Crab and Corn Chowder

 

 

 

 Every summer, all I want to eat is fresh Jersey produce. And if I’m not eating that, all I want to eat is seafood. So I figured, why not make both?
This recipe pairs fresh sweet Jersey corn with luxurious lump crab meat. It's a match made in culinary heaven! It's also rich and decadent but still light at the same time. It works perfectly as a first course as well as a main dish. Serve it with a crisp leafy salad, or better yet, some warm crusty bread. 
It just doesn't get any better! 




5 strips of bacon, cut into lardons
1 small onion, finely diced
3 ribs of celery, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
3 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 cups any kind of stock (chicken, seafood, vegetable, etc)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning, or more to taste
3 cups corn, preferably fresh, about 3-4 ears)
1 pint half and half or heavy cream, plus more to taste
1 lb imitation or fresh lump crab meat
Chopped chives or green onions, for garnish


In a large pot, cook the bacon lardons over medium heat. When the fat is begins to render, add the onions, celery, peppers, and potatoes. Stir and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Now add the wine, stock, salt, pepper, and Old Bay Seasoning. Bring it to a boil, then reduce it to a low simmer. Continue to simmer for about 10-15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Add the corn, give it a good stir, and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes. Now add the half and half and crab meat. Gently stir and bring it back up to heat. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. Garnish with chopped chives or green onions, if desired. Serve with saltines, oyster crackers, or warm crusty bread. 

Tips:
This recipe is perfectly adaptable to fit whatever ingredients you have on hand. The ingredients and amounts are just guidelines. For the bacon, any kind will work. Thick, thin, pancetta, guanciale, anything. For the aromatics, any kind of onions, any color bell pepper, any kind of starchy potato. And feel free to add as much as you like. Do you like a lot of potatoes? Add a lot of potatoes! Same goes for the stock. What kind do you have? Chicken stock? Perfect. Shrimp or seafood stock? Great. I made a stock from the fresh corn cobs and it was fabulous. You could even use bouillon. You do you! For the dairy, I used half and half because I think it’s the sweet spot between milk and heavy cream. If you only have heavy cream, go for it! If you want to use regular milk, I’d add a little melted butter, just to keep it nice and rich and velvety. 
For the crab, I'm fine with using imitation. I usually don’t mention specific brands, but in this case, my favorite is Gadre Surimi Style Snow Legs. But if you feel compelled to use fresh lump crab, all the better! Just be VERY gentle when stirring it into the soup so you can keep all those gorgeous lumps intact! Wanna add other seafood like shrimp or lobster? Why not?! 

Btw, not only is this a great chowder, but it's also fabulous as a pasta sauce. Just leave out the potatoes, and toss it with your favorite cooked pasta! Oooo.. that sounds kind of fabulous, actually. 

I think I need to make another batch!

Joey's Spiced Tomato Soup

 

                  

 

 Many years ago, my school pal, Kathleen, gave me a FABULOUS recipe for tomato soup. It was rich and decadent and SO indulgent with lots of butter and cream included in the recipe. Absolutely delicious.

 But recently I was having a few friends over for a little bonfire get together, and I knew I wanted to do a tomato soup, but maybe not so heavy with cream this time. Plus, I wanted a recipe that I could preserve in jars for my pantry, which means no dairy. So instead of scaling back Kathleen's recipe, I decided to come up with something entirely different. As always, I researched a bunch of recipes, and took inspiration from them. Then I tweaked them here and there to make it my own. And this was the result!

 It's definitely still rich and smooth, so you don't even miss the heavy cream, and it has just the right amount of warm heat on the tail end. The secret ingredient? just a little bit of curry powder. BOOM! This was the AHA moment that says "this is a tomato soup, not just a big bowl of marinara sauce." Perfectly warm and comforting on a crisp Autumn night by the bonfire with cherished friends!

 You'll definitely want to keep this in your repertoire. In fact, make a double batch, and then freeze half. Or do like I do and pressure can it in pints. Then all you need to do is heat it up while you're making your grilled cheese sandwiches. Fabulous. I hope you like it!

 

4 cups peeled whole tomatoes (either your own, or canned)
2 cups peeled roasted red bell peppers (fresh roasted or store bought)
1 large onion, chopped
5 ribs celery, chopped
4 cups chicken broth
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp dried basil
2 tbs sugar
2 tbs lemon juice


  Simply add all ingredients to a large soup pot. Simmer about 30-45 minutes, stirring every so often.
Use a hand blender to puree all until smooth. (Or do small batches in a regular blender, but be careful! It's hot!) Taste the soup and adjust seasoning, if needed. Keep warm over low heat until ready to serve. 

And that's all there is to it! 

Serve with grilled cheese sandwiches. Or even more fun, cut up your grilled cheese sandwiches into small pieces (as pictured) and use them as bite sized croutons or dunkers. So good!

Optional serving suggestions: You can still add a pat or two of butter or up to a cup of heavy cream to make it richer, or add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes for a little extra spicy hit.

 

Tips:

  If you don't have fresh peeled tomatoes, then just use canned whole or crushed. You're going to puree everything anyway, so it all works. I used fresh tomatoes because I always keep a supply of my own home canned Jersey tomatoes on the shelf. And I also used my own home roasted peppers. The most important thing with the tomatoes and peppers is to make sure they're peeled. I tried making a batch just adding both without peeling them, and it just wasn't the right texture. Using peeled tomatoes solved that problem! Another solution would be to use a high powered blender. That would definitely make short work of the tomato and pepper skins!

  If it becomes too thick, just add a little more broth, some tomato juice, or even just water, a little at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.

  If you want to make it ahead of time, simmer and blend the soup as directed, but if you're planning to add cream, don't add it until you're ready to serve. This way it'll stay nice and velvetty smooth. Otherwise the citric acid in the lemon juice might make the cream break. And nobody wants that!

 To make it vegetarian, just use veggie broth.

 To make it vegan, use veggie broth and leave out the cream! It'll still be fabulous!

Joey's Brunswick Stew

 

Have you ever heard of Brunswick Stew? 

Basically, it's a very thick tomato based stew, with lots of beans and vegetables, and usually several different kinds of meat. It's a very Southern BBQ type of thing, and back in the day, it was a way to use up leftover smoked meats, briskets, and such. The taste is a perfect combination of smokey, spicy, and just a little bit sweet.

 Most recipes claiming authenticity call for squirrel or rabbit meat, but chicken, pork, and beef are also common ingredients. (personally, I think I'll skip the squirrel and rabbit. ) A debate currently exists as to whether Brunswick Stew was actually originally made near the town of Brunswick, Georgia, or in Brunswick County in southern Virginia. The main difference between the Georgia and Virginia versions has been the types of meat used. The Virginia version tends to favor chicken as the primary meat, while the Georgia version tends to favor pork and beef. As there is no "official" recipe, some variations have chicken, pork, beef, and other types of meat, all in the same recipe. Pretty much everyone makes it the way they like it. So there are probably as many recipes for Brunswick Stew as there are recipes for Italian Sunday Gravy. Every house makes it the way they like it, using whatever they have on hand. 

 So guess what I did? The same thing I always do! I looked at several different recipes, decided what I liked from each one, and then made my own! I noticed that all the recipes seemed to have tomatoes, corn, and lima beans in them, and many have BBQ sauce or ketchup and a little shot of hot sauce too. It all sounds wonderful to me, so I was sure to include them. 

 Originally, I was thinking this would be the perfect thing to warm you up if you're out in the subfreezing weather, but then I thought this would also be a great thing to make for a Super Bowl Party or Olympics Watch Party, or any other choose your own TV Event party. How perfect is that? Instead of doing a pot of chili, how 'bout this instead? Bake up some corn bread muffins, or some buttermilk biscuits and you're good to go!  Oh, one more thing.. If you're a novice cook, this recipe is for you! All you do is dump everything into the pot and let it cook! Easy peasy! Hope you like it!

 

 

 

4 slices bacon, cut into lardons 

1 large onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 large cans crushed or diced tomatoes

1/4 cup brown sugar 

1 cup of any favorite BBQ sauce 

1 tbs hot sauce, or to taste

1 tbs Worcestershire sauce 

1 tsp ground black pepper 

1 tsp kosher salt

2 cans cream style corn

2 cups whole kernel corn, yellow and/or white, fresh, canned, or frozen

2 cups lima beans, canned or frozen

2 cups diced carrots, fresh, canned, or frozen

2 cups peas, fresh, canned, or frozen

4 cups of stock, chicken, beef, vegetable, whatever you have

your choice of cooked meat, diced or shredded, as much as you like

Place bacon in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Slowly let the fat render for a good 5 minutes, giving it a stir every so often. Add the diced onion to the bacon. Saute until the onions begin to soften. Now add all the remaining ingredients. If you're using canned vegetables, no need to drain them. Just pour it all in. That's all there is to it! Increase the heat and bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat down to a simmer. Let it simmer for about an hour. Serve it with corn bread, buttermilk biscuits, or poured over a pile of fluffy mashed potatoes.

Tips/Options:

This is one of those stews that can go in any direction. Use whatever kinds of veggies you like, and add as much or little as you like of each kind. Instead of doing individual veggies like I did, you can just add a couple bags of mixed frozen veggies and call it a day. I just happened to have my own home canned veggies, so that's how I roll. Just be sure to include corn, lima beans, and tomatoes. They're the classics!

You can add diced potatoes, if you like, but I like the idea of serving it over a starch, like biscuits or mashed potatoes, but you do you! 

The one thing that makes this specifically a Brunswick Stew and not just any regular vegetable stew is the addition of BBQ sauce. It adds that hit of sweet smokiness that gives you a nice BBQ flavor. Basically all the other ingredients are negotiable.

Want to pump up the heat? Add crushed red pepper flakes, or a diced hot pepper of choice. 

Want to make it vegetarian? (Yes, that's actually a thing) Just leave the meat out and use a veggie stock.

Want it to be a little more smokey? Add a smoked ham hock or smoked meat of your choice. Or you could even just add a few drops of liquid smoke. 

This makes quite a pot of stew. Have fewer mouths to feed? Cut everything in half. Or just freeze half of it in containers! Giant crowd to feed? Double everything!

Matso Ball Soup

   Whenever I have some time to kill, or if I just need some down time, one of my usual escapes is watching videos on youtube. Sometimes I'll refer to it as "going down the youtube rabbit hole" because very often I'll start watching videos, and the next thing I know, it's 3 hours later. Anyway..
 I follow several channels, but I think my most favorite is from the Bon Appetit Test Kitchen. (ok, maaaaayybe I'm obsessed with it. Don't judge me). They have some of the best recipes, and the featured chefs on the channel are all hilarious and informative and they are the perfect cast of characters. Of course I love it when they all come together, like when they made the perfect Thanksgiving Dinner, or the perfect pizza, but then they also each have their own individual shows:
 Carla does a thing where she'll teach a guest how to make a recipe using only verbal instructions. In other words, they'll stand back to back, not being able to see what the other is doing. It's a pretty awesome gimmick, and frankly, I think I'd be up for the challenge, if you're listening, Carla.
Claire's show is about replicating common snack foods. Like, she made her own Oreos, and Girl Scout Cookies, and Doritos. It's amazing how detailed she gets.
Brad... (who cracks me up), does a show called It's Alive, where he uses fermentation.. which I'm just learning. I'm dying to make my own sauerkraut.
 I won't go into EVERY show they do.. but there are so many others that I feel like I've come to know them personally.... Andy is fabulous and gorgeous and I love that he always slices his onions while looking right into the camera.. I love how Chris smells his food for like a LONG time before he takes a bite, and is always listening to some 80s band I've never heard of... and he's always the final judge.. like, if CHRIS says it's good, then you know it's good...... And then we come to one of my very favorites, Molly.
 First of all, she has a dog named Tuna, which cracks me up. I'd love to ask her where that came from. And another thing I love about Molly, in addition to being hilarious and someone I'd love to hang out with, she does this thing where she abbreviates words as she's speaking. Like, black pepper, is black pep. Caesar Salad is Cae Sal. Potatoes are potates. So forth.
 Anyway, I could talk about the BA youtube channel forever, but the point is that I saw Molly making this recipe, and I immediately wanted to make it.
 I had been in the mood to make a "let it simmer all day" kind of recipe for a while, and this one answered the call. No, I'm not Jewish, but who doesn't love a nice big pot of chicken soup? And since it's different from the way I usually make my own chicken soup, I decided to give it a go.
 It turned out really well! It's SO deep and flavorful, you will not believe a broth could be so rich. And overall, there was nothing very difficult about it. It just took a little time and a few steps. FABULOUS.
 Now, I have it listed below as the recipe was originally printed. But then at the end, I listed a few things I would do differently next time. For instance, I love that she roasted the chicken wings before adding them to the stock, but there are a few minor things I would change. Anyway, just read the whole thing. See what works best for you. And at the end of the day, you'll have a fabulous and delicious bowl of soup. And if you find yourself with some time to kill, go look at the BA Test Kitchen Youtube Channel. It's really awesome! Maybe someday I'll get to meet them.
That would be pretty awesome!





6 lb. chicken wings
6 large eggs
1/2 cup melted schmaltz (chicken fat) or vegetable oil
6 tbs chicken broth or water
3 tbs chopped dill, plus more for serving
3 tbs plus 3 tsp. kosher salt, divided
3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more
1 1/2 cups matzo meal
2 medium onions, peeled, cut in half
1 head of garlic, halved crosswise
1 medium parsnip, cut into 2" pieces
2 stalks celery, cut into 2" pieces
1 bunch parsley
1 tbs black peppercorns
3 medium carrots, 1 unpeeled, cut into 2" pieces, 2 peeled, thinly sliced crosswise
4 chicken legs (thigh and drumstick)

 Place a rack in top third of oven; preheat to 450°. Spread chicken wings on a large rimmed baking sheet and roast until golden brown, 45–55 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the matzo ball dough. Whisk eggs in a medium bowl until no streaks remain. Add schmaltz, broth, 3 tbs dill, 1 1/2 tsp salt, and 3/4 tsp pepper and whisk vigorously to combine. Whisk in matzo meal until well combined. Chill at least 35 minutes or up to 2 hours (this is essential so that the matzo meal can hydrate).

Transfer wings and any accumulated juices on baking sheet to a large pot. Add onions, garlic, parsnip, celery, parsley, peppercorns, and 1 chopped (not sliced) carrot. Cover with 4 quarts water. Bring to a simmer and cook, adjusting heat as needed to maintain a simmer, until stock is slightly reduced, 45 minutes.

Season chicken legs with 1 1/2 tsp salt and let sit until ready to use. After stock has been simmering for 45 minutes, add chicken legs and simmer until legs are very tender, about 45 minutes longer.

 While chicken legs cook, poach the matzo balls. Bring 3 qt. water to a boil in a medium pot. Season with 3 tbs salt.

Using dampened hands, roll matzo mixture into 16 balls about 1 1/2" in diameter. It’s okay to really work them into a ball; they won’t get dense—trust us, we tried! Transfer to a small rimmed baking sheet or large plate.

Carefully lower matzo balls into boiling water with a slotted spoon, adjusting heat as needed to maintain a low simmer. Cover pot and simmer over low heat, checking occasionally to make sure water isn’t boiling too rapidly, until balls are very puffed and light in color, 30–40 minutes. Don’t remove them sooner than this; they will be dense in the middle if undercooked. Turn off heat and let balls sit in cooking liquid until ready to serve.

Back to the stock. Transfer chicken legs to a plate and let cool. Strain stock into a medium pot; discard wings and solids. Remove meat, discarding skin and bones. Tear chicken into bite-size pieces and return to stock. Add thinly sliced carrots. Return liquid to a simmer and cook until carrots are just tender, 3–4 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning for salt.

 Using a slotted spoon, place 2 matzo balls in each bowl. Ladle soup over. Garnish with chopped dill and pepper. 

Do Ahead: Matzo balls can be made 2 days ahead. Transfer to an airtight container along with 2–3 Tbsp. cooking liquid and chill. Gently lower balls into soup and cook over medium-low heat until heated through, about 15 minutes. Stock (with shredded chicken) can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool to room temperature, cover, and chill. If you want a leaner soup, skim off schmaltz before reheating.

Tips;

Ok, so, I'm not a trained chef, and they're definitely the experts, but here's what I would do differently. Sorry Molly, don't hate me!

I'm not gonna buy SIX POUNDS of chicken wings, just to discard them. I mean, I get it, I know that the point is to extract flavor out of them, but it just seems like such a waste to me. Same with the aromatics. I don't like the idea of adding carrots, and onions, and celery, and parsnips, only to strain them and throw them away. I do, however, like the idea of adding the onion skins and the whole head of unpeeled garlic, as well as the other skins to make a richer deeper broth. So, my plan for next time is to roast the chicken wings as directed, but maybe only do half as much, and then I'll just pull any meat from them and throw it back into the pot. And the aromatics can just stay in the soup. I'll just tie up the extra skins and such into a small cheesecloth bundle. This way we can boil all the goodness from them, and then easily fish it out of the pot.

Ok, now lets talk about the balls. I made them just as directed, and I found them to be a little dense and bit dilly, even after cooking them for more than the allotted time. Not being the authority on what matso balls should be, I looked at other recipes, just for the sake of comparison. I tried a recipe called Floater Matso Balls from Toriavey.com, and I have to say, I think I like them a little better. First of all, they were much BIGGER (as you can see in the picture) and they were lighter and fluffier. According to her article, the fluffiness is attained from adding baking powder to the balls. From what I've read, this is a bone of contention with some people because of the leavening that it brings which some say is not permissible for Passover. But apparently baking powder is mineral based instead of grain based and is therefore Kosher, which means it is acceptable in matso balls. Again, I'm not Jewish, and I really don't know what I'm talking about. Just passing along what I've read. 
Anyway, back to the BA recipe... another thing I'd do differently is I think I'd like to poach the matso balls right in the soup. Why dirty another pot? They hold together rather tightly, (and so did the Floater Balls recipe) so I don't think they would ruin the broth, and they'd only taste better by being cooked in the soup, right? no? The only downside to that is that the balls would soak up some of the broth. So if you're feeding a crowd, you'll get more servings of soup if you poach them separately, but since it's just me, I'll poach them in the broth!

Pumpkin and Corn Chowder

  Ok, I know I tell this story all the time, but it's a tradition! So, I'll tell it again!
 When I was growing up, my Mom always made a big pot of soup on Halloween. On one hand, she knew all of my siblings would be coming and going at different times, back from chilly trick or treating, and wanting something hearty to warm us. And on the other hand, she knew she'd be answering the door all day, giving out candy to all of the other ghosts and goblins in the town, so she wouldn't be able to spend any time in the kitchen cooking dinner. A big pot of soup was definitely the answer. As she used to tell me, "You just put everything in the pot and let it cook." And then throughout the day, everyone could just come in and fix a bowl. Seriously, I'm not even kidding when I tell you that there was nothing better in the whole world than coming home from trick or treating and knowing that there was a big bowl of hot soup waiting for us. It was sheer heaven!
 So, to keep the Halloween soup tradition alive, I decided to make a rich corn chowder. Actually, I was originally gonna go with something with a broth base, but then my Sis, Cathy, suggested a chowder, and not only that, specifically one with pumpkin and corn. That sounded FABULOUS to me, so I did a bit of looking. I found several versions, many of which are spicy. That wasn't really the vibe I wanted. Then I found a recipe on a blog called Table for Two. Full disclosure, I didn't really follow that recipe, but rather just used it as inspiration to make THIS one. I changed all of the amounts because basically I wanted to make a BIG pot of soup, instead of just for two. I just kept adding things to the pot and I also add some fresh herbs. So, I guess my version is kind of similar but not exactly the same as theirs, but they definitely get the credit for the original inspiration.
And OMG! Can we talk about how delicious it is?????
 I seriously could not stop eating it. It's SO deep with flavor from the aromatics and from the fresh thyme. But the star of the show is definitely the sweet corn. And the pumpkin adds body and creaminess without making it heavy. Serve it up with some fresh warm crusty bread and it's a meal all on its own. You could also use it as a first course for your Thanksgiving feast! It's just that good! Quite frankly, it has to be pretty amazing in order to get the "Thanksgiving worthy" seal of approval, and this one definitely is! It's perfect for any holiday meal. You should definitely keep this one handy! I know you'll love it!



4-5 cloves garlic
1 lb bag carrots
5 large ribs of celery
1 large onion
1 stick butter
1/4 cup flour
4-5 medium potatoes
24oz bag frozen corn
15oz can pumpkin
a bunch of fresh thyme sprigs
2 cups milk
48oz container chicken broth
Salt and pepper
Chopped chives (optional)


 First, mince the garlic and peel and finely dice all of your veggies. You want everything to be about the same size as kernels of corn.
 In a large heavy pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the diced carrots, celery, and onions along with the minced garlic. Saute, stirring frequently, until everything begins to soften. Add the flour, and stir to coat all of the veggies. Continue to cook for another few minutes, and then add the remaining ingredients. Stir to incorporate everything. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 20-30 minutes, stirring every so often to make sure it's not burning on the bottom. The soup will thicken as it cooks. Add more salt and pepper if you need to. Remove thyme sprigs. Serve chowder with chopped chives sprinkled over the top as a garnish, if desired.




Tips:
To make it easier to remove the thyme, tie the sprigs into a bundle with cotton string. The leaves will fall off during the cooking, and then you can just fish out the bundle of twigs and discard it. Easy!
Anytime I make soup, I'm always amazed at how much salt it takes. Don't add a ton at once, but just be sure to taste as you go, and adjust the seasoning at the end. It will probably need more salt than you think it will, and a good amount of pepper too!
To add a little smokey note, you can saute some bacon lardons in the pot before adding the veggies, then continue with the recipe as directed. Just reduce the amount of butter if the bacon renders a lot of fat.
If you'd like to make it completely vegetarian, just use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth!
For a little extra splurge, top your bowl of soup with a few roasted jumbo shrimp. That would elevate it to special occasion status!

Joey's Sausage and Escarole Soup

 So, a couple weeks ago, I was texting with my friend, Sparky. It was the usual "how are you, what are you up to" sort of a conversation and then I said that I was planning on making soup. Whenever it snows or when it gets bitterly cold outside, I always want to put on a big pot of soup. It's how I was raised, it's just what you do! Anyway, I had planned on making another pot of my latest favorite, Sausage and Spinach Soup, but then Sparky mentioned that his favorite is Escarole Soup. I thought oooo now THAT sounds like a good idea.... Maybe I'll do escarole instead of spinach. So I tweaked the recipe a little and came up with something new!
 OMG it turned out so good, I've already purchased the ingredients to make it again! It's SO delicious! I made little tiny meatballs with the sausage, added some aromatics, some broth and a couple heads of escarole, and that was it! Nailed it on the first try! The sausage flavors the whole pot of soup, and I love how the escarole leaves don't just cook down to nothing. They stay just as hearty as the meatballs. It turned out to be just the thing on a cold wintry night!
 So, give this one a try. It's easy to make, feeds a crowd, and will warm you up on the coldest days.
 Thanx again, Sparky, for the idea! I promise I'll make it for you sometime!


2-3 pounds mild Italian sausage
1 medium onion
3 or 4 ribs of celery
3 cloves garlic
2 heads of escarole
2 large (46oz) cans of chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese, (optional)


 Remove sausage from casings. Form sausage into tiny meatballs. Place the meatballs on a baking sheet, and bake in a 350F oven for about 15 minutes or until cooked through. While the sausage is baking, roughly chop the onions and celery. Add it to a big soup pot with a little oil over medium heat. Saute until they begin to soften, and then add the minced garlic. Saute a few minutes longer. While the veggies are cooking, cut off the core of the escarole heads and wash the leaves thoroughly of any sand or grit. (see washing tips following the recipe!) Roughly chop them and then add them to the pot along with the chicken broth and the cooked meatballs. You can drain the meatballs of any extra fat, or you may choose to add a little of it to the soup for a little extra flavor and richness. Add salt and pepper. Let it simmer for about 20-30 minutes. Adjust seasoning, if needed. That's all there is to it! Serve with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Tips:
 To wash the escarole leaves, fill a big bowl or pot with cold water. Place the leaves in the water and swish them around until they are clean. Ok, now here's the important part: Do NOT dump them into a colander the way you would drain a pot of cooked pasta. If you do that, you'll be dumping all the sand and grit right back on top of your clean escarole leaves. Instead, swish them around and let the sand fall to the bottom of the bowl. Then scoop the clean leaves out of the water with your hands or a slotted spoon, leaving all the dirt at the bottom of the bowl. Smart, huh?
 When you make the meatballs, make sure you don't make them too big. You want to make them small enough to be able to eat a whole meatball in one bite, about the size of a large marble. I chose to bake them on a sheet because I didn't want to stand there frying tiny meatballs all day. This seemed like a faster way to accomplish the task. I wouldn't throw the raw sausage balls into the soup. Yes, they would cook in the broth, but that might make the soup too greasy.
 The amounts of the ingredients are just guidelines. If you like a lot of something, add a lot!
 If you want a little heat, try using hot Italian sausage instead of the mild, or use a combination of the two. You could also add a few shakes of crushed red pepper flakes for just a little spicy poke.
 For a little variation, and to feed and even bigger crowd, add a can of cannellini beans. Just rinse them, drain them, and add them to the pot with the escarole and sausage. Easy!

Joey's Easy Sausage and Spinach Soup

 I was recently foraging through the fridge, looking for something I might throw into a pot of soup. I started with a few aromatics, then added a few main ingredients and some broth, then a few herbs and seasonings, and before I knew it I had a fabulous pot of delicious and hearty soup, simmering away on the stove. Then I thought, "wait, what did I just do????  I need to write this down!!!!" You'd think I'd know by now to write it down as I go, right?
 Now I don't even have to write it down. I've made it so many times, I know it by heart. It's been my go to recipe for several reasons. Besides being delicious and satisfying, it doesn't cost much to make, it goes really far, and on top of that it's very low in carbs, which is how I'm rolling these days. I sort of used my Feel Better All Over Tomato Soup as a starting point, and went from there. I served it to a few friends not too long ago.... Nathan and Wyatt, in particular, were immediate fans. My brother Chris loved it too! So make this the next time it snows, or if someone close to you is feeling a little under the weather. I betcha it'll warm you right up and make them feel better in no time.
Hope you like it!


a few glugs of olive oil
3 or 4 ribs of celery, roughly chopped
1 large onion, roughly chopped
3 large cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs Italian Sweet sausage, removed from casings
1 tsp ground fennel seed
1 tsp dried thyme or a few sprigs of fresh thyme
1 29oz can crushed tomatoes
1 48oz can chicken broth
1 10oz package frozen chopped spinach
Salt and pepper to taste


In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, over medium heat, saute the celery and onions in olive oil until they begin to soften. Add garlic. Saute for a few minutes longer. After removing the sausage from the casings, add it to the pot by breaking off small chunks and throwing them into the pot. Cook, stirring often, until the sausage is brown. Add the remaining ingredients. Give it a good stir. Reduce heat. Simmer, partially covered for at least 30 minutes. I like to go a little longer, even an hour or more. Serve with a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.


Tips:
You can use bulk sausage instead of removing it from the casings, but I tried it both ways, and the bulk sausage wound up breaking down into much smaller pieces. I wanted it to be much chunkier, so I've decided that removing it from the casings was a better way to that end.
You don't even have to defrost the box of spinach. Just take it out of the box, and throw the frozen brick right into the pot. It will melt soon enough.
To grind up the fennel seeds, I used a mortar and pestle, but a spice grinder works equally as well.
If you'd like to toast your fennel seeds before adding to the soup, just throw them into a small dry pan over medium heat and toast them for a few minutes. As soon as you can smell them, they're done and ready to be ground. Easy!
If you don't have any fennel seeds, you can also use caraway seeds, star Anise, or even use a little splash of Anisette liqueur. Or just leave it out! The fennel in the sausage will still flavor the soup!
Come to think of it, you could even chop up a fresh fennel bulb and saute it with the celery and onions... I bet that would do the job as well. Anything to carry over the the flavor of the fennel in the sausage will do nicely!

Irish Beer and Cheddar Soup

 I recently made this for my family's Olympics Opening Ceremonies party. (I'm sure every family has an Olympics party, right?) In keeping with the International theme, we always choose foods from different countries for our menu. This time I chose Ireland and Russia. For Russia, I made Beef Stroganoff (which was FABULOUS, btw) and this soup was my Irish contribution.
 It's really easy to throw together and it's rich and hearty. BIG BOLD flavors too! Actually, tbh, this isn't the exact recipe I made for the party. The original batch had a VERY strong beer flavor. (You know that bite that comes from the hops in the beer? yeah, that.) It was fine, but I think it overpowered all the other flavors.  My brother Chris loved it, but I felt that I needed to tweak it a little. So, here is the newer version.
Give it a try and let me know what you think!

1 onion, chopped
2 tbs butter
12 oz bottle lager (recommended: Harp Lager) 
32 oz chicken stock 
Salt and pepper to taste
2 lbs potatoes (peeled and diced) 
2 tbs cornstarch 
1 lb cheddar (shredded) 
8 oz Cheese Whiz
Bacon, crisp and crumbled 
Chopped chives


 In a large heavy pot, saute the onions in butter until they begin to soften. Add the beer and chicken stock and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the potatoes and cook until tender. Stir together cornstarch with a little cold water. Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the soup and reduce the heat to low. Stir in the shredded Cheddar, a little at a time. Turn off heat and whisk in the cheese sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour into serving bowls. Top with bacon and chives.

Tips:

This would be fabulous served in a bread or pretzel bowl. For a little extra decadence, serve with a dollop of sour cream on top.  YUM.

Corn and Cheese Chowder

A few weeks ago, I was looking for something to make for my nephew, Daniel. I just wanted to make him something warm and comforting. Then I saw Ree Drummond making this soup on her show, Pioneer Woman, and decided that this was just the thing. I had half of the ingredients anyway, and a quick trip to the store took care of the rest. In no time at all, I had a delicious soup simmering on the stove, and I brought it right over to him. It was like a big hug in a pot, warm and cozy, and I know he appreciated it. Any time, Daniel Boone!
 This recipe isn't exactly Ree Drummond's. I changed a few things here and there, and everyone loved it. So add this one to your repertoire. It's the perfect thing if you're cooking for a bunch of weary workers just in from the cold, or if someone needs a warm hug.
Hope you like it!

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1 whole onion, chopped

4 slices thick cut bacon, cut into pieces

1 small green bell pepper, finely diced 

1 small red bell pepper, finely diced
1 (1 lb) bag frozen corn

1 can creamed corn
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken stock or broth
2 cups half-and-half
1 heaping cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

3 green onions, sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the bacon and cook until lightly crispy, and then add the bell peppers and the corn and cook for a few more minutes until the vegetables are soft.
Sprinkle the flour evenly over the top and stir to combine. Pour in the chicken stock and stir well. Allow this to thicken for 3 or 4 minutes, and then reduce the heat to low. Stir in the half-and-half, and then cover and allow to simmer and thicken for 15 minutes or so.
Stir in the cheese and green onions. When the cheese is melted and the soup is hot, check seasonings. Add salt and pepper as needed.

Tips:

If your peppers are quite large, I would just do half of each color. Normally I would just add them in, but I think the flavor of the peppers would compete with the flavor of the corn, and I like for the corn to be the star of the show.

Be sure to simmer it over a low heat and stir it often. You don't want it to burn on the bottom of the pot.

If you'd like to add more cheese, go ahead and add as much as you like!

Feel free to serve this in hollowed out round loaves of bread, if the spirit so moves you!

Joey's Chunky Minestrone

  I've told this story before, but I think it's worth retelling.... 
When I was growing up, my Mom would always make a big pot of soup on Halloween. She had her hands full with getting all of us into costume, and then off we'd go trick-or-treating. (Of course, the door bell was ringing every 10 minutes with other treat seekers.) There was no getting all of us to sit down to dinner at one time, since all of us would be coming and going at different times of the day, depending on how cold it was outside, or if someone was having costumes issues. So, the easiest thing to do was to just put a big pot of soup on the stove, and everyone could grab a bowl at any time. Most times it was her famous vegetable soup, but sometimes it was something equally as hearty, such as beef barley.
 I decided to do a Minestrone for this year's Halloween soup because it hits all the same notes as my Mom's soups. I looked at several recipes but couldn't decide which one to use. So, instead, I decided to do my own. It has a rich broth, it's hearty and healthy, and it warms you up and fills your belly. Of course, you don't have to serve it just on Halloween. It's just the thing for any crispy Autumn night or any time Jack Frost decides to stop by. I hope you like it!

a couple glugs olive oil
3 strips bacon, finely chopped
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 ribs celery, diced
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 medium yellow squash, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 15 oz can cannelini beans, rinsed
1 15 oz can red kidney beans, rinsed
1 29 oz can whole tomatoes, drained, chopped
1 fresh rosemary sprig
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
a big bunch of curly kale, stems removed, chopped
1/2 cup ditalini pasta
 handful of chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese

In a large heavy pot, add the olive oil and bacon over medium heat. When the bacon renders some of its fat, add the onions, garlic, and celery. Let it cook for about 5 minutes, then add the zucchini, yellow squash, and carrots. Cook for another 10 minutes. Add the broth, water, beans, tomatoes, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer. Let it continue to cook for another half hour (or as long as it takes to clean up the kitchen), stirring every now and then. Add the kale, pasta, and parsley. Cook for another 10 minutes. If the soup is too thick after the pasta is cooked, add a little more broth or just water. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve each bowl with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and some warm crusty bread.

Tips:
This recipe is WIDE open when it comes to substitutions.
Add diced potatoes instead of pasta.
Add spinach or any other leafy greens instead of kale.
Add diced green beans or any other vegetable instead of zucchini or squash.
Add any kind of miniature pasta shape you like instead of the ditalini.
Add vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Add any kind of beans or chick peas instead of the red or white kidney beans.
Add any kind of fresh herbs. Basil, rosemary, thyme, parsley, sage, fresh or dried, it all works.
See what I mean? Any or ALL of the above will make a delicious and hearty soup. And if you like a lot of something, add a lot!
Basically, you just need your aromatics (celery, onions, garlic, carrots), your vegetables, broth, herbs, starch (pasta or potatoes), beans, and greens.
As my Mom used to say, "Just throw everything in the pot and let it cook."

New England Clam Chowder

 This is one of those recipes that I thought I posted long ago, and then when I went looking for it, I thought, wait....did I ever post that??? Nope, I didn't! So here it is now. It's not complicated, it's creamy and comforting, and it's ready in about a half hour. Yes, yes, I'm sure there are much more sophisticated recipes that involve fresh clams, etc, but this one works just fine for me. It's the perfect thing for a crisp autumn night. Serve it with buttered fresh bakery rolls and you're good to go. You don't even need anything else, except maybe a crisp salad. SO delicious and warm and flavorful, and easy enough for the cooking novice.
You should try it!

4 slices super thick bacon, diced

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

1 1/2 cups water

4 cups peeled and cubed potatoes

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

ground black pepper to taste

3 cups half-and-half

4 tablespoons butter

2 (10 ounce) cans minced clams

Place diced bacon in large stock pot over medium-high heat. Cook until almost crisp; add onions, and cook 5 minutes. Stir in water and potatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender. Pour in half-and-half, and add butter. Drain clams, reserving clam liquid; stir clams and 1 cup of the clam liquid into the soup. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until heated through. Do not allow to boil. Tip: If you'd like it to be very thick, just let some of the water evaporate before you add the half and half. You could also add a little bit of heavy cream.

Barb's Tomato Soup

Many of my friends ask me for diet friendly or low fat recipes. I know that lots of people choose losing weight as their new year's resolution, so whenever I hear of a diet friendly recipe, I like to pass it along.
  This recipe, however, is absolutely NOT one of those recipes. Your new year's resolution will simply just have to wait until after you've tried this recipe! I got it from my friend Kathleen who got it from her Mother in Law, Barb. It's rich and warm and delicious and comforting and worth the splurge! I'm certainly not saying that you should have this for dinner every night of the week. But everything is fine in moderation, right? Actually, I can sort of picture it as being the perfect first course of an elegant ladies' lunch. A little cup of this soup with a fresh crisp salad and maybe a delicious quiche..... sounds like heaven for brunch, don't you think? It's simple to make too!
Thanx again, Kath! And Thanx Barb!

1 can Campbell's tomato soup
2 soup cans worth of half-n-half
1 can Del Monte stewed tomatoes (original recipe)
1 soup can worth of whipping cream
1/2 stick of butter
2 large, very ripe tomatoes (preferably peeled), diced
S&P to taste

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a heavy pot. On moderately high heat, bring to a gentle boil, stirring often to avoid burning and sticking to the bottom of the pot. Once gently boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for two hours on a low heat. Stirring often. You want the tomatoes to all be soft and the soup to reduce and thicken.


Tips from Kathleen:
Refrigerates and reheats well, so make PLENTY! (I often make a double batch and we eat it for several meals.) You will LOVE IT! It is incredibly rich and NOT a diet-friendly meal, but worth every slurp! LOL! I serve it with green salad, crusty French or sourdough bread and chardonnay. The crusty bread is important because it is FANTASTIC when dipped in the soup!!!!

From Joey:
I'm sure you could cut the fat a little by using regular milk instead of half and half.
To learn how to peel your tomatoes, just watch my video How To Peel a Tomato.

Pappa al Pomodoro Soup

There are certain times when you just need to have a good hearty bowl of soup. Maybe you've been snowed in, maybe you just spent two hours outside shoveling snow, or maybe your job requires you to work outside in the bitter cold. A big bowl of home made soup always seems to hit the spot!
When I was growing up, we'd come home from playing out in the snow all day, having snowball fights, building snowmen, or sledding, and Mom would always have a huge pot of soup simmering on the stove. It's actually one of my favorite childhood memories.
This soup is the perfect thing to warm you up and thaw you out. My sister-in-law, Marianne, made it for my family's New Year's Day get together, and I immediately asked her if I could have the recipe. Just wait 'til you taste it. It's SO delicious!
Thanx Mare!
And thanx Beth!


Hi, Joe, here is the recipe that Tricia's mother-in-law, Beth DelBorrello gave me. Just double it for a crowd.
Mare



1/2 cup good olive oil
2 cups chopped onions (2 onions)
1 cup medium-diced carrots, unpeeled (about 3 carrots)
1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and medium dice (about 1 1/2 cups)
4 tsp. minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
3 cups (1 inch) diced ciabatta bread, crusts removed
2 28 oz. good Italian plum tomatoes coarsely chopped
4 cups chicken broth (preferably homemade but canned chicken stocks works just as well)
1/2 cup dry red wine (a Cabernet is good)
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

FOR THE TOPPING
3 cups (1 inch dice) ciabatta bread
2 ounces thickly sliced pancetta, chopped
24 to 30 whole fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving

Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, fennel, and garlic and cook over medium low heat for 10 minutes, until tender. Add the crustless ciabatta cubes and cook for 5 more minutes giving it stir every so often. Add the chopped tomatoes to the pot along with the chicken stock, red wine, basil, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 1/2 tsp pepper. Bring soup to a boil, lower the heat and allow to simmer, partially covered for 45 minutes, stirring every so often. The bread will soften and thicken the soup. Right before serving, use a wire whisk until the bread is broken up. Add some Parmesan cheese to taste.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375. For the topping place the ciabatta, pancetta, and basil leaves on a large baking sheet large enough to hold them in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss well. Bake, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes until the ingredients are crisp and golden brown. The basil will turn dark and crisp, which is perfectly fine. Add 1/ 2 cup Parmesan cheese on top and toss. Serve as a topping for the soup.

Tip:
The thing that makes it so hearty is the bread. Don't skimp on the bread! It's used to thicken the soup as well as to flavor it. Delish!

Avocado Gazpacho

Have you ever tried Gazpacho? It's a Spanish tomato-based raw vegetable soup that you serve cold, best served during summer months due to its cool refreshing qualities. It's one of those things that I've made in the past, and whenever I have it, I think "Why don't I make this more often?" To be honest, I haven't made it in years, and I don't have any certain go-to recipe for it. Well, that is, until NOW! My friend Kathleen was thoughtful enough to pass this along to me. I hope you'll give it a try! Thanx Kath!!!



OMG!! Joey!!! I had the VERY BEST gazpacho EVER today!! A girlfriend of mine took us and the kids out on her boat today and she shared this with us. It was HEAVENLY on this hot, summer day!!! If you like gazpacho, you have to try it!!!
Here's the recipe (courtesy of my friend, Betsy)
Kathleen


1 quart or 3 cans Clamato or Snap-E Tom tomato juice (I prefer the Snap-E Tom juice)
2 cups mango or pineapple juice
1/4 cup lime juice
1 large mango- diced
1 red onion- diced
1 red pepper- diced
1 green pepper- diced
1 cucumber(optional) diced
2-3 tomatos- diced
2 large or 3 small avocados (on the firmer side)- diced
1/4-1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 tbs ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste



Mix all together and chill.
Serve with bagel chips or corn bread croutons.
So good on a hot day- you need nothing else!

Joey's Feel-Better-All-Over 20-Minute Tomato Soup

Recently, I was a little under the weather. Well, ok, I was A LOT under the weather. I spent a few days doing what one is supposed to do. Lots of rest, plenty of fluids, and lots of home made soup.
This is an easy soup that I came up with, sort of out of necessity, actually. I wanted a hot brothy soup and I didn't want to ask anyone to run to the store for me. So, I improvised. I just threw a couple simple ingredients into the pot and let it simmer. It was so easy and it made me feel SO much better. It'll do the same for you if you're not feeling your best or even if you're just in from the cold!

a few glugs of olive oil
1 onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
2 (32 oz) containers chicken broth
2 tsp dried basil (or more)
1 tsp dried thyme (or poultry seasoning)
a good amount of salt and pepper
freshly chopped parsley

Place olive oil and chopped onions into a large pot over medium heat. When the onions are soft, add the garlic and tomato paste. Stir and saute until the oil becomes a deep crimson and the tomato paste begins to caramelize. Add the chicken broth, herbs, and spices. Don't scrimp on the spices! Give it a good stir and let it simmer for about 15 minutes. Top with croutons and serve.

Tips:
The key to this recipe is to make it spicy and serve it hot. Those spices really warm everything up on the way down and before you know it you're feeling like a new person.
To make it heartier, add a bag of frozen vegetables, a cup of cooked rice, or a cup of cooked noodles.

Lentil Soup

Here's a great soup recipe which was given to my by my niece, Tricia. Thanx again Trish!


Hey Uncle Joey,
I wanted to give you this recipe I got from my boss' mom - Joanne Newman. It is a SUPER EASY recipe for lentil soup and it makes a pretty big batch. I know some people like to add some type of meat like ham or something to their lentil soup, like my mom, for instance, and while that is great too, I prefer the soup without the ham flavor. This recipe is also really healthy and great to have on a cold day :)

You will Need:
-1 bag of lentils (rinse in strainer)
- 1 clove of garlic
-1/2 to 1 small onion- depending on your preference (I used 1/2 an onion)
- chicken broth about 3 or 4 cups
- 1 cup fresh softened carrots or 1 can of carrots
-1 cup of chopped celery
-Morton's Nature's seasoning (or any type of seasoning blend)


Dice onions and garlic. Spray bottom of pot with Pam and saute the onions and garlic until softened. Add chicken broth and lentils. Add carrots and celery. Add Nature's Seasoning to taste. That's pretty much it.
Just let it cook until lentils and vegetables are soft. When ready to eat, sprinkle some Parmesan or Locatelli over it with some crushed red pepper.



Tips from Tricia:
Since this soup can get rather thick, I added more broth as I needed it. I ended up using 2 med. sized containers of broth. Also, since the soup is not very brothy, I found that putting the celery in a bowl of water and microwaving it for a minute made the softening process go a bit faster. As with the carrots, I bought fresh baby carrots that you can microwave in the bag, which made them softer, too- or just use the canned carrots and you wont have to worry about it :) Hope you like it!

Savory Pumpkin Soup

Every year on Halloween, my Mom always made a big pot of soup. She did this for several reasons. If she wasn't busy helping all of us with our costumes, she was answering the door, greeting trick or treaters from the neighborhood. Not only that, we were all coming and going at different times and of course we needed to warm up after being outside in the chilly weather all day. A pot of soup was definitely the best option for dinner. Today's recipe incorporates Mom's tradition of serving soup on Halloween with this week's pumpkin theme.
There are TONS of versions of pumpkin soup. It lends itself to so many different variations. There's everything from creamy to spicy to smokey to sweet. I've seen recipes that have coconut milk, or curry, or jalapeno peppers, or even cloves and honey. So, after giving it a lot of thought, I decided to go with a simple recipe that's rich and creamy. It's probably too rich to serve to your band of trick or treaters, but it would be a great first course for Thanksgiving or an elegant candle lit dinner.

6 cups chicken broth
1 can (16 oz.) solid-pack pumpkin
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, warmed
fresh chives, chopped

In a large sauce pot, heat chicken broth, pumpkin, onions, garlic, and thyme to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered 20 minutes. Pour into food processor and puree until smooth. Add salt and pepper. Stir warm cream into soup. Garnish with chopped chives and a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

Tips:
If you don't have a food processor, you can use a blender, or just omit this step altogether. It would be perfectly fine to serve it without processing it at all. Just be sure to finely chop the onions and garlic.
For an elegant and festive presentation, hollow out small pumpkins (also known as "Jack Be Littles") and use them as your individual serving bowls. Or you could hollow out a large pumpkin and use it as a soup tureen for the entire batch.

Mom's Vegetable Soup

This was a family staple every year on New Year's Day. We'd all bundle up and go to South Philly for the Mummers Parade. Mom would always have tons of food for everyone back at my grandparents' house, which was only a block away from the parade. After standing outside in the cold watching the parade go by, this soup was exactly what we all needed to warm up. It's another one of those delicious old school "all day" recipes, so make this on a Sunday afternoon when you're at home doing laundry or planning for the week ahead.


1 beef shin bone (or shank)
1 ham bone (or ham hocks)
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 large bag frozen mixed vegetables
2 potatoes peeled and diced
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
water ("till it's enough" - you can add more if soup gets too thick)
pot herbs
1/2 cup barley


Combine all ingredients except barley and cook at least six hours over low heat. About one hour before it's done, add barley. Serve with fresh rolls and butter.


Tips:
As I said before, Mom always said that the key to any really good soup is putting some sort of bones in it and letting it cook for a long time. She used to say "Just throw everything in the pot and let it cook." It doesn't get any more basic than that, right?
So anyway, apparently once upon a time, you used to be able to purchase a bundle of mixed herbs simply labeled as "pot herbs". I wasn't able to find that, so I just threw in a bunch of herbs (specifically thyme, parsley, oregano, and bay leaves).
When you add water to the pot, be sure to add enough so that the bones are covered. Just like Mom always said, "til it's enough". I usually just fill up the pot about 2/3 full. This recipe lends itself to adjusting the amount. If you want to make a lot of soup, use a huge pot and a lot of vegetables. Seriously, you should have seen the pot that Mom used to use. Huge! I guess she figured, if you're gonna make soup, then make it worth the time! If you don't need as much, just use a regular stock pot.

Patty's Hearty Beef Barley Soup

I was browsing through my old recipe cards, as I often do, and I found a card with this recipe on it, written in my Mom's handwriting. I'm guessing Patty called my Mom soon after moving to Canada and dictated it to her. How I ever wound up with the card, I'll never know. hehehehe
If this soup was good enough for my Mom, then trust me when I say that you'll LOVE it! It's one of those soups that'll warm you up if you've been out in the cold all day. Pat, you've done it again! Thanx!

2 1/2 lbs. beef short ribs or shin beef
2 tbs oil
7 cups water
1 16oz can tomatoes, cut up
1 large chopped onion
4 cubes beef bouillon
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 cups sliced carrots
1 cup diced celery
2/3 cup barley
1/2 chopped green pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley


In a large pot, brown the short ribs in oil over low heat. Drain. Stir in water, undrained tomatoes, onion, bouillon, basil, salt and pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Cover. Simmer 1 1/2 hours. Stir in carrots, celery, barley, green pepper, and parsley. Replace cover and simmer another 45 minutes. Remove ribs from the pot. Cut the meat off the bone and add back to the soup. Serve with a huge chunk of warm crusty bread.


Tip:
When you're buying beef for this soup, make sure you buy something that has a bone in it. Mom always told me that that's the secret to making good soup. Shin bone, shank, short ribs...any of the above will work fine.

Old Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup

Besides keeping you cozy and warm, it's no secret that soup makes you feel better when you're a little under the weather. And of all the soups in the world, whats the one soup that everyone says you should have? Chicken Soup!
A few years ago, when Paul was home in bed, I told him to have some soup to make him feel better. When he said he didn't have any, I immediately launched into "caregiver mode", went to the store, picked up a few ingredients, and went to his apartment to make him a pot of homemade chicken soup. Of course, it was just the thing to make him feel better. It really works! Make a big pot of it, freeze it in small containers, and you'll be ready the next time you're feeling less than 100%!

1 whole chicken
1 large onion, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
4 or 5 carrots, peeled and sliced
fresh or dried thyme leaves
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
wide egg noodles

Place chicken in a large pot. Add enough water to fill the rest of the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the meat falls off the bone, at least a good 2 hours. During this time, use a big spoon to skim away any yuckiness that rises to the top. After the meat is completely falling apart, carefully remove it from the pot and place it in a large bowl. Set aside. Add onion, celery, carrots, thyme, parsley, salt and pepper. Continue to simmer for about 30 minutes longer. When the chicken is cool enough to handle with your impeccably clean hands, pull the meat off the bones and add to the pot. Add cooked egg noodles. Serve.

Tips:
OK, I have a lot to talk about so here we go.
-I like to add LOTS of veggies to my chicken soup, usually 1-2 pounds of carrots, almost the whole stalk of celery, and a large onion. Add as much as you like!
-Thyme is key to the recipe. It's what makes chicken soup taste like chicken soup. I usually use several sprigs of fresh thyme leaves bundled together with cotton twine, but you can use a tsp of dried leaves, ground thyme or poultry seasoning.
-The soup requires more salt than you think it will. Adding just a pinch of salt across the top just isn't gonna cut it. You'll probably need more like several tsp of salt, depending on how big your pot is, how big the chicken is, and how much water was needed to fill up the pot. If you don't want to add so much sodium to your diet, use a salt substitute. Just make sure you use enough seasoning, otherwise your soup will be bland. When all is said and done and you're just about to add the noodles and serve, have a quick taste and adjust the seasoning if you need to. OH and don't burn your tongue!
-This is another one of those soups that can't be rushed and requires the whole chicken, bones and all. If you try to make it with boneless chicken, it'll be missing the depth of flavor that you want. That only comes from slowly simmering the meat and bones for hours.
-If a whole chicken is too much meat for you, you can just put some of it back into the soup and use the rest to make Chicken Salad, White Chicken Chili, East Indian Chicken or Chicken Stew.
-Another option would be to use chicken parts, such as legs, thighs, and wings. If you use no other part of the chicken, use the wings. They make the best chicken broth, more so than any other part of the chicken.
-I like to boil the noodles ahead of time, then just add them at the last minute, just before serving. Or you can place a serving of cooked noodles into each bowl, then ladle the soup over the noodles. This serves two purposes. If you just add the uncooked noodles to the pot, they'll absorb a lot of liquid, you'll wind up with much less broth, and your pot of soup won't go as far. Also, the longer the noodles stay in the soup, the mushier they'll become. I prefer to have noodles that are little more firm. So, add the cooked noodles right before you serve them and they'll be perfect. The same is true if you'd like to add rice instead of noodles. Use leftover cooked rice, or cook it first before you add it to the soup.
-And finally, I must point out something that may seem obvious, but I never assume anything. When you buy a whole chicken from the grocery store, make sure that you remove the insides after you remove the plastic packaging from the chicken. And when I say "insides" I mean the little bundle of other chicken parts that has been wrapped separately and placed inside the chicken. I've heard of people using the neck to make stock or cooking chicken livers etc, but I usually just discard the entire bundle. Whew! That was a lot. I think that covers everything. Enjoy!