Creamy Carrot and Chickpea Soup

By Freya Bellin

One of the cold weather staples in my kitchen is a good, hearty soup — the kind that needs only a thick slice of bread to make itself a meal.  This carrot and chickpea soup fits right into that category: it has relatively few ingredients, takes only about 30 minutes of active cook time, and is completely satisfying as a main dish.   The smoked paprika smells amazing bubbling in a stock pot for hours.  My chickpeas soaked for about 3 hours before I added them to the stock, and it required about 2 hours cooking time to soften them.  If you remember, try soaking the beans overnight to reduce that time.  Plus, you can reuse the soaking liquid – I used 2 cups of chickpea liquid and 4 cups of vegetable stock for the 6 cups of liquid needed. I ate a few bites of the soup before I pureed it and it’s as good chunky as it is smooth. Recipe from The Food Matters Cookbook.

Everyday Pancakes

Makes: 4 to 6 servings

Time: 20 minutes

It’s amazing how quickly you can whip up this batter.  Store it, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.  Adjust the consistency of the batter with either more milk or more flour as you like. Recipe from How to Cook Everything.

A Return to Sweeter Times

By Suzanne Lenzer

[Following up on her popular On Eating Alone, Suzanne suggests the opposite: inviting someone over, for an old-fashioned coffee cake. – mb]

Remember how in old television shows neighbors visited each other in the middle of the day for a cup of coffee and a slice of cake? Ethel and Lucy would hatch plans over coffee, and long before Samantha made Darrin his evening martini, Esmerelda would have been around for a cup of Sanka and a touch of bewitching mayhem.

Back then everyone seemed to have time to sit and talk over coffee and cake, with no one checking their blackberry in the midst of a chat. And in those days, an afternoon coffee wasn’t just a jolt of caffeine, but an excuse for a real break. The cake was a further reason to linger an extra half hour or so. Now it seems a nostalgic reminder of the days before Atkins, personal trainers, and Pilates.

Pasta in brodo

I’ve written a little over at the Times about my recent illness and comfort food. 

But one thing I didn’t mention was what must be among the most soothing dishes ever: pasta in brodo.

There’s some history here. In case you were wondering, I’m not – at least to my knowledge – Italian. (My family tree looks like a 3-month old shrub, so no one really knows.) Yet when I was young, my mother made me pastina – which is essentially couscous without the cachet – when I was sick. Pastina and butter. God, I can taste it now.

Sunday Supper: Coq au Vin

[Simple: we’re going to post a solid Sunday recipe every weekend, in hopes of helping you plan a fine meal. Soon, there’ll be photos too, but for now, the basic, classic recipes will have to hold you. For another Sunday chicken option, check this out at Kitchen Daily. Happy eating! – mb]

Coq au Vin

Makes 4 servings

Time: About 40 minutes

[Adapted from How to Cook Everything]

The French standard, very home-style, dark, rich, and lovely. If you use a typical chicken, it’s actually a pretty quick recipe to prepare; traditionally, the bird would be old and tough (if you’ve come across such a bird, cook it this way, but for a while longer). Use a decent but not necessarily expensive red wine.

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms

1/4 pound good slab bacon, cut into 1/4-inch dice

20 pearl onions, peeled, or 1 large onion, sliced

1/2 pound white mushrooms, trimmed and roughly chopped

1 whole chicken, 3 to 4 pounds, trimmed of excess fat and cut up, with legs cut in 2; or use any combination of parts

6 cloves garlic, peeled

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade

2 cups Burgundy (pinot noir) or other fruity red wine

2 bay leaves

Several sprigs of thyme

Several sprigs of parsley

2 tablespoons butter

Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish

1. Soak the porcini mushrooms in hot water to cover while you proceed with the recipe. Put the bacon in a large, deep skillet that can accommodate the chicken and later be covered; turn the heat to medium high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon gives up its fat and becomes brown and crisp, about 10 minutes. Add the onions, button mushrooms, and chicken, skin-side down, and brown the chicken well, rotating and turning the pieces as necessary; the process will take about 10 minutes. About halfway through this period, add the garlic and sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.

2. Pour or spoon off any excess fat and add the stock and the wine, along with the herbs. Adjust the heat so that the mixture bubbles gently but steadily, and cover. Cook about 20 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and cooked through; the bird is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 155dgF to 165dgF. (If you like, you can remove the breast pieces, which will finish cooking first, and keep them warm, while the leg pieces remain.) Remove the chicken to a platter and keep warm.

3. Drain the porcini, add them, and turn the heat to high (if you like, strain the mushroom soaking liquid and add that, too). Boil until the mixture is reduced by about three-fourths and becomes fairly thick and saucy. Lower the heat, stir in the butter, and return the chicken to the pan, just to reheat a bit and coat with the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, then garnish and serve.