Mirepoix: yellow onion, celery, carrot. Tyson grilled and ready chicken breast, sautéed white and crimini shrooms, sautéed portobello shroom, cauliflower, green snap beans, roasted zucchini, roasted eggplant, raisins, yellow curry paste, fresh basil, lemon/ginger burst juice, fish sauce.
We were donated a couple cases of yellow curry paste, so you may see more Asian-inspired offerings in the near future.
Mirepoix: red onion, red bell pepper, celery. Pork pistachio pâté, pâté au poivre noir, pork liver mouse, roasted yellow squash, roasted portobello shroom, broccoli, chopped walnuts, teriyaki marinade, Taiwanese pot bottom hot sauce, ginger, sugar, rice wine vinegar, lemon/ginger burst juice.
Another oddball cross-border offering, with a special guest star from Formosa. Had to search quite a while to figure out what it was:
Yellow onion, shroom, green bean, ground pork sausage, bahn mi meatball, orange bell pepper, crispy roasted rice, cauliflower, zucchini, corn, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, Indonesian pepper sauce, garlic, bay leaf.
A fun Asiany mishmash with rice crisped in the oven. Instead of starting with a mirepoix, today it was duxelles. Tasty.
Didn’t know what bahn mi was, but it looked nummy, so in it went.
Onion, carrot, mushroom, roasted pork shoulder, pansit noodle, salt, black pepper, garlic, chili pepper, chili oil, sugar, rice wine vinegar.
Michele’s tasty Tuesday treat. Huzzah for pork.
“I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.” Winston Churchill
Red onion, chicken, kale, eggplant, shiitake mushroom, rice, liquid aminos, nori komi furikake (Japanese seasoning), lemon ginger burst juice.
Martin was out, and once again we were swamped, so this day I made three soups. This was the quick and dirty third soup, but with some fun Japanese flavors.
Had never seen lemon ginger burst juice before, but it worked perfectly, adding a nice acidic touch.
Mirepoix: red yellow and white onion, carrot, celery, red bell pepper. Uncured ham, Canadian bacon, bacon, asparagus, soy sauce, sweet and sour sauce, apple vinegar, honey, garlic.
Huzzah for anything porcine.
“I have eyes like those of a dead pig.” Marlon Brando
Mirepoix: yellow onion, fresh garlic, celery, poblano pepper. Ground beef, flank steak, asparagus, coconut milk, coconut flakes, fish sauce, ramen noodle, ginger, curry powder, cinnamon.
Sort of an Asian feel.
“I expect more people from China and Asia to end up in the NBA.” Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Chicken, corn, zucchini, egg noodle, poblano pepper, ginger, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, lime juice, sambal oelek, fish sauce.
Fun mix of Asia and the Occident. Funny how that word isn’t used anymore. Languages change. The Ukraine is now Ukraine, while Gambia is now The Gambia.
“‘Meow’ means ‘woof’ in cat.” George Carlin
Mirepoix: white, red and yellow onion, red bell pepper, celery. Roasted franks, mystery greens, chopped pistachio, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, rice wine vinegar, lime juice, sambal oelek, ghee, sesame oil.
Wonderful contrast of acid and heat.
“Everything under heaven is in utter chaos; the situation is excellent.” Mao Zedong. Sounds like how I make soup.
Standard mirepoix plus fennel. Ground Turkey, trumpet royale mushroom, maitake frondosa mushroom, crimini mushroom, rice noodle, oyster sauce, teriyaki sauce, ginger, garlic, sugar, sesame oil, lime juice
“I live absolutely like an oyster.” Gustave Flaubert. I guess he’s making pearls.
Mirepoix: yellow and red onion, rainbow carrot, green bell pepper. Sirloin, tri-tip, New York steak, kale, shiitake shroom, togarashi (red pepper, sesame seed, paprika, coriander, seaweed, orange and lemon granules), soy sauce
Togarashi is good fun, also known as “shichimi” or seven flavors.
HOLY SHIITAKE
Mirepoix: red onion, carrot, celery. Ground turkey, asparagus, Thai chantaboon rice stick, dates, basil, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce, turmeric, ginger
Rice noodles–yum.
Mirepoix: yellow onion, celery. Ground turkey, sauteed crimini shrooms, straw shrooms, broccoli, black beans, tomato, hoisin sauce, garlic, turmeric, ginger, Thai basil, sugar, fish sauce.
Not gonna say anything about those straw mushrooms.
“The honorable and upright man keeps well away from both the slaughterhouse and the kitchen. And he allows no knives on his table.” Confucius
Standard mirepoix. Red and orange bell pepper, Hawaiian-style cooked tilapia, fresh ramen noodles, zucchini, red curry paste, basil, plum sauce, fish sauce, curry powder, garlic
Mirepoix: yellow onion, celery, poblano pepper. Green beans, broccoli, red bell pepper, sesame ginger marinade, soy sauce, fish sauce, garlic, plum sauce, sesame oil.
Great combo. The plum sauce really set this off.
“What is more mortifying than to feel you have missed the plum for want of courage to shake the tree?” Logan Pearsall Smith
Mirepoix: red onion, carrot. Cod, potato, zucchini, cottage cheese, fish sauce, worcestershire sauce, garlic, curry paste, Thai basil, dried basil, coconut milk, lemon thyme, lemon juice, sugar.
Maybe should have put some flour in to thicken, but I’m hoping that when it’s reheated tomorrow the potatoes will break down. That would be nice.
จับปลาสองมือ
Translation: Catch a fish with two hands.
Meaning: You can’t have your cake and eat it too.
Mirepoix: yellow onion, carrot, celery, chive, sesame oil. Chorizo, kale, seto fumi furikake (Japanese mixed seasoning), fish sauce, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar.
The kale (and the chard used in the previous soup) were donated by a local pea patch–fresh, green, and crunchy.
I miss Japan:
Mirepoix: yellow onion, green and red bell pepper, carrot (sweated in ghee). Tenderloin, ribeye, potato, garlic scape, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, garlic, rice vinegar.
Nikujaga is a great, down-home simple dish of meat and potatoes, something I enjoyed often in Tokyo. This is my homage.
Mirepoix: Red onion, celery, carrot, red bell pepper. Chicken thigh and breast, turnip, poblano pepper, bunapi mushroom, nori seaweed, ramen, honey, orange juice, lemon juice, garlic.
So fun to work with nori.
“First, observe the whole bowl. Appreciate the gestalt. Savor the aromas..seaweed slowly sinking.” Old man in Tampopo.
Made 6/19/19
Mirepoix: yellow onion, green bell pepper, shallot. Ham, yellow and green zucchini, mushroom, fresh ginger, lime leaves, coconut milk, milk, red pepper flakes, Thai basil, garlic, black pepper.
We never have donations of lemongrass, and rarely have curry paste, so I can only try to approximate the Thai flavor. Although I’m unsure if Thais use ham in curry.
Yul Brynner would have dug it.
Made 8/1/18
Mirepoix: yellow onion, red bell pepper, carrot. Rotisserie chicken, canned chicken, zucchini, leek, broccoli, portobello mushroom, hondashi, garlic, Lemon Good Health Vinegar, fresh ginger, fresh basil, soy sauce.
Never start a land war in Asia.
Fresh ginger was the key. Not too bad.
Was pretty sweaty in the kitchen. Had to bring out portable fans to combat the sultry atmosphere.
Made 8/8/18
Mirepoix: yellow onion, green bell pepper. Nasty canned pork, asparagus, shiitake mushroom, butternut squash, sweet soy sauce, fish sauce, garlic, sugar, lime sauce, basil, red pepper flakes.
Had never used “sweet” soy sauce, so in it went. Overall a mildly Asian flavor.
I swear, that canned pork is gross. But it was the only protein available, so had to strive to offset the inherent evilness of the vile cur. I gave my best Herculean effort. It ended up pretty good.
“Um carinho envolve o meu coração
Sinto que é você, falando pra mim
Sussurrando“
Made 10/2/18
Mirepoix: white onion, celery, poblano pepper. Chicken, mushroom, potato, hondashi, fresh ginger, rice wine vinegar, garlic.
“Ask not what the soup can do for you, but what you can do for your soup”. One of the few times rice wine vinegar was available, so in it went. The fresh ginger made all the difference.
Made 9/11/18
Mirepoix: carrot, yellow and red onion, celery, shallot, red bell pepper, fennel. Beef sirloin, green orange and red bell peppers, honeydew melon, green beans, shrooms, chives, cumin, oyster sauce, soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic, red pepper flakes, beef stock
No picture (ugh forgot). But it was tasty.
Made 5/29/19
Mirepoix: yellow onion, carrot, red bell pepper. Hot Italian sausage, eggplant, canned bacon, snap peas, rice, quinoa, oyster sauce, soy sauce, garlic, roasted chicken stock, lime juice, worcestershire sauce, fresh basil, dried basil, allspice.
Never heard of canned bacon, so forthwith in it went. It was really weird–slices of cooked bacon wrapped in paper and stuffed into a can. Go figure.
In Tokyo I bought a Deng watch. Instead of the second hand going around, the seconds were marked by Deng waving his cigarette.
Made 5/14/19
Mirepoix: yellow and red onion, red and green bell pepper. Cauliflower, zucchini, penne, green onion, fish sauce, sushi ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes.
Gari, ie sushi ginger, was there on the ingredient shelf. So in it went, added to the mirepoix and pureed. It contributed both acid and ginger flavor. Clients liked it.
An old pond. A frog jumps in. The sound of water.
Made 3/26/19
Mirepoix: yellow onion, green bell pepper, celery, parsley. Potato, Napa cabbage, mushroom, almond butter, butter, milk, flour, turmeric, ginger, green curry paste, fish sauce, cinnamon, sugar, red pepper flake.
I’d never heard of someone using almond butter in a soup, so in it went. Not any weirder than peanut butter.
Made 4/9/19
Mirepoix: red onion, orange and green bell pepper, carrot. Sushi ginger, zucchini, morel mushrooms, celery, extra carrot, portobello mushroom, ramen noodles, teriyaki marinade, ginger, garlic, Better Than Bouillon, sugar, chive.
We’ve received a buttload of teriyaki sauce, so figured should make something of it. And I love ramen.
Made 4/2/19
Standard mirepoix. Potato, poblano pepper, yellow red and green bell pepper, mushroom, half and half, peanut butter, lime juice, honey, green curry paste.
Made 3/27/19
Mirepoix: red onion, celery, red and green bell pepper, roasted zucchini, cauliflower, noodles, penne, Mama Sita’s Palabok Oriental Gravy Mix, red pepper flakes, garlic, fried onion.
Palabok (I learned later) is a Filipino (hence the reference to the shoe lady) noodle dish with a shrimp-based sauce. I had no idea, but it looked interesting. So in it went.
Made 3/20/19
Mirepoix: yellow onion, celery, yellow and green bell pepper, carrot. Hot chicken sausage, black beans, pinto beans, diced tomato, zucchini, caramelized onion, mango salsa, teriyaki sauce, ginger, soy sauce, sugar, garlic.
Made 3/6/19
Mirepoix: yellow onion, green bell pepper, carrot. Breakfast sausage, kale, broccoli, asparagus, chili paste (sambal oelek), ginger, turmeric, garlic, sugar.
Breakfast sausage was the only protein available, so in it went. A bit odd, maybe, but I dig odd.
Made 2/19/19
Mirepoix: white onion, carrot. Roasted cauliflower, parsnips, milk, red curry paste, sugar, garlic.
The curry paste had flames leaping off it. So hot you couldn’t really taste anything but the fire. I didn’t realize this until I had dumped in way too much (I was so excited to have real Thai flavor). Tasted good to me cause I have a tolerance for heat, but a lot of our clients aren’t so keen on spicy food. Thus perhaps could be called a failure.
Made 2/13/19
Mirepoix: yellow onion, celery, carrot, red bell pepper. Chicken sausage, pork sausage, roasted cauliflower, extra carrot and celery, spring onion, triple garlic teriyaki sauce, ginger, garlic.
Had never heard of “triple garlic teriyaki sauce”, so of course had to use it. Yum.
Made 2/6/19
Standard mirepoix. Asparagus, roasted cauliflower, tofu, fish sauce, ginger, turmeric, garlic, soy sauce.
I’ve been bringing in fish sauce–gives soup such a great umami bottom. Problem is that the top of the bottle doesn’t like to stay securely on. Had to wash my backpack because it reeked so bad.
Made 1/9/19
Standard mirepoix. Beef, asparagus, red bell pepper, fried garlic, ginger, miso salad dressing, sesame oil.
Salad dressing? Heck, why not. At times cooking for a food bank resembles a pantry raid.
Made New Year’s Day 2019
Mirepoix: yellow onion, yellow and red bell pepper, carrot. Roasted eggplant, roasted zucchini, coconut milk, green curry paste,Thai green curry simmer sauce, sweet coconut flakes, cream, fresh basil, chive, fried garlic.
This is the closest I can get to real curry without lemongrass (which we never have) and other Thai spices.
Made 12/26/18
Mirepoix: leek, green bell pepper, fennel, carrot, minced garlic. Roasted zucchini, extra carrot, rice vermicelli, oigatsuo tsuyu soup base, fresh basil, fried garlic, tofu, sesame oil.
Feliz Natal! So cool to have leeks–we don’t often have them.
Made 12/25/18
Mirepoix: yellow onion, rainbow carrot, celery, poblano pepper. Zucchini, roasted mushrooms, red bell pepper, coconut milk, garlic, lime juice, sugar.
Roasted the shrooms.
It’s “almost” Asian because the coconut milk had practically no taste. Does coconut milk go flat with age?
Made 12/12/18
Mirepoix: yellow onion, rainbow carrot, poblano pepper, celery. Oigatuso tsuyu soup base, beef, broccoli, asparagus, water chestnuts, garlic, sugar.
Ok, ok I named the soup after the Chairman but the base was Japanese. Just feeling a bit cheeky.
Made 12/12/18
Mirepoix: yellow bell peppers, carrot, yellow onion. Green beans, roasted yellow pepper, corn, tomato, fish sauce, garlic, bay leave, Chinese plum sauce.
Another situation where I went by the condiments shelf, saw the plum sauce and thought, “what the hay, yeah!” I’d never used it but it sounded fun.
Made 11/13/18
Regular mirepoix. White fish (the package had no label–maybe it was cod), eggplant, yellow bell pepper, carrot, fish sauce, lime juice, sriracha, fresh lemon thyme, fresh Thai basil, ginger, paprika, garlic, cinnamon, chive.
Made 10/17/18
Soup Kitchen Recipes 