Celebrating My Husband with Tortilla Soup

As Bob’s birthday was nearing this week, I asked what he would like me to make for dinner to celebrate. He requested a Mexican feast which, given his Southern California roots and love of spicy food, was not a surprise. Happy to oblige! Mexican is a family favorite (tied with sushi) and often is our choice for a festive meal.

I just have to say, Bob is the most rewarding person for me to cook for ... he is my biggest fan, giving me praise and support and honest feedback when I create new recipes, make old favorites or dive into a new cookbook. He endures food crazes I subject the family to (ask him about the fennel phase ...) and enthusiastically sits down to dinner every night. I’m proud to say he has developed a very good palate and savors subtle flavors most others would miss. Anytime I’m talking about food (which is - well, most of the time!) he listens intently and takes a moment to think about each ingredient I toss out so he can picture what I’m proposing.

When I began to ponder starting a food blog, Bob immediately encouraged me to take the leap and jump into food writing. He encourages me to challenge myself, to grow and discover, allowing me to strive to be the best I can. No matter what I say I’d like to do in life, he’s right there to help me figure out how to make it happen. He is truly inspiring and always ready for a new adventure. Needless to say, life is exciting with him!

So, for his birthday dinner, I wanted to dazzle Bob with his favorites. Tortilla soup is a top pick for him and was on the menu along with tacos, pickled tomatillos, salsas, pickled red onions, refried beans and oregano roasted potatoes.

I began making tortilla soup after reading a recipe Amanda Hesser shared in the Food Diary section of the New York Times magazine. While on vacation in Mexico, she and her family stayed in a house with a local cook who prepared a tortilla soup that they enjoyed. I immediately made the recipe and it became a keeper. I’ve since played with it a bit, roasting the tomatoes and increasing the number of chilies and amount of lime juice. Garnished with sliced avocado and crispy fried tortilla strips, it is an earthy, deeply flavored bowl of smoky heat.

Cheers to my husband!

(White sangria, anyone? Mix together a chilled bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, two cups of peach lemonade, fresh raspberries, some sliced peaches, strawberries and limes and you have a pitcher for your fiesta!)

Tortilla Soup
Adapted from a recipe in the New York Times magazine (3/31/02)
By Amanda Hesser
Serves 8

3 dried ancho chilies, stems removed
4 dried guajillo or pasilla chilies, stems removed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for frying
24 corn tortillas, sliced into 1/2 inch strips
2 large onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
10 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
1 pound roma tomatoes, sliced in half, roasted in the oven until softened and beginning to turn black at the edges (this is an optional step, you can also just chop the fresh tomatoes and use as is)
10 ounces cherry tomatoes
1 quart vegetable broth
3 limes, juice 2 of them and cut the 3rd into wedges for serving
Salt to taste
2 avocadoes, sliced for garnish

Toast the chilies in a saucepan over medium heat (until their skin colors and bubbles, don’t let them burn). Move the chilies to a bowl and cover with warm water (about 2 cups) to rehydrate them.

Pour about a 1/4 inch of vegetable oil into the same saucepan. In batches, fry the tortilla strips until they are crispy and golden. Drain on paper towels.

In a large soup pot (I use an 8 quart), add the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft. Remove from the heat.

Drain the chilies (save the soaking water!) and roughly chop them. Add the chilies, roasted tomatoes and cherry tomatoes to the onions and garlic and stir. Pour in the vegetable broth and about 3/4 of the fried tortilla strips. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth (being very careful since it’s hot). Warm the soup over low heat. The soup will be thick so you can thin it with the chili soaking water to your liking (I add about 2 cups). Add in the lime juice and salt to taste.

Serve the soup garnished with reserved tortilla strips, sliced avocado and limes.

Changing Seasons with Corn Chowder

While I am a summer girl at heart, I do love autumn and look forward to it. We are in a delicious time ... peaches, tomatoes and sweet corn are still in season and the pleasures of crisp air and cooking with apples and squash beckon just ahead.

Since we are back on a school schedule this week, I’ve also resumed my menu planning for meals. Planned dinners quickly fell off the to-do list during the lazy days of summer, an easy thing to do when surrounded by incredible produce that needs little more than a sprinkle of salt. Now that sports practices and homework fill the afternoons and evenings, I want to be sure dinner is ready so we can spend some time around the table catching up on the day.

As I pondered meals for this week, I thought about the coming season of simmering stews, hearty baked loaves and comforting soups. Corn chowder came to mind since there is an abundance of corn and I have a couple recipes calling out to me.

These two chowders are quite different. The first one includes sriracha (aka rooster sauce), the red chile sauce that originated in Thailand. Last year, I began making homemade sriracha. Wow, what an explosion of fiery flavor! Thus began a sriracha addiction ... I tossed our store bought bottle and now keep a jar of homemade in the fridge at all times.

The sriracha chowder was a hit, with Sam proclaiming it his favorite soup. Sam sets a pretty high bar for soup, so this is high praise indeed.

Sweet corn shines in the next corn chowder we devoured. This one fairly bursts with fresh corn flavor, and the addition of cherry tomatoes and basil ensures a taste of summer in every bite.

Savoring these chowders make the end of summer more bearable and will start easing you into the comforts of fall.

Sriracha Corn Chowder
Adapted from The Sriracha Cookbook
By Randy Clemens
Serves 6

8 ears of corn, husked
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
2 red onions, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup sriracha (I highly recommend making it from scratch)
4 sprigs fresh dill
1/2 large lime, juiced
1/2 cup heavy cream (optional – I added it but it is not necessary)
Salt and pepper to taste

Roast 4 of the ears of corn over a gas flame or on the barbecue until the kernels start to blacken. Let cool, then slice the kernels off into a bowl and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the bell peppers and onions and cook until softened. Slice the kernels from the remaining 4 ears of corn. Add the raw corn and garlic to the pot, stir and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the vegetable broth, sriracha (I found 1/2 cup to be perfect, but feel free to increase or decrease based upon your taste) and dill. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.

Remove the dill and discard. Puree the soup with an immersion blender (or in a food processor or blender). Mix in the lime juice and cream (if using) and reserved roasted corn. Cook for a few minutes, until heated through. Season with salt and pepper. If more heat is desired, serve extra sriracha alongside.

Corn, Tomato and Basil Chowder
Adapted from a recipe in the New York Times
By Melissa Clark
Serves 6

6 ears of corn, shucked
2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
6-7 cups vegetable broth
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
2 large limes, juiced
Salt and pepper to taste
Sour cream for serving (optional)

Slice the kernels off the cobs, place corn in a bowl and reserve cobs. In a large soup pot, add the butter or olive oil and warm over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic and cook until softened, stirring occasionally. Add 6 cups of broth, reserved cobs and a sprinkle of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the potatoes and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes more. Remove the cobs and discard.

Stir in the corn kernels and tomatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes. If the chowder is quite thick, add some extra vegetable broth to your liking. Add the basil, lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and let sit for about 10 minutes before serving. Serve with sour cream, if desired.