Cream of Asparagus Soup - For the Love of Spring

It’s not quite spring yet, but this young man’s fancy has already turned to love. No, not that kind; I’m talking about my love for this ultra-easy, and gorgeously colored, cream of asparagus soup recipe. For me, asparagus is one of those rare vegetables that shines brightest when enjoyed in soup form. Don’t get me wrong, I love the fresh spears, and have posted many recipes featuring them, but for pure asparagus goodness, you just can’t beat a perfectly made bowl of soup. There are no tricks or secret techniques here; just make sure your onions are fully cooked before adding the asparagus, and other than not over-cooking it, there’s not a lot that can go wrong. Testing the vegetable’s doneness by pressing them against the side of the pot should eliminate any guesswork, but if unsure, err on the side of slightly under vs. slightly over cooked. The other decision you’ll have to make is whether to strain or not. I recommend it, but totally understand if you don’t. The soup is great as is, but straining out the woodier fibers does give it a finer, more velvety texture. Of course, the float of Parmesan and lemon cream on top is optional also, but pretend it isn’t. It adds a great visual element, and adds a little extra richness to the soup’s lean, green goodness. I hope you fall in love with this soup soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 1 1/2 quarts of soup: 2 tbsp butter 1 diced onion 2 pounds asparagus salt to taste 4 cups chicken broth 2 cups water cayenne to taste freshly ground black pepper to taste pinch of nutmeg (I forgot to mention in video, but just add with other spices!) 1/2 cup of heavy cream For the cream topping: 1/4 cup heavy cream 1 tbsp finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 1 tsp lemon zest *whisk for minute until frothy and slightly thickened

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup – Legend of the Fall

This roasted butternut squash soup is probably my favorite fall soup of all time, which is why I’m so shocked we haven’t posted a video for it before. It’s cheap, easy, nutritious, and absolutely delicious; and should probably go into the once-a-week rotation for a few months at least. As I mention in the video, there’s really no great reason to simmer this for an hour like I did, but I think it does help harmonize the flavors, not to mention humidify your home. A cold, rainy day just looks better through steamed-up windows. If you’re feeling like something a bit more substantial, try this topped with a handful of crispy bacon. Of course, I wouldn’t say no to some diced ham either. Add a hard roll, and you can’t get a better autumn meal. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 6 portions: For the sage brown butter: 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 6-8 large sage leaves (or a lot of tiny leaves like I used in the video) For the soup: 3 1/2 pound butternut squash 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 chopped onion 1 cup sliced carrots 6 garlic cloves, peeled sage-infused brown butter 2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste 6 cups chicken broth, plus more if needed 2 tablespoons maple syrup 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (or other vinegar) cayenne to taste creme fraiche and chive to garnish

Tuscan Bean Soup – Cheer Up!

Our grandparents called them the winter blues, but nowadays we know this condition as Seasonal Affective Disorder; a melancholy scientifically proven to be caused by shorter, darker days. Since fall and winter are full of those, we’re going to need some coping strategies, and this hearty Tuscan bean soup is one of the more effective. There’s just something about that combo of smooth, silky soup, and crunchy, crispy croutons that makes everything seem okay. Speaking of shorter days, this recipe is also a fantastic base for creating even more substantial weeknight meals. Things like sausage, peppers, and/or maybe a handful of greens, always works in this. I tried a new method prepping our veggies; pureeing them instead of dicing. I thought this might save time, possibly extract more flavor, and quicken the cooking. Hey, two out of three aren’t bad! It was faster than dicing, and the soup only had to simmer for 15 minutes, but I didn’t think the flavor was quite as good as the classic diced veggies method. Either way, this soup is delicious, and guaranteed to fog up your kitchen windows. Smiley face sold separately. I really hope you give this Tuscan bean soup a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 servings: 1 onion, diced 1 stalk celery, diced 1 carrot, diced 3 cloves garlic *As stated in the post, I prefer diced veggies to the ground ones I tried in the video, and if you do go for the traditional method and cut your vegetables in small cubes, you'll have to simmer you soup for about 30 minutes, or until they are sweet and very tender. 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp butter salt to taste freshly ground black pepper to taste cayenne to taste 1/2 teaspoon chopped rosemary 1/2 teaspoon picked thyme leaves 2 (15-oz) cans white kidney beans aka cannellini beans 4 cups chicken broth 1/3 cup crème fraiche or heavy cream 1/2 lemon, juiced - Garnish with fresh bread cubes fried golden in olive oil, tossed with Parmigiano Reggiano, and fresh Italian parsley.

Creamy Corn Pudding – Perfect for Holidays, Weekdays, and Weekday Holidays

Corn pudding doesn’t get the same attention as some other holiday side dishes, but it’s a real crowd-pleaser that pairs perfect with all your favorite special occasion meats. It also looks, and tastes like you have to be a good cook to make, which happily you don’t. If you have a decent blender, or food processor, there isn’t much that can go wrong. If you are sans mechanical pureeing device, you can still make this by using the corn kernels whole. In fact, many corn pudding makers will leave some portion whole for texture, but as I said in the video, I like the smooth version best. The pan under the baking dish is optional, and if you’re in a hurry, you can skip it, which will cut about 15 to 30 minutes off your cooking time; but I like that it slows the cooking, which I think improves the texture. You can do the same thing with a water bath, but that’s slightly more work, and this really isn’t that temperamental of a recipe. Speaking of cooking time, I used an 8” x 11” baking dish, which is kind of an odd size, so if you use the more common 9” x 12” casserole, you’ll have to test for doneness, as the batter will probably cook faster. Either way, if you’re looking for a special holiday side dish, or just something delicious to throw next to sausage on a Tuesday night, I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for a 12 portions: 2 pounds frozen yellow corn (buy premium quality) 3 tablespoons maple syrup 6 large eggs 1/2 cup milk 3 teaspoons kosher salt (1 1/2 teaspoon fine salt) 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 cup melted butter, divided (2/3 for batter, 1/3 for baking dish) 1 1/2 cups heavy cream - Place baking dish on a sheet pan and bake at 350 F. for between 60 and 75 minutes, or until brown and just set. You may need to adjust for different size/shape baking dishes.

Candied Yams – So Good You’ll Forget You’re Eating Sweet Potatoes

While it’s true the “yams” used in this gorgeous candied yams recipe are really just orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, it’s also true that no one cares, “yams” sounds better, and takes less characters to share on Twitter. Like I said in the video, I only mentioned it in case “that guy” is at your Thanksgiving. I’m not a huge sweet side dish person, but I do make an exception for these candied yams, since it’s, well, exceptional. Part of that, I believe, is using lemon instead of orange juice, since we have plenty of sweetness, and what we really need is some tartness for balance. Speaking of sweetness, I like to use a Grade B maple syrup, since it seems to have a little deeper maple flavor; or at least that’s what Alton Brown said once, and I believed him. Having said that, any real maple syrup will be just fine. This will be our last video before the Thanksgiving holiday, and I’ll be taking the next few days off, so just a heads-up that I won’t be around to answer questions on the blog. I’m sure you’ll be fine. Anyway, I want to wish you all a very healthy, and happy holiday, and I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 8 portions: For the yams: 3 pounds yams, peeled, cut in 2-inch pieces, 2 quarts cold water 3 tablespoons kosher salt (or about 5 teaspoons of fine salt) For the glaze: 4 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup maple syrup 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon pinch cayenne salt to taste

MAKE A COMPLETE, HOMEMADE SOUTHERN STYLE CHICKEN DINNER!!

Spicy Crispy Fried Chicken Print Author: umar's Can Cook

Ingredients BRINE ½ gallon buttermilk 4 cloves garlic, crushed ½ white onion sliced ½ cup hot sauce ( I used Franks) 3 Tablespoons salt (optional, but adds great flavor) 3 lbs fresh whole chicken, cut up SEASONING BLEND 1 Tablespoon sugar 1 Tablespoon salt (can add more if desired) 1 Tablespoon black pepper 1 Tablespoon onion powder 1 Tablespoon cayenne (can more if desired) 1 Tablespoon cajun seasoning 1 Tablespoon paprika 1 Tablespoon garlic powder 1 Tablespoon poultry seasoning 1 teaspoon celery salt 1 teaspoon smoked salt ½ tablespoon chili powder 3 cups self-rising flour Egg Mixture 3 eggs ¼ cup water ½ cup hot sauce (can use more if desired) 1 teaspoon garlic powder Peanut oil or shortening, for frying Cajun seasoning, for sprinkling (if desired) Instructions In a large bowl, lined with a brining or roasting bag, combine buttermilk, garlic, onion slices, ½ cup hot sauce and salt (if using). Add chicken and tie the bag close so that the chicken is completely submerged in the brine. Refrigerate for up to 3 hours. Pour off the brine and shake off excess brine from chicken. (You can rinse if desired. I didn't) Combine the seasoning blend. Taste the seasoning blend to make sure it is salty and spicy enough for your taste. Adjust the seasoning if needed.(It should taste bold) Place chicken on a baking tray and sprinkle on up to half of the seasoning mixture generously over the chicken on both sides. Set aside. Mix the rest of the spices into the flour. DO THIS GENTLY. IF THAT SPICY FLOUR "SMOKE" GETS IN YOUR NOSTRILS IT WILL BURN. TRUST ME. Taste the flour and make sure it tastes seasoned Add in more seasoning to your liking. Flour SHOULD taste seasoned. (I usually add in more salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne) Place the flour mixture into a large paper bag. Add chicken to the bag. Close the bag tightly and shake to coat the chicken. Remove the coated chicken from bag and shake off the excess flour. Set aside. In a large dish, combine eggs, water, hot sauce and garlic powder. Dip each piece of coated chicken into the egg mixture and shake off the excess egg mixture. (Use one had to place the chicken in the mixture and the other hand to pull it out to minimize clumping) Place chicken back into paper bag and shake to coat one last time. Remove chicken from bag and place on a plate. It's time to fry! Add oil to deep skillet and heat until a test piece of flour fries gently. (about 350 degrees. See Note) Add chicken to skillet and cook until golden. (Oil should completely cover chicken. Fry dark meats together and white meats together. Do not overcrowd the pan.) When done, place chicken on a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with cajun seasoning as soon as the chicken come out of the oil, if desired. Serve hot and add hot sauce! Notes Cooking the Chicken: Average Cooking Time for 325 degree: White Meat- 16-20 minutes (I cooked mine for 13 minutes) Dark Meat- 20-30 minutes (I cooked mine for 16 minutes) As you can see my cooking time varies a lot from the standard cooking time. My chicken was small so you may need more or less.

Because Oyster Rockefeller Sounds Rich

There’s much debate over how many of America’s greatest recipes got their name, but that’s not an issue with Oyster Rockefeller. Thanks to the rich, money-colored butter sauce, this decadent creation’s name pretty much wrote itself. Besides the obvious, superficial reasons, associating your new shellfish appetizer with the most affluent family of the day was a stroke of social media genius. Hey, just because Twitter wouldn’t be invented for another 107 years doesn’t mean people didn’t “retweet” things. When Jules Alciatore invented the dish in 1899, he wasn’t trying to create a classic, new American shellfish appetizer; he was simply trying to replace snails in his diet. That’s right, what would become America’s greatest seafood appetizer (sorry, crab cakes) was just a delicious work-around for a serious shortage of French snails in New Orleans. To say the customers of Antoine's were happy with this local substitution would be a huge understatement. They went crazy for it. The dish quickly gained national attention, with the most famous celebrities, politicians, and foreign dignitaries of the day stumbling over each to get a plate or three.

The original secret recipe really is a secret; so all versions, including mine, are just guesses. There is agreement among foodies who study such matters that spinach was not part of the formula, but the much spicier and more flavorful watercress was used.

Neither were mushrooms, bacon, ham, cheese, garlic, or any other later day add-ons. Not that those ingredient aren’t good baked on top of oysters, but that just wasn’t how Mr. Alciatore rolled. So if you are looking for a special occasion appetizer that tastes, looks, and makes you feel (and sound) rich, then I hope you give this oyster Rockefeller recipe a try. Enjoy! Makes enough for about 3 dozen oysters Rockefeller: 1 stick butter (1/2 cup) room temp 2 tbsp minced green onions, white and light green parts 2 tbsp diced celery 2 tbsp fresh chopped tarragon 2 tbsp fresh chopped Italian parsley 1 cup chopped watercress leaves salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste 2 tbsp Pernod liquor 1/4 cup bread crumbs 3 dozen oysters on the half shell