Thursday, January 15, 2009

-25 Celcius...Soup Weather


Above photo is the fixins for Butternut Squash soup. Super easy...once you ge the bloody rind off. Peeling a raw squash is a crazy chore. I used to always broil squash then make it into soup, but I've found out that more butternut flavour goes into the soup if you cut it raw, into little cubes, then saute the squash. About 20 minutes. Then saute onions and celery separately, then combine. Add chicken stock. Simmer for an hour. YUM! (you see that knife...no not the blue one, the stainless steel Global knife. I bought that a few years ago inspired by the novel Stanley Park set in Vancouver about a chef)

A few blogger friends are changing their eating habits to lose weight. I think a serving of soup every day is a satisfying meal for weight loss...as is a small portion of organic legumes. I love homemade hummus with celery sticks. Good source of protein, crunchiness (to replace potato chips while watching tv?) and vitamins and fiber.

It's insanely cold. There is ice and frost INSIDE our windows tonight. I went out today...had to...wanted to make some split pea soup and organic Boston baked beans for Stagg. The house smells great because te spiit pea soup is simmering. I used three cups of champagne, 2 cups water, tons of garlic, thyme, marjoram, onions and celery and 2 cups water to make the split pea soup...with some amazing organic ham cut into classic cubes. I've also got more acorn squash roasting beside the baked beans. I used three beans...kidney, black and butter with molasses, garlic, mustard, beer, tomatoes, balsamic vinegar...all really good ingredients and organic.

Stanley ParkFrom Publishers Weekly
What's local in a world that is becoming one global monoculture? That's the question confronting Jeremy Papier, the Vancouver chef at the center of Taylor's comic debut novel. Jeremy divides chefs into two types: the transnational Crips, who mix, say, Chilean farm-bred salmon and kimchi, without compunction; and Bloods, who are purists, stubbornly local in their food choices. Along with his friend Jules Capelli, another Blood, Jeremy runs the Monkey's Paw Bistro, making meals from mostly local ingredients for local foodies. Storm clouds lie on the horizon, however. Jeremy is deep in debt. To get by, he scams some $2,000 with the aid of Benny, a customer-turned-girlfriend. The scam backfires, and Jeremy has to turn to Dante Beale, an old family friend and the owner of a national chain of coffee houses, for money. Dante redesigns the bistro, turning it into a potential Crip palace. Jules is fired. Jeremy, under contract, remains. Turning for solace to his father, an anthropologist whose major project is living with the homeless in Stanley Park, Jeremy is reluctantly drawn into his father's work and the investigation of a decades-old mystery involving two children killed in the park. Along the way, he becomes fascinated by cooking for the homeless, and the joys of preparing squirrel, raccoon and starlings carry him into a glorious prank, which he plays at the opening of Beale's redesigned bistro. Taylor has written a sort of cook's version of the anti-WTO protests, striking a heartfelt and entertaining blow against conformity.

11 comments:

Cynnie said...

I love soup !..

I make split pea all the time ..
people think because it's always hot here soup wouldnt be appreciated ..
but nope !..
I eat nice homemade soup at least 3 times a week..
and during these economically tough times, it's cheap and nutritious !

Candy Minx said...

Soup is a remarkable cost effective food. Cynnie, I too love soup in hot weather. When we were traveling last summer I had hot soup...in deep summer, every day. I craved it! I think it's kind of like how drinking hot Assam or Orange Pekoe tea in the summer cools one down.

Wandering Coyote said...

I just made a pot of Thai chicken curry soup - completely homemade including the stock. Yum!

I tried reading Stanley Park but just couldn't get into it at all...

Anonymous said...

Candy,
I'd say, "Stay warm," but it sounds as tho' you'll be toasty warm and satisfied with these wonderful dishes. I used to have a share in a a community-supported-agriculture farm. Am thinking of doing it again after many years. I really had fun experimenting with different recipes. There's nothing like eating seasonally, don't you think? I remember discovering patty-pan squash through the farm. What a great name--for a great veggie! The winter squashes are so wonderful, too. Maybe we'll make your recipes down here this weekend. They sound so good.
We think it's cold--it's in the 20's. Cold for here, but not for you stalwart Canadians.
Well, stay warm between courses!
Best,
Margaret (Penelope)

Candy Minx said...

Margaret, I've got tons of layers on today. That squash does sound good! I'm in Chicago actually, where the temperature is the same as Ottawa yesterday. It was -10 Fahrenheit. Today is much warmer, 0 Fahrenhieit. But it still feels way colder. Aren't you near D.C.? So it's warmer here! But I feel freezing for some reason...the radiators just haven't been able to catch up. Cheers!

Janet said...

What a GREAT use for leftover champagne!!! And...what time is dinner? I'm on my way!

Candy Minx said...

You got...we had left over champagne! I WOULD LOVE it if you could come over for dinner!!!

Unknown said...

I LOVE YOUR KNIVES>>> and I wrote that just after reading the article about killing women... is that a little bit creepy?
I love soup.
Tomato soup. Chicken noodle soup (my mom's recipe is the absolute best).. etc.... but don't make it often enough... hmmm... new resolution.......

Candy Minx said...

Suzanne, the posting of such a grisly topic next to one with knives kind of hit me later. I don't know. I don't have a logic or plan when I post what I post...although I had been thinking about the Vancouver murders for a long time and I wanted to write something. The story got a lot of straight ahead press...but I am also interested in the reverie of such tragedies and it's anthropology...so I was stirring a post around for a while and then it just popped out. Next to a post on cooking.

I have never actually made tomato soup! It really sounds daunting. I occassionally pick up an organic pre-made tomato soup...but not made it myself. I used to make organic ketchup when I had a vegetarian restaurant. Now organic ketchup is priced competitively with corporate ketchup so I just buy it already made. Ketchup came from Indian chutney...and I still like to make chutney.

I make soup all the time because I put it in the Hubs lunch every day.

mister anchovy said...

I thought Stanley Park was a pretty interesting book.

Soup is good, especially on cold winter days. Tuffy is an excellent soup maker.

Candy Minx said...

Yeah, "Stanley Park" wasn't bad...I'd give it a 6 or 7 out of 10.

No surprise Tuffy P can make a good pot of soup. (see above comments heh heh)

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