A Tasty Soup For Fall

 One of the best things about fall cooking is homemade soup. There is something so satisfying about cooking veggies and meats in a broth and turning it into a simple but delicious meal.It makes for a tasty weekend dish that can carry on into a busy week.

I found this was the case for a soup recipe that came into my inbox.It was a sausage rice ,and beans soup which sounded so tasty .I decided to make my own version of it.

It starts with a good saute mix o Melt butter and Stop & Shop Olive oil Cover a soup pot with a thin layer of olive oil Add two heaping tablespoons of the Melt

Add two cans of cannellini beans and  and a small container of chopped baby bella mushrooms.Cannellini work this best for any Italian soup. Saute these for about five to ten minutes.

It's then adding about two  cups of baby carrots (for color and about a cup of celery chopped into one inch pieces. Stir these in a long with chopped vegan Italian sausage (you can use the real deal as you can use real beef broth )

Stir these into the mix as well.

I used frozen spinach Instead of fresh simply because the fresh version can't be trusted thanks to it being a possible breeding ground for cylospora.The whole package about sixteen ounces was put in and it does cook down quickly.

Spicing is incredibly important here. I used a good two to three tablespoons of garlic powder and a good tablespoon of onion powder. Taste .I then added a few leaves of fresh basil from my basil plant to give it some earthiness and brightness. You may need to add more of either  powder ,along with a pinch of salt and pepper. (I didn't on this last)

Its now time to add the broth. I used the entire container - about four cups - of Nature's Promise from Stop and Shop.Any broth can be used here.I wanted to make this more vegan.

At this point also add a cup of either white or wild rice. I like white because it doesn't take away the  flavors of the other ingredients.

Simmer everything for twenty minutes or until the carrots are firm but tender.

This was a great soup and I plan on making it a lot this season.

I loved how all the flavors came together and create a perfect vegetable soup that was full of flavor and protein. It was sooooooo gooodd! I can't wait for the leftovers tomorrow. I may get crusty rolls to have with it a second time. It;s the perfect marriage of sausage, spinach , celery carrots mushrooms beans and rice.

A good homemade soup is a must cook in the autumn,Try this heavenly recipe for the best bowl ever.It is the best soup for these chilly days and nights!!!!
 

Bad Chicken And A Night Off

 Thanks to some bad chicken and beyond belief stomach cramps we'll be closed tonight. I wanted to write on homemade soups and the need for them.

Tomorrow will be a brighter and hopefully cramp free day Rule of thumb never gobble any cold meat when you're hungry. It can really mess with your stomach

Florence Fabricant's Delicious Rise

The food writer Florence Fabricant  is netrnched in the New York Times Over the decades she has contributed some amazing articles and recipes. Now there's her version of how she became a writer for the world's most prestigious newspaper. Her new autobiography and its a delciousread.

The Times published  an excerpt former new book Salty Not Sweet Running Press Adult) in yesterday;s New York Times Wednesday Food section.  Her career didn't;t start with the Times but with a Hamptons newspaper.It was 1967 and she and her young family rented a cottage in Wainscott New York, a quiet historic Hamlet that's part of the ever trendy East Hampton. She wanted something more .Her time in New York City was spent teaching Haitian kids to speak English. She considered getting a doctorate in French but after that  - what next - teaching. yet; she;d have to learn another language for a PhD.in French. That was a daunting consideration since New York University required it couldn't;t be a Romance language.Law school was off the table too. However another thought entered her mind.It had to do with her love of cooking and abiding passion for food  plus her mother's influence.Ms Fabricant because a food authority amongst her circle of friends. They loved her dinner parties and her advice on ,local produce stands.She knew where to get the best Cole slaw and roasted duck.

She was also becoming annoyed when seeing other home chefs buying heads of bland i  ceburg lettuce wrapped in plastic and pale pink tomatoes that looked more like tennis balls. She wanted to set supermarket shopper straight, introduce them to stands of freshly picked corn ,tomatoes and peppers. She saw that the weekly newspaper The East Hampton Star didn't not provide a food column. This provided the perfect opportunity to write about a local farm to table movement decades before there eas an actual farm to table movement..Her letter to the paper's editor, Everett Rattray proved to be successful. SHe would write a weekly column plus a recipe. She wasn't;t going to do it for free.There had to  be some kind of payment. Her first column was four hundred words and she was paid  twenty-five dollars.That was in May of 1972.By October of the same year she was featured in a Times interview by Alden Whitman. Even the Times resident food critic and recipe provider Craig Claibrne noticed her.Mr. Whitman;s wife Joan also noticed her and that opened the floodgates. Why? She was editor of the Times food pages. The rest is history.

It took a weekly column in a local paper to make Florence Fabricant a household name and a powerhouse food writer. Her recipes are replicated the world over. What started as a small job became one that is forever connected with the New York Times

A Kinder Way To Eat

  Buddhism is one of the most compassionate religions in the world. No animals are killed.There is gratitude, love and compassion for the ingredients and for those to eat them. Now there is a new book by a well known Buddhist chef that shows how to cook this way with interesting recipes.

Regular contributor and restaurant critic Pete Wells wrote about the chef Eric Ripert in today's New York Times Wednesday Section. Chef Ripert came from Andorra ,a country tucked in between France and Spain.Growing up Eastern philosophy and religion was not part of his life. He found it surprisingly in an airport as reported in his new  and latest book "Mindful Cooking" (Random House 2026), He found Buddhism in 1989 when he was a young chef on  a layover to a job in the United States. The book was full of hoakum with a phony author and that it was dictated by Mrs. Fifi Greywhiskers ,a Siamese cat.He overlooked all his and truly embraced the beliefs.The books he picked up kindled something I his heart .His interest deepened when he read the translation of the Dalai Lama's speech on receiving his Nobel Peace Prize. He also attended the Dalai Lama's lectures as well as working one on one with a  teacher of Tibetan Buddhism. He has promised his wife and son that he could never be a monk but does do meditation.

His cooking Buddhist intensified  when he met Buddhist nun Jeong Kwan in her hermitage above the  Baekyangsa Temple in 2014 . He was in South Korea filming "Avec Eric " a food travel show that ran for three seasons. They hot it off, sharing with and charisma but it was his Buddhism and love of cooking that furthered his cooking world. She told him about Spring planting where Buddhist monks thank not just the plants but the weatherman, earth and universe.Meals were prepared with  feelings of gratitude,compassion and kindness (which  a lot for home chefs also put into their meals). He has learned from his stress free type of cooking.Ches are very much in control and very much at peace with the process he gives a recipe for a lettuce pancake that stems from Chief Abbess Gyeho Sunim at the one thousand year old Jinkasa temple in Seoul.Chef Ripert saw a wilted head of lettuce and he asked her what they could do with it. She crushed  the stem of the lettuce with a knife and fried it in perilla oil.There is a dipping sauce made with soy sauce, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil and sesame seeds. It is a mindful way to eat.

Buddhist cooking is the way to go. Chef Ripert knows this and suggests people cook this way. It is a cooking born out of love for the plant world .

Tailgating Hot and Cold

Yes, its that time of year for tailgating. There is an array of really great recipes out there to try The question is do you want all cold or hot dishes? What about a mix of both catering to everyone's tastes? 

Cold dishes usually means heroes and there's so many to make. Nothing beats an Italian style sub .With any sub make sure you buy a good chewy on the inside and crusty on the outside. Italian or French bread. The cold cuts can vary. If everyone likes prosciutto then make the sandwiches with that.If they prefer a mix of salami and pepperoni then have that.The cheese should always be an aged sharp provolone however if everyone  wants sliced mozzarella then have that. Skip the lettuce since there's  so many fears and controversy . Do have sliced tomatoes to give the sandwiches some more flavor and moisture. A good Italian vinaigrette can be sprinkled on for more flavor. You can also have turkey and avocado subs and roast beef or ham with any kind of cheese like Cheddar. Wraps are also a good tailgating dish.Think a chicken salad with chopped celery and avocado chunks. Add a spicy mayo for more flavor.Tuna salad is another great filling along with ham salad too. You could also try a ham and spinach roll up that can be cut into pinwheels for bite size eating.

Hot tailgating recipes are a plenty.What about a crockpot chili, that's perfect on these chilly days. You can make it mild or extra spicy for added heat.There's also white turkey chili made with ground turkey meat, bell peppers and white onion.Canned corn is also added.For the broth try crushed tomatoes cooked with chicken broth.Add white cannellini beans for more protein. This is great served with giant corn chips. They're perfect for dipping into the chili.Wings are always welcome at any party so make a big batch of them.These can be made extra spicy like Buffalo wings ro teriyaki style This last is a sauce of soy sauce, pineapple juice and fresh ginger. There is also white sugar and water added.Whisk all these together and marinate the wings in these. Save some of the marinade for the sauce too.The chicken does have to be marinated for an hour before cooking.Fried chicken is good but messy.A neater solution is f ried chicken tenders.Dip them in panko crumbs for a crunchy bite. Serve these with a slew of dips, like ranch ,barbecue or hot honey. A hot dip with spinach and artichoke is a great bring. It can be served with all sorts of dips or bread chunks.

Tailgating can be cold or hot. It;s up to you to decide. Both have amazing and delicious dishes everyone will love. Make either for a fun parking lot party.

Your Favorite Fall Drink

It;s the time of year again for both hot and cold flavored drinks!! Do you prefer an iced latte for those warmer than average October days? Or a hot cocoa or toddy for those chilly autumn nights.

For me there's nothing like Lidl's peppermint hot chocolate .It's not as sweet as the other hot cocoas and it's creamier because milk is added  and not water. It's just a nice after dinner hot drink that works (ad it is good also during an afternoon break as well.

What is your favorite hot or cold fall drink? Let us know here and enjoy your sip.

Your Apple Picking Guide

 October is apple picking season.The weather is cooler.The skies are bright. Time to get a basket and go a picking. 

The first aspect to consider is how to dress. Wear comfortable clothes.Jeans and sweats are fine as are sneakers,Crocs and light socks. It's still summery out during the afternoon hours so you want to dress comfortably.Wear a tee shirt but have a hoodie on  hand in case the temps  drop. Even thought it is October, the suns rays are still strong.Bring a hat (like a bucket one) along with  sun screen and lip balm. Sunglasses are always a good choice too.A lot for farms won;t let you sneak an apple to eat so bring something like a sandwich or peanut butter sandwich crackers. Some farms like Delociois Orchards n Colt's Neck, New Jeresey offers hot dogs and hamburgers along with fries and chilled apple cider.Other farms will probably have food trucks in their parking lots too. You can bring water though if you get thirsty(although most farms also sell bottles.)What about baskets? Most places will provide with you one so you don;t over pick.

What apples are ripe for the picking right now. That actually depends on where you are. It is Red Delicious season no matter where you are These are mildly sweet and perfect for snacking..Some trees are producing the glossy red Idared, an apple with a tart slightly sweet flavor.These would be perfect for caramel or candy apples because the tartness is a perfect foil for the sweet covering.Another ruby red gem is the Cortland apple.Its' flavor is also tarty and fruity but also has a berry like finish.Try it thickly sliced in salads or slaws for a different spin.Other red skinned apples are the Mcintosh and the Empire.Both of these are refreshingly tart and make for a refreshing dessert.The bright yellow Golden Delicious is a different take on the fruit. It's flavor is very milk with almost a honey like sweetness with subtle floral undertones. These are a top choice for pies and sauces.There is also the green Crispin that have a combination of zestiness and honey sweetness to them.

It's apple picking season.Go out and harvest a basket or two. Then enjoy the varieties , whether sliced, candied or baked in  a pie.