roasted potato soup

i made this soup back in november, but since i have a picture, i figured i'd share it.  and since i did not come up with this recipe on my own, i will give credit where credit is due.  my friend samantha and i were talking about cooking one day, and she shared a recipe she found online. 

good enough to eat!

now, i am not vegetarian, so i felt obliged to add some other ingredients to the recipe.  however, i am sure that the original format is tasty, too.  note that as soups go, this is a fairly complicated one.  it isn't just "throw everything in the pot and leave it alone for a couple hours," but i assure you that it's well worth the time and effort.  that said, here's what i did:

ingredients:
3/4 pound of chicken (i got a leg/thigh, skin-on)
15 oz stewed tomatoes
a good handful of redskin potatoes (i used some that my dad grew because homegrown is just awesome)
2 cans of white cannellini (kidney) beans
2 stalks of celery
a good handful of baby carrots
broccoli florets (not a full head, but a reasonably sized chunk of broccoli)
head of garlic
four cups of chicken broth
olive oil
various herbs (oregano, thyme, basil, black pepper)

be warned:  this recipe requires a reasonably large pot.  i originally started with one that perhaps fits a half-gallon of liquid...but that got too small fairly quickly.  unfortunately for me, my only larger cooking vessel is probably a five gallon capacity, which is definitely overkill.  although it works, the amount of soup used in this recipe looks so tiny in the bottom of it...but i suppose that's better than an overfull pot.

preparation:
pour the chicken broth into the pot and add the chicken meat.  simmer on medium heat.  once tender, separate out the bones and return the meat to the broth.  if i recall correctly, it took about thirty minutes for the chicken to cook sufficiently.

while the chicken is simmering, prepare the vegetables for roasting.  chop the carrots and quarter the potatoes.  i used perhaps a quarter pound each of carrots and potatoes, but the proportion doesn't exactly seem to matter all that much.  toss the potatoes and carrots with olive oil, black pepper, oregano, and thyme.  chop the broccoli, toss with olive oil and black pepper, but reserve in a separate bowl (it gets roasted for less time than the rest).

also, prepare the garlic for roasting.  for those previously unaware, this involves removing cutting maybe a half-inch off the top of the garlic cloves (leaving the head intact), coating the garlic with olive oil, and baking it.  you can use this recipe for reference.

since i didn't know how long it would take for the chicken to cook, i waited until it was tender before i roasted the vegetables.  i figure that letting the chicken simmer longer would only make better broth, so i wasn't too worried about that.  roast vegetables as follows:

• spread potatoes and carrots on baking sheet (pro-tip: spread aluminum foil or parchment paper between vegetables and the sheet)
• preheat oven to 425°F
• roast vegetables for 20-25 minutes or until nicely browned.  i turned the vegetables a few times so they didn't burn on the bottom.
• roast the garlic at the same time.  check periodically to make sure it isn't burnt.
• add the broccoli and roast for an additional 10-15 minutes

once roasted, add the vegetables to the broth.  add the white beans, the stewed tomatoes, the garlic (squeeze it out of the skins), and 2 cups of water (not enough liquid otherwise).  add oregano, basil, and  black pepper to taste.  bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer.  allow soup to cook for an hour or so, stirring occasionally.  after about half an hour, chop the celery stalks and add to the pot; cooking the celery less prevents it from turning to complete mush.

verdict:
splendiferous.  i was lazy, though, and did not puree a portion of the soup as specified by the original recipe.  it would certainly add a slightly different texture that might be tasty.  i would double the amount of chicken for future versions of this soup, and i think that corn would also make a good addition.

oyster stew

when i was talking about my tentative plans regarding culinary documentation over christmas, my aunt ame recommended that i add an entry about our family oyster stew recipe.  maybe this recipe isn't particularly unique, but it has been passed down through the family.  and as previously stated, i don't intend to disclose what amount to secret family recipes.  that said, i think the history of this stew is worth recounting.

if i recall correctly, this oyster stew was originally part of the meal served at my maternal grandmother's house on new year's day.  grandma always served the traditional southern fare on new year's day (pork, greens, black eyed peas, cornbread, etc), but i'm fairly sure that the oyster stew was also part of the menu.  at some point, though, the oyster stew became part of the traditional family brunch held on christmas day.  maybe the stew was always served on christmas, but i only started noticing (and eating) it perhaps 10 or 15 years ago.  little kids are notoriously picky eaters, so i wasn't always keen on trying strange-looking foods.  back in the day, i clearly didn't know what i was missing.

but anyway, after asking my uncle jack about it this past week, i learned that he started taking over the oyster stew preparation years ago after grandma was starting to make it too salty.  perhaps an increasing inability to taste salt comes with age, and i certainly noticed over the years that grandma began using the salt shaker quite vigorously at the dinner table.  at any rate, uncle jack decided to take over stewing duties to avoid the excessive saltiness.  i assume that he either watched grandma or got her to write down her methods, but either way, he recorded the recipe for posterity.

a few years ago, i began to take an interest in this venerable tradition, and uncle jack took steps for the passing of the ladle.  for those who don't know, the oysters have to be cooked before the broth is created and the spices and seasonings are added.  i say this to preface the fact that the first time i watched the oyster stew operation, i was given a very graphic description for gauging when the oysters were properly cooked...and although i refuse to share this description publicly, i remember it each and every time i cook oysters.  my family is, shall we say....unique.

anyway, after a year or so of careful and studious observation, my apprenticeship was deemed complete, and i was tasked with independent preparation of the dish.  this lead role was subject, of course, to quality control by uncle jack.  this year, however, i am happy to say that prior to serving the meal, the chief stew inspector said that the spiciness was right where it needed to be.  considering how our family likes just enough of a kick to the stew, adding the right amount of spice is something of a balancing act.  the only other comment given was that it needed a bit more salt.  considering how excessive saltiness was the original reason for passing the ladle, i think i'll call that a compliment.

exposition

in 2012, i began to document my culinary experiments. by no means am i saying that i am anywhere close to being chef-quality, but i like cooking, and people generally enjoy the food i prepare. however, my approach to cooking typically involves me combining several recipes that look interesting...and then adding other potentially complementary ingredients.

my sister argued that i shouldn't just keep the successful recipe adaptations in my head -- that it would be a shame if a secret family recipe died with me because i either forget the proportions/ingredients or neglect to tell anyone. i can't say that i disagree. so i've been trying to keep track of any new (and undocumented) recipes, what exactly i did, what i thought of the results, and what i would do differently the next time.

some people have expressed interest in these recipes, so i figured i'd start a new blog in which to share them. note: if i add a recipe, i won't leave anything out. on the other hand, any actual secret recipes would NOT be shown online. i do have a modicum of propriety, after all...

since i am more than a kitchen gremlin, i may take advantage of the opportunity to share musings on other things interesting to me. perhaps i can hone my literary technique such that i can write travel essays for a living.