Jacques Pépin's Corn and Hominy Chowder: Quick, Colorful and Tasty for Souper (Soup, Salad, & Sammie) Sundays

This week's soup, a healthy and hearty Corn and Hominy Chowder, comes by way of a welcome to a new chef at I Heart Cooking Clubs and a quick u-turn to buy fresh corn. At IHCC we are ending our six months cooking along with the recipes of Diana Henry and start cooking with uber-chef Jacques Pépin. I have a habit of making my first recipe with a new chef a bowl of soup, both because of its welcoming qualities, and because I find that if a chef and I 'connect' on a great soup recipe, I will usually enjoy cooking their other dishes. Technically I had already tested this theory with Pépin, having made his amazing Tomato Chowder with Mollet Eggs last year, partnered with his memoir for Cook the Books, and trying his raw, cold Silky Summer Tomato Soup with Spinach Coulis, a few summers ago--but hey, it is tradition.;-)

On Friday, I had not yet chosen a Pépin soup and was headed home from meetings when I spied the corn lady's truck at the park-and-ride near my house for the first time this year and I did a (possibly screeching) u-turn to buy a bag of sweet local corn from her. It is always so sweet and juicy and while lovely eaten off the cob, it is fabulous in a soup or chowder. I figured "it's Jacques Pépin--he has been cooking for over six decades, he must have at least one corn soup recipe." Turns out he has several. I zeroed in on this quick and easy chowder from Fast Food My Way, liking the simplicity, use of pantry ingredients, and the hominy. 

Jacques Pépin says, "I find the taste of hominy addictive. I always keep a few cans in my pantry. One day I decided to include it in this fast and flavorful soup. It was a hit!"

Corn and Hominy Chowder
Adapted from Fast Food My Way by Jacques Pépin
(Makes 6 Servings) 

3 Tbsp good olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp chopped garlic
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup minced scallion (I used 1 leek, thinly sliced)
1/2 cup Green Hot Salsa or less for a milder soup
1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes in sauce (I used fire-roasted)
1 (28-oz) can white hominy (about 3 cups kernels and juice)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock, homemade or low-sodium
sea salt to taste
1 1/2 cups corn kernels (from 2 ears of corn) (I used about 3 cups corn)
1/2 cup (lightly packed) fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the garlic, onion, and scallions. Cook for 3 minutes, then add the rest of the ingredients, except for the corn and cilantro. Bring to a boil, and cook for 15 minutes.

Stir in the corn and cilantro, return to a boil, and serve. 

Notes/Results: Simple and good. For as fast as this soup is to make, Jacques does a great job in building flavor. In addition to the salsa verde (I used former IHCC chef Ray Bayless' Frontera Medium Tomatillo Salsa.) which adds bright and spicy notes, the combination of cinnamon, cumin and thyme adds depth and a little smoky sweetness. I like the contrast of the crisp fresh local corn and the chewiness of the hominy. I forgot to grab scallions so I tossed in a leek I had in my veggie drawer along with the sweet Maui onion. This soup was a great pairing of local ingredients and pantry staples. Although satisfying on its own, it is a great base soup recipe too. For more protein, you could add a can of beans, or if feeding carnivores, some shredded cooked chicken or sliced, browned sausage. I served my soup with some mixed veggie tortilla strips and garnished it with a bit more cilantro and small chunks of Cotija cheese, but keep off the cheese, and if you use veggie broth, it's vegan. Other good toppers would be extra salasa verde, chopped tomatoes, or  pickled jalapeños. Quick, colorful, tasty, I would happily make it again.

As mentioned, we begin cooking with the amazing Jacques Pépin for the next six months at I Heart Cooking Clubs. This tasty chowder is my way of saying Bonjour Jacques Pépin! and welcoming him. It will be linked up on the post once it goes live tonight. You can see what dishes everyone made to welcome Jacques by checking out the picture links on the post. We are a fun group and everyone is welcome so if you have a hankering to cook along with us to some great themes that you can interpret your way, come join us! 

It's a Diana Henry-inspired salad kind of weekend in the Souper Sundays kitchen--let's take a look!

Joyce of Kitchen Flavours shares her version of a Diana Henry salad saying, "...I've made her salad, "Spanish Tomato and Bread Salad". I did make a few changes though. I've used some leftover homemade Garlic and Rosemary Foccacia which I've kept frozen, instead of using ciabatta as advised in the recipe. However I did not soak the bread in milk, and fried, as indicated in the recipe. I merely place the chunks of the torn foccacia in a roasting tray, drizzle with some olive oil, and toast them in the oven until they are lightly crisp.I've used a mixture of sweet, yellow and red cherry tomatoes. A simple, easy and wonderful salad to put together. I've served this alongside some roasted chicken, and it makes a lovely side dish."

In January I reviewed a book called One Step Too Far and, finding it a crazy (in the best way) book, I paired it with Diana Henry's 'Crazy Salad.' (Review and recipe here.) The author, Tina Seskis, liked the pairing and the salad and tried it herself, sending me a picture and saying, ""I absolutely loved the idea on Kahakai Kitchen of reviewing books and linking them with meals, but I am also a sucker for a pulse-based salad so was keen to give your Crazy Salad a go. So I thought I'd send you my version, and here it is, with just a few alterations (addition of red onion, omission of carrots, extra chilli oil, extra harissa) and it was delicious. Glad you food the salad as crazy good as I did Tina! 

While on this side of the world, spring has sprung, my pal Sue of Couscous & Consciousness is headed into autumn and made a version of a Diana Henry dish. About this Autumnal Fig, Farro & Blue Cheese Salad. Sue says, "This salad is the ultimate ode to autumn on a plate. The nutty flavour and texture of the farro is the perfect foil to the soft, sweet figs, the tangy dressing, the crunch of the almonds, and the salty hits of the blue cheese. This was easily satisfying enough for me to make a meal out of it all on its own, but would also make a great accompaniment to perhaps a roasted chicken or some great sausages. A glass of shiraz or a great pinot on the side, and you have a meal made in heaven. I hope you'll give it a try."
 

Thanks to Joyce, Tina Seskis and Sue for joining me this this week. If you have a soup, salad, or sandwich that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sundays logo on the sidebar for all of the details.

Have a happy, healthy week!    
 

The Book Tour Stops Here: A Review of "Behind Closed Doors" A Novel by Elizabeth Haynes, Served with Dark Chocolate Covered 'Crisps'

Kahakai Kitchen is hosting today's stop on the TLC Book Tour of Behind Closed Doors: A Novel by Elizabeth Hayes. I find Hayes' books to be dark, fascinating, and difficult to put down. And, speaking of difficult to put down, so are the salty and sweet Dark Chocolate Covered Potato Crisps that I am pairing with the book.

Publisher's Blurb:

An old case makes Detective Inspector Louisa Smith some new enemies in this spellbinding second installment of New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Haynes’s Briarstone crime series that combines literary suspense and page-turning thrills.

Ten years ago, 15-year-old Scarlett Rainsford vanished while on a family holiday in Greece. Was she abducted, or did she run away from her severely dysfunctional family? Lou Smith worked the case as a police constable, and failing to find Scarlett has been one of the biggest regrets of her career. No one is more shocked than Lou to learn that Scarlett has unexpectedly been found during a Special Branch raid of a brothel in Briarstone.

Lou and her Major Crime team are already stretched working two troubling cases: nineteen-year-old Ian Palmer was found badly beaten; and soon after, bar owner Carl McVey was found half-buried in the woods, his Rolex and money gone. While Lou tries to establish the links between the two cases, DS Sam Hollands works with Special Branch to question Scarlett. What happened to her? Where has she been until now? How did she end up back here? And why is her family—with the exception of her emotionally fragile older sister, Juliette—less than enthusiastic about her return?

When another brutal assault and homicide are linked to the McVey murder, Lou’s cases collide, and the clues all point in one terrifying direction. As the pressure and the danger mount, it becomes clear that the silent, secretive Scarlett holds they key to everything.

Paperback: 496 pages
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks (March 31, 2015)

TLC Book Tours was my introduction to Elizabeth Haynes, who has quickly become one of my very favorite mystery/thriller authors. I hosted tour stops for two of her novels--Into the Darkest Corner and Human Remains, then last year I reviewed Under a Silent Moon, the first in her Briarstone crime series with Detective Inspector Louisa (Lou) Smith and her team. Haynes writes books that are intricately plotted; where seemingly separate cases and events are woven together into a larger, usually dark and disturbing picture and keep me guessing as I turn the pages. I was anxiously awaiting Behind Closed Doors and was hoping that it would live up to the high expectations that I hold for her books. It did not disappoint. 

The most gripping part of the story is the Scarlett Rainsford case and the story goes back and forth between current time and ten years ago when a then fifteen-year-old Scarlett disappeared. It is told by the perspectives of the main character DI Lou Smith, Scarlett--both during the decade she was missing and present day, and Detective Sargent Sam Hollands, as well as through 'copies' of the various police reports on the cases. Scarlett is a compelling voice and her story had me alternating cringing, holding my breath, and occasionally wiping at tears. Her experience in captivity with sex traffickers is harrowing and gives the book its dark edge. Lou, already caught up in two big cases, has much guilt over failing to find Scarlett ten years ago. As well, she has mixed feelings about her relationship with Jason and struggles as he wants to get closer. I liked the relationship between Lou and Jason in the first book but found myself less absorbed with them and more interested in DS Sam Hollands. We got to know Sam in Under a Silent Moon and get to know her better in Behind Closed Doors. Her ability to get people to open up is one of her strengths as a DS, but it has ramifications when she finds herself becoming too involved with Scarlett and caring more than she should. I hope we have much more of Sam in future books.  

I have strong feelings about starting a series with the first book, so if you have not read Under a Silent Moon, I would strongly recommend that you read it first. I suppose you could read Behind Closed Doors without it and still keep up--but it does set up the characters and some of the story points originated with the first book. Plus you should be reading all of Elizabeth Haynes books anyway. Her writing is excellent and her knowledge of the police and legal systems and criminal behavior make her books smart, absorbing, and put the reader at the center of the investigation. I am already looking forward to her next book.  

Author Notes: Elizabeth Haynes is a police intelligence analyst, a civilian role that involves determining patterns in offending and criminal behavior. Dark Tide is her second novel; rights to her first, Into the Darkest Corner, have been sold in twenty-five territories. Haynes lives in England in a village near Maidstone, Kent, with her husband and son.

Visit her at elizabeth-haynes.com, connect with her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.

In the first Louisa Smith Book, Under a Silent Moon, Lou grabbed whatever she ate on-the-go and usually from the station vending machines so I partnered that book with Dark Mocha-Coconut No-Bake Bars to feed her coffee and chocolate addiction. Lou's eating habits have not improved from the last book. When she finally takes the time to eat, her meals seem to consist of takeout (Jason brings her a healthier chicken kebab dinner when she would have grabbed Indian, Chinese or pizza), a grocery store egg salad sandwich or a cheese baguette from the station's canteen, and of course whatever she can grab from the office vending machines--usually a pack of crisps and a candy bar. I decided to combine the crisps (potato chips to us Yanks) and chocolate theme and make one of my favorite guilty pleasures--chocolate covered potato chips. 

I first had chocolate covered potato chips many years ago from a candy store in Portland and was immediately a fan of the sweet and salty combination. I have had many variations since then and although I try not to keep chips in the house, occasionally I buy a small bag and dip my own when I get the craving. Much cheaper than most candy store prices.    

You can use any kind of chips--but the wavy/krinkle cut kind hold the chocolate best. Speaking of chocolate, the first chocolate-covered potato chips I had were dipped with  milk chocolate and the contrast between sweet and salty is excellent. Now I tend to prefer dark chocolate, but not so dark that it isn't sweet too. The one I used for these chips is a 65% dark chocolate and that seems to be the right mix for me. I usually just use chocolate and chips but I happened to see a Joy the Baker post where she mentioned that adding a touch of coconut oil helps the chocolate both loosen for dipping and set better on the chip. So this round, I gave it a try. 

You can fully dip or half-dip your crisps, I prefer the half dip. I think it looks more interesting and gives you a chocolate free 'handle' to pop them in your mouth without mess. Good for when you have a good mystery thriller in one hand and don't want to put it down!

Dark Chocolate-Covered Potato Crisps
By Deb, Kahakai Kitchen with some inspiration from Joy the Baker
(Makes about 2 Dozen Chips)

3.2 oz (95 grams) dark chocolate of choice*
24 potato chips of choice
1/2 Tbsp coconut oil (optional--see Notes/Results)

Line a plate or flat container with parchment or waxed paper and set aside. 

Chop chocolate into small pieces and place in bowl with coconut oil. Heat (microwave or double-boiler) and melted, stirring until smooth.
 
Dip chips into the melted chocolate, letting excess drip off. (I find that a spoon works really well to drip the chocolate over the chips. Place chips on the lined plate--arranged so the chocolate edges don't touch each other. Allow chocolate to set up for at least 15-20 minutes in the fridge. Enjoy!

If you don't eat them all at once, keep tightly covered in the fridge for 4-5 days.

Notes/Results: What can I say?! It's chocolate and salty chips--it can't help but be good. Of course like any simple thing, the better quality of your ingredients, the better the results. Use good chocolate and good thick and crispy chips. Flat chips look the best when dipped but I have a preference for folded over chips for the extra chocolate they house in the fold. ;-) I don't know that I saw a big difference in texture from adding the coconut oil so next time, maybe I will play with adding more.

(*Chocolate notes: I like simply processed dark chocolate which can often melt more easily when it hits room temperature. Not a problem if you are storing your dipped chips in the fridge and pulling them out to eat, but if you want to gift your chocolate covered chips or have them out on a plate at room temp, you may want to invest in a chocolate with more cocoa butter--called couverture. Here's a great article from The Kitchn about the best chocolate for dipping.)

The hardest part about making this treat is curbing the desire to dip the chips into the chocolate and then right into your mouth. Indulge in one (OK, two--you can't eat just one), then have patience and let the rest firm up so you get the full experience. ;-) However, scraping the last of the chocolate from the bowl with extra or broken chips is totally allowed. 

Note: A review copy of "Behind Closed Doors" was provided to me by the publisher and TLC Book Tours in return for a fair and honest review. I was not compensated for this review and as always my thoughts and opinions are my own.

You can see the stops for the rest of this Book Tour and what other reviewers thought about the book here.

Diana Henry's 'Crazy Salad' Revisited by "One Step Too Far" Author Tina Seskis + Ten Other Favorite Diana Henry Dishes From the Past Six Months

If you read this blog regularly you know that I do a good amount of book reviews and because Kahakai Kitchen is at its heart a food blog, I almost always pair my reviews with a recipe inspired by my reading whether it's a 'foodie' book or not. Most of the time the authors seem to like this or at least find it interesting. Few authors however become enamoured by the dish, make it themselves, and even send me a picture of it. 

When I reviewed the psychological mystery/thriller One Step Too Far by Tina Seskis, as a stop on the TLC Book Tour back in January, I paired it with a fabulous Diana Henry recipe called "Crazy Salad"--saying "...I realized that crazy salad actually captured my feelings about the book--the coming together of the different perspectives, time periods and 'hints' thrown out by the author, that seemed disjointed but came together in the end--much like the many ingredients in this salad that may seem somewhat random, but ultimately come together and taste great. A little crazy, but in the end--very good."

(Find my review of One Step Too Far and the recipe for Diana's 'Crazy Salad' here.) 

Tina Seskis, the author, sent me a lovely email thanking me for the review and saying she loved the pairing (and that she understood that I meant the book and the salad were both crazy in the best way possible!) ;-) and once the weather warmed up a bit in London, she was going to try the salad for herself. I told her that if she made it and took a picture of it, I would love to post it. So she did, and so I am!

Diana Henry's 'Crazy Salad' as interpreted by Author Tina Seskis

Tina says, "I absolutely loved the idea on Kahakai Kitchen of reviewing books and linking them with meals, but I am also a sucker for a pulse-based salad so was keen to give your Crazy Salad a go. So I thought I'd send you my version, and here it is, with just a few alterations (addition of red onion, omission of carrots, extra chilli oil, extra harissa) and it was delicious. Thanks also for your review of One Step Too Far, it's never been called "crazy" before but very glad you enjoyed it. I wonder what you will pair my next book with - its title is When We Were Friends..."

Tina did a fabulous job on the salad and definitely has me craving it again--as well as waiting anxiously for her next book. Will it spark another crazy good pairing? Hmm...

Of course I can't take credit for genius of the recipe--that was all chef and cookbook author Diana Henry. Crazy Salad with its mix of grains, veggies, fruit and harissa-spiked dressing, was one of my favorite recipes that I cooked along with her and the gang at I Heart Cooking Clubs over the past six months. It is hard to say goodbye to a weekly Diana Henry recipe as I have loved so many of her dishes. I know that we will be cooking a lot more together for IHCC Potluck weeks and just because her recipes are always so good.

To send her out in style, here are ten of my other Diana Henry favorites. It was hard to choose just ten(ish--I snuck a two-for-one in there) and they are in no particular order. These are the recipes that I most loved and the ones that I craved long after making them. 

Eastern Salmon Carpaccio was fresh, full of flavor and just plain fabulous. The Asian flavors and gorgeous color made it a dish long remembered. An quick and easy weeknight dinner that would also be perfect for entertaining.
 

A completely different take on salmon was Diana's drool-worthy Salmon Hash with Creamy Mustard Sauce. Big chunks of salmon and Yukon Gold potatoes mixed with spinach and a delectable mustard sauce had me sad when I ate the last serving. So good!

Simple to make and beautiful to look at, Yogurt with Honeyed Saffron Syrup, Apricot Compote, & Toasted Almonds was another favorite for dessert and/or breakfast. The exotic flavors of saffron, honey and orange flower water paired so well with the apricots and yogurt and the toasty crunch of almonds.  

Diana is equally adept at indulgent dishes like this wonderful Smoked Trout and Leek Risotto which was decadent, rich and creamy. Who knew smoked trout and Parmigiano-Reggiano would pair so well together?!

I would love to claim that Diana's Cabbage & Leek Colcannon is health food--especially since I added kale to the mix but there is far too much Irish butter in this mashed potato dish to make it healthy. No matter--if you have ever turned up your nose at cabbage and kale, try them in this dish and you will be hooked!

A healthier turn and certainly more colorful was this Chermoula-Marinated Tuna with Pomegranate Couscous. I totally fell for the flavors and textures of this dish. Plus, pomegranate seeds make any dish a party!

I made a few of Diana's soups but two especially stood out: her Niçoise Vegetable Stew with Rouille (and Tuna) had such unique flavor that Diana called "gutsy." With the spicy and garlicky rouille sauce it packed a flavor punch for sure.

The second soup that I can't stop thinking about was the first recipe I made with Diana for IHCC, Moroccan Lentil Soup with Yogurt & Chilli-Fried Onions. It certainly elevates a bowl of lentil soup with the slight smokiness of the cumin, the aromatic and slight sweetness or the coriander and the ras el hanout blend. Then the toppings of cool tangy yogurt and those sweet and spicy onions. Yum!

A two-fer, perfect for a party plate are Diana's Spiced Feta in Olive Oil and Persian Marinated Olives. The thyme, fennel and pepper give the cheese plenty of flavor without overpowering it and the olives were a great mix of dill, cilantro and parsley with lemon and chile. Wonderfully munch-able. 

Finally, this pretty Orange & Fennel Salad with Pomegranate & Feta is a another favorite Diana Henry salad. Such excellent flavors and colors--along with the fennel, the salty, creamy feta contrasted well with the honey in the dressing and the sweet oranges and slightly tangy pomegranate seeds. I have made it a couple of times since the post and enjoyed it each time.

What a fabulous six months it was! I am hungry all over again just looking at these recipes.

A big thanks to Tina Seskis for letting me share her salad skills. I will be including it in my Souper Sundays roundup post this weekend. If you like dark, suspenseful psychological thrillers and to be kept guessing, give One Step Too Far a try.

This post will be linking up for our Farewell to Diana Henry! tribute at I Heart Cooking Clubs. You can see the recipes everyone chose to make and/or remember this week by following the picture links on the post. 

Which Diana Henry dish is your favorite or which of her dishes would you want to make?
 

Pea and Cilantro Soup with Red Chili Cream (and Fried Tortilla Strips) for Souper (Soup, Salad, & Sammie) Sundays

Pea soups can be a little bland sometimes but this Pea and Cilantro Soup from Diana Henry's Plenty adds a little something different to pea soup with the blend of cumin and cilantro and by topping it with a Red Chili Cream. I added some strips of tortilla, crisped up in oil to add some welcome crunch. 

Pea and Cilantro Soup with Red Chili Cream
Adapted from Plenty by Diana Henry 
(Serves 6-8)

For the Soup:
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 potato, chopped
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
large bunch of cilantro
2 lbs frozen green peas
4 cups chicken or veggie stock
lemon juice to taste

For the Cream:
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
2 fresh red chilies, seeded and sliced
1/2 cup whipping cream
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper
pinch of superfine sugar (optional)

Heat the oil and butter in a heavy pan. Add the onion and potato and stir. Add the cumin and stir for a minute to release the aroma. Chop the cilantro stems (reserve the leaves) and add them as well, stir, add a splash of water and cover. Sweat for about 20 minutes, adding a splash of water every so often to prevent it sticking on the bottom of the pan. 

Add the peas, stock, cilantro leaves, and seasoning and bring to a boil. Simmer for 3 minutes, then leave to cool. When at room temperature, puree in a blender and add lemon juice to taste. 

To make the cream, heat the olive oil and saute the chilies until soft. Put into a blender and add the cream, lemon juice, and a bit of salt. Blend briefly until broken down. Add a little water to thin it out (It should be able to float on the soup but not be in thick blobs). Check the seasoning. You might think it needs the tiniest pinch of sugar. Reheat the soup before serving (or serve cold) and garnish with the cream. 

Notes/Results: The cumin and cilantro add good flavor to this creamy soup but it is the red chili cream that makes it special. Slightly sweet (I did add the pinch of sugar), slightly tangy, and with a little bit of heat, it is a nice foil to the peas. I had coconut milk creamer in the house, so I used that instead of heavy cream. If you do that and leave out the butter, you can make it vegan. I really like having the strips of deep-fried tortilla to add a crunchy texture to the soup--tortilla chips would work well too. Quick and easy to make, it would be a good starter to a Mexican-themed meal and it works either hot or cold. I would make this again.  

I am going to link this post up with Potluck Week at IHCC--a chance to make any recipe from Diana Henry or any of our previous IHCC chefs. You can see what everyone else made for Potluck by checking out the picture links on the post.

We have a couple of good friends hanging out with me in the Souper Sundays kitchen this week. Let's see what they brought!  

Alicia of Foodycat made Garlic Soup with Gruyere Croutons inspired by Ruth Reichl's Comfort Me With Apples and a soup she enjoyed years ago. She says, "The mention of garlic soup reminded me of the delicious, pungently wine-flavoured garlic soup we'd had in Switzerland, back in 2007 when I was but a baby blogger. I've tried a couple of different versions but I've never quite nailed the combination of fresh-tasting but cooked garlic and dry wine that I remember. This time I tried a version from one of my favourite defunct food blogs, FX Cuisine. Such a great blog but no activity since 2009. Anyway, in his version you roast the garlic with quite a lot of oil, then use that garlic and oil to make a roux before adding stock to make the soup. He also adds noodles to it. I used some dry white wine as well as the chicken stock, and used sourdough olive bread croutes (nothing says "San Francisco" to me like sourdough!) smothered with gruyere cheese to make it substantial enough to be a meal. It was completely delicious, but still nothing like the one we had in Wengen."

Tina of Squirrel Head Manor and Novel Meals shares a classic Lentil Soup inspired by a review of The Soup Club Cookbook. She says, "There are many recipes in this book and not all of them are soups or stews. There are also side dishes and breads. The very cool thing about the recipes are the stories that accompany them. The back stories of these women and their families make it extra special. It started with four friends, women who didn't know each other before they moved to New York City. They became friends & eventually decided to start a soup club. ... With so many intriguing recipes I am selecting a favorite of mine - lentil soup. The quantities of ingredients have been cut back tremendously and I am a "little bit of this, little bit of that" type measurer so....I will just include the recipe in it's original format."

 

Joanne from Green Gourmet Giraffe is sharing these yummy-looking open-faced sandwiches and says, "I made myself Cheesey Peas on Toast for lunch. "I heated and mashed some green peas.  I mixed them with a spoonful of cream cheese and a little grated cheese.  It was very nice with a grinding of black pepper and some time under the grill.  However the peas were quite sweet so perhaps some spring onions in the mix would give the bite it needed.  A nice easy lunch that I would be happy to eat often."

 
Thanks to Foodycat, Tina and Joanne for joining me this this week. If you have a soup, salad, or sandwich that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sundays logo on the sidebar for all of the details.

Have a happy, healthy week!    
 

Ruth Reichl's (Very Comforting) Sunny Buttery Saffron Rice Pudding (Sholeh Zard) for Cook the Books: "Comfort Me With Apples"

I am hosting the February/March round of Cook The Books, our bi-monthly virtual foodie book club with Comfort Me With Apples: More Adventures at the Table by Ruth Reichl. Comfort Me With Apples covers Ruth's life from 1978 through the late 1980s and her journey from chef to food writer and restaurant critic.

It's a memoir that balances Ruth's passion for food and describing it in vivid detail, with tales of her (at times almost soap-opera-ish) life. It is her incredible food writing that pulls me into her books--although I greatly admire her ability to write so directly about her personal life and drama with such honesty--despite how it might make her come across. I was at a writing workshop last weekend and the author who instructed the afternoon creative non-fiction session said that her editor once told her that in writing her memoir, she should write "like everyone you know is dead"--as if it's 100 years from now, so you can be completely and brutally honest. That to me describes Ruth Reichl's style to a T. While never deliberately unkind to herself and others--whether reviewing a chef/restaurant or describing family or a lover, she doesn't pull any punches. Coupled with her ability to put food to words in such a way that you feel as if you are dining with her, as well as including some of the recipes most meaningful to her experiences at end of each chapter, it makes for an engrossing read.     

One would think that being the host, having selected the book ages ago and having finished (re-reading) it last month, that I could manage to be early with this Cook the Books round but no. It hasn't been an easy couple of months for a variety of reasons and time just seems to slip away, so I find myself slinking in a few days before the deadline as usual. That doesn't mean I haven't been thinking about my entry though. As I was going through the book, none of the recipes or mentions called to me particularly, or if they did, someone else had already made them. I definitely wanted comfort food. Had I not already made it last year for a book review, Ruth's Matzoh Brei would have certainly been a contender. There's also the Massaged Kale Salad with Currants, Pine Nuts & Parmesan inspired by a mention in Ruth's novel Delicious! that has become a healthy-ish comfort dish for me as I make it on a regular basis. 

Wanting to try a different Ruth recipe, I went to her blog. I get my fix of Ruth's writing by periodically cruising through Ruth's Words on her website where she reviews restaurants and talks about dinner parties, various dishes she cooks, and other foodie things. I definitely go there for her words and not the food photography which always makes me smile because well..., it just isn't great. But, do you know what? She is Ruth freaken Reichl!--her words paint the picture of what she eats better than any picture could. ;-) I found a few recipes that I intend on making someday, but it was the recipe for Persian Rice Pudding or Sholeh Zard that most called to me. I agree with Ruth that rice pudding is the ultimate in comfort food (OK, maybe right next to soup), so it seemed perfect for the book.    

Ruth's recipe serves twelve and although I have been in need of serious comfort lately, I didn't need that many servings of sweet rice pudding. I made a small batch--about three servings worth, by adjusting and (mostly) quartering the recipe quantities. I have written the recipe as I have adjusted it below. If you are feeding a crowd, follow the link to the original recipe. 

Ruth says, "Rice pudding is the chicken soup of desserts. Ultimate comfort food, it's an international dish that changes its style as it travels the world. Once again perusing my stack of Time-Life books I came upon another recipe I couldn’t resist: sholeh-zard, or Persian saffron rice pudding. A goldenrod smear on the page suggests I once made this, but I have no memory of it. Intrigued by the saffron - and the fact that this rice pudding contains no milk - I decided to try it. Unlike the two previous recipes I’ve written about here, this one was so sweet and so strongly redolent of rose water that I made a few serious modifications. Trolling around on the internet I found that sholeh-zard is traditionally incredibly sweet; one recipe I found called for three cups of sugar to one cup of rice. And the classic version is so strongly perfumed with rosewater that some recipes call for as much as a cup. But I've made this to my own taste, so it's less sweet and less perfumed. It is also, in my opinion, very delicious." 

Sunny Buttery Saffron Rice Pudding (Sholeh Zard)
Adapted from Ruth Reichl.com  
(Ruth's Recipe Serves 12 -- Reduced Below to Serve 3)
 
2 cups water
1/4 cup basmati rice, rinsed and soaked
pinch of salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 pinch saffron threads, pulverized with a mortar and pestle or the back of a spoon, and dissolved in 1 Tbsp water
1 scant Tbsp rose water, or to taste
2 Tbsp slivered blanched almonds
1 Tbsp slivered or finely chopped unsalted pistachios
1 tsp cinnamon (garnish)

In a heavy saucepan, bring the water to a boil over high heat. Pour in the rice and salt and stir. Reduce the heat to the lowest possible point and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. The rice will still be quite watery. Stir in the sugar, then add the butter and the saffron mixture and continue stirring over low heat until the sugar has dissolved, the butter has melted, and the rice is bright yellow. 

Stir in the slivered almonds, and about 1/2 tablespoon of the pistachios and, stirring occasionally, cook for 30 minutes longer until the mixture is thick enough to hold its shape almost solidly in the spoon.

Stir in the rose water according to taste. Ladle into a bowl or several small ramekins. Let cool at room temperature, and then refrigerate for at least two hours. 

Traditionally, this pudding is decorated with lines of cinnamon and nuts laid out in your own personal design.

Notes/Results: Besides not needing the sugar, butter and calories from twelve servings of sholeh zard, I also was concerned that it might be too aromatic, sweet and floral for my tastes however, Ruth's tastes mirrored my own and I really enjoyed the flavor. It was just about right in terms of sweetness, rose and saffron flavor and is really quite delicious. A bit more "solid" and less creamy than some rice puddings I have made (the no-milk aspect, non-dairy if you use a butter alternative) and the nuts add a nice little crunch. I think some dried fruit would be great in here as well. Since it's a cold rice pudding, it would be a fabulous summer dessert--although the bright sunny color does make it warm up a dark and dreary day. Noting that Ruth said sholeh zard is traditionally decorated with lines of cinnamon and nuts in designs and patterns, I looked it up in Google Images and it was fun to see the different and very creative variations. Since I was serving mine in ramekins and I like things simple, I just made a single flower pattern to top the small bowls. A great way to use some exotic pantry items I had stocked up on, pretty, and delicious, this was a fun recipe to add to my rice pudding collection. (I think this is #7 on the blog according to the rice pudding label on my sidebar.) I will happily make it again.

I'll be rounding up all of the dishes that Comfort Me with Apples inspired shortly after the deadline on the Cook the Books site. If you missed out this round and like food, books and foodie books, consider joining us for April/May with our pick; The Feast Nearby: How I Lost my Job, Buried a Marriage, and Found My Way by Keeping Chickens, Foraging, Preserving, Bartering, and Eating Locally (All on Forty Dollars a Week) by Robin Mather, hosted by Deborah of Eliot's Eats.