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Cream of Celery Soup

9/25/2019

Serves: 4 – 5
3 small cloves of garlic, peeled and pressed or minced
8 small to medium stalks of celery, trimmed and sliced, a few leaves reserved
3 small leeks, sliced
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
7 cups of water
1¼ cup hot milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons cake flour (all-purpose is fine)
1 whole clove
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon white pepper

Place all the prepared vegetables into a large soup pot. Add water and bring to a simmer. Cover and continue to simmer over a medium heat for about 45 to 60 minutes. Stir occasionally.
In a medium sauce pot, melt the butter.
When the butter foam begins to subside, whisk in the cake flour until smooth.
Slowly pour the hot milk into the flour butter mixture, whisking briskly.
Add the clove, salt and pepper and whisk together smoothly.
Set the white sauce aside.
When the soup pot vegetables are cooked, remove from the heat and blend the contents in a blender or processor, being careful with the hot liquid. Do it in batches as required by your equipment.
Return the blended vegetables to the soup pot. Whisk in the white sauce until well mixed.
Adjust the seasonings as required.
Serve hot and garnish with the reserved celery leaves.

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Chicken Normandy

9/18/2019

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Serves:4
8 chicken thighs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 tablespoons butter, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onions, diced
2 carrots, diced
3 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
½ cup Calvados or Applejack
2 cup cloudy apple cider
4 large shallots, peeled and halved, but left connected at the root
3 medium apples, peeled, cored and cut into wedges
1 cup crème fraîche

Preheat oven to 375°.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
In a Dutch Oven or a deep, heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter with the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken skin side down and brown. Turn and brown the opposite side. Transfer to a plate.
Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of the fat from the Dutch oven. Add the diced onions, carrots, thyme and bay leaf and cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the Calvados or Applejack, bring to a low simmer. Add the cider, scraping up the brown bits. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally until the liquid is reduced by half.
Return the chicken to the pan. Cover the Dutch oven and place it into the oven for approximately 30 minutes.
While the chicken is cooking, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Add the shallots and a pinch of salt, cover and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally.
Add the last tablespoon of butter to the skillet and increase the heat to medium high. Shift the shallots to the outer edges of the pan and add the apple wedges to the center. Sear on each side for about 10 minutes, until caramelized.
Remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Transfer the chicken pieces to a serving bowl. Cover with foil.
Strain the Calvados and vegetable sauce into a large measuring cup. Dispose of the strained vegetables and return the liquid to the pan.
Whisk in the crème fraiche. And cook until thickened.
Add the mixture to the apple and shallot pan.
Simmer until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Adjust the seasoning as needed. Pour gently over the chicken and serve.

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Spicy English Parsnip Soup

9/11/2019

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Serves 6-7
4-5 cups cleaned and diced parsnips
5 medium shallots, chopped
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons curry
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
6 cups chicken broth
½ cup half & half
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons minced parsley for garnish

Melt the butter with the oil in a large soup pot. Add the parsnips and the shallots and saute them over a medium heat for about 3 minutes.
Sprinkle the curry and the ginger on the vegetables and toss them all together lightly.
Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 30 minutes until the parsnips are very tender.
Working in batches as needed, puree the vegetables in a blender or processor until thick and creamy.
Return the soup to the pot and reheat gently.
Add the half and half, the salt and pepper and stir well. Do not let the soup return to a boil.
Ladle the soup into serving bowls and garnish with the parsley.

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Creamy Mushroom Pasta

9/4/2019

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Serves 4
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 medium shallot, minced
1 lb. shitake mushrooms, sliced to ½ inch
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth
Salt & pepper to taste
¾ cup heavy cream, room temperature
1 ½ teaspoons fresh parsley, minced
1½ teaspoons fresh chives, minced
1 lbs. fettuccini

Freshly grated Parmigiano for serving

Bring a large covered pot of water to a boil
Melt butter in a generous sized sauté pan. Add the olive oil and blend with the butter.
Add the garlic and the shallots. Sauté until the garlic is fragrant and the shallots translucent.
Add the mushrooms and sauté, stirring occasionally, until they release their moisture.
Meanwhile, add the fettuccine to the boiling water and cook according to directions.
Add the wine and the broth. Mix well. Cook over a medium heat until the sauce is reduced by a third.
Slowly add the room temperature cream while continuing to stir. Reduce heat to a very low simmer.
When the pasta is done, drain well and place it in a serving dish.
Ladle the mushroom sauce over the pasta. Garnish with the parsley and chives. Serve with the cheese.

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Cream of Celery Soup

Chicken Normandy

Spicy English Parsnip Soup

Creamy Mushroom Pasta

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