Creamy Sweet Potato Soup

It's that season.

It's the season when my favourite foods are available cheap and fresh. Pumpkin. Butternut Squash. Cranberries (my freezer is burgeoning with bags of cranberries—don't want to run out!) Sweet Potatoes. Oh yes, sweet potatoes. These sometime impostors of yams (please don't confuse the two) are high on my list of foods that shine post-autumnal equinox. Strangely, however, they didn't earn that spot until just a year ago when I was attempting to detoxify my Thanksgiving meal. I love a good thanksgiving feast, but I wanted this one to be healthier version just for fun. In that light I eschewed my traditional, yet divine smashed potatoes for these Thyme Roasted babies, and I never looked back. They opened a door to something I had never experienced—the savory sweet potato. Oh, I've had them topped with marshmallows, slathered in brown sugar and slowly steeped in sweetened milk. While the last holds a special place in my heart, the sweetened sweet potato has been only a redundant disappointment in my life. In that light, tonight went to a heaping batch of creamy sweet potato soup.

This was definitely a trial run, and next time I would use a bay leaf and a perhaps mess a bit with the broth, either switch in chicken or tone down the beef. I can imagine it delighting the senses with a generous helping of cumin or curry, but I was out of cumin and not in the mood for curry. Consider this a base and enjoy it its many possibilities. I used fat free half and half, but I highly recommend the full fat version or just straight out cream for a decadent, rich concoction.

Creamy Sweet Potato Soup

serves 8-10 (based on 2 meals for my family of 5)

1 kg sweet potatoes, peeled & diced

3 Tbsp butter, divided

1 medium onion, diced

4-5 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup flour

8 quarts broth, beef or chicken

1 cup half & half

Cook the sweet potatoes. I opted to steam them; it's quick, easy, and has a minimal risk of burning. In a large pot melt 1 Tbsp butter over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic until soft, then transfer to a food processor and purée them with sweet potatoes. Melt remaining butter in the pot, and add flour, combing to make a roux. Add broth all at once, stirring well, then stir in puréed vegetables. Bring to a boil and stir until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in the half & half. If you're feeling creative you can use the half and half to artfully draw designs in individual bowls of soup if you'd rather. Boys are 3, 6, and 7—no designs for us.

Herbes de Provence

There is no set definition of Herbes de Provence, and it likely this lack of identity that creates the mystique surrounding them. Literally translated, these "Provençal Herbs" are a rather contemporary incarnation devised to replicate what is gathered by the handful in the hills of Southeastern France. They may include any number of herbs in various combination, including thyme, basil, savory, chervil, bay, fennel, tarragon, marjoram, oregano, mint, and lavender, although modernists generally agree that thyme sets the stage and lavender makes the "wow" factor. It is also generally agreed that Lavender is included not as a traditional savory herb, but at as a tourist-attracting ingredient that lures foreigners who have fallen head over heels for the vast lavender fields of the region. It is generally used to flavor fish and meat, especially if cooked on the grill, and these herbes are rarely added after cooking.

I've been waiting months to find a suitable recipe on which I could glut myself in the flavors of provence, and luckily I found one before my herbes lost their zing (or became curried herbes de provence because of their awkward proximity to my other spices!) While I'm no expert on such matters, I can safely assert that my particular mixture included thyme, rosemary and lavender and in combination with balsamic vinegar produced one of the most succulent pieces of meat I have ever eaten. The recipe, of course, calls for grilling, but since the weather has turned I opted for roasting in the oven. I was not disappointed. I served with piccolini pasta tossed in the reduced marinade (yes, boiled for 3.5 minutes . . .) and garlic wax beans with walnuts and mushrooms.

Herbed Balsamic Chicken with Blue Cheese

adapted from Bon Appetit

6 skinless boneless chicken breast halves, 5-6 oz. each

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

3 Tbsp olive oil

2 tsp coarse kosher salt, divided

1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided

2 tsp herbes de Provence

3-4 oz. wedge of blue cheese, cut into 6 slices

Place chicken in a large resealable plastic bag (I used the one the frozen chicken breast came in.) Whisk vinegar, oil, 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper in small bowl. Add to chicken, seal bag and chill 2 hours, turning bag occasionally. You really want that chicken to absorb that marinade, so make sure you turn it like it says.

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Arrange chicken on a large pan or grill pan and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and herbes de provence. It's important that I'm honest here: I'm pretty sure I used more than that. I wasn't crazy about it, but I simply sprinkled the underside of each piece of chicken, then turned it over and sprinkled it again. Into the oven for 25-3o minutes, or until cooked to 165˚F when thermometer is inserted in the thickest portion of the breast. You could also grill over medium-high heat for 6 minutes per side, but who's going to do that in the rain and wind? Not I.

Transfer to plates and top each breast with a slice of cheese. Do it fast so the heat from the chicken softens the cheese. Enjoy that thyme, lavender, and everything flavor like it's going out of style.

Cranberry White Chocolate Scones

I discovered these last year and have made several variations, including chocolate toffee scones. This version, however, remains my favorite. This recipe is great for make ahead or individual baking as well. Simply freeze the shapes scones on the baking sheet, then transfer to an airtight container, separating layers with parchment. When you're ready to bake, simply remove the number you need and bring to room temperature. Bake as usual. I suspect you could get away with popping them directly in the oven, but I haven't tried it.

Cranberry White Chocolate Scones

5 Tbsp unsalted butter, frozen

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1-2 Tbsp (to taste) finely grated lemon zest

1/2 cup fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing

Grate frozen butter on a large hole box grater. Quickly spread shavings in a thin layer over a plate and return to the freezer for 5 minutes.

Combine flour, baking powder sugar, and salt in a bowl and mix. Add lemon zest. Grab the butter from the freezer and add it to the dry mixture. Using a pastry cutter, 2 forks, or 2 knives, cut in butter until the mixture resembles course meal. We're talking crumbs here, not paste.

Add chopped cranberries and chocolate chips; mix. Stir in cream slowly until the mixture comes together in a ragged ball. There will still be lots of loose mess, but that's fine. If it seems too sandy and dry, you can add more cream, but be cautious.

Dump batter onto a well-floured surface and work into a rough ball. Press ball into a rectangular shape, about 8" tall and 12-14" wide. Now fold, literally fold, the dough like it's a letter going into an envelope by bringing up the right third over the top, then the left third. Likely it will still be a mess, but that's just fine; the messier it is, the flakier it will bake up. Press the dough into a rectangle again, perhaps vertically this time to shake things up, and fold like a letter again.

From here press into your cutting shape. I prefer a right triangle myself, so I cut into large squares and then cut each of those on the diagonal. You can also press into a circle and cut it like a pie or use a biscuit cutter for perfectly round scones. I don't recommend the cutter because the dough will change as you continue to re-press it for multiple cuttings. You should get 8 hefty scones or 16 more sensible ones.

Line a baking sheet with parchment and transfer the individual scones to it. Brush the top with cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar, pressing slightly to embed the sugar. Bake 12-15 minutes (less for smaller ones, more for larger ones) until golden brown on top. Remove from oven an carefully lift parchment to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container; that is, store them if they don't get eaten right away.

Chicken Cranberry Soup

A few years ago I discovered a sausage and cranberry stew that floors my taste buds each and every time I have the pleasure of its delight. Last night I had a hankering as well as some cranberries I had picked up while they are, thankfully, in season. Having no sausage, however, and wanting more of a soup that would feed the hungry masses rather than a hearty stew that would seem meager, I changed it up and delighted Liz and myself with this equally delightful adjustment. The boys shied away from the cranberries, but I'm not sure why; I chalk it up to an off day. If this recipe does have a downfall, it's the rosemary—rosemary in soup is a bit like slurping pine needles. I suggest a little mortar and pestle action before the rosemary goes in the soup.

If you think you might have a non-seasonal hankering for this or other cranberry treats, such as Cranberry and White Chocolate Scones, buy a few extra bags of cranberries while you can. They keep beautifully in the freezer.

Chicken and Cranberry Soup

1 tsp oil

2 oz. bacon, cut into 1/2" lardons

1 medium onion, chopped

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped to 3/4" pieces

8 cups (1 quart) chicken broth or stock

2 cups fresh (or fresh frozen) cranberries

2 tsp sugar

1/4 cup dijon mustard

salt and pepper

In a large stockpot, heat oil, then cook bacon. Add onions, cover and cook until onions are soft and brown. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to pot; cook until browned (some would say until cooked through—your call.) Add broth, rosemary, cranberries, and sugar. Cover and cook 10-15 minutes, until cranberries have burst, chicken is definitely cooked through, and soup is cloudy. Stir in mustard and season as desired. Serve.

The Consummate Oatmeal Cookie

I'm a fair-weather fan of the oatmeal cookie. Most are too soft, and the occasional one is just too crisp to be believed. My wife does conjure an amazing oatmeal crisp with butterscotch chips that I adore, but it is definitely the exception rather than the rule. Some are too bland, others too doughy, others still lack the desirable texture of oatmeal, having either too much or too little.

Well, in preparation for last week's concert, I wanted to find the perfect oatmeal cookie to pair with the crumb-topped pumpkin bread and hot cider (unspiced—let's not gild the lily!) After much searching, plenty of frustration, and a near heartbreak, I found them. I really found them. I found the perfect autumn oatmeal cookie, and I will never, repeat never use another recipe. The flavor is, as my student said, "voluptuous," with hints of spice and a fruity aura. The texture is heaven itself: buttery, chewy, moist, with neither too many nor too few oats. It is the splendor of autumn, so make sure you have someone to share with or it'll prove your downfall. Here it is, in all its glory.

Oatmeal, Cranberry and Pecan Cookies

adapted from Katy Sparks and Andrea Strong

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1 cup quick cooking oats
• 2 cups chopped pecans
• 2 tsp freshly grated orange zest
• 1-2 cups dried cranberries (to taste)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla, and beat until well mixed, about three minutes. Stir in eggs, one at a time. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove in a separate bowl. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter with the mixer on low speed. Once the flour has been incorporated, add the second half. Stir in the oats, pecans, orange zest, and chocolate chips. Drop the dough, by the tablespoon, onto the cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and cool the cookies on a rack. Store at room temperature in a cookie jar or other airtight container.

Notes:

• You could also substitute semisweet chocolate chips for the cranberries, but I don't really do that nutmeg/chocolate combination; it's just not my style.
• I found the cooking time to be exact: 12 for the first batch, and 10-11 for subsequent ones. Don't overcook or you'll regret it.
• If you need to feed a crowd, this doubles without a problem.

Pork Tenderloin with Braised Cabbage

The cookbook from whence this recipe comes has been on my bookshelf for nine years. Yes, just under a decade, and I think this might be the first thing I've made from it. Now, I wonder how i lived without it all these years. It makes light look gourmet, and sometimes even people who are watching their stubborn waistline like to feel a little gourmet. Such is the case with this gem, and I'm excited to see if the other recipes live up this one. I have my doubts, but I'll try to show faith. I also doubted whether or not my family would eat it, but eat it they did, and aside from Michael, the carnivore, the hands down favorite was the cabbage. The cabbage? Oh yes, the cabbage.

We served this in what seemed quite a traditional manner with buttered boiled red potatoes.

Pork Tenderloin with Braised Cabbage

from Williams Sonoma Healthy Cooking

• 1 large head green cabbage (30 oz.)
• 2 pork tenderloins, about 3/4 pound each (1.5 pounds total)
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• salt to taste, plus 1 tsp salt
• freshly ground pepper to taste, plus 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 Tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp sugar

Remove any bruised outer leaves from the cabbage and discard. Cut the head of the cabbage in to quarters through the stem end and then remove the core from each wedge. Slice the wedges crosswise into thin shreds. You should have about 10 cups (30 oz/940 g) shredded cabbage. Set aside.

Trim the pork tenderloins of any visible fat. In a large nonstick frying pan (that has a lid!) over medium-high heat, warm the oil. When hot but not smoking, add the tenderloins, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook, turning frequently, until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Return the pan to medium-high heat. Add the cabbage, the 1 tsp salt, and the 1/4 tsp pepper and cook, stirring and tossing several times, until the cabbage is slightly wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the vinegar and sprinkle on the sugar; stir and toss to combine. Reduce the heat to low (I did medium-low) and return the pork to the pan, pressing the tenderloins slightly into the cabbage. Cover and cook until the cabbage is tender and the pork is firm to the touch and pale pink when cut in the thickest portion, about 20 minutes. Alternately, test for doneness with a meat thermometer into the thickest part of a tenderloin; it should read 160˚ F.

Transfer the tenderloins to a cutting board. Mound the cabbage on a platter. Cut the tenderloins on the diagonal into thin slices and arrange over the cabbage. Serve at once.

Anniversary Dinner a.k.a The Best Steak You've Ever Had

Happy Anniversary to us—9 years and we're happier than we've ever been.

That said, we celebrated tonight with dinner in with the boys, and it was delightful. For my anniversary gift to myself, I splurged on a single 12 oz. New York strip steak that we all shared (who needs all that meat to themselves, anyway?) and for my gift to Liz, I helped clean up the kitchen, including scraping dried gnocchi dough off the counter, after we finished.

The gnocchi was Jodi's recipe, which I love because it combines just the right amount of egg and flour to make the little potato dumplings perfect [although I add more salt!] and I served it all with a garden vegetable dice of zucchini, yellow squash, tomato, garlic and fresh thyme. Despite these wonderful, fresh, homemade elements, it was the slab of beef that really stole the show tonight, and while I wish I could take credit for cooking the best steak I've ever had, I can't. Well, I did cook it, but I followed someone else's instructions. I've you'd like the video version, you can watch it here, but if you're a follow the written recipe type, then I'll reproduce it for you.

The Perfect Steak

a la Chris Lim of BLT Steak in New York City

• Good cut of steak [chef Lim suggests a New York, which is what I used.]
• Fresh ground pepper [not too finely ground]
• Kosher Salt
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 5-10 springs fresh thyme
• 1 Tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 350˚. Heat a seasoned cast iron or black steel pan over high heat until it's blastingly hot. That's important. Season your steak generously with salt and pepper on both sides; you can even dab the edges in it if you'd like. Oil your pan with a generous dose of high-heat tolerant oil—I used canola. Throw that puppy in the pan and let it sit for 1-2 minutes until a nice carmelized crust has formed on the bottom. When it has formed a golden crust, turn the steak over and immediately put the butter right on top of the steak, and throw garlic and thyme in the pan. Immediately put the entire pan in the preheated oven and cook 2-4 minutes more, or until desired doneness is reached. [You'll have to watch the video to find out how to do that without puncturing the meat—it's amazing.] We opted for rather rare tonight in the interest of time, more than anything. When finished, remove to cutting board to rest a few minutes. When ready to serve, slice against the grain at a slight bias and enjoy.