Sunday, July 27, 2008

Soups De Jours...

As you guys get to know me, you'll learn - I like to break all the rules. Who says certain things can't go together...sure they can. Food is relative. What's salty to someone is under seasoned to someone else. So what it's summer and it's 90 degrees outside. I felt like soup and that's what I did.

I had my mind set on three soups - but I only finished two of them...I'm still stuck on the third. I made...

Split Pea Soup w/smoked turkey and cornbread croutons - the cornbread croutons are courtesy of Sunny Anderson. Although, I thought cheese needed to go into the equation some kinda darn way. So, I mixed in an asiago and parm blend. In the end...it proved to be really worth it.

Potato & Leek Soup - I must say, this was my first time making it - but I had had it many times. I figured it'd be easy enough, right? It was - and it was FREAKING FANTASTIC. So, I made it with yukon golds, maple smoked bacon, and in the end I threw in heavy cream and about a half cup or so of white wine. This soup could honestly win a competition. I put it through a blender (since I don't have an immersion blender just yet) but I didn't strain it. There's something rustic and lovely about lumps - right? Even in gravies - lumps rock! I topped this soup w/the cornbread croutons too - talk about two birds with one stone.

The third soup was going to be a chicken and brown rice stew with spinach. I thought about creaming it, but I just wasn't sure. I even made the stock myself - yup, I immersed a whole chicken in water, salt, pepper, celery, onions, peppers, bay, basil, thyme, rosemary, and garlic. Boy did it have the house smelling great. But you know after a full day of soup cooking and an 8 mile bike ride, well, a brotha was worn out. Oh, let's not forget church too.

In the cooking process for today I managed to broil a large fillet of salmon. (What do you call a large fillet? It's not a side - there's gotta be a technical name for it, right? Especially something as big as this thing was). I also figured what's a day of hard work with no reward? So, I rewarded myself by making some cute little fried biscuit sticks and glazing them in a honey & butter mixture.

Guess what?!?!?! I have pictures!

Enjoy,
DTW

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

Fried biscuits? Hrmm.... I have to try that one day....

fuzzy said...

the only thing you really need for stock is the carcass. The meat doesn't add much flavor. The fat adds more flavor to the stock than the meat. Just keep that in mind. The meat alters the taste... and makes the stock more "hard" than smoothe and delectable! nice herb mix though! I'm luvin it! :-)

OhioMom said...

I am sitting here in Cleveland with my coffee and I find I have no fried biscuit and honey ... wow that sounds good.

Lovin the soups too! I noticed the containers, so you pack them up and freeze for later ? Excellent idea for hubby's lunches.

Rodney said...

All my life I had never thought to substitute that bulky ham bone for smoked turkey. I'd done it everywhere else; collards, pinto beans, cabbage, but never EVER thought to put it in the split pea soup. Growing up, we only had split pea after the ham was gone and I really didn't believe it was possible to achieve split pea any other way. Thank you for broadening my horizons.

Darius T. Williams said...

Yes sir - that smoked turkey wing is good in some split pea soup. What's even better (and I shouldn't be telling you my secret) is some smoked turkey tails...they have the most fat and when you cook those in some greens or beans or peas - watch out...they're soo good. And the meat that comes off is second to none...it's the new non-white meat - lol. I love pork though, but if turkey is done right, it's good too.

Nikki @ NikSnacks said...

I just made some cornbread croutons last night. Not Sunny's recipe. I'm going to post about them in the near future. Hopefully this week.

Anonymous said...

I want your potato & leek soup. Pass it on over! :)

giz said...

Thanx for stopping by our "humble abode"...nice to meet another fellow blogger.

Happy eating!

HeyShae! said...

Did you say fried biscuits sticks? I swear sometimes I feel like I've stepped into the twilight zone when I'm over here. LOL I've never heard of such a thing.

Barbara GF said...

I'm with you, Darius, on eating soup whenever the mood strikes — summer or not. I thought I was the crazy one to turn the oven on to bake a zucchini parmigiana on a 90-degree day!

And I love potato-leek soup. I'm about to harvest my first little spuds and the leeks are ready to be pulled as well. Try it with a little fresh dill if you have some.

Nice-looking blog!

Darius T. Williams said...

Barbara...thanks for the compliment.

Now, you know, that dill sounds like it'd be absolutely awesome. I didn't think of that one. I did add some chardonnay and heavy cream after I blended the soup.

Jazzy said...

In the words of the immortal Rachel Ray...YUM-OH!!! I eat soup all year round myself.

Corn bread croutons...genius!!! Those might really work with a chilli stoup (stew soup...work with me) as well!

Darius...luv the new blog!

Anonymous said...

Hi Darius! I want to thank you for visiting my blog. I love the idea of cornbread croƻtons! Have got to try that!
Maryann

Jameil said...

i cannot take it. the food!! found you via diva and i cannot believe she kept you a secret. *going to e-flog her*

Dee said...

You had me at maple smoked bacon :) But where's the recipe? I need cornbread croutons. Now. Please?

La Bella Cooks said...

Wow, the potato and leek soup sounds fantastic and now I really want to try the cornbread croutons! hmmm, maybe you call a piece of salmon that large a "slab". Sounds scientific and proper, right? ;)

Dreamy said...

hey honey!!!

food looks dilish

gonna have to throw Go Bytch away

and take you up as my roomate,lol

Gloria Baker said...

Darius, many thanks to passing by at my blog. Well I answer you there, about cakes, I have Labels if you look I have a link with TEA TIME, you may see some recipes, here I post you someones: Mom's english cake, Orange's Cake, Apple'sTartalette, Apple Pie, Lemon Pie.
I have to say one of the first things I learned was Lemon Pie, is so yummy and nost difficult, you may see what would you like to make. Anything ask me in the blog.
Love your blog and pictures!! xGloria

Anonymous said...

yum, everything looks so good!

Alicia Foodycat said...

That is probably the greatest leek & potato soup ever! Thanks Darius.

I think you call a big bit of fish fillet a loin. Don't know why!

Miss Snarky Pants said...

Like the new blog :-)

Of course, you got me over here salivating @ the sight of that fillet of Salmon!!!!

Look deeeeeeeeeeeeeeelicious :-)

Jan said...

Thank you for leaving a comment on my blog - which has led me to yours, thank you!
You have a great blog here, I will visit often!

Maria Verivaki said...

my favorite soup is definitely leek and potato - but i'm going to have to wait till the winter to make it; in crete, we just don't do soups in the summer!

dessex said...

Its great to see another black man in the kitchen cookin. I cook every sunday for my fam....this was dope.

Prudy said...

Great blog! The soups look so great and that Mex food looks heavenly too.

Dragon said...

I love the addition of white wine to your leek and potato soup. And you know what, lumps are just fine with me. :)

Anonymous said...

Are you sharing any of these recipes? I'd love the cornbread croutons one as well as the fried biscuit sticks.

This blog was definitely overdue. So glad you found the time to create it!!