Garlic Soup- Sopa de Ajo

Whenever I'm sick, I crave this soup. With Eric out for the count, the first thing I did when I got home was make myself a nice big batch of this for him. I'm sure it's not traditional the way I make it, but it's spicy, garlicky and yummy!

Sopa de Ajo

4 slices of country bread or a crusty peasant bread that won't fall apart easily
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup minced garlic (2 small bulbs)
1/2 cup minced shallots
1/4 packed chopped fresh thyme
1 tbsp. chopped
4 eggs
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1-2 tsp paprika
8 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup dry sherry or madeira

Saute garlic in oil and separate most of the garlic into a small bowl.

Fry the bread in remaining garlic and oil.

In a large 6-8 quart pot, combine shallots, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper, paprika, chicken stock and sherry along with remainder of garlic. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for about twenty minutes.

Crack one egg into a small bowl or plate and gently slide it into the soup. Repeat with the other eggs and poach for three minutes in the soup. Place one slice of bread in each of four bowls, ladle one egg on top and ladle soup over everything.

Thomas Keller's Kitchen at Per Se

Epicurious.com is featuring an interview with French Laundry god Thomas Keller along with a few menus and also some very nice pictures of his new place in New York's Jazz Center, Per Se. Damn him -- how does he keep his place so clean???

http://www.epicurious.com/features/chefs/keller/

Chamberdance Brunch: Quiche Lorraine and more-- plus Peets and Bay Breads

Quiche is probably my favorite make-ahead brunch dish.

Oh and I forgot to mention -- to make things a little nicer we also went to Peets and got their coffee in a box, which serves fifteen people (they have bigger ones too) for $15. They supplied us with everything we needed: Sugar, half and half, equal, stirrers, cups and napkins.

And then we stopped by Bay Breads (2325 Pine at Fillmore) to get fresh croissants and brioche. Expensive, but worth it!

Quiche Lorraine, or with Broccoli and Cheddar, or Goat Cheese

Pastry Crust:

• 1 1/4 cup AP flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 6 Tbsp butter
• 6-10 Tbsp ice water

Filling:

• 4-5 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup whipping cream, creme fraiche, sour cream or half and half
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 Tbsp Bisquick (optional)

• 4 slices of bacon, cooked, drained and chopped
• 1 cup grated Gruyere

-or-

• 1 cup grated cheddar
• 2/3 cup broccoli floret, blanched

-or-

• 1 8-oz log of goat cheese
• 1 lb assorted wild mushrooms

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Make the pastry, mixing dry ingredients and then cutting in the butter. Add water a tablespoon at a time and stir until it balls up. Roll out dough to a disk, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Place pastry in 9-inch dish. line inside with foil and pie-weights/beans. Blind bake 10 min. Remove foil and pie weights. Spread any cheese and vegetables across bottom.

Mix eggs, cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg together, then pour over fillings.

Bake 25-35 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes, then slice and serve.

Chamberdance Brunch: Potato Cheese Charlotte (And some unwelcome visitors in my paprika)

For our annual brunch I contributed my usual brunch items: assorted quiches and potato Cheese thingie which I got from the New York Times Cookbook. I actually make a little more than this for a bigger casserole, but try to hold backon the paprika.

While working on this one, I discovered that my paprika had been invaded by thousands -- THOUSANDS -- of grain mites. I opened the can of Szego and it was like that scene in Men in Black II "All Hail J! All Hail J!"

They must have been living in there feeding on the paprika for -- I don't want to think about how long!! Here's what they look like:
http://ipmofalaska.homestead.com/files/grainmites.html

Beware... don't keep your spices for too long!

Potato Cheese Charlotte

• ½ cup chopped onions
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 3 cups grated raw potatoes
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1 cup grated sharp cheddar
• 2 slice white bread

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 1-quart casserole.

Saute the onions in butter until limp. Mix with the potatoes, eggs, salt, paprika, pepper and cheese. Soak the bread in water til soft, then squeee dry and add to the potato mixture mixing in well.

Turn into the prepared casserole and bake 1 hour.

Chamberdance Brunch: Whisky cured Gravlax

Eric made his gorgeous whisky cured Gravlax for our donor brunch and it was fantastic! This succulent slightly salty ruby colored slices of salmon... mmmmm....

Whisky & Brown Sugar-Cured Gravlax

1 lb salt
1 lb pack dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp whole cracked white peppercorns
2 bunches fresh dill, coarsely chopped
Juice of 2 lemons
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ Tbsp brandy
¼ cup whiskey (preferably Jack Daniels)
2 3-pound sides of salmon cleaned and skin on

In a medium bowl, combine the salt, brown sugar, peppercorns and dill to make the dry cure. In a small bowl combine the lemon juice, oil, brandy and whisky.

Lay the salmon, skin sides down on a clean dry surface. Brush the liquid mixture generously over the fish. Pack the dry cure evenly over the fillets. Wrap tightly in two layers of plastic wrap.

Place one side of the fish, skin side down in a pan large enough to accommodate the fish. Place the other piece of fish skin side up on top of the first. Place a cutting board on top of the fish and weigh it down with soup cans or bricks. Chill 24 hours.

Remove the weights, unwrap the fish and drain the liquid. Wrap the fish again tightly in two layers of fresh plastic, reversing the position of the top and bottom pieces. Place the cutting board and weights on top again and return to the refrigerator. Chill 24 hours more.

Repeat a third time. On the fourth day, unwrap the salmon, scrape off the dry cure. Slice the salmon on the bias as thinly as possible and serve. Gravlax can be stored wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator up to 3 days.