Laura Calder’s Beef Bourguignon

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At lunch a few weeks ago, my friend Amy mentioned that she really enjoys Laura Calder’s Cooking Channel show, French Food at Home. Never heard of it, I said.

For a person who makes her living food blogging (ha! yes, that was a joke), it is stunning how little I know. Honest to God, I had no idea such awesomeness existed. But when Amy appealed to my narcissistic tendencies and told me that Laura Calder reminded her a little bit of me, I ran right home to DVR the show toute de suite!

As one of my best friends, Amy clearly sees me through very kind and loving eyes, for I am nowhere near as attractive and competent as Laura Calder. However, I did recognize that we share a certain dorky enthusiasm, passion, sincerity, and slightly know-it-all demeanor which I’d like to believe inspires more confidence than irritation. Needless to say, I think she’s fabulous!

A couple years ago I made Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon, and it was every bit as complex and wonderful as all the hype. However, it is a heck of a lot of work. Don’t plan to do anything else besides eat and do dishes the day you try to make it Julia’s way. I encourage everyone to try it at least once for the experience, but I was personally in no hurry to spend hours in the kitchen making it again despite numerous requests from Ed. When I saw Laura’s version of Beef Bourguignon, I was intrigued. It seemed so…relatively simple!

Verdict? A very worthy Beef Bourguignon. All of the flavor, less than half of the work. I can’t imagine making this any other way now. Sorry, Julia, I still love you!

Laura Calder’s Beef Bourguignon (printable recipe here)

Ingredients

  • For the stew
  • 4 pounds boneless stew beef, such as chuck or sirloin tip, cut into large chunks
  • 2 tablespoons pork fat or olive oil, plus more if needed
  • 2 carrots, peeled and halved
  • 2 onions, peeled and halved
  • 4 cloves garlic, just crushed
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 (750ml) bottle red wine (Dawn used a ten dollar cabernet sauvignon — nothing fancy)
  • 4 cups beef stock
  • 1 bouquet garni (made from bay leaf, parsley stems, and thyme sprigs)
  • For the garnish
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more if needed
  • 6 to 8 slices bacon, cut into lardons
  • 40 baby onions, peeled
  • 16 ounces mushrooms

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Remove the meat from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature, about 20 minutes.

Heat the oil in a large casserole. Working in batches, brown the stew meat well on all sides, removing as you go. When the meat is done, cook the carrots and onions in the same pot until tender and lightly golden. Add the garlic, and cook one minute. Add the flour and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Pour over the wine and the stock. Add the bouquet garni. Return the meat to the pot, cover, and transfer to the oven until the meat is very tender, about 2 hours.

While the meat cooks, prepare the garnish: Heat the oil, in a pan and brown the bacon, and remove. Add the onions and cook until browned all over, remove. Finally, brown the mushrooms, and remove. Deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup water, reduce, and then pour over the garnish. Set aside.

When the meat is done, remove it from the pot. Strain the stock, discarding the vegetables. Pour the liquid back into the pot, and boil until thick enough to coat a spoon. Return the meat to the pan and add the garnish. Cover, and simmer until the onions are tender and the flavors have blended, 10 minutes. Adjust the seasonings. Serve.

Does anything make you feel so French as tying herbs in a bow and saying “Bouquet Garni” to all who will listen?

The garnish of bacon, mushrooms and pearl onions which gets added at the end.

Voila! What it lacks in beauty, it makes up for in deliciousness.

To Love

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Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. — Lao Tzu

I know it’s popular these days to hate Valentine’s Day and rail against its commercial nature, but I have always been a fan. Relax, no one is making you spend money, just thoughtfulness. I do understand the urge to rebel against someone telling you how to express your love, especially if you feel you’re already quite good in that department. But are most of us, really? Can’t we benefit from a gentle nudge in the love direction once a year? At the end of our life, we will never regret expressing our love and appreciation to others. In fact, I’ll go out on a limb and say that most of us will wish we had done more.

We have always celebrated Valentine’s Day with special food. Aside from our first year of dating, we neverevereverevereverEVER go out to dinner on Valentine’s Day. The service is poor, the prices are jacked up, and the restaurants are crowded with people who otherwise never step foot in a restaurant. No thanks!

Instead we either get take-out and eat it in the dining room by candlelight or make something special from one of my cooking magazines. 90% of the time, I am in yoga pants instead of something fancy. If I’m cooking, I like to prepare something nicer like lobster or filet mignon. Ed, old fashioned guy and fabulous role model, always buys me a sweet card, roses and chocolate, and even though I always yell at him not to waste his money (and I’m on a diet!), I secretly love it. I know people who go all out with big ticket items, but I am truly happy with our setup.

This year Valentine’s Day in our house is rescheduled to the 13th due to two basketball practices on the 14th, and I decided to make something the whole family enjoys: Beef Bourguignon! Shhh, don’t tell Julia, but I will be trying out a new recipe. I will report back on Monday or Tuesday and let you know how it turned out. Usually on Valentine’s Day we just feed the kids whatever is quick and easy, but I’m glad this year they are sharing our special meal with us on Faux-Valentine’s Day. Sometimes you just have to have glorified beef stew on a Monday night in yoga pants to remember you are Real and surrounded by so much love.

“Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.”

“Does it hurt?” asked the Rabbit.

“Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.”

“Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,” he asked, “or bit by bit?”

“It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”

— The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

Better Than Hostess Cupcakes

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Okay, I realize I’m not setting the bar very high with this title. I mean, what ISN’T better than a Hostess cupcake with its waxy chocolate and Crisco-sugar filling? Anyone over the age of twelve will probably agree there are many things better than Hostess cupcakes, and I’m including bonus weight loss caused by a violent stomach virus on this list. But think back to when you were young, and you saw Hostess cupcakes at the store and begged your mother to buy them. Or when you went to a friend’s house after school and her mother served Hostess cupcakes rather than a pear and a bowl of grapes like your mother did. Alas, the dream of Hostess cupcakes was always better than the reality, but they still hold a special place in my heart. You can imagine how excited I was to see them in my new Entertaining from Cook’s Illustrated Spring 2012 magazine.

The geniuses at Cook’s Illustrated set out to create a Hostess-style cupcake that actually tasted good, and as usual, they achieved their goal. The cake itself is so good that I might just use it as my new standard chocolate cupcake recipe. The marshmallow filling was the perfect consistency, and it tasted so much better than the sugared-plastic filling of commercially produced cupcakes.

This recipe was not without its challenges for me, but they were all mechanical. You may recall I struggle a bit with my fine motor skills, so I am not a “pretty” baker. My main problem was overfilling the cream so that the tops didn’t lay back on all that perfectly, and extra globs of glaze didn’t really help matters. They still looked good, but just not picture-perfect. But I will sacrifice good looks for quality product every single time, and aesthetics aside, I was quite pleased with myself. Nate proclaimed it, “The best cupcake I’ve ever had!” He doesn’t get out much, but it is still a nice compliment.

Better Than Hostess Cupcakes

Chocolate Cream Cupcakes

by Cali Rich, Entertaining from Cook’s Illustrated, Spring 2012

CUPCAKES
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup boiling water
⅓ cup cocoa powder
⅓ cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon instant espresso
¾ cup sugar
½ cup sour cream
½ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

FILLING
3 tablespoons water
¾ teaspoon unflavored gelatin
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch salt
1¼ cups marshmallow creme (see note)

GLAZE
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

DIRECTIONS:

1. MAKE BATTER: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 12-cup muffin tin. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in bowl. Whisk water, cocoa, chocolate chips, and espresso in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar, sour cream, oil, eggs, and vanilla and mix until combined. Whisk in flour mixture until incorporated. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out with few dry crumbs attached, 18 to 22 minutes. Cool cupcakes in tin 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack and cool completely.

2. PREPARE FILLING: Combine water and gelatin in large bowl and let sit until gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Microwave until mixture is bubbling around edges and gelatin dissolves, about 30 seconds. Stir in butter, vanilla, and salt until combined. Let mixture cool until just warm to touch, about 5 minutes, then whisk in marshmallow creme until smooth; refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes. Transfer 1⁄3 cup marshmallow mixture to pastry bag fitted with small plain tip; reserve remaining mixture for filling cupcakes.

3. ASSEMBLE CUPCAKES: Microwave chocolate and butter in small bowl, stirring occasionally, until smooth, about 30 seconds. Cool glaze to room temperature, about 10 minutes. Cut cone from top of each cupcake and fill cupcakes with 1 tablespoon filling each. Replace tops, frost with 2 teaspoons cooled glaze, and let sit 10 minutes. Using pastry bag, pipe curlicues across glazed cupcakes. Serve. (Cupcakes can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for 2 days.)

Hold your knife at a 45 degree angle about 1/4 inch from the edge and cut in a circle. Trim off the very bottom of the lid.

Don’t be a dummy like me and listen to the directions! Use only 1 tablespoon of filling, not a big glob like this.

The trademark Hostess squiggly line proved to be my biggest challenge of this whole recipe.

Adventures in (Not) Cheese Making

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I was so excited to learn my uber-talented friend Loraine started to make her own cheese this fall. She took a three day course (Cheese College, I call it) in Vermont (where else?), and she immediately hit the ground running. I first sampled some of her amazing cheese made from the milk of her own animals at her annual Christmas party, a party filled wall to wall with so many homemade gourmet hors d’oeuvres that Loraine makes Martha herself look like a slacker.

In my typical delusions of grandeur fashion, I just assumed I would be able to learn this craft during a one hour visit. I had big plans of visiting Loraine yesterday and interviewing her about the cheese making process so I could share it with my readers, but as soon as I walked in the door, I knew I was in over my head. Too much science! I believe I am destined to be a cheese taster and not a cheese maker, as the level of chemistry and biology involved hurt my pretty little head. Considering I am challenged enough by maintaining the pH balance of Andrew’s fish tank, let’s just say this is the safest decision for all involved.

Assuming, though, that I was up for the challenge, I asked Loraine what equipment was involved, and how much money a hobby like this might cost. Our conversation went something like this:

Me: So, if someone wanted to get started on cheesemaking, what sort of equipment would be required and how much would it cost?

Loraine: Professionally? It would be quite expensive.

Me: PROFESSIONALLY? Ha! No, silly, I just want to impress my friends. You know how I am!

Loraine: Oh, well in that case, not too much money. Just some pots, a thermometer with a pH monitor, some molds, and a wine refrigerator or a modified refrigerator that can keep the cheeses at 52 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit. (she points to a huge double glass door refrigerator in the corner) Or a floral refrigerator like this.

Me: Wait, you bought a floral refrigerator just for your cheesemaking hobby?

Loraine: Well, yes, but…

Me: Okay, interview over. I’ve officially determined that it’s much better to have a friend who makes her own cheese than to make it yourself. You know, much like having a friend with a boat…

If any locals are interested in learning more about this mysterious process, contact me and I will pass on your questions to Loraine. The rest of our visit was quite lovely and way too short. Loraine sent me packing with a delicious assortment of cheeses shown below (isn’t she amazing?) and I walked away, once again, proud of my ability to pick out the very best people to call my friends.

Tomme is nutty and smooth, and typically varies based on fat content and the cows’ seasonal diet.

Saint Marcellin is young, soft, complex, nutty and creamy. Possibly my favorite of the bunch.

Jarlsberg is a nice all-purpose cheese: nutty, buttery and mild. Equally good for snacking or recipes.

Bel Paese means “beautiful country” in Italian. It is semi-soft, mild, delicate, and goes well with wine.

 

 

 

Ina Garten’s Lemon and Garlic Roast Chicken

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I will admit I was a bit skeptical about this recipe when my friend Tess insisted that it created the perfect roasted chicken. The wine, the lemons, ALL THAT GARLIC, and most of all, the bacon? I just didn’t know. I do love all of those ingredients separately (and God knows I love bacon to the point of unhealthiness), but I had my doubts that they would work in their stated quantities and on a chicken. Tess has never steered me wrong, and rarely has Ina, so I gave it a shot. I am so glad that I did! It really did produce a wonderful roasted chicken with skin both crispy and flavorful.

Personally, I loved the gravy. My kids weren’t crazy about it due to the wine (philistines! what do they know, anyway?) and it is definitely jazzier than your traditionally flavored chicken gravy, so next time I make this I will just buy a jar of whatever is on sale for the kids. The chicken itself was moist and tender. Roasted chicken is a big family favorite around here, and this recipe is definitely a keeper.

Ina Garten’s Lemon and Garlic Roast Chicken (original recipe here)

Ingredients

  • 1 (5 to 6-pound) roasting chicken
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 large bunch fresh thyme
  • 4 lemons
  • 3 heads garlic, cut in 1/2 crosswise
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1/2 pound sliced bacon
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Place the chicken in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the thyme, reserving enough thyme to garnish the chicken dish, 1 lemon, halved, and 2 halves of the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Cut 2 of the lemons in quarters and scatter the quarters and remaining garlic around the chicken. Lay the bacon slices over the chicken to cover.

Roast the chicken for 1 hour. Remove the bacon slices from the top of the chicken and set aside. Continue roasting the chicken for an additional 1/2 hour, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove to a platter and cover with aluminum foil while you prepare the gravy.

Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the bottom of the pan. Add the wine and chicken stock and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, or until reduced by half.

Slice the chicken on a platter. Garnish the chicken platter with the bacon slices, roasted garlic, reserved thyme and 1 lemon, sliced. Serve with the gravy.

This is what the chicken looks like after one hour with the bacon on it. Not very appetizing, I know. But you just wait…

This is what the chicken looks like once it’s finished cooking. Beautiful, eh? Tess, Ina and Mom Mom know what they’re talking about.

Warm Black Bean & Chipotle Dip

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This is, quite simply, the best bean dip I ever had. But before I waste your time, please don’t bother reading further unless you really like spicy food. This is definitely not a dip for everyone, but if you’re partial to Mexican food and can stand some heat, I guarantee this will win your heart and move to the top of your Favorite Appetizers list.

My first indication we had a winner on our hands was the nineteen positive reviews from Fine Cooking. Those readers don’t hold back any criticism, however minor, and I’m always surprised to find several poor or lukewarm ratings for recipes I love. If nineteen Fine Cooking readers find something worthy of praise, I figured the recipe must really be special. And it is!

The down side is that it takes a bit more work than your (my) usual slap-together concoction. It’s certainly not difficult, but it does require dirtying a saute pan and a food processor. The plus side is that you can make it up to two days ahead and it will keep nicely in the refrigerator, so you’re not messing around too much in the kitchen before a party — just bake at 425 for 15 minutes and serve. Many of the comments cautioned about using 3 tablespoons of cider vinegar, so I cut back to two tablespoons. Other than that, I followed the directions to the letter, and it came out perfectly.

Fine Cooking’s Warm Black Bean & Chipotle Dip by Tony Rosenfeld (original recipe here)

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil; more for the baking dish
2 medium tomatoes, cored and cut into medium dice
2 tsp. kosher salt; more as needed
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs. chili powder
2 15-1/2 oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained well
2 canned chipotles en adobo, minced (about 1 Tbs.),  plus 3 Tbs. adobo sauce
3 Tbs. cider vinegar
1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (if frozen, thaw first)
1-1/2 cups (6 oz.) grated sharp cheddar cheese
1-1/2 cups (6 oz.) grated Monterey Jack cheese
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Freshly ground black pepper
Tortilla chips for serving

Heat the oven to 425ºF. Grease a 1-1/2 qt. baking dish with oil and line a baking sheet with foil. Set the tomatoes in a colander over the sink and sprinkle with 1 tsp. of the salt.

Heat the oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion, sprinkle with 1 tsp. salt, and cook, stirring, until softened and translucent, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and chili powder and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add half of the black beans, the chipotles and adobo sauce, and 3/4 cup water and bring to a boil. Cook until the liquid reduces by about half, 2 to 3 minutes.

Heat until shimmering hot. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion, sprinkle with 1 tsp. salt, and cook, stirring, until softened and translucent, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and chili powder and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add half of the black beans, the chipotles and adobo sauce, and 3/4 cup water and bring to a boil. Cook until the liquid reduces by about half, 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer the bean mixture to a food processor, add the vinegar, and process until smooth. Let cool for a couple of minutes and then transfer to a large bowl. Add the rest of the beans, the tomatoes, corn, half of each of the cheeses, and 1/2 cup of the cilantro. Mix well and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer to the baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake on the foil-lined baking sheet (to catch drips) until the cheese melts and browns around the edges, about 15 minutes (longer if refrigerated). Sprinkle with the remaining cilantro and serve with the tortilla chips for dipping.

Simmering in pan

Hot out of the oven

Best Buffalo Chicken Dip

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Happy Super Bowl Weekend! Or, if you’re me, Happy Excuse to Eat Trashy Food Weekend!

I feel like I deserve major points for passing up the Buy 1/Get 1 Free Doritos display at my supermarket yesterday. It may have taken me ten years to learn this, but Doritos always lead to shame and self loathing. I prefer to save my calories for quality junk food, something which contains at least one wholesome and identifiable ingredient. Something like…buffalo chicken dip!

There are almost as many recipes for buffalo chicken dip as there are football fans, and each one is a little different. I have been on a quest to find the best buffalo chicken dip out there ever since Logan nonchalantly stated his friend’s mom made the best buffalo chicken dip ever. Each of my feeble attempts was proclaimed “Not as good as Mrs. S’s.” Hmph. Until recently…

When my Cousin Beth mentioned she was bringing her buffalo chicken dip to a Christmas party and that it is always a huge hit, I immediately requested the recipe. And she’s right — it was a huge hit. I held off posting about it since my picture came out very blurry, and I hate to post recipes without a picture. However, with Super Bowl Sunday looming, I thought sharing this recipe would be the right thing to do, and hopefully I will be able to add some enticing pictures soon.

I cut down just a wee little bit on the blue cheese dressing. My imaginary best friends at The Bitten Word use 1/4 cup ranch and 1/4 cup blue cheese in their concoction, so that might be something to consider, but other than that bit of creative license, I highly suggest following this recipe exactly as written. Like football, the devil is in the details. Go <insert team of choice>!

Cousin Beth’s Buffalo Chicken Dip

2  8-oz. packages of cream cheese

1  8-oz. container blue cheese dressing

1  12-oz. bottle Frank’s hot sauce

2  cups cooked shredded chicken (rotisserie or poached — PLEASE not canned, we do have our standards here)

2  cups shredded cheddar cheese

Mix all ingredients except cheddar cheese.  Put in a baking dish and sprinkle with cheddar.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Serve with celery sticks and Frito Scoops.

My version of modern art: cream cheese and sauce in a bowl, ready to be mixed

Hot out of the oven and ready for some chips!

Review: Glutton for Pleasure by Bob Blumer

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Recently I shared with you my cookbook shelf, as well as mentioning a very special and important cookbook to me, The Surreal Gourmet by Bob Blumer. It was the cookbook which gave me my wings and the confidence to fly, and fly away I did. In fact, I flew so far and didn’t look back, so I had no idea what Mr. Bob Blumer has been up to all of these years.

Turns out he had a pretty impressive and colorful career, including three subsequent cookbooks, two Food Network television shows, and numerous Guinness World Records. Needless to say, I was completely starstruck when Bob emailed me a thank you for the shout-out and mentioned he has a new and possibly cookbook-shelf-worthy book out, Glutton for Pleasure. I immediately ordered it on Amazon, so keep in mind my review is based on a book purchased with my own Ed’s hard earned dollars. In the interest of full disclosure, Bob was gracious enough to send me an autographed copy for The Shelf. How could he possibly resist his biggest fan?

I love this book! Part memoir, part guide, part recipes, and wholly entertaining. If I knew any young brides or young bachelors, I would give it as a shower gift or housewarming gift. There is so much great advice in here on the practical aspects of setting up a kitchen, choosing the right wine and entertaining in any sized space, in addition to humorous stories, classic recipes (my beloved Caesar salad, steak au poivre, and beer can chicken), new-to-me recipes (maple-icious salmon, mambo chicken, love me tenderloin), kid-friendly recipes (popcorn cauliflower, parking lot eggs) and just plain weird, uh, I mean surreal and clever recipes (lamb cupcakes with beet frosting, dishwasher salmon, cereal killer soup).

Some of my fondest memories are of our salad days, when we were newly married and living in our first townhouse. We would put on 10,000 Maniacs Our Time in Eden CD, prepare Bob’s Caesar salad in our small kitchen (beer and homemade croutons always mandatory) and talk about our life and our dreams. We had so much less back then, but we were very happy, and no salad ever tasted so good.

Twenty-plus years later, Bob is still inspiring me.

 

Sex, Lies, Cream of Tomato Soup

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Sorry for the deceptive title, but I wanted you to read this.

I have always adored tomato soup of all varieties. It’s like a warm hug from a favorite aunt, loving and unpretentious. The best tomato soup I ever had was the tomato-cheddar at Henry David’s Restaurant in Keene, NH. Sadly, Henry David’s no longer exists, but twenty-plus years ago, it was THE restaurant to go to in Keene, NH. Back in college, I would trek to Henry David’s in my LL Bean Maine hunting boots with my roommates and enjoy a nice hot cup of tomato-cheddar. Maybe it was the snow and slush that covered Keene from November until March, maybe it was the slim pickings of our dining hall, maybe it was the fact I was always starving back then, but no soup has ever tasted so satisfying to me before or since. I have tried numerous times using various recipes to find a tomato-cheddar that I like as much as Henry David’s, but I have never been successful. Perhaps  the missing secret ingredient is my youth? If, by chance, you happen to have a great (not merely good, GREAT) tomato-cheddar soup recipe, I sincerely hope you will share it with me.

Continuing our tour of Keene, NH, we come to a humble little diner that has been in existence since 1961 and has the honor of being the spot of the first, last and only waitressing job I’ve ever held for the hardest two months of my life.  If you are a political show junkie as I am, you may already be familiar with Lindy’s Diner in Keene, NH. If you plan on winning the NH primary, I highly suggest you visit Lindy’s. I have the distinction of being the worst waitress who ever served in their long and proud history, as well as the one who cried the most in front of customers and who received the most pennies and nickels for tips. Since this was 1988 and not 1908, a seventeen cent tip is every bit the insult you think it is.

Despite my traumatizing but short-lived diner waitress career, I still love diners to this day. Like tomato soup, diner food is always such a comfort to me. I was so excited to come across this recipe in Diner Classics chapter of Jane and Michael Stern’s Square Meals for Cream of Tomato Soup: a little bit wholesome, a little bit trashy, a whole lot of perfect.

I used tomatoes I had frozen at the end of the summer from my garden. Since they are Romas and a bit smaller, I used eight instead of six.

I love that there are onions AND scallions AND garlic in this soup. Probably not suitable for a first date, but extra flavorful nonetheless.

The result is a richly layered soup that is not too heavy. I know this is a classic diner offering, but I would serve it to special guests with pride. Thank you, Sterns!

Cream of Tomato Soup, from Square Meals by Jane and Michael Stern

1 onion, chopped fine

1 carrot, chopped fine

4 Tablespoons butter

3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 quart chicken broth

6 fresh and large ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped course

1 clove garlic, crushed

6 scallions, chopped fine

4 white peppercorns, whole

1 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 cup light cream

In a deep pot, saute onion and carrot in butter until onion turns slightly brown. Add flour; mix well. Slowly add broth, tomatoes, garlic, scallions, peppercorns, salt and sugar. Cover and cook over low heat 1 1/2 hours.

Blend in blender or food processor and add cream. Garnish with a sprinkle of basil, oregano, or toasted croutons. Serves 4 to 6.

Cousin Beth’s Sour Cream Coffee Cake

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One of my earliest memories is of my mother singing, “If I knew you were coming, I’d have baked a cake, baked a cake, baked a cake…” It’s funny how these early melodic messages worm their way into the psyche, for I firmly believe that one should always have something sweet (and preferably homemade) to offer a guest, and I try to plan accordingly. I also believe that unexpected company, while occasionally delightful, is also somehow wrong. It’s a fun, chirpy little song with a slightly passive aggressive message: “Don’t drop in without calling me first, bonehead. If I knew you were coming, I’d have baked a cake. Now instead you’re treated to a sink full of dirty dishes and a stale granola bar. Are you happy?”

Recently my Cousin Beth shared with me her tried and true coffee cake recipe. She wrote, “This is the first cake I ever learned how to make, and to this day it is my family’s all-time favorite.” I’ve been waiting for an occasion to try it out, and I was expecting a friend for coffee this morning, so I baked it last night. This is cake is so moist and delicious, and it’s the perfect compliment to coffee and company, expected or unexpected.

SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE
1/2 lb. butter
1-3/4 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
3 eggs
pinch salt
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
3 cups flour
1 tsp. vanilla
Topping – 1/2 cup sugar mixed with cinnamon and chopped nuts (optional) and  a handful of mini chocolate chips (Note from Dawn and Beth — feel free to be creative with your topping. Brown sugar will work, too. Err on the generous side with the cinnamon!)
Preheat oven to 350.
Cream butter and sugar.
Add eggs and beat lightly.
Add sour cream, vanilla and dry ingredients, beginning and ending with flour.
Layer 1/2 mixture in a buttered angel food pan (I used a Bundt pan), cover with some topping, add rest of batter, and sprinkle with the remainder of the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes.