Enchilada Soup

I frequently work in Neiman Marcus.  On this particular day, I choose to eat in the Mermaid Bar (MB) because I was going to lunch alone.  The Mermaid Bar has an old fashioned parlor counter, so it makes dining alone quick and easy.  I sat next a Neimans employee and began discussing food, cooking, and butter baking.  Never eating at the MB, I asked if she recommended anything off the menu.  She raved about the chicken enchilada soup.  I didn't really feel like soup on this day but ordered a salad and a cup of it.  Upon its arrival, I wished I had ordered a bowl.
Fast forward--This recipe is my attempt to recreate the flavor in this dish.

Attempt One: Nemains 'style' Enchilada Soup:
(Combine all of the ingredients in a crock pot)


1 1/2 pounds of diced tomatoes (18 ounces)
2 Tbls of chopped garlic
1 chopped onion
1 chopped bell pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
2 bay leafs
1 can of chicken broth
1 Goya brand Tomato y Cilantro tablet
1 can of garbanzo beans
dash of salt and pepper
**Optional add diced chicken**
NOTE: Vegetarian-Vegan option: Leave out chicken and substitute chicken broth for vegetable broth.

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a crock pot for at least two and half hours.  Next, make a roux and add it to the pot. Stir and let it cook for an additional 30 minutes.

Roux recipe:
A typical roux uses 2 Tbls of four and 2 Tbls of butter. Always remember, the flour and butter are equal in a roux.  There are two types of roux: basic and golden.  This will alter the color of your recipe.  Do not brown the roux for white gravy or soup.  Golden brown gravy requires browning the roux. For this recipe, I used 3 Tbls of butter and 3 Tbls of flour {basic roux}. 

After 3o minutes, turn the crock pot off. **Remove Bay leafs from pot and throw away** { A bay Leaf, if eaten whole or in large amounts is poisonous! It will not kill you but you will be sick}. {If you like chunky soup stop here and serve with garnish below}. Use a wand, such as the 'Braun Magic Wand' to puree the soup.  Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with fresh a fresh avocado and cheese garnish {additional fresh cilantro would make a good garnish too}.

Pie: the new cupcake?!

I am copying this article from NPR's website via www.npr.org: Credit for the article goes to NPR and Bonny Wolf.

Cupcakes Are Dead. Long Live The Pie!

by BONNY WOLF

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Pie is the next cupcake. PIE IS THE NEW CUPCAKE. Spread the word.

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January 2, 2011

Every year, I predict the death of the cupcake. I'm always wrong.

But this year, they'll have real competition from the humble pie. Trend-spotters are calling pie the food of the year. Texas and New York restaurants offer pie happy hours. Pies are showing up at weddings, and pie shops are opening in a neighborhood near you. Pies come in sweet and savory, maxi and mini, deep dish and deep-fried.

If pies are the new cupcakes, New York Magazine says, vegetables are the new meat.

No more the supporting actors. Vegetables are stars. Remember food guru Michael Pollan's mantra? "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." It's getting some serious traction.

And when Mario Batali — the prince of pork — embraces meatless Mondays, you know the times they are a-changing.

One of the most glam vegetables will be kale. Look for the frilly bouquet of slightly bitter, dark greens both cooked and raw in a salad.

Root vegetables, meanwhile, are the new heirlooms. These gnarled vegetables such as salsify, Jerusalem artichokes and celery root are about to step onto the food fashion runway.

Child nutrition is definitely on the national radar screen. Childhood obesity has been called the new tobacco. We'll see top chefs in school cafeterias and more healthful choices on kids' menus in restaurants.

At the same time, junk food is going upscale. I have reports of foie gras wrapped in cotton candy and restaurant-made Cheeto-like snacks.

After years of gourmet hamburgers, hot dogs may be the new popular kids. They're moving from street carts to brick-and-mortar buildings. Watch for them on your block.

Recipe: Maple-Apple Pie With Brown Sugar Crust

From the Kitchen Window column

We'll also see more pop-up restaurants. Chefs find underused restaurant space and take it over for a few days a week. Of course, they use the freshest, most local ingredients and reservations are hard to get, increasing their cachet. Sort of like speakeasies.

And food halls like the one at Harrods in London are opening in the U.S.

Mario Batali and the Bastianich restaurant family recently opened Eataly, a 50,000 square foot shrine to Italian food in New York City. And the Plaza Hotel now houses the Plaza Food Hall, a food hall-cum-food court. Watch for other European-style food markets in California and Washington, D.C.

Whatever you eat, save room for a slice of pie.

Bonny Wolf is author of Talking With My Mouth Full and editor of NPR's Kitchen Window.

***NOTE from me--I cannot say that I agree with the statement about pie replacing cupcakes and vegetables replacing meat.  However, this article is a good read about ever changing food trends! 

The Great American Debate

Who has better cheesecake, bagels, hot dogs, or pizza: New York or Chicago? I personally prefer different toppings on the different crust styles.  The recipe for the crust is the same n both instances but the amount and design of crust creates controversy. On a New York style crust, I prefer cheese or pizza margarita with anchovies. Chicago style pizza I like loaded with meat or veggies. The crust on a Chicago style pizza supports more toppings but again that is MY opinion.

Basic Crust Recipe:

Basic Pizza Dough:

1 package active dry yeast

2 teaspoons sugar

1 cup warm water (110 degrees F ** Very Important)

1/4 cup lard or vegetable shortening

3 to 4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

Olive oil

In an electric mixing bowl, whisk the yeast, sugar, water and lard together to make a paste. Add the flour, salt {and mix using a dough hook} until the dough comes away from the sides and crawls up the dough hook. Remove the dough from the bowl. Grease the bowl with olive oil and place the dough back in the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide dough in half. Roll the dough into balls, cover, and let the dough rest for 15 to 20 minutes. The dough is ready to be shaped.

This recipe yields about 2 (12-inch) pizzas or 1 deep dish pizza. 

NOTE: Pizza is best made in an oven that can reach 500 degrees F.  However, most conventional ovens can safely reach 450 F.  This is OK! If you are still worried about the oven not truly reaching 450 F or keeping the heat evenly, then you may want to check out a pizza stone.  A pizza stone is a marble {traditionally} or ceramic stone slab that collects and holds oven heat. You can order them via Donna Cooper with Pampered Chef for $32.00. << Click the link to go directly to her page! biz/donnacooper 

New York Style:Traditional Pizza Margarita

Chicago Style: Spinach, mushroom, and Mozzarella. 

Cupcakes!

I love baking cupcakes. This may have something to do with the fact that all of my cakes fall.  :) Eventually, I will get around to taking a cake baking/decorating class.  In the meantime, I love baking breads and cupcakes.

  This is a photo of a beautiful strawberry buttercream frosting.

The frosting sans the fancy photography filter.

Finished orders!

Three vanilla with sea salt

Double chocolate with buttercream frosting.

Chocolate-Peanut butter with ganache frosting and pumpkin with cream cheese frosting.

Holidays aka Holidaze!

I have been completely consumed with the holidays the last couple of weeks.  This explains the silence ensuing over my normally chatty blog.  However, I have been cooking, cooking, and cooking!

Here is a recipe for Peppermint Bark.  My father loves Peppermint bark, so every year I make it for him. It is a simple and delicious holiday favorite.

Peppermint Bark

16 0z white chocolate
1 tablespoon of butter
7 candy canes

Take the white chocolate and break it into small pieces.  Put a pot of water on the stove and bring it to a boil.  Place the white chocolate pieces in a metal bowl.  The metal bowl is an important detail.  Place the metal bowl on top of the pan of boiling water.  This will melt the chocolate. After the chocolate is melted, add the butter and peppermint. Mix together and pour into candy molds.  * If you do not have candy molds then follow these steps.  Take out one or two bread pans and line them with parchment paper.  Pour the desired amount of candy into the pans.  Place the pans on the fridge for an hour or until candy hardens.  Remove candy from pans and cut on a cutting board.

Note: this recipe can be adjusted for your own liking! Enjoy :)