"The Pumpkin Cookbook" - Roasted Corn Pumpkin Chowder - Halloween!

Date I made this recipe:  October 31, 2017 – Halloween!

The Pumpkin Cookbook – 139 Recipes Celebrating the Versatility of Pumpkin and Other Winter Squash by DeeDee Stovel

Published by Storey

ISBN: 978-1-61212-833-7; copyright 2005,2017

Purchased at Bibelot Shops – St. Paul

Recipe:  Roasted Corn Pumpkin Chowder – p. 54

Well, it’s that time of year again which is to say it is fall and also Halloween.  I am not fond of either of these two “events.”

Fall is the season of dead things which is to say my allergies just go into overdrive.  It is also the calm before the storm of winter, and it has been gray in these parts now for oh, I don’t know—forever?  Okay, not really.  Let’s say for the past three weeks if not longer.  It’s also been cold which is why Halloween is no fun.  Did you ever hear a kid beg to put a coat on over his/her costume?  No, you did not!

And then there’s pumpkin which I don’t loathe but it’s not something I cozy up to, either.  It’s okay.  The taste is neither here nor there unless you add some spices to it but I’m not exactly fond of pumpkin spice so there’s another problem I have to overcome every year.  Then there’s the smell problem which is to say that once upon a time, real pumpkin spice didn’t really smell but if it did, it was a lovely scent reminding us of mom’s baking and family Thanksgiving.  Once everybody and their mother (but not my mother) got their hands on it though, it is now everywhere and in everything.  Starbucks of course, pushes the hell out of pumpkin-spiced lattes (usually in July which is maddening), grocery stores start carrying pumpkin-spiced everything and of course, stores like Bed, Bath & Beyond (a store I love), choke me out with their fake pumpkin-spiced candles and doodads.  Migraines are not fun, and there’s a special place in hell reserved for companies that trigger one by spraying everything with “that crap.”

Still, whilst shopping a few months back at one of my favorite stores, Bibelot (fun gifts, cool stuff), I spied this book, The Pumpkin Cookbook.  I debated and debated and then finally thought, “Oh, all right then” and so I brought it home, marked my calendar to remind me to use it and proceeded to flag some recipes.

What I really liked about this book is not only the wide variety of chapters/recipes from which to choose, but also because pages 16 and 17 break out all the recipes by how you want to use your pumpkin, to wit: “Baked or Roasted Pumpkin;” “Steamed or Microwaved Pumpkin;” “Raw Pumpkin;” “Canned Unsweetened Pumpkin or Puree,” and “Pepitas” (Pumpkin Seeds).  I think this is a damned fine idea!  They don’t match the cooking method to the Table of Contents, but they do reference page numbers so that helps.

Here then, is the Table of Contents:

• Starters, Snack & Beverages
• Soups & Salads
• Side Dishes
• Main Courses
• Breads
• Pies
• Cookies
• Cakes
• Desserts & Delicacies

 Many of the sweet treats sounded fantastic, but I thought that was too easy and expected so I looked at the savory options.  In the running were:

• Black Bean (and Pumpkin) Dip – p. 22
• Holiday Pumpkin Dip – p. 23
• Roasted Ginger Pumpkin-Pear Soup – p. 40
• Italian Pumpkin Soup with Crushed Amaretti Cookies – p. 55
• Chicken-Pumpkin Tacos – p. 102
• Punkin’ [Sloppy] Joes – p. 130
• Spaghetti with Peppers, Onions, and Sausage (and Pumpkin) – p. 141
• Creamy Fusilli, Sausage and Pumpkin [Pasta] – p. 145

Any of these would have been fine although since I am such a fan of Sloppy Joes, I was leaning in that direction.  Then I handed the book off to Andy and asked him to choose something, thinking he would choose one of the recipes I flagged in advance.  Turned out he went “rogue” on me and selected something I hadn’t marked and that is how I came to make tonight’s dinner selection – Roasted Corn Pumpkin Chowder (p. 54).  I did not see that coming!

Since both of us are chowder fans, this one hit all the basic requirements:  corn, potatoes, a creamy broth, bacon (a nice addition) and even cheddar cheese.  The pumpkin was a nice addition, but pumpkin can be rather bland, and so it could have benefitted from more spice in the dish.  Aside from salt, the full recipe called for ½ teaspoon dried thyme and 1/8-1/4 teaspoon white pepper. Plan on using more.

As you might imagine, step one was to find a cooking pumpkin, carve it up which is to say, cut it into chunks, and roast it.  That was easy enough, but you’ll have to watch your cooking times.  The pumpkin was to roast for 35 minutes and then another 30 minutes once you add some, but not all, of the frozen corn.  After 65 minutes, my pumpkin was more than done and it was okay, but I ended up scrapping it off the rind and then pulsing it in a food processor instead of adding it in chunks to the broth.  No biggie.

I also found some “fresh” corn at Trader Joe’s and thought to myself “Wouldn’t this be better than frozen corn?  Of course, it would!”  Andy though, thought I should have used frozen and he was not wrong, but he picked a fine time to tell me which was while we were eating it!

Finally, I would be remiss if I did not mention that pumpkin does not appeal to a lot of people, primarily because of its appearance which is to say, “not pretty” and/or “completely unappetizing,” and/or “reminds me of baby [you know];” I’ll let you fill in the blanks on what “you know” is. This soup’s appearance is also “not pretty” but the flavor is good and if anything, suffers from not having enough.  That’s an easy remedy in my book.

This then, concludes Halloween, pumpkins and fake pumpkin spice, and hooray for that.  Meanwhile, I’ll have to brace myself before I go into Bed, Bath & Beyond because tis the season for fake evergreen.  Dear Lord, it just never ends, does it?

Roasted Corn Pumpkin Chowder – Serves 8

1 pound fresh pumpkin, seeds and fibers removed, cut into chunks

3 cups frozen corn

4 slices bacon

1 onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

1 red bell pepper, chopped

¾ pound (about 8 small) Yukon Gold potatoes

5 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon dried thyme

1/8 – ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

1 cup half-and-half

1 cup grated cheese (for topping)

Heat oven to 400°F.  Grease a sheet pan with oil.  Rub the chunks of pumpkin with oil and bake for 35 minutes or until slightly tender.  Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.  Add 2 cups (out of 3) of the corn and cook 30 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until the corn is lightly toasted and the pumpkin tender.  Cool.  Peel the pumpkin and cut into ½-inch cubes.  Ann’s Note [of caution]:  If making a half recipe, I suggest baking for 17 minutes or so (half the stated time) and then checking.  Do the same when you add the corn to the pumpkin i.e. no more than 15 minutes out of the 30 that is called for.  My pumpkin overbaked a bit which was fine but not what the author intended.  I also found a small baking pumpkin rather than a large jack-o-lantern (although do NOT use that for baking) and smaller pumpkins cook faster, or so it seemed!

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a Dutch oven until crispy.  Drain, crumbled, and set aside.  Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat and cook the onion in the fat for about 5 minutes, until it is wilted.  Add the bell peppers and continue cooking for 3 minutes.

Add the potatoes, broth, salt, thyme, and white pepper.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.

Add the pumpkin to the soup, along with the roasted corn and the remaining frozen corn.  Continue cooking for another 10 minutes, until the pumpkin is quite soft.  Add the half-and-half and cook only until heated through.  Don’t let it boil.

Serve topped with the cheese and crumbled bacon.

"The Hungry Fan's Game Day Cookbook" - Cheeseburger Soup - NFL season begins!

Date I made this recipe:  Sunday, September 10, 2017 – NFL Season Begins!

The Hungry Fan's Game Day Cookbook by Daina Falk

Published by Oxmoor House

ISBN: 13: 978-0-8487-4583-7; © 2016

Purchased at: Half-Price Books

Recipe:  Cheeseburger Soup – p. 67

Already?  In these parts, we just finished the annual Minnesota State Fair, and then there was Labor Day and yet despite evidence to the contrary, such as training camps and pre-season games, it's time for our favorite teams to hit the gridiron as pro football season begins.

I'm still stuck in summer mode and even after fall commences on September 22, I'll still be stuck in summer mode.  And then I'll be stuck in "I can't wait for summer" mode for the rest of the year but that's another story for another day.

So right on schedule, high school, college, and the pros all commenced firing on the field last weekend and now we are off and running with our usual and customary hair-pulling, teeth-gnashing, and finger-crossing until February when Super Bowl 52 will be played in Minneapolis.  This is not to say that my rival team, the Vikings, will be in it but it will be played here.

At any rate, faithful readers know that I am a Green Bay Packers Shareholder which is to say, Owner, meaning I wanted to start my guys off on the right foot as this season gets underway.  My goal for using The Hungry Fan's Game Day Cookbook was to find a dish befitting my team and by page 67, I found it:  Cheeseburger Soup (For "Cheeseheads" everywhere, "cheesehead" being the world's nickname for Packers fans.  Wisconsin.  Cheese.  Get it?)

What I really loved about this soup is that it included also some spinach and yes, I could be giddy about it because spinach is good for you, but the green offset the yellow of the cheese and green and gold are the Packers colors.  Signs point to "yes" to this being a good omen.

So far, I've talked about football, but this cookbook is intended for hungry fan's of any sport.  In fact, Ms. Falk's father was an NBA sports agent.  I cannot say that pro basketball floats my boat, but if I was a fan, then naturally, I might want some game day food.  At any rate, she almost followed in her father's footsteps to become a sports agent, but switched it up and created instead, this cookbook and a website called Hungry Fan (www.hungryfan.com) that includes a blog, recipes, and other tips.  She also refers to "Tailgating" as "Fangating" which I have to say is more fitting these days.

Speaking of tailgating,  I have to confess that I've only tailgated a few times, mostly when the Twins or Vikings, or even the former soccer team played in the old Met Stadium in Bloomington, MN, where the Mall of America now stands.

If you are horrified that I went to a Vikings game, you should know that all games I attended (no matter what the sport) were all company-related events and it all happened decades ago. 

In my opinion, tailgating at a company function is boring.  In fact, it's almost non-existent.  If we had food at all, it was usually under a big tent and sometimes even in a special "company"-related section and not with the other fans.  Also?  Imbibing alcohol was often frowned upon even though this was still the age of the three-martini lunch.  I found it somewhat hilarious to be whooping it up at a game with my co-workers whilst sipping a soda.  Also, when the old Met Stadium was torn down, the location of the new stadium (now torn down), the Metrodome, had little land on which to tailgate, defeating the whole purpose of going to a football game...well, besides the game itself!

Now tailgating at Lambeau is an art as the entire parking lot is filled with fans and food.  Stories are rife of tailgaters offering food to passerby's but alas, we never got a morsel.  We didn't care because it was just fun to be there and I'm pretty sure most tailgaters say the same.  For those who party at home, in some ways this cookbook is skewed towards you as some of the dishes seem to require kitchen availability which of course is hard to emulate in a parking lot unless you are a southern school in which case, nothing gets in the way of these fans' tailgating.  Nothing. 

Okay then, hungry fans, here are your chapter choices:

• Starters
• Soups, Salads, & Flatbreads
• Sandwiches & Burgers
• Barbecue & Other Mains
• Sides
• Desserts
• Drinks

Let me just say that while there is nothing wrong with salads at a tailgate or game-day party, I expected to see at least one coleslaw "salad" recipe in this book and there weren't any; that's a demerit, folks.

And Flatbreads?  No.  Flatbreads on game day are just too precocious.  In my mind's eye, I'm trying to picture a bunch of hockey fans eating flatbreads but my brain just won't go there.  Yet another demerit awarded.

Okay, so let's back up a bit to see what fare she features in these categories.  In the Starter chapter, we have  "Shepherd's  Pie Quesadilla Bites" (Hmmm....not sure about that one); "Wisconsin-Style Fried Cheese Curds  ("On Wisconsin!")," plus your basic wings and things, some of which though, are prefaced with the word "healthy" in front of them, as in "Healthy Jalapeno Poppers."

Healthy?  On game day?  Surely, she jests?  Demerit!

In the Soup, Salads, & Flatbread category we have this dish:  "Bacon Brussels Sprouts Soup."

I want you to let that sink in for a minute.  Bacon = good.  Soup ("is good food") = good.  Bacon + soup = tasty!  Even Brussels sprouts on their own = mostly good (depending on how they are prepared), but in a soup?  Never.  Never!  Takes some kind of balls to put that recipe in this book, that does!

Can you imagine hosting a party at your house and offering up "Bacon Brussels Sprouts Soup" to a group of hungry fans?  Aside from the fact that Brussels sprouts are green and the Packers' colors are green and gold, this dish has zero appeal and then there's the smell.  I'm definitely going to have to ding the author for this; we are now up to four demerits.

Happily, she has other recipes of interest:  "Baked Potato Soup" (Now that's more like it!); chili, or even "Kentucky Tomato Bourbon Soup," (When is bourbon in something not good?) but then she goes off-road again with recipes for "Chilled Avocado Soup," which is no doubt delicious unless it is -10 outside; lentil salad (Merciful heavens...no), or my favorite (not really) "Kale Quinoa Salad."

Let me explain something to you:  I have plenty of friends who would love some of the above recipes, and would probably celebrate the "Brussels Sprouts Soup," but you are as unlikely to find these people in my house at game day as you would seeing a moose waltzing down my city street. (Alaskan cities though, are another matter.)

Moving on, in the Sandwiches & Burgers chapter, we have a recipe for a "Bologna Cheesesteak" which honestly sounds pretty good, some hero sandwiches and some decent burgers and then this:  "Bite-Size Cucumber Sandwiches."

Hahahahahahahahahahaha.....Might as well have friends over for high tea if you're going to make that crap recipe.  Total demerits:  five.

Let's see how we fare in our next category, Barbecue & Other Mains, shall we? 

I am happy and relieved to report that she was back on track with recipes for ribs, more ribs, pork, pulled pork, and even fish and chips, not that I ever associate a sports event with fish and chips, but whatever.  (Exception:  sporting events in England and the rest of the British empire.)

The Sides chapter is not bad although my eyebrows raised at the inclusion of "Cassava Pie," a Bermudan recipe that calls for 4 pounds cassava which is apparently, a "woody shrub," similar to a potato or carrots although don't quote me on that.  I just have to say this though: "shrubs?") This dish might have been okay, except it called for 2 cups sugar, some nutmeg, and some vanilla extract.  Thank you, no.  Also?  How is this a side dish? 

 Finally, I do not have any complaints for the last two chapters, Desserts and then Drinks except again, I'm not picturing most sports fans sipping a "Watermelon Cooler" unless they are at Wimbledon, or a polo match.  Just sayin'.

This brings me back then, to the perfect choice for my Packers and hopefully your team as well:  Cheeseburger Soup.   What is not to like about cheese and burgers?  (Well, except for those who are vegetarian or vegan in which case, you are exempted from this quiz.)

Assuming you are a person with whom this recipe resonates, let's continue on.

For once, I decided to make a full recipe (Serves 6) and was glad I did because the leftovers were great.  As you might imagine, you cook ground beef, add in some other things, make your creamy broth and ta-da!  Just think of this as a deconstructed cheeseburger and you'll be good.

Let me just observe that I don't think you need a sporting event to make this soup as it was mighty tasty, game or no game.

Cheeseburger Soup – Serves 6

1 ¼ pounds ground beef

4 slices bacon

4 tablespoons butter

½ medium onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, diced

8 ounces sliced baby portobello mushrooms

2 cups tightly packed baby spinach

4 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried parsley, plus more for garnish

¼ cup all-purpose flour

6 slices Monterey Jack, cheese (Ann's Note:  I substituted Havarti.)

¼ cup ketchup

1 cup half-and-half (Ann's Note:  I had milk and cream on hand so I mixed them together.)

¼ cup sour cream, optional

1 ripe tomato, chopped for garnish, optional

Cook the beef in a large Dutch oven over medium-high until it browns evenly, about 6 minutes.  Drain and transfer to a plate.

Cook the bacon in the same Dutch oven over medium until it gets crispy, 5 to 7 minutes.  Transfer to a cutting board to cool, and drain all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pan.  Chop the cooled bacon into small, crunchy bits, and set aside.

Using the same Dutch oven, add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the remaining bacon fat (reserve the other 3 T), and stir in the onions and celery.  Sauté until the onions become translucent, about 4 minutes.  Add the mushrooms, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until tender and lightly browned.  Add the spinach.  (It will start to wilt amid the hot veggies.)  Pour into the broth; add the beef, salt, pepper, and parsley, and bring to a simmer.  Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a small skillet over medium.  Add the flour, and cook for 1 minute while stirring.  The roux should start to bubble, signaling that it's ready.

Add the roux to the soup and bring to a boil for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring well to incorporate the roux.  Reduce the heat, and simmer for another 10 minutes.  Add the cheese, ketchup, reserved bacon, and half-and-half.  Stir well, and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Remove the soup from the heat, let sit for 3 to 5 minutes, and then stir in the sour cream, if desired.

Serve with a sprinkle of additional parsley and the chopped tomatoes for a little color, if you like.

"A Culinary Collection from The Metropolitan Museum of Art" - Fresh Vegetable Soup

Date I made this recipe:  August 20, 2017

A Culinary Collection from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, compiled by Linda Gillies, Anita Muller and Pamela Patterson (recipes from members of the Board of Trustees and museum staff)

Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art

©1973; ISBN: 0-87099-081-0

Recipe: Fresh Vegetable Soup – p. 25, submitted by Clare Vincent – Western European Arts

In my latest blog, published last week, I mentioned that I was recently in New York state and also New York City.   Today's recipe is from New York City's world-renowned Metropolitan Museum of Art.

I cannot recall the first time I went to The Met, but it was and is pretty impressive. It's also so big that it almost exhausts visitors before they even get past the entrance.  To combat that, I often decide in advance what I'm going to look at and then go from there.

Over the years, my favorite section of the museum has been exhibits in the lower-level, particularly those in The Costume Institute.  I cannot sew and I cannot draw but others can and I've seen some great exhibits.

I also like photography and have seen a number of special exhibits that just leave me speechless; I'm particularly fond of black and white photos because of the crispness it brings and the detail it enhances. 

Here is the most important thing you should know about The Met:  although the sign says "admission," it is your choice whether to pay anything (you decide how much you want to contribute) or nothing at all.  Don't go that last route though:  this museum costs a ton of money to run and if you can't part with at least a dollar bill, maybe this is not the place for you!

In the early years, I dutifully paid the suggested admission and even had a membership for a few years (mostly for the gift shop), but eons ago, I switched it up to give what I thought was reasonable.  This works very well for me if I only have time for a quick in and out.

For the record, the suggested "admission" for adults is $25.00 per person and heaven help you brought people with you because ouch!  I am not a cheap person per se and yes, this is New York City, but I'd bet at least 90% of people attending The Met are families of at least four, maybe more.  And that's just to get in folks, that does not county shopping opportunities thereafter!

Now the thing to know about all museum gift shops anywhere is that you do not have to pay to go there, and so if I am pressed for time, like I was this trip, this is how I get a glimpse of current and past exhibits as the gift shop stocks books and magazines from those exhibits.  Win Win!  All that said, you should know that I probably spend about double what I would on the "admission" but I can't help myself because well, the stuff is there, and it's just waiting for me to buy it under the premise of "I'm here, it's here and I may not be back for another year so...."

This year, I got there so late and was so absorbed in several books of interest that I did not hear the "all call" that the museum is closing until a guard came up and said "You're the last person here."  OMG—I was so embarrassed!  I think I made up for it though by purchasing three books there; had I had more time, it would have been four!

So to recap, pay what you want, check out the gift shop and also, and this is important, (although not quite on point), if you are leaving The Met and it is raining, do not expect to be able to hail a cab.  Do not.  Insiders know that cabs and rain do not go together.  Time after time, I see tourists trying to hail cabs but those cabs – coming from where I do not know – already have passengers.  I need to figure out "ground zero" to catch an empty cab!  (Likely 20 blocks north from there, if not more.)

And for the record, and again, apropos to nothing, almost every single time I've been to The Met, whether alone or with someone, it rains.  It rained this year.  It rained two years ago when I was with my friend, Susan, who lives in NYC. In fact, it has rained on us every single time prompting me to tell her that she was the jinx, and yet this time around, I got caught out.  I had an umbrella though so that was good but other times, I haven't. 

In conclusion then:  pay what you want, if pressed for time, check out the gift shop because it's FREE, and "fugheddaboudit" hailing a cab in the rain. (PS—You can, if you want, purchase a rain poncho like many of the tourists do, but it won't help you get a cab, and frankly it screams "TOURIST" to everybody you see.  Plus they are hot and I don't mean fashion-wise! Umbrellas are the better choice, and for your "convenience" you can almost always find an umbrella vendor near the front steps.)

This concludes my public service announcement about visiting The Met.

As to the cookbook, it is spiral bound which as I said in my last post, does not usually find favor with me, but I bought this at an estate sale and really didn't care because it was from The Met.  Besides, I was intrigued by the illustrations, both on the cover and inside and thought them appropriate for a cookbook from an art museum.

The cover art is "The Pastry Cook," by Abraham Bosse (French, 1602-1676), and is a rendering in black and white of several cooks in a kitchen (illustrations continue on the back of the book).  The inside illustrations were taken from an early Italian cookbook, Il Cuco segreto di Papa Pio V (The Private Chef of Pope Pius V] by Bartomlomeo Scappi, Venice, 1570.  The inside illustrations were all of pots, pans, and utensils along with their Italian names and I thought that was kind of fun.

Like the museum itself, the Table of Contents is carefully curated into these categories:

• Appetizers & Soups
• Meats, Poultry, Fish & Their Sauces
• Vegetables, Salads, & Salad Dressings
• Noodles, Rice, Pasta, & Their Sauces
• Quiches, Soufflés, & Eggs
• Desserts
• Cookies, Cakes, & Breads
• Menus & Miscellaneous

And remember, all of these recipes were submitted by the museum's staff and board members and their work area is listed next to each recipe, for example "Catalogue," "Drawings," "Prints and Photographs," and so on.

As to the recipes, there were plenty that caught my eye and would have been acceptable.  In fact, for the longest time, my money was on making "Bloody Mary Meat Loaf" on page 59 because well, why not!  I've never made a meatloaf with a Bloody Mary mix.  But then I started rethinking my selection and I have to tell you that sometimes these self-debates sound suspiciously like the call of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs:  "It's 'Bloody Mary Meat Loaf' in the lead.  'Bloody Mary Meat Loaf' down the back stretch.  'Fresh Vegetable Soup' is coming up from behind.  'Fresh Vegetable Soup' is gaining on 'Bloody Mary Meat Loaf'.  'Bloody Mary Meat Loaf' and 'Fresh Vegetable Soup' are neck and neck and...'Fresh Vegetable Soup' wins by a nose!"

I have a vivid imagination! 

I also flagged "Hot Crab Meat for Twenty" on page 14 for future use, likely at a party, and pondered the merits of "Two-Tiered Tuna Casserole," p. 82. before deciding that it was a bit heavy for the day, plus it didn't have peas and people, it has to have peas.  Period.

In the end, I wanted something light and fresh and so went with the soup.  Mind you, the day I made it, the humidity was off the charts, but my house remained cool and so it all worked and it was tasty. 

As to my quick trip to The Met's Gift Shop, to answer your burning question, no, I didn't purchase a cookbooks because they really don't stock a lot of them and nothing I saw tripped my trigger such that I had to have it that day.  The books I purchased were all about NYC architecture and design which is also an area of interest and I ran out of time to see much of anything else.  By the way, one year after getting caught in the rain on my way into the museum and gift shop – what did I tell you – I pretty much hugged all the lighted jewelry cases as a way to warm up from the cold downpour.  I'd have loved to have been the security person who watched that tape:  "What is she doing? What. Is. She. doing? Is she trying to break into the cases?  Hey Joe, c'mere and look at this...."

Fresh Vegetable Soup – Serves 8 – submitted by Clare Vincent – Western European Arts

2 leeks, cut in ½-inch chunks

1 medium or large onion, cut in ½-inch chunks

2 tablespoons butter

 6 chicken bouillon cubes (Ann's Note:  or substitute chicken broth)

2 parsnips, cut in ½-inch chunks

2 medium white turnips, cut in ½-inch chunks

3 stalks celery (without leaves), cut in ½-inch chunks

2 medium carrots, cut in thumb-size pieces

¼ teaspoon dried thyme (or more)

¼ teaspoon dried rosemary (or more)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 medium potatoes, cut in thumb-size pieces

2 cups stewed tomatoes (one 16-ounce can) (Ann's Note:  or substitute fresh, chopped tomatoes)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

In a large pot wilt leeks and onion in butter.  Add 3 quarts of water and bouillon cubes and bring to a boil.  (Ann's Note:  if you want to substitute chicken broth like I did, then just pour out 3 cups of broth and add that instead.) 

Add parsnips and bring to a boil.  Add turnips and bring to a boil. Add celery and bring to a boil.  Add carrots and bring to a boil.  Add thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper, and correct seasonings (more herbs and bouillon may be added).  Ann's Note:  once the broth started to boil, it continued to boil so there was no "bring to a boil" portion of our program.  Since the recipe contributor didn't saw to lower the heat, I kept it as was and just kept adding the vegetables as directed.

Add potatoes and bring to a boil. Add tomatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer until the potatoes are nearly cooked through.  All the other vegetables will be ready by this time. Add parsley and dill, and simmer until the potatoes are done and the herbs have just begun to wilt.

When reheating to serve, make sure not to allow soup to simmer more than a minute or two, or all the care in bringing each vegetable to just the right degree of doneness will be wasted.

Ann's Note:  Okay, I need to parse this. Since the only way to make sure the veggies weren't overdone was to immediately lower the heat to simmer and then bring it back to a boil, it would have been nice if that was in the directions!  As mentioned above, once the broth started boiling, it never stopped.  Now had I made a full recipe, maybe the bulk of the vegetables would have caused the appropriate "delay" in the restart of the boil but such was not the case.  I did not need soup for 8, I needed soup for 2 and so played with it.  In the end, did the extra boil time matter much?  Nah. 

"Roma- Authentic Recipes from In and Around the Eternal City" & "Eating Rome" - Lentil Soup with Sausage and Green Beans and Mortadella Salad - Commemorating the day Rome was named Italy's capital

Date I made these recipes:  March 27, 2017 – Rome declared Italy's capital on this day, 1861.

Roma – Authentic Recipes From In And Around The Eternal City by Julia Della Croce

Published by Chronicle

ISBN: 0-8118-2352-0; © 2004

Purchased at Arc's Value Village Thrift Stores, Richfield, MN

Recipe:  Lentil Soup with Sausage – p. 61

Eating Rome – Living The Good Life In The Eternal City by Elizabeth Minchilli

Published by St. Martin's Griffin

ISBN:  978-1-250-04768-7; © 2015

Recipe: Green Beans with Mortadella Salad – p. 105

Sometimes my ideas about what to cook come from the most interesting places, take for instance, Food Network Magazine(FNM).  Well, that's not exactly correct is it, because why wouldn't I get inspiration from a cooking magazine?

One of the features I like the most through from Food Network Magazine, is their monthly calendar of noteworthy food events and recipe suggestions that is often my inspiration for what I cook during that particular month.

On March's calendar, FNM suggested we have fish for Ash Wednesday (March 1^st), make a pie for Pi Day (3/14), celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a corned beef-and-cabbage pizza (Oh HELL no!), and then make a Roman dish (they suggested cacio e peper – pasta with cheese and pepper) on March 27^th to commemorate the same day back in 1861 that Rome was declared Italy's capital.  I decided on Roman food, final answer, and so set off to do some research so I have something to talk about here.

What I found was interesting to say the least:  some sources listed 1861 as the day that Rome was declared Italy's capital, while others said it was 1871.  Try as I might, I could not confirm (or deny) either year but do believe FNM got the actual date – March 27^th – right.  I hope.

Part of the problem, dear reader, is that Italy's history is complicated.  Once upon a time (and not that long ago), it was a kingdom, but a kingdom divided into separate principalities, then it was unified and also reunified such that I can't keep track.  Besides, my people are from Sicily whose history is a tad more straightforward with the exception, of course, of keeping track of various conquerors.

And then there's The Vatican to consider and we would consider it if we a) had the time and b) if this blog was a history lesson but we don't have time for all that, oh darn!  We can though, talk about Roman food.

Italy, like all other countries (including the U.S.), has regional food favorites but you may be surprised to learn that the focus of Roman cuisine is vegetables - artichokes (carciofi), fava beans, zucchini – you name it, you'll find it.  Meat is also very popular – steaks, pork, "bacon," (or products similar to bacon), as are pastas and pizzas tailored to the regional palate.

The cookbook Eating Rome, is intended to be more of a tour guide than a cookbook, containing a wide variety of "eating" suggestions such as how to eat pasta (don't cut it—this applies across Italy and Sicily), how to order coffee, and where to find some of Rome's culinary favorites.  Her Table of Contents includes also chapters such as "Please do not eat within ten feet of any monument," (love it!); "Mi piace la cicoria!" – the Roman passion for vegetables;" "How to eat pasta like a Roman," and "Learning to love Roman pastries."  I am keeping this book on hand should I ever get to Rome (I've been to Italy but not to Rome) as it is filled with good advice and great recipes.

Personally, I am glad to know I am not the only person of Italian (Sicilian) descent who does not make homemade pasta; Elizabeth (the author) doesn't, either.  She grew up in St. Louis in the 60's which makes her about the same age as me, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about how she enjoyed eating Spaghetti-O's growing up.  She also noted how one day, she'd be at home in the states eating that canned product, the next off to Rome eating the real deal. 

I have a similar story:  one summer when my grandmother was visiting from New Jersey, my brother and I enjoyed a lunch of Spaghetti-O's.  Spaghetti-O's were all the rage back then and since we were kids, we thought they were kind of fun to eat.  My grandmother who hailed straight from Sicily, was a good sport and so joined us in eating them.  When we finished, my mother asked her what she thought and grandma's response still makes me laugh:  "Not-a bad-a."  I have a feeling grandma was likely horrified but she would do anything to please her beloved grandchildren and that was that!

At any rate, stories like this are what made this cookbook enjoyable for me.  Well, stories and recipes!  Recipes like the one I made – Green Beans with Mortadella Salad which combined many ingredients I love:  green beans, oranges and lemons and mortadella also known as Italian bologna.

Small side story here about mortadella:  Yesterday, I was at an event that featured some locally-made foods including mortadella.  It was really good mortadella, and yet I kept looking at it wondering "what's different" about this?  I mentioned this to another event guest and we agreed:  Where are the pistachios?"   We surmised that since the mortadella was locally-made and since pistachios aren't local to this climate, they were left out; we concluded this was an acceptable option.  Anyway, more on the salad with mortadella to follow.

Other dishes from this book that had potential were "Cavatelli with Tuna and Lemon," "Cacio e Pepe" which is basically pasta, pecorino romano cheese, and pepper," and "Pasta Al Forno," a dish of eggplant, pasta, smoked scamorza cheese (you can probably substitute smoked mozzarella), basil and Parmesan.  Yum!  I decided on the salad though because I wanted something fresh and not too heavy and that dish did the trick.

And now, let's chat for a minute about the other cookbook – Roma - about Rome, or Roma, as the Italians pronounce it.  (Ann's Note:  in the Italian language, an "e" is often pronounced as an "a" – really, more of an "ah" -  and so while we pronounce "Rome" without it, Romans pronounce it "Rome-ah."  Also?  In Italy, my last name is pronounced the same way:  "Verm-ah."  This concludes our Italian pronunciation lesson.)

This cookbook is pretty much a straight-up cookbook which is to say it gives you recipes with a little dialog and some photos showing you what your food should look like. The Table of Contents is also pretty straightforward:  "Appetizers, Snacks, and Fried Specialties;" "First Courses of Soups, Pastas, Polenta, and Risotto;" "Second Courses of Meat and Poultry;" "Second Courses of Fish and Shellfish;" Side Dishes," and "Sweets."    There are a few pages in the back detailing "Eating and Sleeping Places," "Festivals," and "Cooking Schools and Wine Courses," but the information here isn't as extensive as the other book.

High up on my list of possible dishes to serve up was "Stewed Baby Back Ribs and Sausages with Polenta" but making it was just too involved and was also very meat-heavy, consisting of a lot of poundage of baby back ribs and sausages, all of which are slow cooked to make a ragu.  And then polenta is served on the side making it one, hearty dish.  I wasn't exactly in the mood for "hearty," plus, after my meatball experience from last week, I was not going to go willingly into the night to make something that would take hours of my life I would never get back.  Also out because I just made it, was a pork loin braised in milk.  "Beef Stew with Cloves" sounded really good but I finally passed on that and decided on the Lentil Soup with Sausage recipe.  I love Lentil Soup and have a really good recipe for one but I like experimenting with other recipes just to see what's out there.

Of course this blog would not be complete without suggestions from me about tweaks I'd make to the recipes but overall, these were winners.  In fact, Andy kept saying "This is really good soup" over and over again which tickled me pink.  And I loved the green bean salad although as you'll read, I have a few suggestions to improve it.

And so reader, we now bid "arrivederci" (goodbye) to Roma – for now.  I wish I could say instead "arrivederla" (see you soon) but I don't think we'll be going there any time soon, darn it!  No matter – we'll just console ourselves in the meantime with the food.

Lentil Soup with Sausage (Minestra di lenticchie con salsiccia) – for 6 people

1 ½ cups brown lentils

10 cups water

1 tablespoon sea salt, or to taste

One 8-inch sprig fresh sage, or 2 bay leaves

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

5 links sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings and crumbled

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

2 teaspoons fresh marjoram, or 1 teaspoon crumbed dried marjoram

1 cup tomato puree or tomato sauce

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Pick over and rinse the lentils.  Transfer them to a large pot and add the water, 1 tablespoon salt, and sage.  Bring to a boil.  Immediately reduce the heat and cook gently for 15 minutes.  (Ann's Notes:  the lentils needed more time and so I kept them cooking for another 10 minutes or so. Also, I used bay leaves instead of sage.)

In the meantime, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat.  Add the sausage and sauté until it is browned on the outside and still pink inside, about 8 minutes.  Reduce the heat to low and stir in the garlic, onion, parsley, and marjoram.  Sauté until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes.  Stir in the tomato puree. Add the sausage mixture to the lentils and mix well.  Simmer for an additional 5 minutes to marry the flavors.  Remove the sage (or bay leaves), taste for salt, and season with pepper.  Serve hot.

Ann's Notes:

1. I was out of marjoram so I substituted oregano.
2. If I were you, once you've cooked the sausage for 8 minutes (or so), remove the sausage from the pan, then cook the onions, etc. and then add it back to the pan.  I followed the directions and the sausage was fine but I felt it was almost a tad overcooked.
3. I've made variations of this dish before and felt that the dish could have used some carrots for color and flavor.  Without it, this dish is very brown.  Very tasty, but very brown.
4. My favorite lentil soup recipe calls for orzo pasta to be added at the very end. You could probably get away with that in this recipe.
5. I like a little Parmesan or Pecorino cheese on top of my lentil soup.

Green Beans with Mortadella Salad – Serves 4-5

1 pound green beans, cleaned (Ann's Note:  I hope by "cleaned" she meant "trimmed" because that's what I did to the beans!)

1 slice mortadella (about ½ cup chopped in small pieces) (Ann's Note:  Pre-packaged mortadella is often sliced thin which is fine but probably not what the author intended.  If you can, ask for a deli for one slice of mortadella, about ¼-inch thick.)

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

Zest of 1 lemon, peeled with a potato peeler and finely chopped*

Zest of 1 small orange, peeled with a potato peeler and finely chopped*

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup chopped, roasted onions (for garnish)

*Ann's Notes:  Next time around, I'm not going to peel then finely chop the lemon and orange peel as the pieces were too big and they also tended to overpower the dish.  You might try grating it instead and also grating a little at a time until you are satisfied with the taste.

Steam the green beans until tender.

Meanwhile place the mortadella shallot, garlic, olive oil, tarragon, chopped citrus zests, and citrus juices in a large bowl and stir to mix well.

When the beans are tender, drain them and then add them, still steaming hot, to the mixture in the bowl.  Toss well and season with salt and pepper to taste. (Ann's Note: The author suggests you "add the beans to the dressing while they are piping hot, so that they sort of cook the shallots and garlic, and coax the fat nodules out of the mortadella.")

Let cool, toss again, and top with the almonds.  Serve at room temperature.

"Full Color Chinese Cooking - 30 Recipes" & "Fowl Cooking...Chicken, That Is" - a chicken soup and a chicken casserole for the Chinese Year of the Rooster!

Date I made these recipes:  February 19, 2017 – Belated Chinese New Year—the year of the Rooster!

Full Color Chinese Cooking – 30 Recipes by Constance D. Chang

Published by Shufunomoto Co., Ltd. Tokyo, Japan

© 1969; fourth printing August 1970

Purchased at Goodwill

Recipe:  Chicken Noodle Soup – p. 25

Fowl Cooking – Chicken, That Is by Virgo Paynter Miyamoto

Published by Mutual Publishing Company

© 1989

Purchased at Kona Bay Books, Kona, Hawaii

Recipe: Cock-a-Doodle-do-da Casserole – p. 144 (Chicken with a veggie mix of artichokes, olives, pimento, green pepper and onion, topped with soup, sour cream and cheese – yum!)

Thank goodness the Chinese New Year – the Year of the Rooster – lasts the entire year because if not for that, I might not be able to do what I am doing which is to finally get around to telling you in the month of March what I made (late) in February. 

As always, life gets in the way of me making other plans!

So the Year of the Rooster – woo hoo!  Unlike the zodiac calendar we're all familiar with - Aquarius, Pisces, Libra, etc., a Chinese zodiac calendar is broken into years and each year is assigned an animal.  The animal signs are: rat; ox; rabbit; tiger; dragon; snake; horse; goat; monkey; rooster; dog, and pig, and these animal signs repeat every 12 years.

So, for example, if you were born in 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972 and so on, you are a rat – ha!  If you were born in 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, and (coming up), 2029, you are a rooster! And just like the zodiac signs we are familiar with, rats and roosters and the other animals have lucky numbers, unlucky numbers, lucky colors, personality traits, other "animals" to avoid and so on.

Here's an example: People born in a year of the Rooster are "very observant, hardworking, resourceful, courageous, and talented.  Roosters are very confident in themselves."  Rooster lucky numbers are 5, 7, and 8 and red is an unlucky color.

I have to say, much of this amuses and so every now and then, I do a deeper study into these signs although I often disagree with what I read.  One thing I read while "researching" these "year of" signs almost made me spit my coffee onto my keyboard and it was a chart titled "Famous Dogs." Ha!  Hahahahahahaha.  Let me assure you that this list did not include Lassie or Rin Tin Tin (but did include Winston Churchill so that's cool).

It should go without saying that celebrating the Chinese New Year means making Chinese food and I did that by cooking from one of my Chinese cookbooks, but I also had to – just had to - make something from this hilarious cookbook I purchased in Hawaii last year:  Fowl Cooking...Chicken, That Is.  There's a reason why this book was so fitting and so let's get to it.

You may not know this, but the island of Kauai has a poultry problem.  Many islanders raise chickens (and roosters) but when Hurricane Iniki roared through the islands years ago, those chicken coops were destroyed and the chickens went rogue and then multiplied, such that you cannot go anywhere, and I mean anywhere, on the island without tripping on a chicken. 

So we should not have been surprised, and yet were, when at 5:00 a.m. on the first morning of our most recent stay, we were rudely awakened by a rousing "Cock-a-doodle-doo" by a you know who! I wish I was able to capture that Kodak moment i.e. the look on our faces when we heard it.  I remember commenting that I felt like we were in an episode of the TV show, Green Acres!  Later that day, while relaxing by the pool, I heard a "cheep, cheep, cheep" and looked down in time to see a mama chicken and her little chicklets strolling by my beach chair on their way to the...pool?

Fast forward then to last year when we were on the Big Island and once again, on our first morning there were awakened by a rousing "Gobble, gobble, gobble" of a wild turkey, not to be confused with the alcoholic beverage, Wild Turkey which we drank after this happened.  After folks.  Once again, the look we gave each other was priceless more so because good lord, are fowls on the move?  Have they grown tired of the overcrowded Kauai and are now looking for more space in which to grow and raise their families on the Big I? (Think House Hunters Chicken [version]:  "Well, Kauai's chicken coops are 'a little small' so we're looking for more space.  We'd like to stay in the same neighborhood but would move to the bigger island if need be...")  At any rate, we shall just have to go back soon to monitor the situation.

Okay, so, with all that in mind, it was time to pull some recipes and I had no trouble finding recipes containing chicken.  These recipes don't go together at all but they contain our "secret" ingredient and that's all that matters.  By the way, unless you own a chicken farm (my paternal grandparents did), you will not find rooster (as in the Year of the "Rooster") in a grocery store, likely because it's a pretty tough bird and I don't mean "street" tough, I mean tough to eat.  So roosters are out and really, we should redub this year "The Year of the 'Hen.'"  I may need to send a letter to the Chinese government.

And so folks, let's review my two dinner selections – Cock-A-Doodle-Do-Dah Casserole from Fowl Cooking...Chicken, That Is, and Chicken Noodle Soup from the Full Color Chinese Cooking cookbook.  Think of these as a Tale of Two Chickens and by all means, feel free to make and serve these separately lest your palate and your family members get confused.

Now I could have made something Chinese-related from the Fowl Cooking cookbook, but given our experiences in Hawaii, I just could not pass up the opportunity to make the hilariously and appropriately named Cock-A-Doodle-Do-Dah Casserole.  This dish is what my mother would call a "company" casserole, not that my mother ever served any guest in our home a casserole as she favored company classics like a beef roast or Swiss steak or baked chicken. This was a yummy casserole though because in addition to the requisite chicken, it contained ingredients we casserole lovers cherish:  cream of chicken soup, sour cream and parmesan cheese.  It also includes artichoke hearts, noodles, and a few other ingredients.  We quite liked it.

As to the [Chinese] Chicken Noodle Soup, it was easy to make, the vermicelli noodles were a fun addition, but it fell flat on flavor. (Well, did I find my "f" key on the keyboard, or what?).  The recipe called for three "spices" – salt, pepper and MSG.  Now most of us know that MSG has been dubbed the evil empire of seasoning since it can trigger migraine headaches and I sure didn't want that, but I think of an appropriate substitute and I wish I had because it needed a little extra "something" to liven it up a bit.  I suppose one could use soy sauce but maybe something like star anise?  Or maybe fish sauce?  Well, play with it.

This then, concludes my post on the Chinese New Year – The Year of the Rooster.  I hope it's a good year for you all but just know it will be a while before I get around to making another dish in honor of the occasion as next year is the year of the dog and....no.  Nope.  Enjoy your chicken!

Cock-A-Doodle-Do-Da Casserole – serves 8 to 10

4 cups cubed cooked chicken

¾ cup dry white wine

2 cans (10 oz. each) cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

1 pkg. noodles, cooked and drained

2 cans (14 oz. each) artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped

1 can (14 oz.) pitted ripe olives, halved

½ cup chopped pimento

½ cup slivered green pepper

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Mix wine, soup, and sour cream and set aside.  Butter a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. 

Starting with the noodles, layer the noodles, chicken, artichoke hearts, olives, pimento, green pepper and onion.  Add the wine, soup, and sour cream mixture.  Top with the Parmesan cheese.  Refrigerate overnight if desired.  (Ann's Note:  Nope, not desired!)

Bake in a 350F oven for approximately 45 minutes.

Turkey cubes may be substituted for the chicken.  The casserole can be made ahead of time and frozen.

Chicken Noodle Soup – 2-6 servings

2 oz. vermicelli or noodle

2 ½ oz. chicken breasts (Ann's Note:  I wasn't sure whether to use raw chicken breasts or not so I erred on cooking the chicken separately and then adding it to the dish at the very end to warm it up.)

12 snow peas

¼ cup dried mushroom, soaked and shredded (Ann's Note:  dried mushrooms are expensive so I used fresh.)

1/3 cup caned bamboo shoots, cut into strips

¼ cup carrot, cut into strips

7 cups chicken stock

1/3 cup ham, cut into strips

1 tablespoon salt

Pepper

MSG (monosodium glutamate)  (Ann's Note:  see discussion of MSG above)

Cut chicken, snow peas, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, carrots and ham into thin strips.

Drop vermicelli into boiling water and boil for 5 minutes.  (Ann's Note:  this is less time than normal for fully-cooked vermicelli.) Drain, rinse and drain again.  Set aside.

Bring chicken stock to boiling point.  Add chicken meat, ham, snow peas, mushroom, bamboo shoots and carrot.  Cook for 2 minutes. Add seasonings and cooked vermicelli and boil for 1 minute over medium heat.

"A Good Day for Soup" - Chunky Chicken Soup with Green Beans and Rosemary - NFC Championship Game and a cold winter day

Date I made this recipe:  Sunday, January 22, 2017 – NFC (football) Championship Game and a cold winter day.

A Good Day for Soup by Jeanette Ferrary and Louise Fiszer

Published by Chronicle Books

ISBN: 0-8118-0467-4; copyright 1996

Recipe:  Chunky Chicken Soup with Green Beans and Rosemary – p. 113

Today was indeed a good day for soup.  It was cloudy and gloomy and a typical winter day here in Minnesota which calls for something warm and comforting. 

And it was also a good day for football – Packers football.  Well, at least until the game got underway and then it was absolutely not a good day for football and so that left me with soup.

An "anti-jinx" soup, if you will and of course you're wondering what the heck that is all about so let me explain.

During a normal football season, and on any given Sunday, I often celebrate my love for my Green Bay Packers by making food from a Wisconsin-related cookbook or a sports/football-related cookbook, and this quite often spurs them to victory.  I feel it's the least I could do for my team, you know?

But then this year, everything changed and my Packers started losing and by mid-season, had racked up a 4-6 record.  Well this was not good, was it? 

Prior to this, I had not yet cooked for my team, the fans, or my blog readers, and thought, well maybe I should just get on with it already?  But then folks, I got nervous because what if I made something for them but the losing streak continued?  How could I live with myself?

And so it was decided:  no Packers or football or Wisconsin-related food until we were out of the woods which is to say, back in the "W" (win) column. Could we do it?  Hell yeah, we did it, just ask Aaron Rodgers!

Poor Aaron.  Year after year, week after week, loss after loss, he has to stand in front of a roomful of reporters to tell everyone what went wrong, to explain himself to us as if he was a naughty little boy, and to tell us all, in the words of the immortal Vince Lombardi, "What the hell is going on out there?"  Because Packer Nation is very demanding.  Very.  If our guys aren't doing well, we freak the freak out.

Two years ago, after the Packers started a season going 1-2 (wins/loses), Packer Nation freaked out (ridiculous, really) and so Aaron took to the airwaves to tell us all to "Relax."  And we did and they did and they went 12-4 that season and were the NFC North Champions and then went off to the playoffs and then went on to play the Seattle Seahawks for the NFC Championship and it did not go well at all and that is all I will say about that horrible game.

This year, when the Packers started racking up the loses, Packer Nation again hit the ceiling and once again, Aaron took to the airwaves.  When asked about the rest of the season, he said "We're going to run the table."  Translation?  We're going to win all our remaining games. 

And [Oshkosh] B'Gosh (a clothing brand founded in Oshkosh, WI), they did! And by the end of the regular season, they had nothing but wins and then won the NFC North Division. And so of course I couldn't mess this all up for them and cook something, could I?  Don't be ridiculous.

So it was time to hunker down because as NFC North Champions, we were off to the playoffs and not only did my team run the table, they set it!  And to do my part, I made sure that I did not jinx my team by a) cooking something "inappropriate" or b) wearing enemy colors, right down to the underwear, during the playoffs.  Some of you sports fans will understand this (think "lucky socks" x 1,000) and some of you will not, but trust me when I say that this is practically a rule:  "Thou shalt not do anything – anything – to jinx thy team during playoff time."  So with that in mind, let's take a look at the schedule and the food I made.

On January 8, my Packers played the New York Giants in the first round of playoff games.  That evening, the Golden Globes were awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to actors and actresses from TV and film.   I gave a slight nod to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association with my cookbook selection that night, making a[n] [international] recipe from a Swiss cookbook because the Swiss are known for their neutrality, and my team won! And okay sure, likely not because of my cookbook and recipe choices but it still counts.

On January 15, my Packers played the Dallas Cowboys in the next round of playoffs and beat them in a nail-biter (I hate when they do that to me), and I made food from an Asian slow cooker cookbook  Actually two dishes – lemon chicken and classic fried rice and they were delicious and apparently good luck charms to boot seeing as how we won.

And then folks.  And then.  With that win behind them, my Packers advanced to the NFC Championship Game against the Atlanta Falcons in Atlanta (though how I wish the game would have been played at Lambeau).  The winner of this game advanced to the Super Bowl to be played in Houston on February 5^th  and so everything was now on the line.  And I and all of Packers Nation was on the edge of our seat and how unreal was it anyway that we were here with an 11-6 record after being practically down and out at 4-6 besides "very" unreal?

So game day was now upon us and the pressure was really on not to screw this whole thing up with my food but folks, I was tired and I think I let the team down because the best I could come up with was soup.  Soup for a championship game.  I know, right?  And the only reason I went with soup is that the cookbook was at the top of a pile to be shelved and I was just too exhausted to look through all of my shelves to see if I could find a better option.

In fact, I Googled "food holidays" to see if there was anything going on that might require another choice of cookbook but here's what I found:  January 15^th was National Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice Day (nope) and also National Strawberry Ice Cream Day (what?  In winter?) and so those two were out.  And then I swear to you that some website also said it was National Southern Food Day and that was way out:  we were playing the Atlanta Falcons in Atlanta.  And so you get a soup recipe by default because sometimes that's the way it goes.  Besides, as Campbell's likes to say "Soup is good food." 

Okay then.  I made my peace with my decision (sort of) and now just had to get on with it, already, because the morning of the game, I still had no idea what to make.  This is so unlike me I cannot even tell you but at this point, I was more focused on the game than what to eat.  It happens.

As always, a good starting point for any cookbook is the Table of Contents and here were my options:  "Soups for Starters;" "Dinner in a Bowl;" Entertaining Soups (soups for special occasions, not to be confused soups that make people chuckle); "Cold and Cookless Soups (not at this time of year);" "Slendersoups (nah);" "Recycled Soups i.e. soups made from leftovers;" "Folksoups;" and finally, "Soupçons" which are accompaniments to soups like breads and crackers.

It is not a good sign when you start eliminating more categories than you are keeping but nothing was leaping out at me.  Actually, that's not quite true as the dishes that stood out were either way too healthy (so many vegetables!) for a football game, or they triggered my "ew" factor.  In fact, here's a list of soups I definitely did not/would never make:

*Corn and Zucchini Chowder for a Crowd (p. 115).  First, we didn't have a crowd, second, I'm not that fond of corn and third, Andy is not that fond of zucchini  so that's a three-strikes and you're out recipe right there.

*Red Pepper and Brussels Sprout Soup (p. 123).  A soup made out of Brussels sprouts?  No.  Newp. 

*Cream of Mixed Lettuces with Chives and Chervil (p. 154).  How is this even a soup?  The thought of lettuce in a soup gives me pause, as does this "sister" recipe, "Cesar Salad Soup (p. 196).  As my mother would have said "Well now you're just being silly."

*Cream of Mussel and Saffron Soup (p. 127) earned a "Oh hell no" because while I like mussels, that combination did not sound good at all. Cream and mussels?  Noooooooo.

*Red, White and Blueberry Soup intended for the 4^th of July is ridiculous.  I'm no expert, but I just don't think fruit in a bowl with some kind of liquid constitutes a bona fide soup so that one is out, apologies in advance to 4^th of July fans.

At this point, I was reminded of a little chit-chat I had with a friend of mine who is herself a cookbook author and a food writer, and that is that there are a ton of cookbooks out there and a lot of them are crap and should never have been printed.  Or words to that effect!  And I am not suggesting to you that this is an awful cookbook, but what I'm saying is that many of the recipes seemed...precocious and I don't like that.  In other words, just because you can combine some ingredients, doesn't mean you should or that the result is a soup.  We'll leave the discussion of whether they are even tasty for another day.

Perhaps we can and should chalk up a lot of my fussiness over what to make to my own ennui about the upcoming game and the day in general (remember:  cold, gloomy, winter) but I was just having fits on what to make but since I'm no quitter, it was either going to be this book on this day or no food at all! 

So at last folks, I narrowed my choices down to two:  "Fennel, Potato, and Garlic Soup" – p. 59 (from the "Soups for Starters" chapter), and the one I made, "Chunky Chicken Soup with Green Beans and Rosemary," – p. 113 (from the "Entertaining Soups" chapter) and so let's discuss.

Option one – "Fennel, Potato and Garlic Soup" sounded tasty, especially as the garlic was roasted, but in the end, I decided I wanted chicken in my soup and so this left option two – "Chunky Chicken Soup with Green Beans and Rosemary." And I tell you what, it is not often that a recipe looks exactly as described but this one did:  it was "chucky" with chunks of potato, chunks of chicken, "chunks of" green beans and  rosemary, with some broth thrown in for good measure.  And this is not to say it was bad, but I felt like I was eating a soup straight out of my Catholic grade school kitchen which is to say, diced vegetables + water was their idea of soup.

And if I had to make this again, I think I would use a fresh, whole sprig of rosemary so I could remove it, rather than using the leaves which I could not remove and which made me feel like I was eating a tree branch.

Now the soup was tasty but the whole time I was eating it, I felt like it was missing something,  maybe cream?  Yeah, that's it!  If it would have had cream in it, I think it might have been a touchdown but it didn't so it was a field goal and not a game-winning one at that.

Because at the end of the day, my Packers lost by a lot and so there ended my "anti-jinx" ("double toe loop") food roll that I was on and the end of running the table as well. My Packers won't be going to the Super Bowl but they had a great year and they did the Hokey Pokey and turned their season around and that is all that matters.

And so this then concludes the story of how I made the soup and how my Packers game went all to hell and so we pouted and drank (always have a cocktail on hand for these occasions.  Always.) and put it all behind us and got up the next morning and at least speaking for myself, started thinking "Summer training camp."

Until next time and next year, Packers Fans and Soup Fans everywhere!

Chunky Chicken Soup with Green Beans and Rosemary – serves 8

2 tablespoons mild flavored olive oil

1 red onion, diced

2 clove garlic, minced

1 sprig rosemary or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary

1 pound skinless and boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 pound red new potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes

8 cups Chicken Stock (page 20)

1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths

Salt and pepper

Rosemary oil (page 272)

Ann's Note:  I opted against making rosemary oil which is really just a mix of dried rosemary and olive oil.  And as I mentioned above, I think I would use a sprig of rosemary which can be removed, as opposed to the dried rosemary that does not soften well.

In a large heavy saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.  Cook onion, garlic, and celery until soft, about 5 minutes.  Stir in rosemary and chicken and cook until chicken turns white.  Add potatoes and stock, simmer 12 minutes, and add green beans.  Simmer another 8 minutes.  Taste for salt and pepper.  Remove rosemary sprig and drizzle each serving with rosemary oil.

Ann's Note:  As I mentioned above, I think if this recipe would have been a Creamy chunky chicken soup instead of a broth based one, it would have been great. I have no idea how to adjust this recipe, but I bet if you search the internet, you're bound to find something that comes close.