Summer Reading List 2013

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. It's been awhile. You've missed me. I've missed you a little bit too!

And in the grand tradition of years past, it's time for the summer reading list!

So far, the list is short and sweet, and includes:

The Golem and The Jinni by Helene Wecker
Branded by Keary Taylor
John Dies at the End by David Wong
The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Watership Down by Richard Adams
The Elegance of The Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
The Selection by Kiera Cass
Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Abbott
When The Stars Threw Down Their Spears by Kersten Hamilton
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson
Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto
Under the Greenwood Tree by Thomas Hardy
Spymom by Val Agosta

And as tradition goes, I'll be back here, detailing my thoughts on each book. This is the first pass--I may add more! But then, you've come to expect that, right, dear readers?

Doesn't this look like a fun list? I probably say that every year, but really. So much awesome potential!

The Past Two Weeks

In the past two weeks, I...

• Spent time in five different states
• Spent time in all four continental US time zones
• Packed up and cleaned an apartment
• Started unpacking my house
• Attended a 100th birthday party/family reunion
• Survived the arrival of Lito's first two teeth
• Bought running shoes for my half-marathon training
• Returned those same running shoes because they are too big, and I am apparently a ninny at buying running shoes
• Didn't sew at all!

Friends, I'm tired.

Introducing RAO.

Hi Friends. I've been finding it difficult to blog here, mostly because I have way too much to say, and simultaneously, nothing to say. However, I've heard some grumblings about my absence, so here I am.

(You're welcome.)

Random Audrey Observations (RAO): 

On Sunday, I saw a fire hydrant that had somehow been pushed over. (I didn't see any kind of vehicle that had toppled it, but it was lying on its side, and water was exploding everywhere, so I'm guessing something hit it. Either that, or fire hydrants just fall over randomly.) Traffic was awful because everyone was gawking at the mess, and then, there was this precious dude who had a mop who was trying to clean up the water. I am so serious. I wanted to hug him for being so adorable. Then tell him to probably give it up and go get a smoothie instead.

And today on the radio, I heard a guy call in and win concert tickets. He told the announcers that the tickets made his day since he'd just broken up with his girlfriend. (Whaaaa? Why would you tell the DJ that?) THEN, the DJ starts to pimp the dude out and tells the listeners that anyone who was interested in this dude should give the station a call and they'd get him hooked up. And the caller was totally stoked about this. DUDE.

SW: Wrap-up, one last recipe, and time to link up!

Hi Friends!

Hold those tears! I know we're coming to the close of this year's soup week, but it's okay! For one, there are all sorts of yummy recipes from this year to try out:

• Lasagna Soup
• Caramelized Shallot Soup
• Loaded Potato Soup
• Minestrone AND Focaccia
• Chickpea Curry Flamingo Soup

Plus, there are all sorts of recipes from the last two Soup Weeks in case you need more ideas.

For today's soup post, I had grand ideas to introduce you to my Chicken Enchilada soup. I really did. But when I made it earlier this week, well, friends, it was nasty. (I'm not joking. It really was. I HATE throwing away food, but I seriously threw away the entire pot because I couldn't stand the idea of anyone actually eating it.) So, I'll instead link up to another recipe for chicken enchilada soup, and when/if I get up enough courage to try again, I'll post the recipe. 

When I first started mulling over ideas for my personal theme for this year's soup week, one of the earliest ideas I stumbled on was converting my chicken enchiladas into soup form. Fun, right? Then, when I happened to be looking through dinner recipes for ideas, I discovered someone else had already made one. Dude! Never fear, the version I made uses a much different ingredient list, and this one looks tasty. I make my own enchilada sauce, so I have an aversion to using a canned version, but that shouldn't stop you, unless you have similar qualms. 

And, if you have a soup you'd like to share with the class--no really, it would be awesome--please link up! Super fun, right? Right.

SW: Chickpea Curry Flamingo Soup (Guest Post)

There are days when I truly believe I am friends with the coolest kids on the planet. Case in point: my friend, S. Don't believe me? Read this post, and you'll be changing your mind! (Oh, and S blogs at Saturday Sequins, which is a lovely blog containing all sorts of pictures of pretty sparkly things. Go there. Go there now!)

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Chickpea Curry Flamingo Soup

This started out as a regular old soup recipe. However! Since this is Audrey's blog, I decided to make it extra special and pink. So I wondered ... what's bright pink and goes with soup? And the answer came to me. A whole, live flamingo, of course!

(Really, I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner.)

Ingredients:

1 medium-size Phoenicopterus ruber

1 can chickpeas

2 sticks celery

5 cherry tomatoes

5 baby carrots

One ½-inch thick slice onion

1 cup veggie broth (or water)

1 handful fresh spinach

1 TBS olive oil

A light sprinkling of mixed dried Italian herbs

About ½ tsp Curry powder

Instructions:

Gently introduce the idea of soup to the flamingo. Explain that he's a garnish, not a dinner guest.

Chase the flamingo around and around your kitchen table in your sock feet, slipping comically on the tile floor and landing on your face. Curse as you feel itty bitty birdie feet on your back – this is the flamingo dancing the Victory Jig.

Leave the flamingo for now. Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until completely smooth.

Transfer the liquid into a sauce pan and cook on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until thick. At this point, if the soup isn't completely smooth, let it cool and return it to the blender.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Decide that honestly, the soup looks pretty darn tasty, even without the flamingo garnish.

Invite the flamingo to dinner. He's worked up quite an appetite with all the dancing, so he'll accept. Please note that flamingos can't hold spoons – it helps to have a straw on hand. Also note that if you turn your back for even a second, the flamingo will slurp up all of your soup, and you'll be back at square one.

Finally, note that if you leave out the curry powder, this also makes a great vegetarian gravy.

Serves: One hungry flamingo.

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Dude! I am SO making this. Come back later today for a Soup Week wrap-up post and my linky party! :)

SW: Minestrone & Focaccia (Guest Post!)

Dudes! I know you're going to read this and say, "Audrey, how is it possible that you love us oh-so much? You got your friend John to come back and share MORE recipes with us! You are a magical, lovely human being that deserves to be crowned and fattened up with red velvet cake." 

Well, if you insist! I do love me some red velvet....

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Marvelous Minestrone
It's great to be back for my third Soup Week guest appearance! My soup last year focused on one particular vegetable, and a very small number of ingredients. This year we'll clean out the fridge and/or the pantry and make a soup that can contain quite a few ingredients: minestrone. This is a great slow cooker recipe to start mid-afternoon on a weekend, but can also be made in a stockpot in an hour or so.

Minestrone is a classic Italian peasant soup from the "cucina povera" ("kitchen of the poor") tradition. Minestrone is a class of Italian soup that is thick and hearty, more like a stew than a thinner vegetable zuppa. So while I'll be showing you a typical tomato-centric version, the essence of minestrone really is that it is made from whatever you have on hand, and whatever is in season. There are no rules, just an infinite variety of soups!

Ingredients

• 1 small onion (or half a larger one), diced
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 1 28 oz can of crushed, diced, or whole tomatoes
• 32 oz broth (vegetable, chicken, or beef); or use bouillon cubes
• 8 oz water
• 15 oz white beans (cannelini, navy, etc.)
• 15 oz chickpeas
• pasta, about 1/2 lb
• sea salt
• black pepper
• dried herbs (basil, oregano, chives, parsley)
• olive oil

Procedure

1. If you're using dried beans, you'll need to plan ahead and soak them overnight or par-boil them.
2. Dice the onion and carrots.
3. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in your stockpot (or a saute pan, if making the soup in a slow cooker).
4. Saute the onion and carrots until they soften and the onions just begin to caramelize.
5. Add the tomatoes, broth, and water to the stockpot. (Chop or crush the tomatoes first if you're using whole ones.)
6. Add the beans, onions, carrots, herbs, and pepper, and heat to boiling.
7. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour.
8. Add the pasta (or rice, if using) about 20 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
9. Season with salt when fully cooked.

Substitutions/Additions

• Pasta: use whatever you prefer, but especially those remnants in your pantry that are just not enough for a regular meal. Keep in mind that certain types and shapes retain their structural integrity better than others, especially if you have leftovers to save. I typically use orecchiette (which are thick and somewhat shell-shaped), and a handful of large (aka "Israeli") couscous.
• Meat: The version above is meatless, but you can add some cooked sausage, diced chicken, turkey, ham, lamb, or duck.
• What else is available locally at this time of year that you could use? Try some potatoes or rice instead of pasta, leeks (not too much, to keep the flavor from overwhelming), a little shredded kale or spinach, peas, or any root vegetables or squash that would complement your other ingredients. Celery makes a frequent appearance in minestrone recipes, but is not essential if you don't already have some (although it's a great way to use it up if you do).

Bread
As the personal baker to The Audrey, I of course also have an easy bread recipe to accompany this and other soups. The dough can be used for a variety of breads (baguettes, boules, even pizza), but we'll focus here on focaccia, since it is easiest for those new to breadmaking, and requires no specialized kitchen gear. It does require a few words, though, if you've never made bread before. If you have, skip to the Procedure section.

Focaccia is a rustic Italian flatbread whose name comes from the Latin focus, or hearth. The oven was the center of the house or the village, and bread was central to the diet, baked fresh daily. Like minestrone, there are endless ways to make focaccia, but what I describe here is a simplified approach.

Slight digression: One of the key ideas of modern artisan bread (otherwise known as "bread" or "real bread") is a long, slow fermentation of the dough, to allow the biochemical reaction of the yeast to consume the sugars in the flour and release more flavor. Factory bread is typically mixed and immediately extruded through a machine, which is (partly) why it's like eating pillow stuffing. The good news is that we can quickly reanimate those hardworking little dried yeasts and then leave them alone to "git 'er done!" while we do other things. This means we can have great bread with very little actual effort, with the only drawback being that we have to plan ahead a little. At least a day. (See "Timing", below.)

Ingredients

(makes two large focaccia or other breads)
• 20 oz (about 4 cups) bread flour (also called "high-gluten" or "strong" flour); or substitute all-purpose. You can also substitute in 10-20% whole wheat flour if you'd like.
• 1 tsp dry yeast
• 1.5 tsp salt (you can use a little less if you'd like, since you'll be sprinkling some on top)
• 14 oz Water
• Olive oil

Procedure

Dough-making Day
1. Whisk the flour, yeast, and salt together in a large mixing bowl (one that's about four times the size of the flour; if you have one with a lid that's best).
2. Add the water, and mix with a large, strong spoon (wooden spoons are good) until the dough forms a stiff ragged ball. Use the spoon in more of a chopping motion as needed to combine remaining dry flour.
3. Let the dough sit for about 5 minutes so the flour absorbs ("autolyses") the water.
4. Wet your hands and use them to continue to mix the dough in the bowl until it becomes a smooth ball and all of the flour in the bowl has been incorporated (about 3-5 minutes). Avoid stretching the dough, just squeeze it and fold it and generally move it around ("knead it"). Stretching the dough causes it to become more difficult to work. Note that the dough will be very very sticky -- this is what you want, really! Do not add more flour!
5. Once you have a smooth ball of dough, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a lid (such as a plate, or, like I do, a stretchy shower cap!) and put it in the refrigerator.

Bread-making Day
1. Remove the dough from the refrigerator about 2 hours before baking.
2. Oil a large (~16x12) sheet pan (with sides) or 9x13 glass baking dish.
3. Divide the dough in half, and on a large plate or cutting board, re-form the dough into a ball by lightly pulling out and folding in the dough from opposite sides, until it has firmed up.
4. Place the dough ball in the center of the baking pan and begin to flatten it out toward the sides. You'll have to stop and let the dough relax for a minute a few times. You eventually want to end up with a uniformly-thick piece of dough that fills the pan.
5. Drizzle a tablespoon or two of olive oil over the surface of the dough, spread it evenly with your fingers, and then use your fingertips to dimple the dough all over. This will keep it from rising too much as it bakes.
6. Cover the pan with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let the dough rise undisturbed for about an hour. (Note: this would be a great time to start making some soup!)
7. If not making two focaccia, return the other half of the dough to the bowl, cover, and return to the refrigerator. It will be good for up to about 5 days. If you have leftover soup, make another focaccia, or try making a pizza, a couple of baguettes, or a large loaf of Italian bread.
8. After the dough has risen for an hour, set a shelf in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400F.
9. Sprinkle sea salt over the top of the dough.
10. Bake for approx. 15-25 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. Cool in pan for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Variations

• Add some dried rosemary to the dough when you are shaping it. So tasty!
• You can add toppings of various kinds: herbs, tomatoes, olives, etc. Timing Let's say you're reading this on Thursday, when it's published, and you want to have some nice warm focaccia with minestrone on Saturday or Sunday. A timeline could be: mix the dough today or tomorrow, and let it ferment in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Take it out a couple of hours before you begin making the soup and let it warm up. Follow the timing above from there.
•  If this is all too much for you, you might consider trying my cornbread recipe from last year's Soup Week. It's in the same spirit of improvisation as the minestrone soup, and you can use some polenta if you want to be all Italian and stuff.

Enjoy!

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John isn't lying. He really is my personal baker. The best part of this arrangement is that he brings me delicious baked goods because he is nice. I bring very little to the table except my delightful wit and pink hair. (Occasionally I bring my own baked goods or enchiladas.) Dudes. I strongly suggest becoming friends with a baker. They will make you yummy things if you are nice.

SW: Loaded Potato Soup

Ready for round two? You know I am!

How 'bout a loaded potato soup? OMG rawr. So good.

 
I mostly followed this recipe
4 hearty servings; 6 not as hearty

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 rib celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 12 oz. light-bodied beer
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 large russet potatoes, cubed
• 2 cups grated extra-sharp Cheddar

And for the garnish, add sour cream, bacon pieces, chives, more cheese, whatever makes your heart happy, etc.

The Cooking and the Assembly

1. With soup pan at the ready, melt butter over medium heat, then toss in the onion, celery and garlic and let cook until translucent. Add your flour slowly and cook for another couple of minutes. 
2. I added my beer first and gave it a minute or so to chill out, then added the stock and the cream. Add potatoes and bring the entire thing to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 20-30 minutes. 
3. Using a spatula or spoon of some variety, smoosh the potatoes until the soup is to your liking. (I left some potato chunks in mine.) Return the soup to low heat and add a handful of cheese. Stir your soup until it's smooth, then repeat.
4. Salt and pepper to taste, plate, then garnish. Enjoy!

Notes

I do not have an immersion blender. The original recipe called for the use of an immersion blender before the cheese was added, but my potatoes and contents were soft enough that a little arm power took care of it. If you have an immersion blender and you prefer a smoother end product, definitely utilize it. 

Yum yum yum....