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I’m sitting here at my mom’s desk in Winslow, Maine, right now, trying to figure out the ins and outs of her laptop. It’s always interesting working on an unfamiliar computer. My daughter, Lily and I took the trip across the US together. It was much more intense to travel with a 16 month old than I anticipated. (I thought she would sleep! But no. The world is a large and exciting place and much too interesting to even think about sleeping!) I was a little surprised that Airport security asked me to take off Lily’s shoes. I’m thankful that she is too young for a belt wearing/jewelry wearing etc.
Maine is lovely—very quiet, peaceful and relaxing. The shops are closed by 8pm and you can’t find an ice cream joint open after 9pm. (We tried.) It is really life in the slow(er) land and a welcome change from the hectic and frenetic pace of life in the Bay area. I wish that I could stay here for a few more days! Lily and I are here to set up for our longer visit at the end of the month(and to see Grandma, my mom who we both miss!) Lily, Pete and I will be spending the 4th of July at our family camp on Pattee pond with my best friend, her beau and her two year old son. This weekend has been a whirlwind of naps, antique-ing, lobster eating and garage sale-ing. This morning we went to the Fairfield antique mall, the largest single antique mall in the state. It boasts 5 floors of antiques and is a dangerous place for me to shop. I love collecting 1960’s California pottery and vintage glass ware and serving pieces. It’s only a few minutes from our house. It is much less expensive here than in California. Actually, it’s really cheap. I like vintage pyrex too. So, maybe you can understand how I ended up with two boxes to ship home. 
We’ve stopped at B and F vegetable and fish stand on China Road almost everyday. They have wonderful, fresh seafood and fantastic local fruit, vegetables and products such as whoopee pies, sour cream and grass fed beef. The sweet corn was fabulous. So good I had two ears without butter or salt and it inspired me to make a corn chowder. A Chowder is a type of soup or stew that is indigenous to New England. To be classified as a chowder you need three specific ingredients: bacon or salt pork, potatoes and a dairy product such as cream or milk. Manhattan Chowder has tomatoes in it and a true Northern New Englander doesn’t consider this to be classic chowder. Boudin Bakery based in San Francisco has made serving chowder in a sour dough bowl fashionable. Although chowder typically contains seafood, there are vegetable versions available. I love a sweet corn chowder that has corn so fresh and sweet the kernels literally pop in your mouth. No overcooked, freezer burned corn here! It should be laced with smoky bacon, and swirled with a little cream at the end to give it richness and weight in your mouth.
I adapted this recipe very loosely from one in Ina Garten’s The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. Enjoy! May your summer be sweet!
Corn and Bacon Chowder
8 oz Bacon
2 Tbsp Butter
1 large onion, small dice
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
½ c. flour
6 ears of corn, kernels cut off of the cob (about 6 cups)
6 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
1 # of potatoes, peeled, small dice
1 ½ cups of half and half or heavy cream
Melt the butter in a large stockpot over medium heat, add the bacon, render the fat and continue to cook the bacon until it is crisp. Once the bacon is crisp, remove it from the pan and add the onion and garlic to the fat in the pan. Turn the heat down a little and slowly cook the onions until they are translucent. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir to make a roux. Cook for a few minutes, until the flour is pasty. Slowly, stirring constantly, add the stock or water. Bring this mixture to a boil and add the potatoes. Simmer until the potatoes are just tender, then add the corn. Simmer for 5-8 minutes, until the kernels are just cooked and the potatoes are tender. Finish the soup with the half and half, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the chowder in bowls garnished with crispy bacon.
There is something so enticing and haunting about Saffron. It is neither an herb nor a spice. It is the stigma (the female part of the plant that catches pollen.) Saffron is mysterious—it has been used as a health aid and aphrodisiac for centuries. Although I like Saffron and the glorious yellow color associated with it, it has a delicate flavor that is easily overpowered. It’s an expensive spice (for lack of a better word), costing upwards of $600 a pound and at those prices I don’t want to use it as food coloring.
 This Saffron Garlic soup is a wonderful showcase for both the flavor and color of Saffron. The most time consuming but necessary part of making this soup is to blanch the garlic no less than three times. Taking the extra step to blanch the garlic renders the garlic to a mild background flavor and allows the saffron to shine through. This recipe is from my new-favorite-cookbook-of-the-week. You know the one I mentioned in Monday’s post? The recipe originated at Fleur de Lys, where it is referred to as Garlic Saffron Soup. But for me this soup is all about the saffron.
P.S. The coloring of this soup is perfect for Easter Sunday!!
Saffron and Garlic Soup
Adapted from The Secrets of Success Cookbook. Signature Recipes and Insider Tips from San Francisco’s Best Restaurants by Michael Bauer
3 large or 4 small heads of garlic, separated into cloves and peeled
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 small leeks, white part only, thickly sliced
1 quart of chicken broth, vegetable broth or water (I used chicken.)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 small potato, peeled and finely diced
1 generous pinch of saffron threads
½ cup of heavy cream
Garnish with chopped chives or chervil
Blanch the garlic 1 minute in a medium pot of boiling water. Remove the garlic and repeat the process 2 more times, changing the water after each batch.
Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat.
Add the leeks and cook until soft, stirring often, about 6 minutes or so.
Add the broth and blanched garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Add the potato and saffron threads, reduce the heat and simmer until the potato is soft, about 7 or 8 minutes.
Stir in the cream and return to a boil.
Remove the soup from the heat and cool slightly. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender or food processor until smooth. Return the soup to a clean saucepan and heat through. Taste and reseason if necessary.
 I have spent the past month being fascinated with Momofuku, the cookbook by David Chang and Peter Meehan. David Chang has received a James Beard award, and has had articles about him in magazines like the New Yorker and Esquire. It’s safe to say that his restaurants—Momofuku, Ko and SSaam Bar have been on my radar for a while now. Raw is the word that came to mind as I read the cookbook cover to cover. It’s in the same vein as Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential, except it’s an actual cookbook. It’s a great cookbook too—but, this guy is controversial and I’m pretty sure that I wouldn’t work for him…ever. Wow, does he know what to say to tick people off or what? For example, he caused a mild furor in San Francisco last month when he said “fuckin’ every restaurant in San Francisco is just serving figs on a plate.” Now I can understand why he said it—I’ve gone into restaurants where our party has been sent out apple slices and peanut butter as an amuse bouche. (I mean come on I can stay at home and eat organic apples and peanut butter.) But he could have phrased it differently. Oh well. The cookbook is awesome and the recipes are truly spectacular. After reading the book I was inspired to make Momofuku’s ramen. Making the broth was a journey. Locating the ingredients took me to the local Hispanic market and the Asian market as well. The broth is really fantastic and totally worth the wait!
Momofuku’s Ramen Broth
Makes 5 quarts
Adapted from David Chang and Peter Meehan
Two 3 by 6 inch pieces of Konbu
6 quarts water
2 cups dried shitakes, rinsed
4 pounds chicken, either a whole bird or legs
5 pounds meaty pork bones (Neck bones are recommended. I found mine at the local Hispanic market on the recommendation of the butcher in my local grocery store. He told me that they would be cheaper at the Hispanic market and easy to find. He was right.)
1 pound smoky bacon (I used a pound of double smoked slab bacon.)
1 bunch scallions
1 medium onion, cut in half
2 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
Konbu was essentially the only ingredient that I had on hand when I decided to make this recipe. The reason that I got it is long forgotten but I was pleased to finally use it up and have a reason to go to the Asian grocery to get the dried shitakes. Dried shitakes are so much cheaper at Asian groceries than they are at American grocery stores! I made the mistake of going Nak’s in Menlo Park while I was hungry. I should never go grocery shopping while I am hungry especially if it is a store that I don’t always frequent. I left Nak’s with no less than 10 pounds of rice; 5 pounds of long grain brown, 5 pounds of black sticky rice (I do love sticky rice!) 2 bottles of sake, usukuchi (Japanese light soy sauce), Litchi gummies, wood ear mushrooms….point is I should have lunch then go to the grocery store. Fortunately I went to Chavez market after lunch or else I would have brought home a slew of dried chilies, tamarind soda and fresh corn tortillas in addition to my pork neck bones and a 4 pound whole chicken.
Ingredients in hand, away we go!
- Rinse the konbu under running water, then combine it with the water in an 8 quart stockpot. Bring the water to a simmer over high heat and turn off the heat. Let steep for ten minutes. (I used the handy dandy alarm on my blackberry.)
 2. Remove the konbu from the pot and add the shitakes. Turn the heat back up to high and bring the water to a boil, then turn the heat down so the liquid simmers gently. Simmer for 30 minutes, (out came the blackberry) until the mushrooms are plumped and rehydrated and have lent the broth their color and aroma. I discarded the leftover konbu. Chang recommends re-using the konbu in a grilled octopus salad. I didn’t have the time for that! I was making ramen broth.- Heat the oven to 400F
- Remove the mushrooms from the pot with a spider or slotted spoon. Chang recommends making pickled shitakes with these babies, and that is what I did. They were delicious and worth making even if you are not making ramen broth.
- Add the chicken to the pot. Keep the liquid at a gentle simmer. Skim and discard any froth, foam or fat that rises to the surface of the broth with the chicken is simmering and replenish the water as necessary to keep the chicken covered. After about 1 hour, test the chicken; the meat should pull away from the bones easily. If it doesn’t, simmer until that’s the case and then remove the chicken from the pot with a spider or slotted spoon. I saved the meat from the chicken to use in a simple pasta dish for dinner—I couldn’t see just throwing it away.
- While the chicken is simmering, put the pork bones on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan and slide them into the oven to brown for an hour; turn them over after about 30 minutes to ensure even browning.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and add the roasted bones to the broth, along with the bacon. Adjust the heat as necessary to keep the broth at a steady simmer; skim the scum and replenish the water as needed. After 45 minutes, fish out the bacon and discard it. Then gently simmer the pork bones for 6 or 7 hours—as much time as your schedule allows. Stop adding water to replenish the pot after hour 5 or so.
 Add the scallions, onion and carrots to the pot and simmer for the final 45 minutes. (Out came the blackberry again.)- Remove and discard the spent bones and vegetables. Strain the broth. You can use the broth at this point or if you are making it in advance freeze at this time.
- Finish the broth by seasoning it to taste with tare. I didn’t have time to make tare so I just used salt, soy sauce and mirin as Chang suggests.
For the final serving of the ramen, my friend Justine picked up some really good fresh ramen from Japantown for our feast. I picked up some kim chee, scallions and fried onions for garnishes. We also added a poached egg and slow roasted pork shoulder to our delicious broth.
This was a complete feat to make, but it was delicious. The greatest challenge was what to do with the leftover ingredients that infused the broth. I can’t just throw away food! I froze some of the broth and loved having it on hand for a quick meal. Will I make it again? Sure, not tomorrow, but someday soon.
Good Luck!!
Tom Kha Kai
Don’t you just love Thai food? I love the exotic flavors of lemongrass, kaffir lime and chilies. One of my favorite Thai dishes that is super easy to make and tastes great is Tom Kha Kai. You can find this soup at Thai restaurants every where. Make this soup and your friends will love you and keep coming back for more. If you are having any difficulty sourcing Thai ingredients I highly recommend importfood.com. They have everything that you need with product reviews. It’s an awesome resource.
Tom Kha Kai (adapted from True Thai by Victor Sodsook)
Serves 4- 6
3 cups of Chicken stock
2 oz. of ginger, peeled and crushed with a meat tenderizer
2 large stalks of lemon grass, outer layer peeled away, tops trimmed and then cut into 3 or 4 pieces
12 fresh kaffir lime leaves or the peel from 1 small lime
2 cans of coconut milk (14 oz. each) (Chaokoh is my favorite brand of coconut milk.)
1 # of boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 1 inch cubes
2 Tablespoons of chili tamarind paste *This product is difficult to find. I often use 2 Tbsp. Tamarind paste and 1 tsp. of Siracha If you can’t find tamarind at all, add an extra tablespoon of lemon juice.
¼ c. of fresh lemon juice
2 ½ Tbsp. palm sugar or golden brown sugar
2 ½ Tbsp. fish sauce (I recommend Squid Brand and Golden Boy)
½ # of button mushrooms, sliced
5 small Thai chilies, stemmed and lightly crushed (optional)
In a soup pot combine the chicken stock, ginger, lemon grass and kaffir lime or lime peel. Simmer the stock and aromatics for a couple of minutes, then add the coconut milk. Return the soup to a simmer and add the chicken breast. Add the mushrooms and remaining ingredients. Simmer for about 7- 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Taste and season to your liking with fish sauce, sugar and chilies. For a vegetarian version I substitute the chicken for medium firm tofu. A client of mine loves adding steamed swiss chard and julienned bamboo shoots for a filling Thai Vegetable Stew.
Remove the ginger, lemongrass and kaffir lime before serving. They are not meant to be eaten.
 Make this! I just rediscovered this soup this past week. Every time I remake it I fall in love all over again. It is infused with rosemary and perfumed with orange zest. (That’s what makes it special.) You get the aromatics of the rosemary and the exotic flavor of the orange zest combined with the nuttiness of the chick peas for a truly haunting flavor. This is a very healthy soup. Chick peas are high in protein, fiber and folic acid. It’s one of my favorite soups to make at home. I can put it together, prep to table in 30 minutes. It’s a very simple soup, inspired by a Chez Panisse recipe and a recipe that was part of the curriculum at the Culinary Institute of America. It’s a extremely basic—all you need is a can of chickpeas, a couple of carrots, a couple stalks of celery, maybe an onion if you have one around and a high quality olive oil to finish the soup. *This soup is extremely lean without the olive oil used to finish it at the end. The richness of the olive oil will add a lush quality to the soup and contribute mouthfeel. So don’t skimp on the olive oil! This is the recipe to pull out that expensive tiny bottle at the back of your pantry gathering dust.
Spanish Chickpea Soup
Very loosely adapted from Chez Panisse’s Chickpea and Farro Stew
2 Tablespoons everyday olive oil
1 small onion or shallot, small dice
2 carrots, small dice
2 or 3 stalks of celery, small dice
1 15oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tsp. of Orange Zest or more to taste
1 sprig or fresh rosemary or 2 tsp. dried
4 cups chicken stock or water
4 Tablespoons high quality olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste.
Warm the everyday olive oil in a heavy bottomed stock pot. Slowly sweat the onion, carrot and celery until the onions are translucent. Add the chick peas, stock or water, orange zest and rosemary to the pot and simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove the sprig of rosemary if you are using an entire sprig. Pulse the soup in a blender until it is coarsely pureed. If you prefer, you may puree this soup until smooth, but I like this particular soup with a little bit of texture. Pour the soup back into the soup pot and stir in the olive oil. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Enjoy! I like this soup with a simple salad of mixed greens, served with toasted bread and a mild cheese such as Manchego. Delicious with Rose wine.
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