Spice up the New Year

Happy New Year!!!!! Hopefully, over the past week, we got all that we wished for, saw the family and friends, and had a happy and safe holiday. Most of us who had to work during the holiday season had enough time to spend with our families in between our hectic schedules. Now comes the next important aspect of the year -- New Year's Resolutions.

We can look back over the past year and think of things we would change or do differently. There are the "normal" resolutions (quitting smoking, losing weight, keeping more in touch with family and friends, etc.). The one resolution I always make is to try to experience life to its fullest more than the previous year. Regrets about things not accomplished is what you hear most from people, we all have the power to work towards change if we but put forth effort.

Think of one, maybe even two things you would like to do differently this coming year. Make sure your goal is attainable (obviously, flying to the moon is attainable, but only if you make a LOT of money). Make sure reaching your goal will not make you regret losing other goals (such as gainful employment). 

For your New Year's Eve meal consider the phrase, "Spice up your life!". There are a lot of seasoning blends in the grocery stores, however, they are made of dried herbs and spices that you may already have in your cupboard which could save you time and money when preparing your holiday dishes for family and friends. If you don't have all of these ingredients in your cupboard, I guarantee buying the individual herbs and spices will be cheaper than buying the already prepared seasoning blends with a sodium content added to preserve the blends. 

Enjoy these suggested spice blends for your New Year's feast, be equally as creative with your New Year's resolutions, and Bon Appetit

Seasoning Mix

2 tsp ground red pepper 
1-1/2 tsp salt 
1-1/2 tsp black pepper 
1-1/4 tsp paprika
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp thyme leaves

Mix well and use in your favorite dishes. Store in a zip-loc bag for future use.

Cajun Seasoning Blend

10-1/2 oz 315 g Paprika 
7 oz (210 g) Onion powder 
1 tsp Nutmeg 
2 tsp Cayenne pepper 
1-1/2 tsp Curry powder 
1-1/2 tsp Cumin 
7 oz (210 g) Thyme
10-½ oz (315 g) Garlic powder
10-½ oz (315 g) Oregano
7 oz (210g) Basil
10-½ oz (315 g) Salt
5-¼ oz (158 g) White pepper

Mix together and store in a Zip-loc bag until ready to use in your favorite dishes.

"Good Luck" Jambalaya 
Serves 7

1/2 cup (1 dl) salt pork, julienne 
2 cloves garlic, minced 
1 large onion, chopped 
1 medium green pepper, chopped 
2, 16 oz ( 2, 480 g) cans, black-eyed peas, drained 
2/3 Cup (1-1/3 dl) Bloody Mary Mix
1/3 Cup (2/3 dl) uncooked rice
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
Cooked salad shrimp
Celery leaves

Cook salt pork in a large skillet until golden brown. Add garlic, onion, and green pepper; saute until tender. Add peas, Bloody Mary mix, and rice. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cover. Reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes, stirring often. Add raw shrimp, cover, and cook 5 minutes longer. Season to taste with seasoning blend of choice. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with cooked shrimp and celery leaves, if desired. Serve immediately. 

WINTER SOUPS II
Chef Richard Lipton

     The weather is getting colder, the cold symptoms are spreading, and the inability to predict what the temperature will be tomorrow is unbelievable. At least in some areas of the country, the weatherman, excuse me, meteorologist has about a 50/50 chance of getting tomorrow's weather accurate, but this area seems to have one of the worst job securities possible.

Running the gambit of hot to cold is "playing havoc" with everybody's sinuses. That, mixed with the cold and flu season, is lowering people's immunity levels to a point of extreme impact. How then do you keep the cold and flu at bay, keep your body temperature stable, and basically manage not to get sick?

As mentioned last week, soups go a long way to helping prevent colds and flu by warming your body temperature and your immunity levels higher thereby giving you a better chance to fight off infections. Vegetable- and broth-based soups are the best, whereas cream-based soups have an ingredient in them that tend to raise your congestion level. 

Last time I presented some vegetable-based soups, this week I am offering a few broth- based soups designed to help you fight off infection and/or help you get better if you are already suffering. Take care, stay warm, and bon appetit.

Bouillabaisse 
Serves 8
This is a delicious fish soup and a nice change from creamy or vegetable soups. 

2 leeks, sliced julienne 
1 tsp saffron 
2 Tbsp butter 
2 Quarts (2 liters) fish stock 
1/4 Cup (½ dl) Pernod or Vermouth (optional) 
3 lbs shellfish, any kind
24 parisienne potatoes
2 medium tomatoes, peeled and diced
½ Cup (1 dl) parsley, minced
Croutons

Sauté leeks and saffron in butter until leeks are tender. Stir in stock and Pernod or Vermouth, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to a simmer. Add shellfish to stock, simmering until they are just done, about 5-7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer shellfish to 8 individual bowls; add 3 parisienne potatoes to each bowl. Add hot fish broth to cover. Top with tomatoes, parsley, and croutons. Serve immediately.

French Onion Soup 
Serves 6

6 large onions, sliced thin 
1/4 Cup (½ dl) butter 
1 Tbsp flour 
1-½ Quarts (1-½ liters) beef broth
12 slices French bread, toasted
6 slices Swiss cheese

In a large kettle, cook the onions in butter over medium heat, stirring often, until they are golden brown. Sprinkle the onions with flour and cook the mixture 3 minutes longer , stirring. Add the broth slowly until it comes to a boil, stirring constantly. Cover and simmer 20 minutes; season to taste with salt and pepper. Put 2 slices of toasted French bread in each of 6 bowls. Pour soup over toast. Place 1 slice of cheese on top and heat under broiler till cheese is bubbly and melted evenly. Serve immediately.

Wild Rice and Mushroom Consommé 
Serves 6

1 Cup (2 dl) dried porcini mushrooms 
1-1/2 Cups (3 dl) water 
3-1/2 oz (105 g) fresh shiitake mushrooms 
4 Cups (1 Quart / 1 liter) beef or chicken broth
1 Cup (2 dl) cooked wild rice
1 Cup (2 dl) spinach, thinly sliced
½ tsp salt

Combine porcini mushrooms and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand 30 minutes. Drain, reserving mushroom liquid. Chop mushrooms and set aside. Remove shiitake mushroom stems and discard. Slice caps into 1/8-inch (ca. ½ cm) strips.
Combine caps and broth in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Add reserved mushroom liquid, chopped porcinis, and wild rice; stir well. Cover and cook an additional 15 minutes. Add sliced spinach leaves, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook 2 minutes, uncovered, or until spinach has wilted. Serve immediately.

WINTER SOUPS III
Chef Richard Lipton

     I am thoroughly convinced that between now and the end of February, it will get colder again. If you're not in the mood for a Broth- or Vegetable-Based Soup, there is one other type of soup that will keep you warm and fill you up during the cold day(s) in Louisiana and other places around the world.

Cream soups fill you up faster than the others as they are much "heavier" soups and they also keep you warm. The wonderful thing about cream soups is that you can make them from almost anything in your cupboards. You can use cheese, garlic, carrots, peppers, cauliflower, beef, chicken, pork, or seafood; anything can be Cream of "_______" soup or, as they are known in finer restaurants, Bisques.

While Broth- and Vegetable-based soups are cooked in one pot and then served immediately, there is another step you need to take with cream soups. That would be pureeing the ingredients before adding the cream. With the exception of chowders, cream soups are generally pureed ingredients, finished off with heavy cream, and seasoned to taste with herbs and spices of your choice. They are then slowly simmered to thicken and are served with crusty French bread or crackers.

Below are some possibilities for your next excursion into the cream soup arena (while, of course, waiting for the temperature to drop a few degrees first). So, weather permitting, you might be in the mood for some soup. Stay warm,, have fun, and Bon Appetit.

Spinach and Oyster Bisque 
Serves 6

1-1/2 pints (1-½ liters) oysters with liquid 
1 large onion, chopped 
3 Tbsp unsalted butter 
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour 
1 lb spinach, washed and stemmed 
Salt and pepper to taste
½ tsp dried tarragon
1 Cup (2 dl) heavy cream
½ tsp grated lemon zest
¼ tsp sugar
Grated nutmeg to taste

Drain the oysters through a fine sieve over a measuring cup. Add enough water to the oyster liquid to measure 2-1/2 cups (5 dl). Reserve the liquid. Rinse the oysters briefly and chop them into 1/2-inch (1-¼ cm) pieces. In a pot, cook the onion in the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it is pale golden brown; add the flour and cook, for 2 minutes, stirring. Whisk in the reserved oyster liquid and bring to a boil, whisking often. Add the spinach, half the oysters, and the tarragon, and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring often. In a blender, puree the mixture in batches, depending on the size of the blender, until smooth and return it to the pot. Add cream and remaining oysters and heat over medium heat until bisque is hot and the oysters are cooked, but do NOT boil. Stir in the grated lemon zest, sugar, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with French bread or oyster crackers immediately.

Sweet Corn and Clam Soup 
Serves 8

7 ears corn 
4 Cups (1 quart / 1 liter) chicken stock 
1/2 cup (1 dl) clam juice 
12 fresh littleneck clams, chopped
½ Cup (1 dl) heavy cream
Ground pepper to taste
Minced chives

Shuck the corn. Using a thin sharp knife and working over a large bowl, cut the kernels from the cobs, scraping the cobs to extract any juices possible. Reserve the cobs. In a medium pot, combine the corn, the cobs, the chicken stock, clam juice, and heavy cream. Over medium heat, cook 45 minutes, stirring often. Remove and discard the cobs. In a blender, puree the soup in batches, depending on the size of the blender, until smooth. Return to pot and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Stir in the chopped clams and cook 30 seconds. Remove from heat, season to taste with pepper. Pour into bowls and garnish with chopped chives. Serve with French bread and parmesan cheese, if desired.


Cream of Garlic Soup 
Serves 6

3 oz (90 g) peeled 
3 Tsp olive oil 
2-1/2 Cps (5 dl) chicken stock 
1 Cup (2 dl) dry white wine
3-½ Cups (7 dl) heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Blend garlic in food processor to a coarse paste, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Heat oil in a large, heavy saucepan over low heat. Add the garlic paste and cook about 12 minutes until just beginning to color, stirring frequently. Add stock and wine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Add cream and simmer 30 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared one day ahead. Refrigerate. Bring to a simmer before continuing). If soup is very thin, simmer until thickened to desired consistency. Ladle into bowls and serve with French bread and parmesan cheese, if desired.