Porcini Mushroom Risotto with Soft-Poached Egg and Sautéed Squash

The ingredient list and process for making the actual risotto here are not super complicated, but the art form is slowly adding the liquid and constantly stirring to make sure that the rice slowly releases it’s wonderful starch that gives the dish it’s creamy texture while not overcooking the rice.

The egg is much, much fussier because it requires cooking at more or less exactly 143° for exactly 30 minutes in order to get the right texture. 10 degrees too high and the yolk overcooks and solidifies; 10 degrees to low and the egg is too raw. Normally eggs done this way are cooked in an immersion circulator, which can be set to an exact temperature and has a spout immersed in the water tank that keeps the water moving to insure very gentle cooking, but which cost about $1200. For the jerry-rigged home version, simply place a ceramic plate in the bottom of a saucepan filled with water to help diffuse the heat. Just bring the water up to the correct temp, put in the eggs, and set a timer for 30 minutes. Religiously check the temperature with an insta-temp thermometer every couple minutes to make sure it doesn’t go more than 5 degrees at most in either direction. Have an ice bath ready and as soon as the timer goes off, get the eggs into the bath so that they stop cooking. Let sit for 10 or so minutes and then remove and allow to get back to room temperature.

If everything goes well, you should end up with an al dente and not gloppy risotto topped with a beautiful, silky, egg that should run everywhere when punctured with a fork. I also like to serve this dish with some simply sautéed peppery squash to complete the plate and add some color

Egg

2 Farm fresh or organic eggs

Salt and Pepper to taste

Risotto:

1 C. Arborio rice

2 Tblspns Olive oil (not Extra Virgin)

8oz Cremini mushrooms

-Tops, thick slice

-Stems, small dice

~8g Dried Porcini mushrooms

~32oz Vegetable Stock

2 Tspns Fresh thyme

¼ C. Chianti (or other red wine)

1/8 C. Grated Pecorino Romano (optional)

1) Put the dried porcini’s in a small bowl and rehydrate with about a cup of vegetable stock. Let sit for about 15-20 minutes and then strain and reserve, squeezing the mushrooms before discarding to get out all of the precious liquid.

2) In a large, non-stick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium/high heat for 2 minutes or so

3) Add the risotto and diced mushroom stems and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the mushrooms begin to soften and break down, making sure to stir until all of the risotto is well coated.

4) Add the reserved porcini liquid, stirring constantly, and cook until all of the liquid is absorbed

5) Repeat this step with 2 cups of vegetable stock one cup at a time, making sure all of the liquid is absorbed each time and continue to constantly stir

6) After adding the second cup of stock, check the risotto and make sure it is slightly undercooked from where you want the final texture. Add in the wine, thyme, and sliced mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are just cooked and still have some texture.

7) Add the rest of the stock in ½ cup intervals making sure the rice doesn’t overcook.

8) Add the cheese if desired and stir until thoroughly blended

Squash

1 Tblspn Extra virgin olive oil

1 each Zucchini, thin slice

1 each Yellow squash, thin slice

3 cloves Garlic, small dice

Salt and Pepper to taste

1) In a medium bowl, combine the squash, salt, pepper, and garlic

2) Heat the oil in a medium sauté pan over medium high heat for 2 minutes or so

3) Turn the heat up all the way and add the squash, flipping frequently and cooking until just soft

To finish, spoon the risotto into a small mound in the middle of a large, shallow bowl and surround with the squash. Make a small well in top of the risotto and very, very carefully and gently, crack the egg and deposit it into the well. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper and a little garnish of fresh thyme.

Enjoy and let me know how it turns out!

Tiramisu

Tiramisu is not only one of the most traditional Italian desserts and an essential to have in your dessert arsenal but it is also deceptively easy to make and, get this, does not require cooking in the oven! How awesome is that? When oven space is at a premium, this pastry will "cook" in the fridge.

The other great thing about Tiramisu is that during the winter, it provides a nice lift on a cold winter day due to the amounts of coffee, booze, and sugar in the recipe. In fact the name even translates roughly in English as "pick-me-up" (tirami su).

The dish itself is a kind of layer cake consisting in layers of espresso soaked lady fingers and an Italian custard cream known Zabaglione, which is a sweetened egg custard that has some sort of liquor in it (in this case Amaretto). As the cake sets in the fridge, the dry ladyfingers will absorb all of the espresso and will also take some liquid from the Zabaglione and the proteins in the eggs will solidify, so even though the thing will look soupy when it goes in, it will come out solid and delicious.

Tiramisu
1lb Mascarpone Cheese
1 Package Ladyfingers (about 24)
½ C. Sugar
4 Egg Yolks
½ C. Milk
1 nip Disarrano (Amaretto)
8oz Espresso
Cocoa Powder


The first step here is to lay out your ladyfingers and using a pastry brush or basting brush, gently paint your ladyfingers with the espresso, gently and evenly. They shouldn't be soggy but should be a little damp. You may not need all 8oz of espresso, but you can just drink the rest to power you through the rest of the process. Set these aside to absorb for a little bit and we'll start on the zabaglione.

In a mixing bowl, combine your sugar and egg yolks with an electric mixer or, if you're for real, use a whisk and some elbow grease. When everything has combined into a custardy-looking thing, add your mascarpone and milk to the bowl and continue mixing. When everything at this step has pretty much combined, mix in and blend your amaretto to finish the zabaglione.

Next, begin to place your painted ladyfingers into the bottom of a 9x9 baking dish. About twelve, or half, should fit in the first layer. After the bottom layer is complete, take something like a third of your zabaglione and pour it over the top until everything is pretty much covered. Repeat this process with the second layer until all the ladyfingers are totally covered. Garnish by sprinkling the cocoa powder over the top to make a complete topping and refrigerate for three to four hours.

Less than ten components, no cooking, liquor as an ingredient, and explosive flavors?! Winner in my book. As usual, let me know how it goes and don't forget to always respect your food.

Many shy away from pork because of its tendency to dry out when cooking and because of its high fat content, which is a shame because it is arguably the most flavorful of all meats. This recipe is absolutely packed with pork and by employing both the tenderloin and prosciutto (which is like a very thinly sliced Italian bacon), the flavors in the dish really run the gamut of what pork can do. Because it tends to be on the salty-ish side even before you wrap it in bacon, pork tends to take sweet, fruit flavors extremely well, so it plays very nicely with the sweet/spicy/tart flavors of the accompanying mango salsa. Throw in the sour pan sauce, with its warm undertones of cinnamon and cumin and you've got yourself a dish that pops with the vibrant colors and flavors of Mexico.

Crispy Prosciutto Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Mango Salsa And Sour Orange Pan Sauce

1 Pork Tenderloin; about 2-2.5lbs
1/8 lb Prosciutto; thinly sliced as possible
1 Mango; peeled, pitted, and diced
1 Red onion; diced
1 Jalapeno; diced
2 tblspns Fresh cilantro; finely chopped
Half a lime
1 cup Orange juice
1/4 cup dark rum
1/2 tspn cumin
1/4 tspn cinnamon
1 tspn paprika
1/4 tspn powdered ginger
1 tspn cornstarch dissolved into hot water





Pork tenderloin is not the cheapest cut of meat available, but you've got to treat yourself every once in a while, right? The quality of the cut makes up for the slightly added cost, and the thickness of the loin helps prevent it from drying out. By wrapping it in prosciutto, you not only get the added flavor (who doesn't love bacon?), but it crisps up beautifully in the pan and melds to the pork in the cooking process, creating a layer of crunchy, bacony goodness. The fat in the prosciutto also bastes the tenderloin as it roasts, ensuring a product that is juicy and tender.



Prosciutto Wrapper Tenderloin
1) The first step is to roll out a sheet of wax paper no longer than your strips of prosciutto and preheat your oven to 375°.
2) Next, begin laying out your prosciutto vertically on the wax paper, overlapping each piece by about a third so that there are no spaces in between and you have a solid "sheet" of prosciutto.
3) Take your tenderloin and lay it perpendicular to the prosciutto strips at one end of the paper. Carefully roll the tenderloin in the prosciutto, making sure that is snug against the tenderloin all the way so that it sticks to the meat properly.
4) Carefully peel off the wax paper and place your bacon-wrapped pork log in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Pan fry until the prosciutto becomes leathery and crispy, using tongs to rotate the tenderloin so that the prosciutto is cooked on all sides.
5) Finish by placing the whole kit and kaboodle on a rack in a pan in the oven and roast it at 375° for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Mango Salsa
While it does complement this dish perfectly, this classic salsa is a great condiment to have in your bag of tricks. It's good on meat, fish, chips, juevos rancheros, or anything else that needs a little flavor boost. The orange of the mangoes, combined with the purple of the onions and green of the jalapenos, also makes for a beautiful presentation. The key when preparing this salsa, as with anything that involves a mixture of different chopped ingredients, is to shoot for uniformity in the size of the pieces. This ensures that the resulting flavor is a balanced combination of the different flavors in play and that no one flavor is too overwhelming, although in this case you want the mango to shine, so the mango pieces should be slightly larger than the other ingredients. The other important thing to remember is that mangoes have a unique diamond shaped pit that can make things complicated, so be prepared. This salsa can be made spicy as you like by simply regulating the amount of jalapeno, so I'm going to give you a relatively balanced version and let you play with it depending on your individual taste.



1) The preparation here is pretty simple: combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and squeeze the lime over them.
2) Gently mix the ingredients making sure not to not bruise the mango to much.

To serve, simply slice the tenderloin into discs with the sharpest knife you can find so you can cut through the crispy prosciutto crust cleanly without damaging it. Spoon some of the salsa over the pork and complete the plate with a nice starch like tostones (twice-fried plantains) or yucca root grated and fried. The bright colors and bold, tropical flavor of this dish are sure to warm up the coldest winter nights. As always, let me know how it goes and bon appetit!

White Wine Poached Salmon with Dill Cream Sauce; Mussels Provencal

This is another one of those great dishes that sounds really awesome and impressive, but is actually quite simple and pretty cheap to prepare. Mussels normally cost around two dollars a pound, but they don't have a ton of meat to them, so they need to be paired with something more substantial. Salmon is right up their with swordfish as the beef steak of fish, in that it is a hearty, solid fish that will stand up to poaching but will come out buttery soft. It is also jam packed with proteins and Omega-3 fatty acids making it a great source of nutrition and a good balance to the mussels. The subtle cream sauce adds a nice color and texture and the dill offsets the acidity of the white wine, which is a bridging ingredient between the two dishes. In fact, one of the first things you should do in the way of prep is to grab a cheap bottle of white wine, which will be an absolute necessity for both dishes. Start with the mussels and while your guests are conversing and enjoying them, cook the fish. Not only is this meal delicious, but it is a lot cheaper than actually going to Provence (a region in the southeast of France) and you don't have watch your money disappear when you change it for euros. All in all, a good deal.



Mussels Provencal

1lb Live Mussels
2 tspns Garlic, chopped
1 tblspn Butter
5 cups White wine

Mussels are delicious little morsels of oceany goodness, but they can be intimidating if you aren't used to cooking with shellfish. This is one of my favorite preparations, because it is super quick (about 10 minutes including prep), yummy, and the aroma that explodes out of the pot when you take the top off is intoxicating and almost a meal itself.

There are however a couple necessary steps to dealing with mussels before you begin to actually cook. First, dump all of mussels into a bowl and inspect them carefully. Discard any mussels that are broken or partially open, as this means that they have probably already died and should be avoided. Also check to make sure that none of them have "beards", which are little pieces of seaweed that you can see poking out between the halves of the shell of the closed mussel. Give it a good tug and it should come right off.


1) In a large cooking pot with a lid, sauté your garlic in the butter over a medium heat until the garlic just begins to change color
2) Add your inspected mussels to the pot and let them cook for about thirty seconds
3) Dump the white wine into the pot, cover with the lid, and let the mussels steam over a medium-high heat for a few minutes (2-4) or until all of the shells are open.

Serve out of the pot, family style, making sure to have a bowl for spent shells and some decent bread to soak up all of that delicious juice. If you really want it to pop visually, sprinkle with a little chopped parsley before you serve it.



White Wine Poached Salmon with Dill Cream Sauce

1 Salmon filet, skin on
4 cups White wine
2 cups Vegetable stock (canned or fresh)
1 Fresh lemon, thinly sliced into rounds
2 cups Heavy cream
1 tblspn Crème fraiche or sour cream
2 tblspns Fresh dill
½ tspn Lemon juice
Salt and Pepper to taste

Poaching is one of the most delicate preparations for fish that there is, and while it requires some precision in terms of temperature control, the process is not too bad if you know what you're doing. The basic rule with cooking anything is that the lower the heat and slower the cooking process, the more tender the product will be, and the same rules apply here. Another thing to remember is that fish is relatively fragile and, even though salmon is a little more substantial then say a white fish, it does not stand up so well to intense application of heat that often either make the fish tough or cause it to lose its structural integrity and fall apart. This preparation is very gentle on the flesh and also cooks the fish in such a way that it retains a buttery texture and is infused with the flavors of the wine that it is cooked in.


Dill Cream Sauce

1) Heat the heavy cream in a small, heavy bottomed saucepan over a medium-low heat until almost simmering
2) Incorporate creme fraiche and blend until smooth
3) Add dill and lemon juice
4) Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low
5) Simmer on low for 15-20 minutes until reduced by a third


Poached Salmon

1)In a pan large enough to lay flat the entire filet, heat the white wine and vegetable stock until a meat thermometer reads the temperature at EXACTLY between 140-150 degrees. Precision is absolutely vital here: Above 150, the fish begins to fall apart, below 140 and it wont cook through.
2) Once you poaching liquid has reached the desired temperature, reduce the heat to as low as possible.
3) Line the bottom of the pan with the lemon slices. When you place the salmon on top of them it will not only add some flavor, but will prevent the fish from sticking to the pan.
4) Place your salmon filet skin side up on top of the lemons. All of the flesh of the fish should be submerged, but the liquid should not cover the filet entirely and the skin should be out of the liquid. If necessary, add more white wine until the liquid is sufficient.
5) Maintaining the temperature at exactly the previously mentioned range, cook the fish for 20 minutes or until it is cooked through.


To serve, carefully separate the fish from the skin; it should come off easily just by peeling with your fingers (you can also use a butter knife). Spoon the dill sauce over the fish on a platter and sprinkle some fresh dill for garnish.

Deux Foie (Chicken and Duck) Pâté

When the holidays coming around, those of us in the world of academia always hit the inevitable conundrum of high gift expectations and low budgets. As an easy fix that also shows you care more than a giftcard, roll up your sleeves and turn your kitchen into Santa's workshop by pumping out some delicious edible gifts for everyone on your list.

One of my personal favorites for this purpose is pâté; a delicious traditional French spread made from meat (most often pork). It's super fancy and refined but relatively cheap and easy to make. If sealed correctly, the pâté will keep for weeks, so it lends itself nicely to gifting. Maybe give it in a basket with some of the classic accouterments, like a nice mustard or some cornichon. Of course, if you don't want to wait, a nice plate of homemade pâté is always welcome at whatever holiday functions you may be attending, just arrange it on a plate with some crackers and you have an instant, classy hors d'oeuvre.


Deux Foie Pâté
2 Chicken livers
1 Duck liver
½ cup shallots, minced
½ cup white mushrooms, minced
2 tbspns butter
1 tspn black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 tbspn cognac (brandy)
pinch of allspice
a few strips of bacon or a few ounces of duck fat

1) Melt the butter over medium heat in a large sauté pan
2) Add the shallots, mushroom, peppercorns, bay leaf and allspice, cooking until the shallots are translucent and beginning to brown
3) Clear a space in the middle of the pan and lay in your livers, carefully browning each side for about two minutes
4) Add in the brandy and let it cook until the alcohol is evaporated; 1-2 minutes
5) Remove the bay leaves and put the rest of the mixture into a blender or food processor and blend until as smooth as possible
6) In a small sauté pan, cook the bacon until crispy and save the fat
7) Remove the pâté from the processor/blender and pack it into whatever dish you plan on presenting it in, although something ceramic or earthenware is recommended
8) Pour your melted fat over top of the mixture and put it in the fridge for two days or at least overnight. The fat will congeal forming a sealing layer that will protect the pate while the flavors marry and come together.

To remove and serve your pâté, run a toothpick along the inside edges of your container to separate the pâté from the sides. Dip the bottom of you container in warm water, and then flip it on to a plate. If you use the heel of you hand to give the bottom of your container a few solid whacks, the pâté should come out molded right onto the plate. To serve, provide either crackers or crostini (toasted slices of baguette) for spreading and enjoy! Bon appetit, happy holidays and good eating!

Roast Butternut Squash Soup

In the sparse months of winter fresh, delicious vegetables are often hard to come by. Without the luxury of farmers markets, which usually fold up their tables in late November, traditionally New Englanders would turn to their stores that were prepared over the summer and after the harvest in late fall and kept in root cellars waiting to be used to sustain the harsh months of winter. Now unless you have a canning operation or a farm of some kind, it is unlikely that you spent your time pickling, preserving and curing in preparation (maybe next year). However, before you turn to watery tomatoes and other steroid-pumped comestibles shipped from far off tropical climes (like California), take some time to indulge the beauty that is the Butternut Squash. The Butternut is not only locally grown and still in season, but is delicious, lovely with its orange hue, and rich as the name implies.

While this hearty member of the squash family is perfectly good stuffed, sautéed or even grilled as is, my favorite preparation for the do-it-all gourd is to make a soup out of it. This recipe highlights the creaminess of the Butternut while gently accenting its subtle, nutty, slightly sweet flavor. Its bright saffron color is also a beautiful addition to any winter feast table setting.



Roast Butternut Squash Soup
1 Butternut squash
1 medium onion, rough chopped
½ Stick of Butter
¼ cup EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1 quart chicken stock (broth)
.5 gallon apple cider
½ tspn cinnamon
½ tspn allspice
1 cup sherry or white wine
3 cups milk


Begin by peeling the squash and cutting off the ends and preheating the oven to 375°. Then, placing the squash upright on one of the flat ends you just created, cut the Butternut lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and fibrous membrane material. Cut the squash into 1-inch cubes and lay them out on a sheet pan, making sure that they are spread evenly so that each piece is touching the pan. Next, drizzle the EVOO evenly over the pan and sprinkle the cinnamon and allspice over the cubes.

Time to get messy: Mix the whole pan with you hands to make sure that each cube is coated to some degree with oil and spices and then roast in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the squash is soft and yields little resistance when probed with a fork.

When the squash has been cooking for about half an hour and finished roasting away, melt your butter in a large pot over a medium heat and add your chopped onion. The onion doesn't need to be finely chopped by any means but shouldn't be crazy huge either. Cook down the onion until it becomes translucent and immediately reduce the heat if you begin to see any signs of browning, as this will bring out too many of the sugars in the onion turning them very sweet. Normally I am a huge fan of the caramelized onion, but in this case the onion is serving a savory purpose so we don't want it to be overly sweet.

By this point the squash should be done, so remove the pan from the oven and drain off the excess oil. Take a minute to revel in the heavenly olfactory stimulation and then throw the squash into the pot with your onion and butter. Let this mixture cook for five to ten minutes then turn up the heat to medium high and gradually begin adding your chicken stock, cider, and sherry/white wine waiting a little bit between each addition until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

After adding all of the liquid and letting most of it absorb, transfer the contents into a blender or food processor and puree until as smooth as possible. At this point it should resemble something not unlike a glossy, very fine baby food. Transfer the squash puree back into your pot, turn up the heat to medium high and begin adding the milk. Three cups is probably a good bet to start with, but at this point you can keep adding more to thin it out as much as you want depending on how you like your soup consistency and how much you want to make. After the milk has been incorporated and the soup is wear you want it, season with a little salt and pepper. The next step is maybe the most important if you want texture in any sauce or soup: Strain, strain, strain! If you have a tamis or a chinois. run it through at least a couple times to get that prized ultra velvety texture and butter soft mouthfeel.

Ladle your soup into bowls or tureens. If you want to get all fancy about it, garnish by putting a dollop of crème fraiche in the middle of the bowl and sprinkling chopped pistachios around the edges for color (green onions work too).

This thick, rich soup is a great way to warm up on a frigid winters day and makes a great ready-to-go lunch if you're brown bagging it or a quick snack if you're just bumming around the house. As always, let me know how it goes and keep eating well!

Make Your Own Cereal: Toasted Honey Nut Granola

Cereal is an essential on any grocery list, but most commercial cereals are overpriced, most of the box is air, and they are absolutely loaded with sugar. The ones that are "healthy" taste like cardboard and usually have plenty of vitamins, but very little sustenance. Who wants to eat flakes anyways? They're thin and collapse in an eyedropper of milk.

The solution to this breakfast quandary, as is usually the case when brand names just ain't getting it done, is to do it yourself. Most people think that cereal is just one of those things that has to be mass produced, but with this simple recipe for granola, you can turn your home kitchen into a cereal factory with a product better than anything coming out of Battle Creek.

Granola can mean a lot of different things, but it is usually a combination of nuts, oats, and often dried fruit that is sweetened and baked until it becomes crispy and crunchy. Originally developed at a health spa in the late 19th century by Dr. James Caleb Jackson, granola was eventually revived in the 1960's and became associated with the hippie movement. Due to its high nutritional value and dense concentration, granola has long been a favorite of hikers and outdoorsman and makes a fantastic snack to have on hand when the munchies strike. Another advantage that it has over commercial cereals is that it packs a protein punch that will keep you going strong all day.



Toasted Honey Nut Granola
5 cups flat rolled oats
1 cup each:
shredded coconut, sweetened
shredded almonds
raw whole almonds
raw peanuts, peeled
raw sunflower seeds
dried cranberries
1/2 cup oil (canola or sunflower)
3/4 cup honey


The first step is to dry toast your nuts, which really brings out their flavor and makes them a little crunchier. Spread the nuts on a cookie sheet as evenly as you can and then roast them at 400° for 7-10 minutes or until they are golden brown.

Immediately remove them from the oven and leave them to cool. When your nuts have cooled (stop giggling), combine them along with the oats, coconut, sunflower seeds, and cranberries in a large roasting pan. Drizzle the honey and oil over them and mix, mix, mix until the mixture is well blended. If you don't mix it enough, then the oil wont distribute evenly and the granola is likely to burn.

To finish, bake for 2½ to 3 hours at 275° stirring every half of an hour or so to make sure it cooks evenly and doesn't stick to the sides of the pan. Let it cool, and you have about a months worth of good, nutritious snack food. Throw some milk on it, and you have a healthy, hearty breakfast to start the day. As always, let me know how it goes and don't forget to respect your food.

Welcome to The Foodie Files

For those of that know me, you know that food has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. I've been around the block a couple of times and have had the pleasure of working alongside some of the city's most talented chefs including Tony Maws of Craigie on Main, Todd Wiener formerly of Olives, Tom Fosnot of Metro Cafe (late of Rialto), Dave Lundberg of Lionette's market and Barry Maiden of Hungry Mother, all of whom have had a significant influence on how I cook and think about food. Additionally, through my time as a food writer for Boston's Weekly Dig, I have had the pleasure of meeting some of the best culinary minds in the area and picking their brains.

While my journey into the culinary world is far, far, far from over, I thought I would start this blog to share some of my thoughts and recipes, as well as to document some of the products (some good, some bad, some completely insane) that come out of kitchen-lab whenever I get the chance to mess around. Check for frequent updates and feel free to add your own thoughts into the mix. Normally too many cooks is a bad thing, but the interwebs definitely have enough space for all of us! I look forward to having you all along on this leg of the adventure and maybe letting me share in some of your culinary exploits as well.

Tomato Soup Masala with Punjab Spiced Grilled Cheese

So the other day was a classic New England winter wonder, complete with piled snow, and of course, frigidly cold icy winds. Upon getting back from running some errands, I was bone chilled and hungry, so the meal that immediately popped into my head was a classic cold weather cure from my childhood: The grilled cheese with creamy tomato soup. While a tantalizing concept unto itself, I was inspired by my little sister's recent trip to India to try and fuse some of the spice and flavor of the Northern region of the country to add an extra layer of flavor warmth.

Now in my mind, one of the most inviting and comforting foods in the canon of Punjabi cuisine is Chicken Tikka Masala, a dish of yogurt marinated chicken (chicken tikka) served in a velvety smooth tomato sauce. This seemed like the perfect dish to twist into a version of tomato soup that contained the wonderful, pungent undertones of Indian spices while staying true to that winter day comfort food concept.

However, If I was going to funk up the tomato sauce, it certainly deserved to be paired with something a little more interesting than your average grilled cheese. Something had to be done. Immediately it slapped me across the face that the best way to play off of the acidity of the soup was to hit it with a mellow cheese and introduce some nice, earthy undertones provided by cumin and coriander seeds.

The result: The perfect winter warmer, Punjab style.


Tomato Soup Masala
24oz Tomato Puree (3 8oz cans)
1/2 Pint Pint Heavy Cream
3 Birds Eye Chiles, thinly sliced
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 Tspns Paprika
1/2 Tspn Cinnamon
1 Tablspn Vegetable/Canola oil
Mint, finely chopped (garnish)
1 Tspn each:
Amchur (mango powder)
Fenugreek
Tumeric
Powdered Ginger
Salt


1) In a medium sized sauce pan, heat the oil and saute the garlic, chiles and fenugreek over medium/high heat (3-5 minutes)
2) Add the tomato puree and bring to a simmer
3) In a small bowl, combine the spices and salt, mixing to integrate
4) Whisk spices into soup and simmer over medium heat (5-8 minutes)
5) Add the cream and cook until well blended, frequently mixing (5-8 minutes)
6) Garnish with mint and serve


Punjabi Spiced Grilled Cheese
2 Slices thick-cut sourdough bread
1/4 Cup grated Fontina Cheese
1/4 Cup grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 Tblspn butter
1 Tspn Cumin seed
1 Tspn Coriander seed

1) Preheat the oven (or toaster oven) to 300 degrees
2) In a medium non-stick skillet, melt half of the butter
3) Add the cumin and coriander seeds and saute over medium-low heat (2-3minutes)
4) Blend the cheeses and place in an even layer on one of the slices of bread, and then close the sandwich
5) Bring the heat up to medium and sear one side of the sandwich in the pan, applying steady pressure, until golden brown and crispy (1-2 minutes)
6) Add the rest of the butter and repeat on the other side
7) To finish, place the sandwich on a grill rack in the oven and bake (3-5 minutes)
8) To serve, slice on a bias and stack your sandwhich halves perpindiculr to one another