"Souper" Soup with the Barista's

Thanks to Baristakid’s “Ask Holly”, I recently participated in a lovely soup making event for the CWFC “Souper Bowl” and even have a “Hot from the Kettle” video to prove it. (Thanks Melody!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbsDlSQeBJc
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It was snowing lightly when I arrived at Holly’s house Saturday evening, making the walkways and roads a bit slick. As I walked carefully up to her doorstep overloaded with my trusty red soup pot and a variety of ingredients, I was thankful for the lantern-lit pathway to her beautiful home. I was greeted by Holly’s husband Reggie, who showed me the way to the kitchen, which was already bustling with friends and warmed by a crackling fire. Holly welcomed me sincerely, as she prepared a delicious assortment of nibbles and bites, while Melody Kettle, always a vibrant soul, chit chatted away. I met the effervescent Debbie Galant, Baristanet’s creator, and immediately felt at home in the kitchen of someone I had just met.

Debbie and I were the soup makers that evening, since Holly and Melody made theirs earlier in the week. We were both well prepared -- she had pre-roasted carrots and apples for her soup and I had pre-washed and chopped leeks for my potato leek soup. We stood side by side, tending two pots in a new kitchen, as conversation flowed around us. I lent Debbie my immersion blender, to which she took an instant liking, and jested that it would make the perfect Valentine’s gift for her sous-chef husband, who was busy chopping garlic across the room. As our soups simmered, we chatted and taste tested, offering up suggestions on what the soups needed. Holly graciously opened her cupboards, offering us cinnamon, nutmeg and cayenne pepper.

With a little of this and a lot of that, we each made several quarts of soup while growing acquainted with new and generous friends. We were brought together for a single and simple cause: to make soup for those less fortunate. Our experience cooking together for people other than ourselves created a relaxed atmosphere that would beat any cocktail party, where small talking strangers try to find a commonality. We didn’t have to look far.

Thank you to Holly and her husband Reggie for hosting a wonderful evening and my sincere thanks to the Baristanet community for supporting the Fifth Annual CWFC Souper Bowl event.

Tortellini Time

Many months ago, as he often does, my 13-year old son casually asked me if his tortellini dinner was homemade. I’m not sure if his inquiries are meant to inspire me to make something from scratch the next time or more of an attempt to prove that not everything I serve is homemade. More likely it’s just an innocent, non-loaded question. But I take him seriously every time he asks and when I get caught the guilt sets in. I’m haunted, my conscious asking me how I could serve my children anything but something homemade. Maybe I should have resisted the temptation to buy those cute little pastas in the prepared food section. With one little query from my son though, I now have the nagging little desire to make tortellini from scratch.

So who do I call? Lou of course, my cooking Ghostbuster. Anytime I’m up for a challenge or an adventure, I’ll think of Lou first. But a few months back, when I texted Lou and asked him to make homemade tortellini, he asked me if I was crazy. Why would I want to make these tiny labor intensive morsels, something that elderly Italian widows make to occupy their lonely days?

For those of you who haven’t read about Lou, he’s a master home chef. He cures his own prosciutto, bakes artisan bread, creates unbelievably sinful demi-glace, and makes homemade pasta. His list of culinary accomplishments are endless and each and every time I cook with Lou I am humbled. As it turns out, Lou had never made tortellini before (probably because he knew what a pain they would be). Yes, I knew Lou would eventually be up for the challenge. So I waited, putting my tortellini making need on the back burner.

And then, about a week ago, Lou must have sensed that I had just bought a big Costco batch of four cheese ravioli and was feeding it to my kids for dinner and leftovers again and again. I think my son was actually on his third tortellini dinner when Lou’s e-mail arrived. “Ready yet?” he prodded with an attached how-to video on making tortellini from scratch. Though I knew my kids were tired of tortellini, I eagerly replied “Yes!” This might be my only chance! They could sit and wait in the freezer until my kid’s were willing to eat them again.

Lou makes things easy when we cook together and this time was no exception. The dough was pre-made and vacuum sealed. He also had the veal filling assembled, with meat he had ground himself from osso buco and a touch of his homemade demi-glace as a secret flavor enhancer. I was in charge of the non-meat filling and getting the fresh ricotta and parmesan cheese. His kitchen was ready, with the pasta press hooked up, dough resting and cylinder waiting. He even had a book opened to a page diagramming how to fold and crimp tortellini. After a test run, he said my pinky would be perfect, like the Italian widows, to form tortellini but his was too big.

So he made the ribbons of pasta while I cut circles and began filling, folding and twisting handmade tortellini and we weren’t moving fast but we were having fun; both trying something for the first time and we knew could very well be the last. Maybe it was the knowledge that it wasn’t likely to happen again that made it so enjoyable. But after an hour’s work and little more than a half a cookie sheet filled, we called Christina, our expert crimping friend, and asked her for some help. She came right away, maybe with curiosity or in good friendship or to get a taste! Soon like a genie appears from a bottle, Christina was in Lou’s kitchen, in full tortellini making mode. We teased her that they looked a little wonton like but after she threatened to leave we backed off. Lou brought some water to a boil for a tortellini sampling. We knew that would keep her for a while longer.

We tasted and agreed how delicious they were. As we noted the yield, we knew our time together was more for the experience and not something that would become part of our repertoires. We offered some to Christina when she left, but she politely declined, realizing whatever amount she’d be given wouldn’t be enough to feed even one person in her family and she’d be taking away from our supply. She left empty-handed but with the promise of a tortellini lunch the next week. What better use for our pasta than to enjoy them together.

The Crimping Groove

My friend Christina (aka the “dumpling queen”) hosted a dumpling making get-together this past Thursday for a few neighbors. I showed up a tad late, which wasn’t particularly a bad thing, since they had been busy prepping ingredients and offered me some ginger, garlic, bok choy and carrots for my filling. It seemed that no one was miffed at my minor freeloading, as I apologized for my lateness and pranced in with a great big salad for lunch. (I’m pretty sure they knew I’d pull my weight later.)

I was in low gear that morning, dicing shrimp for the shumai I would make in addition to the dumplings. It was luxurious to say the least. As I chopped, Christina began seasoning, pouring soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic and ginger into my mixtures. In a short few minutes, with Christina’s assistance, I had caught up to my friends, who were ready to begin their crimping.

We were four women, each with a different crimping style. Christina whizzed through hers with a beautiful pleat and fold method, packing dozens of perfectly plump dumplings onto her tray while the rest of us lagged behind, crimping in our own way. Sybil (also of Chinese descent) demonstrated a simple two-fold crimping technique that her mother taught her. In the company of Christina, she abandoned that mode, hoping to master Christina’s more aesthetically pleasing method.

There were plenty of laughs and some serious talk, as we discussed the happenings of the week. Snippets of our lives and fragments of ourselves were casually revealed as four women crimped and got to know one another better than before. The back door opened and closed, as we used the frigid air to begin the freezing process for hundreds of dumplings we were making together.

And at the end, when all the dishes were clean and counters tidy, when Christina’s kitchen was sparkling, we sat down for a lovely lunch of steamed shumai and a hearty green lettuce salad with beets and feta cheese. I doubt there’s a lunch spot in town that can offer as good a time, as delicious a lunch and a few hundred dumplings to take home.

We’ll reconvene next week for an intense few hours of soup-making for the human needs food pantry.

Here are the ingredients that we used for our dumpling filling. Now, since we improvised as we made the filling, I am offering you estimates with no precise measurements. A little of this and a lot of that! Use your judgment to create your perfect filling.

Pork Dumpling Filling

2 pounds ground pork
fresh ground ginger (1 tablespoon)
minced garlic (two teaspoons)
soy sauce (two teaspoons)
sesame oil (1 tablespoon)
1 egg lightly beaten
Corn starch (1-2 tablespoons)
Pre-cooked bok choy, chopped (1 cup)
Shredded carrots (1/2 cup)

It's soup making time!

With bitter cold days in much of the country, January is an ideal month to make soup and a lot of it! It warms and nourishes us, while helping to fight the winter blues. Nothing beats a rich bowl of chowder or a hearty vegetable soup to beat the chill and fill the belly. It’s no surprise that January has been designated National Soup Month all across America.

At CWF, we’re very much a part of the soup making craze. We’re busy planning soup-making dates to gear up for the 4th Annual “Souper Bowl” event in Montclair, NJ, where friends make soup together and then donate it to our local food pantry for people to enjoy while watching the NFL Super Bowl.

The soup-making itch is spreading from Girl Scout troops to schools to neighborhoods. My friends at Baristakids are even planning an evening around soup making, where they will cook for the “Souper Bowl” and then have dinner together.

News of this rewarding way to give to others is spreading fast. So, if you’re game, we’d love some company! If you live in New Jersey, the drop off date will be Thursday February 3rd at the Human Needs Food Pantry in Montclair, NJ. Just E-mail me at ajbermack@verizon.net if you’d like to participate!

For those of you in other parts of the country, plan your own soup making event and think of who would benefit from some homemade soup: a sick neighbor, pregnant friend or local charity.

Here’s a vegetarian vegetable soup recipe that Liz and I made the other day. It was hearty, flavorful and healthy!

Veggie & Orzo Soup
Makes 4 quarts

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cups zucchini, diced
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup carrots, diced
3 cups cabbage, cut in chunks
½ cup diced yellow pepper
½ cup diced red pepper
4 cups vegetable stock
4 cups water
1 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
½ cup uncooked orzo
1/8 cup chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon of salt

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil. Sauté the onion for a few minutes and then add the zucchini, celery, carrots, cabbage and peppers. Cover with water and stock and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down, add the tomatoes and let the soup simmer for about 30 minutes. Add the orzo and let cook for another fifteen minutes. Mix in the cheese and basil. Serve!

Happy New Year

It's been a busy week getting back into the swing of things. (Note the Friday blog instead of an early in the week one.) With the kids back in school, I'm trying to reclaim my house, get on a work schedule and basically get organized. I am sure many of you are in the same boat. For me, the key to feeling under control is being well prepared in the family meal department -- breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner!

So, to kick off the first week of 2011, I had quite a hefty plan which included using up what little was left in my freezer from 2010, shopping and planning a cooking schedule with various friends.

With healthy meals in mind, Liz and I started the week with a big joint shop at Costco, splitting the cost for some great bulk foods -- fingerling potatoes, ground turkey, edamame, milk, grape tomatoes, lettuce and quinoa (pronounced keen-wah). If you’ve never had quinoa before, it’s a gluten-free and protein rich super grain that has a soft seedy texture and a nutty flavor. It can be used instead of rice and kids love it!

We then met later in the week and made two vegetable soups (one lentil and one hearty veggie) and a delicious quinoa salad with peppers, tomatoes, feta and herbs. Liz and I try to stay focused on healthy vegetarian dishes which we eat ourselves for lunch and serve as sides to the family during the week. And, since I had tossed all the old holiday cookies and had depleted my freezer supply of muffins and breads, I also had to bake something sweet. I knew my sweet-loving friend Suzy would be game and together, we made cinnamon biscotti and cinnamon muffins. The muffins, along with fresh blueberries from Costco made a perfect breakfast for my three kids each morning.

Next week, I’m looking forward to making some dumplings and shumai with a few neighbors at my friend Christina’s house. I’ll come home with several freezer bags full, which will make satisfying thermos lunches for the kids! I’m also hoping to make a big batch of turkey meatballs to go with the farm fresh tomato sauce that’s still in the freezer from summer and some more breakfast breads and muffins. (Anyone care to join me?)

Here’s Liz and my simple and healthy quinoa salad recipe. (FYI - Liz’s 3-year old devoured several portions for lunch, so I think that’s a good sign. You can vary the flavors by adding whatever veggies you have on hand. Kalamata olives would be delicious too!)

Quinoa Salad
Makes 8 cups

4 cups quinoa (2 cups cooked in vegetable broth and 2 cups cooked in water)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, diced
1 cup feta cheese
1 orange pepper, diced
4 scallions (or ¼ cup red onion diced)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice from 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine quinoa, tomatoes, feta cheese, peppers, onions, mint and basil. In a separate bowl, mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Toss the dressing with the quinoa mixture.