Garlic-Potato Soup

I realize it is now the month of May and soup season has pretty much left us, but I just have to share this recipe. And anyways, the weatherman says that a storm will roll through our area this weekend, so that is my other excuse for talking about soup on this lovely, sunny, and 73-degree spring day.

This potato soup is similar to the typical kinds of potato soup: chunky, thick, and satisfying. BUT it is different because it is the best potato soup in the world (I know! Isn't that great!) and it is so very flavorful, thanks to the gracious amount of tasty garlic in it. It even has garlic chips! (Read on, they're fab...) If you haven't noticed, I have a thing for garlic. We're pretty much BFF, you know.

Notes: I slightly upped the salt in my version because I felt the soup needed just a little more kick to pronounce the flavors more clearly. The original calls for 3/4 teaspoon, but taste as you go and adjust to your personal preferences. I also used water instead of chicken broth, and either will work great. Lastly, if leeks are not available, you can substitute and equal amount of yellow onion.

Adapted from Cook's Illustrated, March & April 2007

Coconut Cake with Chocolate Chunks & Coconut Drizzle

I was a Girl Scout back in the day. You know, the signature green and brown vests with badges, camping trips, service projects, plenty of silly songs, crafts, and games... (the last three being essential life-saving skills, mind you). Wait, I'm forgetting something, you say? Oh yes. That's right. Girl Scout cookies. Silly me, to forget. I don't know how many boxes of cookies I sold during my scouting days, but it was a lot. I remember the Thin Mint cookies were always the most popular. My personal favorites were the Samoa cookies, though. Chewy, chocolaty, and nutty from the toasted coconut. A glass of milk was a must with these little treats - dunking was certainly necessary. Selling boxes upon boxes of the various signature cookies was always an exciting part of being a Girl Scout.

I was immediately reminded of Girl Scout Samoas when taking my first bite of this cake. Although there is no caramel in it, as there is in the cookies, this cake is very moist and has a perfectly subtle coconut flavor. The chocolate chunks are rich and the coconut on top is crunchy and barely sweet. The cake is best served with a tall glass of milk. (Though dunking is not necessarily suggested...)

Notes: I have made this cake several times, playing around with different ratios of flour types, and have found the following combination of whole-wheat pastry and all-purpose flours to provide the most appealing crumb. You may certainly use exclusively all-purpose, if you wish. Also, I love this cake best when made with coconut oil because it lends an extra kick of creamy coconut flavor. If you don't have coconut oil on hand, butter also makes a rich and delicious cake. Coconut milk is sold in cans, typically near the Asian foods at the grocery. Be sure to not use "light" coconut milk - it is too watery for the cake. You can play around a little with the flavorings for fun, if you'd like. I think next time I make this I'm going to try it by leaving out the orange zest, and instead of vanilla, use almond extract. Have fun and enjoy!

Adapted from Bon Appetit, also found here

Portobello Pasta with Rosemary & Toasted Pine Nuts

I'm in an adjective, poem-y kind of mood. I guess. (Not really, but it sounds kind of interesting.) So consider this an adjective poem dedicated to my faithful reader (hi, Mom!) who told me that she quite enjoyed her dinner last night:

Rosemary is really rad.
Lemons are likely luscious.
Parmesan is pretty pleasing.
Toasted pine nuts are.... totally toasty.... and pointedly perfect.
Garlic is gigantically great.
Olive oil is outrageously outstanding.
Portabello mushrooms are pleasantly pleasant and marvelously marvelous.
And pasta is superly stupendous.

(I ran out of P words.)

The point I'm trying to make here is that you should make this and eat it because it's good. Kind of really good, actually.

Notes: Feel free to use whole-wheat pasta if you have it on hand. I used orecchiette, which works wonderfully because it catches all of the goodness in its little bowls.

Adapted from Cook's Illustrated, Sept. & Oct. 2009

Hummus

Like most college students, I had several different roommates over the years. All had fun, unique qualities, and we all got along so well. There are many fun memories we created over the years and the one I share today took place during my Freshman year.

It was a Sunday afternoon. We were all in the kitchen looking for a little pick-me-up when Daniella pulled out her blender. She dumped in a can of beans, plopped a few scoops of tan gloopy stuff inside, tossed in some garlic cloves, and sprinkled in a few pinches of green powder. Then she pushed "blend." After a minute or so, she took the lid off the blender and stuck a pita chip right into the light creamy stuff.

My curiosity was peaked. The only ingredient I recognized was garlic. What was that light creamy puree she had made? I asked her just that and Daniella said it was called hummus. She offered me a taste and I immediately had to know more about it. She explained that it was a simple chickpea puree eaten frequently in the Middle East. She told me all about chickpeas, tahini, and her special green spice blend, called Zatar, which came straight from the Middle East. Boy, was that stuff yummy.

Not long after, I started making my own hummus and have been doing so since that first year of college with Daniella. Though I have no Zatar picked up from a recent trip to the Middle East, I still think this hummus is quite delightful.

There are many different versions of hummus: black bean hummus, roasted red pepper hummus, sun-dried tomato hummus, chipotle cilantro hummus, the list goes on. Basically, if you can blend it, you can probably make some kind of hummus with it. This is my favorite classic version: chickpeas, garlic, hummus, tahini, lemon, olive oil, and a few spices. Hummus makes for a great afternoon snack. It's healthy, filling, creamy, and light. I like hummus served with pita chips or homemade crackers. It is also a great spread in sandwiches or a dip for vegetables.

Notes: The only special ingredient you need to make hummus is called tahini. Tahini is sesame paste - simply ground up sesame seeds. Think of peanut butter, but made with sesame seeds. You can usually find tahini by the peanut butter in most grocery stores. Also, I like the fresh taste of home cooked beans, but you can certainly use canned if you prefer, just be sure to drain and rinse the beans.

Adapted from The New Best Recipe

Olive Oil Crackers

I spent one college term studying abroad in London. Simply put it was the best college term EVER. (And that was even a blatant understatement.) How could it not be, right? One of my favorite things about that gorgeous city is that it seems to never end. There is so much to explore. The streets go on and on, brimming full of antique shops, markets, flats, restaurants, pubs, and theatres. I spent hours upon hours wandering around London by myself. I found so many little treasures and exciting places.

Ottolenghi has a few little shops around London. With a focus on fresh produce and high-quality ingredients, the dishes at Ottolenghi offer many unique flavors and textures. The counters are filled with huge trays of sandwiches and quiche, and an abundant array of salads, breads, cakes, croissants, and the like. I was lucky enough to live only two blocks from the shop in Kensington. I frequented this cozy place, often purchasing a few cookies and muffins to take along for the day's adventures. One day my pocket book must have seemed particularly full, I suppose, so I decided to sit down for an exceptional lunch. While enjoying my meal, I noticed a stack of Ottolenghi cookbooks nearby. I picked one up and thumbed through the beautiful pages. Though I would have loved to bring a sample of everything in the store that day home, I did end up with one little, yet very important(!), souvenir. Is it a surprise that this beautiful book now sits on my shelf at home with about half of the pages dog-eared?

Every time I pull that cookbook off the shelf I am flooded with memories of London. I pulled it down yesterday to find my favorite recipe for crackers and it immediately brought a smile to my face. To me, heaven will be exactly like London.

Notes: Crackers are fun and simple to make at home. Straight from the oven, they are fresh and crispy. You can personalize them by adding your own preference of spices. This version takes a little kick from a pinch of cayenne pepper and goes beautifully with some homemade hummus. I use a combination of whole-wheat pastry and spelt flours, but all-purpose will also work well.


Adapted from Ottolenghi