Soup’s On

Thought this was an interesting survey. The Top 10 most “famous” soups from around the world are:

1. Avgolemono – A Greek chicken soup with lemon and egg
2. Borscht – A beetroot soup from Eastern Europe
3. Bouillabaisse – A fish soup from Marseille (Southern France)
4. Cock-a-leekie – Leek and potato soup made with chicken stock, in Scotland
5. Fanesca – A traditional cod soup from Ecuador
6. Gazpacho – A cold vegetable soup from Spain
7. Minestrone – An Italian vegetable soup
8. Mulligatawny – An Anglo-Indian curried chicken soup
9. Scotch Broth Solyanka – A cabbage soup from Russia
10. Waterzooi – A Belgian fish soup

How many have you had or even heard of? Looks like I need to start doing some recipe research. I’ve had 4, and never heard of 2 of them. Interesting.

Dinner tonight was BBQ Spaghetti. I’ve made this recipe before, and I gotta tell you, the BBQ sauce that you make for it is definitely the best I’ve had. The recipe comes from The River Run Cookbook. My sister picked it up for me on a trip to Vermont last year. It has great recipes in it that are simple, flavorful and quick to table. Better yet, more often than not, you can pull the ingredients from your pantry, as opposed to running off to the grocery store. Amazon has some used versions of this cookbook for under $5, in case you get tempted.

And speaking of cookbooks, Mario Batali just released his latest cookbook. The reviews I’ve seen so far have been good, and I’m looking forward to getting this one. Showing some restraint so far, I’ve only added it to my Wish List at Amazon. ;)

My turn to bring lunch tomorrow. One of the things I made is Balsamic Strawberries. Like Michael Chiarello’s recipe for Strawberries Pazzo, you’d never think a mix of black pepper, strawberries and balsamic vinegar would work, but in some magical way, it does.

Until tomorrow…

BBQ Spaghetti
Fishermen have their “go to” lure – reliable in a pinch – and cooks have a “go to” dish. This is ours, not only at the restaurant, but also at home.

1/2 lb meat, poultry, fish or vegetables, leftover or fresh
1 cup BBQ Sauce, to taste (see below for recipe)
2 tsp canola oil
1/2 medium onion, peeled and chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 pound fresh spinach, stemmed and rinsed
1/2 pound spaghetti or other pasta, cooked (leftovers are great)

If using leftover meat, poultry, fish or vegetables, heat them through in a skillet or microwave. If they are not yet cooked, cook them to your liking. Heat the BBQ Sauce in a small saucepan set over low heat. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large covered skillet or pot with a lid and saute the onion until it starts to brown, 10-12 minutes. Toss in the spinach, cover, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the cooked pasta and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the BBQ sauce; continue cooking until the pasta is heated through and the spinach has wilted. Plate the pasta and place the cooked meat, poultry, chicken, fish or vegetable right on top. (We prefer not to slice the meat or chicken). Spoon or pour as much warm BBQ sauce over the top as you like. Serve immediately. Yield: 2 servings

Simply the Best All Purpose BBQ Sauce

3 cups ketchup
1 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 T dry mustard
1-1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped (1/4 cup)
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup light brown sugar

Mix all ingredients together in heavy-bottomed pot and stir until well combined. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid burning the bottom of the pot. Turn the heat to low and simmer, uncovered for 1-1/2 hours, stirring every once in awhile. Use immediately or store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Yield 4 cups