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 by Linda Davis

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I was fortunate enough to be born into a family of wonderful cooks. At the age of only four years old I began helping my grandmother in the kitchen. She and my mother were born in Greece and they brought a European approach to cooking.

Our neighborhood was the quintessential American melting pot. Women of various nationalities would exchange recipes and cooking techniques. I would visit the homes of my classmates and taste their ethnic cuisines. They all made an impression on me.

I married into a family of fine Northern Italian cooks and learned many of their traditional recipes. My mother in law taught me, among other things, how to butcher meat.

Later on in life I was to make the acquaintance of a number of professional chefs. I would visit their kitchens to observe technique and try to learn a few secrets here and there.

All of this background might have meant very little if I did not have such a deep love for food that I consider cooking an art form. The purpose of this column will be to try to help you approach cooking in the same way, rather than as a chore. Let’s get started!

 

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Making Soup

Whatever the weather, soup is always an appetite pleaser, even for those with hearty appetites.

You can create soup from any leftovers you may have in your refrigerator. Especially today, most people have chicken, vegetable or beef stock in their pantries. At the very least you will have bullion cubes. However, the best stock is one you’ve prepared yourself.

For instance, after you have made a roast chicken, save the carcass. Put the carcass in a large pot, cover with water, add one whole onion cut in half leaving the skin on. (the skin will give the broth a nice golden color). Add one whole large carrot or two small ones, and two stalks of celery with the leaves attached (the leaves are flavor packed). Add one tbs. of peppercorns, one large bay leaf, one packet of Sazon Goya Con Azafran. This contains saffron which is wonderful in soups. One cube of chicken or vegetable bullion and one diced Italian plum tomato or one tbs. of tomato paste. Add one smashed garlic clove.

Bring all to a boil, lower heat to a simmer for 30 minutes. Strain into another container making sure all the ingredients have been removed. You now have wonderful chicken stock. You can freeze and use any time or you can fill ice cube trays and freeze broth to use when preparing meals that may need a flavor shot. Just add a cube to whatever you’re preparing.

If you want to prepare a short cut version you can put one quart of water in a pot, add three cubes of bullion and add all the remaining ingredients without leftover chicken. When vegetables are tender, strain and you now have a quick broth.

Hearty Chicken Soup

1 quart of your chicken stock
2 carrots, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 plum tomato diced
1 ½ diced chicken breasts. You can use leftover chicken or get an already cooked one from your market.
1 medium sized onion, diced

In large soup pot, add your stock and vegetables. When vegetables are tender, add the chicken.

Serve with ½ cup of cooked noodles or rice added to each bowl. Top with a sprinkling of chopped Italian leaf parsley and grated parmesan cheese. The cheese is optional.

Vegetarians, you can make the same broth. Just add to your soup pot vegetable stock which can be purchased at the market or instead of using a chicken carcass, just add lots of your favorite vegetables.

Serves 4



Roasted Carrot Ginger Soup

The following soup recipe is a favorite of mine. It is especially wonderful in the fall and winter. This recipe is not my own, I found it in Newsday. It’s perfect for vegetarians since you can substitute vegetable stock for the chicken stock.

Editors Note: I LOVE this soup!

1 1/2 lbs carrots, peeled & halved lengthwise
1 lb. parsnips, peeled & quartered lengthwise
1 large onion, sliced
3 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled & chopped
6 tbs. unsalted butter
3 tbs. packed dark brown sugar
8 cups of chicken or vegetable broth, more if needed
salt to taste
pinch of cayenne pepper
¼ cup crème fraiche, for garnish (you can substitute sour cream)
snipped fresh chives, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350, combine carrots, parsnips, onion & ginger in a shallow roasting pan. Dot with butter & sprinkle with sugar. Pour 2 cups of broth into the pan, cover well & bake until vegetables are very tender, about 2 hours.
2. Transfer the vegetables & broth to a large soup pot; add remaining 6 cups broth. Season with salt & cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat & simmer, partially covered, for 10 minutes.
3. Puree soup in a food processor, adding more broth if desired.

Serve portions with a tsp. of crème fraiche (sour cream) and a sprinkle of chives

Serves 6

ENJOY!

Remember, I welcome any cooking questions you may have. If you try either of these soups I would enjoy hearing how they turned out.

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Herbs & Spices

In preparation to cooking a meal at home, think of the foods you like and what herbs and spices are pleasing to you. Incorporate these flavors into your own cooking. It doesn’t have to be complicated. ANYONE CAN FOLLOW A RECIPE. It is like a scientific formula. However, creating your own masterpiece is a joy.

One of the keys to fine cooking is knowing about herbs and spices and how to use them. Let us begin by covering common seasonings used on a daily basis. Fresh herbs and spices have a lively taste; but you will require a larger amount than if you used dried herbs that have a more concentrated flavor.

The most basic seasoning of course is salt. There are many types of salt. Kosher Salt, Sea Salt, Course Salt, Low Sodium Salt and Table Salt. If you are following a recipe that simply calls for salt choose your favorite. Otherwise use what the recipe calls for.

Pepper is second only to salt. Again there are many types of pepper. Try to always use fresh ground pepper. Peppercorns come in a variety of flavors. There are black, white, red, green and pink peppercorns. (Tip: you can buy a mixture of peppercorns in their own grinder on spice shelves in stores).

A well stocked spice rack should contain the following: Basil, Bay leaf, Caraway Seeds, Cloves, Cumin, Curry Powder, Dill, Garlic Powder, Ginger Powder, Onion Powder, Oregano, Dried Parsley, Paprika, Sage, Thyme, and Tarragon. Bear in mind there are many, many varieties of herbs and spices that are not covered in this list but are used in various ethnic cuisines.

Certain combinations of herbs and spices can be pre mixed and kept in jars for handy access. For example: Italian Seasonings: Garlic Powder, Oregano, Onion Powder, Thyme, Parsley, Basil Salt, Black Pepper, Crushed Red Pepper, two tablespoons of each except for the pepper. Depending on how hot you like your dish, reduce the amount of pepper by half. If this is still too hot for your taste reduce the pepper by half again.

You can do the same with Spanish Seasonings which require the following: Garlic Powder, Cilantro, Cumin, Onion Powder, Saffron, paprika, Salt & Pepper to taste and chili powder. Please note Saffron is quite expensive and can be eliminated.

Asian Spices: Garlic powder, Ginger powder, Salt, Pepper, Lemon Grass, Curry Powder, Chili Powder, Paprika, Onion Powder, (best used in conjunction with soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoi sin sauce, teriyaki sauce) these can be found in your local supermarket.

Indian: Curry Powder, Garlic Powder, Onion Power, Salt, Pepper, Lemongrass, Bay Leaf, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Clove, Coriander, Cumin, Ginger, Nutmeg. (There is a myriad of herbs and spices when dealing with Indian cooking). As you get more experienced you may begin to experiment with additional spices and herbs.

Mexican: Cilantro, Cumin, Garlic, Salt, Pepper, Chili Pepper, Sage, Thyme, Taco seasoning (can be found in packets at the market), Saffron and Onion powder. Jalapeno Peppers are one of the hot peppers also used in Mexican cooking.

These are the most common spices used in everyday cooking. Try it, be brave, experiment! Just remember, “If you put in your favorite flavors you can’t go wrong”.

The following is one of my favorite items that I keep on hand in my refrigerator. It is versatile and delicious in many dishes. It starts with that Italian Favorite - Pesto.

To make a Pesto you will need the following: One bunch of fresh basil, 2 tbsp. of lightly toasted pine nuts, ½ cup of grated Italian Cheese, use your favorite, 1 tsp of salt and ½ tsp each of black and red pepper, 6 cloves of finely minced garlic, Good Virgin Olive Oil.

Put all of your ingredients into your blender or food processor except for the olive oil and pulse or blend as you slowly drizzle your olive oil in until you achieve the consistency of a thick sauce. Put into a glass jar and pour olive oil over the top ( it will float on top of the pesto) as a seal

To make a delicious Pesto Pasta, add enough to cooked pasta to coat well and serve with fresh grated Italian Cheese. With the remainder, add a tablespoon to soups, sauces, salad dressings and meat dishes as well. After each use add more olive oil to the jar. After all the pesto is gone you will still have a pesto flavored olive oil that you can use in other dishes or simply make more.

If you have any cooking questions please do not hesitate to ask.

 

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"Herbs & Spices" Comments...

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4/7/2010, Marybeth Fischer wrote...

I like the way Linda told us about different Herbs from different cultures. Very interesting as to where they came from.

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3/27/2010, Marsha Dandrea wrote...

It was very interesting. Learned a lot about herbs.

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3/24/2010, Chris Taylor wrote...

Sounds so easy! I like to cook and look forward to some new interesting twists on old favorites-- thanks for sharing!

 

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