Chestnut Soup

"Chestnuts roasting on on open fire. Jack Frost nipping at your nose..." Well, not quite. It's hovering around 50 degrees today in DC, but we do have had some chestnuts roasting in a hot oven! Whatever the temperature, put on some Nat King Cole and try this ultra velvety soup. It's a perfect starter to Christmas dinner or a great idea with those leftover chestnuts from your holiday party.

A few weeks ago, we'd tossed around the idea of this soup after one of Margaret's customers came in looking for chestnuts. What sealed the deal, though, was the chestnut pasta in Thomas Keller's French Laundry. It was the perfect inspiration, especially with regard to ingredients.

There are obvious pros and cons to roasting and peeling the chestnuts yourself. The benefits are the extra hint of flavor and the chance to become intimately familiar with the main ingredient. You'll find that in its solid, peeled state it's similar in texture and flavor to yuca or a plantain. This makes sense as it's often used in soups, stews, and stuffings. It contains more starch and less oil than most nuts, so it's often treated as a vegetable. The drawbacks to roasting and peeling yourself is that after about 15 minutes, your nails will start telling you it's a little labor-intensive. You also can't really delegate it off to your kids as "fun time in the kitchen" (unless you have a pair of these peeling gloves), because your best bet is to peel while they're still hot or warm. There were two of us and it took about 15 minutes. If you don't have the ambition or patience to do it yourself, no need for self-loathing. Just find a jar at Williams Sonoma, Whole Foods, or your favorite gourmet grocer. It will make this soup a cinch and then you can spend time and energy on holiday dishes like the roast beast!

We'd originally set out to use a bit of cream and mascarpone like Keller does in the sauce on his chestnut-stuffed agnolotti, but then decided it was excessive for a soup. Chestnuts have a very delicate, sweet flavor and we feared these two things might overwhelm the star ingredient. Not to mention, chestnuts are so creamy on their own, why add the extra fat and calories.

But, on that note, WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T OVERLOOK THE FONTINA. We used Fontina Val d'Aosta, a nutty and earthy cow's milk cheese that compliments the soup very well. We suggest sprinkling some on each serving and maybe leaving extra out out on the table for people to supplement as they wish.

I wasn't crazy about a drizzle of white truffle oil at the end, but my palate probably isn't as advanced as Margaret's. She thought it was interesting and added a little earthiness. My bowl was sans truffle oil. If you have some on hand you might as well try it on a serving to see if you like it, but it's definitely not necessary.

Side note: We've been on a homemade gnocchi kick for the past few weeks and chestnut fontina gnocchi is definitely on the to-do list now!

Chestnut Soup
Makes about 4 cups

2 lbs of whole chestnuts (or 2-1/2 cups, roasted and peeled)
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 to 1 cup celery root, peeled and diced
1 cup Yukon gold potatoes,
diced bay leaf
5-6 cups vegetable stock
fontina cheese, applied liberally
(we used Fontina Val d'Aosta)

Other optional garnishes:
white truffle oil
green onions
sauteed bacon
sauteed mushrooms
reserved sauteed chestnuts, chopped or sliced

1. If you already have roasted and peeled chestnuts, skip to Step 3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Take chestnuts and, using a paring knife, score them with an X or horizontally on both sides. Place them on a baking sheet, drizzle with 1/2 Tbsp olive oil and massage until covered. Roast in oven until skins start to crack open, about 15 minutes.

2. Once chestnut skins start to crack open, remove them from the oven and start to peel of the skins while they're still warm, ending up with about 2-1/2 cups. Optional: set aside 4 of them for garnish.

3. Using a stock pot, melt butter and a 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent. Then add garlic and saute for about 2-3 more minutes. Add 4 cups of stock, 1/2 cup of celery root, potato, chestnuts, and bay leaf. Simmer for about 20 minutes, tasting and stirring occasionally as you go. Add 1/2 cup more celery root as needed, being careful not to overwhelm the flavor of the chestnuts.

4. Using a food processor or an immersion blender, puree in batches or blend the soup until smooth. Add 1 or 2 additional cups of stock as needed while pureeing. Then using a ladle or spoon, push puree through a sieve into another pot. Repeat this last step a time or two to maximize the velvety smooth texture.

5. Ladle into bowls and garnish liberally with fontina cheese and a couple of the reserved chestnuts.

Inspired by Thomas Keller's Chestnut Agnolotti.

Ancho Chili Con Carne

Some of you might already know that the Gracious Bowl got a little press recently. Lisa Jaffe Hubbell wrote an article featuring us in good company alongside Knox of the official Soup Swap site and Renee of Almost Foodies. It appeared in the December 2 USA Weekend Magazine, a Sunday insert in multiple papers across the country (equivalent to Parade).

We knew something was coming soon, having been interviewed back in November, but we figured it would be a little blurb. Since WashPost's weekly is Parade, we only saw the online version and not an actual printed copy. That is, until our friend Stacy sent us two magazines from Louisiana. Turns out the article covered nearly two-pages in full-color, complete with photos by Joe Foley of swappers last January at the DC Guesthouse!



Not only did this result in a lot more traffic to our site, but we started getting email requests for the ancho chili con carne recipe mentioned in the article.

Our friend Geoff Hartman was the force behind this highly coveted chili recipe. The sad news is that he passed away suddenly from cancer-related complications back in June. We'd talked with him about writing a guest post disclosing his secrets in adapting the Martha Stewart recipe for the swap, but we took time for granted and just never got around to it.

What we will say is that Geoff was a lot of things to a lot of people and--related to this site--he was a big lover of all things food, all things Martha, and all things Nigella. Despite a tiny city kitchen, he made it his personal mission to keep everyone--and especially his longtime partner, Joe--very well fed.

Not wanting to leave anyone out at the swap, his original intention was to make 12 quarts of soup: one batch for the carnivores and one batch for the vegetarians, but he ran out of time.

Fortunately, Geoff did tell us the base recipe he used for his ancho chili along with a brief explanation. So we made it again and adapted it here with a few changes. He's probably out there somewhere rolling his eyes and sighing at all this; not to mention our addition of black beans. We assure you--had he written this post--it would've been much funnier and much dirtier. Geoff's wicked sense of humor, big heart, and delicious cooking continue to be sorely missed.

Ancho Chili Con Carne
Serves 8-10

3 dried ancho chiles (or 3 fresh poblanos, roasted & peeled if you can't find ancho)
1-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 lbs boneless pork shoulder, finely chopped
2 lbs boneless chuck steak, 1/2 inch cubes
4 strips pork or turkey bacon, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp cumin
1 tsp red chili powder
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1 (28 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes, briefly pulsed in blender
24 oz beer (I like an amber beer)
1/2 lb beef neck bones
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained
1 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
2 oz dark chocolate, chopped
salt and pepper

Optional accompaniments:
sour cream
fresh cilantro
sliced avocado
extra sharp cheddar cheese
scallions
fresh tomato
tortilla chips
pickled jalapenos

1. Toast the dried chiles* in a skillet over medium heat, turning often, until fragrant and puffed up, 2 minutes. Cut in half; remove cores. Reserve seeds. Transfer chiles to a bowl; cover with boiling water. Set aside. *Alternately, if using fresh poblanos, roast them over an open flame or under a broiler until skin is charred. Place poblanos is a paper bag and let steam for about five minutes. Peel off black skin with your hands and remove seeds and cores.

2. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and working in batches, brown pork and beef until browned. Transfer meat to a plate as it is browned.

3. Meanwhile, put chiles and 1/2 cup soaking liquid into a blender; puree. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add bacon and cook until browned--remove bacon and save for later, then add onion and garlic to the bacon fat and cook, stirring often until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in cumin, oregano, chili powder (if using), bay leaf, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons reserved chile seeds (more for heat, if desired). Cook 1 minute, add chile puree and raise heat to medium-high; cook, stirring for 2 minutes.

4. Return meat to pot. Add 2 teaspoons salt, tomatoes, beef bones, and beer. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low Simmer, stirring occasionally, 1 1/2 hours. Add strained and rinsed black beans and cook for another 30-45 minutes. Discard beef bones and bay leaf. Add vinegar and chocolate chunks and stir until chocolate is melted. Add the reserved bacon to your bowl at the end if you like it crispy, or toss it in the pot and stir if you like it softer.

5. Serve with any or all of these accompaniments: sour cream, fresh cilantro, sliced avocado, extra sharp cheddar cheese, scallions, fresh tomato, tortilla chips, pickled jalapenos.

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Cream of Arugula Soup

Arugula is an uber-food in my book and I've been wanting to put it in a soup for a long time. I'd take it over broccoli (Margaret's declared superfood) ANY day. After all, arugula's got a lot of things going for it like being aromatic, healthy and filling. When was the last time you had a leafy green that was truly rich and FILLING?

No, spanakopita doesn't count, but nice try!

For the diet-conscious, arugula's packed full of beta-carotene and things called glucosinolates, which promote the body's natural detox process. It's also an excellent source of Vitamins A, C, and K. A little clickity-clack on the Internet and I learned some study found that people who consumed approximately 250mcg/day of vitamin K had a 35% lower risk of hip fractures compared to those who consumed just 50mcg/day. None of us are getting any younger folks. Make arugula your BFF today.

Oh yeah...and get this! Arugula--alternately known as "rocket"--is documented as one of the first aphrodisiacs and was used as such among the Romans and Egyptians. Who doesn't love a little historical background to their favorite foods? We sure do.

BUT I don't love arugula because it's my secret ingredient of seduction or because I'm worried about having a hip replacement (yet). Although, Cindy--if you're reading this--you might want to add a little extra to your grocery list. (She took a side-splitting little spill a short while back apparently).

I love arugula and try to justify buying a bunch of it each week because of its distinctly peppery bite. I love it with pears and walnuts. I love it with a little course salt and goat cheese. I love it with smoky things like oysters or pancetta. I love it on an "upgraded" BLT sandwich. And I love it with nothing but a little olive oil and vinegar dressing. Yep, it even stands its ground all by itself, which totally trumps spinach and all its glory, in my humble opinion. And iceberg lettuce. Well, that stuff should just be ashamed of itself.

Whenever I stop on the street to check out a restaurant's menu, there are a few key words I always find myself looking for and "arugula" is one of them. I can't say that about the mysterious "salad wedge" you sometimes see. I learned a hard lesson about that thing some years ago. I discovered it's a half a hunk of tasteless, watery iceberg drizzled with blue cheese or ranch. Some people love it and they can call me a snoot, but if you take it from me, just skip salad all together before ever bothering to order that thing.

For menus at home, we try to work with greens that pack a bit more punch. We'll walk up to the Bloomingdale Farmers Market on Sundays and grab (at least) half a pound of organic arugula from the nice folks at Truck Patch Farms who drive down from Maryland. Half a pound is $4; a whole pound is $8; and you can rest assured it all goes to the farm. They often sell two kinds. One's a bit spicier than the other and my rule is to get the spicier one. Just ask and they're more than happy to explain the difference. Truck Patch also sells free-range pork if you're looking to top your cream of arugula soup with a little something extra.

Now that the Bloomingdale Market has officially closed for the season, I'll have to wait until spring to get my arugula fix there. In the interim, I'll brave the crowds at the Dupont Circle or Eastern Markets. Maybe next year I'll even try to grow my own.

Wherever you get your arugula, here are a few tips. Be sure to use it within a few days and store it in a plastic bag in your fridge's crisper drawer. It's imperative you take the time to rinse the leaves really well to remove sand and grit. No one wants that in their meal. Then try it in a soup like this one!

Cream of Arugula Soup
Serves 2-4

2 Tbsp salted butter
2 medium red onions (or 1 large), finely chopped
3 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 whole garlic cloves
4 c vegetable stock
1 lb arugula, rinsed well with stems removed
1/2 c cream
salt and pepper to taste

1. Melt butter in a stockpot over medium heat. Add red onions, celery, and garlic. Simmer until vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes

2. Add vegetable stock and arugula leaves. Bring pot to a boil, partially cover, and heat until arugula is wilted, about 10 minutes.

3. Add cream. Puree soup to desired consistency using an immersion blender or do so in batches with a food processor and then pour it back into the stockpot. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper.

Optional: Serve garnished with a little arugula leaf, a sprinkle of goat cheese, or some pancetta.