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Tonights taste treat... Vodka Grand
Shake in iced cocktail shaker & strain
1 1/2 oz vodka
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 oz Grand Marnier
Add orange slice
Serve in a cocktail glass (4.5 oz)

We Both Like Soup pt 2

Jane & Austin came over to share dinner with us. We had an evening os asian fusion we served Hot & Sour Soup (recipe below) with salad: nappa cabbage, red cabbage, carrots, & the last of our homegrown yellow tomatoes topped w toasted seasame seeds and dressed with Soy Vey Chinese Chicken Salad Dressing / Marinade (yummy) and Trader Joes Biryani Rice. Beverages of choice ranged from homebrew porter & amber to Casa Nuestra Reisling. YUMMY!

The soup recipe came to me ourtesy of my friend, Elaine (via Martha)...

I amended the recipe by adding shoestring bamboo shoots, twice the required ginger and at least 8 pinches of cayanne pepper. This was the easiest soup in the world to make. Try it! Enjoy...


Hot and Sour Soup

Serves 8

8 cups Homemade Chicken Stock, or canned low-sodium chicken broth, skimmed of fat
1 ten-ounce whole boneless and skinless chicken breast
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 1/2 teaspoons grated ginger
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
6 tablespoons rice-wine vinegar
1 large whole egg, plus 1 large egg white, beaten
3 large scallions, trimmed and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
6 ounces firm or extra-firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1. In a small saucepan, bring 3 cups chicken stock to a boil. Add chicken breast; poach until cooked through, about 12 minutes. Transfer chicken to a cutting board; slice in half crosswise, then into 1/4-inch-thick strips. Set aside. Pass stock through a cheesecloth-lined sieve set over a medium bowl; set aside.

2. In a 6-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic and onion, and cover. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 6 to 7 minutes. Add mushrooms, and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add reserved and remaining chicken stock, carrots, ginger, black pepper, cayenne, and salt; bring liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer until carrots are tender, about 3 minutes.

3. Place cornstarch in a small bowl, and slowly whisk in soy sauce until cornstarch has dissolved. Whisk in vinegar. Slowly whisk cornstarch mixture into soup. Simmer until soup is clear, 5 to 7 minutes. Add reserved chicken, and continue simmering until chicken is heated through, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.

4. Slowly pour beaten eggs through a perforated spoon into soup. Cover soup, and let stand 1 minute. Remove the cover, and gently stir. Add scallions and tofu. To serve, ladle into individual bowls.

Per serving: 206 calories, 5 g fat, 65 mg cholesterol, 9 g carbohydrate, 500 mg sodium, 22 g protein, 2 g dietary fiber.

Campbell Soup Company � SpaghettiOs�

Campbell Soup Company � SpaghettiOs�

Delicious & Nutritious! Jane needed a retro-food item. Yesterday for lunch we had Spaghetti-Os & iceberg lettuce salad. The Spaghetti-Os are actually not so bad for you - if you buy the non-meated & enriched with calcium version. Hardly a gram a fat in the can!

MAHOGANY BEEF STEW WITH RED WINE AND HOISIN SAUCE

Borrowed wholesale from epicurious.com. Consider adding more carrots, because everyone wants them, and also increasing the cooking time until the beef is tender. This is fabulous when served with Horseradish Mased Potatoes

4 tablespoons olive oil
3 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed, cut into 2 1/2-inch pieces
3 1/2 cups chopped onions
2 cups Cabernet Sauvignon
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs, undrained
1/2 cup hoisin sauce*
2 bay leaves
1 pound slender carrots, peeled, cut diagonally into 1-inch lengths
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over high heat. Sprinkle meat with saltand pepper. Add meat to pot; sauté until brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Push meat to sides ofpot. Reduce heat to medium; add 2 tablespoons oil to pot. Add onions; sauté until golden brown, about15 minutes. Mix meat into onions. Add 1 cup wine, tomatoes with juices, hoisin sauce, and bay leaves.Bring to boil.
Reduce heat to low, cover pot and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Addcarrots and 1 cup wine. Cover; simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover, increase heat to high;boil until sauce is slightly thickened, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes longer. Reduce heatto medium, add cornstarch mixture and simmer until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally, about8 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Season stew with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly.Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Bring to simmer before serving, stirringoccasionally.) Transfer stew to large bowl. Sprinkle with parsley; serve.
* Available at Asian markets and in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets.

Jane's Pot Roast

1 2-3 lb. roast -- blade, 7-bone, chuck, rump, etc. Trimmed of major excess fat
2 TB oil2 onions, chopped
6 carrots, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
2 cans whole or crushed tomatoes + juice
3 cloves garlic
salt and pepper
1 bottle cheap red wine

Trim roast and pat dry. Salt and pepper liberally on both sides.In large dutch oven or other heavy, covered pot, heat oil.Brown roast on all sides, remove from pot.Add onions to pot, cook until soft and golden, stirring frequently to preventburning.Add meat to pot, with carrots, tomatoes and juice, garlic.Add 1-2 bottles of wine until meat is nearly covered by wine and juices.Bring to boil, then turn heat to low, cover, and let simmer 5-6 hours, turningmeat occasionally.

Coffee-Chipotle Short Ribs

Adapted from Bon Apetit January 2003.

1 medium onion, quartered
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
4 tablespoons finely chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo plus 2 teaspoons adobo sauce
4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
3 teaspoons salt
6 lb beef short ribs
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup brewed coffee
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Purée onion, garlic, chipotles with sauce, maple syrup, lime juice, and 1 teaspoonsalt.
Pat ribs dry and sprinkle with pepper and remaining 2 teaspoons salt.
Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown ribs in3 batches, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes per batch.
Transfer as browned to a roasting pan just large enough to hold ribs in 1 layer.
Carefully add chile purée to fat remaining in skillet (use caution, since it willsplatter and steam) and cook over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, 5 minutes. Add coffee and2 cups of water and bring to a boil, then pour over ribs (liquid should come about halfway up sidesof meat).

Cover roasting pan tightly with foil and braise ribs in middle of oven until verytender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Skim fat from pan juices and serve with ribs. Better if served 1-2 days after. Refrigerate and skim fat before reheating.

Pomegranate & Spice Braised Pork

We'll make this soon and give you the update.

Pomegranate & Spice Braised Pork
Pork shoulder roast is also known as Boston butt. This cut benefits from long, slow roasting or braising. Try braising some pork bones along with the pork shoulder. While cooking, they'll release a tiny bit of gelatin to give the dish a rich, unctuous texture.

INGREDIENTS:
3 1/2 to 4 pounds bone-in pork shoulder roast
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
5 large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
6 slices fresh ginger, 1/8-inch thick and about the size of a quarter
2 star anise
1 stick cinnamon, about 2 inches long
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
2 cups dry, fruity red wine
2 cups unsweetened pomegranate juice
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, or to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:
Season all sides of the pork with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meat and sear until dark golden brown, turning as necessary. Remove the meat from the skillet and set aside.

Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a Dutch oven just large enough to hold the roast. Add the onion and saute until translucent, then add the garlic and cook until aromatic.

Add the ginger, star anise, cinnamon and peppercorns. Put the pork in the Dutch oven and add the wine, pomegranate juice, soy sauce, fish sauce and hoisin. The liquid should come at least halfway up on the roast. If not, add more wine and pomegranate juice (in equal amounts) or water.

Stir, cover and bring to a simmer. Check the level of tartness after 30 minutes, then add brown sugar if needed to balance the acidity of the wine and tartness of the juice.
Continue at a low simmer for another hour, then turn the roast and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours or more, until the meat is fork-tender.

Remove the meat to a platter and keep warm. Bring the sauce to a boil and reduce by about 1/4 to 1/2. Strain and discard solids. Remove the bone from the meat (it should easily release on its own) and cut the meat into serving portions. Return meat to the sauce to rewarm, if needed, then serve, spooning the sauce over the meat.

Note: The roast can be made ahead and reheated. The flavors meld and the meat becomes more intensely flavored as it rests overnight in the sauce -- especially if the meat is sliced or shredded first.

Serves 6
PER SERVING: 460 calories, 39 g protein, 23 g carbohydrate, 17 g fat (5 g saturated), 130 mg cholesterol, 1,688 mg sodium, 0 fiber
E-mail Lynne Char Bennett at lbennett@sfchronicle.com. She will teach at The Chronicle Cooking School on Dec. 2. For more information, visit sfgate.com/cookingschool.

Beef , Barley & Vegetable Soup

This recipe was pulled from epicurious.com and modified to exclude okra and use up beef & frozen veggies in the freezer.

Easy to make and quite yummy. The double batch we made lasted a week.

We Both Like Soup....
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound beef stew meat
1 pound meaty beef bones (such as beef shank bones)3 celery stalks, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup pearl barley4 cups water
2 14 1/2-ounce cans beef broth1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
1 10-ounce package frozen veggie mix (peas, carrots, corn, lima beans, green beans...)
2 small bay leaves
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce

Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add stew meat and bones; sauté until beef is dark brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer beef and bones to plate. Add celery, onion, and barley to pot. Sauté until onion is golden, about 15 minutes. Add 4 cups water, beef broth, tomatoes with juices, veggies, bay leaves, and garlic powder. Return beef and bones to pot and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until beef is almost tender, about 1 hour.Add 1 1/2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce to soup. Cover and simmer until beef is tender, about 30 minutes longer. Season with salt, pepper, and more hot pepper sauce, if desired.