Recipe: Laura's Hominy Corn Chowder

from Jacques Pepin

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 Tablespoons chopped garlic
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup minced green onion
1/2 cup green hot salsa (or less for a milder soup)
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes in sauce
1 28-ounce can white hominy (about 3 cups kernels and juice)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
4 cups vegetable broth
About 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 can corn (drained)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Directions

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the garlic, onion, and scallions.

Cook for 3 minutes, then add the rest of the ingredients, except for the corn and cilantro.

Bring to a boil, and cook for 15 minutes.

Stir in the corn and cilantro, return to a boil, and serve.

Recipe: Mark's Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Ingredients

4 Tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
6 cups chicken broth
2 12-oz jars roasted red bell peppers preserved in water, drained
1 russet potato, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 Tbsp sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
16 3/4-inch thick baguette slices, cut into 1/2 to 3/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese

Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, garlic, and thyme and saute until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, bell peppers, potato, wine, and sugar. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Decrease heat to medium-low. Partially cover and simmer until the potatoes are very tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Cool the soup slightly.

Using an immersion hand blender, puree the soup in the pot until it is smooth. Alternately, working in batches, puree the soup in a regular blender, taking care while blending warm liquids. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining two tablespoons of oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and saute until they are crisp and golden, about 8 minutes.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Dollop a tablespoon of mascarpone in the center of each bowl and top with croutons. Sprinkle with pepper and serve.

Recipe: Trevor's Pumpkin Chipotle Sausage Soup

Ingredients

8 cups chicken stock
1 29 oz can pumpkin puree
1 15 oz can black beans
1/2 lb chorizo
1 4 oz can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 bunch cilantro
1 poblano pepper
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 Tbsp garlic, diced
1/2 lb raw pumpkin seeds
4 limes
olive oil
cumin
salt
ground chipotle
ancho chili powder

Directions

Heat oven to 350. While waiting for oven, lightly drizzle pumpkin seeds with olive oil and mix with salt, cumin, and ground chipotle until evenly coated. Put the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Watch closely, look for a medium roast. When the seeds are done take out of the oven and let cool. Place the poblanos in the oven at the same time as the seeds (on the rack works fine). The peppers are done when the outer skin starts to bubble and looks slightly charred. Remove from oven and place in a paper bag for 10-15 minutes.

Brown chorizo in a large heated, oiled pot. Remove from pot, set aside and save the oil. Turn heat to medium. Add onions, garlic, and 1/2 Tbsp each salt, cumin, ancho, and ground chipotle. Saute until onions are transparent. Next add pumpkin, half the stock, half of the cilantro, the juice of one lime, and 2 chipotle peppers with some of the sauce. Blend with an immersion blender (or wait if using a blender to mix). Continue to add stock until you reach the desired consistency. Take poblano peppers from bag then remove skin and seeds. Add the poblano flesh to the soup. Blend with the immersion blender or mixer. Once all the soup is blended, add chorizo and black beans.

You can add more chipotle peppers with the sauce, lime juice, or seasoning at this time. Once the soup is to your liking, let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve with lime wedges, chopped cilantro, and pumpkin seeds for garnish.

Recipe: Simon's Pork Chili Verde

Ingredients

Spice Rub

2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

3 lbs pork shoulder or butt, cut into 1 1/2 to 2 inch cubes
4 Tbsp vegetable oil or lard, or more as needed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 7-oz can whole or diced roasted green chiles
1 14-oz can plum or fire-roasted tomatoes
2 10-oz cans Mexican green tomatillos, drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander (cilantro), plus additional for garnish
1 cup meat or poultry stock
1 to 2 Tbsp red or white wine vinegar (optional)
Sour cream (optional)


Directions

In a small bowl, combine the oregano, coriander, cumin, cayenne, and cinnamon.

Place the pork in a large non-aluminum container and rub with the spice mixture. Cover and marinate overnight in the refrigerator or for one to two hours at room temperature.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the meat in batches, sprinkling with salt and pepper, and cook until brown, adding oil as needed, 8 to 10 minutes per batch. Set aside the browned meat.

In a stew pot or dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat and add the onions. Saute the onions until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for two minutes longer. Add the reserved pork to the onion mixture.

In a blender or food processor, puree the green chiles, tomatoes, tomatillos, and fresh coriander. Stir this puree and the meat stock into the pork and onions. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, reduce heat to low, and cover the pot. Simmer until the pork is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Chili and Soup Cook-Off

Amanda and I hosted our second annual Chili and Soup Cook-Off party last weekend. We raised $800 for my favorite nonprofit and ate a lot of awesome chili and soup. Lots of guests asked for people's recipes, so I'll be posting those over the next couple of days. I also promised donors of $50 or more that I would knit them something fabulous, so those projects will be featured over the next couple of months. Enjoy!

Amanda's Hurricane Hat

As I was blogging about Shae's sweater today, I came across a bunch of photos of projects I never got around to posting. Here's one I'm really proud of. I liked the Hurricane Hat I made for myself so much, I turned around and made one for Amanda, too. Like with mine, I used two strands of yarn, both to add a tweedy look and to add warmth. It doesn't stretch nearly as badly as the first hat I made for her. Here's a close-up. The tweedy look makes it hard to see the actual pattern detail, but it's called Hurricane Hat because there's a row of purls that swirls up to the top.

Baby Shae's Sweater

One of my many craft failures happened two years ago, when Baby Shae was born. You may remember I had been working diligently on "Mini Brynn's Sweater" before she arrived. Well, that girl grew quickly, and I was a slow crafter. Pretty soon she was too big for the sweater, and I quit at about 75% of the way through the project. Craft Fail. Now she's two, and I've finally gone back and made her a sweater.

This pattern is a much quicker knit. There's no lace, it's knit in all one piece from the top down, and there are no sleeves. Mollie bought the pattern, "In Threes" through Ravelry from Kelly Without A Net and lent it to me.

Since my gauge is always so wide, I used a size 7 circular needle (24 inch) rather than the recommended size 8/5mm needle. I followed the size 4T/5T pattern. The yarn is a Berroco Vintage blend (50% acrylic, 40% wool, 10% nylon) that claims to be machine washable. Care instructions: Machine wash inside out in cold water, gentle cycle. Lay flat to dry. I asked the folks at StevenBe for a machine washable yarn, but I didn't ask about the drying. I'm sure my sister's going to be really happy to hear that I gave her a sweater she can't throw in with the rest of the laundry.

Here's the preliminary product, before blocking. I made a mistake at one point. Apparently halfway across the back I reverted to stockinette, so my garter rows don't match up in the front. Embarrassing.

Here's the final product, after blocking and finishing.

I hope I'll get some pictures of the sweater being modeled soon!