Corn Chowder

It is officially autumn, and although the weather has not yet turned chilly in our part of the country, I’ve already started thinking about our winter soup kitchen. I love creamy soups, and this corn chowder adapted from The New Basics cookbook is no exception. It’s loaded with corn and potatoes, and the flavor is brightened with the addition of chopped red bell pepper and cilantro garnish.

You can use either fresh or frozen corn. If you use fresh corn, choose ears with kernels that burst open with milk when you press on them with your fingernail. Avoid ears with wrinkled or dry kernels. Use a sharp knife to remove the kernels from the cob. Stand the ear vertically in a shallow pan and cut straight down allowing the kernels to fall into the pan. Then use the dull side of the knife to scrape Read more

Cream of Baked Potato Soup

It’s cold and raining today…perfect for a hot, comforting bowl of cream of potato soup. I must confess that this recipe is always changing. I’ve tried for many years to perfect it, and I have found myself constantly tweaking the ingredients or preparation. But no matter how I make it, we never seem to have a problem making this soup disappear. This takes some time to prepare, but it’s time well spent. Because I have played around with this recipe so much, I’ve kept track of a number of variations that have also worked well, which I have listed below.

[Updated January 15, 2008]

Equipment

microwave
6 to 8 quart pot
sharp knife
potato masher or stick blender Read more

Corn and Crab Soup

I used to eat this soup at one of the Chinese restaurants in Saipan—China House or Diamond Chinese, I can’t remember which. I fell in love with the soup and figured out a pretty close version of it. It’s essentially an egg drop soup with corn and chunks of crab. The restaurant always used imitation crab meat, and I don’t think that it detracts from the flavor of the soup. You can find imitation crab mixed with king crab meat in many grocery stores now, and that works great. You can also use lump crab meat, just make sure you clean out any extra bits of shell.

My three year old enjoys this soup and declares it “good eats.” Guess who likes Alton Brown, too? Read more

Black Bean Soup

Another regular from our winter soup kitchen. It’s very easy and tasty, great for a quick weeknight meal. Puréed black beans, salsa, and cilantro give this soup a great consistency and flavor. It’s delicious served with tortilla chips and a queso dip.

Equipment

blender
sharp knife
6 quart pot

Ingredients

1 medium onion, chopped Read more

Get Well Chicken Noodle Soup

This is the soup I want when I’m under the weather. The soup is very lightly seasoned with only a little salt and some poultry seasoning, just enough to add some flavor but not bother the palate when I’m not feeling well.

I usually make a batch once every three months or so and freeze it so that I always have some ready to pull out.

[Updated March 3, 2008]

Equipment

8 to 10 quart stock pot with a lid
sharp knife

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, cut into pieces, skin on Read more

Jambalaya

When I first made this a few years ago, my husband had recently been to New Orleans, and said this tasted almost exactly like the great jambalaya he had on his trip. We make this jambalaya a few times a year, changing it up a little each time depending on what we have on hand. This makes great leftovers, and we usually freeze a couple containers of this, just thaw it out overnight in the frig for a quick weeknight meal or lunch.

[Updated December 29, 2009.]

JAMBALAYA

Adapted from Food Network.

Makes about 5 quarts.

Equipment

rice cooker (or you can cook it on the stove)
sharp knife
6 quart pot Read more

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