Company's Coming

(Makes one gallon)

This 300 year- old soup recipe, perhaps history’s earliest and most famous “chicken soup”, derives from one of the most distinguished writers in food history. It emphasizes several distinctive features: stock making with the minimization of fiber, sugared fluids as tonics and liquids to assist hydration. Although quite time consuming overall, the rules are simple and the preparation is requires little energy.

(with groveling acknowledgement to Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin)

• 6 yellow onions
• 3 carrots
• 1/2 bunch curly parsley
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 complete crust of well-toasted bread
• 1 teaspoon salt and (optional) ½ tsp pepper
• 1 gallon water
• 1 stewing hen or 2 frying chickens
• 2 lbs. beef tenderloin, eye of round or chuck

Medium dice: onions, carrots and parsley, (it is not necessary to peel anything), and brown in butter, about fifteen minutes. Add water, bring to boil, reduce to simmer. Simmer gently for one hour. Restore any loss from evaporation.

Without any particular concern for technique, (cleaver and chopping block would be exceedingly handy at this point), and as thoroughly as possible, roughly dismantle hen, breaking bones wherever possible. Cube beef. Bake in a rotisserie pan at 425 degrees for 30 minutes, reduce to oven to325 degrees and bake for another hour. Combine vegetable stock and browned meats, deglazing rotisserie pan, restart boiling, adding water, if necessary, to regain 1 gallon of bullion/liquids, simmering for one more hour. Strain through a colander, retaining fluid, tossing the depleted solids.

Drink up to four cups a day, at any temperature agreeable to you.

Why work so hard? Why take so much time? Putting aside a variety of other considerations, natural, homemade stocks are uniquely soothing, digestible and nutritious. Although this recipe describes a stock, (a thin soup), they can be condensed by slowly simmering for several hours uncovered and made for enhancing casseroles, expanding sauces and glazing vegetables. Finally, since they are basically somewhat bland, they can be easily “tinted” by small amounts of herbs or other flavorings.

ALTHOUGH FOOD SERVED “STEAMING” HOT ALMOST ALWAYS TASTES BETTER. A SENSITIVE MOUTH WILL PREFER ROOM TEMPERATURE.

This variation on an old chestnut will add to the variety in your diet. Like the soup, it takes some time to finish. Unlike the soup, it requires very little physical energy on the part of the cook and practically no technique whatsoever. Like the soup, it is virtually impossible to overcook!

• 1 packaged, uncooked “corned” beef 6-8 pounds
• 2 sweet onions
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 cans large pineapple chunks
• 2-3 pounds exceedingly small new, red potatoes
• 1 jar sweet or well-rinsed sour cabbage

Open corned beef package. Discard seasoning packet. Place in close-fitting saucepan. Add the juice of both cans of pineapple, reserving fruit. Add just enough water to cover meat. Bring to boil, lower heat, and simmer, covered, for 2 hours. Peel and quarter onions, peel garlic cloves, add to beef. Add new potatoes. Simmer 30 more minutes, until beef is fully relaxed. Drain 90% of pot liquor, add pineapple chunks. Cover 5 minutes and serve.

Quick Tip! Although mustards are associated with corned beef, they will prove quite challenging for most people. Try a paste of powdered ginger, creamy peanut butter and soy sauce instead.

(4 servings)

Like Caesar dressing, alfredo sauce was invented far from Italy. The Italians were quick to claim them. High in protein and fat, adding poached salmon boosts omega-3 fats making this a thoroughly correct and nutritious sauce for any pasta you choose. Fettuccine and bow ties are traditional favorites.

• 8 tbsp butter
• 8 tbsp heavy cream
• 8 tbsp sour cream
• 8 tbsp Parmesan cheese
• salt to taste

Allow butter to come to room temperature, about the time it takes to have tea with a neighbor, or telephone a friend you haven’t seen in a month! After softened, mix with remaining ingredients and refrigerate immediately!

One of the most reliable and flexible of all the classics, alfredo-like sauces offer a soothing balm for almost any troubled tummy. This recipe is extremely stable, capable of keeping in the refrigerator, up to 2 weeks!

Quick Tip! You can add cooked chicken or shrimp and “toss” with shaped pastas! Add fresh broccoli or a handful of frozen small peas and dinner is done for one or more!

MODERATELY OVERCOOK PASTA, RICE, AND POTATOES. SOFTER IS ALMOST ALWAYS BETTER FOR THE TENDER PALATE!

(Serves 6-8)

Ingredients

• 8 ounces ground turkey
• 8 ounces ground, mild breakfast sausage
• 8 ounces chicken livers, hand crushed
• 1tsp. crushed tarragon
• 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

Poaching medium

• 1 cup water
• 2 packets Knox unflavored gelatin
• 1 bullion cube (chicken)

Substitute ground beef for the liver and you have a terrific, easy meatloaf recipe.

Sometimes you can’t avoid it. Someone complicated is coming for dinner tomorrow. Something “sophisticated” to nibble is needed. Hors d’oeuvres are suggested. Try this easy, flexible adaptation of a European classic. The original, by the way, can take hours to make! No one has to know that this one took five minutes to prepare.

Mix ground turkey, sausage, whole livers, tarragon and breadcrumbs in 1 quart stainless bowl. Shape into a large hamburger, with a dome on the top and flattened on the bottom and about ½ inch from sides.. Tap upside down to remove. Microwave water in large coffee cup on high for 3 minutes. Add gelatin and bullion cube. Stir thoroughly. Pour into stainless bowl. Lower back down into bowl. Pate should be submerged, allowing ½ inch gap around edges. Place in water bath in oven. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 and ½ hours. Chill thoroughly. To serve, run bottom of stainless bowl briefly under very hot water to release pate onto plate for serving.