First and Ten
Forgive the not-entirely-food-related post. But—all is right in the world…because it’s college football season once again. And that means hot dogs, cold beers, and this guy:
go gators.
Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
A quick note
I am still alive, AND I am still (I think) a blogger. Some major life changes are going on at Chez Thin Chef, so I’ve been on another planet. But I promise to share everything soon, and have some fab new recipes and pictures to share in the coming weeks. If you’ll still be around to read them… (please say you will!)
Until then…
Creamy Split Pea Soup
I decided to honor the first day of fall with some soup. Yes, it’s still 80-something degrees outside, and no, the leaves aren’t changing just yet…but the advent of a new season calls for a new kitchen repertoire. Split pea soup was on my mind since I realized we had a mason jar full of them that hadn’t been touched since before summertime.
This recipe is exceedingly simple…but that’s kind of what I think comfort food like split pea soup should be. Uncomplicated, straightforward flavors and textures that soothe and satisfy. And just a taste of the rich, creamy soup made it seem like fall really is just around the corner…
Creamy Split Pea Soup
serves 4
4 slices center-cut bacon cut into thin strips
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salt and pepper, a pinch of each
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs thyme
1 sprig rosemary
2/3 cup dry white wine
4 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 cups split peas, rinsed and picked over
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Heat a stockpot over medium-high heat; add bacon and oil. Cook until bacon is crisp. Remove bacon from pot with a slotted spoon, and place on a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
Add the onion to the remaining bacon drippings and oil. Cook until onion is tender and just starting to brown. Add garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Add herb sprigs, wine, and stock; use your spoon to scrape any bits at the bottom of the pot.
Add the split peas. Bring soup to a boil, then lower heat to medium-low, and simmer soup for 30 minutes, or until peas are tender. Remove the herb sprig and discard them. With an immersion blender, whiz the soup until it’s mostly pureed but still slightly chunky. Alternatively, add about 3/4 of the soup (in batches) to a blender, and blend until smooth; add back to remaining soup in pot, and stir to combine. Stir in the thyme and lemon juice.
Ladle soup into bowls, and top with reserved bacon. Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil, and serve.
On Perfection, or: The Tale of an Ugly Omelet
I have something to tell you. Dinner got the better of me a few nights ago.
In the mood for brinner (breakfast for dinner), I planned on crisp hash browns and a veggie-and-cheese-filled omelet. Everything was fine until I tried to flip the potatoes using what I like to call the put-a-plate-over-the-skillet-flip-and-say-a-prayer method. But the result? In one hand, the hot, heavy cast-iron skillet with dangling shreds of potatoes that resembled stalactites. In the other, an empty plate. No amount of shaking the pan would loosen the disc of potatoes. So. Back down the skillet went, and I attempted to flip it by hand. The potatoes, though, had a different idea. They clung to the skillet like a child clings to his mother’s leg on the first day of school. They would. not. budge.
Leaving the potatoes with a frustrated grunt, I went on to the eggs, which by now had set up quite nicely. I filled the omelet with lightly sauteed peppers, fresh tomatoes, and shredded cheddar. But when I went to do the trifold, the thing ripped—in several places. There may or may not have been expletives uttered as I tried to smoosh it all back together, the fillings spilling and hissing into the pan.
Still to deal with was the darn skillet of hash browns, mocking me, now starting to burn. After 30 seconds of fruitless scraping with my wide plastic spatula, I grabbed the sharpest tool in my crock—a metal wok spatula—and furiously scraped the black-and-brown bits from the bottom of the skillet, burning my hand as I grasped the skillet handle.
At one point, Jason came into the kitchen to make sure I wasn’t losing it.
As I glanced, frustrated and defeated, at the scene before me—a broken, bleeding omelet and too-soft, over-browned potatoes—I remembered that first of all, no one is perfect and not every dish or kitchen experience will be, or even can be flawless. And secondly, I mean, really. I’m yelling at eggs and cursing a skillet of mushy potatoes? Oh, dear, there are things much, much more important to worry about than dinner being just right.
So…I confess two things. One: I do not always make pretty, successful, and tasty food. And two: I tend to be very hard on myself when things I make don’t turn out as I want them to. But isn’t that part of it? I’m trying to remind myself that even Julia Child, Hubert Keller, and Ina Garten all have had bad days in the kitchen. It’s how you learn. No one’s perfect, and life would be so boring if we were.
Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Tomato Tasting Dinner
So, the tomato extravaganza was a hit. In case you haven’t seen my previous posts, last night’s dinner was part of the monthly Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24 event. Four lovely friends came over to help me celebrate this most fabulous of summertime ingredients, and we had a fabulous evening of tomatoey goodness {and lots of good wine}.
Tomatoes are one of my all-time favorite ingredients. They remind me of my dad, who once stayed up all night, burning fires to keep his lovingly cultivated tomato plants warm in a rare Florida freeze. They make me think of my college roommate and one of my best friends, Peyton, whose love of tomatoes permeated many aspects of her life. They bring back memories of summers in West Virginia, sitting with my grandparents eating the scarlet-hued slices sprinkled with salt at their cabin by the river.
It’s nearing the end of tomato season here in the South, so to bid farewell to this oh-so-summery ingredient, I developed a menu with tomatoes at the forefront.
The evening started with glasses of Bailly-Lapierre bubbly and Tomato Gin Fizzes—a combination of homemade tomato juice spiked with lemon and orange, plus gin and club soda. They were refreshing and light, a great summer drink.
First course: A simple stacked salad of sliced tomatoes, marinated cucumbers, and shards of nutty, briny goat’s milk feta, drizzled with purple-basil oil {all ingredients except the olive oil, lemon, and vinegar were sourced from local farms}.With this course, we had a beautiful Rosé, as recommended by the wine expert at Western, a local grocery store.
Up next was a chilled bisque-like tomato soup, suffused with the verdant flavor of dill. No one had dill at the farmers’ market, so really the only local ingredients in this soup were the tomatoes. {The half-and-half came from a Birmingham-based commercial dairy…does that count?} We had the rosé with this course, too. I didn’t get a great picture of the soup, unfortunately…it was a nice pretty pink, echoing the hue of the wine.
The main event was Alabama-raised trout in a wine-based broth called acqua pazza. Teensy cherry tomatoes went into the broth, and I spooned fresh chopped tomatoes on top after the fish was cooked. Alongside, I served golden toasted slices of baguette to sop up the delicious broth.
Our wine was a beautiful Argentinan Viognier that I just couldn’t get over…it was so light, but so flavorful…a really outstanding wine.
For dessert, Tomato-Brown Sugar Ice Cream, perhaps my biggest stretch to get tomatoes into every course. While I really enjoyed the flavor, the girls had mixed opinions. The reviews ranged from “I don’t love it” to “I don’t hate it” to “I like it, but it doesn’t really taste like dessert.” All understandable, of course, because tomato is far from the typical ice cream flavor. I think the next time I make it {and, yes, I will be making it again!} I’ll tweak the flavor, adding some citrus to the mix. To accompany the ice cream, I made lemon-thyme cornmeal cookies, which were crisp, light, and delicious.
It was rainy and dreary outside, the certainty of fall slowly tiptoeing in…but inside, it was still 100% summertime with the sunshiney flavor of tomatoes brightening the whole evening.
A great big thank you to Foodbuzz and Visa Signature for sponsoring this fabulous event.
And now, the recipes:
Tomato-Cucumber Napoleons
Serves 6, but can easily be adjusted up or down
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 large cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh basil
3 to 4 large, ripe tomatoes, sliced
12 thin slices feta cheese or 3/4 cup crumbled feta
Salt and pepper
In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil. Add cucumbers to the bowl, and toss to combine. Set aside for 20 minutes. Just before serving, sprinkle cucumbers lightly with salt and pepper.
Place the basil in a food processor; pulse to chop. With the processor running, drizzle in the oil. Set aside.
Place one slice of tomato on a serving plate. Top with 3 or 4 slices of cucumber, overlapping to fit on the tomato. Top with a slice of feta, or 1 tablespoon crumbles. Repeat the layers a second time. Repeat with remaining ingredients for each serving.
Drizzle each salad with 1/2 tablespoon basil oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper; serve immediately.
Creamy Tomato-Dill Soup
Serves 6 to 8 as a starter
4 medium, very ripe tomatoes, cored and diced
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/2 red onion, diced
Coarse salt and ground black pepper, to taste
3 whole sprigs plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, divided
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half
Puree tomatoes in a food processor. Place puree in a large, deep-sided skillet or a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer tomato puree until thickened, about 30 minutes.
Heat the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat until foamy. Add onions, and cook until translucent and soft, about 5 to 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the whole sprigs of dill, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in tomato puree, and simmer mixture, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Remove and discard whole dill sprigs.
Working in batches, pour soup into a food processor or blender, and puree until no chunks of tomato or onion remain. Transfer soup to a large heat-safe bowl, and stir in the chopped dill. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until soup is cold, 4 to 8 hours.
When soup is chilled, stir in the half-and-half. Taste, and season with salt and pepper. Serve chilled.
Trout in Acqua Pazza with Heirloom Tomato Relish
Serves 6
1 large heirloom tomato, diced
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon anchovy paste or 1/2 anchovy, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
8 scallions, chopped (white and light green parts)
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
6 8-ounce filets trout or other mild white fish
1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 tablespoon butter
Combine the diced tomato and 2 tablespoons oil in a medium bowl. Toss to combine; sprinkle with salt and pepper, and set aside.
Heat oil over medium heat in a deep-sided sauté pan. Add anchovy paste and pepper flakes; cook for 1 minute. Add scallions, and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add garlic, and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
Turn heat to medium-high. Add wine, and simmer for 30 seconds; add broth, and stir to combine. Season fish with salt and pepper; add the fish and tomatoes to the pan, and gently shake pan to evenly spread the ingredients in the pan.
Cover, and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Uncover, and gently turn the fish over. Cook 3 to 4 minutes longer, or until fish is firm and opaque. Off the heat, stir in the butter.
Place each filet of fish in a shallow bowl, and ladle broth over top. Spoon a small amount of tomato relish over each filet. Serve with toasted baguette to sop up the acqua pazza.
Tomato and Brown Sugar Ice Cream
Makes about 6 cups
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
6 egg yolks at room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup homemade tomato paste (recipe follows)
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream and milk to a simmer. (Don’t let it boil.) In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, brown sugar, and salt.
With a ladle, add about 1/2 cup of hot milk mixture to the egg mixture in a slow, steady stream. Whisk to combine, then slowly add a second ladleful of hot milk to the egg mixture. Whisk to combine.
Add the egg-milk mixture back to the saucepan, and cook, stirring constantly, until custard coats the back of a wooden spoon. If you can pull your finger through the custard on the back of the spoon and the line stays, it’s ready. Note: do NOT let the mixture boil.
Pour mixture into a large bowl. Whisk in the tomato paste. Cool custard on countertop until room temperature, then place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or up to a day, until the custard is very cold.
Follow the instructions for your ice cream maker. Serve with Lemon-Thyme cookies.
Lemon-Thyme Cornmeal Cookies
Makes about 1 1/2 dozen
6 tablespoons softened butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, lightly chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
1 egg
1/2 cup cornmeal mix
1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Preheat oven to 350º. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside.
Combine the butter, sugars, and thyme in a large bowl, and beat at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until light and creamy, about 5 minutes. Add the lemon zest and egg; beat until combined.
In a medium bowl, combine the cornmeal mix, flour, and baking soda. Whisk to combine. With the mixer running at low speed, add the flour mixture in 3 or 4 batches, and mix until just combined. Scrape sides of bowl, and incorporate any flour on the sides.
Scoop cookies by scant tablespoonful onto the cookie sheet, spacing about 1 1/2 inches apart. With lightly damp fingers, smooth tops of cookies.
Bake for 12 minutes, rotating the cookie sheet halfway through baking time. Let cool on pan for 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Le Menu
My fabulously talented friend Jessica of Empress Stationery designed a menu for this Saturday’s tomato tasting dinner…
More details to come soon!
Ode to a Peach
These peaches we got at the farmers’ market this weekend are unlike any I’ve had before. They are very firm, but supersweet and flavorful.
I prefer them to the more typical, softer variety, because I’m one of those people who’s funny about texture. Between the fuzzy skin and soft flesh, I just can’t bite into a peach…I can’t even think about it without cringing. Seriously.
But these, these are different. While I still can’t bite right in, I can eat the whole thing {and these are huge}…especially when it’s paired with a dollop of yogurt I thickened at home, and a drizzle of honey that just happens to have been raised in my hometown of Winter Park, Florida.
What a perfect late-summer breakfast.
*We’re having a light food week in here at Chez Thin Chef…eggs for dinner, and stuff like that, so nothing too exciting to share, but my 24, 24, 24 dinner is Saturday and there will be lots to say about that!
Bienvenue!
Welcome to The Thin Chef*, the new home of the blog formerly known as Amuse Bouche.
It was kind of hard to say goodbye to my sweet little Blogger blog, but she had run her course, and it was time for a change.
Here, you’ll find much of the same content as before, but with a fresher look, more recipes, and more (bigger!) pictures. The beautiful new design is all thanks to my brilliantly talented husband, Jason. Tech support? That would be the work of Jonathan, his twin brother. {Am I a lucky girl, or what?}
Please change your bookmarks {you all have me bookmarked, right?}, Google Readers, RSS feeds, and whatever other sundry technological ways you follow blogs. While you’re at it, say hi, and let me know what you think of the new digs.
And stay tuned for the next chapter of this little blog…
*The Thin Chef is a nickname given to me by my brother-in-law Chris who was amused by the juxtaposition of my slender build and my neverending appetite for fabulous food.
'Mater Love
I found out this weekend I was chosen to participate in Foodbuzz’s 24, 24, 24 dinner for the month of August. Here’s an explanation of the event from Foodbuzz.com, which is linked to last month’s event:
“Showcasing posts from 24 Foodbuzz Featured Publisher bloggers, the monthly Foodbuzz 24 highlights unique meals occurring around the globe during a 24-hour period.“
I submitted a menu last week and got picked. Woo! My idea was to have a farewell to tomatoes menu, since (at least in Alabama) summer ‘mater season comes to an end in late August. I get $250 from Visa Signature to help me buy the ingredients, too. Fabulous.
Here’s the menu…I plan on getting as much as I can from farms and other local sources. I’ll keep you updated as I prepare for the meal, which will be a week from this coming Saturday (August 29).
- Tomato gin or vodka fizz
- Tomato, cucumber & goat feta napoleons with basil oil
- Chilled creamy tomato-dill soup
- Locally raised trout in tomato aqua pazza, topped with fresh tomato relish
- Candied cherry tomatoes on squares of dark walnut bread spread with honey-sweetened ricotta
- Matched wines
More to come…
