You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘Best Coast’ tag.
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You want to know what is REALLY hard to make look delicious?
That would be, a bowl of this here soup.
I mean, it’s freaking tasty stuff, this soup, but it will definitely be filed under the category of what I like to call, ugly food. Don’t get me wrong, ugly food is almost always tasty – we’ve been over this before – it’s just that you’re going to have to convince your guests/spouse/disbelieving children of that fact before they’ll even sit down to the table. I tried to be all Ina-like and add “a garnish that reflects the flavors present in the dish” – that’s why the rosemary spring is just hanging out over there on the left – because honestly, brown soup is just a wee bit unappetizing.
Okay, so we’ve been over the basics of why you probably WON’T want to try this soup. But this is a food blog, so its not like I’m going to post horrible recipes. So let’s go over the reasons why you should try this, non?
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1. It’s a recipe from Ina Garten, whose every recipe is a foodgasm in the making, and who is only second to God in our foodie world next to Martha Stewart. (But is actually first in God’s eyes because Ina hasn’t been to jail. Go Ina.)
2. It’s made with all natural ingredients like chicken stock and white beans, so you know it’s good for you without tasting like cardboard.
3. This is a perfect dish for winter, since it uses just about the only thing “in season” in Colorado – dried beans.
4. The end product is creamy without being heavy, flavorful without being full of fat. The best of both worlds.
5. The ugly factor of food is inversely related to how delicious the food is. So this dish is obviously off the charts. (Obviously.)
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So, now that I’ve thoroughly convinced you, Law & Order-style, get thee to your grocery store/farmers market/pantry some cannellini beans.
And make sure to distract your children/spouse/guests with cartoons/sports/booze before you serve this.
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Rosemary White Bean Soup
Adapted from Ina Garten
Serves 6
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The only “adaptations” included reducing the amount of olive oil (because she alway uses a ton, bless her heart) and removing all references to “good” ingredients that will make you feel inferior.
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Gather:
1 pound dried white cannellini beans
4 cups sliced sweet yellow onions
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large branch fresh rosemary
6 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
kosher salt, to taste
fresh cracked pepper, to taste
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Prepare:
Pick through the beans to remove any pebbles or other debris. In a large bowl, cover beans with at least 2 inches of cold water. Let soak overnight or at least 8 hours. Drain.
In a large stockpot, saute the onions with the olive oil until translucent, 10 to 15 minutes. (Note: Instead of adding more olive oil, just add a bit of water if the onions start to burn. And if you do burn the onions, just tell your guests it’s “Caramelized Onion White Bean Soup.”) Add the garlic and cook for 3 minutes until fragrant. Add the drained white beans, rosemary, chicken stock, and bay leaf. Cover; bring to a boil, and simmer 30 to 40 minutes, until the beans are soft. Remove rosemary and bay leaf. Pass the soup through the coarsest blade of a food mill, or puree half of the soup in a blender/food processor. Continue pureeing and mixing until you reach a consistency you like. (I prefer a course puree.) Return the soup to the pot, and reheat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.
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Best Coast / The End
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Apparently, I’m quite picky about my scones. Until this recipe, I had yet to find one scone I really liked. Who knew?
The Starbucks scones are too sweet. And who wants a pumpkin-flavored scone in July? There’s another local coffee shop here in Denver called Dazbog, but their scones are too dry for my tastes. Plus, there’s always the cost factor – I’m somewhat hard-pressed to pay $2.50 for a dry, overly sweet scone.
I think my problem was that I had only tried flavored scones up until now. And let me tell you, this “plain” scone is anything but unflavored. Made with the simplest of ingredients, it’s the perfect canvas for whatever jam, jelly, or honey you might have lying around the house (I had mine with strawberry jam), but they’re awesome by themselves as well. These are tender thanks to very little handling in the mixing process, so they don’t get hard as a rock in storage (as long as you keep them in a sealed container, of course).
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These are best when right out of the oven, but they still taste pretty freaking amazing 5 days later… I speak from experience.
Oh, and let’s not forget the fact that these are brushed with melted butter and dusted with sugar right before baking. How could this be wrong?
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Traditional Cream Scones
Adapted from :pastry studio:
Yields 8 scones
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Gather:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups whipping cream
2 tablespoons butter, melted
sugar to sprinkle over top
Prepare:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl, and whisk to combine. Add the cream, stirring until just combined. (Do not worry if there is a small bit of flour at the bottom of the bowl. Best to sacrifice one tablespoon of flour than to ruin the tenderness of the biscuits by trying to pick it up into the dough.) Dump the dough onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Gently mold the dough into a 9-inch circle. Dust a pastry cutter or knife with flour, and cut the circle into 8 equal pieces. Use a spatula or pastry cutter to gently separate the scones so that they can bake without touching each other. Brush each scone with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 13 minutes, or until golden around the edges. Serve immediately, or cool and store in a sealed container.
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Now Playing: Best Coast / Boyfriend
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I’ve only had time for a little bit of cooking this past week as work has been epic levels of fail lately. But this weekend I made roasted garlic as part of another recipe (to be posted later) and I wanted to share this shot with you. I thought it was rather pretty.
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Also, I just bought every single Best Coast EP available – I’m in love with that gritty sound. (I think it’s called lo-fi but I really have no idea what I’m talking about when it comes to music so whatever). Enjoy –
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