Soups and Stews
Ladling out a winning tomato soup
By Debra Samuels | GLOBE CORRESPONDENT MAY 27, 2014 Foods stir memories, and tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich may just be the most dynamic comfort food for many Americans. With school ending, summer coming, and hopes for minimal cooking in the months ahead, we tasted half of the classic lunch duo: ready-to-heat cream …
Read moreThe Village Greens
By Debra Samuels Globe correspondent APRIL 02, 2013 By April, weary New Englanders are looking for anything to poke through the thawing ground. It is often a crocus, welcomed like an old friend. To help lift our culinary spirits, we asked you to peek into your recipe collections for favorite dishes featuring spring greens. For …
Read moreConza – Bean, Cauliflower and Fennel Soup
Boston Globe, March 31, 2010 Conza is a traditional Sicilian sauce/soup made with chickpeas, favas, kidney or cranberry beans, white beans, black-eyed peas, and lentils. You can add a handful of whatever dried legumes you have on hand; think of it as spring cleaning your pantry. Nina Groppo cooks each variety of bean separately the …
Read morePreparation is half the fun for Feast of San Giuseppe
By Debra Samuels, Globe Correspondent March 31, 2010 GLOUCESTER — In the garage-cum-kitchen of Nina and Franco Groppo’s home here, more than 20 friends and extended family are preparing for the Feast of San Giuseppe. That means pasta making — lots of it — along with plenty of fun. Flour sifting through the air around …
Read moreChinese egg drop soup
Chinese egg drop soup Serves 4 This popular restaurant bowl is easy to make at home but the technique is a little tricky. The finished soup should have pale yellow petals of barely set egg floating in a rich chicken broth. To achieve this, you have to wave chopsticks above the surface of the hot …
Read moreTofu is all about the texture
Tofu is all about the texture Each of the three styles of soy bean curd has a purpose Those large white blocks of tofu can be intimidating. No matter how carefully you prepare them, the dishes never seem as good as they are when you eat out. It’s all a matter of determining which texture …
Read moreFor boat’s chef, some thrills and spills
Keeps crew happy with comfort food By Debra Samuels, Globe Correspondent September 23, 2009 GLOUCESTER HARBOR – The schooner Roseway, a 137-foot former fishing boat, lurches through the waves, and doors flap to the rhythm. time,announces Jessica Reale, who quickly secures the kitchen cabinets with bungee cords. The 26-year-old chef works quickly, holding a door …
Read moreChinese chicken soup casserole
Photo By Debra Samuels Boston Globe, January 21, 2009 This Chinese chicken hot pot combines the heartiness of a casserole with a light, warming chicken broth. Slices of fresh ginger root and scallions are two aromatics that signal that this is not Grammy Greenberg’s Jewish penicillin. But like hers and other pots of chicken soup, …
Read moreChanghai’s Shrimp Soup
This simple but flavorful Chinese soup cooks up in a flash. Aromatic sesame oil and spicy Vietnamese sauce Sriracha are added at the end for maximum impact. Changhai’s Shrimp Soup Ingredients: Serves 4 1/4 pound shrimp, peeled and cooked 2 1/2 cups chicken stock* 2 slices ginger, smashed 2 scallions, smashed 3 tablespoons tomato paste …
Read moreAquacotta – “Cooked Water”
Somewhere between a soup and a savory bread pudding lies aquacotta “cooked water”- a traditional peasant dish from Tuscany that uses stale bread, tomatoes, onions and whatever vegetables are available. Its name reflects its origins– lean times for farmers. When things were better, perhaps each member of the family would add an egg atop the …
Read moreBento:Build a Better Lunch
Debra Samuels, bestselling author, food writer and cooking instructor, wants to give the American lunchbox a makeover. In the chapter on “bento,” the traditional Japanese lunch box, in her upcoming book, My Japanese Table, Debra encourages the use of color, texture and taste to create healthier and more visually appealing meals.
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