Spicy Chorizo, Cippolini, and Tomato Soup

Oh man, it is getting chilly here in San Diego!  And of course, by chilly I mean highs in the mid sixties during the day, and lows of high forties at night.  I know, some of you have snow already, and I feel for you.  I really do.  But I swear my blood has thinned after living in Southern California for six years now.  After dealing with Midwest winters and living in the snow belt for most of my life, you would think I would be tougher.  And I can be pretty tough, but right now, I am just cold.  

So here is what I have been doing lately - eating a hot bowl of creamy oatmeal for breakfast, wrapping my hands around a steaming cup of coffee, wearing thicker socks and comfy sweaters, and cuddling up on the couch with my sweet little puppy.   Oh, and I have also been eating lots and lots of soups.  

Cippolini onions.

I have been filling up on pho and chicken noodle soup from some of my favorite restaurants, but when it comes to tomato-based soups I would just rather make it at home myself. (Call me picky, but I always find tomato soups from restaurants to be sort of bland, not nearly tomato-ey enough for my taste.)  I have had the idea in my head for awhile now that I wanted to make a batch of nice and spicy tomato soup, and I knew I wanted to heat it up with chorizo.  I had seen a recipe for including Spanish chorizo in a sort of thick stew-like soup, but I wanted to experiment with the Mexican chorizo since that is more readily available and less expensive around here.  Normally, Mexican chorizo is used in tacos and the like, but I thought it could definitely be used in soup too.  But I just couldn't decide what to pair with the chorizo... 

And then, as usually happens, I got inspired by a visit to the farmers market.  As I was browsing around last Saturday at the Little Italy Farmers Market, I happened upon these adorable golden cippolini onions from Schaner Farms.    

Sausage and Goat Cheese Pizza, with Balsamic Onions and Fresh Figs

Right now, I am back visiting my family in Ohio.  As I am writing this, it's nighttime so it is quiet, but I can still hear crickets chirping outside and other night critters making their evening noises.  Back where I live in San Diego, there isn't enough grass or trees or forests to even house these insects, so I miss out on their soothing chorus.  Here, the cool air is floating in through the window, and there are no fast cars or loud freeways or other disturbances.  The calm is wonderful.

When the sun comes up tomorrow morning, the light will touch each blade of green grass, each leaf on every tree, and the noise from the nighttime crickets might be replaced with morning bird songs or buzzing cicadas.  But fall is here and rain is always a possibility (unlike San Diego, there is actually weather here in Ohio), so the cool breeze might linger, and if I am lucky, we might even get a thunderstorm.  If we do, I am sure my mom and I will sit on the porch and listen to the rain pouring down while the wet air mists around us.  These are some of the best feelings of home. 

Sliced black mission figs.

I am sure it comes as no surprise when I say that one of my favorite things to do when I am at home is to cook for my family.  My dad is a budding chef himself, so he always likes to get in on the action, and we usually have grand plans.  This time, I went to the Westside Market with some friends, and picked up all the fixings for a fantastic fall-inspired pizza.  I found black mission figs, earthy sage leaves, local meats, and I got a great deal on a log of fresh chevre. 

Cut the goat cheese into medallions easily using a thin piece of thread or wire.

Curried Green Lentil Soup

I know, I am late to the game.  Everyone has been talking about about Heidi Swanson's new book for weeks now, and so it is probably old news.  I am sure those of you who were savvy enough to buy her book hot off the press have made a dozen or so recipes from it so far and have bookmarked even more.  Me?  I have about ten or eleven little neon pink and yellow tabs sticking out of the pages of my copy, but yet, I have only made one single recipe - her Green Lentil Soup.  

Super Natural Every Day:

Well-loved Recipes from my Natural Foods Kitchen

By Heidi Swanson

See here is what happens... I keep flipping through the book, my mouth watering with the turn of each beautiful page and my mind swirling with ideas as I am inspired by Heidi's natural pantry.  

But then I flip to the page with the bright green lentil soup.  

And I remember how much I loved it.  How it was sooooo good.  How I had fragrant, satisfying soup without so much as lifting a finger.

And then I make it again.  

And again. 

And oh my friend is coming over?  I think she would like this soup, I suppose I can make it again. 

Yeah I have made it four times.  Although I haven't quite revealed this part of my personality to you before, I can tell you with certainty - when I find something that works, I stick with it.  And this recipe works.      

Green lentils in the back, green split peas in the front. 

Let me tell you why I think this recipe is my new favorite.  

First off, it has lentils which are super healthy - they are rich in fiber, high in iron and protein, and and also a plant chemical called lignan, which I just read might lower the risk of breast caner and fight PMS.  Pretty cool ladies.  Also, I know this recipe works with green lentils and green split peas, and one of my friends just tried it with regular brown lentils - it works with them all.  

My new-found love: Coconut oil.

Second, I am loving this recipe because it uses coconut oil.  I don't know if this is also a place where I am late to the game, but I had never tried coconut oil before this I tried this recipe, and I can say I was totally missing out.  I really feel like the world shifted a little bit when I decided to give coconut oil a try.  The fragrance when you cook with it is transcending, and it gives an awesome nutty flavor to sauteed vegetables.  In this recipe, it reinforces the flavor of the coconut milk.    

Sweet onions from the farmers market.

Turkey Noodle Soup, and Homemade Stock

As I mentioned before, I wasn't able to head home to Ohio for Thanksgiving and so I spent the day with my friend Ana and her family.  The dinner was by all accounts fabulous, and dessert was even better (though I barely had room!).  Never again will I complain about having to do anything labor-intensive after eating a massive Thanksgiving dinner prepared by a woman who is 7+ months pregnant.  Seriously, I don't know how she did it.  Did I mention she also has an adorable 2-year old and that there were 3 other little ones running around?  Such are the superpowers of moms.  I offered my help multiple times, but it seems superwoman and her equally super husband were able to pull off a delicious dinner and a happy family gathering with ease.  Many thanks for a great day with family, friends, and satisfying comfort food.

Now the days after Thanksgiving can often be a let down from the big day.  All the extensive preparations are over, the 20-pound turkeys have (almost) been devoured, and that annoying aunt or uncle has finally left the premises for good (or at least until Christmas).  In the silence that follows, many people can feel lonely and nostalgic while others start to get into full-on Christmas mode.  Me??  I feel a little bit of both; after Thanksgiving I indulged myself and started my Christmas baking and also soothed myself with soup (and also shopping, but we don't need to talk about that-or look at those receipts-just yet).


When I was having dinner at Ana's place, I was secretly hoping that there would be enough turkey left so that I could take some home to make myself at least one bowl of soup; however, I was in for a big treat because there were loads of turkey left over!  Score!  So there I was, helping myself to my portion of leftovers, when Ana's husband called his brother over to help him get the turkey carcass into a bag.  I assumed they were bagging it up to keep in the fridge, and I continued shoveling my loot (aka turkey) into a container.  When John took the bag and said, "Ok, into the trash!" I screeched out, "Waaaait!  I will take it home!"  Ana, John, and his brother all looked at me for a minute like I was crazy.  "I will use it to make turkey stock," I explained.  They still looked at me like I was crazy.  (You don't think I am crazy, right?) 

Brie and Bacon Piadina, with Balsamic Fig and Onion Marmalade

I am ecstatic.  I am jubilant.  I am in round 5 of Foodbuzz's Project Food Blog!  This is such an exciting and fun competition, and I have been overwhelmed by the by both the quality of the posts from all the bloggers participating, and also by the huge support that I have received from my readers and other bloggers.  It is an honor to keep providing you with these entry posts and I hope you will continue to support me by voting for my entry on Foodbuzz!  The competition is pretty much at the halfway point, and I am thrilled to be moving ahead with a fantastic group of 72 other bloggers.  For this fifth challenge post, Foodbuzz asked us to get creative and put our own spin on the classic dish of Pizza.  

When I first saw that the chosen dish was pizza, I immediately thought of all the homemade doughs and the many pizzas I have enjoyed at home.  My go-to pizza dough recipe is fantastic and easy, but I wanted to stretch my boundaries and experiment with something slightly different, yet not so crazy that I wouldn't eat it on any normal day.  Enter the Piadina.  

For those of you not familiar with Piadinas, or Piadas, they are a very popular Italian flatbread sandwich that originates from the Emilia-Romagna region near the Adriatic Sea.  Traditionally, Piadinas are filled with cured meats, such as prosciutto and mortadella since they were first produced near the same region in Italy. Piadinas are also filled with various meats and cheeses, or even sweet fillings such as Nutella, and they can be eaten either warm or cold.  While traditional fillings tend to be the most popular, there are infinite possibilities for Piadina recipes.  In fact, the Italians have a saying, "Ogni donna fa la piadina a modo suo," or, "Every woman makes piadina in her own special way."  Well I decided I wanted to make my piadina in my own special way too, and so I channeled some of my favorite ingredients.

Before I tell you about the fillings and sauce that I decided to use, lets talk about the dough.  Piadina dough is made from simple ingredients of flour, water, and olive oil, and the absence of yeast classifies it as 'unleavened.'  You can add in any number of other flavorings such as spices, herbs, or pastes to change the taste of your flatbread.  What I really like about this dough is that it is extremely easy to work with (making it super easy for dough-beginners) and it can be made at a moment's notice since there is no rising time.   I kneaded my dough by hand and didn't have any problems with sticking or getting a smooth, elastic finish, but you could just as easily use the dough hook on a stand mixer.
   

Easy Weeknight Plum Pork Curry

Although this dish is not really gourmet or fancy, I thought I would share it with you since you can whip it up in under an hour, it will easily feed a family of four, and it can be adapted to an infinite number of flavor combinations to suit your taste.  Why is this such a quick and easy meal?  Well because it uses Golden Curry of course! 

You say you have never heard of Golden Curry?  Well, I was also ignorant to the wonders of this Japanese product until about a year ago.  I was having dinner at my good friend Ana's place, and while she was cooking, these fragrant aromas were wafting through the apartment.  "Wow!" I said, "That smells amazing!"  Since Ana is a pretty great home cook, I assumed she had concocted a mixture of spices to use for her curry and that those were the smells that were delighting my senses.  I asked her what she had used, and she just laughed and said, "Golden Curry, it is awesome!"

Classic Stuffed Peppers

So I already admitted to you that I am not a big meat eater, which means that I don't make and post many "main dishes" here on The Cilantropist.  And while I know that main dishes can certainly be meatless, they still seem to be lacking.  Is this just because I love soups and salads so much?  Or is it something else?      

Because I don't really think this idea is as simple as "I don't eat much meat."  I think it means something different: I think it means that I don't yet have a family to feed, and that there are no little hungry mouths that are depending on me to provide them with a well-balanced meal.  And sure, I have a boyfriend (with a big hungry mouth to feed), but even he is not depending on me since he is currently more than 6,000 miles away.  When it comes down to it, I can really eat whatever tickles my fancy, because at this exact point in my life, the only person that I am responsible for is me.       

Is this is a luxury?  Many would say yes, and both my brain and my tastebuds would probably agree (who doesn't want cookies for dinner?).  I am sure more than a few of my readers would tell me to enjoy these carefree days while they last.  But I am just as sure that other readers would say that they throughly enjoy feeding their families and spouses, and although it is a responsibility, it is one they would never trade for anything.  And so while I do appreciate the luxury of languishing over a batch of ladyfingers or spending hours with my friend The Kitchen, I don't know that I actually want that luxury anymore; feeding people is really what I love the most about cooking, and my heart tells me that I want something more.

Lemony White Bean and Tomato Salad with Dill

Another So Cal Summer Salad!  Yay!  Actually I was sort of feigning excitement; to be honest, I was almost tempted not to make this salad.  You see, this salad came from the June issue of Bon Appetit, and this particular issue was the one where I had found my recipe for Arugula, Fennel, and Apricot Salad... and well, we all know how that turned out.  A recipe for disappointment and pain (specifically a battle wound that has just finally healed), and that is certainly not what The Cilantropist is striving for.  

So, needless to say, it was with some trepidation and marked hesitation that I approached this recipe. (I also decided to be a little superstitious and not use my nemesis The Shun.  I figured if I brought out my trusty Henkels workhorse I would be less likely to cut myself and would instantly increase my chances of eating a delicious salad.  This is ridiculous, I know, but I refuse to apologize for the crazy way my mind works.)

It started out like the previous Bon Appetit salad: I enjoyed all the ingredients, the flavors seemed like they would meld together flawlessly, and the colors were fresh and bright. Then I was chopping everything up, and somehow the combination of the scents wafting up from the cutting board and the small tastes I took when I quickly licked my fingers (we all do this right? A little taste test here and there...) seemed somehow, just off.

Pecan Crusted Duck with Spinach and Sausage

When I was in Cleveland for the Memorial Day weekend, in addition to the bridal shower, it was also really great to spend some time with my parents.  The weekend festivities were so much fun and all the girl time was great, but relaxing with my mom and dad on Sunday was also a much needed breath of fresh air.  

Actually, just being in Ohio in May is a breath of fresh air; around the spring-summer transition, the Midwest is a wide expanse of green carpet, with baby blades of pure green grass, thick foliage on the trees, and colorful flowers growing everywhere.  It is a stark contrast to the dry landscape of southern California at this time of year.  I can almost feel the trees breathing in and out and increasing my oxygen flow; meanwhile, the blue sky soothes away all my worries and cares while the sun warms my face.  All in all, pretty heavenly.  Since the dead of summer is reliably humid and at least 90 degrees every day, I think May is one of the best times of the year in Ohio.  

   

Most of the time when I go back to Cleveland, either my mom has some special recipe planned that she wants to make for me (in the last couple of years I have been making recipes for her too!), or we have decided to make one of our classic meals for the holidays or a summer cook out.  No matter what, there is always food and eating, and lots of it!  More recently, my parents have also become budding foodies themselves, so it was no surprise when my dad told me he had picked up some duck legs at a kosher shop.  He was really excited about making this recipe (his very first chef idol was Emeril Lagasse), and I was looking forward to it as well since I had never made duck at home.    

When we were making it, everything seemed fine; we went through all the steps for the recipe without a hitch, and I think my dad really enjoyed being the head honcho in the kitchen while I worked as his sous-chef.  I gave my mom a wink when I called him "Chef" once, and I think out of the corner of my eye I saw him puff up with pride.    

How to Chop an Onion Like a Pro

*After a discussion with some friends this weekend, I thought I might include a page on my site with some kitchen tips and "how-to's."  I am just getting started with the content and adding the new page, so check back for an update.  For now, I hope this is useful! 

  

1. Start with your onion on the cutting board.  Do not peel it.

2. Slice off the sprout/stem end of the onion, but leave the root attached and intact.  If you prefer, you can cut off a portion of the root (leaving the root core attached), but I find it easiest not to cut it at all.