More like Mari's Gras

This week Mari threw a creole inspired soup night for Mardi Gras.
It was très magnifique!

Menu

Hurricanes

Stuffed Clams

Creole Shrimp Soup with fried okra

Beniegts with ice cream and caramel, raspberry or mango sauce

Hurricane 

We made a pitcher, but here is the recipe for one glass

1 oz vodka

1/4 oz grenadine syrup

1 oz gin

1 oz light rum

1 oz amaretto almond liqueur

1 oz triple sec

grapefruit juice

pineapple juice

Pour all but the juices into a hurricane glass three-quarters filled with ice. Fill with equal parts of grapefruit and pineapple juice, and serve. Garnish with cherries and orange slices.

Stuffed Clams

Fried Okra

Ingredients

10 pods okra

1 egg, beaten

1 cup cornmeal

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

Directions

In a small bowl, soak okra in egg for 5 to 10 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, salt, and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat okra in the cornmeal mixture. Carefully place okra in the hot oil. Reduce heat to medium when okra first starts to brown, and cook until golden. Dry on paper towels.

Creole Shrimp Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 large onions, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 cups vegetable broth

1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, in thick puree

Dash Worcestershire sauce

Dash hot sauce

2 bay leaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds large shrimp, shelled and deveined

4 tablespoons green onions, sliced for garnish

Directions

Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add oil. Cook garlic, onions, celery, and green bell peppers until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in cayenne and let caramelize. Add vegetable broth, tomatoes, Worcestershire, hot sauce, and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 35 minutes. Add shrimp and cook about 4 more minutes, until they are opaque and cooked through. Garnish with green onions and fried okra.

Beniegts with ice cream and caramel, raspberry or mango sauce

Introducing...

 Jake

Anand's pesto demo

Anand was kind enough to take some great detail pictures of the pesto process.

For a little extra pesto help follow the steps below.

Ingredients
2 cloves garlic
1 cup olive oil
handful of basil
1⁄2 cup parmesan
1⁄4 cup roasted walnuts

Step 1:  In a mini food processor combine basil and roasted walnuts.

Step 2:  Grate parmesan.

Step 3:  Add cheese.

Step 4:  Microwave olive oil and garlic for 1 minute.  Add to mixture.

Finished

Jeff's Turn

Menu

Tomato Mozzerella SaladGarlic Bread

Italian Minestrone Genovese
Toasted Almond and Blood Orange Gelato

Tomato Mozzerella Salad

Combine tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, mixed greens, balsamic vinegar and olive oil

Garlic Bread

Ingredients
4-5 garlic cloves
1 cup olive oil
1 loaf day old baguette.

Directions
Slice baguette into half inch pieces. Mince garlic and add to olive oil. Brush over each slice and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

Italian Minestrone Genovese

Pesto

This is what gives this 15th century recipe its cult following. It is the pesto added to the middle that was claimed to be an elixir for everlasting life. The pesto seeps into the soup and causes a jade color.

Ingredients
2 cloves garlic
1 cup olive oil
handful of basil
½ cup parmesan
¼ cup roasted walnuts

Directions
Combine full cloves of garlic into olive oil, cover and microwave for 1min. Add basil, parmesan, and roasted walnuts. Blend in a food processor.

Ingredients
3 small zucchinis
1 small leek
2 large carrots
4 large potatoes
2 handfuls unshelled fava beans
1 handful green beans
1 handful green peas
1 handful of squash, eggplant, cabbage or celery (those you can find)

Directions
In a large soup pot, combine potatoes, carrots, leeks, 1 tsp sea salt, and 1 liter of water or vegetable broth. Cook for 10 minutes. Add beans, peas, and celery, and cook for another 10 minutes. Add zucchinis and squash. Simmer until guest arrive, at least 20min. Divide soup into bowls add a dollop of pesto and two croutons.

Gelato

Wine Served

 Beer Served

Nick's Turn

Menu

Split Pea Dumpling Soup

Pudding Pie

Split Pea Dumpling Soup

Special Equipment
    bamboo steamer

Ingredients
    2 cups cups frozen peas
    2/3 cup ricotta cheese
    2 tablespoons olive oil
    1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    ground black pepper
    1 small shallot, minced
    1/3 cup grated Parmesan
    zest of one large lemon
    1 package of spring roll skin or wonton wrappers.

Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Salt the water and add the peas. Cook until bright green in color and soft, about one minute.  Drain the peas and run under cold water to stop the cooking.

Blend the peas, ricotta cheese, olive oil, pepper and salt into a puree using a hand blender or food processor.  Leave a bit of texture in the puree. Return the mixture to a bowl and stir in shallots, parmesan, and lemon zest. Taste.  Season with salt and pepper if needed.

Place twelve wrappers out on the counter, drop a small amount of filling onto each wrapper, wet the edges of each wrapper with a water, fold, set aside on a plate. Do the next dozen and repeat until the filling is used up.

Place your steamer on top of a pan with boiling water.  Drizzle olive oil over each dumpling, arrange the dumplings in a single layer (do not overlap), and steam for about three minutes.  The dumplings should be tender and translucent. Sprinkle with salt

Makes about 4 dozen dumplings.

 Ingredients
    extra virgin olive oil
    1 large onion, chopped
    4 cups vegetable broth
    sea salt
    ground pepper
    4 cups cooked yellow split peas*
    1/4 cup dill
    16 dumplings
    1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
*To cook dried yellow spilt peas: Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan, add 3/4 cup dried yellow split peas, and cook for 20 -30 minutes, or until tender. Drain, season with salt and set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil, and onion over medium-high heat. Cook for a few minutes, just until the onions soften up a bit. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

To each serving bowl, add one cup of yellow peas. Place herbs on top of the split peas and ladle one cup of hot broth into each bowl.  Add a few dumplings and drizzle each bowl with olive oil. Sprinkle each bowl with grated Parmesan.

Serves four.

Pudding Pie

Beers Served

 

Nick's home brew

Wine Served

Soup Night Rule

red pepper flakes go on everything

Introducing...

Anand will be joining us for soup night.