Maple Bacon Pecan Blondies

Looking for a dessert that captures the taste of bacon that has been inadvertently (or maybe deliberately) covered with the maple syrup runoff from your pancakes or waffles? Look no further. I put together this sweet, salty treat to enjoy while watching some Sunday afternoon football. 

Blondies are an infinitely diverse dessert. You can include any number of additions (chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, toffee, etc.) to the batter to create a good blondie.  I found a basic recipe and substituted pecans to offset some of the sweetness from the blondie itself and the maple frosting. The end product is reminiscent of pecan pancakes.

ingredients:

The Blondies:
This recipe is adapted from Taste of Home. 

1 1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c salted butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt*
1/2 c chopped pecans

The Frosting:

I have a go-to family recipe for butter cream frosting, which I use often and have adapted for many flavor profiles.  Here I substituted some of the sweetness and liquid (usually milk) with maple syrup.

1/2 c salted butter, softened

1/2 c crisco, softened

1 tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp salt*

3 c confectioners sugar

1/2 c maple syrup

5-6 slices of bacon

*Usually I wouldn't add salt since I tend to use salted butter but given the sweetness factor in this recipe I went ahead and included the salt.

preparation:
Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan (I lined my pan with foil and then greased it so that I would be able to easily take the bars out to cool, cut and frost) and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl mix together brown sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla until just combined. Gradually add the dry ingredients. Fold in pecans.

Spread the batter into the greased pan and bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Cut into bars (small or large). 

Mix together the butter, crisco, vanilla and salt.  Gradually add in the confectioners sugar. Once well combined slowly add in the maple syrup.  

Bacon...cook 5-6 slices of bacon (crispy but not burnt). Drain and cool bacon on paper towels. Once cooled chop bacon into bits.  

Frost the blondies and then sprinkle with bacon. If for some reason these don't disappear immediately be sure to store them in the refrigerator because, you know, there's bacon on them.

Enjoy!

Dark and Stormy...the cake version.

While searching for a boozy, summery cake to celebrate a couple of  friends' birthdays I came across several Dark and Stormy cupcake recipes but very few actual cake recipes. When life hands you cupcake recipes turn them into cake recipes.

Making a recipe your own...The most interesting recipe I found came from Kidchamp. I liked that there are two different batters and I could easily turn this into a layer cake. While the cake recipe fit my needs I wasn't sure that the cream cheese frosting fit well with the flavors of a Dark and Stormy cocktail, so I created my own boozy butter cream.

ingredients: 

Ginger Cake

2oz fresh grated ginger

1/2 c molasses

1/2 c sugar

1/2 c vegetable oil

1 1/2 c flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1/2 c water

1 tsp baking soda

1 egg

Rum Cake

3/4 c softened salted butter

3/4 c sugar

2 egg yolks, 1 egg white

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 TBS lemon zest 

3/8 c Gosling's dark rum

1 1/2 c flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 c heavy whipping cream

Rum Syrup

4 TBS salted butter

3/8 c sugar

1/3 c Gosling's dark rum

Rum Lime Frosting

1 c salted butter at room temperature

1 lb confectioners sugar

1 TBS heavy whipping cream

2 TBS Gosling's dark rum

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp salt

2 TBS lime zest

optional garnish: lime slices and crystalized ginger

preparation:

Ginger Cake

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9 inch round cake pan. Combine flour, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper in a medium bowl. Mix together molasses, sugar and oil in a separate large bowl. Heat water in the microwave for about 60 seconds and then stir in baking soda. Stir the baking soda mixture into the molasses mixture. Stir in the ginger and then whisk in the flour mixture until combined. Add egg and mix until combined. Pour the batter into cake pan and bake for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for at least 10 minutes and then turn the cake out on a cooling rack to cool completely.

Rum Cake

Grease and flour a second 9 inch round cake pan. In a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer) beat together butter and sugar until well combined and light.  Add in the eggs and vanilla, then the lemon zest and finally the rum.  Combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda in a separate bowl.  Add these dry ingredients to the wet mixture alternating the whipping cream until just blended.  Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake in a 350 oven for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for at least 10 minutes in the pan and then turn the cake out on a cooling rack to cool completely.

Rum Syrup

Combine the butter, sugar and rum in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously and bring to a low boil.  Once boil is reached take the syrup off of the heat and set aside to cool.  

Once the cakes have cooled stack them on top of each other. I chose to put the rum cake on the bottom and the ginger cake on top.  Once stacked poke numerous holes in the layers of cake with a wooden skewer.  Once the rum syrup has cooled, slowly pour it over the cake layers using a pastry brush to evenly distribute the syrup. Let the cakes soak up the rum for several hours or over night.

Rum Lime Frosting

Mix together the whipping cream, vanilla, salt and lime zest. Beat the butter until creamy. Add 1/2 of the powdered sugar to the butter gradually.  Add in the rum mixture gradually. Add in the rest of the sugar.  Mix until creamy. 

Frost the cake layers. Start by pouring the frosting in the center of the cake and work your way out and over the edges.  I garnished this cake with lime slices that had been patted dry and small slices of crystalized ginger. 

BostonRy's Sweet Hot Pickles

Growing up in the Midwest, my first introduction to sweet hot pickles was via Tony Packo's, a Hungarian hot dog joint in Toledo.  Tony Packo's Sweet Hot Pickles and Peppers are available in grocery stores around the country but sadly have not made their way to Boston.  Therefore, to satiate my sweet hot pickle cravings when my stash inevitably runs out, I decided to create my own recipe.  If you are familiar with Tony Packo's version let me warn you that this recipe packs more heat.

ingredients: 

6 lbs pickling cucumbers (sliced to about 1/4 inch)

2 large sweet onions (sliced)

1 cup of kosher salt* (I pulse this in the food processor to make it easier to dissolve)

1 gallon water

6 cups white vinegar

3 cups cider vinegar

7 cups sugar

3 TBS regular mustard seed

1 TBS hot mustard seed

8 whole cloves

1 tsp turmeric

5 TBS garlic (roughly chopped)

8 hungarian wax peppers (sliced into rings)

10 cherry peppers (sliced into rings)

pickle crisp (optional, hard to find in Metro areas)

*Really one should use Pickling Salt for this recipe but apparently very few people in the greater Boston area pickle anything because Pickling Salt has eluded me for years. Even stores that carry mason jars don't seem to have it, which I find a bit odd.  This leads me to believe they carry mason jars for jam lovers and/or hipsters (Yes, I realize I take pictures with Hipstamatic. What can I say; I like lomo, medium format photography)...anyway, back to the salt. The main concern with substitutes for Pickling Salt is that you want to use a salt that does not contain additives. Regular table salt should NOT be used for pickling as it often contains iodine and anti-caking agents amongst other additives that may discolor your food and possibly change the flavor. I've made this mistake before and it's not pretty, or tasty.

supplies: 

mason jars, lids, and rings (I used wide mouth pint jars)

1-2 large pots (better with two but you can make it work with one)

canning utensil set

preparation: 

Clean and slice the cucumbers. Slice the onions into rings. Place the cucumbers and onions in a large non-reactive bowl or pot. Add the salt and water and mix. Let stand for about 2 hours. 

Drain the cucumbers and onions in a colander and rinse with cold water for about 5 minutes. Drain well and set aside.  

Add the vinegars, sugar, mustard seeds, cloves, turmeric, garlic, and peppers to a large non-reactive pot over medium heat. Mix well until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil. Add cucumbers and onions and mix.  Return to a boil. Once boil is reached remove from heat.  

Add the pickle mixture to the already sterilized jars making sure the liquid is approximately 1/2 inch from the top of the jar. If you choose to use pickle crisp, add 1/8 tsp to each pint jar. Slide the plastic, sterilized bubble remover (or a similar implement like a small spatula) around the sides of the jar to make sure there are no trapped air bubbles.  Secure the sterilized lid and tighten the ring just to the point of resistance.

Place the jars in the hot water bath so they are covered by at least 1 inch of boiling water. Process for 15 minutes. Remove the jars from the water bath with tongs and let them cool. As the jars cool a vacuum will occur and the lid will make a popping sound.  Once the lids have popped tighten the rings.  Store in a cool dry place.  Wait 2 weeks before using to let the pickles reach a more robust and balanced flavor.

yield: 
11 pints

notes about canning:

Canning may seem overwhelming at first but it's really not all that complicated. The most important part is to make sure that your equipment is sterilized. For more information on canning visit: http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_home.html 

Homemade Ricotta Cheese

A number of months ago I attended a Simple Cheese Making class at Formaggio Kitchen's Teaching Annex.  I'm not sure why it took me so long to finally test my simple cheese making skills at home but now that I have I may never use store bought ricotta again.

ingredients: 

6 cups Whole Milk

2 cups Heavy Cream

1 tsp Sea Salt

6 TBS Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

preparation:

Place milk, heavy cream, and salt in a non-reactive pot and heat to 190 degrees over medium heat.  Stir occasionally so the milk does not scorch.  Once the mixture reaches 190 degrees take the pot off of the heat and add lemon juice.  Stir a couple times to mix in the lemon juice and then let the pot stand undisturbed for about 5 minutes.  While waiting for the mixture to curdle line a colander with cheese cloth and set the colander over a large bowl.  After 5 minutes pour the mixture into the colander and let it drain for 1-2 hours until it reaches your desired consistency. This recipe makes approximately 2 cups of ricotta.

serving suggestions:
I made this for a cheese plate and paired it with bourbon cherries (see recipe here) served on a french baguette.

The ricotta recipe was sourced from Smitten Kitchen.

Quite Possibly Your Grandfather's Cocktail...

A classic cocktail in honor of the return of Mad Men...with some homemade bourbon cherries for good measure.

Old Fashioned: 

2 oz bourbon
orange slice
bourbon cocktail cherry
angostura bitters
<1 tsp superfine sugar (or sugar cube)
water
ice

Mix sugar, 2-3 dashes bitters, and a few drops of water in a rocks glass.  Add a slice of orange and a cherry and muddle.  Add 2 ounces of bourbon and ice and stir.

Bourbon Cocktail Cherries:

1 lb bing cherries, pitted

1/2 cup water

1/2 sugar

1 cup bourbon

mason jars

Clean and pit the cherries.  In a medium sauce pan over medium heat dissolve the sugar in water to make a simple syrup.  Once the sugar has completely dissolved and starts to thicken add the bourbon, mix and turn heat off.  Fill clean mason jars (I used 16 ounce widemouth jars) with the cleaned, pitted cherries.  Pour the syrup mixture over cherries almost to the top of the jar.  Close the jars with a new lid and ring.  Process the jars in boiling water for 10 minutes.  Store in a cool dark place for several weeks before eating.  

Optional: You can also add any combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves to spice up your cherries a bit.  I planned to use them in several different types of drinks however so I wanted to keep them simple. 

February 2012 Soup Swap Recipes

Every once in a while a group of soup enthusiasts get together, have brunch, and swap some soup. At the most recent soup swap there were a number of hearty and savory soups perfect for winter. The recipes below have been provided by fellow swappers. If you're interested in finding out more about soup swaps here are the details:

http://soupswap.com/

Brunswick Stew - Ryann

The inspiration for this recipe came from sampling barbecue in Georgia last fall. I won't get into the debate on whether Brunswick stew originated in Georgia or Virginia. In my version I've included the ingredients I like regardless of whether they are traditionally found in the Georgia or Virginia based versions.

ingredients:
1-1 ½ lbs. pulled pork (if you don’t have a smoker use cheater pulled pork)
1 pre-roasted chicken pulled and chopped
1 lb. beef chuck cubed
2 sticks butter
2 onions finely chopped
4-5 cloves garlic minced
1 QT chicken stock
2-3 TBS chicken soup base
3 cans crushed tomatoes (28 oz)
1  bag frozen lima beans
1 bag frozen corn
2 15 oz cans butter beans
1 TBS cayenne
1 TBS black pepper
¼ cup worcestershire
1 cup bbq sauce
tabasco (to taste)
liquid smoke (to taste)

preparation:
Start the cheater pulled pork a several hours before you plan to put the stew together (see recipe below).  Pull the meat from the pre-roasted chicken and chop in medium sized pieces.  Cut the beef chuck roast into large cubes (~2 inch).  In a large stockpot over medium heat melt butter. Add onions and garlic and saute until  nearly translucent (~10 minutes).  Add beef cubes and brown on all sides.  After the beef is browned add chicken stock, soup base, crushed tomatoes, cayenne, black pepper, worcestershire and BBQ sauce then mix well.  Add beans, corn, and some water if the stew looks too thick and bring to a boil.  Once the stew has reached a boil reduce heat and simmer for several hours, stirring occasionally.  If you want your stew to have some additional smoke and spice add liquid smoke and tabasco to taste.

Cheater Pulled Pork
4-5 lb Pork (Boston Butt)
BBQ rub
½ bottle liquid smoke

Trim boston butt of excess fat and cut into large chunks.  Place pork in slow cooker, sprinkle with bbq rub and add liquid smoke.  Cook pork for 5-6 hours on low or 10-12 hours on high. Once pork reaches an internal temp of 190 pull or chop to desired consistency.  

Seaweed Soup - Marlena

ingredients:
dried seaweed
vegetable or chicken broth
chicken
sesame oil
soy sauce or salt
minced garlic

preparation:
Soak seaweed according to directions on the package. Combine ingredients in stockpot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Peanut Leek Soup - Natalie

ingredients:
2 tablespoons roasted peanut or vegetable oil
2 large onions, diced
2 bell peppers, 1 red and 1 green, diced into 1/2-inch chunks
2 teaspoons chopped ginger
1/2 lb of carrots, peeled and grated
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes, or more to taste
2 cups crushed tomatoes in sauce
5 cups water, or chicken stock, or vegetable stock
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup sliced leeks

preparation:
Warm the oil in a wide soup pot set over high heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, ginger, and carrots, and saute, stirring frequently until the onions have begun to color, 8 to 10 minutes, adding the garlic after the first 5 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon salt, several good twists of the pepper mill, and the cayenne to taste, and cook a few minutes longer.  Add the tomatoes and scrape the pot to lift up any brown bits from the bottom. Add the water or stock, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes.  Add the peanut butter and cook, stirring, until it has dissolved.  Puree until smooth. Return to the pot. (If you wish, you can puree only a portion of the soup.) Taste for salt and for the heat level, adding more cayenne if desired.  Add leeks and simmer until leeks are soft.

Cincinnati Style Chili - Shanna

ingredients:
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 quart water, or amount to cover
2 onions, finely chopped
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 (1 ounce) square unsweetened chocolate
1/4 cup chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
5 whole cloves
5 whole allspice berries
1 bay leaf

preparation:
Place the ground beef in a large pan, cover with about 1 quart of cold water, and bring to a boil, stirring and breaking up the beef with a fork to a fine texture. Slowly boil until the meat is thoroughly cooked, about 30 minutes, then remove from heat and refrigerate in the pan overnight. 

The next day, skim the solid fat from the top of the pan, and discard the fat. Place the beef mixture over medium heat, and stir in the onions, tomato sauce, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, chocolate, chili powder, salt, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, cloves, allspice berries, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 hours. Add water if necessary to prevent the chili from burning.

Cheddar Corn Chowder - Jodi

1999, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, All Rights Reserved

ingredients:

8 oz bacon, chopped

1/4 cup good olive oil

6 cups chopped yellow onions (4 large onions)

4 TBS unsalted butter

1/2 cup flour

2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

12 cups chicken stock

4 cups medium-diced white boiling potatoes, unpeeled (2 lbs)

10 cups corn kernels, fresh (10 ears) or frozen (3 lbs)

2 cups half-and-half

1/2 lb sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

preparation:

In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon and olive oil until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and butter to the fat, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.

Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and turmeric and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cob and blanch them for 3 minutes in boiling salted water. Drain. (If using frozen corn you can skip this step.) Add the corn to the soup, then add the half-and-half and cheddar. Cook for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve hot with a garnish of bacon.

Spiced Coconut Lentil Soup Recipe - Jenny

ingredients:
2 large red onions
4 tsp coconut oil
1 1/2 red chili
4 clove garlic
4-inch piece of peeled ginger, grated
4 cup red lentils
4 cans coconut milk
12 cups broth (or 12 cups water + bouillon as needed)
4 tsp ground coriander
4 tsp paprika
4 tsp cumin
1 tsp pink Himalayan salt
1 tsp black pepper  
1 tbsp red chili flakes
juice from 4 limes
cilantro leaves for garnish

preparation:
Finely chop the red onion. Heat the coconut oil in a heavy based saucepan. Add the onion, cover and allow to soften for several minutes. 

Meanwhile, mince the chili, garlic and ginger together. Add to pan, cover and cook for a few more minutes until the flavors begin to infuse – your kitchen should be full of wonderful aromas by now. Rinse and sort the red lentils and add to pan along with the ground coriander, paprika and cumin. Mix thoroughly and then pour in the coconut milk and water. Sprinkle in the broth (or water/boullion) and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Cover, bring to the boil and then lower to a gentle simmer for forty minutes, stirring frequently.

Juice the limes and set aside. When the lentils have softened and almost disintegrated to form a thick, creamy soup, take off the heat, pour in the lime juice, taste for seasoning and serve with a few fresh coriander leaves for garnish.

Portuguese Soup - Stacey

ingredients:
water
shin bone
portuguese chourico
cabbage
carrots
kale
onions
garlic
stewed tomatoes
macaroni

preparation: 

Saute onions and garlic (as much as you like), throw in chourico and stir for a minute or 5. Add shin bone and cover with water. Cook for 1-2 hours, you can add beef broth as you go along. You can even use just beef broth and water and skip the bone. Add stewed tomatoes (chopped). Add carrots and cook until just about tender, add cabbage and kale and cook some more. Who knows how long, it was approximately a 6 pack of beer. Add salt and pepper to taste.

November 2010 Soup Swap Recipes

This was the first soup swap I hosted. The general consensus was that the most difficult part was making sure to have 6 quarts soup, which typically pushes the limits of most people's stock pots. All in all, the swap was successful and the accompanying brunch was a nice addition. I even tried my hand at making a homemade Kringle. Anyway, here are the soups in no particular order.

Chicken and Noodles - Ryann
ingredients:

2 Quarts Chicken Stock
2 Quarts Water

1 1/2 cups of chopped Carrots

1 1/2 cups chopped Celery

1 quart chopped Onions

3 TBS Chicken Bouillon (or soup base) - I used Better than Bouillon soup base.

1 cup Butter

Black Pepper to taste

Two grocery store roasted chickens, meat carved, pulled and chopped.

Homemade Egg Noodles Recipe below

preparation:
Add Stock, Water, Carrots, Celery, Onions, Bouillon, Butter, Pepper and Chicken together, in a large pot. Heat until (180) or boiling. Lower heat, cook on low heat for at least 30 minutes.
Add the uncooked Noodles, bring to a boil, and simmer another 10 minutes.
Enjoy

Homemade “Reames Style” Egg Noodles 
ingredients:
3 Eggs, beaten  
Dash Salt  
2 cups Flour  
4 Tbs. Milk

preparation:

Mix all ingredients together.
Roll out on floured surface to desired thickness.  Put a generous amount of flour on top and roll longways.  Cut with knife (I used a pizza cutter) about 1/8-inch wide. Dry for about 2 hours on a rack or cookie sheet.  Drop into boiling broth. (You will obviously need to have the soup ready at this point.  Boil about 10 minutes (I cooked mine for about 20 – 25 minutes. At 10 minutes cooking time, they were still a bit too al dente for my liking). Let stand another 10 minutes before serving.

noodle source recipe: http://www.adventuresofaglutenfreemom.com/2009/10/homemade-reames-egg-noodles-and-bob-evans-style-chicken-and-noodles/

Cheesy Brat Stew - Lindsay

ingredients: 

6 bratwurst links, browned and cut into 1/2 inch slices 

4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed  

1 tablespoon dried minced onion 

1 (15 ounce) can green beans, drained 

1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped 

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese 

1 (10.75 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup 

2/3 cup water

preparation: 
Place the bratwurst, potatoes, minced onion, green beans, red pepper, Cheddar cheese, mushroom soup and water into a slow cooker. Cover, and cook on medium for 3 hours, or until potatoes are fork-tender.

I added chicken broth to the amount of water to increase the liquid content.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cheesy-Brat-Stew-for-the-Slow-Cooker/Detail.aspx

Veggie/Bean Soup - Nancy
ingredients:
flageolet beans
chicken stock
carrots
turnip
parsnips
leeks
garlic

preparation:
Flageolet, soaked overnight, drained and cooked til sort of halfway tender in chicken stock.

Chop and saute the following (or any assortment of veg you want): carrots, turnip, parsnips, leeks, garlic. Toss in with beans, add a good blob of pesto, add stock to cover and simmer until veg are tender. Just before serving add shredded or sliced cabbage and simmer again until cabbage is tender. Season as you wish.

Endless variations, obviously.
 

Black Bean Pumpkin Soup - Jodi
Makes about 9 cups

ingredients: 
3 15 1/2 ounce cans black beans (about 4 1/2 cups), rinsed and drained
1 cup drained canned tomatoes, chopped
1 1/4 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup minced shallot
4 garlic cloves minced
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
4 cups beef broth
16-ounce can pumpkin pureé (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup dry Sherry
1/2 pound cooked ham, cut into 1/8-inch dice
3 to 4 tablespoons Sherry vinegar

garnish:
sour cream

coarsely chopped lightly toasted pumpkin seeds

preparation:
In a food processor coarsely pureé beans and tomatoes.In a 6-quart heavy kettle cook onion, shallot, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper in butter over moderate heat, stirring, until onion is softened and beginning to brown. Stir in bean pureé. Stir in broth, pumpkin, and Sherry until combined and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 25 minutes, or until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Just before serving, add ham and vinegar and simmer soup, stirring, until heated through. Season soup with salt and pepper.

Serve soup garnished with sour cream and toasted pumpkin seeds.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Black-Bean-Pumpkin-Soup-14330

Mushroom Soup - Natalie

Makes 1 quart

ingredients:
6 tbsp butter
1 small onion, thinly sliced
12 ounces button mushrooms (I used half button mushrooms & half portabella mushrooms)
4 cups light chicken stock or broth
1 sprig of flat parsley
Salt and pepper
2 oz high-quality sherry (don't use the cheap grocery-store variety)

Equipment
Medium saucepan
Wooden spoon
Blender

preparation:
In the medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat and add the onion. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent, then add the mushrooms and the remaining butter. Let the mixture sweat for about 8 minutes, taking care that the onion doesn't take on any brown color. Stir in the chicken stock and the parsley and bring to a boil.
Immediately reduce the heat and simmer for about an hour.
After an hour, remove the parsley and discard. Let the soup cool for a few minutes, then transfer to the blender and carefully blend at high speed until smooth. Do I have to remind you to do this in stages, with the blender's lid firmly held down, and with the weight of your body keeping that thing from flying off and allowing boiling hot mushroom pure to erupt
all over your kitchen?

When blended, return the mix to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and bring up to a simmer again. Add the sherry, mix well, and serve immediately.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Mushroom-Soup-231145

Indian Spiced Carrot Soup with Ginger - Cortney
ingredients:

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds

3 tablespoons peanut oil

1/2 teaspoon curry powder (preferably Madras)

1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger

2 cups chopped onions

1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled, thinly sliced into rounds (about 4 cups)

1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lime peel

5 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth or vegetable broth

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

Plain yogurt (for garnish)

preparation:
Grind coriander and mustard seeds in spice mill to fine powder. Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add ground seeds and curry powder; stir 1 minute. Add ginger; stir 1 minute. Add next 3 ingredients. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; sauté until onions begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add 5 cups broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered until carrots are tender, about 30 minutes. Cool slightly. Working in batches, puree in blender until smooth. Return soup to pot. Add more broth by 1/4 cupfuls if too thick. Stir in lime juice; season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm before serving.

Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with yogurt and serve.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Indian-Spiced-Carrot-Soup-with-Ginger-241886