Red wine and mushroom soup

The idea for this soup came to me a couple of weeks ago. I had leftover red wine from a dinner with friends that I had to use up and a bucket of mushrooms in the fridge.

Here's what I came up with. Hope you'll like this recipe and try it at home!



INGREDIENTS (4 people):
- 1x 8oz bucket of cremini mushrooms
- 3/4 cups red wine
- 4 cups broth (I used beef, but feel free to use chicken or vegetable broth)
- 1 small onion (or 1/2 medium)
- 3 medium russet potatoes
- a splash of olive oil
- salt, pepper to taste
- a sprig of thyme (not pictured)
- 3 rashes of thick cut bacon, finely chopped (not pictured)
- optional: dried porcini mushrooms (I just did not have any on hand, but would have added it to the soup had I had some!)


RECIPE:
- optional: if you have dried porcini on hand, rehydrate them with 1/2 cup boiling water and let them steep for 30 minutes, then drain them thoroughly, chop them and reserve the liquid
Note: using rehydrated porcini mushrooms will add a deep earthy mushroomy flavor to this soup. I highly recommend splurging :) 
- peel and dice the potatoes and onion in 1/4 inch cubes and slice the mushrooms thinly

- in a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, add the mushrooms and a sprinkle of salt and saute until nice and golden

Note: at first, they will render a LOT of moisture and start to steam. This is perfectly normal and when the moisture evaporates, they will eventually become crispy and golden.
- when the mushrooms are cooked, add the onions and cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes, or until they are soft and translucent

Note: if you are using rehydrated porcini mushrooms, add them at this stage
- deglaze with the wine, then add the potatoes, thyme and broth and bring back to a simmer over medium-high heat

Note: if you are using rehydrated porcini, add the reserved liquid at this stage
- lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender

- while the soup is cooking, crisp up the sliced bacon in a skillet and reserve on a paper towel

- when the potatoes are cooked through, pour out 1 to 2 cups of soup in a small container and using a stick blender, puree until smooth then return the pureed soup to the bigger pot

Note: this is an optional step that thickens the soup and adds a creamy texture without adding any cream, flour or cornstarch
- sprinkle a spoonful of crispy bacon on top and enjoy!

Roasted chestnuts

Roasted chestnuts are a very typical Parisian street food. I have such fond memories of getting out of the metro on cold winter days and smelling the aroma wafting from those warm little nuggets of deliciousness, wrapped in newspaper cones.

Provided you can get your hands on fresh chestnuts in the shell, these are extremely easy to make! You don't even need to grill them on an open fire, you can just use a pan (although they will taste much better if you prepare them on a barbecue grill or in the fireplace). I do recommend a cast iron skillet if you have one, but any skillet will do.

Try them, you won't regret it!


INGREDIENTS:
- fresh chestnuts, still in their shells


RECIPE:
- rinse and dry the chestnuts
- with a sharp paring knife, score the chestnuts in an arched line

Note: this will allow the chestnut to expand with the heat without exploding
- place the chestnuts in a dry hot skillet and cook for about 20-25 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring often so that they don't burn

Note: a little char is okay though! They will develop a lovely smoky flavor.
- the chestnuts are ready when you can smell them and they have cracked a little along the scored line; they will be soft to the chew

- serve unpeeled, in a newspaper cone and enjoy them while you stroll down the streets. Or in front of a cozy fireplace ;)

Vietnamese beef noodle soup (Pho)

This past weekend was the Lunar New Year. I decided to go to Chinatown to do some grocery shopping, because I was planning to play with a pack of glutinous rice I bought a few months back and needed a bamboo steamer. Needless to say that I came back home with a giant Asian food haul, with a huge smile on my face when realized I had everything I needed to make Beef Pho (almost) from scratch.

I discovered Pho a few years ago when I moved to the US, as Vietnamese food is readily available where I am right now. I fell in love, and am always on the lookout for the best Pho. Chicken, beef, seafood or veggie. Me likey.

I used my slow cooker to prepare the broth and am not claiming absolute authenticity, but here's my adapted recipe.


INGREDIENTS (4 people):
for the broth:
- about 1 lb beef shank
- 3 shallots, peeled
- 1 medium yellow onion, peeled
- 2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and bruised
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 star anise
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp fennel seeds (not pictured - I decided to add them mid-recipe)
- 1 tsp coriander seeds (not pictured - I decided to add them mid recipe)
- 2 tbsp salt
- 10 cups beef stock

for serving:
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- thin sliced slow-cooked beef shank (reserved from the stock)
- paper-thin sliced raw beef (a lean cut is preferable, but I just used a little bit of shank meat before cooking the stock)
- rice sticks noodles (banh pho)
- 1 small yellow onion, peeled and sliced paper-thin (using a mandolin)
- lime quarters
- fresh cilantro
- fresh thai basil
- daikon sprouts (the normal recipe calls for bean sprouts, but I just really dislike them, so I picked another type of sprouts)


RECIPE:
start with the broth (on the day before if using a slow cooker, or at least 3-4 hours before if using the stove-top):
- brown the onion, shallots and ginger under a broiler, or on an open flame, until charred

- parboil the beef shank 10 min in boiling water, skimming the grayish foam (this step is optional, but will ensure a visually pleasing clear broth instead of a cloudy broth)

- in the crock-pot (or stock pot), place the spices, charred aromatics, stock and cook on LOW for 8 hours (or if on the stove-top, on the lowest setting before it turns off, for 3-4 hours, or until the beef is fork-tender and almost falls apart)


about 1 hour before serving:
- strain the beef stock through a fine sieve, reserve the meat and discard the other solids

- once the meat is cooled, slice thin and reserve until ready to serve

- cook the rice noodles for 5 minutes in boiling water, or until desired chewiness, rinse in cold water, drain and reserve

- bring the clear beef stock back to a boil and season with the fish sauce

for serving:
- place a bunch of noodles, sliced cooked and raw beef in a large serving bowl and ladle piping hot broth on top (this will instantly cook the raw meat)

- add the various toppings to your liking and enjoy with a good splash of rooster sauce (Sriracha)
- Enjoy!!!