Cuisine Eric

My favorite clam chowder is served at the National Hotel on Block Island, Rhode Island. Bar none, this is the best chowder I have ever been served, in my opinion. And it's not just my opinion. It has won best chowder of the Island for years. My second in a series of 'soft food', this is a corn, cod and clam chowder inspired by the taste, consistency and mouth feel of National's piece of art. I've riffed off their work and you can riff off this with whatever seafood or other favorite ingredients you might love. Fool around and find out! 2 strips bacon, finely diced 4 Tbsp butter 1 large carrot, finely diced (1/8”) 3 stalks celery, finely diced (1/8“) 1 medium onion, finely diced 2-3 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, minced 1/2 tsp dried dill 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste 1/4 cup flour 1 bottle clam juice juice from 1 10-oz can clams 1 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup sherry 2 medium potatoes (tennis ball size), diced 1/4-inch, about 1-1/2 to 2 ...

Every season I stock our daughter's freezer with a lamb soup or stew. Rachael Ray calls a thick soup or a thin stew a 'Stoup'. Thank you Rachael for this new wedge word. I make this at least four times a year and it is a bit different every time, and always wonderful. So, I will keep posting each. Use what you have (that's what I do) and enjoy comfort food!  Avoid prepared food with 70 or more (questionable?) ingredients. This has 12. Make your own. 1 large onion, peeled and diced 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced 4 stalks celery, diced 1-1/2 lb lamb (raw or leftover from a roast, I used the latter), diced 1/4-inch 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 Tbs fresh rosemary leaves, coarsely minced 1/4 cup pearled barley 1 15 oz can garbanzo beans, undrained 1 quart broth, chicken or beef, (I used home-made bone broth) 1 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes   1 large potato (I used Yukon Gold), diced just larger than 1/4-inch 2 cups green beans, sliced 1/2-inch (I used Trader Joe’s frozen,...

Don't know what to do with all those lentils you once bought with good intentions? Make this delicious soup. The combination of lentils and barley is packed with protein so this soup really satisfies.  The andouille sausage, Worcestershire, mustard and balsamic are all such rich flavor enhancers, lending an umami boost to make the flavor pop. This is no tired haggard soup, especially if you dial it up with red pepper flakes! 2 large carrots, peeled and diced 3 stalks celery, diced 1 onion (or shallot), peeled and diced 12-16 oz Andouille sausage, cut into 1/2 to 1/4-inch pieces 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, minced 1/2 tsp powdered cumin 1 quart chicken broth 2 cups water 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 2 tsp Dijon mustard 1 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes 1 cup lentils 1/4 cup barley 2 Yukon gold potatoes, diced 1/4-1/2 inch 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar dash crushed red pepper flakes to taste Sauté carrots, celery and onion in a good dash of olive oil over medium hea...

Here is a classic home made soup from Italy, based on a home made bone broth my French mother taught me.  It is based on the home made bone broth we used to make the turkey soup in November 2024 in this blog. But it is modified to add meatballs and more veggies.  It is hearty and delicious and is a complete meal in itself.  It takes some cooking for sure, but is well worth the effort, and feeds a bunch. Carcass, trimmings and bones from 1 roasted turkey or 2 roasted chickens 4 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces 4 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces 2 onions, quartered 2 quarts water 2 bay leaves 1-2 small onions, diced 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, diced about 1/2-inch 1 green zucchini, coarsely diced 1 yellow summer squash, coarsely diced About 1-1/2 lb meatballs (or your favorite, here I used frozen turkey meatballs) [ meatballs florentine would work well] Break up carcass and bones onto their smaller pieces and fit into a very large stock pot.   Add a d...

Happy Thanksgiving. Here is my offering for Thanksgiving 2024.  It's not what I had hoped for, as we got COVID the day before we were to travel to a big family reunion! So we were confined to our home and had to heal ourselves. What better than turkey noodle soup?! This is so nourishing and so basic. It takes a lot of work, but when you are confined to home what else 'ya got to do? Get to work. To me, this is truly one of the basic essences of cooking. Carcass, trimmings and bones from 1 roasted turkey 4 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces 4 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces 2 onions, quartered 2 quarts water 2 bay leaves 1 cup leftover roasted turkey, shredded 1-2 small onions, diced 1 can pinto or Roman beans (or favorite), lightly drained 2-3 cups kale leaves, diced 1/3 cup tiny noodles (see note) Break up carcass and bones onto their smaller pieces and fit into a very large stock pot.   Add a dash of olive oil (or better yet, leftover Schmaltz - poultry fat) and...

This is one soup our daughter requests time and again, and so I stock her freezer with it!  It is warm, luscious and very flavorful. Lamb and chickpeas are ensconced in a golden orange broth flavored with tomatoes, garlic and rosemary. Barley gives a toothy bite, and kale adds the greens we need. Real comfort food as fall weather threatens. 1 cup dried chickpeas (or 2 cans, drained) 1 onion, diced 4 stalks celery, diced 2 carrots, diced 2 cups lamb, cubed 1/4-inch (I used leftovers from a roast) 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced 1/4 cup pearl barley 1 quart beef broth 1 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes 1 bay leaf 2 small Yukon Gold potatoes, diced 1/4-inch 2 cups chopped kale The night before, soak the dried chickpeas in plenty of water with 1 tsp baking soda and 1 tsp kosher salt. This helps soften and season the beans.   And when cooked in the pressure cooker their consistency is perfectly buttery. The next day, sauté the onion, celery and carrots in an un...