Noche Buena (Christmas Eve Midnight Feast)

Enjoy a few sample recipes from Karen's Filipino Christmas Eve menu for a flavorful evening!

Arroz Caldo Con Pollo Chicken Rice Soup with Ginger
Caldereta Hearty Beef Stew
Paksiw na Lechón Pork Pot Roast in Lechón Sauce
Hamon Chinese Ham
Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Buko Coconut Salad
Yema Egg Balls
Polvoron Powdered Milk Candy
Christmas Cookies
Tsokolate Rich Chocolate Drink
Tangerines
Roasted Chestnuts

Arroz Caldo Con Pollo

Make this comfort food a day ahead to allow the flavors to marry. Besides being traditional Christmas Eve fare, the soup is also a cold remedy.

1/2 cup minced garlic
1 (2-inch) piece ginger, coarsely chopped or squeezed through a garlic press
1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups uncooked rice
1 (2-pound) chicken, cut into serving-size pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons salt or patis (fish sauce)
1/2 cup finely sliced green onions
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste

Using a 3-quart pot, sauté 2 tablespoons garlic, the ginger, and onion in 2 tablespoons oil for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the garlic is golden, and the onion is translucent. Add the rice and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly add 10 cups water to the rice mixture. Bring the soup to a boil, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat, add the chicken, and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Add the salt during the final 5 minutes of cooking.

Meanwhile, sauté the remaining garlic in the remaining 2 tablespoons oil until the garlic is a golden brown.

Serve the soup in a preheated tureen. Garnish with the sautéed garlic, green onion rings, and black pepper.
Yields 4 servings.
Note: Patis is a fish sauce used for seasoning nearly every Filipino dish: chicken, beef, pork, fish, shrimp, crabs, and other seafood. However, patis is an acquired taste. A good substitute is rock or iodized salt. Other substitutes for patis are a mixture of soy sauce and freshly squeezed lemon juice or soy sauce and kumquats. Patis is available in Asian supermarkets.

Picture courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Chicken Soup with Shiitake Mushrooms and Carrots

Serves 4.

½ cup finely sliced chicken
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper, or to taste
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon rice wine (available at Asian markets)
2 tablespoons sesame oil
4 cups chicken broth
½ cup sliced shiitake mushrooms
½ cup thinly sliced carrots

Dredge the sliced chicken in the salt, pepper, and cornstarch. Stir-fry in a wok with the rice wine and sesame oil for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth, mushrooms, and carrots, and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked and vegetables are tender.

Picture courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. This post is a member of the Chinese Father's Day menu series.

Wonton Soup

Serves 4 to 6.

½ pound lean pork, chopped
1 tablespoon soy sauce, or to taste
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
6 tablespoons (10 ounces) frozen spinach, chopped and drained
½ pound (3½-inch square) wonton wrappers (available at Asian markets)
2 quarts boiling water
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh spinach leaves

Combine the pork, soy sauce, ginger, and salt in a large bowl. Fold in the cooked and drained spinach and mix well.

Place a teaspoon of the filling just below the center of each wrapper. Fold one end of the wonton over, tucking it beneath the filling. Dampen the edge to secure it. Roll it between your hands to form a small cylinder. Pull the 2 ends down beneath the roll until they overlap. Using damp fingers, pinch the ends firmly to secure.

Drop the wontons into rapidly boiling water. Bring again to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes, or until pork is thoroughly cooked, yet the wontons are still a bit firm. Drain the wontons and discard the water. Add the broth to the 5-quart pot and bring to a boil. Add the fresh spinach and wontons. Bring to a boil once more then serve immediately.

Picture courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. This post is a member of the Hungry Ghost Week menu series.

"Berry-ous" Delights from Germany: Blueberry Soup with Caramelized Croutons (Blaubeersuppe)

Think that German food is all bratwurst, wiener schnitzel, and sauerkraut? This week, Nadia Hassani, author of Spoonfuls of Germany, is here to disabuse of us of that notion with introductions to a variety of German recipes with berries – including cakes, desserts, and more!

Summertime is berry time, and German cuisine abounds in wonderful dishes with different berries. While some of the berries are widely available in the United States, such as blueberries and raspberries, you might have to hunt for gooseberries and other less common types, or join the growing ranks of home gardeners and grow your own.

Blueberry Soup with Caramelized Croutons, or Blaubeersuppe, is a refreshing, velvety soup and one of my summer favorites. It is a dish from the North of Germany, a cuisine that often combines sweet and sour ingredients. Traditionally it is served as an appetizer but it is also a wonderfully light dessert or a mid-day snack. The croutons are optional.

In Germany, the soup is made with “Heidelbeeren” (bilberries or whortleberries), the European cousin of the blueberry. Bilberries are smaller and tarter than the North American blueberries, which work just as well. And, as we all know as educated consumers: size does NOT matter. The important thing is that the berries are ripe, so don’t be tempted by those gigantic blueberries that almost look like purple grapes.

A note about lemon zest: Countless German dessert and baking recipes call for lemon zest. Preferably the lemons should be organic lemons but since they are not always available, or quite expensive, I have resorted to packaged lemon zest. My favorite is moist lemon zest, which is also sold as “European” lemon zest. You can also use dehydrated lemon zest, but to get the full flavor, you need to soak it in warm water for 15 minutes before adding it to the dish.

6 to 8 servings

Soup:
2 pints fresh blueberries
½ cup sugar
1 stick cinnamon
Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated, preferably organic
2 cups dry red wine
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch

Croutons:
8 thin slices baguette, or 4 slices firm white bread
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon sugar

1. For the soup, clean the blueberries and pick them over for culls. Put them in a large saucepan with 2 cups water, the sugar, cinnamon stick, and lemon zest. Cover and cook over low to medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain the soup through a fine sieve and pour it back into the pan. Add the wine and bring the soup back to a simmer.

2. Mix the cornstarch with a few tablespoons of the soup in a small bowl until the cornstarch is completely dissolved, and whisk it into the soup. Simmer until the soup thickens and the cornstarch becomes clear. Remove from the heat. Cool and chill.

3. For the croutons, cut the bread into 1⁄2-inch cubes. Heat the butter in a large skillet and add the bread. Crisp the bread over high heat, turning frequently. Sprinkle the sugar over the bread and caramelize. Stir the soup well, ladle it in individual soup bowls, and top with a few croutons. Serve at once.

Pictures courtesy of Nadia Hassani and Wikimedia Commons.

Arno's Cream of Mushroom Soup (Gobova kremna juha)

This week Heike Milhench, author of Flavors of Slovenia, takes Hippocrene Cooks on a trip to the Slovenian town of Bled, where she discovers a memorable soup at a local restaurant.

Bled is a picturesque town in the foothills of the Julian Alps in Northern Slovenia. A spa town at the turn of the century, it is a wonderful place to spend the weekend if you enjoy hiking, golf, swimming, or lounging by the pool. It also has beautiful old villas, some of which are now quaint hotels and restaurants. An additional treat is the friendliness and the openness of the Slovenian people.

During my first visit to Bled with an old friend of mine, we asked the gentleman at the hotel for a local place to go for a meal and a cold beer. He steered us in the direction of Gostilna pri Planincu. The minute we walked in, we knew we had found our place. Located in a building dating 1903, the pub and restaurant is very cozy. The bar is decorated with local art, car license plates from around the world, and motorcycle posters. It is truly a local restaurant, and on Sunday afternoons the restaurant is packed with families from Bled enjoying a leisurely meal. Local wines are served, as are local beers on tap. The fare is simple, but delicious, using local ingredients from Slovenia and northern Italy.

Gostilna pri Planincu is a third generation family business, currently owned and managed by Arno Pucher. Arno has traveled the world (hence the license plates) and enjoys entertaining guests from foreign countries. As soon as he heard us speaking English, he bought us a beer, and joined our table. A few hours later we were still talking and laughing with Arno, now enjoying his homemade blueberry schnapps, and listening to stories of his successful motorcycle races.


The following recipe comes from Arno. It is the signature dish of Gostilna pri Planincu and you must try it. You may use a mix of wild and cultivated mushrooms–feel free to experiment! It is a rich recipe. If you prefer to make it lighter, you may substitute milk for some of the cream, and skip the whipped cream on top (although this truly is a treat!)

Dober tek!

Serves 8
2 tablespoons butter
2 onions, peeled and chopped
3 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
1½ pounds mushrooms (button, or a combination of portobello, shiitake, or oyster)
1½ teaspoons salt
4 cups beef or vegetable broth
2 cups assorted vegetables (broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, potatoes) cut into small pieces
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon dried sage
¼ teaspoon dried tarragon
¼ teaspoon powdered mustard
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup sour cream
2 - 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1½ cups cream
Salt
¼ cup of chopped parsley, for garnish
1 cup whipping cream, whipped, no sugar added (optional)

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring continuously, over medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and salt. Continue to cook and stir over medium heat.

Once the mushrooms are tender, after about 10 minutes, add the beef stock, vegetables and herbs. Cook over medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

In the meantime, in a small bowl, combine the sour cream and the flour.

Slowly add the sour cream mixture to the hot soup, stirring continuously. Add the cream, stirring continuously.

Add salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste.

Remove the soup from the heat. Serve in bowls and top each with a spoonful of unsweetened whipped cream and a sprinkle of the parsley. Serve immediately with fresh bread and butter.

Pictures courtesy of Heike Milhench.

Sexy Dishes? Cazuela de Mariscos al Coco (Crustacean Chowder)

This week Hippocrene Cooks shines light on the flavors of Colombia, with guest postings from Patricia McCausland-Gallo. Patricia, who formerly worked as a journalist in Colombia, is a veritable wealth of information on the country's cooking techniques, which you can scroll down and see in action for yourself!

The recipe I enjoy most in Secrets of Colombian Cooking is Cazuela de Mariscos al Coco or Crustacean Chowder. An original of the Colombian Pacific, it is usually prepared with clams from the ocean called piangua (or cockles), squid, shrimp and conch.

Conch is usually very hard to cook, and you will see fisherman hitting the shellfish meat with wooden hammers to break the tight muscles and soften up the meat. Squid, on the other hand, could be cooked for just 50 seconds and it would be enough, but here it cooks long enough for it to re-soften and leave a delicious flavor and texture in the final dish. The coconut milk in the recipes keeps the seafood at its peak even after 45 minutes of cooking time.

This is an ideal one-dish meal, along with a green salad, and can be a great Valentine’s day dinner, or a perfect meet-your-in-laws dish. You will have them on your side forever after they eat this marvelous soup! For those of you who would like to make it lower in calories, all you have to do is change 2 cups of coconut milk for 2 cups of 2% milk. It is a lighter version, yet delicious too.

You can also use the seafood that you have locally, or buy a mixture. In the picture of the recipe on the left, I added mussels just minutes before serving. Bring the Pacific flavor into your home and enjoy a wonderful meal. Serve it in coconut halves after a day at the beach in the summer, when the children need a hot soup to warm up their bodies.

Just try it once and you'll be hooked on it for life.

4 to 6 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1 cup grated red bell pepper (grated on the large holes)
2 pounds raw shrimp, cleaned and deveined
½ pound raw squid rings, cleaned
½ pound piangua or clams, cleaned
½ pound raw conch pieces or oysters
1½ fish bouillon cubes
2 tablespoons garlic paste
1 teaspoon color or Sazón Goya with Saffron
1¼ teaspoons salt
¾ teaspoon pepper
4 cups coconut milk
2 cups milk
4 tablespoons flour
¼ cup white wine
1½ tablespoons minced cilantro
1 tablespoon minced parsley

NOTE: You can use a 2½ to 3-pound bag of mixed seafood in place of all the individual ones.

1) In a large, heavy pot or caldero over medium-low heat, place the oil, onion, red pepper, seafood, bouillon cubes, garlic, color or saffron, salt, and pepper. Cook for 12 minutes.

2) Mix the coconut milk, milk and flour together to a smooth consistency. Add them to the pot; simmer over low heat for 15 minutes more.

3) Next, add the wine and simmer for 15 minutes.

4) Sprinkle with cilantro and parsley and serve.



Need advice on substitute ingredients, or want to share your experiences with this recipe? Leave a comment for Patricia!

If you have trouble viewing the video, please click here.
Video and photos courtesy of Patricia McCausland-Gallo.