Soup | Caliblini Personal Chef's Blog

Colorful spring menu today

By polina, on May 11th, 2013%

From my previous post it may look like my vegetable garden is losing it’s struggle with the local wild life. It is not so. I’m learning to garden in these difficult conditions, and I had some successes. The key is to protect the plants they favor, to plant what the beasts don’t like, or to grow whatever grows faster than they eat it. Most culinary herbs (basil, red sorrel, and dill are the exceptions) don’t seem to interest them. This year, my fava beans are my pride and joy. Fast growing, beautiful plants bear tons of tasty beans, and the only one who is interested is the gopher – and he cannot take them all. Well, he got a couple of plants, but I still have the rest!

Now they are at the peak of their short season, and they go happily into a ragout of fava beans, green beans, and English peas, seasoned with sautéed red onion, garlic, white wine, and good olive oil.

This week I also started cooking with fresh tomatoes again. They are not at their best yet, but after roasting the flavor gets more concentrated, and they make a good roasted tomato soup.

On the menu today:

Roasted tomato soup with pasta

Mushroom, ricotta, and spring onion tartlets
Tangy macaroni salad

Zucchini and carrot “spaghetti” primavera

Duck legs roasted with sweet onions, lemon, and olives
Herbed new potatoes

Lamb chops, chimichurri sauce
Fresh peas and beans ragout

Emerald-green goodness of fava beans and English peas bring the spring to the table.

This isn’t your orthodox spaghetti primavera. The “noodles” are cut out of Nantes carrots and zucchini with a julienne peeler, then steamed briefly and topped with a spring vegetables medley. I first developed this technique for a client who cannot eat any grains – I wanted to make a pasta for her. Then I realized that anyone who wants a vegan dish would probably enjoy it.

Today’s client, a mother of two, gets a little bunch of edible chive flowers for the Mother’s Day on her lamb chops.

Wild mushrooms sautéed with thyme and garlic, and thinly sliced spring onions, top these classic puff pastry ricotta tartlets.

What I bought as packaged “duck legs” in a Chinese grocery store turned out to be whole duck leg quarters! Good. More duck. First, cooked in a skillet, skin side down, to render the fat and to crisp the skin; then, slow-roasted in the oven on top of sweet onion slices, with lemon, rosemary, thyme, and white wine. Garnished with olives.
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Location:Cupertino, CA

Winter menu for today

By polina, on February 7th, 2013%

Our winter is mild, there is no snow, the mimosa is blooming, and we get a couple of hours of short sleeves almost every day. But by the dinner time it’s usually cold and dark. Dark, cold, and windy. Cold.

So here is a comforting winter menu that I cooked today. It’s full of hearty meats, mushrooms, citrus fruits that are natural antidepressants and are in season right now, and it even includes my Grandma’s meat pies, directly from Russia, recipe follows.

The menu:
Roasted vegetables soup

Salmon with lemon and parsley gremolata
Fennel gratin

Farfalle with creamy chicken and mushroom sauce

Roasted pork loin with honey and orange glaze
Braised red cabbage

Meat pies
Spinach salad with walnuts, orange, and goat cheese

The meat pies are based on my grandmother’s recipe for Tartar belyashi, or peremyachi, with a few changes made to accommodate modern Californian ingredients. They are a perfect accompaniment to any winter soup.

Meat pies
Makes 12

For the dough:
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 packets active dry yeast
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 egg
1-1/2 cup of warm water, or enough to form a soft, pliable dough

For the filling:
1 lb ground grass-fed beef
12 oz ground lamb
2 medium onions, minced
1 small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, minced
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce, or to taste
Sea salt, fresh ground black pepper to taste

For cooking: 1/2 cup grape seed oil, or other high temperature, neutral-tasting oil

In a large bowl, combine flour, yeast, sugar, salt, egg. Add water, a little at a time, and mix with your hands to make a soft dough, about the texture of pizza dough. Knead for 5 minutes. Form the dough into a neat ball, put in the bowl, cover with a napkin, and set in a warm place to rise. After about 1 hour the dough should double in size. Pinch it back and fold 2-3 times. Let rise and double in size again.

Combine ground beef, ground lamb, onions, parsley, and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Fry a bite-size piece of the filling and taste for seasoning. Adjust the seasoning. Divide the filling into 12 more or less equal portions.

Remove the dough onto a surface dusted with flour. Cut the dough into 12 equal portions; roll each portion into a ball. Roll out each ball into a 6-inch disc. Place a portion of the filling in the middle of a disk, gather the sides and pinch them together to enclose the filling, leaving a small opening in the middle. Flatten the pie with your palm into 1-inch thick disk. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Let the pies rest 20-25 minutes.

Divide the oil between two large frying pans. Heat the pans over medium heat. Place the pies, open side down, into the pans. Cook until well browned. Turn over, baste with hot oil from the pans, cook until golden on the other side and cooked through, 10-12 minutes. Remove the pies to a paper towel covered plate. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

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Location:Palo Alto, CA

Menu today

By polina, on January 30th, 2013%

OK, done with my sales pitch, now back to the kitchen. Today’s menu (without pricing; the pricing was, in fact, very similar to that in the previous post)

Cream of cauliflower soup

Cod with caper-tomato topping
Brown rice with vegetables

Dijon chicken
Quinoa with orange

Swiss chard beef rolls
Parsnip and carrot puree

Beef and beer stew
Garlic green beans

The cauliflower soup is a miracle: it actually tastes creamy, without any cream added. The pureed cauliflower does the trick. As a result the soup is rich, smooth, and very low in calories. If made without butter, it is also suitable for dairy-free diets, and still tastes great. It is also one of the simplest soups to make.

Cream of Cauliflower Soup
Makes a lot

1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter (optional)
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 small parsnip, peeled and chopped
Sea salt
2 medium heads white cauliflower, leaves discarded, stems chopped, crowns separated into florets

Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onions, cook until soft and begin to turn golden. Add butter, if using. Add parsnip, cook until it begins to soften, 5-6 minutes.

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a 6-quart soup pot. Add salt to taste. Add onions, parsnip, cauliflower, bring back to boil, reduce heat to low, to maintain slow simmer. Cook until cauliflower is very soft, 25-30 minutes. Puree in blender, leaving some chunks of cauliflower for texture, if desired. Adjust seasoning and serve.

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Location:Palo Alto, CA

Menu for a low-carbohydrate diet today

By polina, on November 8th, 2012%

My client S. has found out that restricting carbohydrates helps her to achieve her weight loss goals without giving up the satisfaction from meals. S. is a good cook herself, and had been cooking most of the dishes for her new low-carb, high-protein diet.

She is not very comfortable, however, with preparing red meats and seafood. To break the monotony of roasted chicken breasts and fried salmon fillets, S. asked me to cook a package of meals that she could keep in the freezer, in individual serving containers, and reheat whenever she is pressed for time, or feels like eating something different.

Here is what I cooked for her today. The chicken soup has onions, celery, and just one little carrot, finely sliced and sautéed in butter, and fresh green beans, red and yellow peppers, leeks, tomatoes, and black Tuscan kale.

Chimichurri, a bright fresh Argentinian sauce, made of parsley and oregano with garlic, dried red chilies, red wine vinegar, and olive oil, is as good with lamb as it is with grilled beef (or almost anything grilled), is totally addictive, and doesn’t add much carbs, calories, or weight to the dish – just a lot of flavor.

Menu November, 7

Chicken and vegetables soup
Shrimp stir-fry with peppers, spring onions, and bok choi

Leeks, spinach, and bacon frittata
Braised leeks
Delicata squash stuffed with beef and vegetables
Roasted Brussels sprouts
Lamb chops, chimichurri sauce

Kale with garlic and white wine

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Location:Mill Valley, CA

Fall menus this week

By polina, on November 7th, 2012%

The weather the last couple of days was like a memory of the summer, but the day are short, the summer produce is leaving the market (I hold on the heirloom tomatoes and king salmon as long as I can, but they will be gone soon), and the Fall fruits and vegetables are out there in force. So while still using my beloved summer produce, I am beginning to introduce more comfort dishes to take you through long dark evenings, and make the best of the abundant winter squashes, kales, cabbages, and Fall fruits.

Here are the menus that I made this week so far:

Menu November, 5
No dietary restrictions, but the clients don’t like seafood. One day a week they have a grill party and grill the meats that I marinate for them.

Chicken Florentine

Brown rice pilaf

Stuffed peppers

Quinoa and orange salad
For the grill: beef steaks with mustard-herb rub
Sautéed bell peppers; herbed potatoes

Pesto-stuffed pork roast wrapped in bacon
Carrots and peas

Menu November, 6
Semi-vegetarian menu, no red meat.

Minestrone
Butternut squash gratin
Braised greens
Penne with cannellini beans
Quiche with cheese, leeks, mushrooms and peppers
Potato and fennel salad
Mustard-glazed salmon

Buckwheat pancakes
Chicken Florentine
Quinoa with orange

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Location:San Francisco

Dinner party menu tonight

By polina, on September 23rd, 2012%

One of the guests tonight was a vegetarian, so most of the menu is vegetarian, to make sure that everyone can eat it. The main course is fish, with a vegetarian option.

I wish I could take more, and better, pictures, while cooking for dinner parties. Usually, though, I’m so busy cooking, tasting, and interacting with the hosts (and their wonderful pets) that most of the food goes uncaptured.

The menu tonight:

Tartlets with goat cheese and caramelized onion
Eggplant caponata on toast
Carrot and orange soup

Heirloom tomato Caprese salad

Pan-fried halibut, creamy mushroom sauce
Stuffed portabello mushroom (vegetarian option)
Quinoa with zucchini and lemon
Green beans

Cheese and fruit plate
Panna cotta with fresh berries and warm chocolate sauce

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Location:San Francisco, CA

Eclectic early fall menu today

By polina, on September 19th, 2012%

The chilled beet soup with horseradish sour cream (from Fine Cooking “Fresh”) is based on the Eastern European cold summer borscht recipe, but the addition of orange zest and juice (I used Valencia orange), honey, and the use of red wine vinegar instead of the usual distiller vinegar take it to another level. Roasting beets intensifies the flavor. If you think that you don’t like beets, and you only tried the tasteless canned variety, please, reconsider.

Get the beets with the greens still attached, trim off the greens, leaving 1 inch on, scrub the roots; place the beet roots with 1/2 cup water, a few thyme sprigs, and a few strips of orange zest in an ovenproof dish, wrap in aluminum foil, and place in a 400 degrees oven for an hour or so. Remove from oven, let cool, peel the beets with your (gloved) fingers. Taste the difference.

Chilled beet soup with horseradish sour cream
Serves four

1-1/2 lb. small or medium beets (2 bunches), trimmed, scrubbed
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
3 strips orange zest
3 sprigs fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground white or black pepper
2 Tbsp EVOO
2-1/2 cups chicken stock or water
2 tsp honey
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp prepared horseradish
1/2 cup sour cream
Cream or water as needed
Fresh dill sprigs for garnish (optional)

Bake beets and garlic with orange zest, thyme, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Peel beets and garlic. Discard orange zest and thyme, save the pan juices (strain).

Blend in batches beets, garlic, pan juices, chicken stock, honey. Stir in orange juice and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate.

Stir horseradish into sour cream. Thin with cream or water, if needed. Refrigerate.

To serve, ladle soup into bowls, spoon a little horseradish sour cream on top, garnish with dill.

Vegetable lasagna has layers of sautéed onion, garlic, eggplant, zucchini, and red bell pepper, layered with ricotta cheese and tomato sauce, with sautéed mushrooms and fresh mozzarella on top.

The menu:
Chilled beet soup with horseradish sour cream

Daal

Vegetable lasagna
Mediterranean salad

Mariscada
Spiced sweet potatoes

Chicken Marengo
Farro risotto with mushrooms

Stuffed peppers

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Location:San Francisco, CA

Today’s menu

By polina, on March 7th, 2012%

Since I got my own VitaMix blender, I’ve been playing with it every spare minute, learning new techniques.

Today’s clients have a VitaMix blender too, so a big part of their menu was made in the blender:
Soup
Cream of asparagus
Salad
Cabbage and carrot slaw
Main
Salmon with gremolata
Chicken roasted with olives, sweet onions, and lemon
Beef pot roast
Meatballs, sage and onion gravy
Sides
Roasted asparagus
Smashed potatoes with garlic and herbs
Buckwheat pancakes
Cabbage with bacon and caraway

Zucchini puree for the baby

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Location:Burlingame, CA

Today’s menu

By polina, on February 8th, 2012%

Today’s clients are thinking about switching to a vegetarian diet, but they are not ready to go completely vegetarian yet. Meanwhile they try to eat less red meat, more vegetables and grains.

I enjoy shopping our Marin Farmers Market for them.

Here is what I made for this week:

Lentil soup

Cod in tomato-parsley sauce
Farro pilaf

Quinoa with tofu and mushrooms

Cannelini beans with sausage, kale and tomatoes
Whole wheat penne pasta, garlic, olive oil

Vegetable pot pies
Sautéed cauliflower

Coq au vin
Sweet potatoes gratin

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Location:San Rafael, CA

Fish selyanka

By polina, on February 2nd, 2012%

Here is another Russian cold-weather favorite, fish selyanka. Russia’s beloved sturgeon and pickled vegetables come together in a tangy, rich, comforting soup, layered with subtle flavors.

The variations are as many as there are cooks. One version uses rinsed, chopped sauerkraut in addition to pickles, olives, and capers. In another version crayfish or shrimp shells are added to the stock, and cooked crayfish or shrimp tails are used to garnish the finished dish.

The rich fish stock for this soup can be made with any non-oily mild tasting inexpensive white fish, or with sturgeon heads and trimmings. Fatty fishes would add extra heaviness and too strong flavors to the stock, and should be avoided.

Fish that work well:
Perch
Ruffe
Striped bass
Snapper
Sturgeon heads

Fish that don’t work:
Salmon
Tuna
Sea bass
Mackerel
Sardines

If using small fish, ask the fishmonger to scale and gut it, but leave the heads and tails on – they contribute to the stock. After making the stock the fish is usually discarded. I was making mine with white perch, and the little sweet fishes from the stock actually made a very good snack; just have to be careful about the bones – they are numerous and tiny.

Fish stock is different from meat and chicken stocks because it cooks very fast. If you put the aromatic vegetables in it whole, they will just begin cooking by the time the fish is completely spent. So, to get the most out of the vegetables, we’ll chop them into large chunks.

Fish selyanka
Serves 4

For the stock:

1-1/2 lb small fish or fish heads and trimmings
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
1 whole parsley, with root, or 1 chopped parsnip and 1 small bunch of parsley leaves
1 cup white wine
Water to cover
1 bay leaf
10 black peppercorns

Place fish, onion, carrots, celery, parsley and parsnip into a pot. They should fit relatively tight. Pour in white wine and water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to achieve slow even simmer. Skim the stock, add bay leaf and black peppercorns. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, strain stock through a fine strainer into a clean pot. Discard the vegetables and fish (or, if the fish looks good, sprinkle it with sea salt and enjoy).

For the selyanka:

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1 yellow onion, diced
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 lb sturgeon, cut into four portions, skin and cartilage removed
20 olives, pitted and sliced
3 large kosher pickles, sliced
2 Tbsp capers, rinsed
1/2 cup marinated mushrooms (optional)
Salt, pepper
Lemon slices, chopped parsley (for serving)

Heat oil and butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté onions, stirring, until soft and beginning to turn color, 5-7 minutes. Add tomato paste, sauté 5 minutes more. Add 1 cup fish stock, stir well.

Bring 3 cups of stock to a boil. Add sturgeon, return to boil, reduce heat, simmer until sturgeon is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add onion-tomato mixture, olives, pickles, capers, mushrooms (if using). Heat through. Adjust seasoning. Depending on your ingredients, you may or may not need to add salt. Serve garnished with lemon slices and chopped parsley.

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Location:San Rafael, CA