Rover

Roast Chicken Soup from BBC Magazine . I've had this on my list of things to try and it finally surfaced. I think what prevented me from preparing it sooner is the step which requires us to decant half the soup (with the chicken) and whiz with the immersion blender - that just seemed strange to me, maybe even a little unpleasant. Fortunately, I got over my distaste and was delighted with my silky-but-still-a-little-brothy creamy, chunky chicken soup. It's lovely as written, but immensely flexible. I've added leftover roasted vegetables, roasted garlic, caramelized onions, whatever herbs are on hand, a little cream instead of yogurt (but it really doesn't need cream) it's richly satisfying - especially on a snow day like we're having today in Vancouver. Best of all, it uses leftovers and takes about 30 minutes to put together.

I use a plastic bag with the corner snipped off to pipe fillings for deviled eggs, Gougères, melted chocolate, etc., - works like a charm.

That mushroom soup truly is amazing. Can't bring myself to try the Onion soup as I am tied irrevocably to Julia's! I used to have the same attachment to Julia's for years, but Bourdain's is far simpler and a great deal less time-consuming. However, it's been quite a while since I prepared Julia's version, it seems only fair to re-visit and refresh my memory. Thanks for the reminder, Anna!

Last night I made Bourdain's (Les Halles) Mushroom Soup which has got to be one of the easiest, most delicious preparations in the world. I had a bag of slightly aging, crinkly mushrooms which revived instantly and tastily in the soup. Next, I think I might be heading towards the Les Halles French Onion Soup, although the Fennel & Tomato is lovely, too.

Barbara Kafka's "The Opinionated Palate - Passions and Peeves on Eating and Food" a small collection of food-related essays, some of which are hilarious.

I know exactly what you mean by that. I was a fan of the Lawrence Sanders' Edward X. Delaney books. Edward had a particular affinity for sandwiches which were so evocatively described, it was enough to make me get out of bed, during a late-night reading fest, to take a look at the contents of the fridge to determine if I could replicate one of them.

As I was making Lasagne w/Tomato-Cream Sauce & Mozzarella (Patricia Wells "Trattoria" - p.150) last evening, it occurred to me to wonder how I ever tried this recipe in the first place. There was no glamour shot of the finished dish and there's a rather long, rambling description; I can't remember what called to me about this dish. I've made it many, many times over the years with fresh lasagne noodles always, albeit not my own. There's another attraction for me as the sauce (sans cream) is my go-to tomato sauce recipe which I make in bulk, freeze and always have on hand. I can't imagine not having this lasagne in my repertoire and a number of guests to whom I've served it remarked that they had something very similar in Italy. What is it that draws you to a recipe to prompt you to try it? Gorgeous beauty-shots don't qualify here.

The zen of stirry, stirry, stir the risotto whilst sipping risotto-stirring wine and listening to the soundtrack of The Big Night.

I made the Braised Cardamom Curry Lamb (p.283). The seasonings and flavours were wonderful but the apples I used were way too sweet and that carried into the finish of this dish. As it turned out, I didn't add the golden raisins, which I'd run out of - I think it's just as well given the impact of overly sweet. There are some lovely elements to this dish and reminded me of Patricia Wells' Spicy Lamb Curry with Yogurt & Apples (At Home in Provence p.260). The following day, my neighbours made a point of telling me what a fantastic fragrance this dish had whilst cooking.

December 2010 is quickly racing to its close and I have another rockin' recipe to contribute. It's from Food 52 Spatchcocked Braised-Roasted Chicken http://www.food52.com/blog/1418_spatchcocked_and_braiseroasted_chicken. A really nice take on roasting/braising which infuses the chicken beautifully with the lemon/herbs medley. I'll be making this many times, an easy mid-week fantastic dinner.

Those look like periwinkles to me and it's timely as I was going to ask if they fall into the snail category. I've loved them in Chinese preparation with garlic and black bean sauce, but I've also added them to Paella and they starred!

I've been thinking of an African Peanut Soup for my next soup excursion. The first time I tried one was years ago in the cafe of a bookstore (whose name now escapes me) in Fairhaven, WA on a trip across the border from Vancouver. Spicy and exotic. Moderator note: This topic continues in The Soup Topic (2007–2013)

Not to high-jack this thread, but I saw "prosciutto ends" (that's how they were labeled) at a local store recently; they're about the size of a shank, on the bone - ridiculously inexpensive and I've been looking for an excuse to buy a couple. However, my research hasn't yielded many uses ... I may experiment with some of the ideas expressed here.

I believe the SodaStream system has been available for a while in the U.S., but only over the past year or in Canada with limited distribution. Now, however, it seems to be everywhere you look. I've had mine for about 6 months and I think I've died and gone to Heaven! It's easy, fast and you can control the level of carbonation. For me the advantages are that I no longer have to haul those heavy 2 litre bottles of carbonated water from the supermarket and then store and haul the empties right back again for recycling. It's economical, convenient and a slick-looking machine. I drink about a litre of sparkling water a day, so this has made a big difference for me. For those who are interested, there are all kinds of flavours including colas, but I haven't investigated those. I flirted briefly with an attempt at sparkling wine, but ended up wasting half a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc as it fizzed all over the kitchen counter - I may return to that experiment another time. For those who love sparkling water this system is terrific.

Leek and Potato Soup (Potage Parmentier) made with the last of the leeks from the garden. Based upon the recipe from Patricia Wells' Bistro book. This soup is one of those often overlooked gems that's almost too simple; it's tasty, elegant and good for what ails you. Today it became heavenly with the addition of a little truffle salt judiciously sprinkled just before serving.

I've made this Sage-flavored gratin dauphinois with potato, sweet potato and pink turnips three times in the past 10 days and I'm still not tired of it, neither are my guests. I've not used the cheese as I was serving it with a fairly rich main course. Subsequently, I added thinly sliced onions and didn't strain the herbs and garlic from the milk mixture. The combination of Yukon Golds, sweet potatoes and slightly spicy turnips are a match made in heaven. The last time I made it, a couple of evenings ago - I served it as my main course with a green salad dressed with sherry vinegar vinaigrette.

Without question, homemade stock - primarily chicken, for me. I justify (as if I needed to) the extra expense of buying only free-range, with the knowledge that the amazingly superior stock it generates is worth every penny. I started out making my own stock 25 years ago and can't imagine not getting this bonus from bones and vegetables. I save peelings from onion, carrots, mushrooms, etc., in the freezer along with the bones and scraps from any chicken which graces my kitchen. It's frugal and it's so much better than store-bought.

Recently acquired from the library, Tender II - Fruit I'm as enchanted with the fruit volume as I was with the vegetable one. This book weighs a ton - but it covers a breadth of information from garden to kitchen to recipes. It's now on my Must-Buy list together with the new Dorie Greenspan book.

Growing up in England, rice pudding played an important role in dinners/desserts and was always (in my family) served hot straight from the oven with a caramelized, toasty skin. There were no additions of raisins, compote, dried fruit, etc., just a rich, steaming, milky presentation while everyone fought over the crispy skin. My go-to recipe for many years has been Patricia Wells' Riz au Lait - her additions of citrus zest and vanilla bean enhances this great rice pudding. It's the perfect not-feeling-well food and good-for-what-ails-you food. I've never been able to wrap my mind around rice pudding served cold - but that's a family-memory-thing. Edited to add that I've never experienced a chalky flavour and the recipe calls for simple long-grain rice.

Sometimes, only tomato soup will do the trick, so Sherried Tomato Soup - recipe found here Sherried Tomato Soup. So simple and delicious; I reduced the amount of sherry and cream and blended with a stick blender for a semi-smooth finish, the sherry I used has quite an assertive flavour which probably wouldn't appeal to children. It would never have occurred to me to use tomato juice in a hot soup, but it works really well here. I topped the steaming soup with a handful of coarsely grated cheddar. I harvested the last of the garden leeks yesterday and I sense a leek and potato soup in the near future.

Peeling & chopping onions is one for me and handling butter. I use butter in cooking and baking all the time, but I don't even like the smell. My way of dealing with tasks I don't care for is to do them immediately and get them out of the way. I've never really understood why so many people hate cleaning the food processor - just a quick rinse and it goes into the dishwasher on the top shelf. Or, if it's needed for multiple separate tasks, speedily wash with a dishbrush and it's ready. I use mine constantly, especially for the above-mentioned onions.

It's evident that one of the most important elements of getting a home-cooked meal on the table each night is organization and being as prepared as possible. Back in the day, I used to plan the week's menus on a Saturday morning surrounded by a stack of cookbooks and ideas. I wanted to keep track of the results, so I prepared a table in Word with each dish/recipe title, its source, page number, etc. and had a column for reviews. The printout was pinned up in the kitchen ready for remarks and input, including innovations and changes. I also generated a shopping list. It was rather interesting to look back over the weekly menu lists with comments and reviews; they became a source of ideas and inspiration. Knowing ahead of time what was on the menu for the week, made it easy to do basic prep in advance, e.g. chopping all those carrots, etc., in the food processor. I often used to weigh and measure ingredients like all the spices for Indian cooking, the night before or a couple of days in advance. If there was a lot of peeling, chopping, grinding and measuring to greet me when I got home from work, it was sometimes a deterrent to prepare labour-heavy dishes, unless really in the mood to do so. Advance partial prep is also a nice short cut. Sauteing the onions, mushrooms, crushing the tomatoes, shredding the cheese, browning the meat or poultry, zesting the citrus. And, if upon arriving home, that evening's menu didn't appeal - I switched it for one of the others. I haven't really planned and tracked the weekly menus like this for years. These day, I note in my online journal what the week's meals were, including pictures and links to recipes together with what I thought of them, maybe I'll look at doing a combination of both.

The therapy of cooking is unlike any other, except maybe harvesting herbs, flowers & vegetables from your own garden or planters. It's being in your own space, listening to your own music (whether opera or the sound track from The Big Night) and conjuring up something with your hands that wasn't there when you started. I read something somewhere years ago regarding risotto and the necessity to gear down as you stirry, stirry, stir, stir, stir. There's something harmonic about it which I've never forgotten and I think of it every time I make risotto. Somehow cooking provides a very necessary balance and for me, it's simply not possible to worry about the trials of the working day as I become involved in cooking/baking ... creating food. The music is an essential part of the process, too.

Apple Tart Cake from Molly at Orangette http://orangette.blogspot.com/2009/01/calls-for-cake.html is lovely and it's all about the apples. Then there's Patricia Wells' The Apple lady's Apple Cake from The Paris Cookbook http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2009/10/apple-lady-apple-cake.html which I've been making for years.

Tarte Nougat Pommes (Apple Nougat Tart). This is my dark horse, best apple tart recipe of the year - very simple, delicious and quick. It was devoured at the speed of light at a dinner party last night. http://www.staceysnacksonline.com/2010/09/tarte-nougat-pommes-apple-nougat-tart.html