The Best Tomato Soup Ever
Campbell's tomato soup is what I grew up on and it's what I turn to when I feel sick, but this is even better. Try it with a grilled cheese sandwich on a cold day. I added 1/2 a chipotle, but it's wonderful without it. This is a very forgiving recipe, more of this and less of that. If you don't have celery I would still make it. The key is to keep tasting and get the salt and pepper right. It won't take more than 20 minutes of your attention to pull it together.

INGREDIENTS
4 Tbsp butter
1 medium size onion, finely minced
1 stalk of celery, finely minced

1 28 ounce can of tomatoes, chopped
~3 ounces tomato paste, about 1/2 a small can
1 cup chicken broth

SEASONING
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp dried basil, or 1/2 bunch of sliced fresh basil leaves added at the last minute before serving
1/2 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced (completely optional, or a little tabasco)

1/2 - 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 to 2 tsp of sugar (to taste depending on acidity of tomatoes)

METHOD

1. Saute onion and celery in butter over low heat until soft, about 15 min.
2. Add can of tomatoes with it's liquid, chicken broth, and seasonings to the pot.
3. Bring to a boil, and lower to a slow simmer. Simmer about 20 minutes. Puree with blender, food processor or hand stick blender. I like a cup or so not pureed to give the soup a bit of a chunky texture.
4. Return to the pot, bring to simmer and stir in baking soda and cream to taste. It may foam up a bit with the addition of baking soda, but don't be alarmed. It's added to make the soup less acidic so your cream doesn't curdle.
5. Stir in salt and sugar adding very little at a time stirring and tasting to balance the flavors. Keep tasting! You may even want to add more cream.

Serves 4

To serve for company: Top bowls with a tablespoon of herbed goat cheese and a fresh basil leaf.

In Praise of Spiking your Eggnog

Can adding massive amounts of alcohol kill salmonella in eggs? This video from Science Friday (my favorite science audio podcast) is terrific. A little late for Christmas, but this is so interesting I thought I'd still post it for you. I recommend listening to the podcast for more fun science talk about the experiment.



I have never heard of eggnog being made at Thanksgiving and served at Christmas, but Nog expert and microbiologist Vince Fischetti agreed to run some tests in his lab at The Rockefeller University. The real problem with the recipe is finding room in the fridge for four weeks at that time of year. Too bad my kitchen doesn't a lab's walk-in cooler. Although maybe that's for the best, I would never be forced to clean out ancient leftovers.
Here's a link to the recipe.

Terroir and Beef
I wanted to tell you about a fantastic blind steak tasting event I attended recently. It was the first Food Bloggers Playdate in New York. Mark Tafoya and Jennifer Iannolo put out the call to fantastic and fanatical food bloggers to convene for a tasting party.
We were lucky enough to have the guidance of Carrie Oliver of Oliver Ranch, who provided the steaks along with a fascinating presentation about how, similar to wine, the terroir and variety of the cattle will alter the flavor and texture.

Where it is raised, what it is fed, the conditions it’s kept in are all important. Oliver Ranch hand-selects artisan ranchers who produce delicious, signature styles of beef. What an amazing and surprising night. One of the best parts was that so many of us chose different favorites. There was no consensus on the best steak, just the steak we liked best. Fantastic. The impetus for the event was having Jaden of Steamy Kitchen in town from Florida. Most of us knew each other from Twitter, but it was time to meet in person.

Anu Karwa from Swirl Events brought along some terrific wines to pair with the beef and I got to meet the lovely Betty Fussell, author of Raising Steaks: The Life and Times of American Beef. Betty also wrote The History of Corn. If you're interested in learning more about the types of beef you may be missing out on, try the following links.
The impact of Region
The impact of Breed
The impact of Ranchers
This video is a slow pan of the table as we listen to Carrie describe what we'll be tasting. Terroir for beef! FTW


This was just the first of many more Food Blogger Play dates. What should we taste next?

Hand Pies, the Cupcake Culture Killer
I am so tired of the cupcake culture, sure they are cute and delicious, but enough! Let's make this a new trend: hand pies. Small, cute and tasty. Even better they are just as good with a savory filling as sweet. :) Spread the word. Here are two recipes to get you started. If you'd like a hand pie recipe, ask in the comments section.


Apple Hand Pie
Ingredients
Makes 4.
• 4 apples, peeled and chopped quite small, pick a baking apple
• 2 tablespoons sugar, I add this to taste since it really depends on how tart your apples are
• Sprinkling of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• All-purpose flour, for work surface
• Pie Dough, I tend to use Pillbury crust
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• Sugar, for sprinkling
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with tinfoil or a Silpat (a nonstick baking mat).
2. In a medium bowl, add apples, cover and microwave about a minute to soften.
3. When slightly cooled add cinnamon, sugar and cornstarch; stir to combine, set aside.
4. On a lightly floured work surface, roll dough into a large rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. With a sharp knife, cut out 4 rectangles. Transfer rectangles to baking sheet.
5. Pile as much apple as you can fit onto one-half of each rectangle. Lightly brush egg around the edge of the covered half of each rectangle. Fold remaining dough over to enclose. Gently press edges together to seal. Brush the tops of each pie with egg. Using a paring knife, slash the top of each pie. This allows steam to escape and keeps your pie crispy. Sprinkle generously with sugar.
6. Bake in the center of the oven until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. If parts of the crust get too brown cover with small strips of tinfoil. Transfer pies to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving. Be careful the filling can remain as hot as molten lava.

Savory alternate Spinach Pies
• 1 box frozen chopped spinach, cooked
• ¼ cup shredded Swiss
• ¼- 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese or feta cheese
• 1 jarred roasted red pepper, chopped

1. When spinach is cool enough to handle drain and squeeze out as much moisture as you can and add Parmesan, salt and pepper to taste.
2. Follow directions as above, but at the stage where you would use apple, sprinkle 1/2 the rectangle of dough with shredded Swiss cheese. The Swiss will form a moisture barrier between the spinach and dough, keeping the bottom of the pie crispy.
3. Pile on as much spinach mixture you can fit and top with chopped red pepper. Seal pie, slash top, egg wash, sprinkle with a bit more Parmesan and bake as directed above.

How to Eat
Terrific video of Michael Pollan, author of Omnivore's Dilemma & In Defense of Food, speaking at the Google campus. He is often quoted, "Eat food, not too much, and mostly vegetables."


Here's a list of how Pollan suggests we try to eat. I agree.

1. Don’t eat anything your grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.
2. Avoid foods containing ingredients you can’t pronounce.
3. Don’t eat anything that wouldn’t eventually rot.
4. Avoid food products that carry health claims.
5. Shop the peripheries of the supermarket; stay out of the middle.
6. Better yet, buy food somewhere else: the farmer’s market or CSA. (Find your local market)
7. Pay more, eat less.
8. Eat a wide diversity of species.
9. Eat food from animals that eat grass.
10. Cook and, if you can, grow some of your own food.
11. Eat meals and eat them only at tables.
12. Eat deliberately, with other people whenever possible, and always with pleasure.

Happy, Squeaky Boy in the Snow

I don't usually blog without some food angle, but this is just too adorable not to share. The day before Brooklyn had our first real snow, I saw this fake snow and the little boy dancing along to carolers. The joyful noises he's making are so great.

Holiday Foodie Gift Guide
Here’s a list of great gifts for your friends and family (or even yourself) who think there is nothing better than roasting squash with maple syrup and sticking your hands in a raw turkey. There’s a mix of things I have and love and things I desperately want.

The Sylvia Plath Oven Mits from Etsy.com are $28. This is so sick and wrong… I love it. Even better would be to pair it with The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath.

Books
How to Cook Everything, Mark Bittman. You might know him from The New York Times food section. This is my favorite go to cookbook. I have cooked at least a quarter of it and have always been pleased with the results.

How to Eat, Nigella Lawson. Love her, love her recipes and love her breezy intimate writing style. Within a few pages you’ll have her soothing voice in your head. I also am a fan of Feast, where she tackles holiday cooking. It's too bad The FoodNetwork buries her new show at the early Saturday time slot.

Devil in the Kitchen , Marco Pierre White's biography. The original bad boy abusive chef, who makes Gordon Ramsey look like a wuss. Fascinating read, I made my way through it in two days. You won’t be able to put it down.

Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, Anthony Bourdain. His seminal work, written in the early morning before he went to work the line at Les halles. Find out why you might never order fish again on a Monday.

You might also consider a subscription to Gourmet or Saveur. I really can’t recommend Bon Appetit any longer. Last year's subscription was just not inspiring and the photos are ugly.

Stocking Stuffer
Astronaut Ice Cream 10 packages for $25: Sweet, chalky, freeze-dried goodness. Give them to all your friends and family

Under $15
Embroidered Dish Towel $6.40: (left) I found this on Etsy.com and I think it the cutest gift ever.

Cookie Scoop $10.95: I have one and love it for shaping cookies and mini meatballs very quickly.

Microplane $15: I love mine and probably use it a few times a week for grating garlic, as opposed to mincing it. It’s also great for parm cheese or nutmeg.

Instant Read Thermometer $10: Every cook should have one of these, but not everyone does. Great stocking stuffer.

Under $25
D’Artagnan Black Truffle Butter (1 lb.) $20.99: Smear it on bread or toss it with pasta. Yum.

Vacuum Sealer $23.99: This looks like it could be a great gadget for when you make a big batch of stew or soup. Freshlock bags are recommended for the microwave and boil-in-bag cooking and features a labeling strip to record the contents, weight and date stored. I've never used it.

Under $60
Grill Pan 12-Inch Shallow Round Grill Pan $54.95: I've been wanting one of these pans for awhile now. Great for searing steaks, fish and even halloumi. Wrap it up with a jar of fig jam and a package of the cheese.

Under $100
D’Artagnan Foie Gras Sampler $69.99: Want, Want, Want. It comes with Medallion of Duck Foie Gras with Black Truffles (6 oz.), 1 package of French Kisses (6 Armagnac-soaked prunes filled with creamy Duck Foie Gras),Terrine of Duck Foie Gras, Small (8 oz.), and 1 package of Organic Charcuterie Crackers. I've never had this package, but have tried many of their other products and have been pleased.

Immersion Blender $59.99: I got one of these last Christmas from my brother Steve last year and it was my favorite gift. I will never ever have to puree soup in a blender. The attachments it comes with are also really handy, whisk and a mini-chopper for jobs that might be too small for your large food processor. I've been chopping up 2-3 heads of garlic and storing it in small jars in olive oil.

Help me add to the list. What do you want for the holidays? Leave your wish in the comments section.

Baked Pecan Maple Apples
This recipe is for Mandy. I was trying to Twitter her instructions, but realized this recipe deserved it’s own blog post. In addition to it homey apple flavor, the brown sugar and pecan topping becomes unbelievably crunchy. I haven’t experimented with it yet, but have been considering drizzling them with a little molasses along with the maple syrup.

Ingredients:

• Apples, cored and not peeled
• Equal amounts brown sugar and chopped pecans, mixed
• Maple syrup, for drizzling
• Cinnamon
• Little nutmeg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Slice off the top and bottom, to create a flat surface and place in a 2-4 inch deep baking dish.
Drizzle apples with maple syrup, then pack the core with pecan and brown sugar. Top with more of the sugar mixture, packing it on.
Sprinkle with cinnamon and a little nutmeg.
Pour enough water to come up to about ½ an inch up the apples.
Bake in the lower part of the oven until quite soft, about an hour. Press the side of the apple to test.

Tips:
The apple you choose is key. Here’a link to choosing baking apples.
This is great served as a side dish during a turkey or ham dinner. It’s also a delicious served hot with vanilla ice cream.

Funny Old School Lunchroom Manners Film


I stumbled on this video at Archive.org. An amazing repository of free movies, films, and videos. This library contains thousands of digital movies which range from classic full-length films, to daily alternative news broadcasts, to videos of every genre uploaded by Archive users. Many of these movies are available for download. My favorites are the films made for schools in the 50's and 60's.
The best line is a narration moment is "Phil always enjoyed the lunch in the cafeteria. It tasted good and was good for him." Too bad that is no longer true.

I Go Casserole Crazy in Brooklyn!
Eric Rochow of GardenFork.tv and I trekked out to Williamsburgh to celebrate the publication of the new cookbook Casserole Crazy with the lovely author Emily Farris. We tasted her delicious casseroles, debated the merits of ramen and just generally food-geeked out at The Brooklyn Kitchen (a totally kickass cooking goods store).

Ale and Cheese Soup
That’s right, beer and cheese brought together in a creamy soup. Great for the first few cold days of autumn or save it for a snow day. Use any of the leftovers for a cheese sauce over steamed broccoli or an omelet.

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
7 cups of chicken broth, I think Better Than Bouillon is the best tasting one on the market
1 stalk celery, shredded
1 onion or 1 leek, shredded
1 turnip, peeled and shredded (optional, I use it to thicken the soup)
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
2 Bay leaves
3 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
16 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, I used ½ tangy São Jorge and ½ Kraft Sharp Cheddar
1 bottle of beer
If I make this for company a few chive sprig on top of each bowl would be nice

Directions:

1. In a large stock pot, melt butter and sauté onion and celery over medium high heat until softened.
2. In another pan heat up the stock.
3. Stir in the flour into the onions and sauté for a minute or two. You’re cooking the raw flavor out of the flour.
4. Stir in the hot stock and remaining vegetables/seasonings/beer. Bring up to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
5. When all vegetables are tender remove bay leaves and puree either with a stick blender or a traditional blender.
6. Over medium heat, stir in handfuls of the shredded cheese stirring all the time. Wait for each handful to mostly melt before adding another.
7. You can add a little more beer or milk at this point if it seems too thick or pungent, but just a very little at a time and keep tasting.
8. Sometimes top with shredded sharp cheddar or chive sprigs on top of each serving.

Tips:

• I find it easiest to put all the vegetables through the shredding disk of a food processor, taking care to set aside the onion and celery as they are sautéed first. Then you can run your cheeses through the same shredding disk.
• Clean your pots after pouring the leftover(if there is any) soup in to a storage container. The cheese will congeal and be difficult to clean after a few hours.
• Feel free to substitute just about any other vegetables for the carrot and turnip. The key is the beer and cheese. I’ve used Pete’s Wicked and Bass Ale in the past, and for cheese Dubliner and extra sharp Tillamook.

Voting in Brooklyn!
I voted today and found out that if folks knew their district they could bypass an initial 30-40 min. line. I was lucky enough to have brought my voter confirmation form that stated mine.

Behind the Scenes at The Food Network Shoot

I was invited to a Supper Club in Brooklyn recently that also happened to be shooting the meal for a web show that The Food Network will launch sometime soon. I ended up helping out in the kitchen making a quick tahini sauce for their really inspired mini falafel appetizer. This is a quick glimpse behind the scenes. I also talked with one of the housemates who lives in this Brooklyn loft, but isn't one of the cooks.

Nokia Picked Me! They Like Me, They Really, Really Like Me.

Nokia will be loaning me their new N96 phone to take on a test drive. One of 20 video/new media types for this project chosen from around the world, I'll be documenting a day in my life and letting you know my thoughts on this device(If warrented, I'll be harsh). My question for you is what should I shoot? I produce shows that revolve around food, but I'm also in the tech industry and working on a startup of my own.

I spend time in Brooklyn and also Manhattan.
There should be some classic NY moments, some food, maybe a geek out technology moment, certainly some social media, but I really want to know is what you'd like to see me do. I think it should culminate in a big party that night so I can get all of you on this documentary too. Stay tuned for details about that.

Here is some of Nokia's request that I participate:
"We’re offering trial N96s to 20 social media and video enthusiasts to film mobi-documentaries of ‘a day in their life’.

Basically, we’d like you to create a mobi-documentary using the video functionality of the N96, capturing the passions and activities that make up your day. This will be uploaded onto Nokia viNe, their new site currently in beta (you can check it out here: www.nseries.com/nseries/nokiavine/ and geo-located with GPS, so we have a nationwide video collage of what our very individual trialists do with their day. "

At the link above you can see the map of the world with dots pointing out our locations. I'm very much looking forward to getting in touch with the other participants.

Quick Broccoli Soup
This is a tasty warm recipe for the cool weather we’ve been having in New York. You can replace the broccoli with one bag of frozen peas, or if you’re Andre Sala and have celeriac on hand, and you’ve got a different but equally delicious soup.

Ingredients:
1 bunch broccoli, about 1 1/4 pounds, washed and trimmed
5 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
7 cups of broth, I am a huge fan of the brand Better Than Bouillon
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
1 onion or 1 leek, minced

Directions:

1. Divide broccoli into florets and chopped stems.
2. In a stock pot simmer florets in 7 cups of broth until tender. Remove and set aside.
3. In a seperate deep pan melt butter and sauté onion and celery over medium high heat until softened.
4. Stir in the flour and continue to sauté until the flour turns a light shade of brown. The color change lets you know that you’ve cooked the raw flavor out of the flour.
5. Ladle a cup or two of hot stock into the flour pan and stir until well combined, then pour this back into your stockpot. Simmer until all the vegetables are tender.
6. Puree broccoli stalks, onion, celery mixture. I’m lucky enough to have received a stick blender last Christmas thanks to my older brother (thanks Steven!), but you could also use a traditional blender.
7. Once pureed, add the florets back in and simmer until heated through.
8. Season to taste with salt and pepper
9. Sometimes, as in the photo above, I add in a little cream to the top of the soup.

Molecular Gastronomy and Me
This field of cooking is something that has appealed to me since I first read about it. In addition to being a cook, I'm also a science geek with a degree in Biotechnology. The idea of chefs and chemists working together is so exciting. When the opportunity to eat at WD~50 in the Lower East Side with my pal Steven Cobb I jumped.

It was the most unique meals of my life and I was lucky enough to go into the kitchen and thank Chef Wylie Dufresne. I'm sure it's annoying to have people come into your kitchen, but he was a good sport about it. I did have to put him in a headlock to get this photo, but it had to be done. :)

Here is the 12 course tasting menu we had:

1. Chicken terrine, tikka consomme, cranberry, watercaress
2. Grilled corn pebbles, lime mayo, scallion
3. Knot foie
4. Horseradish chestnut soup, smoked mackerel, verjus
5. Eggs Benedict
   
6. Crab tail, soy bean noodles, cinnamon dashi
7. Chicken liver spaetzle, pine needle, radish, cocoa nib
8. Beef tongue, cherry-miso, fried quinoa, palm seeds
9. Ricotta, capers, frozen honey
10. Jasmine custard, black tea, banana
11. Toasted coconut cake, carob, smoked cahew, brown butter sorbet
12. Concord grape sorbet-black sesame

Here is a shot of the most delicious morsel I've ever put in my mouth. It was only 5 small kernels of the Grilled corn pebbles, but each one was a revelation. Smoky and sweet with a shocking dry texture. The odd thing is that after I ate all 5 I was satisfied. The flavor was so profound I couldn't have eaten any more that night, though I'd love some right now.

Can we have better food through science? Maybe, but I think what I appreciated most about this dinner was the playfulness of the menu. Turning conventional food on its head.

Pickle Sorter in Pittsburgh
Thanks to the nice folks at VisitPittsburgh I've been running around the city taking photos, shooting videos and having a great time. Big thanks to Kristin Mitchell for organizing a few great days in her city. Here is one of the videos I thought was fun. I was hanging out at the Heinz History Center and came across a display that made me giggle.

My Interview with Chef Tyler Florence.
Recently Ashley Cheng, who works with Ocean Spray, invited me to see the cranberry bog they had built at Rockefeller Center. Later on I hit the after party, which as you'll see, was on a spectacular rooftop garden. I had an amazing time and snagged this interview with Tyler.

The Food Network Supper Club Shoot
Last night I was lucky enough to enjoy a truly memorable evening with author Lyn Stallworth of The Brooklyn Cookbook at Mark Low's Supper Club. What made it even more exciting was the presence of The Food Network's crew. This video will give you a glimpse of how they have decided to shoot online shows. I'm curious what they'll do in the editing room.



They were shooting the dinner for an episode of an online show called Kitchen Conspirators. The food was lovely and I really enjoyed meeting Mark's 3 roommates. And, no I didn't shoot that poor Food Network staffer with his pants falling down on purpose. :)

Autumn is Beautiful
My local green market is at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn, and today I stopped in to say hello to Cathy of NotEatingOutInNewYork who was teaching folks walking by how to make a simple risotto. It smelled wonderful. Maybe she'll share the recipe with us.
While I was there I was overwhelmed by the variety of pumpkins, squash and gourds that our local farmers are growing this year. Here is one of my favorite displays.



Here are a few of my recent Recipe Tweets. A tasty recipe in 140 characters or less.


I wanted to focus more on the Vice Presidential Debate than dinner so whipped this up.
LazyDebateDinner MarinateChickParts in ItalianDressing dipin BeatenEgg dredgein 1/2PankoCrumbs 1/2ParmCheese ButterPan Bake400 ~45min 01:14 PM October 02, 2008

The following is a quick marinade recipe you could use on chicken or beef.
@girlgamy Marinate at least two hours or more in 1TbspOf: oil, lime juice, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, pepperBroil rare about 4 min each side 08:26 PM September 30, 2008

Brussel sprouts: Simmered til tender, dry and roast in plenty of olive oil, salt, pepper. 400 degrees 09:22 PM September 25, 2008 (This is just so yummy and crispy as long as you dry it well enough. You will convert self professed sprout haters. It took about 30-50 min. to roast)

Here's some food news that disturbed me.
Cadbury recalls Chinese-made chocolates. What is up with China? When is poisoning folks a great business model?

Please let me know if you try any of these recipes. Thanks guys. Love the comments. Follow me on Twitter if you like to eat as much as I do.