A Super Natural Tomato Soup

I recently reviewed 101 Cookbooks food blogger Heidi Swanson's new cookbook Super Natural Cooking: Five Ways to Incorporate Whole & Natural Ingredients into Your Cooking (published by the Celestial Arts imprint of Ten Speed Press.)

My overall impression in my Paper Palate review was very favorable although as is my way I had a few quibbles. I also discuss some of the non-recipe attributes of the cookbook (including the wonderful photos by Heidi). Here's a link to the review itself.

I really enjoyed the recipe I tried, Roasted Tomato and Paprika Soup.

Roasted Tomato and Paprika Soup
(Adapted from Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson)

Olive oil
5 tomatoes, cored and quartered (I used a medium-sized ripe heirloom, beefsteak/slicing variety. If using plum tomatoes, use about 8-10 depending on size)
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and quartered
3 yellow onions (I used medium sized onions), peeled, quartered
5 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
Fine-grain sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 cups vegetable stock or water (I used a very light vegetable stock.)
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Grease two baking sheets with rims with some of the olive oil. On one sheet put the quartered tomatoes, skin side down. Coat the bell pepper, onion and garlic with olive oil and place on second baking sheet. Sprinkle both baking pans with salt and pepper.

Have two oven racks positioned in center of oven. Place one pan on each rack. Cook until tomatoes are softened and onions have become golden brown (about 45 minutes). Turn onions if they start to get very brown on the bottom. Pull garlic if it looks like it will burn. When the vegetables are roasted, remove from oven. Peel garlic and then put garlic and the other vegetables in a tall pot. Add a bit of your stock and use a hand blender to puree to the desired consistency. (If you don't have a hand blender, process in batches in your food processor of blender and then return to the pot.) Add the rest of the stock and the paprika. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Heat if desired. Can be served cold, room temperature or hot. (Note, seasonings lose a bit of their punch if served cold and you'll need to add more than if you serve the soup hot, so correct the seasonings at the temperature you plan to serve it at. If you are like me and serve it both hot and cold, correct for hot. You can always add more seasonings by the bowl when you serve it cold.)

I think the soup would be great with a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt and/or with a bit of very dry Spanish sherry swirled in and maybe a bit of chopped parsley, fennel frond or cilantro sprinkled on top. A cheese-topped crouton would be a nice way to dress it up as well. One wonderful lunch was half of a grilled brie sandwich with a bowl of the soup. My husband enjoyed pouring some cold into a small glass and slurping it as a kind of tapas or starter.

This recipe was a hit in my house and I plan on making it again soon. I love to make tomato soup, I often use roasted vegetables as a base for other dishes and smoked paprika is one of my favorite seasonings, but I never thought to combine them all, so for me this dish was perfect. I did have some quibbles. For example, the recipe was not originally written with enough direction as to the size of some of the ingredients and directions were not given for those who might not own a hand blender. I have to say if these were complaints I had about a recipe written for a blog I wouldn't have even commented, but somehow when a recipe is printed in a cookbook, I look for a different standard. But in the end, it does come down to how a dish tastes, and this recipe came out just wonderful, so these are just nitpicks on my part and I look forward to using this cookbook often, especially for everyday family meals, and as a resource for natural/superfood ingredients.

Update: Jumbo Empandas wrote about her experience with Heidi's Espresso Banana Muffins here.

Happy Belated Two-Year Blog- O-Versary

Yesterday the California Golden Bear football team blew its first chance at being ranked number one since 1951. I blew my chance to celebrate my second anniversary of blogging by going to the University of California at Berkeley homecoming celebrations and the game (won all too handily by Oregon State).

I wish I could say that that's the way I planned it, but no I just kind of spaced out on it and by the time we walked in the door after a long day of celebration and lamentation, I just watched an old movie and went to bed never once thinking of how my life changed with the creation of this blog.

Well, belated happy blog birthday to me. Some time yesterday my counter clicked to 45,000 page views. Since my counter was installed almost three months after the blog started, my actual page views are probably a bit higher than that. That's all the present I need, to know my words have been read by so many of you.

Here's what I wrote on my first blog-o-versary -- the sentiments still are very applicable.

Where in the World has FJK Been?

I’ve been on the go so much this year that I seem to be permanently behind in writing up my experiences.

In the last year I have:

Cruised with Holland America to Mexico with extended family
Went to Las Vegas for business (twice)
Visited family in San Diego
Visited family in New York (Long Island with a day trip into Manhattan)
Stayed at a family camp in the Sierras here in California (twice)
Explored Chicago for a week
Checked out Denver (for business) and the Rocky Mountains
Spent a long weekend in Napa Valley at a reunion of work colleagues
Traveled to Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia and Hungry

And I am probably forgetting some trip somewhere.

Of course while I ate on all these trips, some of the experiences were not food blogging “worthy” so I don’t have resources, photos, recipes and write ups to share on all of them, but I am trying to get caught up on sharing as much as I can.

The only ones I’ve really written up are my Las Vegas trips, which you can read about by clicking the link above. I hope to write up my notes and share photos about Chicago, Denver, cooking class on the cruise and my recent Eastern Europe adventure soon. But if you ever wonder why I get so behind sometimes, my wanderlust is certainly part of the reason.

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Photo Info: Play with Your Food -- at the Chicago History Museum, kids can take apart this giant hot dog and reassemble it with the "condiments" of their choice. The favorite way young Chicagoans played with the exhibit? Using their kid brothers or sisters for the hot dog and covering them with all the "trimmings."

Ten Slow Cook Soup Recipes

Over at MSN, the front page is featuring a link with 10 recipes from Better Homes and Gardens for hearty soups and stews made in a slow cooker. I haven't made any of these, but I like the premise (as well as the promise of coming home to a comforting hot meal full of vegetables and grains that are good for me).

If you want to check the recipes out, click on over to the link from MSN.

The Last of Olympus

My faithful Olympus is no more. After a last performance of taking 700 or so photos in Eastern Europe it mysteriously stopped working.

I could rail about our disposable culture, but the truth is that I was thinking of retiring this three year old or so camera anyway. It was no longer the best camera out there for me, but it worked and I knew how to use it. Ironically, the day it refused to work was the day I brought home the new Consumer Reports November issue on digital cameras.

If you have a digital camera that is fairly small (not necessarily an ultracompact), has a good zoom and good close up capability, please leave a comment and let me know.
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Update 11.13.07 -- I bought a Panasonic Lumnix TZ3 with lots of scene modes, a wide angle lens and 10X optical zoom. I have been playing with it for a week and I'm very happy with it. One digression --do you enjoy going to your local camera store to try out all the cameras and get advice and recommendations? Consider buying the camera there. You might pay a bit more than at the big box store or on line, but if you like having local resources like this you can't just click, you need to support your local merchants. Try negotiating, but maybe give yourself permission to say it's okay to pay a few bucks more for the service. (FYI - As it so happens, the camera was priced the same there as at Best Buy.)

On The Road -- Bucharest, Belgrade and Budapest

I'm off to another adventure. My friend Mona and I are going to fly to Bucharest, take a train down to the Black Sea, explore the Danube region, tour Belgrade and finally feast in Budapest.

We'll be traveling though Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia and Hungry.

In addition to reading about the culture, architecture, history, natural wonders and other details of the areas we will be in, I've also been reading up on the food and wine. I've left plenty of room in my suitcase to bring back an assortment of Hungarian paprikas and I'm looking forward to trying the many dishes I've been reading about.

Well, more with photos and recipes when I return. I don't expect to blog when I'm gone, but I will check for any comments, so if you have recommendations for dishes or restaurants to try, please leave them below.

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Photo Credit: Balkan Buy

Provencal Fish Soup or Don't Call it Bouillabaisse

I stay away from the bouillabaisse wars by simply not calling my Provencal-accented fish soup by that hallowed name. That way I avoid all the food fights about the fisherman's dish that has been elevated to an obsession.

If you are uninitiated in the bouillabaisse wars, let me sum it up for you. Do you serve the fish in the soup or on the side? How many types of fish do you need to make it an "official" bouillabaisse? What are acceptable substitutes outside of the Mediterranean for the traditional fish? Can it be considered bouillabaisse outside of the area where one can get the traditional fish?

I say forget all that or save it for fancy company (and save some money and effort) and make this instead. It makes up a big, bright-tasting bowlful of soup, which I enjoy accented with croutons topped with hot pepper paste. Choose the juiciest, freshest, thickest piece of white fish (ling cod, cod, halibut, monkfish or sea bass, for example) you can find and enjoy. The fennel and anisette liqueur or Penrod add a fresh, sharp taste that keeps down the fishiness. If you dislike the licorice-like notes they add, skip the fennel, add more celery and marinate the fish in white wine instead.


This dish is just as good for a homey dinner as it for entertaining. Just don't call it bouillabaisse.

Provencal Fish Soup

Serves 6
(Please note all quantities are approximate, I apologize I make this slightly different each time and didn't write down notes.)

Soup
1 pound steak or thick fillet of fresh, white fish (see above for suggestions), any bones removed and fish cut into even size and thickness chunks of about 1-1/2 inches
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup anisette liqueur or Penrod
Good pinch (maybe 1/4 tsp.) of saffron threads
grated, chopped zest of one half lemon
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Small onion, chopped
2 - 4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 stalks of celery, trimmed and chopped
2 large carrots, sliced into 1/8" thick rounds
1/2 small fennel, bulb only, chopped
1 Tbsp. ground French Herbes de Provence seasoning (usually sold in whole in a mix or make your own with a combination of dried fennel, lavender, thyme, basil, rosemary and marjoram.)
3 quarts (more or less depending on how soupy or stewy you want the finished dish) of fish stock, preferably homemade from white fish bones OR homemade light vegetable stock OR water
1-28-to-32 ounce can of whole, peeled tomatoes with juices (I prefer San Marzano tomatoes from Italy)
2 Tbsp tomato paste
12 small yellow finn or creamer potatoes, scrubbed and cut into halves or quarters depending on size
salt and pepper to taste

Garnishes

Chopped Italian (flat leaf) parsley
Chopped basil
Grated and chopped zest of one half lemon
Slices of baguette toasted
Ajvar, red pepper spread (available in some supermarkets or gourmet stores, or make your own by pureeing peeled, roasted red peppers with a drizzle of olive oil and red pepper flakes to taste until smooth) OR garlic aoili

To make the soup: Put the fish in a glass or other non reactive bowl with saffron, lemon zest and liqueur. Set aside and stir occasionally. Heat oil in a large soup pot, add onions, saute until beginning to wilt. Add garlic, saute until slightly golden, add celery, carrots and fennel. Saute until beginning to soften. Add Provencal seasoning. Stir well. Roughly chop tomatoes and add into the pot with their juices and the tomato paste. Stir well to combine and then add stock and potatoes. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally. When potatoes are almost soft, taste and add salt and pepper. Add in fish with liqueur, saffron and lemon zest. Stir gently to mix and check often. Fish should be almost cooked through and still plump and slightly soft. Fish will continue to cook in hot broth so be careful not to overcook.

To prepare the garnishes: Combine the chopped herbs with the lemon zest and sprinkle on top of each bowl of soup. Spread a teaspoon of the red pepper paste on top of a crouton and serve on the top or side of each bowl, as desired.

Leftovers are just as good, even cold. Need directions for making fish stock? See comments below for my technique.

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About the photo: No that isn't a lavender field in Provence, it's just my front yard.

What I've Done (and Eaten) This Summer (So Far)

I'm back. It's been a busy summer. I've spent more time on the road for work and pleasure than I have at home and it's not over yet. I leave on August 26 for a tour of Eastern Europe and the Danube from Bucharest to Budapest. More on that later.

Where in the world have I been?

Two visits to Pinecrest, CA, with its lovely lake and alumni family camp where my oldest is a staffer this summer. I have no culinary glories to report, although a good time was had by all.

One trip to suburban Long Island, New York to visit my sisters and their families. I spent one day in the "big city" and had a very, very disappointing meal at the Empire Diner. This diner is one of those restored classics and one of the earliest to have been restored and converted to a "modern" menu. The best of the meal was the sweet potato fries which had a spicy brown sugary finish. I also had a very dry brioche at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (which fortunately had lots of tasty art to consume -- check out the newish Greco-Roman art galleries) and a fun time re-exploring the Chelsea Food Market, home of Food Network. (I saw a few empty studios but no Rachael Ray or Emeril sightings.)

My middle sister is an accomplished cook and her husband is an accomplished deep sea fisherman, so even if they didn't catch it, she cooked it and it was wonderful. I came home with a cache of fresh yellowtail tuna and frozen bluefin.

I also spent a week in Las Vegas. In July. It was 100 degrees at night at 11:30 p.m. and you couldn't even claim it was a dry heat since it rained several times. My husband and I are manufacturers' reps and we were working a trade show in town. I patrolled a showroom the size of Texas (well, it was 10,000 sq ft on a concrete floor with no rugs, so it felt like it anyway) and he went between three showrooms in two buildings. We worked hard and it was hectic, but we found some time for fun. Tops on that list, the show "O" at the Bellagio (Cirque du Soleil gets wet) and Mario Batalia's new restaurant at the Venetian, B&B. The food at B&B started off amazing and ended up being good. Think of it as the type of food your grandmother might cook if she had unlimited access to the best ingredients, was a gourmet and was an Italian peasant.

The marinated anchovies were brined perfectly, the texture still firm and the bite of the vinegar sharp without being overwhelming. My reaction to the mini ravioli stuffed with lamb brains in butter, lemon and sage sauce was mixed. The sauce was divine, the lamb brain stuffing more of a fluffy texture than a taste but worked well since it had a slight game note that cut through the butter sauce. The pasta dough was a bit thick and tough. The main course translated out from the Italian to be braised beef. On the plate it translated to a chunk of pot roast without enough sauce. You had to look really close to find the polenta it was served with. I've never seen a serving of grain that insubstantial before. It came under the heading of why bother. It certainly didn't add to the dish. The beef had a nice taste but was very dry.

Dessert was cinnamon ricotta fritters and a chocolate-hazelnut dipping sauce. I thought this was incredible. Gary was not that impressed and didn't finish his half, which left more for me.

The restaurant had only been opened for two months but you would never know it, the service was personable, modern and just right. The wine choices are amazing (B&B's co-owner is a wine importer) and I thought reasonably priced for the style of restaurant and location. Prices in general were about $25-29 for a main course which is not unusual for a Vegas "name" restaurant, but portion sizes of all but the main course were small. Since my husband I usually share that means minuscule. (I got two filets of those wonderful, but tiny anchovies and about six or so mini raviolis.)

The photo is of a small bookcase at B&B. The cookbooks are Molto Mario's and for sale. The orange clogs are presumed to be Mario's as well but are not for sale.

The Ketchup with Relish is Promised, But I'm Still in a Pickle and I'm Afraid This Entry Won't Cut the Mustard

My poor baby blog, I'm so sorry. Work is hectic and so is my travel schedule for both business and pleasure. I promise you I've been eating interesting things and have interesting thinks and will report back on both of these to you as soon as I can. For now, there is no wireless in the woods nor internet at my sister's house, so I'll catch up when I can.

Take care,
Faith

How Many Calories in a Vietnamese Spring or Summer Roll?

That's one of the topics I find Blog Appetit is searched for a lot. I didn't really have an answer. But in today's Oakland (CA) Tribune, freelance writer Jill Silverman Hough gave her version of the uncooked, rice paper wrapped treat and the newspaper did the nutrition breakdown for us!

Now Ms. Hough uses sliced roast beef in her wrappers, but these stats should get you in the ballpark if its nutritional data you are looking for:

According to the Oakland Tribune, (per serving including hoisin-based dipping sauce): 161 calories; 3g fat; 7g protein; 22g carbohydrate; 1g dietary fiber; 18mg cholesterol; 321mg sodium. The recipe made 8 rolls but it didn't say on line or in the newspaper if a serving was one or two rolls.

Want to check out Blog Appetit's versions with shrimp, tofu, cucumber or even mango -- click here.

Based on what I could figure out from Weight Watchers, a traditional unfried spring roll (also called a summer roll or salad roll) with shrimp is two points each. No recipe or size or ingredients list was given for this figure, however.

I'll keep looking for more info on this topic and update the post when I do.

Update: Please check the comment below for a reader who has done the research for all sorts of Asian salad, spring and fried rolls in terms of Weight Watchers' points and serving sizes.