Navy Bean Soup--Comfort on a Rainy Weekend for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

It's been an overall cool, rainy and very windy weekend here. Of course this is Hawaii so in between the rain downpours there is sun and the temperature doesn't dip too low, but still it is comfort soup weather for sure. I enjoy soup all year long regardless of the weather, however a stormy day makes me want a simple soup that is thick and hearty and can bubble away on the stove all day ready to scoop into bowls for a warming dinner. This simple Navy Bean Soup meets criteria and so it got bumped up on the soup-to-make list.

The recipe comes from 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. I picked up this book for a great price at the Borders close out sales and it has sat on the nightstand, the essays being dipped into each night before bed. Mather is a food journalist who lost her job and decided to end her marriage. Simplifying her life led her back her native rural Michigan where she moved into a 650-foot cottage on a lake. The book journeys through the seasons on her year-long quest to eat well seasonally, locally, on a budget and lead a simple life. It's good fun and the essays combine her experiences, tips for homesteading and of course recipes.

Robin Mather says, "I make this recipe just for myself, freezing half or more in individual plastic containers that hold 2 cups, just enough for a fast lunch or simple supper. Some people, including me, like a little lemon juice or apple cider vinegar stirred into a bowl of bean soup to brighten and sharpen the flavors."

Navy Bean Soup
From The Feast Nearby by Robin Mather
(Makes 8 Generous Servings)

2 lbs (about 5 cups) dried navy beans
1 1/2 lbs smoked ham hocks (I used a smoked turkey leg)
1 onion, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 tsp dried summer savory or dried thyme
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sort the beans by spilling them onto a baking sheet and removing any debris and broken beans. Transfer the beans to a colander and rinse the beans with hot water until slightly whitened. Pour the beans into a large pot with a lid and add 2 quarts hot tap water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, decrease the heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour. Drain the beans by pouring into a colander in the sink; rinse with cold water. Return the beans to the pot.

Add the ham hocks, onion, carrots, and 2 quarts hot tap water; bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 3 hours. Remove the ham hocks and set aside to cool. Allow the soup to continue to simmer.

Remove the meat from the ham hocks. Dice the meat and return to the soup, discarding the gristle and bones. Add the savory or thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer the soup for 30 minutes longer, then serve.


Notes/Results: Creamy, comforting, full of good flavor and just right for a rainy, windy day. This soup doesn't take a lot of effort, just some time and is good for a day when you can let it simmer away, filling the house with a delicious aroma that makes it hard to wait. I actually tested my soup and cut about 1/2 hour off of the cooking time. My beans were tender and creamy but not mushy, which is the way I like them. I replaced the ham hocks with a smoked turkey leg from my freezer. If you want to make it vegetarian omit the smoked meat and add a touch of liquid smoke or stir in some smoked paprika at the end. I liked the squeeze of lemon that Mather recommends at the end--it does brighten the flavors. A tasty soup that I would make again.

We have a few friends waiting in the Souper Sundays kitchen, let's take a look.

Heather of girlichef is protective of her Sundays and made this Caldo Tlalpeño Garbanzo-Vegetable Soup w/ Smoky Broth to comfort. She says, "So, you can imagine my chagrin when I found out that my husband's "holiday party" for work was on a Sunday night. From 5:00-8:00. In the evening. On a Sunday. What in the higgity-hizeck is that all about!? Can you imagine what's going on in my head for the entire weekend? I know, I know...chill out, right? Deep breaths. You will get through this. So a comforting bowl of soup with a warm, smoky broth, tender shreds of chicken, and earthy, mealy chickpeas with a hint of lime and some creamy avocado...well, it was just the thing I needed to guide me through this weekend. It soothed the obsessive, organized, control-freak side of me for the rest of the day. Isn't it amazing what a good bowl of soup can do?"



It's nice to have fellow Hawaii blogger Spencer of Live2EatEat2Live Blog back this week. He made a flavorful Fish Head Soup and says, "Went to the Japanese warehouse market to look for vegetables. Found cut-up fish heads, fairly inexpensive. Decided to try to make fish head soup. ... Made a dashi with a small amount of dried wakame seaweed and dried shiitake mushrooms.Boiled firm tofu to squeeze the water out.Added ginger, Shao Xing wine and reconstituted wood-ear fungus to the dashi. Added the fish head (this was part of an Aku or tuna head) and tofu, simmered for fifteen minutes, added the Napa cabbage and simmered for another fifteen minutes, done."

Janet from The Taste Space has a salad to share, this Coleslaw with a Spicy Almond Dressing (aka Raw “Pad Thai”). She says, "Here, you chop, grate, julienne and otherwise manually spiralize a host of veggies. Pick your favourites but some are more sturdy than others: carrot, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, bell pepper, etc. Then you coat them in a spicy-sweet almond sauce: ginger and chili flakes give you some heat, dates and agave confer sweetness, balanced by the sour lemon juice and saltiness from soy sauce. And of course, this all lusciously bathes within creamy almond butter. Add enough water to make a dressing and throw it on your salad. A spicy coleslaw. I didn’t want to mislead you by calling this pad thai. ;) Devour."


Thanks to Heather, Spencer and Janet for joining in this week. If you have a soup, salad, or sandwich to share, just click on the Souper Sundays logo with all of the details.

Have a happy, healthy week!

Cranberry Syrup Two Ways--For Drinking & For Drizzling (Scarlet-Hued Holiday Cheer)

There are certain foods that I seem to always stash mass quantities of in my pantry and freezer. I have jars of many kinds of beans and grains, cans of beans and coconut milk, boxes of Pomi tomatoes, and enough varieties of nuts in my freezer to keep a family of squirrels content and well-fed through more than one winter. I am also especially attracted to bags of cranberries--bags of both fresh and frozen end up in stacks in my tiny freezer. I am not sure if it is the bright scarlet color that attracts me, more likely it is the fact that they get harder to find and more expensive during the spring and summer so I fear I will be without them. And really, can you ever predict when you might have an urgent cranberry need? Or perhaps even a cranberry emergency...?

Yes, there is actually a Belgian waffle hidden under there...

This versatile scarlet-hued Cranberry Syrup is a delicious vehicle for using up some of those excess bags of cranberries. It's easy to make, great to have on hand in your fridge for a festive dessert topping or a drink mixer. Mix it with soda or ginger ale for the kids, teetotalers and designated drivers. Add some vanilla vodka to that soda for a signature holiday drink, or some vodka and Cointreau for a festive Cranberry Cosmo. (It will impress your friends much more to have a little pitcher of homemade cranberry syrup on the bar than dragging out the big plastic jug of Ocean Spray!) Top a small jar with a bow and add a tag with some serving suggestions and it makes a great little hostess gift, party favor, or part of a gift basket. The possibilities are endless.

From Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros, this Cranberry Syrup is perfect for A Study in Scarlet, which just happens to be our I Heart Cooking Clubs theme this week.I made a double batch of the syrup and following Tessa's suggestion, left half as the thinner sauce which has made some refreshing cranberry sodas. The remainder I cooked down to thicken and served it over a Belgian waffle base, topped with vanilla-bean ice cream for a pretty holiday dessert.

Tessa Kiros says, "Here are two ways to make a cranberry syrup: one for drinking with ice and the other for drizzling over vanilla or mango ice cream. This second version is also good drizzled over pancakes or waffles, with some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. I love starting from scratch with this type of thing--it really makes me feel as if I am doing something special. Add more or less sugar according to your personal taste, and you can use fresh or frozen cranberries. I like to use vanilla-infused superfine sugar if I have some in the cupboard."

Cranberry Syrup
Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros
(Makes 1 1/2 cups of Drinking Syrup or a scant 1 cup of Pouring Syrup)

1 1/2 cups cranberries
2/3 cup superfine sugar or vanilla superfine sugar
1/2 cup boiling water

Rinse the cranberries well. Put them in a deep nonaluminum bowl, sprinkle the sugar over the top and squish it through your fingers to break up the cranberries (children might like to help you with this). Pour in 1/2 cup of just-boiled water and leave it to mingle for a bit. Crush the cranberries more now with a wooden spoon (or a potato masher works well). Strain through a sieve that is fine enough to eliminate all of the seeds and skins, pressing down with your wooden spoon to extract all of the juice. Cool completely, then chill.

Pour into glasses and top up with as much sparkling water or still water as you like and a few ice cubes, or even just ice cubes, depending on how strong you like it.


For a thicker syrup to serve over ice cream, put the cranberry syrup into a small pan and simmer over medium heat until it reduces and thickens. If necessary, skim the surface with a slotted spoon to remove any foam. The syrup will turn ruby red and cling a little to the spoon. Cool completely.


Notes/Results: An excellent combination of sweet and tart.The vanilla softens and rounds out the flavor so if you don't have vanilla sugar, just add some vanilla extract to the mixture. The thickened mixture was really delicious over the crunchy sweet Belgian waffle and vanilla ice cream--with fruit and a waffle you can even pretend it's breakfast! (Not that I am saying I did...) The thinner version is very refreshing with the fizzy soda water and ice but since I reduced the sugar slightly in mine, I actually thought it tasted even better mixed into ginger ale with its slight added sweetness. Super easy and delicious, I can see a few more bags of my precious hoard of cranberries (the ones that aren't going to make this Cranberry Sorbet), being made into syrup.

You can check out the red-hued dishes that the other IHCC participants created for A Study in Scarlet by going to the post and following the links.

What foods/ingredients/things do you "stockpile?" ;-)

Chinese Shrimp Ball Soup and a Cookbook Review of "I Love Meatballs!" by Rick Rodgers

Meatballs are more than just a topping for a pile of spaghetti. They can be an appetizer, in a soup, on a sandwich, or sauced up and enjoyed as an entree. Meatballs are hotter than ever and I Love Meatballs! by Rick Rodgers celebrates these tasty little savory treats in all their glory.

I Love Meatballs! is a small, colorful book packed with 50 fun meatball recipes covering a variety of cuisines like Swedish, Greek, Chinese, Indian, Italian to name a few. Rogers is a respected chef and cooking instructor and a prolific writer with dozens of books on food and cooking under his belt. In I Love Meatballs!, Rodgers shows how to break beyond beef, pork and veal and use turkey, chicken, lamb, fish and seafood in some creative adaptations. There are lots of mouthwatering photos along with tips and tricks for making and storing meatballs, grinding your own meat, binders to hold them together and the best way to cook them. It's a fun little book a a great holiday gift for foodies and meatball lovers.

There are plenty delicious-sounding recipes to choose from like Fried Olive Meatballs, Greek Meatballs with Tzatziki, Maryland Crab Balls with Pink Tarter Sauce, Indonesian Meatball Soup, Vietnamese Banh Mi with Quick Pickled Vegetables, Veal Parmesan Meatball Hoagies, Beef Meatball Bourguignon, German Meatballs in Caper Sauce, Koftas with Dill, Lamb Meatballs in Green Curry Sauce, Grilled Salmon Meatballs with Iceberg Wedges and Green Goddess Sauce, and Holiday Meatball Lasagna.

Craving a big noodly soup bowl for a drizzly day and having a stash of shrimp in my freezer, made the Chinese Shrimp Ball Soup a perfect recipe to "road test" this book.

Rick Rodgers says, "A classic of Chinese cooking, make this when you want meatballs on the light side. It lends itself to many additions--snow peas, baby spinach, watercress, and just about any other fresh green vegetable. Use ready-to-peel shrimp, and the soup comes together in no time. Be sure to save the shrimp shells to make the especially flavorful stock."


Chinese Shrimp Meatball Soup
From "I Love Meatballs!" by Rick Rodgers
(Makes 4 to 6 Servings)

Shrimp Balls:
1 lb large easy-peel shrimp
1/3 cup finely chopped carrot
1 scallion, minced
1 large egg, beaten
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp peeled and minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground white pepper

Soup:
shrimp shells from the peeled shrimp
6 cups canned reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
3 scallions
4 quarter-sized slices unpeeled fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic
1 skein bean threads (saifun)
soy sauce for serving
Asian dark sesame oil, for serving

To make the shrimp balls, peel and devein the shrimp, reserving the shells for the soup. Pulse the shrimp meat in a food processor fitted with the chopping blade about 10 times, or until processed into a very course puree. Transfer to a bowl. Add the carrot, minced scallion, egg, cornstarch, ginger, salt, and pepper and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 2 hours.

To make the soup, combine the shrimp shells, broth, and rice wine in a pot. Crush 1 of the scallions, the ginger, and garlic under the flat side of a large knife and add to the pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes to blend the flavors.

Meanwhile, put the bean threads in a medium bowl and add enough very hot tap water to cover. Let stand until the bean thread are pliable, about 10 minutes. Drain in a wire sieve and return to the bowl. Using kitchen scissors, snip through the threads to cut them into manageable lengths. Set aside.

Use a wire strainer to remove the solid ingredients from the soup and discard. Using a heaping tablespoon for each, drop spoonfuls of the shrimp mixture into the simmering broth--they will firm up when they hit the broth. Do not attempt to shape the mixture into smooth balls with your hands. Cover and simmer until the shrimp balls are firm and cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Cut the white and green parts of the remaining two scallions into long thin shreds about 2 inches long. Add the scallions and bean threads to the pot and cook until just heated through, about 1 minute more. Ladle into bowls and serve with soy sauce and sesame oil passed on the side for seasoning.


Notes/Results: Light, simple and full of flavor. The soup might seem as though it has a lot of steps but it goes together quickly and can be done in stages. (For example, I shelled the shrimp and made the stock in the morning, then reheated it when I was ready to put the soup together.) The shrimp balls were tender and held together well (I used a mini ice cream scoop to drop the meatballs into the broth making it quick and easy). The shrimp shells, ginger and garlic gave the stock a lot of concentrated delicious flavor. I did use a low-sodium veggie stock in place of chicken stock because that's what I had on hand, and I used rice sticks (maifun) instead of the bean threads (saifun) because I had them in my pantry. As is my habit, I tossed a large handful baby spinach leaves in the bowl before ladling in the soup for a little touch of green and some added nutrition. Sprinkled with some toasted sesame seeds and a drizzle of sesame oil (plus a little sriracha drizzled in for a spicy kick), this was a light but filling dinner and perfect for a cool, rainy night.


Disclosure Statement: A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher but as always, my thoughts, opinions and experiences cooking from the book are entirely my own.

Let's take a look in the Souper Sundays kitchen and see who is here this week.

My friend Heather from girlichef made two dishes this week, a soup and a sandwich down below. About this warming Farro and Cranberry Bean Soup she says, "But I do love being tucked cozily in the house when there's a couple feet of snow inside. As long as the fridge and pantry are stocked and the whole family is home. Even playing in the yard or sledding down the street is good, as long as we can come in and warm up with a steaming cuppa hot chocolate...or spiked coffee...and a steaming bowl of hearty soup. Like a bowl of bean-thickened soup with mouthfuls of chewy farro and crunchy bacon on every spoon. I will just have to eat while closing my eyes right now...and imagine that there is snow to go with the temperatures in the low 30's. Oh yes. I can totally see it now..."

Joanne of Eats Well With Others has a seasonal treat, The River Cafe's Winter Minestrone. Joanne says "It's not fancy, but doesn't pretend to be, and it tastes kinda like something your Italian grandma would make (or at least like something my Italian grandma would make). Not heavily spiced or spicy, it's just made from good, down-to-earth ingredients...bread and butter kinda stuff. (Except totally good for you.) And while it's not something that you're necessarily going to start screaming from the rooftops about, you're going to suddenly find yourself craving it come lunchtime. And you'll be so happy when you get home and find it in your fridge. Yeah. It's definitely the kind of thing you want to come home to."



Shri from Tiffin Carrier Antic/que's! made this Mung Beans and Root Vegetables Soup and says, "This dish is from the East Indian state of Orissa. It is made with Mung Beans and an assortment of 'white' winter vegetables like radishes and turnips. Potatoes and Colocassia/ Taro roots add another texture and heartiness. It does not use turmeric or any 'hot' spice; the final tempering with cummin and asafoetida elevates this 'simple' Dal/ Soup. Perfect comfort soup/stew."

Janet from The Taste Space has a healthy, colorful Sweet Potato, Broccoli and Pomegranate Salad with a Peanut Dressing to share. She says, "This is a superfood salad if I ever saw one. Pomegranate seeds. Sweet potatoes. Broccoli. All together in a peanut dressing. Even though it doesn’t have kale, many of these veggies top my superfood chart. While I typically prefer acidic dressings, I kept the peanut butter in the dressing but substituted vegetable broth for the oil. This allows the peanut flavour to permeate the salad without dripping in dressing. In fact, the peanut flavour wasn’t that dominant, sitting back to highlight the natural flavours of the vegetables."



girlichef also has a sandwich to share this week, a hearty Open-Faced Hot Turkey Sandwich (Turkey Manhattan). She says, "In my mind, open-faced sandwiches piled high with warm roast beef or turkey and a mound of creamy mashed potatoes that are drowning in complimentary gravy conjur up the formica table tops and vinyl seats of diners past. Sustenance in the middle of a long road trip or after a night soaked in alcohol. Comfort on a plate in my little booth of the ever-bustling diner. Waitresses in comfy shoes and pony tails with pens tucked behind their ears, a coffee carafe attached to one hand, and a knack for calling every one "Hon". I can't make a turkey or roast beef without finishing off the leftover meat inside one of these sandwiches."

Thanks to Heather, Joanne, Janet and Shri for joining in this week with their delicious dishes. If you have a soup, salad, or sandwich that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sundays logo on the side bar for all of the details.

Have a happy, healthy week!

Cannellini Beans with Olive Oil (Fagioli Cannellini All' Olio): Simple Beany Goodness

Beans fill my pantry--dried beans in jars and canned beans for quick and easy meals. I love me some beans and I usually make some form or another of them once a week. Beans are healthy, cheap, filling and tasty--excellent comfort food. Since we are celebrating the mighty bean this week at I Heart Cooking Clubs with our Bean There Done That theme, I selected a simple dish of Cannellini Beans with Olive Oil (Fagioli Cannellini All' Olio) to use some of my dried bean collection. Although it would be difficult for me to pick my favorite beans, I do love the smooth, creaminess of the cannellini and the fact that they are paired with my beloved sage in this recipe made me happy.


This recipe comes from Twelve: A Tuscan Cookbook by Tessa Kiros

Tessa Kiros says, "You can use fresh or dried cannelloni beans for these recipes. Dreied beans, however, will need a minimum of 12 hours of soaking and will require double the cooking time of fresh beans."


Canellini Beans with Olive Oil (Fagioli Cannellini All' Olio)
Twelve by Tessa Kiros
(Serves 6)

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) fresh or dried cannellini beans (soaked overnight in cold water if dried)
1 red onion, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
1/2 a celery stalk, trimmed and chopped
10 sage leaves
1 bay leaf
3 Tbsp olive oil plus extra for serving

If you are using fresh cannellini beans, wash them in cold water. If they are dried, drain the previously soaked beans. Put them into a large saucepan and cover completely with cold water. Bring to the boil and skim the surface with a slotted spoon to remove any scum.

Add the rest of the ingredients. Lower the heat slightly and cook uncovered for about 40 minutes for the fresh beans and 1 1/2 hours for the dried beans. Add more water during this cooking time to ensure the beans are covered. Season with salt in the last 10 mites of this cooking time.

Test to see if the beans are soft, if not, cook for longer. Drain the beans and serve hot, or at room temperature, drizzled with olive oil and a grinding of black pepper.


Notes/Results: Creamy and full of flavor. I did make a few changes--upping the garlic, celery, carrots and sage slightly, and leaving the broth rather than draining the beans before serving. It's part of the bean experience--being able to soak up all the sauce with some bread (in this case it was a whole grain flat bread), and besides, the beans will continue to soak it up a bit as they sit. I cooked mine about 2 hours as I prefer them nice and creamy, and I cooked the beans and the bay leaves for about 40 minutes before putting in the vegetables and sage (so they didn't cook away to nothing and still had some texture). I like to ladle the hot beans on top of some baby spinach in order to get some greens into my meal. The heat wilts the spinach nicely and makes it a more complete (and more colorful) dish. Eat these as is (they are even better the next day), add some extra veggie broth to make a soup, or drain and mash them, add a binder and make them into bean burgers or croquettes.

You can check out the bean dishes of the other IHCC participants by going to the post and following the links.

Rose & Vanilla Tea Pots de Crème for Food 'n Flix: Simply Irresistible

These Rose & Vanilla Tea Pots de Crème have been living in my head for a couple of months now, ever since I watched the wrong movie for Food 'n Flix back in September. September's selection was Just Desserts (you can see my post here), but I accidentally watched November's pick of Simply Irresistible instead, and from an exchange between the two main characters, this dessert was born.

Tom: "That smell..."
Amanda: "It's vanilla and flowers."
Tom "It's incredible!"


Simply Irresistible is a foodie romantic comedy starring Sarah Michelle Gellar. Gellar plays Amanda, who inherits her late mother's restaurant but does not seem to have inherited her mother's cooking skills, turning out culinary disaster after culinary disaster that results in the restaurant failing fast. Just when all seems lost, Amanda is sold some crabs by a mysterious man at the local farmers market. One of the crabs escapes his fate as a poorly made meal and becomes a sort of pet for Amanda and as it turns out, just happens to be magical. Also at the market, Tom (Sean Patrick Flanery), who is opening an upscale restaurant in his department store and who Amanda begins to fall for. With the magical crab, Amanda begins to cook food that has people clamoring for more and causes those who eat her dishes to express the emotions Amanda had when making them.


Simply Irresistible is definitely chick movie fluff, and as much as I adore SMG, (she was Buffy for Pete's sake!) she has a surprising lack of chemistry with Flanery. Still, it's cute fluff and a good foodie diversion.

The vanilla and flowers mixture bubbling in a pot on Amanda's stove made me think of something smooth and creamy such as a panna cotta or pots de crème. I happened to have a box of Tazo "Rest" Tea hanging out in my tea collection, an herbal tea that Tazo says is "A lulling blend of rose petals, valerian root & citrusy herbs," and I thought it would be fun to use the tea as a base for a creamy custard.

Rose & Vanilla Tea Pots de Crème
by Deb, Kahakai Kitchen (inspired by multiple Pots de Crème recipes)
(Makes 4 Servings)

1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
1 vanilla bean, split sideways and seeds scraped
3-4 rose-scented herbal tea bags like Tazo Rest
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
small pinch of salt
1/2 tsp rose water
1/2 tsp vanilla
pink or red food coloring (optional)

Bring the cream, milk, vanilla bean and seeds and tea bags up to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Turn off the heat and let the mixture steep for 30 minutes or so.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Arrange 4 (6-oz) teacups or ramekins in a baking pan (large enough to hold the cups without touching one another). Bring a pot or kettle of water to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, salt, rose water and vanilla. Remove the tea bags and vanilla bean and discard and reheat the infused cream mixture over medium heat. Whisk the reheated cream into the yolk mixture and strain it through a fine sieve into a bowl or pitcher. Add a couple of drops of food coloring if desired.

Pour the boiling water into pan, being careful not to splash any inside cups, until water comes about halfway up the sides of the cups. Pour the mixture into the cups, dividing it equally. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and poke several small holes in the foil to let steam escape. Bake about 30-35 minutes, until custards are set but still slightly wobbly at their centers.

Carefully remove the pan from the oven, removing the foil. Remove the cups from the hot water in the pan and set on a wire rack to cool for about 30 minutes. Once cool, cover the cups with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until the custards are firm (about 2 hours or so).

Garnish with whipped cream or candied rose petals and serve with thin crisp buttery cookies.


Notes/Results: I give these more points for taste than for beauty. ;-) The custards are creamy and have a light rose and vanilla flavor that is very pleasing. I wasn't crazy about the color of the base with the tea, eggs and vanilla and thought it would be fun to make them a pale rosy pink, but a couple of drops of red food coloring made them a kind of funky salmon color. Ah well! Experiments don't always turn out perfectly. I covered it up with some candied rose petals--that (and maybe some dim lighting!) helped a bit. If you can't find the Tazo tea (I'm not sure if they still make it?) look for another rose / floral tea, or a favorite herbal tea and (carefully so as not to overpower), add a little extra rose water. Overall, I was pleased with my Pots de Crème, they were fun and excellent with the buttery cookies.

Our Food n' Flix November pick, Simply Irresistible is hosted by Leslie of La Cocina de Leslie, who will be rounding up the entries on her blog soon. The deadline for this month is today (I am sneaking my entry in under the wire--whoops!) But, if you like food and movies consider joining us for December's film, the classic Christmas in Connecticut (one of my favorite holiday flix), hosted by F'nF's founder, my pal Heather of girlichef.

Ouzo Sorbet: A Greek-Themed Frozen Treat for Cook The Books: Harlot's Sauce

One day I will go to Greece. I say this every time I open up a cookbook full of Greek food, or eat at my favorite Greek(ish) restaurant, or see a picture of the brilliant blue water, or read a book like Harlot's Sauce: A Memoir of Food, Family, Love, Loss, and Greece by Patricia Volonakis Davis.

Harlot's Sauce is the current selection for Cook The Books, the virtual foodie book club I host along with Rachel, The Crispy Cook and Johanna of Food Junkie Not Junk Food, our host for this round. It's a colorful memoir about the author's experiences meeting "gorgeous Greek" Gregori and ends up marrying him, against the wishes of her Italian-American family, particularly her Sicilian father. Major clashes of culture ensue of course as the author deals with her husband's family and adjusting to life in Greece.

I like how descriptive Volonakis Davis is in her writing--especially in describing what life is like for an American expat in Greece. She has a sense of humor too, so as much as I wanted to grab her and shake her multiple times throughout the book for some of her choices, I was also able to laugh along with her. I do think that the book's tagline "A Memoir of Food, Family, Love, Loss and Greece," should be re-ordered to be like the ingredient list on a package with the order of the "ingredients" based on the amount contained inside. There just wasn't quite as much food presence as I was looking for/wanted and it was listed first. ;-) Still, the writing was engaging, and at the end of the day, I admired the author for owning the mistakes she made and ultimately finding her voice and herself.

I was a little stuck about what to make for this round. Of course, Patricia's grandmother's (Nonnie) salsa puttanesca or "sauce of the harlot" would have been a great choice. Ultimately, I chose something simple, an Ouzo Sorbet. The book starts with the author recounting a night that she accidentally drank too much ouzo and was dropped off ("abandoned") at her hotel by (her then "lover of three months") Gregori. After a shower she finds two "uninvited guests" (ginormous winged cockroaches) in her room and panic reigns as one flies onto her pillow. I can totally relate to the horror of "B-52" roaches, also common here in Hawaii. I attended a Thanksgiving dinner at a friend's house soon after I moved here and all the doors and windows were open on a humid, rainy night. All of a sudden a half-dozen or so of the disgusting creatures flew in and started dive-bombing the table and the group of us gathered around. It was not pretty! Enough to make me want to drink a lot of ouzo, or at least enjoy it as a frozen treat. This recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks, Food From Many Greek Kitchens by Tessa Kiros.

Tessa Kiros says, "This is like a soft snow, sweet and ouzo-y, and it works well after a meal--like an after-dinner mint."

Ouzo Sorbet
Food From Many Greek Kitchens by Tessa Kiros
(Serves 6 to 8)

1 cup sugar
7 Tbsp ouzo

Stir the sugar into 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Cool. Stir in the ouzo and transfer to an ice-cream machine. Freeze following the manufacturer's instructions. Alternatively, pour into a shallow baking sheet and out in the freezer, breaking it up and beating with a fork 3 or 4 times before it becomes solid.


Notes/Results: Oh this is GOOD! Sweet, refreshing, slightly licorice-esk. The nice man at the liquor store told me the "better" ouzo was worth the extra few dollars and I think he might have been right--it is very smooth. (Although I am not sure his claim of getting "less of a headache" from it is really true!) This sorbet is so simple and would be perfect either after dinner, or for a palate cleanser in between courses. This will be featured at a Greek-themed dinner party in my future. ;-)

I am sneaking this post in under the deadline once again (surprise). If you like reading, food and cooking, consider joining us for the December/January round of Cook the Books. We will be reading Outlaw Cook, a book of food essays by John and Matt Lewis Thorne, hosted by Rachel.

Cream of Spinach Soup (& Polenta Pizzas with Shaved Romano): 5-Ingredient Recipes from Robin Takes 5

There are days when you you have the time, energy and ingredients to spend lingering over a complicated recipe and then there are the days when you need to get something quick, easy and hopefully healthy on the table with just a few simple ingredients from your pantry. Robin Miller's new cookbook, Robin Takes 5: 500 Recipes, 5 Ingredients or Less, 500 Calories or Less, 5 Nights a Week at 5:00 PM is for those busy days.

Robin Miller is a food writer and a nutritionist who specializes in creating quick and easy recipes that are simple enough to make you think twice about ordering take out. She even has a Food Network series, Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller (which unfortunately Food Network seems to bury in the earlier weekday morning hours) that helps families get healthy meals to the table fast.

The book contains 8 chapters: Soups, Stews & Chowders, Pizzas, Flatbreads, Calzones & Strudels, Pasta, Risotto & Rice, Chicken & Turkey, Beef & Pork, Seafood & Shellfish, Side Dishes, and Desserts. Nutrition information is included with each recipe and the lower sodium recipes are tagged to make it easier for those trying to limit their salt intake. In order to meet the need for quick meals (most recipes can be made in about 20 to 30 minutes), there is some use of canned or packaged foods, but it isn't excessive. Ingredients are ones that you have have handy in your fridge, freezer or pantry, making coming home and preparing a weeknight dinner easy. Miller did include many recipes that are marked as suitable for entertaining on nights when you are feeling a little fancier or want to have friends over. There are several sections of color photos so you can get a look at some of the dishes in each chapter.

Recipes I tagged to make include; Sesame Miso Soup with Tofu and Scallions, Red Lentil Soup with Coconut Milk and Almonds, Hummus Pizza with Roasted Red Pepper, Wild Mushroom Strudel with herbed Cheese, Linguine with Olive Butter, Somen Noodles in Miso-Black Bean Broth, Penne with Seared Tuna and Capers, Grilled Salmon with Sriracha Mayo, Coconut-Almond Mahi Mahi, Grilled Shrimp with Peanut-Lime Dip, Fennel and Lemon Salad, Tempura Brussels Sprouts, Rice and Goat Cheese Cakes, No-Bake Chocolate-Peanut Butter Oat Cookies, and Bittersweet Fudge with Dried Cherries.

I was especially pleased with the many soup recipes, so when choosing a couple of recipes to "road test" this book I selected the Cream of Spinach Soup (I have been eating far too many brown foods this week with Stuffing, potatoes, mushroom gravy, etc. and needed some green.) Rather than a sandwich or salad, I thought the little Polenta Pizzas with Shaved Romano would be a fun and colorful accompaniment to the soup and I happened to have tube of polenta in my pantry and homemade pesto in the freezer.

Robin says, "What makes this rich soup creamy is the addition of Yukon gold potatoes. I like Yukon golds because they're not as starchy as regular baking (russet) potatoes. I also add half-and-half for extra creaminess, but you can cut calories and fat by substituting low-fat milk."

Cream of Spinach Soup
Adapted from Robin Takes 5 by Robin Miller
(Serves 4)

Prep Time 5-10 Minutes / Cooking Time 15 Minutes

6 cups reduced sodium chicken broth (I used low-sodium veggie broth)

3 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1 lb baby spinach

1 cup half-and-half (I used 1/2 almond milk and 1/2 non-dairy creamer )

Combine the broth, potatoes, and garlic in a large saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender. Puree with an immersion blender or regular blender (when using a regular blender, work in batches to prevent spillover). Stir in the spinach and half-and-half and simmer for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper before serving.

Nutrients Per Serving: Calories: 222, Fat: 9 g, Saturated Fat: 5 g, Cholesterol: 36 mg, Carbohydrate: 25 g, Protein: 11 g, Fiber 4 g, Sodium: 262 mg

Robin says, "Tubes of prepared polenta are sold in most grocery stores, and they make preparing meals with this cornmeal treat a snap (rather than spending the time cooking the cornmeal until tender and waiting for it to cool so you can cut it into rounds). Be sure to buy ripe (preferably vine-ripened) tomatoes so that you can enjoy the tomato's full flavor potential."

Polenta Pizzas with Shaved Romano

Adapted from Robin Takes 5 by Robin Miller
(Serves 4)

Prep Time 10 Minutes / Cooking Time 10-15 Minutes

1 (1-lb) tube prepared polenta, cut into 12 rounds

1/2 cup prepared basil pesto

1 cup thinly sliced beefsteak or plum tomatoes, about 2 large beefsteak or 4 small plum

1/2 cup shaved pecorino Romano cheese (use a vegetable peeler)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Transfer the polenta rounds to a baking sheet. Top each round with the pesto, tomato slices, and cheese. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the polenta is toasted and the cheese is melted.

Nutrients Per Serving: Calories: 314, Fat: 19 g, Saturated Fat: 7 g, Cholesterol: 19 mg, Carbohydrate: 24 g, Protein: 12 g, Fiber 2 g, Sodium: 761 mg

Notes/Results: The soup and polenta pizzas were both on the table in less than 30 minutes and tasted great. I liked the simple flavors in the soup--the spinach got to be the star and the soup tasted silky and rich. I did make my soup vegan--using veggie broth, almond milk and non-dairy creamer. The polenta pizzas went well with the soup and had good flavor. Next time, I would take an extra few minutes and bake the polenta circles for 5 minutes or so before adding the pesto, tomatoes and cheese--just to make them a bit more crisp in texture. Otherwise, I would make both of these simple recipes again.

Robin Takes 5 is a handy resource to have in the kitchen--the 500 recipes are a great place to look when you aren't sure what to make for dinner. It would be a great gift for a busy family that wants to eat healthier, someone starting out and gaining kitchen confidence, or even a more experienced cook, looking for new ideas and recipes to add to weekly menu planning. Miller has done a great job making healthier options accessible.

Disclosure Statement: A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher but as always, my thoughts, opinions and experience cooking from the book are entirely my own.

Now lets take a look in the Souper Sunday kitchen where we have some delicious and warm bowls of goodness waiting.

Janet from The Taste Space has a healthy, stew to share and says, "Continuing with my white bean kick, and my abundance of kale, I modified Isa’s Quinoa, White Bean And Kale Stew from Appetite for Reduction. I thought it might be plain and boring, but it was anything but. It was sublime. A great, comforting stew with tons of mellow flavours without bogging you down. I substituted the leek for onion and fennel, swapped the white potatoes for sweet potatoes, upped the carrots and parsnips and used up the last of my kale including the stems, which was only 1/2 lb. Thankfully, this soup makes a ton. I will be slurping it up all week and then some!"



Joanne of Eats Well With Others jazzed up her soup bowl with this Rosemary White Bean Soup with Fig and Walnut Tapenade and says, "Soup is the answer to all of life's most rhetorical and profound problems. Feeling cold? Soup. Feeling tired? Soup. Feeling like skinny jeans are just too much for you to handle? Soup. Feeling like you need a stiff drink in anticipation of all of the cooking meltdowns you know you'll be having in the next four days? Soup with vodka. --- A house smelling like rosemary with a soup that tastes like comfort is totally our answer."



Heather of girlichef says that this gorgeous Poor Man's Bread, Kale and Black Pepper Soup from Mediterranean cooking wonder Paula Wolfert is a "...simple rustic soup chock-full with ribbons of lacinato kale, the hint of porky goodness, and a toasted country bread rubbed with garlic that sucks up the flavorful broth like a brand new sponge. girlichef also notes that, "It was a delicious escape in the midst of Thanksgiving dinner preparations."

Pam of Sidewalk Shoes tried Ina Garten's Mexican Chicken Soup and says, "I know. You were probably expecting some wonderful post about what to do with all your turkey leftovers. Except that it’s only the Friday after Thanksgiving, and if you’re like me, today is just yesterday warmed up, or maybe made into a turkey sandwich; you’re not really into the whole using the turkey meat for something else yet. So, then this post is kind of timely, because you could easily make this with a turkey carcass or a turkey leg or two. I used a couple of my rotisserie chicken carcasses that I have always have readily available in my freezer."

Tigerfish from Teczcape - An Escape to Food made a simple Mixed Beans Cabbage Soup to combat holiday excess. She says, "Well. Ok. Thanksgiving is over. No more hard work in the kitchen for a while (at least in the next two days). But eating out 3 meals a day is not an option. A well-accepted idea for busy cooks is to cook one big pot of food and have leftovers for the next 1-2 meals. Sure beats eating out. Me included. The same but for a different reason.I am the lazy cook."

It's nice to have Shri from Tiffin Carrier Antic/que's! back at Souper Sundays and here with a lovely Butternut Squash and Adzuki Beans Soup. Shri says, "This dish mimics the traditional Kerala dish, the Erisseri where coconut is ground with cummin and also roasted to meld with pumpkins, raw plantains, yams, beans and lentils. Heat comes from black pepper. Fried Shallots were added in some regions, or on some occasions. In the 'feast/sadya' version, the moisture was cooked away and coconut oil was used generously. In this soup, I have used coconut milk with ground cummin powder and white pepper powder for the heat."


Such a good variety of soup this week, a little something for everyone. Thanks to everyone who joined in on this holiday weekend. If you have a soup, or salad or Sandwich that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sundays logo on the side bar for all of the details.

Have a happy, healthy week.