recipes

[a non-amos]

Well, this post is not a recipe but it is certainly related to food.

At work we have some visitors from Japan.  They are herded around by someone with good intentions but not much else.  He is not local, so the best he can do is to drag in some sandwiches or order a pizza for lunch.  For dinner he might take them out for sushi, but he really does not know where to get good sushi in Roanoke.

By the way, if you have visitors from Japan sushi might not be the best choice.  They have probably had better.

My alternative is Southern cooking.  Our visitors would probably like to say that they had some while they were here.  I should show them my favorite.

On a separate issue, it appears that I have been volunteered for another cooking competition.  The main competitor will be DOA.  Toast.

The upcoming competition is in potato soup.  I guess toast goes well with it . . .

[technomc]

Dead On Arrival??

Not much competition there then...you should walk it A non....

[Steadyguy]

Just keep us informed of the winning recipe please!!!(hopefully yours!)

[anonsi]

If I were a non, I'd use the potato soup recipe from before. That thing looked amazing!! I think it was potato...right?

[a non-amos]

The recipe is not quite the same as the one I posted a while ago, but it's somewhat close.  Recipes change over time, with some experimentation and some experience gained.  Have you tried sprinkling it with blue cheese and green onion?  Maybe some fresh thyme?

I actually got the original idea from the food network.  The only characteristic that this recipe retains is that it uses a whole lot of potato.  They did not even use bacon or garlic!  No cheese?

Last year my wife had a soup competition at work.  She used some of my tricks, but she started with canned soup.  By all accounts it was not as good as the real thing, but it was good enough to win.

Now I'm starting to get hungry.  Time to raid the fridge . . .

 

[Steadyguy]

Concerning the canned soup, one of our cooking gurus, Delia Smith, had a whole series on tv based on what she called 'cheating' which is where one used a canned product to save time. I occasionally used her recommended canned fried onions which are a good alternative if one does not wish to chop fresh onions (especially if the contact lenses are yet to be inserted!!)

[a non-amos]

It appears that the competition has declined to compete.  The potato soup cookoff has been cancelled.

[birdy]

You've scared them off!  They're tired of losing!  The perils of overwhelming superiority...

[pat]

Concerning canned products, SG, as someone who can't cook, won't cook, I find them a boon!

[greenone]

Talking of potato soup - here is an easy recipe that I really like - Double Potato soup

first soup:
30g butter
2 large (400 gms) potatoes, chopped
1 medium onion, sliced
2 lime leaves
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup cream

Melt butter, add potatoes, onion & lim leaf.  cover, cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes or until onion is soft.  Stir in stock & crea, bring to boil, reduce heat, cover, simmer for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are soft.  Blend or process until smooth.

2nd soup:
30 gm butter
1 large (400 gms) sweet potato (kumara)
1 3/4 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons cream

Melt butter, add sweet potato, cover, cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.  Stir in stock and cream.  Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes or until potato is soft.  Blend or process til smooth.

Place each soup in a separate jug, pour simultaneously into soup bowls.

You end up with the white soup on one side, and the orange soup on the other.  Can use a skewer down the dividing line and swirl a bit for a pretty effect.  Sprinkle white side with chopped chives.

To make life easier, I just cook it as one soup.  Not as attractive but very yummy.  If I was cooking for guests, would probably make it the way it was intended.  I also usually leave out the cream and am able to freeze it.  Looks a bit disgusting when it thaws, but stirs to a good consistency when heated.  Great, in cooler weather, to grab from the freezer on the way to work and eat for lunch. 

[a non-amos]

Pat, we cheated with canned soup for many years before I finally made it for real.  The years of cheating gave us experience in what could be done with this, and it served us well.  It still does not compare with the real thing, once I got around to learning how to make it.

Greenone, your recipe is inspirational.  I think I might have to experiment a bit more with sweet potato.  Maybe with some apple, cinnamon, and peanut butter?

 

[birdy]

As I've mentioned before, my favorite thing to make for dinner is reservations.  But I actually do some (as little as possible) cooking, and I do read recipes occasionally, especially if they have chocolate in them.

I don't think I've come across lime leaves as an ingredient before.  Are they something you find in the supermarket?  Are they just leaves from a lime tree?  Not that I'd be too likely to find that growing in NY, unfortunately.

But actually, it sounds delicious, and I do like the idea of having something a little fancier than a basic soup if I ever have company...

[rogue_mother]

Birdy, Google is your friend here. There seem to be several places in NYC that sell lime leaves, either fresh or frozen. It looks like the best bet is at a Thai grocery. Not sure what's in Brooklyn, but if you are eager, you can go over to Manhattan.

[birdy]

When I mentioned my question to a friend last night, he (somewhat snarkily) said that well of course I could get lime leaves here - they're used a lot in Mexican cooking - I should be able to get them in my supermarket.

So I guess it's just my lack of culinary experience/knowledge that is showing!

[pat]

Birdy, I have exactly the same problem as you on the odd occasion I decide to actually get the pots and pans out and get stuck in. I have endless recipe books but many of the recipes call for ingredients that I've either never heard of or wouldn't know how to obtain.

And the other problem, of course, is that when you do so little cooking you end up buying one-off ingredients that eventually end up in the bin. So overall, ready-made does it for me!