Scampi Pasta for Cook the Books Dec/Jan Selection: Miss Cecily's Recipes for Exceptional Ladies by Vicky Zimmerman

Even when I host the selection for Cook the Books, our bi-monthly virtual foodie book club, I still manage to be the last entry in! 

I selected the novel, Miss Cecily's Recipes for Exceptional Ladies by Vicky Zimmerman, for our because it had been hanging out on my Kindle TBR pile for ages and I thought the story of a friendship between two women, several decades apart in age, would be light and charming.

 Here's the blurb from the publisher:

An unlikely friendship between two stubborn, lonely souls anchors this big-hearted book and dares us all to ask for more. 

When her life falls apart on the eve of her 40th birthday, Kate Parker finds herself volunteering at the Lauderdale House for Exceptional Ladies. There she meets 97-year-old Cecily Finn. Cecily's tongue is as sharp as her mind, but she's fed up with pretty much everything. 

Having no patience for Kate's choices in life or love, Cecily prescribes her a self-help book...of sorts. Thought for Food: an unintentionally funny 1950s cookbook high on enthusiasm, featuring menus for anything life can throw at the "easily dismayed," such as: 

• Breakfast with a Hangover 

• Tea for a Crotchety Aunt 

• Dinner for a Charming Stranger

As she and Cecily break out of their ruts, Kate will learn far more than recipes. 

I will say that it took  me a while to get into the book. I found both Kate and Cecily to be annoying in different ways, but eventually both characters grew on me and I found myself rooting for Kate and understanding and liking Cecily. Although she was brusque and domineering, she had Kate's best interests at heart and pushed her toward better and happier life choices.

The cookbook snippets and menu titles were probably my favorite thing about the book. I would love to have a copy of Thought for Food: A Cookbook for Entertaining Occasions by Esther Shavin on my shelves. I just wish there had be some recipes included. 

Overall, once I got into the book, I enjoyed this story and friendship. It made me smile and it made me tear up. I am happy that it finally made it out of the bottomless pit of my TBR. 

There was plenty of food inspiration in the book, between the dishes Kate cooked and ideas in the cookbook. Ultimately, I wanted pasta and was at first going to make a carbonara. Then, although I should take points off because Kate cooked it as part of a meal for her useless boyfriend Nick, I got intrigued by the fried scampi that was part of "Dinner for the Man You Hope to Marry." I decided to just combine the scampi (non-fried) with buttery, garlicky noodles for one. I call it "A Quick But Indulgent Dinner When You are Tired as Hell."  Yes, I did throw it in a blow (bright yellow/gold to sorta match the cover of the book) and eat it on my couch with chopsticks because sometimes noodles eaten with chopsticks are just more fun. 

Quick and Easy Scampi Pasta for One (or Two If You Must)
By Deb, Kahakai Kitchen

About 1/2 lb pasta--I like linguine, dried or fresh
3 tablespoons salted butter
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon coarsely-minced garlic
1/2 lb jumbo or colossal shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used frozen easy peel extra jumbo 16-20)
sea salt  and black pepper to taste

1/3 cup white wine or chicken stock
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1 Tbsp fresh parsley chopped
2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta in water (salted like the sea) and according to package directions.

While pasta cooks, melt butter in a saucepan over medium high heat with the olive oil and add in the garlic and shrimp. Season with salt and  black pepper to taste. Stir continuously, turning shrimp until it just turns pink, about 2-3 minutes depending on the size of your shrimp

Pour in the white wine or chicken stock to deglaze the pan. Stir in lemon juice and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss to coat with the butter. 

Top with parsley and grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy immediately. 

Notes/Results: Butter, garlic, noodles, shrimp... need I say more? You could add capers or crushed red pepper flakes if you are inclined and up the amount of cheese (I didn't realize I was almost out). Excuse the bad photos, I came home from work tired as hell, tossed it together and ate it on the couch with chopsticks while I binge-watched the first four episodes of Poker Face on the Peacock channel which I think is going to be a new favorite. Like Columbo only with Natasha Lyonne.   

As this round is over, I will be rounding up the entries at the Cook the Books site in the next few days. If you missed this round and like food and books and foodie books, please join us for our February/March selection, The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan, hosted by my fellow Hawaii blogger, Claudia of Honey From Rock.

 

Soubise (Onion and Rice Casserole) for Cook the Books Feb/March Pick: "Red Sparrow" by Jason Matthews

It's Cook the Books time again, the bi-monthly virtual foodie book club I cohost and of course, per usual, I am right at the deadline. What can I say? February was busy, March was no better and I found myself involved in five "buddy reads" of books with various book groups, not counting this one. This book got put on the back burner and I finished it Tuesday, last night after a long day of work I tossed my dish together and I was way too tired to set up lighting and fuss with the looks, so I apologize for the very bad pictures. 

This round of Cooks the Books was hosted by Simona of briciole and her pick was Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews, a spy novel with recipes. 

From the Publisher:

In contemporary Russia, state intelligence officer Dominika Egorova has been drafted to become a “Sparrow”—a spy trained in the art of seduction to elicit information from their marks. She’s been assigned to Nathaniel Nash, a CIA officer who handles the organization’s most sensitive penetration of Russian intelligence. 

The two young intelligence officers, trained in their respective spy schools, collide in a charged atmosphere of tradecraft, deception and, inevitably, a forbidden spiral of physical attraction that threatens their careers and the security of America’s valuable mole in Moscow.

My Thoughts:

I have never been a reader of spy novels. I actually avoided them until the author of one of my favorite series released a new series centered around a former CIA case officer with the first book set in Russia. I gave it a try and enjoyed it enough to load the second and third on my Kindle but I haven't gotten around to reading them yet. Anyway, I digress... we are here to talk about Red Sparrow. I was a bit lukewarm  going into this book and wondered at the combination of spies and food, and was not thrilled to be reading about Russia given the current Ukraine situation, but I actually found myself caught up in the story and wanting to find out what happened next. 

It's not a perfect book for me--it's a deeper, grittier dive into the spy trade than I wanted. Some of the violence and misogyny is hard to take, as are the descriptions of "Sparrow School" where Russian women and men train for honey traps and more. The pace is uneven, tension ebbed and flowed and I found myself slogging through some parts and then rushing through others. But I liked Dominika and Nate and some of the other characters and I kept reading. The food descriptions and abbreviated recipes were varied from different countries and cuisines beyond Russia, and I actually marked several I wanted to make or read up on.  

Overall, it diversified my reading with a seldom-picked genre, and that's always a good thing. I don't know if I'll keep going--it's a trilogy I believe, but I am curious to see what happens after somewhat of a cliffhanger ending. I may even try and watch the film version (I tend to avoid spy movies too so it wasn't something I made an effort to see.) 

Food Inspiration:

As I mentioned above, a recipe follows each chapter, based on something one of the characters cooked or ate. I originally thought about making the "Old Lady's Beet Soup" from the first chapter but I wasn't feeling it. Some of the pastas and sauces sounded good, as did the Bristol Hotel Cucumber Salad and Gable's Cheese Fondue and Proper French Omelet. I ended up going with (Station Chief) Forsyth's Soubise, described as "He knew one dish, a soubise, buttery braised rice and caramelized onions." It was what I wanted most. 

I took the recipe sketch in the book and also looked online where I found Julia Child's version. Mine is a combination of the two, cut down t heavily to make a small portion and I cheated by using my favorite frozen glazed onions.(I used a tray which is about 3 onions worth). To save time on a night after a long work day, I cooked my arborio rice about 10 minutes and ended up cooking the dish about 35 minutes instead of Julia's hour. I also added a little dried thyme and stirred it into the mix and besides adding the cheese to the rice mixture, at the last minute, I shaved Gruyere on top of the dish.

 

I promise, it tastes MUCH better than my sad little pictures look! ;-)

"Forsyth's Soubise" From Red Sparrow

"Boil rice in salted water for five minutes. In separate French sauciere, highly caramelize seasoned onions in butter. Stir in rice, cover, and cook gently in medium oven, stirring occasionally, until golden. Before serving, stir in heavy cream and grated Gruyere." 

-----

Soubise

Adapted from Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," Knopf, 1970 

(Yields 6 Servings)

1/2 cup rice 
4 quarts rapidly boiling water 
1 1/2 Tbsp salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/4 cup (one-half stick) butter, plus 2 tablespoons softened butter 
2 lbs yellow onions, thinly sliced 
1/8 tsp pepper 
1/4 cup heavy cream 
1/4 cup grated Swiss cheese (I used Gruyere)
1 Tbsp minced parsley (I mixed in dried thyme)

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. (I cooked it at 325 degrees)

Drop the rice into the boiling water to which has been added the salt. Boil five minutes exactly and drain immediately.

Heat the 1/4 cup of butter in a three-quart flameproof casserole and when it is foaming, stir in the onions. When they are well-coated with butter, stir in the rice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cover and cook very slowly in the oven for one hour, stirring occasionally. The rice and onions should become very tender and will usually turn a light golden yellow. Taste and reseason. (The recipe may be prepared to this point several hours in advance. Reheat before proceeding.) 

Just before serving, stir in the cream and cheese and then the softening butter. Taste again for seasonings and turn into a dish. Serve with sprinkled parsley. 

Notes/Results; OK, this is really good--really rich and REALLY good. It's creamy, buttery, decadent, and the sweet, caramelized onions and nutty Gruyere are an excellent match. It's like an oven-baked risotto with less stirring and it probably would even be better without the shortcuts I took. I was both sad and glad that I made 2-3 servings only. Sad because I enjoyed it, glad because health food it is not. I will definitely make it again. 

The deadline for this round is today, and Simona will be rounding up the entries for Cook the Books on the website in a day or two. If you missed this round and you like books and food and foodie books, join us for our April/May pick, Taste: My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci, hosted by me. 

 

Ethiopian Lentil Stew (Misr Wot): Exotic Comfort Food for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

I have been cooking and reading along with the #FoodandLit group on Litsy, my favorite book social network. So far we have visited Brazil and Vietnam, and for March, our country is Ethiopia. I am a bit behind on my reading but should finish Open My Eyes, That I May See Marvelous Things by Alice Allan shortly, and the book is set in Addis Ababa. 

For my bookish dish, I went with Misr Wot, a spiced Ethiopian Lentil Stew and I found a recipe from Saveur Magazine. The issue also had recipes for the nit'r quibe, a spiced clarified butter, and berbere, the traditional spice mix but I ended up ordering them on Amazon because it's been that kind of week. Traditionally, this stew would be served with injera, a bread made from teff and used to scoop up the stew by hand, but although I have tried it, it's not a taste/texture I have fully acquired, so I ate my curry with rice. 

Ethiopian Lentil Stew (Misr Wot)

Slightly Adapted from Saveur Magazine, Saveur: Soups and Stews

(Serves 4 to 6)

Saveur Magazine says, "The small lentils (variously called red lentils, pink lentils, Egyptian lentils, and, in South Asia, masoor dal) used for this dish turn yellow when cooked. The recipe for this version comes from an Ethiopean cook, Alemtshaye Yigezu, who cooked this dish for us while visiting her home."

1 cup red lentils
4 Tbsp nit'r qibe (Ethiopian Spiced Butter) or unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbsp berbere (Ethiopian Spice Mix)
1 small tomato, cored and chopped
kosher salt, to taste

Rinse the lentils in a sieve under cold running water and set aside.

Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the reserved lentils, 1 tbsp. of the berbere, tomato, and 4 cups water to the saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and the lentils are tender, 45–50 minutes. Stir in the remaining berbere and season generously with salt. Serve immediately.

Notes/Results: A tasty curry with warm spices and surprising layers of flavor from the butter and the spices. Thick and satisfying, and it smelled exotic and heavenly as it simmered away. The berbere spice is warm rather than spicy hot, and you can taste the cinnamon and fenugreek, along with the other spices. I have more butter. lentils and spices and I will happily make this stew again. 

Let's see who is here in the Souper Sundays kitchen this week: 

CraftyGardener is here with a classic Chicken Soup saying, "Chicken soup is a favourite in our house. This time I used an extra chicken breast that had been poached, added stock and veggies and had a delicious soup in no time. ... A delicious soup for a chilly day or a not so chilly day."

Shaheen of Allotment2Kitchen was also feeling the red lentil this week and brought Red Lentil and Thyme Soup, saying, "Its been a while since i've both eaten and cooked with red lentils.  I am missing both my mothers and sister-in-law's Red Lentil Dal. Yes, i know it is pauper food, but when made really well, it is most delicious comfort food, and this vegetarian does appreciate humble food.  This Red Lentil Soup is nothing like dal though.  It was tame soup enhanced with thyme and tomatoes to give it a bit of depth."

Thank you to Crafty Gardener and Shaheen for joining me this week!

 

(If you aren't familiar with Souper Sundays, you can read about of the origins of it here.
 

If you would like to join in Souper (Soup, Salad, and Sammie) Sundays, I would love to have you! Here's how...

To join in this week's Souper Sunday's linkup with your soup, salad or sandwich:

• Link up your soup (stew, chili, soupy curries, etc. are fine), salad, or sandwich dish, (preferably one from the current week or month--but we'll take older posts too) on the picture link below and leave a comment on this post so I am sure not to miss you. Also please see below for what to do on your blog post that you link up to Souper Sundays in order to be included in the weekly round-up.

and 

On your entry post (on your blog):

• Mention Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen and add a link back to this post. (Not to be a pain but it's polite and only fair to link back to events you link up at--so if you link a post up here without linking back to this post or my blog on your post, it will be removed.)
• You are welcome to add the Souper Sundays logo to your post and/or blog (completely optional).

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Have a happy, healthy week!

 

Nigel Slater's Cauliflower & Leek Soup with Cheesy Toasts for Souper (Soup, Salad, & Sammie) Sundays

I wanted something simple and easy and while I was thinking of potato-leek soup, I came across Nigel Slater's recipe for Cauliflower & Leek Soup.

I admit I was smitten with the cheesy toast flowing on top. I used smoked Gouda. 

 

 

Cauliflower & Leek Soup 

Slightly Adapted from Nigel Slater via TheGuardian.com

(Serves 4) 

The recipe: Remove the coarse part of the green leaves from 3 medium-sized leeks. Chop the leeks roughly. Warm a thick slice of butter, about 30g, together with 2 tbsp of olive oil in a deep pan. Add the leeks, then cover with a lid. Cook over a low to moderate heat until the leeks are soft, but without browning them.

Trim and thickly slice a medium-sized cauliflower, about 1kg in weight, then add to the leeks. Stir briefly then pour in 1 litre of vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Add a couple of bay leaves and a little salt, lower the heat and leave the leeks and cauliflower to simmer for 15-20 minutes until soft. (I added about 1/2 tsp of celery seed and two cloves of crushed garlic.)

Blitz half of the mixture in a blender until really smooth. Add a handful of parsley – about 20g – to the remainder and process in the blender to a thick, rough-textured consistency. Mix the two together and check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Spread 4 slices of sourdough bread with either a little butter or olive oil and place on a grill pan, toasting one side to a light crispness. Turn them over and cover the other side with thick slices of cheese, then return to the grill until melted. Divide the soup between shallow bowls, then float the cheese toasts on top. A few herbs, or small salad leaves, such as young red chard or watercress, can be scattered over as you wish.

The trick: Leeks burn easily, so I cook them in a little butter and oil under a lid. To keep them soft and pale, place a disc of greaseproof paper or baking parchment over the top of them, then cover with a lid, to encourage them to steam as they cook. If you want to make this for 2 decent-sized toasts to float on your soup you will need about 150g of cheese – I used Shropshire Blue. Double the amount of bread and cheese if you are making it for 4.

The twist: Leek and broccoli works well, too, and you can include all but the very toughest pieces of stalk. There is much flavour there. To spice things up a little, grate fresh horseradish into the soup at the end – about 1 tbsp should do it.

Notes/Results: Creamy, savory, a simple soup that is a terrific foil for the cheesy toast on top.  I did add a little bit more flavor with celery seed and garlic and used some leftover tarragon leaves on the top. Replace the butter and cheese with vegan versions and this creamy sup will be vegan. I would happily make it again. 

Linking up with I Heart Cooking Clubs for Hasta La Vista 2020 week.

Let's take a look into the Souper Sundays kitchen and see who is here:

Judee of Gluten Free A-Z Blog shared Italian Spinach and Garlic Soup saying, "Spinach and garlic are a fabulous combination that tastes great in this simple easy immune boosting soup. Just four ingredients plus the seasoning will cook up very quickly and provide all the benefits of greens plus the antioxidants of garlic. Truly a healthy and tasty combination."

Shaheen of Allotment2Kitchen is back and she brought Leek and Potato Soup. She says, "I made this humble and luxuriously rich Leek and Potato Soup with minimal ingredients.  It was comforting to eat. I am sharing with  I am sharing with Soup, Salad and Sammies hosted by Kahakai Kitchen. And yes, it is Welsh as the leeks have come from my garden and the potatoes were grown in Wales." 

Thank you for joining me this week, Judee and Shaheen!

 
(If you aren't familiar with Souper Sundays, you can read about of the origins of it here.
 

If you would like to join in Souper (Soup, Salad, and Sammie) Sundays, I would love to have you! Here's how...

To join in this week's Souper Sunday's linkup with your soup, salad or sandwich:

• Link up your soup (stew, chili, soupy curries, etc. are fine), salad, or sandwich dish, (preferably one from the current week or month--but we'll take older posts too) on the picture link below and leave a comment on this post so I am sure not to miss you. Also please see below for what to do on your blog post that you link up to Souper Sundays in order to be included in the weekly round-up.

and 

On your entry post (on your blog):

• Mention Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen and add a link back to this post. (Not to be a pain but it's polite and only fair to link back to events you link up at--so if you link a post up here without linking back to this post or my blog on your post, it will be removed.)
• You are welcome to add the Souper Sundays logo to your post and/or blog (completely optional).

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter 

Have a happy, healthy week and 2021!

The Book Tour Stops Here: A Review of "Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey" by Abigail Wilson, Served with Oatmeal with Cinnamon-Apple Compote

Happy Thursday! It's been such a crazy week work-wise that I am just counting down the minutes until Friday afternoon and the weekend. To distract me, I am happy to be on the TLC Book Tour for  Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey, a delightful new Regency romance by Abigail Wilson. Accompanying my review is a recipe for Oatmeal with Cinnamon-Apple Compote, inspired by my reading.

Publisher's Blurb
In this new Regency romance, Elizabeth knows she must protect her heart from the charm of her new husband, Lord Torrington. She is not, however, prepared to protect her life.

When the widowed Lord Torrington agreed to spy for the crown, he never planned to impersonate a highwayman, let alone rob the wrong carriage. Stranded on the road with an unconscious young woman, he is forced to propose marriage to protect his identity and her reputation, as well as his dangerous mission.

Trapped not only by her duty to her country but also by her limited options as an unwed mother, Miss Elizabeth Cantrell and her infant son are whisked away to Middlecrest Abbey by none other than the elder brother of her son’s absent father. There she is met by Torrington’s beautiful grown daughters, a vicious murderer, and an urgent hunt for the missing intelligence that could turn the war with France. Meanwhile she must convince everyone that her marriage is a genuine love match if her new husband has any hope of uncovering the enemy.

Determined to keep her son’s true identity a secret, Elizabeth will need to remain one step ahead of her fragile heart, her uncertain future, and the relentless fiend bent on her new family’s ruin.

 Paperback: 336 Pages

Publisher: Thomas Nelson  (May 26, 2020)

My Review:

Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey was tagged as a historical romance with some suspense and mystery which sounded light and perfect for my mood. Although Regency romance is not necessarily my go-to genre outside of Jane Austen and retellings of her work, I found myself quickly caught up in the story and intrigue. Elizabeth is on her way to a governess position with her toddler son when her coach is waylaid by a highway man and tips over. When she awakens in an inn with him by her side, and finds out he is instead, working for British Intelligence and was sent to intercept her carriage, she accepts his proposal of marriage to cover up the incident. He's a widower with two nearly grown daughters and she is a young, unwed mother protecting her son with secrets of her own, but soon they are working together to find a murder, stop the French and find out what was on the carriage that both the French and English want. 

I was a bit bummed to find out that this book was part of a series with two books preceding it as I have an obsession for reading books in order and it seriously bugs me when I don't have all of the history and backstory. I became willing to overlook it in this case because I really enjoyed Elizabeth and Lord Torrington and there was a little recapping done of some of the characters that were mentioned from the other books, so it is possible to read and enjoy this one on its own. That being said, I will likely try to find the previous books when the library opens up again and read them. At 336 pages, it is a fairly quick read and it's paced well, so I found myself speeding through it. I did have the mystery figured out fairly quickly, causing me to yell in my head at Elizabeth and Adrian. (Oh why do book characters never listen to me?!) ;-) Overall it was an engaging book with clean romance, and likable and interesting characters--a nice escape.

-----

Author Notes: Abigail Wilson combines her passion for Regency England with intrigue and adventure to pen historical mysteries with a heart. A registered nurse, chai tea addict, and mother of two crazy kids, Abigail fills her spare time hiking the national parks, attending her daughter’s gymnastic meets, and curling up with a great book. In 2017, Abigail won WisRWA’s Fab Five contest and in 2016, ACFW’s First Impressions contest as well as placing as a 2017 finalist in the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. She is a cum laude graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and currently lives in Dripping Springs, Texas, with her husband and children.

Connect with Abigail on her website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

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Food Inspiration:
There was not a tremendous amount of food in Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey but there were mentions of rosemary, hot chocolate, bread and spices, sandwiches, kneading dough, tea and cakes, plum tarts, meat and a few vegetables, soup, gruel, a aroma of "a delightful splash of cinnamon and apples," white cake, and a person who "can't abide strong cheese, nor too many spices."

I ended up taking inspiration for my bookish dish from the gruel and the apple-cinnamon aroma, making Oatmeal with Apple Cinnamon Compote. It's not an exact fit for a dish but I didn't have the time or inclination to make plum tarts and it accomplishes my desire to use up ingredients I have on hand and not run to the store. For the compote, I added cinnamon to the recipe for Apples a la Mode from Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express. And the oatmeal, I cooked in coconut milk for extra flavor and creaminess.

Apples a la Mode Topping
Slightly Adapted from Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express

Peel and core 4 apples and cut them into quarter-inch slices (I used 1 Honeycrisp apple and cut it into chunks). In a few tablespoons of butter, cook the apples about 4 minutes (longer if in chunks); add about a quarter cup of calvados (apple brandy--I added a small splash), sprinkle with (cinnamon) and brow sugar. When the apples have softened and browned, turn up the heat and reduce the liquid to a syrup. Serve over vanilla ice cream or a bowl of oatmeal). ;-)  
For the oatmeal, I used old-fashioned oats and replaced the water/milk with coconut milk and cooked them to package instructions. I topped it with the apples and a few glazed pecans.

Notes/Results: This turned out to be a great way to use up a getting-not-so-crisp apple from the pantry & it was enough for two bowls of oatmeal, or ice cream or whatever you want to put the tasty apples over. I used a splash of apple brandy which may not seem very breakfasty, it fits the week I have been having. ;-) The oatmeal was creamy and good, the apples a good mix of sweet and tart and the pecans added crunch. I will happily make it again.

I'm linking up to I Heart Cooking Clubs where we are still doing Needs Must cooking along with Julia Child and 19 other featured chefs including Mark Bittman.

I'm also sharing this post with the Weekend Cooking event that was held at Beth Fish Reads, but is now being hosted with Marg at The Adventures of An Intrepid Reader. It's a weekly event that is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share. You can see this past week's post here.

Note: A review copy of "Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey" was provided to me by the author and the publisher via TLC Book Tours. I was not compensated for my review and as always, my thoughts and opinions are my own. 
 
You can see the other stops for this TLC Book Tour and what other bloggers thought of the book here.

  

Mexican Street Corn, Hominy & New Potato Chowder for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

Although I eat all kinds of soup all year long, there is something about the Memorial Day weekend and the start of summer that makes me think: "CHOWDER, CHOWDER, CHOWDER!" I can eat chowder all of the time--especially corn chowder and this Mexican Street Corn, Hominy & New Potato Chowder has been leaving in my head ever since my friend Barb sent me a jar of Everything But the Elote Seasoning from Trader Joe's.

Ideally this soup would be made with fresh corn off the cob but I am impatient and the grocery store corn just wasn't looking that good. Still wanting to make the soup, I used frozen corn but took the extra step of thawing it out, patting it dry, and cooking it in a pan over high heat to give it a bit of a char. I did the same with a can of hominy. The result gave the corn and chowder a slight smokiness and I ended up with a soup full of flavor.

Mexican Street Corn & New Potato Chowder
By Deb, Kahakai Kitchen
(Makes 6 to 8 Servings)

About 4 cups frozen corn (thawed & well drained) or equivalent fresh corn still on the cob
1 (28 oz) can hominy, rinsed and well drained
2 Tbsp butter
1 large onion, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 red bell pepper
1 to 2 jalapenos, diced
1 can minced mild green chiles 
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried cilantro
1 Tbsp Trader Joe's Everything But the Elote Seasoning*
1 1/2 lbs baby red and gold potatoes, cut in half or quarters depending on the size
1 can creamed corn (optional)
5 cups broth (I used non-chicken broth)
1 can coconut milk or about 1 1/2 cups half-and-half or milk of choice
1 Tbsp cornstarch + 1/4 cup cold water
2 Tbsp lime juice, or to taste
salt and black pepper to taste
To Serve: green onions, cheddar cheese, cotija cheese (or feta), chopped cilantro, lime wedges, etc.

Grilling the corn and/or hominy is an extra step but worth it for the roasty flavor it adds to the soup. If using fresh corn, grill it in a grill pan or on a grill, turning it until all sides are lightly charred. If using frozen corn, thaw completely, drain well and pat dry and cook over high heat in a non-stick pan, turning as needed to get both sides to lightly char, do the same with the hominy if using. Set aside.  

Heat butter in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add onions, celery, carrots, red pepper and jalapeno and cook about 10 minutes, until veggies are softened and veggies translucent. Stir in the canned green chiles, garlic, dried oregano and cilantro, and Everything But the Elote Seasoning and cook for another 2 minutes. 

Add the potatoes, creamed corn and broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are mostly cooked through. Add the coconut milk and the corn and hominy that was set aside. Mix cornstarch with 1/4 cup cold water, stirring until completely blended. Simmer soup about 10 minutes, until thickened. Stir in lime juice, taste and add salt, pepper and adjust any other seasonings as desired. Serve with cheddar cheese and cotija cheese, chopped green onion and cilantro and lime wedges as desired. Enjoy!

*If you don't have the Everything But the Elote Seasoning you mix together chipotle seasoning, grated parmesan cheese, chile pepper, dried cilnatro and cumin together and use that for a similar flavor.   

Notes/Results: This chowder was really delicious--lots of flavor and pretty reminiscent of Mexican Street Corn and just slightly spicy (you can add more heat if desired). I think that the pan roasting the thawed frozen corn worked really well to make it seem more like fresh corn and I liked the flavor it added. The chowder is creamy and satisfying but the lime juice keeps it from being too rich. Soup in general and chowder especially are very free form and you can play with the ingredients to fit what you have or like. I happen to like this one very much and I will happily make it again. 

Let's see what awaits in the Souper Sundays kitchen this week:

Debra of Eliot's Eats shared Black Beans with Garlic and Chipotle based on a book review and said, "Since Cinco de Mayo was coming up and there was lots of good food found in the New Moon portion of the book, I decided to focus on that. We always celebrate the holiday here with a Southwest feast and with the book ending with two of these (when Deena returns to her roots and with the seder that she makes), that’s where I headed for inspiration. I pulled out my Santa Fe Cooking School Cookbook for guidance. ... I can certainly see this being whipped up in the New Moon kitchen by Rain or Casey. (The rest of our Cinco de Mayo feast consisted of these black beans on the side, along with homemade tamales with a NM chile sauce, and rice. More about the rest of the meal later.)"

Here at Kahakai Kitchen I made a Green Goddess Tuna Sandwich inspired by the same book as Debra. I used Ina Garten's Green Goddess Dressing (which is delicious) and even more so when it dresses tuna with herb and celery leaf salad on a buttered and toasted English muffin.

Thank you to Debra for joining me this week!

(If you aren't familiar with Souper Sundays, you can read about of the origins of it here.
If you would like to join in Souper (Soup, Salad, and Sammie) Sundays, I would love to have you! Here's how...

To join in this week's Souper Sunday's linkup with your soup, salad or sandwich:

• Link up your soup (stew, chili, soupy curries, etc. are fine), salad, or sandwich dish, (preferably one from the current week or month--but we'll take older posts too) on the picture link below and leave a comment on this post so I am sure not to miss you. Also please see below for what to do on your blog post that you link up to Souper Sundays in order to be included in the weekly round-up.

and 

On your entry post (on your blog):

• Mention Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen and add a link back to this post. (Not to be a pain but it's polite and only fair to link back to events you link up at--so if you link a post up here without linking back to this post or my blog on your post, it will be removed.)
• You are welcome to add the Souper Sundays logo to your post and/or blog (completely optional).

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Have a happy, healthy week and stay well!