Back for another edition of Magazine Mondays. It seems that these days the only blogging I can barely muster is for MM - it’s been a busy time to say the least. I am, however, looking forward to having some more free time in the coming weeks before the holidays.

In the meantime, though, I continue to chip away at that magazine pile!

This time around I bring you a recipe for Lentil & Pasta Soup courtesy of Jamie Oliver magazine.

I love that magazine because it’s like buying a beautiful mini cookbook every time. I justify the purchase by telling myself that I’m buying a cookbook for the price of a magazine.

Yes. I have a problem. What of it?!

Anyway, I love this recipe because a) it’s soup and b) it’s soup with pasta in it and c) it’s soup with pasta and lentils in it. It’s like the trifecta of things I love.

Whenever I do eat lentils, I’m reminded of how delicious they are and how easy they are to make. Together with the pasta and the lovely broth, this makes a most delicous dinner or weekend lunch.

Have a great week, everyone!

Ciao!

Here’s who joined me for this week’s edition of MM:

Victoria of Flavors of the Sun made Butternut Squash Soup with Green Chile-Coriander Chutney from Gourmet and Roasted Pear Salad with Chèvre and Fig Vinaigrette from Vegetarian Times.

Mary of Bonbons et Chocolats.com made Mini Madeleine Doughnuts from InStyle.

If you have an Italian background and grew up in a household where Italian food traditions were maintained, I’m willing to bet pastina was a big part of your formative years.

For me, pastina refers to the soup dish that we were all fed as children: chicken broth with tiny pasta in it. Most often, the pasta shape we used is what we would call acini di pepe. But we just referred to the dish as pastina.

It was a code word for comfort.

It didn’t matter what part of Italy your family came from, every kid knew what pastina was.

We had it once a week, at least, and your mother’s pastina was always better than anybody else’s mom’s pastina.

I miss those days.

Chicken broth, or brodo di pollo, is near and dear to my heart. In fact during the fall and winter months, if I don’t have it at least once a week I feel like I’m missing something.

Now that I’m a grown up (when did that happen?!), we experiment with other pasta shapes like stelline or tubetti. But truth be told, what I really love to see floating in my chicken broth are quadrucci.

Quadrucci are squares of fresh pasta. Once you make a batch of fresh pasta, you roll it out and then run it through the pasta cutter to form fettuccine. Once formed, you gather the strands of pasta and cut them into tiny squares.

The squares of fresh pasta are spread out on a tablecloth or on a large pan covered with a cloth and allowed to dry. You can then use the squares right away or you can freeze them and use them in soup as you need them.

Last summer, when I was in Italy, my aunt made ravioli and then used the leftover pasta to make quadrucci. I asked her if she minded if I would take pictures and she was thrilled.

For 2011, I set some goals for myself and one of them was to make fresh pasta at least once a month. Last month, I made a batch of fresh pasta and used it to make quadrucci, which we enjoyed in a steaming bowl of chicken broth.

I can’t help but wax poetic. If it’s possible to love a dish, then this is one that I feel an actual physical love for.

It’s my one and only.

Ciao!

I have tried many fresh pasta recipes but I still stand by my mother’s. I first published it on my blog here.

To make the quadrucci, gather the pasta strands after you’ve run them through the pasta cutter or cut them on your own with a pastry cutter, and cut them into tiny squares with a sharp knife.

To use the quadrucci in soup, bring a pot of water to boil and salt it generously. Add the quadrucci and boil for a few minutes, until tender (al dente). Add the quadrucci to your soup. Enjoy!

It is, perhaps, the greatest slap in the face of all.

Just as Summer presents you with a dazzling array of berries and fruits, all of them inspiration for your deepest baking desires, Summer also slaps you in the face with heat and humidity.

The very idea of turning the stove on makes me shudder and that’s saying a lot for a committed home baker such as myself.

It’s just not fair.

For a solid two weeks now, to step outside your front door is to be immediately met with a muggy, heavy, moist and stifling Summer kiss. Shudder.

Central air-conditioning be damned. We live in a small, older home and even with central air, as soon as you turn that oven on, our house is a sauna.

So for two weeks, I have been freezing berries like a madwoman, all the while fuming.

Every single time I hear someone say how much they love the Summer and the heat, I’m pretty much casting eye daggers their way.

What is the point of Summer if you cannot bake and use all the beautiful fruits and vegetables around you?

Sitting and stewing has led to many elaborate revenge fantasies. While I’m still working on that machine that will allow us to skip straight from Spring to Fall, I have settled on something a bit more realistic.

Vichyssoise. Zucchini vichyssoise, to be exact.

I was initiatied into the vichyssoise club several years ago during a leisurely lunch at the home of a family friend. It was a hot (of course) summer day and after the appetizers were cleared away, our hostess pulled out a tall, glass jug from the refrigerator.

The jug appeared to be filled with a thick cream, but I soon discovered that it was a cold potato and leek soup known as vichyssoise. Just before serving, our hostess mixed in a healthy dose of cream and then poured the soup into pretty litle cups.

As I had my first taste of vichyssoise I remember thinking, “This is gold. This must become a part of my life on a regular basis.”

Vichyssoise is very easy to make. Cook down some leeks (or onions) and potatoes with chicken stock. Once it’s all cooked, season to taste and then puree and refrigerate. Just before serving, mix in some cream and then serve with snipped chives for a bit of bite.

From Ina Garten’s Barefoot in Paris, I got the idea of making a zucchini vichyssoise.

Perfect. Now I can thwart summer on two fronts. Not only can I enjoy a delicious cold soup, I can also make another dent in the zucchini mountain growing outside our door.

This soup is so refreshing, it almost makes up for the pain of not being able to bake.

As an added “painkiller” and hopefully another salvo aimed at Summer, I’ve been topping the zucchini vichyssoise with … what else … more zucchini.

These fried zucchini strips are a common side dish in our house. It’s a very fast way to use up some zucchini and I have yet to meet the person that can resist them.

So I bide my time. Summer has to end sooner or later. Cooler temperatures will usher in the days of baking once again.

I just hope the freezer holds out.

Ciao!

Zucchini Slivers

2 zucchini, medium-sized
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
corn oil or canola oil, for frying
sea salt, to taste

1. Cut the ends off the zucchini and discard. Slice the zucchini into the finest slivers you can by first cutting the zucchini into long, thin slices and then cutting the slices into long, thin slivers. Set aside.

2. In a large frying pan, pour in enough oil to come about an inch up the side of the pan. Heat the oil over medium-high heat.

3. While the oil is heating, place the flour in a large bowl and in several batches, dredge the zucchini slivers in the oil. Once dredged, shake off the excess flour and place the slivers in a plate.

4. Once the oil is hot, fry the slivers in batches. Do not overcrowd the pan. The slivers will fry for about 4 to 5 minutes, at which time they should be golden. Using tongs, turn the slivers so that they become golden and crunchy on all sides.

5. Once golden, remove the zucchini slivers to a plate lined with paper towels. Sprinkle with sea salt right away.

6. Serve the zucchini while hot.

I had a fabulous weekend.

Let me say that again.

I HAD A FABULOUS WEEKEND!

On Saturday I enjoyed an amazing dinner at Far Niente with my brother and one of my dearest friends. The dinner was followed by the consummation of an adolescent dream: I saw Madonna in concert.

The 13-year-old within was overjoyed.

And Sunday … well Sunday actually topped Saturday as Mama Cream Puff and I spent a beautiful day in Niagara-on-the-Lake (oh, the fall colours!) shopping and enjoying some wonderful local food. We topped it off with a lovely tea at the Prince of Wales hotel.

Then I came home and baked a beautiful pie and tart.

The weather was just glorious; sunny and crisp with leaves everywhere.

Autumn, you truly are a gift!

So here’s hoping that this week is just as spectacular. To help get us all off on the right foot, I’m happy to post this luxurious Broccoli Soup with Cheddar Cheese as my Magazine Mondays post. I love broccoli soup with lots of melty cheddar … seriously … there’s not a lot that could make me happier on a Monday.

Have a beautiful week, everyone!

Ciao!

Note: Click here for the recipe for Broccoli Soup with Cheddar Cheese.

Joining me for this edition of Magazine Mondays is Natashya of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies who made soft pretzels and Wandering Coyote of ReTorte who made Sugar Cookies!

Remember, if you have a magazine recipe that you’ve finally tried, let me know and I’ll link to it!

There are many reasons to grow your own food. Some people do it as a hobby, some people do it for a living and some people do it because they believe it is the best way to ensure that the food they’re eating is the freshest and healthiest food available.

But I also happen to believe that growing your own food is deeply comforting.

I don’t think the scale on which you’re growing or gardening really matters. I think what matters is that when you put something into the soil and nurture it, in your own way your putting a little bit of love back into the world. And giving love is just as good as getting it.

If you’re getting a bit worried that the Cream Puff has gone all spiritual on you, don’t. These ruminations come about as a result of a two-month perusal of Jim Denevan’s excellent cookbook Outstanding in the Field: A Farm to Table Cookbook.

When I do a cookbook review, I like to take my time getting to know the book. I like to read it (or as much of it as I can). I pay attention to things like the binding and the quality of the paper (does the book lay flat when it’s open or do the pages flip over?). I like to read the directions to recipes and see if I can get it in the first read-through. In a nutshell, I like to get to know the book.

Based on my getting to know this book, I would say that we’ve become very close friends. Prior to receiving this cookbook, I’d never heard of Denevan. After a bit of research I found out that he’s a chef, but with a twist. Instead of operating a restaurant, Denevan brings the restaurant to the people by organizing huge outdoor meals that feature the freshest and most beautiful food available. He started an organization called Outstanding in the Field through which these incredible outdoor experiences are organized. Imagine a travelling restaurant showing up in your neighbourhood, setting up an enormous table and then inviting everyone in the neighbourhood to sit down together and enjoy the best of the local produce. What a way to honour all the incredible growers and food producers out there that are working their behinds off to keep the tradition of wholesome, good food alive!

As for the book, it’s just beautiful. Lots of colour photos and recipes that flow from one to the other seamlessly. The emphasis is not on complicated or fussy dishes but rather on simple, appealing cooking that relies entirely on fresh (and hopefully local) foods. There is also a strong sense of kinmanship with those among us who are food artisans. You know who I mean … those people that work like crazy to produce unbelievable cheese that no one knows about because too many of us are busy eating processed, fake cheese. Or that grower that’s singlehandedly brought all sorts of heirloom vegetable varieties back to the forefront.

I guess the point is that this food is beautiful and delicious and easy to grow and cook with.

And oh-so-comforting.

Ciao!

Note: The first two photographs feature a Fresh Strawberry Bavarian, which is made by combining strawberry puree, sugar and lemon with unflavoured gelatin dissolved in water. Some whipped cream is added and the bavarian is chilled overnight. The second photograph features a Corn Chowder with Marjoram, which is made by separate corn kernels from the cob. The cobs are then cooked in water for about an hour to create a vegetable stock. The kernels are sauteed with onion and carrot and diced potato. The stock is then added in and the mixture is cooked for a good 20 to 30 minutes. Puree half the mixture in the blender and then return to the remainder of the soup. What you end up with is a nice and chunky corn chowder. Don’t forget the marjoram!

For the second edition of Magazine Mondays (oooh - this is so exciting!) I decided to finally put the November 2006 issue of Food & Wine magazine out of its misery. This particular issue has been languishing in my magazine basket for almost a year thanks to two recipes that I’ve wanted to try, but haven’t until now.

For starters, I give you one of the most delicious and satisfying soups I’ve had in a long time: Spicy Grain Soup.

While the soup took some time to make (and considerable effort), it was all worth it in the end as I had a filling, warming and completely comforting soup. I also had lots of leftovers, which is great for weekday lunches!

And because one must always end a comforting meal with dessert, I decided to finally make the Double-Chocolate Bundt Cake with Ganache Glaze.

Wow!

You’d think this cake would be very sweet but it’s actually quite subtle in the sweet department. It does, however, pack a big chocolate whollop. I’m glad I finally had the chance to try these recipes.

Here’s hoping you tried some bookmarked recipes of your own. If you did, let me know.

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Ciao!

Technorati tag: magazine mondays

March 31st already!

It’s been a great month of cooking and baking. I’m so very happy with my choice for Flavour of the Month:  Paulette Mitchell’s A Beautiful Bowl of Soup. With Mitchell’s fantastic recipe, I learned how to make something new. Something I’d never tried before:  an incredible vegetable stock. Hands down, that is the best thing that I can ask for from a cookbook. My copy is splattered, dog-eared, covered in post-it notes … and I love it!

So here we are my friends! The eve of a new weekend and the the eve of a new month.

You are all such an incredible source of inspiration for me. Not a day goes by where I don’t learn about a new food, a new recipe, a new cookbook, a new way of cooking. Show me … tell me … teach me … I can’t wait to see what you have in store for me in April!

I wish all of you a month of happy blogging ahead! I’m sending you a bowl of comforting Cream of Tomato Soup to get you started.

Ciao!

Cream of Tomato Soup with Puff Pastry Crowns

Adapted from A Beautiful Bowl of Soup by Paulette Mitchell.

For the soup:

• a sprig of thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 1-1/2 cans whole tomatoes (28 fluid ounces each, juice reserved)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups half-and-half or milk
• 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
• salt and pepper to taste (use white pepper if you have it)

1. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large stockpot. Add the onion and cook until the onions have softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Combine the tomato paste and the water and mix well; add to the butter and onion.
3. Add the thyme, bay leaf and red pepper flakes; cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.
4. Add the tomatoes and half of the reserved tomato juice. With a spoon, break up the tomatoes slightly. Add the garlic.
5. Bring the soup to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
6. After 30 minutes, puree the soup in a blender or food processor.
7. Return the soup to the stockpot and add the remaining butter, the half-and-half or milk and the brown sugar. Taste the soup and add salt and pepper to taste (I used 1 teaspoon of salt and a 1/4 teaspoon of white pepper.) Mix well.
8. You can either serve the soup as is or you can prepare the puff pastry crowns.
9. Enjoy!

For the puff pastry crowns:

• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• puff pastry, thawed

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
2. Whisk together the egg and the water to make an egg wash.
3. Roll out your puff pastry until it’s about a 1/4-inch thick.
4. With a sharp knife, cut out circles that are slightly smaller than the size of the bowls you are using.
5. Transfer the circles to the baking sheet and brush with the egg wash.
6. Bake for 15 minutes or until puffed and golden.
7. Let the the puff pastry crowns cool for a few minutes before placing them on each bowl of soup.

Note:  Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Technorati tags: tomatoes, soup

Whenever people ask me how many cookbooks I have, and I give the usual noncommital reply, the next question is always, "Why do you have so many?" I’m not exactly sure why, to be honest. All I know is that when I come across a cookbook that I like, I feel an almost immediate bond or connection. I’m happy to say that I have developed a very strong connection to Paulette Mitchell’s A Beautiful Bowl of Soup.

I’m so glad I made this book the Cream Puffs in Venice Flavour of the Month for March. It’s warm and simple and full of the wholesome, filling recipes that I enjoy making on weekends when I have time. The added bonus is that they are all fairly uncomplicated to make so they’re an excellent option for a weeknight dinner as well.

Thus far I’ve learned to make an incredible vegetable stock and black bean soup (check out Tea and Cookies and read Tea’s post about her version based on Mitchell’s recipe) and a surprisingly good red lentil soup. But there are so many incredibly inviting recipes. As I perused each one recently, I found myself having considerable difficulty deciding which to make next. And then I turned the page and saw a recipe for Caramelized Onion Soup.

So here’s where you learn something new about Cream Puff:  I have never had onion soup. Never. I think I surprised myself when I realized this. Since this blog is all about realizing all the little food dreams that I have and pushing myself to expand those food horizons, I thought that there would never be a better time than now to finally take the proverbial plunge into that bowl of onion soup.

My understanding of traditional french onion soup is that it’s made with a base of beef broth and onions that have been cooked down to a caramelly softness. The final touch is a piece of country bread that is topped with Gruyère and then broiled. Mitchell’s recipe uses vegetable stock as opposed to beef stock. Fortunately I had some on hand in the freezer. Her recipe also calls for three different types of onion: sweet onion, red onion and shallot. I had red onion and shallots in my pantry (always do), but I needed to pick up some sweet onion.

This of course highlighted the fact that I don’t know very much about sweet onions. After much "googling" and "wikipediaing", I learned that the most common sweet onions are Vidalia and Walla Walla. Sweet onions have a lower sulfur content and a higher water content than other onions. This explains why they are less pungent and taste "sweeter".

My local supermarket had a sweet onion called "Honey Sweet" from Mexico. Once I was back home with my ingredients, I set about putting together the soup. This brings me to another important point about Mitchell and her recipes:  they’re easy to pull together. The only possible challenge this recipe could present is slicing the onions. Fortunately I have a mother who (un)willingly supports my kitchen gadget habit so I whipped out my mandoline and made short work of the onions.

I began cooking the onions down. While they cooked gently (Mitchell advises not to burn the onions as that makes them bitter), I defrosted my vegetable stock and got my bread and goat cheese ready. Once the onions had caramelized, I added dry red wine and the vegetable stock and let the soup simmer for about 20 minutes. While it simmered, I toasted my bread slices and then spread on the goat cheese mixture I had prepared. I popped them under the broiler for a minute. When the soup was ready I placed the crostini on top and voilà!

The soup was incredible! The onions were sweet, but not too sweet and the broth was rich. The vegetable stock and the wine went together so well. My only disappointment with this recipe is my picture, which doesn’t show enough of the great soup.

But at least I’ve finally had onion soup. I think I’m ready to conquer the French next!

Ciao!

Caramelized Onion Soup with Goat Cheese Crostini

Adapted from A Beautiful Bowl of Soup by Paulette Mitchell.

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 pound sweet onions, thinly sliced (about 6 cups)
• 1/2 pound red onions, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2/3 cup dry red wine
• 3 cups vegetable stock (see recipe here)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
• salt and pepper to taste (I used 2-1/2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper.)

1. Melt the butter in a large pot. Add the onions and stir to coat the onions in butter.
2. Cover the pot and cook the onions for 25 minutes over low heat; stir occasionally.
3. After 25 minutes, uncover the onions, increase the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes until the onions have become very tender and have turned light brown.
4. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add the wine. Increase the heat to high and cook, stirring often, until the liquid dissolves. Keep an eye on the onions and make sure they don’t burn.
6. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover the soup and let simmer for 20 minutes.
7. After 20 minutes, season according to taste.
8. Top with prepared goat cheese crostini and serve or top with crostini (that have not been broiled yet) and place under broiler until goat cheese begins to melt and bubble. Be sure to use heatproof bowls.
9. Enjoy!

For the goat cheese crostini:

• 1/4 cup goat cheese
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced (or whichever herb you prefer)
• a dash of salt and pepper
• 8 slices of country bread, sliced 1/2-inch thick

1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Mash with a fork until smooth and spreadable.
2. In a toaster or under the broiler, toast the bread for a few minutes until golden.
3. Spread the goat cheese mixture evenly over the crostini. Place under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese begins to melt and bubble. Place the prepared crostini on the soup and serve.
4. Alternatively, you can spread the goat cheese mixture evenly on the crostini and place them on the soup which has been poured into heatproof bowls. Place the bowls of soup under the broiler until the cheese begins to melt and bubble.

Note:  This recipe yields 4 generous servings. It can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Technorati tags: onions, soup

There is a scene early on in the charming French movie Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain, where the main character plunges her hand into a sack of green lentils. As her hand slides into the cool mound of lentils, the camera cuts to her face, which is glowing. You can almost feel her sense of pleasure.

That scene has always stayed in my mind, mainly because I understand the tactile thrill that lentils promise. You want to grab them by the handful and let them slide slowly through your open fingers.

And this is from someone who is unfamiliar with lentils. That is to say they do not, nor have they ever, been a staple in my diet. While many Italians do enjoy lentils, they never seemed to land on my family’s table. We always preferred plump beans, such as romano or borlotti, to any other type of legume.  Yet inspite of my ignorance when it comes to lentils, I must confess I have always been fascinated with the red ones.

Like Amélie Poulain, I am always tempted to run my hands through mounds of lentils. Except I would choose red ones. There’s something about their colour that makes them look like orange-red gems; as though I could string them together and make a pretty bracelet.

Red lentils, often referred to as Egyptian lentils, are always sold dry and tend to cook very quickly. Unlike dried beans, it’s not necessary to soak lentils before using them.  Inspite of how easy they are to prepare, I’d never used them them until now. And my reason for using them is the Cream Puffs in Venice Flavour of the Month for March 2006:  A Beautiful Bowl of Soup by Paulette Mitchell. As I flipped through the book the other day, I came across this recipe and knew instinctively that if I was ever going to consummate my red lentil love, it was now or never.

Fortunately I shop at a very well-stocked supermarket and in no time I had the ingredients for  my red lentil soup. The base for the soup was the incredible vegetable stock that Paulette Mitchell opens her book with. As I mentioned in my post on this stock, it’s delicious and is certainly an incredible building block for any soup. Beyond the stock and red lentils, the ingredients were quite straightforward.

The soup came together very quickly. In fact it was ready in a little over half an hour making it a perfect option for a weekday dinner. Mitchell recommends serving it with pita croutons (pita brushed with olive oil and crisped under the broiler), but not having pita on hand I served the soup with black olive breadsticks and of course a wedge of lemon. The soup contains a bit of lemon juice and a final squeeze of lemon before eating the soup was the perfect accompaniment.

I was so happy with the black bean soup from Mitchell’s cookbook. I was equally happy with this red lentil soup. It makes a big pot of soup which means lots of lovely leftovers for weekday lunches.

The added bonus is that I got to make my red lentil dream come true. They felt (and tasted) so good!

Ciao!

Red Lentil Soup

Adapted from A Beautiful Bowl of Soup by Paulette Mitchell.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups finely chopped onions
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 8 cups vegetable stock
• 1-3/4 cups dried red lentils
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped celery leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon red chile pepper flakes (use less if you don’t like spicy food; use more if you do!)
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste (I used about 2-1/2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper)

1. Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the onions and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the cumin and coriander and cook for about 30 seconds.
2. Add the vegetable stock, the lentils, carrots, celery leaves and red chile pepper flakes. Bring to a boil.
3. Once the soup is boiling, lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the lentils are cooked. Stir occasionally.
4. Once the lentils are cooked, add the lemon juice. Mix well. Taste and season with salt and pepper according to your own preferences. Serve the soup with lemon wedges.
5. Enjoy!

Note:  This soup serves 4 to 6 people. Leftovers can be frozen.

Technorati tags:  lentils, soup

"Memory … is the diary that we all carry about with us." (Oscar Wilde, 1854-1900)

These days, it seems that thoughts of food are never far from my mind. Whether it’s the long subway ride to work and back, a quiet  moment or two during the the work day, or those still moments just before I fall asleep, food always seems to be there. What has surprised me is how often those thoughts of food trigger memories, as though the two are inextricably linked. I’m often not sure which comes first … the memory of something food-related, or something food-related that sparks a memory.

These days, even the smell of food will bring back powerful memories. Take my maternal grandparents’ house, for example. Located in Toronto’s Little Italy, it was the centre of my family’s universe for many years. And it was rare that you would enter that house and not be greeted by the aroma of something cooking. The smell that I remember most and the one that I associate most with that house, is the smell of chicken stock.

My grandmother would make her stock with a whole chicken. THE WHOLE CHICKEN. Today we may turn our noses up at the sight of a chicken neck or the lovely layer of fat floating at the top of the stock pot, but to my grandmother, that was all flavour.

While we would occasionally have meat stock, usually made with veal bones, for the most part we were (and still are) a chicken stock family. So it was with mild surprise that I turned to A Beautiful Bowl of Soup, the Flavour of the Month for March 2006, and saw that the first recipe for stock, in fact the only recipe for stock in the cookbook, was one for vegetable stock. As strange as it may sound, I have never made vegetable stock. That is to say I’ve never made a proper vegetable stock to be used as an ingredient in other dishes.

I was intrigued … and a bit skeptical. Is it possible to make a flavourful stock, that can be used to enhance other dishes, with only vegetables?

Mitchell’s recipe called for onion, leeks, carrots, parsnips, garlic, tomato, and aromatics herbs including parsley and thyme. I was initially pleased that this vegetable stock required ingredients, like carrots and parsnips, that often end up wasting away, forgotten, in the back of my refrigerator. While it’s not tomato season, I liked that Mitchell included tomato in her recipe because we use it all the time when making chicken stock. Tomato adds a lovely colour to the stock. I was able to substitute the whole tomato with my mother’s jarred tomato pieces, which she makes at the end of summer with the last of our garden’s bounty.

And I must be honest. The smell in the house from the herbs and the cooking vegetables was intoxicating. But the final test would definitely be how well the stock tasted and how well it supported the recipe I used it for.

On the taste front, the stock scored high marks. It was sweet and flavourful with the essence of all the ingredients. It was warm and filling and beautiful in colour.

As for the recipe I tried, the stock served me well. I decide to make the Black Bean Soup with Mango Salsa for two reasons:  I had canned black beans in my pantry and I had some ripe mango, waiting to be used. While the black beans packed a nutritious punch, the flavour of the soup was vibrant and spicy. And the mango salsa was just the right touch as it cut through the thickness of the black beans.

I was impressed and happy with my first attempt at vegetable stock, and even more impressed with the first recipe I tried from A Beautiful Bowl of Soup. And interestingly enough, as the soup bubbled away on a quiet Saturday afternoon, I almost felt like I was back at my grandmother’s house.

Sweet memory.

Ciao!

Black Bean Soup with Mango Salsa

Adapted from A Beautiful Bowl of Soup by Paulette Mitchell.

For the vegetable stock:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion or 2 to 3 shallots, peeled and chopped into large chunks
• 1 large tomato, quartered (omit if you don’t have access to fresh tomatoes or really good canned tomatoes)
• 2 or 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces
• 2 celery stalks (preferably with leaves), cut into large pieces
• 2 leeks (white parts only), well rinsed and cut into 1-inch slices
• 1 or 2 parsnips, peeled and cut into large pieces
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced in half lengthwise
• 8 cups water
• a handful of flat-leaf parsley
• 2 or 3 sprigs of thyme
• 2 bay leaves (I used dried)
• 6 whole black peppercorns

1. In a stockpot, heat the oil and add the onion or shallots, tomato, carrots, celery, leeks, parsnip and garlic. Saute for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and increase the heat to high. Bring to a boil.
3. Once the stock is boiling, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for one hour.
4. After an hour, remove the stock from the heat and let it come to room temperature.
5. Once the stock has cooled, pour the stock through a fine-meshed sieve. With a spoon, press down on the solids in the sieve to remove as much stock as possible. Discard the solids.
6. You can keep the stock in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or you can freeze it for up to 6 months.

For the mango salsa:

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 ripe mango, diced
• 2 tablespoons minced red onion
• 2 tablespoons minced cilantro
• 1 teaspoon minced jalapeno
• salt, to taste

1. Whisk together the lime juice and the brown sugar, until the brown sugar has dissolved.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
3. Taste the salsa and add salt according to your own tastes.
4. Set the mango salsa aside while you make the soup. The mango salsa should be at room temperature.

For the black bean soup:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 teaspoon, red chili flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon, freshly ground pepper
• salt to taste

1. Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Saute for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened.
2. Add the coriander and cook for 30 seconds.
3. Add all the remaining ingredients, except the salt. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Once the soup has come to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes (if the soup reduces too much, add a bit of water).
4. Transfer one cup of the beans and soup to a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Return to the soup and mix well. Add salt to taste.
5. Serve the soup with the mango salsa.
6. Enjoy!