustic dinner topped with ricotta salata, and as an elegant first course. This year my Thanksgiving menu has a lighter aura, so this Tuscan Kale Soup will replace the heavier puréed soups of the past.

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Tan Tan Udon, for Japan

spicy udon noodle soup

Tan Tan Udon
 udon noodles in a spicy miso soup with soy milk, ground sesame, pork and bok choy

I had been wanting to cook something Japanese – something substantial, warm and comforting. Our hearts break for the people of Japan. The jaw-dropping destruction from the devastating 9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami is painful to look at…have you seen this stunning Photography Framework by the Los Angeles Times? I can only imagine the sadness, fear, and sense of loss that they are feeling. I’m grateful that we are able to help. I just wish we could do more…God bless the US Military and all those helping in the relief efforts. God bless Japan.

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Summer-in-Winter Soba Soup

Chilled Soba Noodle Soup
Fragrant Soy Milk Broth with Ground Sesame, Lemongrass, Ginger, Curry Leaf
Buckwheat Soba Noodle & Chick Pea
Heirloom Tomato, Cucumber, Scallion, Cilantro, Red Jalapeño, Sesame Seed

Lemongrass, Ginger, Curry Leaf

Buckwheat Soba Noodle

As we Angelenos bask in a mid-winter heat wave with temperatures reaching the 80’s…we’re dining on a cool fragrant heart healthy soup here. Soy milk is infused with lemongrass, ginger, and curry leaf. Ground sesame seeds add a nutty component. The garnishes are bright and refreshing. My friends in the mid-west and north-east may want to remember this recipe for the hot months to come, and those in the Southern Hemisphere and Southern California (for the time being), can enjoy this chilled soup now!

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mini curried squash soup, unique garnishes

a 3 oz. portion of spicy curried butternut squash soup with creme fraiche
garnished with toasted coconut, chopped cashews, dried pomegranate arils

As I tinker with my table setting ideas for our holiday parties
here’s what’s been playing on the stereo:

This year’s Christmas Compilation is a mix of classic and contemporary.

Play List
Dean Martin – A Marshmallow World
Rod Stewart & Dolly Parton – Baby It’s Cold Outside
Bing Crosby – It’s Beginning to Look Like Christmas
The Christmas Party Singers – Mary’s Boy Child/Oh My Lord
Eartha Kitt – Santa Baby
Elvis Presley – Blue Christmas
Jimmy Buffett – Mele Kalikimaka
Barbra Steisand – Jingle Bells?
The Carpenters – Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Andy Williams – It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
The Beach Boys – Little Saint Nick
Frank Sinatra – White Christmas
U2 – Christmas, Baby Please Come Home
Louis Armstrong – Winter Wonderland
The Carpenters – Merry Christmas Darling
Elvis Presley – Here Comes Santa Claus
Stevie Nicks – Silent Night
The Carpenters – The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)
Johnny Mathis with the Percy Faith Orchestra – Sleigh Ride
Jimmy Buffett – Christmas in the Caribbean
Burl Ives – Holly Jolly Christmas

What are you listening to as you bake cookies, trim your tree, and plan your holiday menus?

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Smoked Soup


Smoked Chicken, Smoked Oysters, Smoked Paprika, Smoked Sea Salt

Crazy for smoke? Back in March a recipe by Chef Linton Hopkins for a Shrimp & Smoked Oyster Chowder in Food & Wine caught my attention. The photo from that article had been hanging on my refrigerator ever since. And I don’t know about you, but it is very difficult to walk past the huge smoker at Whole Foods Market without adding a “smoked something” to the cart. The aroma is intoxicating.

Another favorite – smoked oysters. I like the Crown Prince ‘Natural’ Brand. These oysters are harvested in South Korea, naturally smoked over oak, and packed in pure olive oil. In Chef Hopkins’ chowder, the smoked oysters are chopped. Here, I make them the star of the soup – they are warmed, and served whole. These oysters, along with the smoked half chicken from Whole Foods, plus Spanish smoked paprika & smoked sea salt result in a unique soup with layers of smoky flavor…

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