Best soup EVER!!!!
 

I get a craving for this soup on cold and blustery days...

I don't make it because I don't keep all the ingredients in the house and the restaurant is just 10 mins away.

Yes, this Ferengi will pay 6 bucks for a bowl of this soup and a half a slice of beer bread.. (It goes wonderful with a nice sourdough as well)

This is the restaurants recipe that has been converted down a bit...


Smoked Gouda and Blond Ale Soup
Recipe Serves 96 (serves 16)

1 lb celery (3 oz by weight) shredded
1 lb carrots (3 oz by weight) shredded
1 lb red onions (3 oz by weight) shredded
1/2 lb butter (2 oz by weight)
1 lb chicken base (1 can)
3 gal water (1/2 gal)
2 gal heavy cream (5 cups)
2 tsp cayenne (1/4 tsp)
3 tbsp white pepper (2 tsp)
2 oz granulated garlic (1 clove to taste)
3 cups white wine (1/2 cup)
6 pounds shredded gouda cheese (2 lbs)
2 pounds roux (2/3 cup)
1/2 gal blonde ale (3 cups)

1.) Chop celery, carrots, and onions and sauté in kettle with butter
2.) Add water, chicken base, beer, and heavy cream. Mix thoroughly, and add all spices, and white wine.
3.) Cook Slowly
4.) Add roux
5.) Add cheese and cook on low heat while blending continuously until smooth.

Roux - 50/50 oil/flour mixture. Must be cool when added to soup.

*make sure the veggies are sliced/diced/shredded into almost non existance... I'm pretty sure an Immersion Blender is used to get the right consistancy.. almost a puree/but not quite

Eat it slowly and savor it...

It's not really heavy, it's just delightful...

I kid you not... every spoon that is put in your mouth, there is a ummmmmm after it..

I ALWAY say the same thing..

I wish I was hungry again, I wish I was just walking in the door and getting ready to eat this...

Sigh...

This sounds really nice, actually! Thank you for sharing it here. i have had a rich and heavy cheddar and beer soup and it wasn't for me. This seems like it would have a lot more flavor with just a subtle ale and cheese undertone shining through. I'll have to try this for some other winter day.

I love skewers and marinades. I am craving lamb again or a sticky cajun chicken kabob. I love simple meals!

I just learned about quinoa's pronunciation while at Whole Foods... :) I WAS saying quinn O ah :| The actual pronunciation is prettier I think...I was saying the others right except for bruschetta..shocking cuz I actually like to make it...lol But gyro has always been a thorn in my side...
how bout that tzatziki stuff??? That's a good one. Found out I didn't maim that one quite too badly lol

Hell and damn... :|

The whole reason I came here was to tell y'all I'm sooo wanting a good recipe for Tabbouleh Salad...another good word to know ;) If anyone has recipes that are tried and true, I would love to know them. Otherwise I will have to try one of the online ones that seem to be an ode to parsley...

If that had been a test, I didn't do as bad as I thought I would. I missed 3.. :D

I WANT THIS : Chicken Mole eggs benedict

http://sphotos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphoto...47044008_n.jpg

Has anyone else tried Hail Merry's Miracle Tarts (esp. Persian Lime flavor)?
They are absolutely delicious as well as vegan, kosher, non-GMO and gluten- free for a treat that can be enjoyed by many sans guilt! When I absolutely NEED something indulgent, it is perfect for taking the edge off. As an aside, ALLEGEDLY, due to the high-quality natural ingredients, the calories will not store as fat (I have no idea if that claim is true or not, but it sure makes them go down sweeter!).

I haven't but I would love to try them, now that I know they exist!

A little pricy, but I would be very surprised if you were disappointed! As far as I am concerned, they are worth every red cent. Let me know what you think!

That reminds me of the first time my mother in law ordered focaccia bread. She asked for some focker-ya bread!

Ever since, I always say it that way in my head :)

Okay this reminds me this morning of a rather embarassing moment.... :blink:

When I first moved to Maine (many years ago) I was with some friends at a truck stop one early morning after bar hoppin'. Up here they have poutine, which is fries with gravy. This is a Canadian dish and is to be pronounced (pu-teen). Somehow it did not come out of mouth sounding like that... :blush:

I think ya'll can figure out how the word was pronounced by a southerner lol...
Yep (pu-tain)... which we all know is not the same thing as fries and gravy.

OMG not just my friends but everyone in the truck stop busted out laughing... Good thing I was a bit lit and really didn't care too much!! :D

Yes it was the picture of what I was making, the turkey pot pie. Nothing special but it was delicious!

What are ya'll food plans for Valentine's day? My girl and I will be making some frosted cookies on Wednesday. We got vanilla frosting and will probably get some cute sprinkles to put atop. :p Other than that the plan is to probably go out to dinner Friday or Saturday evening since I work Valentine's day and not sure where yet.

Don't forget about the cheese curds *winks* And don't worry about the pronounciation. French canadians say it a little different than most english so when an english person is trying to pronounce it with a french accent, that too can cause a bit of embarrassment, similar to your own.

my dad once asked for a quick -ie (quiche)

I died laughing-- as the waitress was like, excuse me sir!

Valentine treats-- I usually make cookies or cupcakes for my honey. This year, we are going to be extra busy with stuff so I made her chocolate chip (milk/semi) walnut cookies this past weekend.

We are baking with my kids the weekend after Valentines Day this year. Cupcakes and cookies. The important part is decorating, of course. Maybe I will get creative and do something else as well... Depends on how the weekend goes.

Good for you! I am sure your family will have a wonderful time baking with love. I exhausted my Valentine's day baking already.

Maybe it's time to do something else :)

Hi guys - hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's day.

I just came across another mexican herb that looks really interesting - like Papalo, it's been described as cilantro on steroids -

Pipicha (Porophyllum tagetoides) edible as fresh uncooked green; allow seedheads to dry on plants before removing them & collecting seeds; indigenous communities use Pipicha against bacterial infections, as well as for liver cleansing & detoxification."

Also called chepiche, escobeta, papalo delgardo, pepicha, pipitza, tepicha

http://www.richters.com/show.cgi?pag...0020503-2.html

This one has a picture:

http://zoom50.wordpress.com/2011/04/...um-tagetoides/

Have you guys heard of it? It sounds pretty amazing.

Hello everyone!

Did anyone get to enjoy a special Valentine's meal? Whether it was for yourself, with friends or family, or a significant other?


I went out tonight and had a wonderful meal that had at least some Valentine's day influence when it came to the dessert . It was a strawberry infused chocolate buttermilk cake with whipped cream and german chocolate drizzle.

Unfortunately I had the 'flu, so no special meal, but I did get a box of chocolates! That has to count for something :)

That cake sounds wonderful! I hope you enjoyed it :)

I hope the new job is going well. I haven't had a lot of time to do as much cooking as I would like. I too started a new job and while the hours are comparible, the commute tacks on about 2 extra hours.

I made a vegetable soup last night, which I am enjoying now and I got to experience a lovely fine dining meal on saturday evening.

I made chicken tortilla soup today---
Takes about 30 minutes, plus 30 for roasting chicken.
It came out delish.

Welcome back, Sun!

Oh not commuting!

Yeah I am experiencing morning commute fun
during high season, but hey, 81 degrees and sunny, I can not complain
about a little, or a lot, of traffic. What kind of soup did you make?

I will trade you for your 81 and sunny even for a day. Though I must admit I would be getting the better deal. I ended up staying home today because of blizzard conditions. I experienced those first hand walking on my paper route first thing this morning, which I picked up as a 2nd job just because it was one street. So much for being easy. I came home to a power outage drenched and caffeine deprived because the coffee I bought on my way home blew into the wind every time I tried to take a drink and my furnace was out. Did I mention that it's bitterly cold and I experienced 2 ft of flooding in my basement yesterday as a result of a rain storm coming in after a snow storm?

I need a break from this winter weather. Come on spring!

Needless to say I have spent the day bundled up and enjoying my homemade garden vegetable soup . I even had a nice fresh italian loaf of bread for dunking.

My bad --

1 whole chicken breast (boneless/skinless)
Good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped onions (2 onions)
1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks) -- I leave out, because I don't care for it.
2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 1/2 quarts chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in puree, crushed
2 to 4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, optional
6 (6-inch) fresh white corn tortillas
Directions
For serving: sliced avocado, sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and tortilla chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts skin side up on a sheet pan. Rub with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until done. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, cube or shred the meat. Cover and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions start to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes with their puree, jalapenos, cumin, coriander, 1 tablespoon salt (depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock), 1 teaspoon pepper, and the cilantro, if using. Cut the tortillas in 1/2, then cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch strips and add to the soup. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and season to taste. Serve the soup hot topped with sliced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and broken tortilla chips.

Sun, you are more welcome to come for a visit anytime!! I'd love to cook with you or for you, drink a few whatevers, and whatnots.

It's only Tuesday and I'm ready for the weekend.

:eatinghersheybar:

In our house, we eat nothing but Sharp Cheddar-- or extra. But I think its up to your taste buds, really. Jack is good too!!

If you can't find fresh, get the store bought -- I have used before.

http://rockinthestove.com/wp-content...la-chips-1.jpg

You know I never use a recipe really-- its like I see one I want to try but then I put my own twist on it.

Just facebook me or something when you do plan on coming on over-- what part of AZ you in? We have family there- in Chandler.

I am exactly the same way when it comes to recipes! :) Sometimes I will try the original first then put my spin on it and sometimes it's mine from the get go. A lot of times when I cook I don't even use a recipe. I like to throw things together with what I have. Thank you for the one you just shared.

Yeah no problem.
I am really weird with recipes -- its really how I learned to cook, by just reading them and figuring out what I enjoyed to eat and such.
Most of meals are from here and there -- unless its more complicated, I write it down and figure out what works best.
Its really neat to hear how others cook and figure out what works best for them.
If you try the recipe, let me know how it comes out. Enjoy!!

Update
 

Hey Sun! Hope your new job is going great!

What's everyone making this weekend?

Tonight we are making meatball grinders on hoagie buns with melted mozzarella on top! Can't wait to taste them! :)

I feel the same way about fire, I start to feel that craving under my skin and I need to break out the grill or maybe dance around the flames in a non harmful way LOL