Friday, February 27, 2015

Chicken and yogurt soup




If you were to look through my search history, (or at least its clean version) you’ll quickly notice a clear pattern. Most of the searches include the keywords “warm” and “heating”, and phrases such as “how to stay warm” will be at the top of the list. Maybe it’s me, and maybe I’m just stupid, but I think that when you live through what has been called (already) Cleveland’s coldest February in recorded history, you need to make sure you stay nice and warm everywhere you are. I have no trouble staying warm when I’m outside. I wear several layers of clothes, beanies, ear warmers, scarfs, wool socks and boots. If I’m outside, I’m a walking winter mummy.





My problem is staying warm at home. I can’t possibly talk myself out of using every possible room in the house, no matter how cold or drafty it gets. At the same time, we want to give our overworked furnace a bit of a break. After all, it’s not its fault that subzero temperatures are the new normal. So while some of the tips on “how to stay warm” have been helpful, most of them I won’t even attempt testing. Instead, I’ve been gravitating around the time-proven, internationally accepted anti-cold remedy we call soup.

This chicken and yogurt soup is quite simple; but like most soups worth eating, it takes some time to make it. Instead of thighs, I used bone-in, chicken breasts with their skin on; I did it mostly because I like breasts better than thighs in soups, even though thighs usually cook better. I seared the chicken in a Dutch oven, and rendered some of the fat, and then I used it to sauté the vegetables. I returned the chicken to the Dutch oven, and I just used water with salt and pepper. After simmering for a while, I added a little bit of Lebanese yogurt (Laban) to add flavor, acidity and tanginess. Laban is more tangy than our standard Greek yogurt, but they are otherwise the same (but if it’s homemade it can differ on how well stained it is). That’s it; it’s a really simple, yet delicious soup.

Stay warm!

On the road shortcut
Serves 4

1 teaspoon olive oil
1lb chicken breasts, bone in, skin on, cubed
3 leeks, chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tomatoes, sliced
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
4 cups boiling water
¼ cup Lebanese yogurt (Laban)
1 teaspoon salt (used throughout the recipe)
½ teaspoon pepper

Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil and heat it for 2 minutes. Sear chicken about 3-4 minutes per side, seasoning with ½ teaspoon of the salt. Remove the chicken. Use the rendered fat from the chicken to sauté the leeks, celery and carrots. Season with 2 dashes of salt. Sauté for 10-15 minutes. Add the garlic, and sauté for a minute, then add the tomatoes, the parsley, and 2 pinches of salt. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the boiling water, pepper and remaining salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes, covered. Remove the lid, take ¼ cup of the broth, and add it to the yogurt. Return the mix to the pot, simmer uncovered for 5 more minutes. Stir occasionally.

Friday, February 20, 2015

Old Fashioned Rican




As I mentioned on my last post, I spend a week in Puerto Rico in late January. What I did not mention was how crazy I went buying booze. By the end of that week I had bought 6 bottles of wine, 1 bottle of fruit wine, 1 bottle of chocolate liqueur, and 2 bottles of rum. It’s not like I needed to be hammered 24/7 like an “all-inclusive” brat, but all of these beverages were Puerto Rican made and let’s face it: we all need a souvenir to remember our trips. For a couple of years now, I’ve been intrigued by the appearance of Puerto Rican made (or at least Puerto Rican bottled) wines, and I must admit I’ve been, for the most part, pleasantly surprised. And they are inexpensive too; I’m talking 4-5 dollars per bottle. It reminded me of those days in Spain when I could go and buy quality wine for 3-5 euros. Oh, the good old days.


But let not kid ourselves; Puerto Rico’s best booze comes in rum form. You must have heard of Ron Bacardí, as it is world famous (and yummy). But in Puerto Rico, Bacardí is not even the top selling rum; Don Q is the local favorite. While is true that the sugar cane industry is dead and unlikely to resurrect anytime soon, there’s a resurgence of the more interesting, artisanal rums brought in vogue by the recent “legalization” of the centuries old pitorro, homemade rum aged underground and often cured with fruits. Although most of the pitorro and other rums I’ve tried are absolutely delicious, I still consider Ron del barrilito (Rum from the small barrel) the best rum in the country. Ron del barrilito has been around since the 1880s, but I must confess that I was introduced to it by a Spanish friend in Madrid. Since then, this rum and I have been the best of friends. Ron del barrilito is aged in old (and I mean more than a century kind of old) barriles de Jerez, (sherry barrels) for 6-10 years. It has an amazing aroma that reminds me of Cognac, and a great taste with notes that remind me of oak, vanilla, spices and fruits. Of course, I say this based on my taste, and in the taste of the countless bottles I’ve drunken, but you can read a more detailed (and educated) description here.  
 
Old Fashioned Rican


While is best to just drink this Puerto Rican masterpiece on its own, THIS PUERTO RICAN MASTERPIECE decided to use it in a cocktail to shoosh the winter chills away. I actually made two versions of this drink I’ll call the Old Fashioned Rican: The Old Fashioned Rican, and the Old Fashioned Rican light. The former, is a full bodied luxurious cocktail; the latter, is a refreshing drink that I will definitely make again during the summer months. Either way, the complex flavors of the rum carry through, and both drinks made me really happy (wink, wink). The chills may still here, but they don’t bother me anymore. 

Old Fashioned Rican Light

On the road shortcut

Old Fashioned Rican
¾ teaspoon sugar
3 dashes Angostura bitters
3 ounces Ron del barrilito
Ice
Add sugar to an Old Fashioned glass (note, I'm not using an old fashioned glass here). Add the bitters, and mix. Add the rum, and stir. Add ice to fill the glass. Garnish with an orange slice, and a cherry.

Old Fashioned Rican Light
Old Fashioned Rican
¾ teaspoon sugar
3 dashes Angostura bitters
1.5 ounces Ron del barrilito
1.5 ounces carbonated water (or club soda)
Ice

Add sugar to an Old Fashioned glass (note, I'm not using an old fashioned glass here). Add the bitters, and mix. Add the rum and the water, and stir. Add ice to fill the glass. Garnish with an orange slice, and a cherry.