A Barefoot Contessa Moment.....

Ina Garten is one of my culinary heroes.  I watch her show, "Barefoot Contessa" on FoodNetwork religiously and own all eight of her cookbooks.  I even went to her book event with a couple of girlfriends last year...you'd of thought I had died and gone to Heaven.

The thing about Ina's recipes - THEY WORK.  You don't need 9000 ingredients or need to visit 700 grocery and specialty stores to find them.  Her direction is easy to understand, even for a novice like me.  Ina doesn't just make up a recipe and throw it into a book.  She tests her recipes over and over and over to make sure they WORK.  I love her.

Anyway.....

The Roommate LOVES soup.  He'd eat it seven days a week, in subzero temperatures, or when it's ridiculously hot.  He doesn't care.  So, in an effort to maintain marital harmony, I make soup for him.  This recipe is based on Ina Garten's "Easy Tomato Soup", however, as I can't leave well enough alone - I messed around with it and came up with this.  The Roommate inhaled two bowls and has plans for the rest.  Harmony in La Casa prevails.......

Creamy Tomato Soup with Pesto, Crab and Parmesan

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons good olive oil
3 cups yellow onions, chopped (2 onions)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cups chicken stock

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, but anything works

1 5.5 ounce can V8 vegetable juice
Large pinch of saffron threads
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup orzo
1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons prepared pesto

1/2 pound lump crab meat - fresh if you can swing it, canned will do 

Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved, for garnish

Directions:

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Stir in the chicken stock, tomatoes, saffron, V8 juice, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, fill a medium pot with water, add 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Add the orzo and cook for 7 minutes. (It will finish cooking in the soup.) Drain the orzo and add it to the soup. Stir in the cream, pesto and crab and heat thru, stirring frequently.

Serve hot, with parmigiano reggiano shavings on top.

Winter Will Never End? AKA: A Soup Recipe For You....

Jeebus, has this been the worst winter ever?

Probably not, but, for my friends in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Georgia - it's really looking that way!

I mentioned this soup on FB a couple of days ago and a friend at The Day Job asked about it.  She had a horrendous day today, as some work days do.  This post is for her. 

Make this.  Eat this.  You are welcome.  XOXOXO

Butternut Squash Soup with Fontina Cheese Crostini
    -Giada DeLaurentiis

Ingredients

Soup:
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch pieces (about 7 to 8 cups)
6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1/4 cup chopped fresh sage leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Crostini:
1/2 baguette, sliced diagonally into 1/2-inch thick slices
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves
1 cup (2 ounces) grated fontina cheese
Kosher salt

Directions

In an 8-quart stockpot, add the butter and oil and melt together over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the squash and the chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the sage. Continue to boil until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat. Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep the soup warm over low heat.

For the crostini: Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sage. Sprinkle the cheese on top and season with salt, to taste. Bake until the cheese has melted and the bread is light golden, about 6 to 8 minutes.

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the cheese crostini.

Cook's Note: The cooked vegetable mixture can also be pureed (after cooling for about 5 minutes) by ladling, in batches, into a food processor or blender and blended until smooth.

Sort of Review....of Old Town Inn - Germantown

Had the opportunity to try out the new Old Town Inn in Germantown last night.  Friends scored a dinner reservation for Inn's soft opening and were gracious enough to invite me and The Roommate along.  For those in the Germantown area, the Old Town Inn is the former Jerry's Old Town - a legendary restaurant known for their ribs.  Jerry sold it years ago, then the place wasn't what it used to be and it closed a couple of years ago. 

The Inn's remodeled space is beautiful.  Lots of hardwood and stone.  Great, roaring fireplace (very welcome on a cold night), open concept.  High ceiling.  Tables spaced well apart.  The only issues I had with the space was, because of the open space and virtually no soft surfaces - it was loud in the dining room and bar.  Seriously LOUD.  So loud it made it difficult to talk at the table....which involves raising your voice....which makes it louder...and, well, you get the picture.

The other space issue?  The ladies restroom.  I know, I know, but hear me out.  The ladies room was very clean, nicely decorated, well stocked, plenty o' stalls.  However, there was no heat in the bathroom.  None.  Zero.  Really.  It felt like I went outside to pee in a snowbank.  Bad move, Old Town.  Given that we here in Wisconsin are sick of this Polar Vortex and Mother Nature is being a real bitch - get some heat in the damn restroom!

Onto the food - keeping in mind, this was the place's soft opening.  First up, the pretzel knots = awesome.  So good, we ate them all, got some more and didn't touch the rye bread that was brought along with them.  For dinner,  I had the grilled chicken & goat cheese macaroni and a side of creamed spinach.  The macaroni was delicious - chicken well seasoned, yet not overly so, a bit dry, but not to the point of dehydration.  The goat cheese cream sauce was mild and flavored the macaroni well.  I split my spinach with a friend and tossed the rest into the macaroni dish.  Portion size was perfect - I even brought some home.  I'd order it again.  The Roommate ordered half a rack of famous ribs & sausage with a baked potato and spinach.  The only issue he had with his food was the portion size.   His half rack o' ribs = four ribs the size of his index finger for $25 bucks.  Our friends had the ribs and a fish fry.  My friend reported that her fish was OK, but, again - portion size.  Three small pieces of fish and the rest of the plate filled with mediocre french fries. If you're going to do a fish fry - make it memorable.  This IS Wisconsin, land of the fish fry all year round, not just during Lent.

Service was warm and friendly, both at the bar and the table.  Obviously, this being the first Friday, there were a few missteps in timing and such, but I give it a pass as they're still getting their rhythm.  A cocktail at the bar was served in a chipped glass, but after I pointed it out, the bartender graciously replaced the drink and, as expected, did not charge for the drink.  The bar has three large, flat screen TV's on the walls, which was perfect for watching the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics.

All things considered, I believe the new Old Town Inn will be a success once they get their feet under them and get the front of the house and kitchen in sync.  I'll give it a few months and revisit.  When it's warmer.  Or there's heat in the ladies room.