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French Onion Soup
Serves 8
You don't have to be from Paris
to appreciate the sweet, caramelized onions, the wine-infused broth and the smooth
melted cheese on top. But for a moment, you might feel you are there. Here's a
bit of trivia: Julia Child's last meal was French Onion Soup.
¾ stick unsalted butter
8 large yellow onions, sliced thinly
½ cup sugar
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
10 cups beef stock or broth
¼ cup Madeira or red wine
8 slices of French bread, lightly toasted
2 cups Gruyere cheese, grated
In a large soup pot, melt the butter and sautee the onions
until soft.
Add the sugar and mix with the onions, cooking for about 10
minutes more. Add the salt, pepper, and half of the stock, cooking for about 15
minutes. Pour in the remaining stock and the wine and simmer for another 40
minutes.
Before serving, preheat the broiler. Place a slice of French bread in the bottom
of each individual ovenproof bowl. Add the soup, sprinkle cheese on top and
bake until the cheese has melted.
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Spaghetti and Meatballs
Serves 8
A childhood favorite for both of us, we cook this meal with our
friends with kids and adults in mind. Make a double batch of meatballs and
sauce and freeze them separately, creating your own homemade take-out, ready at
a moment's notice. You'll want to make the sauce first or ahead of time, as it
takes the longest. Serve Spaghetti and Meatballs in large shallow bowls and
sprinkle with shaved parmesan.
For the Sauce:
Tomato Basil Marinara recipe at:
cookingwithfriendsclub.com
For the Meatballs
2 lbs lean ground beef
2 large onions, chopped finely
½ cup bread crumbs
½ cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 eggs
½ cup whole milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound spaghetti
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix beef, onions, bread crumbs, herbs,
garlic, eggs, milk and salt and pepper. With your hands, gently form golf-ball
sized balls and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes.
To cook pasta, bring a large pot of salted water to a
rolling boil, add spaghetti and cook about 11 minutes. Drain and set aside.
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Dear Friends,
As snow falls and temperatures dip below freezing in our towns, we appreciate the comforts of home cooking more than ever. To give yourselves some inner warmth, stir a pot of soup or stew as you look out an icy window, or curl up with a baked treat, a book and a cup of cocoa. But instead of staying indoors on your own all winter, invite a friend or two over to cook, and enjoy the warmth and familiarity of good food and good conversation with friends. There's nothing more comforting than that.
This issue marks the first anniversary of the Cooking With Friends E-Newsletter! We'd like to thank you for reading. We are a community that spreads by word of mouth and we welcome your feedback. If you like what you've been reading this year, you can help us grow by encouraging your friends and family to subscribe by either forwarding this newsletter to them, or pointing them to the subscribe button on our web site, www.cookingwithfriendsclub.com. Also remember to check us out on Facebook!
Alison and Shannon
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To us, comfort foods are warm and familiar foods that beckon us inside to dine with friends and family. A few that come to mind are Roast Chicken, Pot Pies, Beef Stew, Brownies and, for some of us, Maple Oatmeal. Comfort foods may have an association with your childhood, a memorable meal out, or a dish that you've always loved because it includes your favorite ingredients. |
Mashed Potatoes, Two Ways
The fluffy creaminess, the milk and butter, the cloud-like scoop of deliciousness on a plate. Mashed potatoes are the quintessential comfort food. This month, we offer you two simple variations on this wonderful theme. Make them in the afternoon with a friend. Make a meatloaf too -- then part ways and serve them to your respective families for dinner.
--Fluffy Mashed Sweet Potatoes. Don't dismiss sweet potatoes or yams as being a holiday dish. They're nutritious, delicious and kids love them. First, boil them, skin on, in a huge pot of water. When you can easily pierce them with a fork, bring them out and the skins will come right off. Quickly puree them in a food processor, mix in a bit of butter and milk, and they're done! (Be careful not to over mix or you'll be left with a glue-like consistency.)
For a delicious alternative meal, turn the sweet potatoes into a Sweet Potato Casserole. To do this just mix 5 pounds of cooked and pureed yams with 4 eggs, 3 tablespoons of maple syrup, 3 tablespoons of vanilla extract, a tablespoon of lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Spread in a casserole dish, sprinkle a mixture of ½ stick butter cut up, ¾ cup chopped pecans and 1 cup of brown sugar on top. Then bake at 350 degrees for about one hour. Yum!
--Garlicky Smashed Potatoes. Garlic brings out the best in a potato, and lets you use less butter and sour cream. Pierce small redskin potatoes (no need to peel) and boil with coarsely chopped garlic. When they are fork tender, place them in a large bowl. Add butter, milk, finely chopped garlic and a bit of sour cream and smash with a hand-held masher. Sprinkle some salt and a bit of white pepper (careful-not too much). Keep tasting to adjust the flavors. Add a few chopped chives on top before serving.
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January is National Soup Month!
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Bulk friendly. You can make a lot of soup when there are two
of you.
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Minimal space required. Two large soup pots always fit on a
stove.
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Perfect for dividing cooking responsibilities. While one of
you chops, the other can sautee and season.
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Efficient. If time is an issue, you can prepare soup
together in under an hour, leave while the soup simmers and return to your
friend's house a few hours later to pack up your many quarts of soup.
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Cost effective. Because you'll be using a lot of what you already have in your combined
pantries, soup doesn't have to cost much.
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Variety. Since there are so many kinds of soup, you'll never
be forced to make the same soup twice.
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Stress-free. Since some of the best soups are those you
improvise, you can get a lot of chatting in while cooking.
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Freezer Friendly. Soups freeze really well. Just make sure
to cool your soup before transferring to freezer safe containers.
If you're cooking for
vegetarians, make sure to use a veggie broth. Soups are best improvised-we
suggest you and your friend raid your fridges and cupboards for vegetables,
herbs, pastas and other ingredients that can make the soup your own. For a
delicious soup that freezes well, try our classic French Onion Soup (see recipe
to the left).
Host a Soup Swap
All around the country,
Cooking With Friends Club members are holding soup swaps. It's a great way to
stock your freezers with an assortment of soups. Click on this link in our how
to section for details: Hosting a Soup Swap.
Give Soup to Those in Need
Please
consider hosting a "Souper Bowl" to donate your delicious homemade soup to a
local food pantry or shelter. Go to www.feedamerica.org
to type in your address to find a pantry near your home.
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 Tool-of-the-month:
Microplane Grater
A microplane grater is a handy little tool to help you grate cheese for topping spaghetti and meatballs, French Onion Soup, Tacos, or many other dishes. See it at www.microplane.com |
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Alison Bermack and Shannon Henry
Visit our web site at www.cookingwithfriendsclub.com.
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