Southern Women and Pecan Pies

Southern Women and Pecan Pies

by Victoria Challancin

Southerners love pecans.  That is an undeniable fact.  They love them.  My Mother, who was born in Georgia, was a perfect example.  Each year at Christmas she ordered 20 pounds of shelled, top-trade pecans from her home state.  Each year she used every pound, minus the few she gave away.  Pecan pie, chocolate pecan pie, German chocolate cake, Japanese fruit cake, Christmas fruitcakes, candies, cookies, and casserole toppings all had pecans in them.  Great whopping quantities of pecans, pronounced "pe-káhns" in my home, never ever "pee-cans," as some folks say.  And to this day I think of her every time I eat one.  And I love pecan desserts of all types.  You see, it's in my DNA.

Although my mother made a mean pecan pie, it didn't compare with the one made by the mother of our dear friends Sam and Gary.  I weep to think of Mrs. Moore's pecan pie.  The best.  Of course, she did live in the town of Sequin, Texas, home of what was once the world's largest pecan, a 1000-pound monster that was erected in 1962 as a tribute to Cabeza de Vaca, a Spanish explorer who survived on a diet of pecans when held prisoner near there.  It's only right, I think, that a Seguin native would hold my personal Pecan Pie Hall of Fame record.  

Recently, when I was asked to teach my Mexican students how to make a pecan pie, I thought a lot about which recipe to use.  In the end I cheated a little.  Instead of the traditional pecan pie, which usually uses corn syrup, I chose this recipe, so similar to my Mom's, which uses honey instead.  Soooo good.

A pecan square, on another of Mom's plates

Pecan pies weren't the only ones we enjoyed when I was growing up.  When I was young, we ate every couple of weeks with my Dad's single sisters, one of whom was born in Italy, the other I was named after.  Although the meal was always fabulous, usually consisting of fresh smother-fried duck, homemade egg noodles, fresh yeast rolls, and all sorts of garden vegetables, it was the dessert that captured us all.  Why?  Because each time we visited, my aunts made each one of my family his or her own pie.  Every time.  Our own pie.  On the table waiting for us, you would always find individual homemade pies:  cherry for Mike, egg custard for Jim, pineapple cake pie for Dad, chocolate cream pie for Mom, and coconut cream for me.  Every time.  And we happily filled the car trunk with the leftovers to take home.  Yes, every time.  Five pies for 7 or 8 people.  My kind of dinner.

A Few Pecan Facts

As the only nut tree that grows naturally in North America, the pecan is national culinary treasure with a long history which includes both what is now the United States and Mexico.  The word "pecan" derives from a Native American Algonquin term, paccan or pakan, that was used to describe all nuts requiring a stone to crack.  Because wild pecans were readily available, they proved useful as a major food source during the fall for the indigenous people. Later on, in the 1600s and 1700s, the trees were planted and cultivated by Spanish colonists and English settlers alike.  Even George Washington and Thomas Jefferson planted and enjoyed them.

A few fun pecan facts:

• Some Native Americans believed the pecan tree to be representative of the Great Spirit
• Pecans were traded by the early Spaniards in Florida with the native peoples for hides and mats
• Pecans are high in calories, which helped some native tribes who were able to subsist on solely pecans for 2 months out of the year
• Long before Europeans settled in North America, the Native Americans widely consumed and traded pecans
• The Spaniards, the first Europeans to enjoy pecans, took the tree back to Europe, Africa, and Asia
• Pecans are widely grown in Texas, where one governor asked that a pecan tree be planted at his grave instead of a headstone
• The pecan is the state tree of Texas
• Carya illinoinensis, the pecan, is a species of hickory native to south-central North America
• Pecans are very rich in pyridoxine (vitamin B6), which is important to regeneration of cells in diseased hearts
• Pecans are also a good source of thiamine, zinc, copper, potassium, and iron

Cook's Notes:  Happily, I changed nothing about this recipe.  It is perfect just the way it is.

Recipe:  Pecan Squares

(Recipe by Martha Stewart)

Makes 32 bars 

For the crust:

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups flour

For the filling:

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

6 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups pecan halves

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place rack in center of oven.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  

To make the crust:  In the bowl mix the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add salt, and mix to combine.  Add the flour 1 cup at a time, on medium speed, mixing until fully incorporated after each addition.  Continue mixing until the dough begins to come together in large clumps.  Press dough into a 9 x 13-inch baking pan about 1/4-inch thick.  Prick the pastry with the tines of a fork.  Chill until firm, about 20 minutes.  Bake until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes.  Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely.  Reduce oven to 325 degrees F.

To make filling:  Place butter, brown sugar, honey, granulated sugar, heavy cream, and salt in a medium saucepan over high heat.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 1 minute.  Remove pan from heat, stir in nuts and vanilla.  Pour filling onto the cooled crust.  Bake until filling bubbles, 15 to 20 minutes.  Carefully transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely.  Run a knife around edges of pan and invert onto cooling rack, leaving the pastry on the rack,  Invert rack with pastry onto a cutting board, leaving pastry on the board, filling side up.  Use a sharp knife to cut into 1 x 3-inch bars.  Store in a airtight container, up to 1 week.  

Parting Shot:

Photo by Jennifer Haas

©Victoria Challancin.  All Rights Reserved.

Like life and love, recipes are meant to be shared, but please ask permission before using text or photos.  Thanks!

Hand Grenades and a Glorious Salad

Hand Grenades and a Glorious Salad

by Victoria Challancin

Anyone who has children absolutely understands that it is your job as a parent, your duty, to embarrass them at any every opportune time--even when it is unintentional.  Here is a wee tale of my work as a mother done well.

When our son was 15 I took him for a 10-week journey through France, Spain, and Morocco.  France, because I had lived there and love it, Spain because I thought he might consider going to university there, and Morocco, not only because I loved it, but because I wanted him to experience with me something of the Islamic world.  We began our trip in France, but returned to Mexico from Madrid, where the dreaded hand grenade confusion occurred.

Going through customs in Spain, where I thought I was completely comfortable with the language, I was questioned by security personnel as to what was in two smallish, but surprisingly heavy boxes that clearly showed up as metal objects on the x-ray machine.  Pleased with my purchases for both myself and my sister-in-law of pomegranate-shaped salt and pepper shakers from the magnificent city of Granada whic named after the pomegranate or granada in Spanish, I beamed, "Granadas, señor.  Granadas."

Audible gasps flew in every directions from my fellow travelers.  The security guy's eyebrows shot up.  My son, fluent in Spanish, dropped his head and pretended he didn't know me.  Of course, I didn't understand what all the fuss was over salt and pepper shakers.  Only as Zack whispered furtively under his breath, "Mom, granada also means 'hand grenade'!"  

"No, no, señor, ellos son saleros y pimenteros.  ¡No bombas!," I said, fumbling to explain.  As the onlookers tsk-tsked, the official opened the boxes, examined the offending goods, and gave me stern looks, and finally sent us on our way,

Yes, clearly my work as a parent was done for the day.  My son was truly embarrassed.  And so was I.

A Happy Ending:  Although my son showed no interest in attending university in Spain, he did complete high school on a foreign study program in France.  Now truly, that was my work as a mother done well.

Although I don't actually repeat recipes in my posts, I clearly hit on certain themes again and again.  Pears and strong cheese are just such a theme.  What can I say?  I have no defense.  They are just a perfect combination.  Here are other recipes I have shared using them:

• Stacked Pear Salad with Blue Cheese and Candied Nuts
• Brandy-Roasted Pears with Gorgonzola Cheese
• Roasted Stuffed Pear Salad with Chèvre and Fig Vinaigrette (probably my favorite salad)

Here is a pre-Thanksgiving salad I made with my Mexican students in a cooking class this week.

The Hazelnut Vinaigrette--soooo good

Cook's Notes:  I used Anjou pears, mizuna, Belgian endives (which I sliced longitudinally), baby arugula, and curly leaf lettuce for the base of this salad.  Combined with the sweetness of the pears, the tartness of the pomegranate arils, the pungency of the Gorgonzola, this melange of bitter greens struck a perfect note.

Recipe:  Roasted Pear Salad with Endive and Pomegranate-Gorgonzola-Hazelnut Vinaigrette

(Recipe from Seriouseats.com)

For the Hazelnut Vinaigrette:
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup toasted crushed hazelnuts
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Pears:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sugar
3 Bosc pears, slightly underripe, cored, halved, and cut into 1/4-inch slices

For the Salad: (or use your own mix of greens)
4 whole Belgian endives, bottoms trimmed, separated into individual leaves

4 heads frisée lettuce, pale yellow leaves only, roughly pulled apart, rinsed, and spun dry in a salad spinner

6 cups (about 8 oz) baby arugula leaves, rinsed, and spun dry

4 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola, Stilton, or Cabrales cheese

4 ounces seeds from 1 medium pomegranate

For the pears:  Heat the butter in a 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until foaming subsides.  Add sugar and swirl until melted and starting to brown.  Add pears and toss to coat.  Cook, tossing occasionally until pears are softened but still retain some texture and exteriors are a burnished, glazy brown, about 4 minutes total.  Transfer to a large plate and allow to cool completely.

Make the vinaigrette:  Combine honey, vinegar,and hazelnuts in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.  Place bowl on top of a kitchen towel rolled into a ring to keep it steady, and slowly pour olive oil into bowl while whisking constantly.  Vinaigrette should form a semi-stable emulsion.  Season to taste with salt and pepper, then story in the fridge.

To serve:  Combine endives, frisée, arugula, and pears in a large bowl and drizzle with 6 tablespoons vinaigrette.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Gently toss with hands until evenly coated with vinaigrette.  Taste and add more vinaigrette or salt and pepper as necessary.  Add cheese and pomegranate and toss briefly.  Serve immediately.

A Few Notes on Granadas, the Fruit:

Native to Persia, pomegranates are one of the oldest fruits known to man.  Although at one time pomegranates were thought to be native to China, they were actually introduced there, along with coriander, walnuts, peas, cucumbers, alfalfa, grapes, and caraway seeds, by a representative of the Han Dynasty, around 100 B.C.  

Called the Punic apple, by the Romans, the fruit arrived in Italy via Carthage (Punic) in what is modern Libya.  This history is born out in the etymology of the Latin botanical name for pomegranate, Punicum granatum (granatum refers to the many seeds), though it was originally called Punic malum, or Punic apple.  

A bit of history:

• What we normally call "seeds" are actually seed casings, or "arils."
• During the Renaissance, pomegranate patterns were a popular, reoccurring design in fabrics
• The Ancient Romans ate the fruit and used it to tan animal hides, due to the high amount of tannic acid in the skins
• In literature, the virtues of pomegranates have been extolled by both Homer, Chaucer, and Shakespeare, not to mention the Bible and the Quran
• The Moors brought the fruit to Spain around 900 A.D., where it later became the national emblem
• Henry VIII planted the first pomegranate in Britain
• The actual name for the explosive grenade came from the French in the 1700s
• The Spanish conquistadors brought the fruit to the AMericas
• Pomegranates are often considered "royal fruits," perhaps due to the blossom crown
• Some Biblical historians believe that it was the pomegranate which was the fruit of temptation for Eve instead of the apple
• The pomegranate was the undoing Persephone, when she broke her promise not to eat by consuming pomegranate, while being held captive by Hades
• Ancient Egyptians were buried with pomegranates
• The pomegranate often appears in paintings of the Madonna and Child
• The abundance of seeds is perhaps the cause of the pomegranate being a symbol of fertility, bounty, and eternal life, especially in the Jewish tradition
• The Chinese sugared the seeds and served them to guests
• Berber women in North Africa used pomegranates to predict the number of their offsprings
• Mohammed, who urged his followers to partake of the pomegranate,  believed the fruit purged the spirits of envy and hatred from the body
• The Hittite god of agriculture is said to have blessed people using pomegranates, grapes, and wheat

Parting Shot:

 The offending granadas

©Victoria Challancin.  All Rights Reserved.

Like life and love, recipes are meant to be shared, but please ask permission before using text or photos.

English Country Cheddar Soup

 English Country Cheddar Soup

English Country Cheddar Soup

by Victoria Challancin

I try to be good.  I really do.  I try to be healthy as well, but every now and then a half a cup of cream and a couple of cups of good cheese just sneak their way into my life and my recipes.  And sometimes, as with this soup, I am just so happy they did.  My, my, my, this is one delicious bowl of richness.  Even the Mexican cooks in my class, who often don't really like food cooked with wine, loved this soup.

Cheddar Cheese:  A Bit of History

Unless colored by such agents as anatto seeds, cheddar is a pale yellow to off-white relatively hard cheese, which originally came from the village of Cheddar in Somerset, England.  Accounting for 51% of the UK's cheese market, cheddar is an incredibly popular cheese.  Even in the US it retains its popularity, second only to mozzarella.

The village of Cheddar contains a number of caves which provided the ideal humidity and constant temperature for maturing cheese.  Having been produced since at least the 12th century, this cheese is thought to have been developed from a recipe brought to Britain by the Romans from the Cantal region of France.

 English Country Cheddar Soup in one of my Mom's Wedgwood bowls--even better

Cook's Notes:  Use only a top quality sharp cheddar cheese, preferable white.  I also made a rich homemade chicken broth, which only added to the taste of this soup, though I imagine a good quality purchased broth would work fine.

Recipe:  English Country Cheddar Soup

(Recipe from Seriouseats.com)

Note:  To avoid the soup "breaking," whisk constantly and don't let it come to a full boil when reheating.

1/4 cup butter or chicken fat

1/2 cup flour

27 ounces chicken broth

2 carrots, peeled and cut into julienne strips

1 onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup chopped leeks

1 cup white wine

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 cups good quality grated sharp cheddar cheese

Cayenne pepper to taste

1/2 cup heavy cream

Chopped chives, for garnish

In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat chicken fat or butter until melted, then add onion and leek.  Sweat until tender, then sprinkle in flour and stir well to incorporate.  Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then which in broth and wine until smooth.  Add carrots, then bring to a boil and simmer 15-20 minutes, until soup thickens.

Remove from heat and stir in cheddar, Worcestershire, cayenne, and salt.  Stir in cream.  Heat until just hot, taking care not to boil, which could break the soup.  Serve with chives for garnish.

The makings of my friend Pat's salsa roasting on a comal:  tomatillos, a couple cloves of garlic, serrano and jalapeño chiles, red and orange bell peppers.  The cilantro is waiting in the blender just behind. 

Recipe for a Salsa

Not only are my dear friends Pat and Berit fabulous jewelers, they are fantastic, innovative cooks as well. This salsa, while not specifically Mexican (Mexicans wouldn't normally use bell peppers), is terrific.  And as vegetarians, they use this with all manner of vegetarian dishes.  It is particularly good with the homemade crackers they make using all raw organic ingredients, such as flax seeds and peppers.

To  make this versatile salsa, simply roast these ingredients in an aluminum foil-lined skillet or a Mexican comal until slightly charred in places.  Plop it all in a blender with some fresh cilantro, season with salt, and purée to desired consistency, smooth or chunky.  Easy.  Delicious.

Parting Shot:  

Flores de Hojas de Tamal--flowers made from dried corn husks

©Victoria Challancin.  All Rights Reserved.

Like life, recipes are meant to be shared, but please ask permission before using photos or text.  Thanks!

Pumpkin Pie--with a Modern Twist

No Bake Chocolate Pumpkin Mousse Pie

Note:  Several of you have either emailed or commented directly on the post that the West African Peanut Soup, though you trusted my judgment, sounded strange.  Maybe it does, but do trust me when I say that if you like peanuts, greens, and sweet potatoes, this soup just may become a new favorite for you.  I can't say enough good things about it!

Pumpkin Pie with a Modern Twist

by Victoria Challancin

If the truth be known, in spite of the expat life I have lived, the foreign influences, the extensive travel,     the love of the exotic, I am secretly rather a traditionalist.  No one would suspect it, because of the way I have lived my life, but truly I am.  At least when it comes to family, holidays, and comfort food.  On Thanksgiving and Christmas particularly, I want the food of my family, the food of my youth.  No matter how much chestnut- and foi gras- stuffed pheasant might appeal at any other time, what I want to sit down with on those days is the food from my mother's kitchen.  My Mom's cornbread dressing.  My aunt's pumpkin pie.  My sister-in-law's squash casserole.  My brother's heavenly yeast rolls.  Home-cooked comfort food.

And even here in Mexico where we always share Thanksgiving my dearest friend and her mixed American-Mexican family, no matter how creatively Mexican and delicious the turkey is, I am never asked to bring something equally exotic to accompany it, rather two dishes are always requested of me:  green bean casserole (a modern updated version) and sweet potato "soufflé."  Southern food.  Nothing exotic there, of course, except that our Mexican friends always think the sweet potato dish is a dessert.

For my cooking class last week, however, I decided to offer the Mexican a simple dessert, full of fall flavors, appropriate for holidays, and a breeze to pull together:  No Bake Chocolate Pumpkin Mousse Pie.  Using a cookie crust pulled together in a food processor made the base so easy, especially when no baking or cooling was required.  The mousse and spiced whipped cream topping also came together quickly.  A bit of shaved chocolate (yes, I wish I had used curls of dark chocolate...) and some time in the refrigerator--and voilà, you have a holiday dessert with interesting flavors that tastes delicious and looks pretty as well.

The pumpkin mousse base

The spiced cocoa whipped cream topping 

 Laura, shaving chocolate over the finished pie

Cook's Notes:  I only had access to Oreo cookies, but would have used chocolate wafers had they been available.  Also, in retrospect, although we did used bittersweet chocolate to shave over the pie, I would have preferred long curls of dark chocolate for contrast.   We also didn't have time for proper chilling, which often happens in class.  Other than that, this pie was perfect--and not too sweet.

Recipe:  No Bake Chocolate Pumpkin Mousse Pie

(Recipe from Seriouseats.com)

For the chocolate crust:

6 ounces chocolate wafer cookies (about 27 wafers)

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the Pumpkin Mousse:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 1/4 cup pumpkin puree

1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup heavy cream

For the Spiced Cocoa Whipped Cream:  

1 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

pinch ground cinnamon

pinch ground nutmeg

pinch ground cloves

For the Garnish:

3 ounce bar bittersweet chocolate

In food processor, process chocolate wafers and sugar until finely ground,  Add melted butter and pulse to moisten.  Transfer mixture to pie plate and firmly press into botom and up sides.  Set in fridge to chill while you make the pumpkin mousse.

In large bowl, stir cream cheese, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves until completely incorporated.  Stir in pumpkin and vanilla until smooth and incorporated.  In bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip cream on medium-high speed until cream holds soft peaks that slowly dip down when whisk is pulled out of cream.  Using rubber spatula, gently fold into pumpkin mixture.  Pour mousse into pie shell and chill in fridge while you prepare the cocoa whipped cream.

Into unwashed mixer bowl, add all ingredients for the spiced chocolate whipped cream and chill in fridge for 30 minutes.  Place bowl in standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment and whip on medium-high speed to almost stiff peaks.  Spread over top of pumpkin mousse.  Chill pie until set, about 3 hours.

Place chocolate bar on work surface.  Using paring knife, scrape chocolate shavings from bar and use to garnish top of pie.

The finished pie--a modern pumpkin pie perfect for the holidays

Parting Shot:

San Miguel de Allende

©Victoria Challancin.  All Rights Reserved.

Like life, recipes are meant to be shared, but please ask permission before using photos or text.  Thanks!

Cookbooks and a Long-Overdue Soup

 West African Peanut Soup

Cookbooks and a Long-Overdue Soup

by Victoria Challancin

For the last several years I have somewhat backed off buying cookbooks simply because I have no more room for them. None!  But there are several chefs that I avidly follow with great anticipation, waiting like a hungry baby bird with my mouth open for whatever they might produce.  I own all of their respective cookbooks, until now bought from Amazon UK because I couldn't wait for them to be released in the U.S.  This time I actually waited for their U.S. release--but not patiently.  The two chefs are Yotam Ottolenghi, whose column I follow each week in the UK paper, The Guardian, and Greg Malouf, an Australian of Lebanese descent.  Both restauranteurs, both innovative, both exciting talents.

I first became aware of Yotam Ottolenghi when I discovered his cookbooks via a British food newsletter some years ago.  Intrigued, I immediately ordered both Plenty (with Jonathan Lovekin) and Ottolenghi (another co-authored with the talented Sami Tamimi), which quickly became two of my favorite cookbooks.  Malouf also found his way to me via the UK when I was looking for a good cookbook on Middle Eastern food, something new and different.  I quickly devoured all of his books, excited to the core to see my favorite cuisines showcased:  Turquoise ( Turkey), Arabesque (Modern Middle Eastern) , Moorish:  Flavors from Mecca to Marrakech, Saha (Lebanon and Syria), Artichoke to Za'atar, and Saraban (Persia--to be released in the U.S. in May 2013).  Dazzled.  I was and am dazzled by these innovative and often heart-stoppingly beautiful and poignantly written books by this former husband-wife team.

Yotam Ottolenghi, an Israeli Jew who moved to London to study cookery at the Cordon Bleu, owns the London restaurants, Ottolenghi and Nopi.  Drawing on diverse culinary traditions, but focusing on Mediterranean, Ottolenghi provides some of the most innovative food in the modern food scene.  In the new Jerusalem cookbook, he teams up again with Sami Tamimi, an Arab born of Palestinian parents, who grew up in east Jerusalem.  The blending of Arab and Jewish cultures and food come together splendidly in their new book, which celebrates the vibrant, exciting food of the Middle East, specifically Jerusalem.  

A few of the many recipes I have starred to try are:

• Chermoula Eggplant with Bulgur and Yogurt
• Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Hazelnuts
• Spicy Carrot Salad with Harissa
• Butternut Squash and Tahini Spread
• Saffron Chicken and Herb Salad
• Polpettone with Green Sauce
• Fricassee Salad with Harissa
• Every condiment in the book...and don't get me started on the desserts

The second much-anticipated book comes from Greg Malouf, the Australian chef, consultant, and restauranteur, who with his former wife Lucy, has produced some of the most exciting books in my collection.  Malouf's take on Middle Eastern food, spanning from Lebanon to Turkey to North Africa, showcases traditional ingredients used in unique, modern ways.  

A sampling of recipes just waiting for me to try from Malouf:  New Middle Eastern Food by Greg and Lucy Malouf are:

• Golden Mussel Chowder
• North African Couscous Soup
• Preserved Lemon Guacamole
• Green Olive, Walnut and Pomegranate Salad
• Braised Chard with Crisp Onions and Tahini Sauce
• Crunchy Red Lentil Kofte with Mint
• Crunchy Zucchini Stuffed with Haloumi
• Jeweled Cracked Wheat Pilaf with Honey-Ginger Tomato Sauce
• Parsnip Skordalia
• Profiterole with Thick Fig Cream
• And as with Ottolenghi and Tamimi's book, the Larder...the larder where the condiments reside...too many stars to count

*     *     *

After writing about Mexican Day of the Dead for the last couple of posts (and still with dozens more photos to share of the celebration...), I am back to offering a recipe.  And what a recipe it is!  For years I have been saving an assortment of recipes for a West African Peanut Soup.  After having tried something a peanut-yam stew in East Africa, Kenya to be exact, many years ago, I have long thought of trying to make something similar in my own kitchen.  Somehow I just never got around to it until last week.  

As predicted, the Mexican cooks in my cooking class, thought this soup sounded strange.  Of course, once we made it, they all loved it, all except the youngest who didn't even want to try it because it sounded so odd to her.  My sister-in-law loved it so much that she went home and made it the next day.  Trust me, this soup recipe is a keeper.  A star, nay, five stars.  A new favorite recipe.

Although I have a folder full of versions of this soup, I decided on a simple one by NYTimes columnist/blogger and cookbook author Mark Bittman.  Easy to prepare, full of fresh goodness, and loaded with favorite ingredients, I knew this would be tasty.  I had to substitute spinach for the collards required in the original recipe, but any greens would work.  Because I am fond of punched-up, lively flavors, I might add even more ginger next time and even a bit more cayenne.  But now that I consider it, it tasted so good just as written that perhaps no adjustments are needed.

Cook's Notes:  I used chicken breasts, a combination of 4 cups chicken broth and 2 cups water (because that is what I had), fresh tomatoes (would peel them first next time), spinach, and chunky peanut butter (1/2 cup and perhaps a tad more).

Recipe:  West African Peanut Soup with Chicken

(Recipe by Mark Bittman, The NYTimes)

Serves 4

3/4 cup roasted and shelled peanuts

2 tablespoons peanut or neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn

1 medium red or white onion, chopped

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon garlic

1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken (about 2 thighs or breasts), cut into chunks

Pinch of cayenne

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 cups stock or water 

2 sweet potatoes or yams (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into thick slices (I cut them into cubes)

8 plum tomatoes, cored and halved (canned are fine; drain and reserve the liquid for another use)

1/2 pound collards or kale, washed and cut into wide ribbons

1/4 to 1/2 cup peanut butter, chunky or smooth

Chop peanuts, or crush them with the side of a knife, or pulse them in a food processor to chop roughly.

Put oil in a deep skillet or medium saucepan over medium heat; a minute later, add onion, ginger, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, 3 to 5 minutes.  Add chicken and continue cooking for another 3 to 4 minutes, until just coloring.  Add 1/2 cup peanuts and the cayenne and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Stir in the stock and the sweet potatoes, brin to a boil, and turn heat down to medium-low so the soup bubbles gently.  Stir in tomatoes and collards, then cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Stir in 1/4 cup peanut butter.  Taste, adjust seasoning (you may want to add more peanut butter at this point) and serve, garnished with remaining chopped peanuts.

Parting Shot:  

 Artichoke flowers on silver...or at least aluminum

©Victoria Challancin.  All Rights Reserved.

Like life, recipes are meant to be shared.  But please ask permission before using text or photos.  Thanks!

Day of the Dead: The Altars

 I left the people in the photo to show the size of the calaca, or skull

Day of the Dead:  The Altars 

Life here in Mexico is still so imbued with the colors, the celebration, the sheer driving force of El Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, that I couldn't resist just one more post.  I promise to return to food and recipes this week.  

In today's post I'll show you how even in the commercial areas and stores, the dead are not forgotten.  They are loved, remembered, and honored always, but visibly so on this day and this week.  

For more images of Day of the Dead:

Day of the Dead:  Setting Up the Altar

Images of Day of the Dead (2010)

Day of the Dead Market in San Miguel (2011)

 Fruit, roasted pumpkin, candied squash

 Designs made from dried fava beans, black beans, and red corn

 Pan de Muerto, or Day of the Dead Bread, and sugar cane

 Even the dead love chocolate

 And once again, from Mexican poet Octavio Paz:

"For a resident of New York, Paris or London death is a word that is never uttered because it burns the lips.   A Mexican, on the other hand, frequents it, defies it, caresses it, sleeps with it, celebrates it. It is one of his favorite toys and his most permanent love."

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