My Favorite...Sweet Corn Soup made with Corn Cob Stock :o)

Sweet Corn Soup 

My favorite veggie is corn, especially during summertime when it's so sweet.  I can put it in just about anything, but poor Hubby gets a little tired of it. In Japan they have a dish called Corn Potage which is basically a creamy corn soup like tomato soup, but with corn.  It very smooth, rich, sweet and corny and reminds me of my childhood.  A few years ago I found a recipe by Wolfgang Puck for Corn Soup which I really loved.  It's a little chunky, but I loved it anyway :o)  This is a loose interpretation of his recipe.  I liked that he adds a jalapeno cream sauce to finish the soup off.

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/corn-and-bacon-soup-with-jalapeno-crema

Fresh Corn...Yum!

To make this soup you really do need to use fresh corn, the fresher the better.  I got these at the weekly Farmer's Market in Carpinteria, CA.  Hubby usually goes with me to Farmer's Markets even though he hates "grocery" shopping, but he was at work, so I went by myself.  I really wish he was with me this trip, I ended up buying 12 ears of corn and boy were they heavy!

Making Creamed Corn

In Wolf's recipe he grates the corn whole to make the Creamed Corn.  Wow, what a mess doing it his way!  I think when the corn is so fresh the kernels pop and the juices go flying...you should have seen what my apron and counter top looked like doing it his way!  I figured out a way that's a little less messy...more work, but less messy...

  First, I cut the cobs in half, so it's easier to work with.  

  Second, I ran a knife through each individual kernel down the cob, so it wouldn't pop and gush all over.

  Third,  I grated the corn off the cob then ran the backside of the knife down the cob to get every 

     bit of juice possible :o)

I used 4 Ears of Corn for this part.

Fresh Corn off the Cob!

I also used whole kernel corn off the cob for this soup too.  I used another 4 ears for this part.  After cutting the kernels off, I again used the backside of the knife to get all the juices from the cob...

Creamed Corn

It looks so beautiful!!  Am I the only one that thinks this way...lol  It amazes me how much liquid goodness you get out of "just" corn!  I bet this would be delicious with just a little bit of butter and seasoning then I would eat it with rice ;o)

Corn Cob & Chicken Stock

I made chicken stock first.  I cooked the chicken bones for about 1 hour then added the corn cobs, celery, onion, carrot, bay leaf garlic etc. and cooked for another 45 mins. The cobs add another extra layer of corny flavor to the soup.  I learned this from my brother-in-law years ago...the one that actually used to be a cook at Wolfgang Puck's Spago.  Hmm, wonder why Wolf doesn't use the cobs to make the stock...

Sauteed Corn w/Cream & Hatch Chiles

I sauteed the whole kernel corn in bacon fat with salt & pepper then added my Hatch Chile mixture I've had from the past and then added only about 1/4 cup of heavy cream.

Post about Hatch Chile mixture...

http://myhomecookedmeals.blogspot.com/2011/05/dinner-tonighthatch-green-chile-chicken.html

Sauteed Onion, Red Onion, Celery, Garlic in Bacon Grease...

I first fried up the bacon then saved the grease to saute the veggies...  I didn't add bell peppers, I thought it would be too overpowering.

Sauteed Veggies, Corn & Bacon

Corn Masa Roux

I made a roux for the base of the soup to thicken it.  I used Corn Masa Flour & bacon fat to add another layer of corn & bacon flavor.

Adding Veggies & Stock...

After the roux was made I added the celery mixture then slowly incorporated the chicken/corn stock until the consistency I liked was reached then added everything else...whole corn mixture, creamed corn, bacon, a little milk and seasonings.

Garnished w/Corn, Roasted Jalapeno, Jalapeno Crema & Mex Seasonings :o)

For the Crema I whipped some Heavy Cream with the stick blender to a soft consistency then added sauteed jalapeno/garlic, sour cream, lemon juice, S&P.  The Mexican Seasoning is a Chile/Lime Mixture.

Oct 2009 - Mushroom & Shrimp Risotto, Arancini, Spaghetti w/Shredded Beef & Tomato Sauce, Soup & Chopped Salad

Mushroom & Shrimp Risotto

I used stock I made with Roasted Shrimp Heads.  The shrimp is just simply sauteed. The mushrooms are Bunapi (White Beech Mushrooms).

I topped it with Parmigiano Reggiano shaved with a rasp, I know some people don't think Parmesan goes with seafood...oh well;o)

Bunapi Mushrooms

This is one of my favorite mushrooms.  They have a very mild taste that you can use in most anything.  It's a specialty breed that Hokuto Company came up with, it's a type of Shimeji mushroom.  You can find it at many Asian markets like Marukai.  The reason I bought it the first time was because I thought they were so pretty and white...lol

Arancini

I love Arancini  (Italian Fried Rice Balls)!  It's the perfect use for leftover Risotto...if you have any left over;o)  It's made just like Tonkatsu with the panko breading.  I stuffed the middle with Mozzarella.  

I love using leftovers to make a second or third meal out of it.  It's kind of a game for me.  It's much more fun than just serving the exact thing over again :o)

 Spaghetti w/Shredded Beef & Tomato Sauce

A friend of mine told me he makes something very similar to this and I had to try it since it sounded so good!  It seems that I can never follow a recipe exactly how it is written.  I usually look at at least 3 and then mix and match and then put in my own touch;o) 

 I used the same ingredients as Osso Buco, but used a Beef Rump Roast and braised it for a couple of hours. I topped it with Gemolata (parsley, garlice & lemon zest) just like Osso Buco...it added great flavor!

For the garlic bread, I mix softened unsalted butter (Plugra is the easiest to find), chopped garlic, parsley, Parm cheese, S & P.  I slather the butter mixture on the bread then top it off with a little more Parm then stick it in the toaster oven.  I don't have a microwave, so my toaster oven is my best friend...lol

Like a Minestrone Soup...

I made this soup with the leftover Shredded Beef using up the beef & tomato sauce.  I also added:  diced tomatoes, spinach, flageolet & pinto beans, celery, onion, garlic, zucchini, corn, it's basically my 'Frig Soup ;o) I topped it with the left over gremolata & Parm Cheese.

Italian Chopped Salad

I served this with the soup, it wasn't as good as some restaurant versions, but it was pretty good!  I think I'd rather just eat it at a restaurant, it takes a lot of time to chop everything up...lol  Ingredients were:  Red Leaf Lettuce, Tomato, Salami, Provolone, Celery, Parmesan, Treviso (a racicchio that's shaped like a Belgian Endive), Red Onion, Hearts of Palm (my fav!), & Garbanzo Beans...I think that's it..   Again, not very traditional;o)  I made a simple Vinaigrette Dressing to go with it.