Soup

Summer Corn Chowder with Fresh Herbs

July 10, 2018 by mollygilbert520 12 Comments

Oh, hi. HI! I’m here. Are you still here?

It seems like what started out as a nice, holiday hiatus from writing turned into a nice, half-year long hiatus from writing. Oops. I have lots of reasons. Firstly, I’m (at this point) very pregnant with bebe number two, and for awhile the thought of cooking anything except cheese and crackers made my stomach churn. (If you’ve been looking for more cheese and cracker recipes, I sincerely apologize.)

But mainly, I’ve stayed away from writing here because, with everything happening politically in my country (and the world over, for that matter) I just haven’t felt right posting sunny anecdotes and recipes. I mean, the Idiot in Chief over here (and his spineless idiot administration) is gleefully promoting racism (oh, and sexism, too) as his core agenda, stripping minority groups of basic rights, ignoring common sense gun initiatives (while Americans drown in gun violence), trying to gut the healthcare system, and putting babies in concentration camps, but yes, here, do enjoy this baked chicken. It’s the best baked chicken. Tremendous.

On the other hand… we’ve all got to eat, right? I miss writing here, and I miss the community we’ve built around these stories and recipes. I’m going to be back here more, posting sunny anecdotes and recipes, yes, because food is good for the soul and because we all need an escape now and then. But now you know where I stand, and what else is on my mind (#resistance). We’ll get through this, one way or another — and in the meantime, there’s summer corn chowder.

PS – for those of you who might want to tell me to stick to food, leave politics out of it, blah blah, please save it. Politics are everywhere, whether you realize it or not — from your clothing choices to your favorite brand of coffee. And now is the time to engage. (Plus this is my blog and I’ll write what I want to. Don’t @ me, bruh.) LOVE YOU MEAN IT xox

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Simple Turkey Bolognese

November 13, 2017 by mollygilbert520 2 Comments

With the whole family about to descend for Thanksgiving, you might be in the market for simple, hearty fare to fill everyone up — not for the Big Meal itself, which is something else all together, but for all those in betweeners — easy breakfasts, lunches and dinners to have on hand to feed the masses.

Breakfast in our house is usually either just bowls of cereal or Wawa doughnuts (Philadelphia, represent), and people are usually out and about for lunch, but having this easy Turkey Bolognese on hand (in the fridge or freezer) means that a warm and filling dinner is within arms reach, any night of the week. Which is good, because I’ve got other things (i.e. stuffing, sweet potatoes, pie, etc. etc. etc.) to focus on.

(Also yes, I realize serving turkey bolognese the same week as a massive turkey dinner might sound like a lot of turkey. But the sauce is just good, okay? And worlds different than traditional Thanksgiving fare. But if it really offends you, swap out ground beef or lamb instead. And then get off my back about it, okay? Love you.)

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Simple Homemade Chicken Stock

September 29, 2017 by mollygilbert520 1 Comment

Now that the first week of fall is officially under our (cozy-sweater-and-boot-clad, pumpkin-spiced-everything) belts, I’m declaring it time for SOUP.

You know a good soup day when you see one — grey and a little blustery, maybe some damp chill settling in around midday (hey, Seattle, I see you). Or maybe it’s clear and crunchy, with a pushy sort of wind that makes its way into your ears and leaves your nose good and pink? SOUP DAY.

My brother-in-law doesn’t consider soup to be a real meal, which leads me to believe that either A: he is a real spoilsport, or B: he’s just never had a good bowl of soup. Or bisque or chowder or stew, for that matter. My brother-in-law is pretty fun, in general, so I’m going with B. Maybe he’s never made his own chicken stock. Have you?

Making your own chicken stock is the kind of thing that sounds like a big deal, but in reality is absolutely not. It’s actually on the simpler side of things, cooking-wise, and really takes your soup game to a new level. I’m certainly not against a store-bought box of the stuff, but when I have the time and wherewithal, I love to make my own.

I like to take my time and make a day of it — there’s lots of hands-off time in stock-making, so it doesn’t really take up the whole day. I buy a good chicken, raid the fridge for some veggie odds and ends, cover it all with water and then let the stove do the work. After a few (again, very hands-off) hours, I’ve got a nicely poached chicken (with meat that I use for salads, tacos, chili, etc. etc. etc.) and a beautiful, rich broth to store in the freezer for months of soup to come.

It’s a very autumnal thing to do, come to think of it. So what do you say? Shall we make some stock? Let soup season begin!

(Consider this part 3 of my seasonal “Whole Bird Cooking” series! In case you missed them, here are parts 1 and 2).

In partnership with Draper Valley Farms. All opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that support Dunk & Crumble!…

Rich Beef Stew

November 7, 2016 by mollygilbert520 2 Comments

Tomorrow is election day and I’m feeling aaaaaaall the feelings. Are you voting? Please vote!

I also had a moment in a restaurant the other day where I thought Calder was choking and proceeded to turn him upside down and rap him on the back (I just took an infant CPR and safety course, because #safetyfirst, so this scenario was fresh on my mind), then sat him in my lap and searched his tiny face — are you breathing? Are you okay? His little eyes looked up at me skeptically (who is this nutter, anyway?) and then his gummy mouth smiled widely, assuring me that he was, actually, just fine and definitely not choking, THANKS MOM.

And then I burst into tears.

…Is this what parenting is? JEEZ.

At any rate, my nerves could use a break, and I’m planning to soothe them with big, steamy bowls of rich and brothy beef stew, yes please.

Chunks of tender beef, creamy potatoes, sweet carrots and mushrooms, swimming in luscious, salty, simmered-for-hours broth — as the weather gets chillier and the rain comes in droves, this is pretty much all I want to eat. And if the election goes poorly (please, please don’t let it go poorly, America!), at least dinner will taste good? That’s what I’m telling myself, anyway.

Let’s do this, people. Beef stew for democracy!…

Curried Coconut Chicken Soup

November 11, 2014 by mollygilbert520 7 Comments

I made you soup! It’s what often comes out of my kitchen when I’m feeling hungry but direction-less. I can usually be counted on to have an onion or two rolling around in the back of the fridge (I get anxious when I run out of onions, see), and probably some butter (same deal), and so it begins.

This soup was deliberate, though. There’s a place in Seattle (a grocery store called Metropolitan Market) where, when I’m feeling too lazy to cook but not too lazy to drive, I like to go to “grocery shop,” by which I mean I like to go and pick up one or two actual groceries and then load up on pints of house-made curried coconut chicken soup.

This happens… often. Because the soup! The soup. It’s so good. It’s a little bit sweet and a little bit spicy, just-creamy-enough with coconut milk, and full of hearty texture from still-crisp vegetables and tender pieces of chicken.

The soup has become a bit of a ritual for Ben and me, the ease of stirring and the smell of ginger and coconut, bread toasting, then cozying up at the table. We treat ourselves to it at least once a week, so I figured since I’m, you know, a chef and all that, I should try my hand at making it from scratch.

So here we are! It’s not exactly exactly the same, but it’s pretty close. Rich with spice and coconut milk, filled with tender veggies and shreds of chicken, it’s the perfect antidote to a long and chilly day….

Sunchoke & Arugula Soup

April 21, 2014 by mollygilbert520 2 Comments

The soup! Finally the soup.

Have you ever eaten sunchokes before? They’re a root vegetable, also called Jerusalem artichokes (though they have nothing to do with either, apparently) or earth apples. Earth apples! Sounds like some kind of alien pet name. Let’s go with sunchokes. They’re weird little gremlins, all gnarled and lumpy, but oh — they’re delicious. Kind of sweet and earthy. Paired with mild leeks and fresh garlic, they bring a real sense of depth, a rich kind of grounding, to this bright and verdant springtime soup.

I ate this for a week straight, you know, the week just after the roasted rhubarb, and just before the diamond ring. It’s a happy sort of soup, I think.

It’s a soup good with bread, or goat cheese toast, or topped with roasted Brussels sprouts chips (those are a thing, and they’re amazing – recipe coming soon) or just an extra dollop of crème fraîche. It’s a soup fit for spring — for rainy mornings and budding branches and cool, puff-cloud sunsets over Greenlake (and beyond).

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Smoky Bacon Turkey Chili

January 8, 2014 by mollygilbert520 10 Comments

I imagine a “polar vortex” to be a swirling mass of polar bears. Or some sort of high-powered polar bear business conference?

…Am I close?

Living in California, you see, comes with some benefits. Fresh oranges and avocados, sure, but also a lack of swirling polar bear activity. Or bracing cold, for that matter. I don’t mean to rub it in. I’ve seen the crazy, Day-After-Tomorrow/White-Walker-Winter-Is -Coming-Style photos of the rest of the country. New York looks miserable. Chicago? Forget it. Meanwhile, I ran outside this morning. In pretty much a t-shirt.

In other news, I’m the worst.

In other other news, I made you chili! And as everyone knows, chili is where it’s at during a polar (bear) vortex. It’s a simple, one-pot, warm-to-the-bone kind of meal. It uses a lot of what may already be in your pantry. Plus there’s bacon!

The smoky bacon is what starts us off, and then the chili fills out with ground turkey meat and some spicy chicken chorizo. Smoke and spice get topped with sweet tomatoes and rich beer, and some creamy beans, too. Top it all off with a handful of green onions and shredded cheese, a scoop of cool yogurt and some chopped avocado for good measure? CHILI TIME. With chips. Let’s see what our polar vortex has to say about that.

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Spicy Tortellini Soup

April 9, 2013 by mollygilbert520 4 Comments

Bay area mornings start out nestled under a bed of gray fog, cold and wooly on the eyes. Some days the blanket lifts to reveal blue sky and sparkling sun by noon, and everything is good. Other times the fog keeps us wrapped tight in grey, so we wrap ourselves tight in hoods and coats (mostly Patagonia, let’s be real), and everything is still pretty much good. We eat soup!

And sometimes we hop in the car and drive towards sunnier skies. To chilly sunny beaches in Carmel.

Or richly green and windy overlooks along Big Sur.

Other times we fly to Seattle, which is unexpectedly warm and full of sunshine for Easter.

The blossoming cherries there! Nothing better, I’m almost certain.

While you’re in Seattle, you might meet a new man. Charming and adorable. Killer style. I was instantly smitten with this one.

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Chicken Chili Stew

January 26, 2013 by mollygilbert520 10 Comments

You guys! You are the best. Thank you, thank you for indulging me with your comments and sharing my pancakes. Sorry I hogged the syrup.

In other news and happenings, I’d like to inform you that if a person didn’t know that the Super Bowl was going to happen next weekend, a person might, I mean maybe, accidentally book tickets for her and Ben and Emily and Dan to go see a musical show. Four glorious tickets to a matinée of Wicked (!), on Super Bowl Sunday. A person might do this! By accident.

But let me tell you, if a person did do this, she wouldn’t hear the end of it. The Ben, and also the Dan, wouldn’t be entirely happy with the person. Because the person would have inadvertently taken away a Ben’s and a Dan’s ritual of manhood, one of body-bashing and fist-waving/yelling-at-the-tv and zone-blitzing and chicken-winging, and replaced it with… Glinda.

Oops.

Let’s eat some chicken chili stew? A warm and hearty peace offering? It’s totally manly. You can smother it in shredded cheese and sour cream and eat it with corn chips. Like men. Like men at a Super Bowl party. Or, um, the theater.

Just… just eat. We’re cool, right?

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Leek & Fairytale Pumpkin Soup

January 9, 2013 by mollygilbert520 5 Comments

I tried a juice cleanse once. Okay fine, twice. Turns out trying is not the same as succeeding. Suffice it to say, I’m not the juice-cleansing kind.

So? Cinderella never juice-cleansed. I don’t think.

I’m trying to be more like Cinderella in the new year. True, she’s a bit careless with her belongings (who loses a single shoe?), but she is kind, works hard, and girl looks good in a dress. Even one made of rags.

I’m not delusional; I know that life is not a fairytale, and that no one really looks great in rags. But, when it comes to living right, why can’t we bring a little magic to the table? I mean, we can turn no into yes. Awkward silence into ‘hi, how are you?’ We can call our dads in the middle of the day, just to say hello. We can turn warm cozy laziness into pink-cheeked get-up-and-go. We can turn pumpkins into soup! And eat it, extra warm and brightly orange, for three nights straight. Spoon required. Magic wand optional.

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