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Potato, Cheese & Ale Soup

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Potato, <a href=ed Cheese & Ale Soup” />

Have I ever mentioned that I absolutely love beer? I’m not talking about Bud Light, traumatologist Coors or the most-revolting Miller High Life. I’m talking about amber lagers, hoppy pale ales and creamy, mocha-flavored stouts. Last weekend in St. Augustine, we went to a microbrewery for dinner and found some pretty delicious beers. I love microbrewery menus. Yes, you can read all about the beer-making process, but you also get to see how that beer makes it into the food. Beer mustard, beer battered everything and on this particular menu, Cheese & Ale Soup.

Although tempted, I would have been crazy to order the soup. We were sitting out on the balcony and it was 85 very humid degrees. I would have melted. In the words of the Soup Nazi – No soup for me! But it sounded so good, I decided to make my own version, using potatoes as the basis.

I started with your basic soup starters – sauteed onions and garlic. Added a few diced potatoes, some stock and summer ale. After some time simmering and a quick run-in with the immersion blender, I stirred in the cheese and secret ingredients. Served with crumbled pretzels and more cheese, I finished up my beer soup. Beer, cheese, potatoes and pretzels. You really can’t go wrong there – the soup was great. So great and so easy, I can’t wait to make it again.

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Potato, Asparagus and Goat Cheese Pizza

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Potato, <a href=page Asparagus and Goat Cheese Pizza” />

Potato pizza? What? Yes. Potato pizza. I had a delicious rosemary and caramelized onion potato pizza at my favorite Car Wash/Pizza Place, Andiamo, a couple of weeks ago and have been craving more ever since. I also saw a potato pizza in this month’s Bon Apetit and knew I’d be making it really soon.

Since I wasn’t really in the mood for rosemary and caramelized onions, I topped my dough with fingerling potatoes, garlic, shallots, asparagus, mozzarella and goat cheese. It was colorful, rich and delicious. I loved the asparagus for this time of year. Next time, I want to try some caramelized onion and hot peppers, and eventually I’d like to make a version with sweet potatoes, pancetta and goat cheese.

I know potato pizza might seem weird. I thought the same thing before I went to Andiamo and realized that potato pizza is just about the tastiest treat I’ve ever eaten. I suggest you give it a try. Your pizza-making will never be the same again.

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Ajiaco: Colombian Chicken, Corn & Potato Soup

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Ajiaco: Colombian Chicken, <a href=this web Corn & Potato Soup” />

For some reason, this month’s food magazines had me drooling. I may have been starving when I was flipping through, but I bookmarked almost every recipe. One in particular caught my eye – a lighter, healthier version of Ajiaco, the traditional Colombian Chicken Soup.

I know what you’re thinking. Chicken soup? Booooring! But this isn’t your mama’s chicken soup (though I would never, ever turn that down). This one is flavored with cilantro and cumin, is chock full of chicken, potatoes and corn, and in this case, asparagus and hominy. Everything is topped off with diced avocado, more cilantro and capers. It’s simultaneously light and hearty, and it’s really, really good.

I just wish I’d had a bowl of this when I was sick last week. Good thing I froze a huge batch for next time I’m feeling under the weather, though let’s face it – it’ll be gone by next week.

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Poblano & Purple Potato Soup

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Poblano & Purple Potato Soup

I am in love with this soup (surprise, ed surprise! I love all soup). Topped with a drizzle of smoked paprika oil and another of cilantro yogurt, discount it’s slightly spicy, creamy and very good. But before I go into more detail, let’s talk about garnishes. More specifically, cumbersome garnishes like the toasted slice of ham peeking out of this soup. I didn’t leave it whole for aesthetic reasons — I was just to lazy to slice it up. Big mistake. I had to eat around it and I missed the smoky ham bits with every bite. It wasn’t pretty. Moral of the story? Don’t add big stupid garnishes to your dish. Even if they’re pretty, they’ll just get in the way later.

So, back to the soup. I bought some Purple Idaho potatoes at the market, thinking they’d be purple all the way through. I love how pretty and colorful they look on a plate! Turns out, only the skin was purple, and the insides were as creamy yellow as a standard Idaho. No matter, they were just as tasty. This soup is really simple — just saute onions, garlic and poblano peppers, add potatoes and chicken stock and you’re basically done. The smoked paprika oil and cilantro yogurt really complete the dish, and the crisped ham added a nice crunch and smokiness (bacon bits would be fabulous, too!).

If you like potato soup and spiciness, then this is the soup for you. Next time, I think I’ll add some sauteed Spanish chorizo bits instead of the ham. Either way, I’m making this again. And soon!

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Loaded Baked Potato Soup

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Crisp Gnocchi with Lemon & Garlic Greens

Hot on the heels of the homemade gnocchi post, diabetes and pregnancy here’s another method for cooking fresh gnocchi that will make those little potato pasta pillows even more delicious and addicting. Pan fry them until they’re crisp and brown. I would describe the taste as a cross between pasta and a french fry. MMM. There’s nothing better than that!

As with the last batch of gnocchi, I didn’t want to smother them in sauce. I wanted them to really shine. So, I sauteed some kale with basil, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and serrano peppers. The greens were spicy and garlicky and lemony and the perfect compliment to the crisp, starchy gnocchi.

I used a batch of frozen homemade gnocchi for this dish — it went straight from the freezer into the oiled pan and crisped up nicely. You can also use fresh and frozen gnocchi, but I would avoid the shrink-wrapped kind you find in the pasta aisle. You’ll lose all of the creamy potato-ness if you go that route.

This dish came together in under 20 minutes and is delicious and fancy enough for guests. Just make sure you make a whole bunch — people will be wanting seconds.

Shamless Plug: Head over to Kelly Spitzer’s Flavor a Deux to read her “Foodie Spotlight” all about yours truly. I had a great time working with her on this interview. Thanks Kelly!

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how to make homemade gnocchi

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how to make homemade gnocchi

Have you ever tasted homemade gnocchi? I’m not talking about the stuff that’s shrink-wrapped and powdery in the pasta isle of your grocery store. Not that I’m knocking store-bought gnocchi — it’s perfect for quick weeknight meals and satisfies the potato pasta craving. But there’s nothing like real, this homemade gnocchi. They’re much less dense than the pre-packaged kind — soft and pillowy, physician like a dumpling, but still as sturdy and chewy as you’d expect.

I was first introduced to homemade gnocchi when I was a mere pre-teen punk. My parents were close friends with an Argentinian couple who made them once a month. In Argentina, it’s tradition to make gnocchi on the 29th of each month and serve them with a dollar bill placed under the plate to attract prosperity (more over at Wikipedia). I can’t remember how the gnocchi tasted, but I remember it was good. Delicious, even.

how to make homemade gnocchi

I made an enormous batch this weekend as a special Sunday Supper for Tom’s birthday and served them with lamb and veal ricotta meatballs in a hearty Parmesan and shitake broth (recipe for those later this week). While making gnocchi may not be for the beginner cook, they’re not as difficult as you might think. Just keep a box of pasta in the pantry in case something goes wrong.

how to make homemade gnocchi

The most difficult thing about making gnocchi is that measurements are a rough guideline and you’ll have to go by feel for a lot of this. There are a lot of variables that make giving precise measurements tricky — potato sizes vary, egg sizes vary, altitude affects dough, etc. So, here’s a rough recipe, along with tips and pointers for getting your dough just right. I encourage you to give these a try. Unlike fresh pasta, fresh gnocchi is much more difficult to find at the store and definitely worth the extra effort for homemade.

Update: Forgot to mention that I froze 2/3 of the gnocchi I made since it was a double batch and only 5 people came for dinner. (I always make too much.) To freeze fresh gnocchi, just cover the parchment paper with another sheet of parchment and roll it up like a fruit roll-up or sushi roll. Gently place the rolled parchment into a gallon-sized freezer bag and seal, making sure you push as much air out of the bag as possible. The layers of parchment will prevent them from sticking together or getting freezer burn when they freeze.

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dijon potato & green bean salad

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dijon potato & green bean salad

I bookmarked this potato salad a few weeks ago and finally got around to making it for lunch. Potatoes, ampoule green beans, prescription salmon and hard boiled eggs with a sharp Dijon-y dressing. I’m usually tempted to add all manner of exotic spices or unexpected ingredients to recipes, but I didn’t want to mess with this salad much. I only tweaked the dressing and omitted the capers.

It’s a nice balance of starch, vegetables and protein that filled me up but didn’t feel too heavy. Honestly, it’s a perfect lunch since it doesn’t even require that strenuous trip down a flight of stairs to the microwave. So glad I’ve got leftovers for tomorrow!

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