Dear Blog,

• 2 cups red lentils, uncooked
• 1 white onion,chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 fresh jalapeno, finely chopped, including seeds
• 1 tablespoon fresh peeled and minced ginger
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon curry powder 
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ⅓ cup tomato paste
• 7 cups vegetable broth
• 1 can unsweetened light coconut milk
• 1 15 oz. can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish (optional)
• lime wedges for serving (optional)

Potage Parmentier  (Potato Leek Soup)
 
Ingredients

2-3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large leeks (white and green part only)
1 small yellow onion, quartered then sliced into strips
5-6 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into a 1/2 inch dice
4 cups chicken stock
2 Bay leaves
1 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 cup whole milk
Kosher salt, fresh ground pepper


Instructions

If you follow my blog or have gone out to eat with me, you know I'm a die hard mushroom lover. I could eat them every day. Not only do mushrooms taste phenomenal, but they're low in calories, help lower cholesterol and are fat-free. Additionally, they are full of nutrients such as- B vitamins (riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid), minerals (selenium, copper and potassium), and beta-glucans. Mushrooms are also an excellent source of Vitamin D. So when Marx Foods asked if I would like to participate in their "Shrooms for Soup Recipe Challenge," I just knew I had to enter. The premise of the challenge was simple. Marx Foods, a popular gourmet food purveyor, sends each contestant 3 kinds of dried mushrooms (matsutake, porcini and black trumpet). Each contestant needs to use at least one of the mushrooms in an original recipe. Then there will be a public poll...easy-peasy. (I'll let you know when it's up, so you can check it out.)

For my soup recipe, I opted to utilize the dried black trumpet and the dried porcini mushrooms. Black trumpets (also called the Trumpet of Death and the Horn of Plenty) have a bit of a ghoulish grey-black appearance, in fact they look like they could belong in an Edward Gorey illustration; however, they have a rich, buttery taste that makes them perfect for soups and risotto. The porcinis on the other hand offer up a meaty texture, an intense woodsy flavor and a wonderful earthy aroma. I thought these two mushrooms would compliment each other nicely and pair great with some chewy farro and freshly ground lamb. I've been trying to watch my weight lately so I decided to stay away from using cream or milk and instead I used a nice hearty homemade beef broth as a base and tucked in some shio-koji for added umami.


I know the list of ingredients seems a bit lengthy but most of the items are probably already in your cupboard and fridge. There's minimal prep work involved in this recipe...most of the "labor" is just letting the ingredients simmer.  Your end result? An exquisite, savory soup packed with robust flavor. The perfect meal for a chilly, autumn (or winter) evening.




Mushroom, Lamb and Farro Soup

Ingredients

1/2 oz. dried black trumpet mushrooms

1/2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms

1.5 tablespoons of olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 lb. ground lamb

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 yellow onion, diced

1 lb. crimini mushrooms, sliced

3 tablespoons very dry sherry

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons herbes de Provence

6 cups beef broth

2 tablespoons shio-koji

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup quick cook farro (I used Trader Joe's 10 Minute farro)

sea salt and fresh ground pepper


Instructions

1. In a medium sized bowl, place the dried mushrooms. Cover with 2.5 cups of hot water. Then cover the bowl with a plate and let soak for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, use a slotted spoon to remove the mushrooms, rinse the mushrooms under running water, dice them up and then place in a small bowl.  Use a coffee filter or fine mesh strainer to strain the remaining mushroom liquid of any grit. Set aside 2 cups of the liquid for later use.

2. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed stockpot or large dutch oven over medium heat until it begins to shimmer. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute, until garlic becomes fragrant. Add ground lamb. Sauté until meat is almost cooked through.

3. Add carrots, onions and crimini mushrooms.  Cook for 7-10 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

4. Add the dried mushrooms and the 2 cups of reserved mushroom broth. Add the sherry, red wine vinegar and herbes de Provence. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Allow to cook for 10 minutes.

5. Add stock, shio-koji and bay leaf. Allow soup to simmer for another 20 minutes.

6. Add farro, simmer for 15-20 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper.

7. Serve hot. Garnish with a pinch of chopped Italian parsley (optional).

* Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post other than receiving the dried mushrooms from Marx Foods. All opinions are completely my own.

"There is nothing like soup. It is nature eccentric: no two are ever alike, unless of course you get your soup from a can."  ~Laurie Colwin

Sorry, I haven't been blogging much lately. Fall is my favorite time to be out and about and I've been dining out with friends a lot. I did make a big batch of minestrone last week though! I gave a few jars to friends and then the kidlets and I scarfed down the rest over at Mr.S.'s casa.

I love minestrone, it's warm and filling but doesn't weigh you down... a perfect source of sustenance for a chilly autumn or winter night. Not to mention, it's a super easy way to get the kidlets to eat an entire bowl of veggies with no fuss! Now I'm a die hard fan of the minestrone recipe from Nick's an Italian café in McMinnville, Oregon  (my mom and Nick are friends, from back in her Japan days)- it's a fantastic recipe and I made it for ages, but these days I make a version that's nice and hearty and chock full of my favorite veggies. I like using a beef broth as my base and adding a handful of ditalini pasta to the mix...oh, and don't forget to throw in a Parmesan rind! That's what infuses your soup with flavor and there's nothing better than eating that ooey-gooey rind at the end.


Hearty Home-style Minestrone

Ingredients

4 oz. salt pork, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 small onions, peeled and chopped

1 leek: white and light green parts only (split in half, rinsed well and sliced thinly)

2 ribs of celery, chopped

1/2 green pepper: cored, seeded, chopped

6-7 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

2 large carrots: peeled, trimmed and chopped

2 white potatoes, cut into chunks

1/4 cup chopped parsley

6 oz. sliced crimini mushrooms

1 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes

2 tablespoons of concentrated tomato paste

5 cups of beef broth

1 Parmesan rind

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons chopped, fresh basil

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1 can (15 oz.) of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (you can sub in Great Northern beans if you wish)

1 cup cooked ditalini

garlic salt and fresh ground pepper

grated Parmesan (optional)


Instructions

1. In a large dutch oven, cook the salt pork for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add in your onion, leek, celery, green pepper and garlic. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until onions become translucent. Add in carrots, potatoes, parsley and mushrooms. Cook for an additional 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

2. Add crushed tomatoes and concentrated tomato paste. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high, add beef broth and Parmesan rind and bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, immediately reduce the heat to med-low. Add oregano, bay leaves and basil. Cover and let it gently simmer for 20-30 minutes. Stirring occasionally.

3. Add 1 cup of peas, 1 can of cannellini beans and 1 cup of cooked ditalini. Season to taste with garlic salt and fresh ground pepper. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

4. Remove bay leaves before serving.

5. Serve with grated Parmesan and a few slices of crusty peasant bread.


* Tip if you plan to freeze the soup, leave the pasta out (it gets soggy). Just boil some up and add it when you're ready to eat the soup.

Eleven years ago, I got married to my (now ex) husband. The marriage didn't last but we had a wonderful wedding in Hawaii at the Hale Koa Hotel. Now mind you, this was back before destination weddings became über trendy and everybody and their brother started having them there. Anyhow, if you haven't been to the Hale Koa and get the opportunity to check it out, do so. It's a lovely 70+ acre oasis nestled in the western corner of Waikiki. We had the wedding in a lush, tropical garden that backed up to a shimmering sandy beach. I couldn't have asked for a better backdrop for our nuptials. If it's so fantastic, why isn't everyone having their wedding at this particular venue, you ask? Well, the catch with the Hale Koa is that it's a hotel and resort owned by the Department of Defense and only for active duty or retired military and their families. Luckily, my dad's retired military so we were able to hold our wedding at this fab location for much less than all the other swanky places on the island.

One hurdle we encountered though during planning was that the hotel had a strict policy that only they could cater events held on their grounds so we had to let them do the food. What a bummer! Most of it was what you'd expect from a hotel's catering department except two courses which really stood out to me: our passion-guava wedding cake and the pineapple gazpacho (neither of which I think they offer anymore). Now, normally I'm not a fan of gazpacho (mostly because I detest tomatoes) but this chilled soup was so refreshing- an exquisitely balanced medley of sweet and tart with just a slight hint of spiciness...and no tomatoes! It was the perfect opening dish for an island wedding. I loved it! It was fun, it was light, it was tasty! Every summer since, I've always meant to try and replicate that soup but never got around to it. Finally during our recent mini heat wave, I decided to try and recreate it. I made several different recipes I found online and in various cookbooks and then took the ingredients and tastes I liked best to create my own version.

If you're sick of salads, this soup is a nice alternative during the dog days of summer; not to mention, that pineapple has a lot of anti-inflammatory qualities. Gazpacho is a great dish to whip up for parties, you could serve it in shot glasses for cocktail hour or if you want to fancy it up for a sit-down dinner, place it in chilled martini glasses. The best thing though is--it's simple to make and there's no hot stove or oven required.

Refreshing Pineapple Gazpacho

Ingredients

1 pound of pineapple, cut into chunks

1/2 of a large English cucumber, peeled and sliced

1 medium yellow bell pepper, cored and chopped

1/3 cup diced red onion

1-2 scallions (mostly white), thinly sliced

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

1 1/2 cups of DOLE pineapple-orange juice

3 tablespoons Italian dressing

1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

sea salt and pepper, to taste (optional)


Instructions

1. Place all ingredients in a blender. Cover, blend until relatively smooth.

2. If you would like the soup to have a smoother texture/be thinner, you can put the soup through a chinois or sieve. If you would like it to be thicker, take a slice of crusty peasant bread, soak it in water, squeeze the water out, add it to the gazpacho and blend again.

3. Taste. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.

4. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours so that the flavors have a chance to meld. Serve chilled.

5. Garnish with diced cucumber and bell pepper...or for some crunch, sprinkle with chopped macadamia nuts and some cilantro.

Spicy Thai Soup

Ingredients

2 (14 oz) cans lite coconut milk
1 (14 oz) can chicken stock
4 stalks fresh lemongrass (bottom 2/3rds only, remove tough outer leaves)
9 slices of peeled ginger (cut in 1/4 inch thick round)
4 kaffir leaves, hand torn
3 birds-eye chilies, lightly pounded and sliced
2 tablespoons fish sauce
4 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons sliced cilantro
2 teaspoons red curry paste
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts (drained and rinsed)
1 (14 oz) can baby corn (drained and rinsed), sliced in half
3.5 ounces fresh shimeji mushrooms
1 large carrot, peeled and julienned

My god, has it been colder than a witch's tit or what lately? I know it's been colder than past Sacramento winters because I've actually been wearing SOCKS the past two weeks and I rarely wear socks (I absolutely abhor the feeling of my feet being encased). However, it's been a choice of wearing socks and being uncomfortable and grouchy or having numb toes and blue feet...so there you have it, socks win. Dammit! Anyhow, to keep warm I've also been eating a LOT of soup. Soup, it's the ultimate comfort food and there's so many different kinds-- smooth butternut squash, heart warming chicken noodle, zingy tom yum...the list is endless. What's your favorite kind to dig into on chilly nights? For me, it's homemade mushroom soup- the thick velvety kind that dances on your tongue with a luxurious, earthy flavor. I could eat it everyday! For Kidlet #1, it's clam chowder in a bread bowl. He goes absolutely bonkers for the briny-creamy concoction. He'll even eat the watery canned stuff in a pinch (gack!)...so I thought I'd surprise him with a batch for dinner last night. Now I know there's all kinds of low-cal, low-fat, skinny-minny recipes out there for clam chowder. I've tried a few...and quite honestly, they suck. I say- if you're gonna make some chowder, go balls out and use butter, cream and potatoes. You can even use fresh clams but if you're like me, you're a bit lazy on weeknights and canned will suffice. Anyhow, give yourself a reprieve from the almond milk and tofu and be decadent for one evening. Vive la chowder!

(Chowda purists be warned though- this is not the traditional chowder most likely immortalized in the memories of your youth spent summering in New England; however, it is a hearty, aromatic, delicious taste of the sea nonetheless, so give it a try. )


Creamy Clam Chowder

Ingredients

1/2 lb. sliced bacon
1 large sweet onion, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 lb. of Honey Gold potatoes, quartered or 3 Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed
1 cup carrots, peeled and chopped
1 leek, chopped (white and light green parts only)
2 cobs fresh corn, zippered
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
3 cans (10 oz. undrained) whole baby clams
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons rice flour (you can use AP flour if you must)
1 cup whole milk
1 cups cream
3 teaspoons Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon thyme
4 sourdough bowls (optional)

Instructions

1. In a pan, cook your bacon. Let it crisp up (about 3-4 minutes). Remove bacon with a slotted spoon or tongs and set on a paper-towel, leave the bacon grease in the pan.

2. In the pan (with the bacon grease), add in the onion and leek. Saute for about 7-8 minutes over medium heat, until onions are soft and semi-translucent. Stir frequently. Add in garlic. Cook for about another 1-2 minutes. Transfer ingredients to a large soup pot, set aside.

3. In pan, melt 3 tablespoons of butter. Add your jumble of celery, potatoes, carrots and corn. Cook for about 10 minutes on medium-high heat. Transfer ingredients to soup pot.

4. Open all three cans of clams. Drain liquid into a measuring cup and save. Place clams in a bowl and place in fridge.

5. Place soup pot on burner over medium-high heat. Add 2 cups of clam juice. Stir. Allow to cook for 15-20 minutes.

6. Add in clams, salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaf. Slowly add in milk and cream. Stir until sauce comes to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and allow to cook another 15 minutes. Chowder will thicken.

[7. If you like your chowder on the slightly thicker side: In a pan or small pot, whisk together 3 tablespoons of rice flour with 3 tablespoons butter. Once it's bubbling, add a large ladle of chowder to the flour and butter mixture (aka roux). Mix together well then add it back into the pot of chowder. Turn the heat up and allow it to come to a boil, then again reduce to a simmer.]

8. Hollow out your sourdough bowls. (I like to keep the dough I pull out, it's great for dipping into the soup.) Chop your bacon slices into 1/4-inch pieces.

9. Stir soup occasionally. Adjust seasonings if needed. Make sure potatoes are knife-tender. Discard bay leaf.

10. Ladle into sourdough bowls. Sprinkle with bacon bits. Garnish with cracked pepper or chopped fresh parsley (optional). Serve hot.

The weekday farmers markets are back! For those of you who work downtown, I'm sure you're pretty excited since you can pop over during your lunch hour and stock up on fresh fruits and veggies. They're open from 10:30am to 1pm. For dates and locations, check out their website: California  Certified Farmers' Markets.



This week I picked up some beautiful spinach at the farmers' market. Since the weather took a slightly cooler turn, I decided to whip up a batch of stracciatella. Never heard of stracciatella? Stracciatella comes from the Italian word meaning, "rags" or "shreds." In this recipe, you beat the eggs before adding them into the soup and the eggs morph into wispies that look little rags. It's sort of like an Italian egg drop soup. It's the perfect soup for lunchtime...it's not too heavy.

Stracciatella (adapted from Savoring the Hamptons: Discovering the Food and Wine of Long Island's East End by Silvia Lehrer)

Ingredients

1 pound fresh spinach, stems removed

4 cups of stock (it's traditionally made with chicken stock but I decided to use veg stock)

2 large eggs

Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper

a pinch of nutmeg

1/3 cup fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, peeled

lemon wedges (optional)


Ingredients

1. Wash and dry your spinach. Make sure to remove any sand, grit and leaves that look jacked. Remove the stems and chop the leaves into strips.

2. In a pan, heat up the olive oil with the garlic cloves over medium heat. After about 3 minutes, the garlic will turn slightly brown. Remove and discard the cloves but keep the oil.

3. Add the spinach and toss so it gets coated by the oil. Lightly saute the spinach for about 3-4 minutes. Season the spinach with the Kosher salt, pepper and nutmeg.

4. In a pot, combine 4 cups of vegetable stock and the sauteed spinach. Over med-high heat, bring to a boil then lower heat to medium low. Let the spinach simmer in the stock for a few minutes. Then taste. Adjust seasonings if  needed.

5. In a bowl, beat the eggs until they're slightly frothy. Add in the grated cheese and 1 tablespoon of the heated broth. Whisk again then add the mixture in a slow stream to the pot containing the stock and spinach.

6. Upon adding the mixture, stir the contents of the pot around and around for several minutes. The eggs will slowly take on the appearance of little torn "rags."

7. Served immediately. If you like, you can add a small squeeze of lemon to give it a little kick.

Last night it was raining cats and dogs so I decided for supper a pot of warm, hearty soup was in order. I ended up trying out this new recipe for roasted asparagus soup and bringing it over to Mr. S.'s house where we opted against subjecting ourselves to Mother Nature's wrath ( I'm pretty sure the barrage of thunder and lightening were the deciding factor) and instead enjoy a night in watching movies with this furry beast...our favorite little third wheel. I mean, how can you resist this cute face?




Oh! The soup turned out to be amazing- not a drop left...the perfect blend of creaminess and fresh vegetable. Mr. S. has decided it's his new favorite and since it's so easy to make (and asparagus is so cheap at the farmers market right now--$2 a bunch!)...it looks like I might be making this recipe again soon.

Roasted Asparagus Soup (adapted from Pictures and Pancakes)
Serves 2-3

Ingredients


3-4 large cloves garlic, minced

I'll admit sometimes dating someone with kidlets can be a bit trying...instead of cocktails with friends or a romantic getaway to the City, weekends can be full of meltdowns, pouting and attitude. But more often then not, they're a lot of fun...like today. Mr. S. and I took the kidlets to go bowling. Bowling---I honestly don't recollect having gone bowling in at least eight years. It was a bit retro but we had a total blast and Mr.S. even scored a turkey (3 strikes in a row)!




For dinner, I wanted to make something fun and casual so I had Mr.S. grill up a couple of juicy chicken breasts on the BBQ and I threw together a batch of Southwest Chicken Chili. It went over like gangbusters with the dinner crowd. The flavoring of this chili is amazing! Even chili haters will love it. The only thing I'm worried about now is having fed preteen boys a lot of beans for dinner...I think there's going to be a lot of "musical fruit" action tonight while we watch some movies. Yipes!



Southwest Chicken Chili  (recipe from Simply Scratch)

Ingredients

3-4 cups Cooked Chicken, shredded

2 cans Pinto Beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup Corn

1 medium Green Pepper, diced (I left this out since 3 out of the 4 of us dislike green peppers)

1 medium Onion, diced

1 Jalapeno, diced small (seeds and ribs removed)

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

3 tablespoons Flour

4 teaspoons Ancho Chili Powder

2 teaspoons Cumin

2-1/2 teaspoons Kosher Salt (more or less to taste)

2 tablespoons Tomato Paste

3 cups Chicken Broth

3/4 cup Heavy Cream

3 tablespoons Butter


Optional for serving:

Sour Cream

Cilantro, torn

Tortilla Chips, crushed

Grated Pepper Jack or Cheddar Cheese


Instruction

- In a dutch oven sauté the green pepper, onions, jalapenos and minced garlic in three tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat.


- Once soft, season with the ancho chili powder and cumin. Sprinkle with the flour and stir until the flour is absorbed and cook for one minute.

- Add in one cup chicken broth and the 3/4 cream stir and bring to a simmer. Stir in two tablespoons tomato paste.

- Add in the drained beans, shredded chicken and corn. Stir and add in more broth {as needed}. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour over medium-low, then remove the lid and simmer for 15 minutes.

- Serve with a dollop of sour cream, torn cilantro, crushed corn tortilla chips or grated cheese.

Mr. S.'s has two kidlets and when it comes to food they're like night and day. Kidlet #1 is always curious what I'm making in the kitchen, will try any dish once before passing judgement and LOVES spicy food. Kidlet #2, on the other hand, hates most vegetables, stubbornly refuses to try new foods and would rather poke himself in the eye with a fork than eat anything even remotely spicy. If we allowed him to, he'd subsist on chicken and garlic bread. So, you can imagine my surprise when Kidlet #2 ate everything on his plate one rainy afternoon in San Francisco's Japantown. Shumai, rice, yakitori all down the hatch with not one complaint. (Seriously, my jaw dropped!) He also advised me that he loved miso soup as long it didn't have any "green stuff" in it. So, last night I decided to make him some miso soup sans any "green stuff" (wakame and green onions).  For once there was no fussing or whining during dinner, all I heard was slurping from that side of the table. A small victory, but a victory nonetheless.


Kidlet Approved Miso Soup

Ingredients

1 block firm tofu, drained & cut into small cubes

3 T shiro (white) miso paste

2 t dashi granules ( I like Hon Dashi by Ajinomoto)

4 cups of water


Instructions

- Bring water and dashi granules to a boil.

- Reduce heat to medium. Add miso paste. Stir well so that the paste dissolves.

- Add cubed tofu.

- Reduce heat and simmer for 5-7 minutes.

- Ladle into bowls and serve hot.

What's a girl to do when the weather outside is beastly and the rain's coming down in buckets? Make a batch of soup, of course! For X-mas, Mr.S.'s mother gave me a big book of soup recipes. I've been pouring over the colorful photographs of drool worthy soups for a couple of months now but haven't had the time to whip up anything from it's pages yet. Today though, I decided to give the Jerusalem Artichoke Soup with Saffron and Thyme a go. Feeling a little bit creative, I decided to jazz up the original recipe by throwing in some smoked paprika and topping it with onion crisps. Yum!

(Also, the nice thing about this soup is that it makes a big batch and you can freeze the leftovers.)


Jerusalem Artichoke Soup

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

2 medium yellow onions, chopped

3-4 garlic cloves, chopped

12 oz. Jerusalem artichokes (also called sunchokes), scrubbed and coarsley chopped

12 oz. carrots, scrubbed and coarsely chopped

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 - 1 tsp smoked paprika

1.2 quarts hot vegetable stock

1.5 tbsp fresh thyme leaves or 1.5 tsp dried thyme

large pinch (about 30 strands) of saffron

juice of 1/2 lemon

onion crisps or parmesan croutons


Instructions

- Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat, add the onions and cook for 5-10 minutes or until soft and translucent.

- Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds or until fragrant.

- Stir in the sunchokes, carrots and a little salt, then cover with a lid and sweat, stirring frequently, for 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are softened.

- Add the stock, thyme, saffron and smoked paprika.

- Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are throughly soft.

- Cool briefly, then process until smooth in a blender.

- Stir in the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

- Serve in warm bowls, with some onion crisps or parmesan croutons on top.

Those of you who live in town probably remember when the River City Food Bank caught fire last October just before the holidays. The food bank which feeds over 40,000 people a year was destroyed and all that was left were charred bits and rubble. But much like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the RCFB with the help of area businesses and the Sacramento community was able to regroup and reopen at a new location.

RCFB is the only Sacramento-area food bank open every weekday to those in need and has been in operation for over forty years. They rely on the generosity of grants and private donations from the community to help them feed the less fortunate. They also put together fundraisers during the year to help with costs, like the annual Empty Bowls event. The 8th Annual Empty Bowls which took place this week consists of 2 events: An evening social gathering that includes wine, hors d’oeuvres and your pick from a half dozen gourmet soups. Or you can attend one of the daytime events (there are two seatings), where you get to indulge in your choice of a gourmet soup and also choose one of 1500 beautifully hand-crafted bowls made by area students and professional potters. I was invited to attend by my gracious friend, Gretchen and was taken aback at how large of an event Empty Bowls was. The event was held in the historic Sacramento Masonic Temple on J Street and despite having a huge turnout, everything was well executed and well organized.

Even if you missed the Empty Bowls event, it's not too late to make a donation. With the current economic climate being what it is, the need for programs like RCFB is greater than ever. You can donate money, food or your time by contacting the RCFB at mailto:email@RiverCityFoodBank.org.

I was really excited about cooking with celery root (aka celeriac). A cross between an albino turnip and an overweight parsnip; it's always been one of those "What the heck is THAT fugly thing?!" vegetables I would pass by time and time again in the grocery store. Everywhere I read said that celery root wouldn't have that sharp green taste that ordinary celery stalks have...well baloney! Celery root has a STRONG celery smell and taste as I found out last night. As someone who abhors the taste, texture and smell of celery; I was not quite pleased with last night's dinner. I had decided to attempt The Kitchen Sink's Celery Root and Apple Soup and the result was a bowl of soup with a VERY celery-centric taste. Maybe throwing in another apple would have helped sweeten it up more; but regardless, this recipe will not be repeated again in our household. Mr. S. who DOES like celery wasn't too jazzed with it either and I found myself munching on a box of Pocky as opposed to finishing my dinner.

[Note: I didn't have chicken broth on hand so I used vegetable broth. I also omitted the chives.]


Celery Root and Apple Soup

Ingredients


- Add celery root, apples, and onion. Cook until apples and some of celery root are translucent (do not brown), stirring often, about 15 minutes.

- Add wine, broth and thyme. Cover and bring to simmer.

- Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer covered until celery root and apples are soft, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat; cool slightly.

- Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth.

- Return soup to pot and stir in the buttermilk. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

- Garnish with snipped chives and a drizzle of olive oil.

According to whomever decides this crap, September has been deemed National Mushroom Month.  Since I didn't want to have the mushroom mafia after me  for not paying proper homage to the almighty fungi, I decided to whip up a batch of pipin' hot mushroom soup.

[Note: If you are looking for a healthy, light soup...this is not the soup for you. It's heavy, decadent and a true "comfort food" dish.]

Mushroom Soup
(* adapted from a recipe in "Comfort Me With Apples" by Ruth Reichl)

Ingredients

1 lb. portobello mushrooms, destemmed & sliced
1 lb. crimini mushrooms, sliced
2 small yellow onions, diced
4 cups beef broth
1/2 cup red wine
2 cups heavy cream (or half and half)
1 cup whole milk
8 T flour
1 t ground nutmeg
1/4 t thyme
2 bay leaves
1 stick of unsalted butter
salt
pepper

Instructions

1. Melt butter over medium heat in a heavy saucepan.
2. When foam subsides, add onion and saute until golden.
3. Add mushrooms and saute until brown.
4. Stir in flour and then slowly whisk in broth.
5. Add seasonings.
6. Heat cream/milk on the stove or in the microwave and slowly add to pot. Whisk again to ensure that everything is incorporated.
7. Add wine. Whisk yet again. (Is your arm getting tired yet?)
8. Simmer on low for ten minutes (do not boil).
9. Taste. Modify seasonings as needed.

"Large, naked, raw carrots are acceptable as food only to those who live in hutches eagerly awaiting Easter."  ~Fran Lebowitz

On a whim a few months back, Mr. S. and I decided to play hookey. We opted to start our day with a patio lunch at Tuli Bistro. Lunch was good; the gyro pita was bit mundane but the shrimp po' boy had a nice kick from the chipotle remoulade. The best dish we shared though was a savory carrot-ginger soup. It was so good that it prompted me to look up carrot-ginger soup recipes when I got home. I perused the internet trying to find a recipe that sounded similar and didn't have much luck; but then the kitchen gods delivered me my May issue of Bon Appetit and a recipe for Carrot-Ginger Soup with Chile Butter and Roasted Peanuts. When I finally got around to making it, I realized that it wasn't exactly like the soup I had at Tuli's...it was BETTER!

* Note: Do not skip the chile butter and peanuts, they truly alter the flavor of the soup.