One of my favorite food blogs is Grocery Eats, which isn’t updated all that often, but when it is it’s usually gold. I’ve been on a White Castle kick the last few days, and was pumped to see that MF Grocery’s most recent update was a Turducken with White Castle stuffing. They’ve got the process documented and it’s looking ridiculous. I demand you visit right away.
Normally my daily Serious Eats experience usually consists of scrolling down quickly, not seeing anything too interesting and then moving on elsewhere. Lately, however, I’m becoming a fan of their Hamburger Today column. Especially when it features things like it did this week. J. Kenji Lopez-Alt decided to squeeze the juice out of two burgers, freeze it, surround it with two formed patties, and grill it. The results look absolutely ridiculous, and by ridiculous I mean delicious. He calls it the Flood Burger.
This will be made in my household very soon, and by very soon I mean TOMORROW.
Winter is upon us with a vengeance, and what better night to enjoy soup than a frigid Michigan winter evening. In that spirit, epic soup consumption has become a Friday ritual for us. My lovely and talented wife comes home from work early and plays with the kids while I get to cook. With the magic of Pandora radio and Hoegaarden (the greatest beer in the universe) I look forward to my Friday soup adventures all week.
This week I made one of our favorites, my take on Moroccan Chickpea.
Start by melting a tablespoon of butter in a large pot. Actually let me start over. Set your iPod on Pandora and select whatever artist suits you that particular day. Then, open up one of these:
Then melt one tablespoon of butter in a large pot. Add roughly one cup of mirepoix, which is fancy French talk for celery, carrots, and onion. But believe me, it is much more fun to say mirepoix. Add a pinch of kosher salt and allow the aforementioned mirepoix to saute in the pot with the butter for about five minutes. Enjoy the smell and sip/guzzle your beer, depending on how you feel that day.
After five minutes are up, add 32 oz. of low-sodium chicken broth (personal preference, I’d rather add salt if it needs it) and 8 oz. vegetable stock and bring to a boil.
Once you have achieved a rapid boil, add one cup of elbow pasta. Allow pasta to boil for 5-6 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add the following:
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
One 16 oz. can of chickpeas, drained
One cup tomato puree
To this add a pinch of parsley, no problem using the dehydrated version. Use your best judgement, if you are into precise measurements, soup isn’t your thing. Try baking. Please. I hate baking and am happy to let my wife be the baker.
Back to the soup. Allow this wondrous concoction to simmer for about 10-15 minutes while stirring and smelling frequently. Then, add the crucial ingredient:
Add fresh chopped cilantro and let simmer for five more minutes. Save a little for garnish.
The final result:
Serve with pita bread for dipping.
If you are in the mood for a delicious, healthy, and hearty winter soup, this should hit the spot.
And if you don’t like, just drink a couple more of these: