Here is one of my “go-to” chili recipes when I’m serving company or other folks who like chili but can’t tolerate the heat of chipotles or spicy chili in general. The key to this is the roasted red peppers and garlic. They create a rich depth of flavor, with a hint of smokiness that doesn’t go overboard. The… Read More »
Summer-like weather finally(!) arrived in northern Wisconsin this weekend, with temps “soaring” into the upper 70s. It was a perfect opportunity for the first gazpacho of the year. This Spicy Cucumber Gazpacho features a wealth of green vegetables and can be put together quickly. No cooking is required and all the ingredients can be dumped together into a… Read More »
Here in Wisconsin, the Bloody Mary cocktail is serious business. Many bars and restaurants fiercely defend their reputation for serving the “best” or “biggest” bloody in the area. Some of these cocktails are taken to such prodigious levels that the beverage becomes almost a meal in its own right. Overstuffed glasses brim with everything from hard-boiled eggs and… Read More »
Known as Chupe Criollo (Creole Soup) in Venezuela, this soup is really a chowder in disguise featuring chicken, cheese, corn, potatoes and one of my favorite herbs – cilantro. In fact, the recipe calls for an entire bunch of cilantro! Whereas cilantro is often used to finish a dish, here part of it is tossed in near the… Read More »
I love lentils and lentil soup, but after a while I get tired of the same old-same old and know it’s time to mix it up. The plan? What better way to perk up lentils than to bring in the flavors of Ethiopia, one of the world’s most ancient cuisines? Butter made better This Spicy Ethiopian Lentil soup’s base… Read More »
The cuisine of Hungary isn’t very well known outside of its boundaries, which is a shame because the country is home to many fantastic dishes including soups. In Hungarian cooking, flour and lard are often used to form a “roux,” which helps thicken and flavor this soup. Sour cream is another favorite soup ingredient, often stirred into the… Read More »
Chicken Stock vs Chicken Broth Is Chicken Stock and Chicken Broth the Same? If you look on any supermarket shelf in the soup aisle, you will surely find a variety of chicken stock and chicken broths. There are a lot of choices and it can be confusing trying to determine whether stock or broth is better. But is… Read More »
Egg drop soup is one of the most popular items on the menus of Chinese restaurants across North America and beyond. This humble soup requires little more than chicken broth or stock and an egg or two to make something special out of the ordinary. By slowly incorporating and swirling eggs into the hot broth, little flowers of… Read More »
I find the foods and cooking of the many nations within West Africa fascinating – especially when it comes to soups and stews. In Nigeria, to take one country as an example, it is common to combine ingredients such as beef or chicken with smoked fish and other seafood in the same soup pot. And palm oil is… Read More »
If you think all chili seasoning packet mixes are the same… you are wrong. Dead wrong. The next time you’re in the grocery store and decide you’re going to make chili from one of those handy chili seasoning packet mixes, consider this: your chili and your diners are depending on you making the right decision. And that means… Read More »
