When all the big things are complete, aren’t we more grateful
for simpler pleasures? I feel this most after the holidays or a
family vacation, both of which occurred in the last month.
When all the big things are complete, aren’t we more grateful for simpler pleasures? I feel this most after the holidays or a family vacation, both of which occurred in the last month. After the shopping and baking and hosting and worshipping and traveling, aren’t we ready for a bit of boring?
If you ask youngsters, their answer will invariably be, “No.” Our kids wanted to be on vacation for another two weeks. But ask an adult if they’re ready for a plain-Jane, slippers-up evening at home and you’ll hear, “There aren’t enough of those.”
A true home is where the heart is, after all. When we feel comfortable in our familiar surroundings, when we long for the feel of our own pillow, when we think about the warm smells of a cooking dinner … these are what bring happiness and comfort to many hearts.
That’s what I’ve been thinking. It’s Monday and I’m trying to get a mental picture of the week. What are the kids doing? Do I have any night meetings? What time will we all actually be home at night? And, of course, what are we having for dinner?
I’m excited to be back in my kitchen. During the holidays, we eat out more, eat at others’ houses, eat a lot of fancy food. Eat a lot, period. So now it might be nice to get back to a perfect, simple meal. I’m thinking roast chicken, rice and steamed broccoli. Tea and a cookie for dessert. Or maybe Basque potato soup, French bread and a green salad with a sliced ripe mango for dessert.
Here’s another one I love: Tortilla soup. With nothing else.
The recipes are included and they’re not complicated. I don’t cook gourmet or stack plates with layers of flavors, so I can’t write authoritatively on that subject. But I do know good when I taste it. I do know simple.
And sometimes aren’t those the greatest pleasures?
• Kimball’s chicken: Christopher Kimball, founder and editor of Cook’s Illustrated magazine, meticulously researches recipes, tries different variations, then publishes the best recipe. In 1996, he wrote “The Cook’s Bible: The Best of American Home Cooking” which is still in print. It’s been a staple, a dictionary and cooking helper for me ever since. His roast chicken recipe is deceptively simple. The low-heat roasting allows the white meat to cook to a higher internal temperature without drying out. The high finishing temperature turns out crispy, light and golden brown skin.
Kimball’s Slow-Roasted Chicken
1 roasting chicken, 3-3 1/2 lbs.
2 tablespoons melted butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Make sure chicken is rinsed and dried, then brush with melted butter. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
Place a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Place chicken breast side up on rack and place in oven. After 30 minutes, reduce heat to 200 degrees. Roast for an hour.
Turn oven up to 400 degrees and roast another 15 minutes. Check thigh meat with an instant-read thermometer. The chicken is done when the thigh registers 170-175 degrees. Remove chicken from oven and let sit for 20 minutes on a cutting board before carving.
Garlic variation: Cut 3 heads of garlic in half crosswise and toss with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.
Place garlic cut-side down on rack next to chicken and then place chicken in oven. When chicken is done, remove garlic and serve half a garlic head per person.
• Basque in the goodness: This Basque potato soup has been a favorite of Jenny’s Kitchen readers since it first ran in December 1998. It can be made with mild or spicy sausage and is quick to cook. It’s also great when cooked ahead. Just add a little more broth when you reheat it, to get the right soup consistency.
Basque Potato Soup
1 lb. Italian sausage, sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 lbs. tomatoes, diced into 1-inch chunks
4 potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 cup sliced celery
2 tablespoons celery tops
4 cups beef or chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Brown sausages for 5 minutes in large stock pot. Add onions and stir over medium-high heat for 5 minutes until translucent and browned.
Add remaining ingredients, except salt and pepper. Stir, cover, and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Cold and hangover cure: This tortilla soup is, as my kids would say, “the bomb.”
If you have even the slightest inkling that you’re getting a cold, have a bowl. If you get the cold anyway, the peppers will clear your sinuses like nothing else can. It’s definitely warming. It contains no meat but it’s hearty and rib-sticking, anyway.
The recipe is from a really generous head cook at La Tropicana restaurant in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico. It first ran in this column in 1997 and has been requested for reprint many times. This recipe is for two hungry people; double it if you need to feed more.
Tropicana Tortilla Soup
8-10 corn tortillas, cut into strips
28 oz. stewed tomatoes
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
6 chopped dried red chiles
32 oz. chicken broth
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped (discard stems)
Half and half
Shredded mozzarella
Avocado, diced
Fry tortilla strips in canola oil until crisp; drain on paper towels and salt immediately. Meanwhile, heat 5 tablespoons olive oil in a large soup pot and fry the chiles until they are dark brown. Remove chiles and save for serving.
Smooth tomatoes, onion and garlic in blender. Add to hot oil and cook for 5 minutes. Add half of the chopped cilantro. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil.
Lower heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes. Add rest of cilantro and half of chips.
To serve, put a few tablespoons of cheese in the bottom of each bowl, drizzle a little half-and-half over the top. Add a few crisp chips. Ladle hot soup into bowl and then top with fried peppers and chopped avocados.
Tip of the Week:
Ready for a new cookbook? ‘The Best American Recipes’ series comes out in January with a synopsis of the last year’s favorite recipes. The cookbook’s authors keep an eye out for trends and then find great recipes to exemplify styles.
For instance, the new edition has a lot of “comfort foods,” meat-and-potatoes and homestyle cooking which were major trends in 2003. Yummy recipes include Escarole and Little Meatball Soup (Minestra), Oven Roasted Ribs, Chicken Tortilla Casserole and Mussels with Smoky Bacon, Lime and Cilantro.
Fun to read and a great history of food during our times. Definitely worth a look. “The Best American Recipes 2003-2004,” by Fran McCullough and Molly Stevens. List price is $26.
Christmas cookie thanks
Christmas cookie donations: I thought you’d like to know the total Christmas cookies donated for South County homeless people this year. On Dec. 22 and Dec. 23, local bakers donated more than 2,800 homemade cookies (about 240 dozen). The offerings included chocolate chip and M&M versions, sugar cookies and some very beautiful, decorated ones with icing and silver drops.
We owe special thanks to the St. Mary Youth Group – “No Limit” – whose leaders and members baked 140 dozen cookies, and to Maria Skoczylas and Isabel Cadei and families, who spent a whole day bagging thousands of cookies. For some people, this was the only Christmas present they received. Thank you all for your generosity!
• End notes: “I never did anything worth doing by accident, nor did any of my inventions come by accident; they came by work.”
~ Thomas Edison
