New Thanksgiving Tradition??

A Rare Flawless Day at Sea

Brendan "All Good"

Cooler Full, Lets Head Home

Simmering Tomato, Fennel and White Wine

Cracked Crab and Mussels Added and Steamed

This years thanksgiving holiday plans changed when my friend Brendan Moylan called with the idea to go crabbing, a perfect weather forecast and the promise of fresh crab was all I needed. A quick morning motor on his fishing boat took us five miles offshore to the Pacific fishing grounds and our six crab pots were quickly baited and soaking. What to do for three hours while we wait? Hint Brendan owns two breweries! We got lucky fishing and were able to bring Dungeness crabs home for our holiday dinners. What to make? well there is two very famous ways to cook San Francisco crabs, one is simply cooked and chilled served cracked with sour dough bread and local white wine and very popular at local crab feeds. Two is the Italian style Cioppino seafood soup with a tomato and garlic based broth. Being a chilly rainy day I chose to make the hot soup. Amazing and perfect.

Cioppino My Way

The Mexican Christmas Tradtion, Posole Soup

Pressure Cooker Braise Pork

Ready to eat with diced Onions and Cilantro

One of my favorite soups is the classic Posole soup originating from Mexico,  a thick and rich meat broth with either chicken or pork and hominy. All the great flavors of Mexico in a soup form. My soup is made with a dry rub of home ground chili powder on cuts of pork shoulder that is browned in a heavy pan, then cooked in a pressure cooker with chicken stock till fall apart tender. This broth and shredded meat becomes the base for the soup to which precooked hominy is added, simply seasoned and brought to a simmer. After it is ladled into bowls the fun part comes, adding traditional condiments to personalize to your own taste. The condiments include: dry oregano, chopped cilantro, shredded green cabbage, lemon or lime juice, fine diced onion, diced avocado and plenty of hot sauce.

Note: Canned Hominy can be found in most markets, a pressure cooker does not have to be used but its faster to cook meats.

Cool Summer Soup

Yellow Pear Tomato Gazpacho

Hot tomato soup is a winter classic, but in the Summer full of warm days a chilled soup is very refreshing. The first soup that comes to mind is the Spanish classic Gazpacho. It's a very simple soup to make, and with that the quality of the ingredients are key. It's August so tomatoes are at their absolute best right now. Gazpacho is almost like a blended tomato salad with most of the same ingredients like vinegar, olive oil, cucumbers and tomatoes. This is a great soup to make ahead and serve the next day. Give it a try.

Gazpacho
Ingredients:
3 cups Heirloom Tomatoes
1 cup Cucumber
1/4 cup Red onion
3 cloves Garlic
Pinch Oregano (fresh or dried)
1/4 cup Vinegar (Spanish sherry or red)
1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Fresh Pepper

Method:
1. Peel and rough chop the cucumbers, red onion and garlic.
2. Rough chop the tomatoes, save a little for garnish.
3. Put all ingredients except for salt in a blender, blend till smooth or chunky.
4. Salt to taste and pour into bowls.
5. Garnish with diced tomato and a drizzle of good olive oil.

Shredded Pork Pho

A BigBowl of Goodness

This creation was the result of looking for something to eat with what I had on hand. I had a small amount of cooked pork and its broth leftover from a previous meal earlier in the week. With this I added cooked ramen noodles, asparagus from my garden, and some cilantro. When I heated the broth I added chopped garlic, ginger and soy sauce. Easy and good on a weeknight.

Note: Pho is a popular Vietnamese soup of noodles, broth, meat and herbs and other seasonings.

Posole soup to warm you on a cold day

Pork Posole Soup

One way to make daily cooking less of a chore, is to cook a big batch of something that can be transformed into another meal the next day. Think turkey sandwiches that are made from Thanksgiving turkey; that's the time-saving idea.  I often cook a big piece of pork shoulder and it can be tacos one night and another recipe the next. This posole soup is my second day meal using some of the cooked pork shredded into a pot with its cooking liquid and hominy.  Fast and really good.

Second Day Posole Soup

Ingredients:
Slow braised pork*, diced or shredded
Pork cooking liquid
Canned hominy
Chili powder

Method:
1. All ingredients go into a pot.
2. Bring to a simmer.
3. Serve in big bowls with your choice of condiments.

* Pork shoulder is slow cooking in a heavy pot with water, garlic, onion and orange zest till fork tender.

Note: Traditional condiments can include shredded cabbage, oregano, cilantro, avocado, lemon, chili flakes.

Chick Pea Soup with Bacon and Kale

Chick Pea and Kale Soup

It's rainy and cold so a warm bowl of soup sounds good. I made nice soup tonight with chick peas that I really liked and I think I will make often. This soup is a different take on the classic bean and bacon using lots of vegetables that are blended to make the soup silky-smooth. Bacon can be easily left out for a vegetarian version, but I think the smoky meat flavor is a great addition.

Chick Pea, Kale and Bacon

Ingredients:
2 cups Chick peas, Cooked
2 Carrots, Peeled and Diced
2 Celery stalks, Diced
1/4 Yellow Onion, Diced
1/2 bunch Kale (sliced thin)
3 cloves Garlic, Sliced
3 cups Water or Chicken Stock
1 T Fresh Thyme, Fine chopped
1 T Fresh Sage, Fine chopped
3 Strips Smoky Bacon, Thick diced and crispy cooked
Dash Olive Oil
Kosher Salt/Pepper

Method:
1. Saute the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic in the olive oil till translucent.
2. Next add half of the chick peas and the stock, bring to a simmer and cook till the vegetables are tender.
3. Add the fresh herbs and blend the soup till it's smooth; add more water if it's too thick.
4. Bring back to the pan and simmer. Add the rest of the chick peas, bacon and the kale.
5. Cook till kale is wilted. Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary.

Yield = 6 servings
Note: A drizzle of Extra virgin olive oil in the serving bowls is a nice flavorful touch.

Summer Gazpacho, Part Two

Golden Tomato Gazpacho

Another day and another soup, this time using a golden heirloom tomato and a English cucumber. Wow really good and refreshing when served chilled on a hot day. The simple and few ingredients demand only the best to make this recipe stand out, perfect tomatoes are available now through the beginning of fall, so choose your favorite and blend with a touch of good quality vinegar such as a sherry or champagne, then a good healthy drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. I added cucumber in the blend and for the garnish along with diced red onion, avocado and fresh herbs. A cool idea would be to swirl two different colors of soup into each other for dramatic effect.

Summer Tomatoes

Gazpacho, Summer in a Bowl

Here in California we are now getting into our prime tomato season. All varieties are starting to flood the markets and will continue until the end of October when the first rain of Winter arrives. One of the best ways to enjoy the pure, raw flavors of these tomatoes is with the classic Spanish soup, Gazpacho. It's perfect on a warm Summer night and can be served chilled or at room temperature. Give it a try when you come across really good tomatoes.

Gazpacho Soup
Ingredients:
2-3 Good quality or heirloom tomatoes
1/4 Red Onion, fine diced
1/2 c Spanish sherry wine or other red wine vinegar
1/2 c Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Fresh pepper
1/4 bunch Cilantro, chopped
1/2 Avocado, diced (optional)


Method:
1. Put cored rough chopped tomatoes in a blender with a splash of vinegar, olive oil, salt and cilantro.
2. Pulse to make the soup as chunky or smooth as you would like.
3. Remove and add the red onions, check for seasoning.
4. In each serving add a spoonful of diced avocado, fresh pepper and a drizzle of good olive oil.
Yield= 2-4 servings

Notes: try adding poached seafood or maybe diced cucumbers.

Posole soup

Posole Soup

It would not be Christmas time in my house without a big bowl of the traditional Mexican soup Posole. My version is made with a spicy broth, pork and hominy and will always have lots of chopped cilantro and avocado with a squeeze of lime to finish. It has the flavors of a pork taco but in a soup form.

Lazy Sunday Noodle Soup with Chicken

This quick soup made is with chicken leftovers from a night ago, first the carcass goes into a pot to make a nice flavorful stock with the addition of bonito flakes, soy sauce, mirin and shredded ginger. While the stock simmers Somen noodles are cooked in another pot, the drained and placed in a bowl with cooked sliced chicken on top, the broth is strained and poured over the noodles. For a flavor punch I added some diced fatty bacon and fresh chopped cilantro. Please pass me the chili sauce and a pair of chop sticks so I can dig in.

Rainy Day Soup

It's raining and I am not happy about it. The rain is too early in the season and I was really looking forward to a little more good weather before Winter. With the rain and cold comes big bowls of comfort food to brighten the gloomy day. One of my favorite soups is Mexican Posole which combines pork with hominy and all the other ingredients I love, cilantro, avocado and chili peppers. I pressure cooked a pork butt which I planned on making tacos with but the rain gave me the idea to make the soup instead.  I'm happy now!

Ingredients:
1 4 pound pork butt
1 quart water or chicken stock
3 garlic cloves
1 pinch chili peppers
1 large can white hominy, cooked

Garnish:
Cilantro, chopped fine
Oregano flakes
White onion, diced fine
Lime wedges
Crushed red chili peppers

Method:
1. Slow cook the pork with stock, garlic, chili peppers in a pressure cooker* until it falls apart tender.
2. Strain the stock and skim the fat off.
3. Simmer the stock with the hominy and shredded pork for 30 minutes, season to taste.
4. Serve the soup in big bowls with Posole garnish of diced onions, cilantro, oregano, chili flakes and a squeeze of lime.

*If you don't use a pressure cooker then simmer 2-3 hours on low in a covered pot till its tender.

Mediterranean Shellfish Soup

I had the idea to buy some little neck clams and mussels to play with, one of the first things that came to mind was to make a soup. This is a good way to take advantage of all the Delicious liquid from the shellfish.
The ingredients I used gave it a simple but elegant feel with all the Mediterranean flavors I love.

Ingredients:
1 pinch Saffron
1 teaspoon Fennel seeds toasted
2 Tomatoes, diced
2 pounds Little neck Clams, cooked
2 pounds Mussels, cooked
8 oz Tuna, medium diced
1 cup White Wine
1 tablespoon Garlic, diced
2 Shallots, sliced
1 Yukon gold potato, sliced
2 cups water or vegetable stock
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Method:
1. Clean and cook the shellfish with the wine, when opened, strain liquid and reserve.
2. Saute the vegetables in olive oil.
3. Add the tuna, cleaned shellfish meat, reserved liquid and water.
4. Simmer till vegetables are tender, check for seasonings.

Notes: Great served with grilled crostini

Black Bean Soup with Chicken

Black Bean Soup

This soup is a favorite of mine and I like it even in the Summer when the weather is warm. Black beans are simply cooked either in water or chicken stock, seasoned with sauteed garlic, onion, cumin and chili powder. After the beans have simmered until very tender they are blended. If it is too thick it can be thinned out with the addition of more water or stock. I garnished my soup with diced chicken, cherry tomatoes and cilantro. There are lots of different options to making this kind of soup, such as maybe leaving some whole beans in for texture and using fried tortilla strips for crunch. Give it a try next time you are having a Latin-themed menu.

Very Quick & Easy Asian Inspired Soup

The weather has now turned cold and rainy, I will now hate to admit that it is Winter. Time for cold weather foods that are slow simmered like soups and stews. I had the idea for a soup and its my take on the classic chicken noodle soup, the inspiration comes from San Francisco's Vietnamese restaurants. Only a few simple ingredients with little effort. Rice noodles, chicken, cilantro, ginger, Thai basil and lime. Start by slowly simmered a whole chicken in lightly salted water with garlic and ginger for about a hour till tender, then shred meat and set aside. Rehydrate the dry noodles in hot water till soft and place a mound in a big prewarmed bowl. Add the shredded chicken on top of the noodles and pour hot broth over, garnish with chopped cilantro, basil and sliced chili peppers. This soup can be garnished with extra items like bean sprouts, chopped peanuts and a squeeze of lime.

Provencal Fish Stew

I had all the ingredients to make a fish soup, so that's all the inspiration I needed. I used Sea bass, fennel, onion, tomato, saffron, garlic and black olives. I would have liked to use mussels and maybe a grilled bread slice to go with it.

Ingredients:
8 oz. Sea bass, diced
1 Fennel Bulb , diced
1/2 Onion, diced
3 clove Garlic, chopped fine
1 Roma Tomato, diced
2 Cups Water or Fish Stock
Kosher Salt/ Pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon Parsley, Chopped
Black Olive paste as desired
1 Pinch Saffron

Method:
1. Saute all vegetables in extra virgin olive olive oil.
2. Add diced fish, saffron and broth, bring to simmer and cook till fish is done.
3. Ladle into preheated bowls and garnish with chopped parsley and olive paste.

Yield = 4

Posole Soup

Posole is one of my favorite Latin soups, it has layers of flavor and different textures from all the different ingredients. It can be made with your choice of meat, such as poultry, beef or pork, it can alsobe made as spicy or mild as you wish by adjusting the amount of chili you add. I like the hominy which gives it the familiar flavor of corn tortillas.

Ingredients:

1 pound pork butt, diced

1 can white hominy

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 tomato, crushed

2 dried New Mexico chili pods, crushed

2 cloves garlic, crushed

cilantro to taste, chopped

juice of one lime

Method:

1. Season and brown the pork in a heavy pot.

2. Add the onions, tomato, chili and garlic, saute for a few minutes.

3. Add 1 quart of water or stock and the hominy, bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer.

4. Skim surface of soup for any access fat as needed.

5. After simmering for about an hour and the meat is tender,its done and can be ladled into bowls.

Garnish with the chopped cilantro, crispy tortillas strips and a squeeze of fresh lime.

Chicken Noodle Soup, Asian Style

On a rainy winter night which has not happened much this year, I decided on making big bowls of steaming hot soup. It had all the components of a standard chicken noodle soup, but with a special Asian twist. I used lots of fresh grated ginger, soy sauce, miso paste and lo mein noodles.

This soup could be easily made without chicken if desired, some of the ingredients like miso, bonito and lo mein can be found at better stocked or Asian markets.

Ingredients:

2 whole organic chicken legs, skinless

1/2 onion, sliced thin

3 carrots, sliced

3 celery stalks, sliced

2 clove garlic, sliced

1 knob peeled ginger, grated

1 quart water

1 tablespoon dark miso paste

1 big pinch bonito flakes

1 tablespoon soy sauce

6 oz dry lo mein noodles, precooked

chopped cilantro and scallions for garnish

Method:

1. Make a broth with the chicken, water, soy sauce, bonito, miso, simmer till chicken is tender.

2. Remove chicken and shred the meat, strain broth.

3. Saute the vegetables, add the broth and return the chicken to the pot, simmer 20 minutes.

4. Divide the noodles into four preheated bowls, ladle the soup over and add garnish.

Note: Other soup options could be using crisp bean sprouts, fresh basil and chili sauce.

Yield = 4

Christmas Posole

Posole soup is a Christmas tradition in Mexico and at my house too. All of my favorite Latin flavors in one big bowl, braised chicken, chili peppers, hominy, avocado and fresh cilantro. It is very easy to make and everyone can garnish there own soup with a choice of there favorite condiments like crispy fried tortillas, diced avocado and jalapenos.

Ingredients:

2 whole chicken legs, skin removed

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 yellow onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 quart water

2 cups canned hominy, drained

Salt to taste

Method:

1. In a heavy pot saute the onion and garlic in a dash of vegetable oil.

2. Add the chili powder and saute one minute more.

3. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil, turn down and simmer for one hour.

4. Remove chicken legs and remove meat from bones, return to soup.

5. Check seasonings and adjust if necessary, ladle into preheated bowls.

To serve: have small bowls of fried tortillas strips, diced jalapenos, chopped cilantro, diced avocado, hot sauce available for guests to add to there soups.

Yield= 4

Asian Comfort in a Bowl

My young daughter was not feeling well today so I had the idea of making a chicken soup with won ton dumplings. I made a quick trip to the Clement street China town in San Francisco on the way home from work, I was lucky to find a parking space right in front of the New May Wah market. This store has everything and at good prices too. I had some of the ingredients at home so all I needed were a couple of chicken backs for the soup stock a chicken breast and a pack of won ton wrappers for the dumplings. With bags in the car and driving North over the Golden Gate bridge it is time to cook.

Ingredients:
2 chicken backs
1 knob ginger, crushed
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 stalk lemon grass, crushed
2 carrots, rough chop

2 quarts water
2 stalks celery, rough chop
1 chicken breast, boneless and skinless
1 dash soy sauce
1 Tablespoon fine sliced scallions
1 egg
Salt to taste

1. Make the soup broth with the chicken backs, 2 cloves garlic, half the ginger, celery, carrot, soy sauce, two quarts water.
2. Bring to a simmer and cook for an hour, check for seasoning and strain into another pot, keep at a simmer.
3. While the broth is cooking, make the won tons. In a food processor put the egg, chicken breast, one clove garlic, the other half of ginger, salt.
4. Pulse the chicken mixture till smooth.
5. Lay out the won ton wrappers and place a teaspoon on the chicken mixture in center of each wrapper, wet edge with water moistened finger and gather up the edges to make a dumpling.
6. To cook: add the dumplings to the simmering broth and cook for about five minutes, divide the broth and dumplings into bowls and garnish with the scallions.

Yield = 4 servings

Posole Soup

This Mexican soup is common around Christmas time, but I like it all the time. I make it with chicken stock, sliced onions, dried chili peppers and garlic added to browned chunks of pork, after this simmers a few hours and becomes tender I add hominy. This ladled into big bowls and simply garnished to taste with diced avocado, chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lemon or lime. It has the rich flavor of slow simmered pork and corn tortillas, which are made from the same treated corn that is hominy. Other additional options can include fried tortilla strips, crisp lettuce, diced red onions and diced jalapenos.