Italian Wedding Soup

It's still August, but strangely enough we've had a few chilly and rainy days in Virginia.  I love wedding soup (and had an amazing version of it at my brother's actual wedding several years ago), and this seemed like the perfect time to try it out in my kitchen.  

A traditional version of this soup usually consists of escarole wedded with meatballs made of beef and pork in a chicken stock, but I decided to go a slightly different route.  I substituted escarole for arugula (a peppery green that's a long-time favorite of mine) and made my meatballs with ground veal (turning them a bit lighter in flavor and color).   I also added ditalini, filling my broth with the pasta typically found in pasta e fagioli (another delicious soup!). 

As I mentioned, the meatballs in my version of this classic soup were a bit "whiter" in their wedding with the leafy green arugula.  And although "wedding" actually refers to the marrying of meat and vegetables in this broth-based soup, I can't help but give you the ever-cool Billy Idol's 1982 ultimate classic, "White Wedding." (Did I mention this music video features Billy Idol on a vintage motorcycle?)

Meatballs:

--1 lb. ground veal

--1 large egg

--1/2 c. freshly grated parmesan, plus extra for soup topping

--1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped finely

--1/3 c. plain breadcrumbs

--1 garlic clove, minced finely

--2 tbsp. milk

--1-2 tsp. salt

--1-2 tsp. pepper

--1 small yellow onion, chopped finely

--3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

[**You'll need to begin the soup base (below) before browning the meatballs.]

Mix all ingredients *except the onions and olive oil* in a bowl by hand and form into small balls, approx. 3/4" to 1" in diameter.  

 

In a saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onions until soft.  Add the meatballs and brown on all sides, approx. 7-8 minutes.  Add immediately to soup base.  Directions continue below.

Soup base:

--8 c. chicken broth

--2-3 c. chopped arugula (depending on taste--I prefer more of it!)

--1/2 lb. ditalini (or any small pasta that you prefer--you could easily substitute orzo or acini de pepe)

Bring chicken broth to a boil in a large stockpot and add arugula.  As soon as the meatballs are browned (above), add them to the stockpot.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the meatballs are cooked through.  Once the meatballs have cooked through, add the ditalini and cook for 7-8 minutes, or just until pasta is al dente.  Serve with a sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan.

Peach Pie Two Ways

It's well into peach season in Virginia, and I'm a sucker for a good peach pie (or for any good pie, really).  And the farmer's market stalls seem to be overflowing with this deliciously sweet fruit.  So, what to do with all those peaches?  Peach pie, two ways.

Peach Pie Number One: rustic peach pie with a rum glaze.  

Peach Pie Number Two: walnut-crusted peach pie in a dish.  

Both are delightful on their own or with a scoop (or two) of vanilla ice cream.  (I have to admit that the "rustic" idea--flat pie baked outside a dish--came from an episode of the Pioneer Woman, whose American West lifestyle I envy just a little bit.)

I can't think of a more appropriate song than that old 1996 hit from the Presidents of the United States of America: "Peaches."

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F for both pies.

Rustic Peach Pie Crust:

--1 1/4 c. flour

--1/2 c. butter, cold

--1/4 c. ice water

Pour flour into a large bowl.  Then, cut in the butter.  (If you have a large food processor, you can put the flour and sliced butter in and pulse until crumbly.  I do mine by hand, meaning that I use two butter knives and cut the butter into the flour until there are small, crumbly chunks of butter throughout the flour mixture.)  Next, pour in ice water and mix together.  The dough may feel dry at first, but don't add more water!  Continue kneading until all dry flour has been absorbed.  Finally, form the dough into a ball, flour a flat surface, and roll the dough into a rough circle.  Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and set aside.

Rustic Peach Pie Filling:

--8 large peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced

--1/2 c. dark brown sugar

--3 tbsp. dark rum

--3 tbsp. cornstarch

--1 tsp. cinnamon

Mix ingredients in a bowl and pile on top of the rolled-out pie crust.  Fold the edges of the pie crust up over the peaches (a center section of the peaches will still be exposed).  Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes or until crust is golden and the exposed peaches have begun to caramelize.  Allow to cool and top with a scoop of ice cream.

Walnut-Crusted Peach Pie Crust:

--2 1/2 c. flour

--1 c. butter, cold

--1/2 c. ice water 

--1/2 c. walnuts, chopped very finely

Pour flour into a large bowl.  Then, cut in the butter.  (If you have a large food processor, you can put the flour and sliced butter in and pulse until crumbly.  I do mine by hand, meaning that I use two butter knives and cut the butter into the flour until there are small, crumbly chunks of butter throughout the flour mixture.)  Next, pour in ice water and mix together.  The dough may feel dry at first, but don't add more water!  Continue kneading until all dry flour has been absorbed.  Add the walnuts and work them in.  Finally, split the dough into two parts, and form each part into a ball.  Flour a flat surface, and roll each dough ball into a rough circle.  (Just FYI: this pie crust breaks and cracks a LOT more easily than pie crust sans walnuts, so take care when rolling and pinching this crust!)  Place one of the dough circles into a pie dish, allowing the excess dough to hang over the sides of the dish.  Set aside the second dough circle.

Walnut-Crusted Peach Pie Filling:

--8 large peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced

--1/2 c. light brown sugar

--3 tbsp. cornstarch

--1 cinnamon stick, grated finely 

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and pour into the pie dish, making sure to spread the peaches evenly.  Add the second dough circle on top, and pinch the edges of the top crust underneath the edges of the lower crust to create a thick, walnutty crust.  Cut out a cute shape from the center of the pie (I made a star) to allow the filling to breathe.  Cover the crust with foil and remove half-way through baking (to avoid burning the crust).   Bake for 50 minutes, allow to cool, and top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Summer Borscht

My favorite thing about New York in the summertime?  The cold borscht--served only seasonally--by the Polish and Russian restaurants in Manhattan and Brooklyn.  I've been a lover of Little Poland's summer borscht since I started trekking to the East Village back in college, and on my most recent stop through the city, I sampled the Russian borscht served at Ocean View Cafe in Brighton Beach (thanks for the great reviews for me to link to, NY Mag!).  It may look like an unnatural shade of pinkish-purple (beets really are this saturated in color), and you may have thought cold soups were reserved for tomato and melon bases (a falsity!), but this sweet beet appetizer is a-mazing.   

Made from shredded beets, cucumbers, fresh dill, and a lot of sour cream, this soup is a deliciously bright magenta and is filled with the amazing nutritional qualities of some very colorful root vegetables.  

I knew I wanted to pair this refreshing Eastern European summer treat with a Gogol Bordello song, but I've been torn between two.  The most logical choice is their song "Start Wearing Purple" (which you *absolutely* will be doing if you spill any of this soup), but then again, I just love their "Through the Roof 'n' Underground."  So, you decide. 

Ingredients:

--5 large beets, washed

--1 large cucumber, chopped

--1-2 tbsp. fresh dill, plus additional for garnish (I always opt for more dill; I love it)

--3 c. chicken stock (you could easily use veggie stock if you're making this vegetarian)

--1 c. sour cream, plus 1/2 c. additional for serving (use a reduced-fat version for a more nutritional soup)

--1-2 tsp. salt

--1-2 tsp. pepper

--3 tbsp. granulated sugar

--1-2 c. reserved beet cooking liquid

--*Optional: some Russian versions of this also call for chopped hard-boiled egg--your choice!

Remove stems and greens from beets, leaving about 1-2 inches of stem on the beet.  (Save the greens--you can saute them!)  In a medium-sized pot over medium heat, cook beets for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until soft (you'll be able to poke a fork easily into them when they're done).  While the beets are cooking, in a large bowl combine the chicken stock, 1 c. sour cream, salt, pepper, dill, and sugar.  Set aside.

Once beets have cooked through, allow to cool.  Reserve their cooking liquid by pouring it through a mesh strainer and allowing it to cool, too.  Once the beets are cool enough to handle, remove the skins (they'll peel off very easily) and the extra stem.  Be careful: the beets and their cooking liquid will stain anything and everything!  Using a large grater or a food processor attachment, shred the beets.  Add the beets and the chopped cucumber (and the hard-boiled egg, if you've chosen to use it) to the chicken stock mixture and mix.  Slowly add in 1-2 cups of the beet cooking liquid until the soup has reached a desired consistency (add more liquid for a thinner soup and less liquid for a thicker soup).  Refrigerate for 3-4 hours or so before serving.  

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of freshly chopped dill. 

Draadjesvlees, or Dutch Slow-Braised Beef

On a cold July night in Amsterdam, I ate dinner at a little restaurant called La Falote, serving traditional Dutch food prepared by the owner (and resident accordion player).  I tried the Draadjesvlees, or slow-braised beef, served with potatoes, apple compote, and roasted apples.  The beef and its sauces are spicy and unique, flavored with cinnamon, whole cloves, and juniper (by the way, Belgium and the Netherlands are famous for their jenever, or gin distilled with juniper berries).  After this delicious stew dinner, I rushed back to my hotel room to record the flavors and textures for duplication back on American soil.     

I decided to try out my own version while visiting my grandparents in Pennsylvania.  I made just a few changes and additions based on both taste (more apples!) and supply (namely, there were no juniper berries to be found in western Pennsylvania!).   I substituted the juniper berries with imported gin and doubled the apple slices.  The result?  My American version of Draadjesvlees, brought to you by my grandmother's bright and lovely kitchen. 

Since this dish is in part a re-creation from my week in the Netherlands, but also in part my own creation, I'm pairing it with the Chills' "Part Past Part Fiction" from their 1990 album Submarine Bells.  (Do you know this New Zealand band?  I think this album is their best one.)

Ingredients:

--2 lb. chuck roast

--4 c. beef stock beef stock

--4 Golden Delicious apples, cored and sliced

--6 red potatoes, chopped

--3 tbsp. olive oil

--1 small yellow onion, chopped

--4 tbsp. unsalted butter

--3 tbsp. flour

--1/4 c. apple cider vinegar

--10 whole cloves

--1 cinnamon stick

--2 crushed bay leaves

-- 1/4 c. gin (if you can find juniper berries, I'd use 2 tsp. of them instead!)

--salt and pepper, to taste

In a Dutch oven (or any large stock pot if you're sans Dutch oven), heat 2 tbsp. butter.  Add chopped onions and cook over low heat for 10-12 minutes, or just until the onions have begun to caramelize.  Add the chock roast and brown on either side.  Add the beef stock, vinegar, and gin, and bring to a boil.  Once the liquid has begun to boil, reduce heat to a low simmer, add salt & pepper (approx. 1 tbsp. each) and the spices (the cloves, bay leaves, cinnamon stick).  Cover, stirring occasionally.  Allow to cook for 3-4 hours (you'll know it's done when the beef is extremely tender and flakes with a fork).

While the beef is cooking, line a baking sheet with foil and spread the potatoes evenly across.  Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper, and roast for 20-25 minutes, or until crispy on the outside and soft on the inside (sample a few!).  

After you've put the potatoes in the oven, in a small saucepan, heat 2 tbsp. butter over low heat.  Once melted, slowly whisk in 3 tbsp. flour slowly until you've created a roux.  Now, remove 1-2 c. of the braising liquid from your Dutch oven and slowly whisk 1 1/2 c. into the small saucepan.  Whisk until fully combined and you've got a creamy, delicious gravy.  (If you like a thinner gravy, add more of the braising liquid).  Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Once the beef is tender, remove from the braising liquid and excise the excess fat (if you like the fat, you can leave it, of course).  Add the apple slices to the braising liquid, and increase the heat to medium-high.  Boil the apples for approximately 10 minutes, or until soft.

Once the apples are soft, serve beef with all the (Dutch) fixin's!

Tufahije

After a nearly month-long trip through Western Europe, the Balkans, and a final stop in Hungary, I've returned to America.  First order of business: a Bosnian dessert, prepared in my Virginia kitchen.

Tufahije is a classic Bosnian treat.  It's a roasted apple stuffed with a sweet walnut and hazelnut filling, often served chilled.  On a very hot July day in Sarajevo, I tried this for the first time at Ramis slastičarna, or sweet shop, on Ferhadija.  In the summer heat, the cooled apple and deliciously sweet filling were a refreshing delight.  In Bosnia, the stuffed apple traditionally is topped with whipped cream and a brandied cherry, but because I love the filling so much, I topped mine with an additional scoop.  So here you have it: Tufahije, American style.

No song really seems apt for such a sweet dish and for my first homage to Sarajevo.  But for a city that's at once so sad, beautiful, and alive, here's Bryan Ferry's cover of Bob Dylan's 1965 "Positively 4th Street", with its addictive, enticing, and heartbreaking lyrics.

Ingredients:
--4 Golden Delicious apples
--4 c. sugar
--1 lemon
--1/2 c. chopped walnuts
--1/2 c. chopped hazelnuts
--1 c. plain Greek yogurt
--1 tbsp. cinnamon
--1 tbsp. honey (thanks to my lovely hosts at Guest House Halvat, I brought home Bosnian honey!) 

Core and peel the Golden Delicious apples.

In a medium-sized bowl, blend the zest of one lemon, Greek yogurt, cinnamon, honey, walnuts, and hazelnuts.  This should form a creamy paste.  Set aside until ready to use.

In a large pot, place peeled and cored apples.  Add enough water just to cover the apples, and then add the sugar and the juice from the zested lemon to the water.  Bring to a low boil, and cover the pot so that the apple stay submerged.  Boil for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until the apples are soft but still firm enough to grip.  Remove pot from heat and allow apples and syrup to cool.

Once the apples have cooled, place them in small serving dishes large enough to hold the apple and extra syrup.  Next, fill the center hole in the apple (former site of the core) with the yogurt and nut cream.  Drizzle remaining sugar and lemon syrup from the pot over the apple to taste (I poured approximately 3 tbsp. over the apple).  

 
Chill the apples and the remaining cream until ready to serve. Top with  large scoop of the remaining cream and enjoy!