Basil's Chicken Noodle Soup-In Memoria

Basil loved chicken and would often lie on the floor in front of the stove as I boiled chicken for soup, chicken pot pie or enchiladas, the comfort dishes my family loved. He knew that if he stayed close, a nice fat, juicy piece of chicken would eventually come his way.

My constant companion, he was always by my side whether on our power walks when he was younger or in the passenger seat of my car as we went away for weekends to visit friends, family or to our weekend home in Savannah. Proudly perched in the basket on my bike, his fur would be slicked back by the wind and nothing, except maybe a squirrel darting across the road, would distract him from enjoying the ride.

As he grew older, the long walks were too much for his little legs to deal with and he had cataracts, so on our short walks, the squirrels would run by taunting him as if they knew his sight was going. He was a tough little Yorkie, nevertheless, having undergone six bladder stone surgeries in his almost 17 years. Some people thought we were crazy to put him through the surgeries, but we always confirmed with the vet each time that he would be able to withstand the surgeries. He was like one of our children and deserved the same treatment.

On February 7, 2007, a month and ten days from our shared birthday on March 17, Basil couldn't shake the short debilitating illness so we made our final trip to the vet to have him euthanized. In the waiting room, his eyes stayed on mine as the vet gave him the first shot to sedate him. As it took effect, his eyes closed and with the second shot, it was over.

Basil was my best friend and he will be missed. This soup is dedicated to him, a sweet, loving and faithful friend.



Basil's Chicken Noodle Soup

Stock Ingredients
3-4 Bone in chicken breast halves
1 onion, peeled and left whole
water or stock to cover

Soup Ingredients
2 carrots, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
2 leeks, white and light green section, thinly sliced, washed in cold water and drained in colander
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 cup fresh cut corn, or frozen kernels
2 ounces dried egg noodles
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Bring stock or water to simmer. Add chicken breast pieces and onion and bring to a boil, skimming foam that comes to the top. Cook until chicken pieces are tender and no pink remains. Remove chicken from stock, let cool and remove from bone, chopping into bite size pieces. Discard onion.


Strain stock and place in large soup pot. Add vegetables, chicken, thyme and salt and pepper. Simmer until vegetables are tender. Add noodles and simmer until tender. Adust seasonings.

You can add other vegetables to this soup also. Serves 6. Garnish with fresh thyme.

Salmon and Leek Pie With Sour Cream Chile Sauce

I love participating in the blog events as it gives me an opportunity to try different recipes and to practice my food styling and photography skills. When I saw that CookSister was the host of Waiter-There's Something in My---Pie, I couldn't resist trying this Salmon and Leek Pie recipe for the event. Last month, Andrew was host for Waiter, There's Something in my---Stew which garnered 44 entries. Johanna of the Passionate Cook is the third blogger involved with Waiter, there's something in my--- blog event.


I had all the ingredients already on hand with the exception of the fresh dill, but dried worked just fine. When substituting dried herbs for fresh, remember that one teaspoon dried herbs is equivalent to one tablespoon fresh herbs. A very colorful pie, Salmon and Leek Pie conjures up Springtime even though it's bitterly cold on this February day I am writing this post. A nice cuppa tea helps though.














Salmon and Leek Pie

Ingredients

4 large leeks
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless salmon fillet
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill-I used 1 tablespoon dried
1 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 large egg
1 tablespoon water
1 17 1/4-ounce package frozen puff pastry sheets (thawed according to package directions)

Trim leeks, using only white and light green parts and cut into 1/2-inch slices. Wash leeks twice in a bowl of cold water, draining in a colander each time. Pat dry. Melt butter in a large skillet, cook leeks over medium heat until tender, about 12 minutes. Cool and set aside. Cut salmon into 3/4 inch chunks and toss in a bowl with leeks, dill, zest, salt and pepper until thoroughly combined.

In a small bowl, whisk egg and water together to make an egg wash. On a floured surface, roll out one puff pastry sheet into a 10-inch square and the other into a 12-inch square. Transfer the 10-inch sheet to a floured baking sheet and mound salmon filling in the center, forming a round 8 inches in diameter. Brush edges evenly with egg wash. Carefully place remaining 12-inch square over the salmon filling and press edges together to seal. With a sharp knife, trim edges of pastry to form a 10-inch round. Crimp edges and cut 4 steam vents on top of the crust. Chill pie, loosely covered, at least 1 hour and up to 3. I chilled my pie 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake pie in middle of oven until pastry is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve pie at warm or at room temperature with Sour Cream Chile Sauce

1 red bell pepper
1 fresh red or green hot chile
1 16-ounce container sour cream

Quick roast and peel red bell pepper and cut into 1-inch thick strips. Mince enough green chile to measure 1 teaspoon-use more if you want a more picante sauce. In a food processor or blender, blend roasted pepper, chile and sour cream until very smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sauce may be made 2 days ahead and chilled.

Makes about 2 cups.








From Gourmet Magazine
Recipe Here

WTSIM

Blood Oranges in Spiced Caramel Sauce

Originally from Sicily, blood oranges have a beautiful red interior and are juicy and sweeter than your everyday orange. The blood orange gets its color from a pigment know as anthocyanin which is more commonly found in red fruits and flowers.Depending on the variety, not only is the inside dark, but the outside can have dark blushes of red.

The three main varieties are the Moro which is grown in San Diego, California, the Sanguigno and the Tarocco. In the US, the blood orange season is available almost year-round with the Texas crop from December to March and the California crop from November to May.

Blood orange juice makes a beautiful cocktail with its dark red color and can be used in the same way as common oranges in other dishes such as salads, sorbets, granitas and compotes.

Blood Oranges in Spiced Caramel Sauce is an easy compote to put together and can be served over cake with candied pistachios and whipped cream or eaten just as a simple fruit dessert.The orange compote would be a colorful dish as part of a brunch. Shown in the photo above is the striking difference between blood oranges and navel oranges.















Blood Oranges in Spiced Caramel Syrup
Adapted From Gourmet's Sweets-Desserts for Every Occasion

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water
two 3-inch cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon whole allspice
3 tablespoons dark rum

In a dry saucepan, cook sugar over moderate heat, stirring with a fork until melted. Cook caramel without stirring, swirling pan, until it turns a golden caramel, taking care not to burn the caramel as it turns very fast. Remove pan from heat and slowly add water down the side of the pan. The caramel will bubble up. Stir in the spices; return to heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until caramel is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in rum. Simmer 5 minutes. Set aside while preparing the blood oranges.

Using a sharp knife, peel and pith oranges and cut crosswise into 1/4 inch slices. Transfer to large bowl and pour caramel sauce over them. Macerate oranges, covered and chilled, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Serves 6.


For further reading and other recipes using blood oranges, check out Gourmet Sleuth.

Chocolate Espresso Pots De Creme For Your Valentine

Oh, if it be to choose and call thee mine, love, thou art every day my Valentine! ~Thomas Hood

This rich little pots de creme dessert is one recipe that I will make again and again. The chocolate espresso pots de creme present well and can be made ahead of time to lighten the load of the Valentines Day meal preparation. And for you coffee lovers, espresso powder adds a wonderful zing to the pots de creme. You can decrease it to your liking, omit it or use the full amount of espresso powder. The chocolate curls give this dark chocolate dessert a classic look. Try topping the pots de creme with whipped cream or fresh raspberries for a completely different presentation.


Suggested wine: Cockburn's (Tawny, Vintage, Colheita)
















Ingredients
6 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), finely chopped
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup whole milk
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons instant-espresso powder*
6 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons sugar

Special equipment: 8 (4- to 5-oz) ramekins or pot de crème cups
Garnish: bittersweet chocolate curls (see cooks' note, below)

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 300°F.

Put chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring cream, milk, espresso powder (to taste), and a pinch of salt just to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, stirring until espresso powder is dissolved, then pour over chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

Whisk together yolks, sugar, and a pinch of salt in another bowl, then add warm chocolate mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a 1-quart glass measure and cool completely, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.

Line bottom of a baking pan (large enough to hold ramekins) with a folded kitchen towel and arrange ramekins on towel. Poke several holes in a large sheet of foil with a skewer. Divide custard among ramekins, then bake custards in a hot water bath, pan covered tightly with foil, until custards are set around edges but still slightly wobbly in centers, 30 to 35 minutes.

Transfer ramekins to a rack to cool completely, uncovered, about 1 hour. (Custards will set as they cool.) Chill, covered, until cold, at least 3 hours.

Cooks' notes:
• Pots de crème can chill up to 2 days.
• To make chocolate curls, shave off curls from a piece of chocolate at room temperature using a vegetable peeler.

*Available at some supermarkets, specialty foods shops, and The Baker's Catalogue (800-827-6836).

Makes 8 servings.
Gourmet recipe here

Torrone Molle-Italian Chocolate Bars

What a busy weekend before the Super Bowl! The Thursday before, I attended Chef Kevin Rathbun's demonstration of Hass Avocado recipes which I posted earlier in the week here. It was great fun, plus the shopping and restaurants in Atlanta are superb. The weekend wore me out and I needed to write an entry in my blog, but I wanted something quick and easy.


With my abundance of Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate and several different kinds of nuts in my pantry to use, I finally found a great chocolate bar recipe called "Torrone Molle", an Italian speciality. The word itself appealed to me. It only took 30 minutes to make, plus 8 hours chilling, so it was a great make-ahead, also. Torrone Molle is great with a strong cup of coffee or espresso.

Torrone Molle

6 oz/125g butter, softened
6 oz/125g bittersweet chocolate, melted over double boiler on simmer
1/2 cup shelled walnuts, coarsely ground
3/8 cup blanched almonds, coarsely ground
3/8 cup shelled hazelnuts, coarsely ground
2/3 cup golden superfine sugar
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon brandy
6 oz/125g plain cookies, I used Leibniz butter biscuits

Brush an 11x8 inch/28x20-cm jelly roll pan with oil. Place the softened butter in a bowl, add the melted chocolate and beat until smooth. Stir in the walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts. Place the sugar and water in a heavy-bottom saucepan and heat until the sugar has dissolved.

Boil mixture steadily until a temperature of 241 degrees F/116 degrees C has been reached on a jelly thermometer, or to soft ball stage. Let cool for a few minutes, then beat vigorously. Pour into the chocolate mixture, stirring constantly, until smooth.

Stir in the brandy. Break the cookies up into smaller almond size pieces and stir gently into the mixture. Turn into prepared pan and press to flatten. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours, or overnight. Remove from refrigerator just before serving and cut into diamond shapes. Makes about 24 pieces

Adapted from Best Ever Chocolate, Parragon Publishing

Looks Good Enough to Eat!!

I am so surprised and pleased that my photo from December won 1st Place in Edibility during the recent edition of DMBLGIT-January, 2007 hosted by Annie and judged by Andrew, Bea, Lara and David. Thanks so much to all of them for their hard work in choosing these awards as there were so many fantastic entries from some super talented bloggers.

Congratulations to all the winners. Erielle of Fancy Toast will be next months host.

Alaska Salmon and Halibut Chowder

Brrr-what a wet and cold day we have this first day of February, the shortest month and usually the coldest in the part of Georgia I live in. It's definitely a soup, stew or chowder day. I have salmon and halibut in my freezer bought from Great Alaska Seafood Company and most of the other ingredients typical to a chowder on hand-potatoes, celery, bacon and light cream so that's what I'll have. My chowder is a quick meal of about 40 minutes and all you need is some crusty french bread or Southern cornbread to have a tasty and warming meal in no time.


Alaska Salmon and Halibut Chowder

3/4 lb each salmon and halibut fillets, fresh or frozen
5 slices smoky bacon, diced
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup diced celery
1 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/1/2 cups bottled clam juice
4 medium potatoes, diced large
1/4 cup flour
1 cup water
1 cup half and half or light cream
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Salt and Pepper to taste
Fresh thyme for garnish

Rinse salmon and halibut, remove skin and bones and cut into bite size pieces.

In a large dutch oven, saute bacon until lightly browned, drain all but 1 tablespoon fat. Add onions and celery and cook until tender. Add one cup white wine. Cook for 2 minutes then add chicken broth, clam juice and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender. Add salmon and halibut. Cook 5 -8 minutes.

Combine flour and water. Stir into chowder. Add light cream or half and half and bring to a boil. Cook about 3 minutes. Add fresh thyme and season with salt and pepper.

Serve in big soup bowls and garnish with more fresh thyme.