The Busy Gourmand

Chorizo Squash and Corn Stew

I know we are technically only a few days into winter but I find myself suffering from a bit of what I call the “winter blahs.” The signs include lounging in bed a bit longer than I should and an overall case of ennui. Sitting in a cold office most of the day does not help much either.

In order to shake myself from this condition I have started altering my routine a bit. I have added shopping at the local Mexican market to my list of new things to do. The result has been a bit of inspiration about new things to cook, or trying to cook old food concepts in a new way. I am a big fan of stews and soups during the winter as most of you have already figured out. So I decided to add one more to the list.

I found some really good Mexican chorizo which I would normally cook with some scrambled eggs and eat it with some tortillas. This time I combined it with some butternut squash and some corn to create a chorizo, squash and corn stew. A bit of a variation from the last recipe with the added heat of the chorizo. Although it certainly has not cured the winter blahs it at least put a smile on my face for a little while.

Squash, Bean, and Corn Soup

I was recently reminded that we throw the term “American” around pretty casually. We often hear about things being “American as apple pie” or “Americans have a different value system,” largely referring to the people who live in the 50 United States. Of course apples are not indigenous to the continents that make up the Americas and one of our 50 states would more accurately be classified as part of Polynesia. The term “America” has devolved into a sort of jingoist phrase more intent on exclusion than inclusion, and based on no real tie to the continental geography.

The reality is that the people who reside in the Americas, therefore Americans, range from Tierra del Fuego in the South to the Northern Territories of Canada. We are all Americans. We do divvy it up a bit with South Americans, Latin Americans, North Americans, and Central Americans. The operative word in all cases is American. And if you took a survey of what most people in these continents would consider to be “American” food you would probably be surprised that the vast majority would consider squash, beans, and corn as the main food staples as opposed to hamburgers (German), pizza (Italian), and the aforementioned apple pie (English and/or French). Ironically, squash, beans, and corn were being consumed by most indigenous Americans long before anyone from the West ever stepped on the continents.

Soup with the Extra Garnish

I thought it would be appropriate to make a real American meal using the three food staples with an assist from two other American crops, chiles and tomatoes. The latter two not always considered essential cooking ingredients but ones that offer a flavor assist not to mention a good reason to drink a beer. And what better way to serve the ingredients than in a soup. The blandish tendencies of squash, beans and corn were assisted by getting a good caramel glaze on the squash, and using chipotle chiles along with some cumin and cilantro. And to finish it, a dollop of sour cream mixed with lime juice, a squeeze of lime over the top, and for a bit more decadence, using another indigenous crop, some cubes of avocado. You could skip the avocado and the sour cream, but the squeeze of lime finishes the whole dish. So when you are looking for some “real American food” I would suggest this recipe for squash, bean and corn soup.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Like most everyone else when it comes to Thanksgiving I tend to stick with the tried and true, the usual. It is not that you cannot try to do new things at Thanksgiving. It is just that there is something comforting in the knowledge that a well-cooked turkey is going to be accompanied by mashed potatoes, dressing and a handful of other dishes usually followed by a pumpkin or pecan pie, or hopefully both. This year we opted for a few things that were a bit out of the ordinary. Not like a walk on the wild side with Lou Reed, but more like a pleasant variation on some old themes.

Instead of a whole turkey we just cooked a turkey breast. Considering the number of people dining it made a lot of sense. Although in prior years it would have seemed like blasphemy. With careful preparation it turned out moister than the whole-turkey version. Rubbed with butter and fresh herbs it was a very nice change. Instead of mashed potatoes we had the “Greek-style” potatoes made in an earlier post. Definitely emphasizing the lemon and feta cheese, this went well with the turkey. I played with my usual cranberry compote relying on apricot preserves more than sugar. I liked the new version better. Less cloying with the orange and ginger flavors really coming through.

The Whole Pumpkin Cheeseake

The biggest change came from me complaining “pumpkin pie again?” I pushed for a pumpkin cheesecake. I know, not exactly pushing the envelope, but definitely more interesting. After a lot of research the resident pastry chef came up with an excellent and light version using a mix of spices that really made the pumpkin flavor shine through. And, unlike the “America’s Test Kitchen” version which takes two days to make, I believe he was done with the whole thing in a matter of a couple of hours. This is definitely worth a try if you ever suffer from pie fatigue.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

When in the course of culinary events you cannot find a recipe that fits your idea of a very common food offering, you go out and invent a new version. A version not so new as to be unrecognizable but new enough that someone might actually think your iteration is a step forward in the development of cooking. Not a giant leap mind you. Just a little step forward that will put a smile on your face. One of those food “aha” moments.

I was on a soup jag after the white bean soup. There was something so natural about eating a bowl of soup with a slice of crusty bread for dinner that I had to continue with at least one more. So armed with some broccoli in the refrigerator I went in search of a cream of broccoli soup. To my chagrin this was not an easy task. The most common recipes included cooking the broccoli to mush in some chicken broth, pureeing the mixture, adding some cream and then some salt and pepper. Not the most inspiring concoction.

So thinking about my recent foray into potato and leek soup I came up with the idea to cook the broccoli with a potato. This would allow be to add some creaminess without adding a whole lot of cream. Next I thought the whole thing would be made more interesting with just a touch of bacon, a couple of dashes of hot sauce, and chopped roasted chiles of the mild variety. This also allowed me to keep the palette mostly in the green category. (I hate it when someone wants to know why there are “red pieces” floating in the sea of green broccoli. It is easier to give the philistines what they want.)

I never had the “soupspicion” (old Creole for “suspecting” something) that this would turn out so well. The bacon was a nice addition but not overpowering. The smoky heat from the hot sauce was just right. And with the potato I kept the cream content to a minimum allowing the flavor of the broccoli to dominate. You can of course follow the usual recipes, or you can take a leap into the unknown and try my cream of broccoli soup.

Ham and White Bean Soup

Sometimes I even surprise myself when something I produce is so wonderful. I had the leftover white beans and smoked ham from my dinner last night. I decided to make them into a soup. To the beans I added some sauteed onions, carrot, celery and ginger, a dash of hot sauce and some chicken broth. I pureed the beans and added the leftover diced ham. I let the whole thing simmer for about 15 minutes.

All I can say is “Wow!” The soup had a wonderful creamy consistency. The smokiness of the ham from cooking the previous day permeated the soup. The heat from the ginger and the hot sauce gave it just enough interest. With a slice of bread and a garnish of cilantro leaves it is one of the best meals I have had in a long time. More good news…I have some leftover for lunch today!

Our last housekeeper was from El Salvador. When I asked her what was her favorite meal she replied, beans and rice. It has been my experience that beans and rice are considered peasant food throughout Latin America. I have never seen them offered on a menu or offered as a meal when visiting someone in their home. And yet, despite the lack of status, she chose beans and rice because to her they are the ultimate comfort food. She was fascinated by the fact that I usually prepared my own beans rather than using a canned variety.

When we were in Barcelona I saw a dish that struck me as being so simple and looked so satisfying I have made it several times since then. It is a smoked ham shank simmered in a pot of white beans. Seasoned with some salt, pepper, and a bit of onion and garlic. You cook it in a low oven for about two hours. It has to be one of the simplest yet most satisfying meals that I make. Feeling a bit blue last night I decided to treat myself with this recipe. The good news…I am going to make a white bean and ham soup with the leftovers for tomorrow’s dinner.

Penne in a Basic Tomato Sauce

This week I recalled an interview with Paul Volcker when he was Chairman of the Federal Reserve during the 1980’s. The interview was conducted in his apartment in Washington while he was preparing his evening meal, spaghetti with a tomato sauce. Apparently while living away from his wife, who was then residing in New York during the week, he prepared the same meal every night; pasta with some sort of tomato sauce. I remember thinking “Here is one of the most powerful men in the world reduced to eating pasta every night.” I felt sorry for him at the time.

Rigatoni alla Vodka

Well this week I pulled a Paul Volcker (not to be confused with the banking regulation the “Volcker Rule”). I made a big pot of tomato sauce and decided to eat pasta on three consecutive evenings using different variations on the sauce. The first night was my basic tomato sauce with penne pasta. In some instances the basics are often the best and with a bit of parmigiano reggiano it made for a satisfying meal. I followed the second night with a rigatoni alla vodka, using the basic sauce and adding some sun-dried tomatoes, some cream and of course some vodka. This was even more satisfying. Finally last night I went all in and made a puttanesca sauce, starting with the basic sauce and adding olives and capers. I put this sauce over a nice plate of bucatini. All in all acting like Paul Volcker for a few nights was not so bad after all.

Bucatini with Puttanesca Sauce

Pastis Made With Leftovers

When you are cooking for one you are bound to have a few leftovers. The options of course are to eat the leftovers for lunch the next day or turn them into a new dish for a future dinner. These leftover inventions are hard to categorize because it is likely you will never prepare the dish exactly the same way again. You would have to have the same mix of leftovers to follow the recipe. According to MFK Fisher this is the measure of a true cook; being able to use whatever is on hand including leftovers to create a new recipe. I am actually pretty good at throwing leftovers together and creating something new and delicious.

Last night I found the leftover rosemary potatoes from my roast chicken night. I thought about making some scrambled eggs and sauteing the potatoes with some onions and peppers. Kind of like cooking breakfast for dinner. Instead I took it a step further and made a pastis or a quiche-like preparation I had in Barcelona. The leftover potatoes went on the bottom of the pan, along with some feta cheese, onions and peppers, and some crumbled bacon. I poured the egg mixture over the top and then topped the eggs with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese. The result was delicious. I guess all you need for this dish is some leftover potatoes and my pastis recipe.

And my apologies for all the bad pictures lately. The digital camera is in Europe and I am using my phone for the photography. No that my digital camera photos are that much better.

Russian Sage

Waldorf Chicken Salad

While soup may seem too complicated for a dinner for one, we often fall back on salads as the easy way out of making dinner. There is nothing wrong with a salad as long as you put some ingenuity into it. My days of “training” where I would put sliced roasted chicken breasts on top of a pile of greens was definitely a time saver. But it was not the most satisfying meal especially if you eat it three or four days in a row. And changing the salad dressing or the mix of greens did not really have any great impact either.

Ergo todays chicken salad, the venerable Waldorf chicken salad. This has grown from a simple recipe of poached chicken pieces, apple chunks and some walnuts covered in mayonnaise, and has blossomed into so many Waldorf varieties I cannot count them. I have seen it made with pecans and pistachioes. Some people insist on using grapes or raisins. Others caramelize their walnuts to add a sweet flavor to the mix. I am not a big fan of gloppy mayonnaise recipes so my Waldorf chicken salad uses a bit of mayonnaise diluted with some olive oil and white wine vinegar. And to make the whole thing a bit more enticing I add just a bit of mustard to the mix. I like the sharp contrast with the sweet apples.

So here we are day three of the roasted chicken, and it is sadly all gone. Roast chicken and rosemary potatoes the first night, Asian-style chicken soup the next, and finally an inventive Waldorf salad. Not a bad run for the old bird.

Red Garden Roses

Asian-Style Chicken Soup

Although most people would consider it a lot of work, cooking a fresh pot of soup is one of the easiest ways to prepare a healthy meal for one. With my leftover roast chicken it became a pretty simple process. Cut up some vegetables, saute them for a bit, add some chicken stock, chicken and a starch, a small amount of noodles or rice, and you have a complete meal. Serve it with a slice of bread and you have a very satisfying meal as well. I have to admit I am a bit of a bread dunker.

The meal last night was my Asian-style chicken soup, which was originally a turkey soup invented after last Thanksgiving. It has the usual chicken soup ingredients and includes some fresh ginger and a bit of hot sauce to give the soup some spice and the small amount of soy sauce really highlights all the other flavors in the soup. Depending on how fast you can chop a few vegetables it could be finished in 30 to 45 minutes. Not a huge time invested when you are cooking for one. I am getting good use out of the roast chicken and making a very different sort of meal at the same time.

Blooming Mexican Mint Marigold