Peanut Soup

This is a really magnificent, incredibly hearty and flavorful soup. I really just can't get sick of it. You can leave the chicken out if you like, but having it in really makes a meal of the thing.

African Peanut Soup
(serves 6)

3/4 lb yams, peeled and chopped
8 Roma tomatoes, halved and seeded
2-3 chicken breasts, chopped into pieces
1 tbs curry powder
1 c yellow onions, sliced thin
1 1/2 tsp garlic, minced
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 c peanut butter
1 quart chicken stock
1 c coconut milk
bunch of cilantro, chopped
good handful of peanuts, chopped
peanut oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

1) Toss the sweet potatoes and tomatoes in some peanut oil to coat, sprinkle with some salt and pepper and placing the tomatoes skin side up roast in the oven until the potatoes are fork tender and the tomato skins are all shriveled. Give the potatoes a good mix about halfway through.

2) Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat, adding in the curry powder and stirring constantly for 2 minutes.

3) Throw in the onions and sweat them for a few minutes, then add the garlic and stir for half a minute.

4) Add the cayenne, peanut butter, tomatoes, potatoes, chicken stock and the coconut milk then bring everything to a boil, reduce to a simmer and leave for 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Blend until smooth.

5) Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper then saute in some peanut oil until golden brown. Add to the soup and continue to simmer gently for another ten minutes.

6) Adjust the seasoning, serve, and garnish with cilantro and peanuts.

I also grilled up some cheese sandwiches;
they went well with the soup.

French Toast

French toast is the perfect destiny for day old bread. I don't know whether it's just fond memories or the fact that it has "French" in the title, but it's always a treat. Like that ketchup that says "fancy" on the packet.

French Toast

1 c half and half
few glugs of honey (about 2 tbs)
1 orange, juiced (1/4 c) and zested
3 eggs
8 slices of bread
butter
couple pinches of kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 350

1) Combine the eggs, half and half, honey and orange juice and transferred to a shallow dish large enough to hold two slices of bread.

2) Heat a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Place two slices of bread in the mixture and let soak for half a minute on each side, then remove to a cooling rack for another minute. Repeat with remaining slices.

3) Drop a tablespoon of butter in the pan and place the first two slices in. Cook about two and a half minutes each side, until nice and brown. Remove to the oven and repeat with remaining slices.

4) Plate toast and top with confectioners sugar, maple syrup and orange zest.

If you're just cooking for two you can always save the batter for another day, or if you're cooking for more mix up the batter the night before so all you have to do the next morning is dredge and cook.

Kiss me, I'm Irish: Colcannon

Rob's birthday is on St. Patrick's Day, which means guaranteed party!! It also means a good recipe that serves a small army comes in handy, though outside of a potluck situation I'd say this serves twelve. There are a couple things you could substitute, like cooked ham for the bacon, kale for cabbage or leaks for green onions. This is also one of those times when I don't use flat leaf parsley because it just doesn't look as festive! Whatever you do, just be sure to season generously.

Colcannon
(serves 12)

2 1/2 c milk, heated
6 lbs potatoes (Yukon Gold)
4 sticks butter
2 lbs bacon, cooked and chopped
2 cabbages, cored and coped into strips
8 green onions, chopped fine
parsley, chopped
salt and pepper

1) Set a pot of water to boil. Peel and quarter the potatoes and boil until fork tender in salted water. Drain and mash.

2) Add in two stick of butter in pats, then gradually add the heated milk.

3) Heat some more water to a boil and add the chopped cabbage and 2 tbs of butter. Cover and leave for two minutes, then drain and combine with potatoes.

4) add the scallions, chopped bacon and remaining butter to the mixture then season generously. Top with chopped parsley and serve warm.

But That's Poor People Food

Some of the greatest and most timeless of dishes are what some might call "poor people food". Certainly the cookbooks of most Italians are full of the recipes of everyday cooks, and the food of the Irish is no different.

While living in New Orleans I was searching for some corned beef at the local Winn-Dixie. It was still a month out from St. Patrick's Day - for which, of course, there's a parade replete with thrown cabbages - but I still thought it perfectly reasonable that a grocer would stock corned beef. After all, my hometown, predominately German and Irish, was well versed in the practice of stocking ethnic foods. Here in the deep South, however, corned beef was fast becoming my Holy Grail. I finally snagged a butcher, and when told what I was looking for he promptly and disdainfully declared, "Buh thass po' people foohd"! Yes, that's my best attempt at the New Orleans accent in type. Don't question it. In any case, I was more than a little amused by this response as we were both shopping and working, respectively, in a Winn Dixie.

Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day, though, and grocery stores are chock full of poor people food from cabbage to potatoes, and many Americans can look forward to one of the best things done for cuisine and the sandwich: a traditional dinner of corned beef and veg.

(Most brisket come with their own mysterious "seasoning packets", and if you were ever wondering what was in there or have corned your own beef, the components are below)


Corned Beef
(yield dependent on weight)

Corned Beef Brisket
1 large onion, quartered
3 lbs potatoes, quartered (Yukon Gold are my favorites)
4-6 carrots, chopped about the same size as the potato quarters
cabbage, cored and cut into wedges
cloves
8-10 allspice berries
1 tsp black peppercorns
3 bay leaves
1/2 tsp thyme
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
Bottle of Guinness or a couple cups of beef stock(optional)

1) place the beef in a large stockpot and cover with water (add Guinness or beef stock if you like). Bring to a boil and ladle off any fat that rises to the top. Reduce to a simmer.

2) dot the onion with cloves and add it, and the remaining spices, to the pot. Let everything simmer for about two hours, or until the brisket is nearly fork tender.

3) add the potatoes and carrots and cook for about 10-15 minutes until not quite tender; then add the cabbage.

4) continue simmering until everything is tender, then slice the beef and serve with the vegetables.