Tag Archive: Stews and soups

Shaping Up For Summer

Saturday, May 5, 20010

Q San Francisco
May 2001
Pages 42-43

Shaping Up For Summer
The key to success is a positive attitude and healthy food!

I love going to the gym. I really do. I’m not a body-builder, far from it. I enjoy working up a little sweat and feeling like I’m doing something constructive with my body, but I’m not in it for pain and gain. I like the people watching.

Everyone is getting ready for summer. 24-7-365, they’re getting ready for summer. Doesn’t matter if it’s January 2nd and they’re working off that New Year’s resolution, or it’s Labor Day and they want to look good for the last weekend tea dance.

Mostly, I love the routines that people have worked up for themselves. I’m not talking about the hardcore body-builders, though even some of them have fascinating workouts. I’m talking about the average guy or gal like you and me.

I have a friend who goes to the gym every day – to read the New York Times online. He sits on one of these new high-tech exer-cycles with an Internet hookup and pedals his way through. He manages to get in an hour and a half of bicycling a day. He covers a simulated five miles. He doesn’t pedal too fast, because he wouldn’t be able to read the screen.

Recently, I listened in as two guys talked about doing crunches. One was so proud of his abs, which indeed were rippling away. He told the other how he was managing to make it through a hundred crunches each day. The other, whose abs were somewhere lost beneath a layer of too many doughnuts, decried his genetics. “I do between 500 and 1000 crunches, and look – nothing!

His friend exclaimed in disbelief, so he set out to demonstrate. Somewhere around 50, the youngster with the six-pack murmured that perhaps the crunches would work better if his shoulders actually came up off the mat.

The diets people talk about at the gym are also amusing. I have listened in on tales of Pritikin, Atkins, mastering zones, grapefruit, Fitonics, Suzanne Somers, 5-day Miracles, Beverley Hills, low-fat, high-fat, low-carb, high-carb, low protein, high protein, and cabbage soup. I’ve heard tales of weight loss that range from a pound a month to five pounds a day. Of course, none of them came from people who you’d want modeling in the latest swimsuit issue.

I recently returned from a vacation where I stayed at a clothing optional resort. During the first couple of hours, I couldn’t help myself. Guys who, in my mind at least, shouldn’t have taken their clothes off alone in a dark room were wandering around in the buff. Meanwhile, other men who should have been bronzed and placed on a pedestal were under wraps.

Before long I realized that there was a mix of body types in all categories. As I spent my vacation chatting with and getting to know a good number of these men, I discovered that it really didn’t have a whole lot to do with what they looked like. Some guys are comfortable with little or no clothing, regardless of what their body looks like, others aren’t.

Some of the men who clearly spent hours daily at the gym were obsessed with every perceived flaw that someone might notice. Others were perfectly content to lay it all out in the sun. Men who probably spent gym period in the cafeteria were as likely to heave themselves glistening onto the pool deck or drape their torsos in a caftan.

So here’s the long and short of it. I think it’s all about attitude. You have to be relaxed and happy with who you are. When you’re tense and obsessed, everyone around you knows it. Now, perhaps that means long hours of therapy, deep meditation, spiritual retreats, sensory-deprivation tank time, or a facial at Elizabeth Arden. If, however, you’ve paid any attention to my columns over the past many years, you know that I’m about to recommend food. And why not? If the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, that should include your own heart. If friendship is promoted by good food and good drink, shouldn’t that start with making friends with yourself? We should put things in our bodies that make us feel good all over. And I don’t mean a tab of ecstasy washed down with mineral water.

As for me, the ultimate “get ready to go out and face my adoring public” meal would probably be a big bowl of hot fudge sauce and something, oh, maybe just my finger, to dip in it. How could you not go out and have a fabulous night after that? But running an awfully close second is a bowl of homemade soup and fresh bread. There’s nothing better for aligning my stars, synching my biorhythms, and just plain gearing up for a night out or a day at the pool.

Here is one of my favorite springtime soups. It is extraordinarily simple to make. It is served cool, not chilled. It is filling, nourishing, and completely sensual in texture.

Cantaloupe-Yukon Gold Soup

1 ripe cantaloupe
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled
1-2 dried chipotle peppers
1 cup plain yogurt
salt to taste

Unless you’re opening a can, it doesn’t get much easier than this. Boil the potatoes and the chipotle peppers in water until the potatoes are tender. Drain and reserve a little of the cooking liquid. Cut the cantaloupe open, remove the seeds and scoop the melon flesh into a food processor. Puree and then add the potatoes, peppers and yogurt. Process until smooth, if you need to thin it out a little, add some of the reserved cooking liquid. Add salt to taste.

Cool in the refrigerator until it’s a refreshing temperature – a bit colder than an air-conditioned room is just right. You could sprinkle some of your favorite chopped herbs on it – if you can get epazote, a delicious Mexican culinary herb, use that. Serve with flatbread, I like the kind with all sorts of seeds on it…

A note on the bread – if you’re not going to make it yourself, at least go to a bakery and get freshly baked bread. Plastic wrapped slices of preserved, baked flour just don’t cut it in my book. Remember, we want to enjoy the meal!

Q San Francisco magazine premiered in late 1995 as a ultra-slick, ultra-hip gay lifestyle magazine targeted primarily for the San Francisco community. It was launched by my friends Don Tuthill and Robert Adams, respectively the publisher and editor-in-chief, who had owned and run Genre magazine for several years prior. They asked me to come along as the food and wine geek, umm, editor, for this venture as well. In order to devote their time to Passport magazine, their newest venture, they ceased publication of QSF in early 2003.

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A Taste of New England

Wednesday, July 5, 20000

Q San Francisco
July 2000
Pages 54-55

A Taste of New England

There’s something very romantic about New England. It may be that taciturn Yankee stoicism, much reminiscent of a couple of past boyfriends. It could be the rocky beaches with windswept waves that bring to mind gothic romance novels. Or it could just be that, gosh darn it, I like cranberries.

I’ve never lived there, but I try to wander into little port towns whenever I have a long weekend to get away. I’m not a “P-town” kind of guy, it’s a little too commercial for my tastes, even if it is the hotspot for those of our clan to gather.

I have my favorites. Anytime I just want to get away and feel pampered, I head for Newport, Rhode Island. I can visit one of my favorite wineries (more about that later), and ensconce myself in lodge-style luxury at the Inn at Castle Rock. I can dine on some of the best northeastern fare at the Inn’s acclaimed restaurant.

Portsmouth, New Hampshire is like a first love. The very first time I headed to the northern shores was when I first became a chef. Somewhere during my training I’d heard rumors about some bizarre, wild, innovative chef who’d created a little restaurant called the Blue Strawbery (yes, with one r).

James Haller, who later became a cookbook and food & health author, put out some of the most unusual food this boy had ever seen. Not afraid to mix just about anything he could think of together, and see what happened, night after night he put out one of the country’s earliest, and best, “tasting menus” – before it became all the rage. In the sixteen years he ran the restaurant, he never once repeated a menu. That’s the kind of thing I could aspire to.

Like most of my travels, places become inexorably linked with local foods. While James may have been whipping up roasted lamb in a pumpkin, honey and soy sauce (up to that point, I’d only seen soy sauce in little plastic packets from the Chinese take-out, who knew you could cook with it?), it was local foods throughout the region that most attracted me to return.

crabcornSometimes it’s the simplicity of baked beans, a classic of the Boston area. Johnnycake, a stone-ground cornmeal pancake, hails from Rhode Island. Fried, with plenty of butter, it may not fit the latest diet craze, but in its simplicity, it is simply delicious. What better source of fresh lobster than the coast of Maine. Friends of mine used to maintain a summer home there and ship lobsters down to New York. It’s more fun to drive up there and get them as they come out of the water.

Perhaps the most famous, yet most misunderstood, dish is the clambake. This is not, as one local friend thinks, a platter of clams topped with bacon and Parmesan cheese. Those are baked clams, and despite his insistence, violating multiple kosher laws does not cancel them all out…not that I’m spending my time worrying about them.

A clambake is near impossible for the average city-dweller to make. It doesn’t just involve a big pot with clams, corn, onions, fish and lobster all packed in and steamed over a flame. The steam needs to come from fresh-from-the-water seaweed heated over hot rocks in the bottom, and on top, of all those great ingredients. Preferably, it’s all done over an open fire on the beach.

Many years ago, I had the opportunity to spend a day with Craig Claiborne, the first food critic for the New York Times. He had recently come out in his memoirs and was willing to chat with a budding food writer from a gay magazine. As a still somewhat unseasoned chef, it was an amazing day for me. Craig recently passed on, and I offer the recipe he and I cooked for our lunch that day in tribute and in memory.

Crab & Corn Chowder

4 ears of fresh sweet corn
2 dozen or so new potatoes, washed and cut in half
3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped fine
4 stalks celery, chopped fine
1 cup clam juice
1 cup water
1 cup half-and-half
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound fresh lump crabmeat
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander or parsley

Fill a large pot with enough cold water to cover the potatoes and leave room for the corn. Heat to a boil. Add the corn and let it return to a boil. When it is boiling, cover and turn off the heat. Let it sit for five minutes and remove the corn. Cut the kernels from the cob and set aside. Drain the potatoes and set aside.

Heat the butter in a large saucepan and cook the onions, celery and potatoes until the onions are translucent. Add the clam juice, water, half-and-half, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the corn and the crabmeat and bring to a simmer for about 8 minutes. The potatoes should be cooked through but not mushy.

Ladle into soup bowls and top with freshly chopped herbs. Serves 4 as a main course soup.

As I noted earlier, one of my favorite wineries is located in Rhode Island. Perhaps it’s more accurate to say that one of my favorite wine people is located there. Susan Samson, affectionately known to many of us in the business as “the hat lady”, is a tireless promoter of things New England, especially local chefs and her own wines. With her husband Earl, who oversees the winemaking, the reputation for quality and affordability of Sakonnet Vineyards wines is widespread.

It is, perhaps, a bit surprising that New England produces such quality wines, but latitude and soil-wise, it is in many ways similar to the vineyards of Germany and northern France. Like Oregon, Washington and Idaho, who knew?

My favorite wine is probably their Gewurztraminer. Crisp, clean, and full of that vibrantly aromatic fruit that the grape is famous for, Sakonnet produces one of the better American examples. Susan and Earl are also fond of using local grapes, and their Vidal Blanc, in both oaked and un-oaked styles are delightful fruity wines, perfect for pairing with a lunch of crab and corn chowder.

The winery also produces a tasty Chardonnay, a wonderfully perfumed Cabernet Franc, and, when it suits them, an amazingly rich red “Claret” blend.

Though I’m always fond of pairing local wines with local foods, I think this soup would be a great match for other fruity, slightly off-dry wines. Some current prime choices from California would be Zaca Mesa Roussanne from Santa Barbara, Wild Horse Malvasia Bianca from Monterey, and the J. Fritz Melon “Shone Farm”. All worth seeking out at your local “bottle shop.”

Q San Francisco magazine premiered in late 1995 as a ultra-slick, ultra-hip gay lifestyle magazine targeted primarily for the San Francisco community. It was launched by my friends Don Tuthill and Robert Adams, respectively the publisher and editor-in-chief, who had owned and run Genre magazine for several years prior. They asked me to come along as the food and wine geek, umm, editor, for this venture as well. In order to devote their time to Passport magazine, their newest venture, they ceased publication of QSF in early 2003.

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A Taste of New Orleans

Monday, January 3, 20000

Q San Francisco
January 2000
Pages 54-55

A Taste of New Orleans

When food people talk about great food cities, there are a few places that are always discussed: New York, Paris, Hong Kong, Sydney, and New Orleans. Sure, each of us has other favorite places to eat, but gather a big enough group, and these five cities will be mentioned over and over again. You’d think that, by now, I would have made the effort to get to all of them. How’s two out of five? And you’d think that of any of them, I’d have definitely headed to a place nicknamed “Queen of the South” or the “Big Easy”. Especially when one of the biggest parties in the world is held there – Mardi Gras!

Instead, many moons ago, I found myself working at a little Cajun jazz bar in the “Big Apple”. This experience became the basis of my appreciation for the food of New Orleans. Luckily, over the years, I’ve had the chance to both work with and become friends with a number of people from the far end of the Mississippi River. Owners, chefs, managers, sommeliers, and staff from Antoine’s, Brennan’s, K-Paul’s, Gabrielle’s, Arnaud’s, Commander’s Palace, and Emiril’s have wandered through my restaurants at various times.

New Orleans is also the home of more famous dishes than you can shake a stick at: who hasn’t heard of Oysters Rockefeller, Bananas Foster, Jambalaya, Blackened Redfish (or blackened anything for that matter), Beignets and King Cake; or drinks like the Sazerac or the Hurricane?

CAJUN AND CREOLE

Although this is not the be-all and end-all definition, the rough difference between Cajun and Creole is that between country and city, respectively. Cajuns were originally French Canadians who came to Louisiana, refused to swear loyalty to the crown of England, and were sort of the outsiders of the area. The term “Cajun” is in fact a corruption of the word “Canadian”. The Creole were originally those of European French blood who were born in “the new world”. The word has come to mean those of “mixed blood” over time.

In cooking, however, the general take is that Cajun is based on hearty country flavors. The “Cajun trinity,” as we used to refer to it in cooking school, is a sautéed mix of diced bell peppers, onions and celery. Hot peppers, especially cayennes, are commonly used. Rice is a staple ingredient. Creole cooking, in contrast, comes from a head-on collision and melding of classic French technique with American ingredients. Roux, a slowly cooked amalgam of hot oil or lard and flour, commonly forms the base to many sauces and dishes.

It would be possible to go on for pages about different dishes and ingredients like crayfish, okra, terrapin, filé and oysters, but let’s just get down to some cooking. I make no claims for authenticity, but this is one of my favorite New Orleans style recipes that I’ve come to love making and eating. No one has ever claimed that I didn’t know what I was doing after tasting it, so I’ll just plunge ahead.

JAMBALAYA

6 stalks celery, diced
2 green bell peppers, diced and seeds removed
2 large onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup dried thyme leaves
2 tablespoons dried oregano leaves
½ teaspoon cayenne powder
¼ cup olive oil
3 pounds canned whole plum tomatoes
2 dried bay leaves
1 cup diced tasso ham
2 thinly sliced andouille sausages
1 pound shrimp, shells removed
1½-2 pounds chicken wings, separated at joints

Jambalaya is party food, Sunday supper food, having friends over food. This should make enough for, well, it depends how hungry your friends are. Let’s say somewhere around 8 people.

In a large, deep pot, lightly brown the chicken wings, sausages and ham in the olive oil. Remove the meats and set aside. This should render out a bit more fat, you should have at least a half cup of fat in the pan. Add the celery, green peppers and onion and saute until lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, stirring regularly.

Add thyme, oregano, cayenne, bay leaves and tomatoes with their liquid. You can break the tomatoes up a bit by squishing them between your fingers – get involved with your food! Over low to medium heat bring to a simmer. Let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Put the ham, sausages and chicken back in and continue to cook for another 30 minutes. Keep warm until ready to serve. Just before serving, saute the shrimp in a separate pan till cooked through and add to the jambalaya.

Jambalaya is traditionally served over rice, so cook up your favorite kind. I like to make my rice with chicken stock instead of water since this adds a zesty flavor to the rice. A nice loaf of garlic bread makes a great side to jambalaya as well.

THE WINE LIST

When it comes to matching food with wine, there aren’t any hard and fast rules; but I tend to like to match the spiciness of dishes like jambalaya to a wine with a touch of sweetness to help promote balance. If you want to drink white, I’d go with a very slightly off-dry riesling. My picks at the moment, 1996 Chateau d’Orschwihr Riesling “Rangen”, a grand cru Alsatian wine that should run you around $30; or the 1996 Bonny Doon Pacific Rim Riesling for around $15. For a red, a medium bodied wine like the 1996 Marietta Sonoma County Zinfandel, around $15; or the Topolos “Rossi Ranch” Zinfandel, around $30, should be just about perfect.

Q San Francisco magazine premiered in late 1995 as a ultra-slick, ultra-hip gay lifestyle magazine targeted primarily for the San Francisco community. It was launched by my friends Don Tuthill and Robert Adams, respectively the publisher and editor-in-chief, who had owned and run Genre magazine for several years prior. They asked me to come along as the food and wine geek, umm, editor, for this venture as well. In order to devote their time to Passport magazine, their newest venture, they ceased publication of QSF in early 2003.

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A Taste for Romance

Thursday, March 5, 19980

Q San Francisco
March 1998
Pages 43-44

A Taste for Romance

romanceIt is tempting, for an issue on pets, to be twistedly evil and write a column on Barbecued Basset or Grilled Guinea Pig. I could perhaps even suggest some wines to pair with Neon Tetra Sushi. On the other hand, I could go the cute route and offer up some recipes for Sautéed Friskie Kibbles or Tuna-Liver Mousse for your Abyssinian.

Last year at this time I helped you plan a seduction dinner. This year, I offer a romantic dinner for those of us who are single and think we like it that way. It’s just like in the movies. You prepare a beautiful candlelit dinner – incredible food, great wine – and you raise your glass to, well, yourself. Perhaps you offer a toast to Fido or Fluffy.

So what’s the perfect seduction dinner for the one you love the most? Caviar and Champagne is a must for the start of the evening. I am particularly fond of osetra caviar–not the most expensive, beluga–but I think the most flavorful. A nice three ounce tin should be just about right, especially if you’d forgotten that you made a date for the evening. A dab of creme fraiche, similar to but more elegant than sour cream, and perhaps a small sprinkling of chopped chives make it just perfect. Eat slowly, savoring each spoonful, alternating with sips of Heidsieck Monopole’s Diamant Bleu, my current choice for imported bubbly. If you want to stick closer to home, the L’Ermitage from Roederer Estate in Anderson Valley is particularly delightful.

Chocolate and foie gras seem an unlikely combination, but who can resist either? Doing a riff on an idea from the chefs at the Four Seasons Hotel, here is a delicious hot soup that combines the two.

Mexican Chocolate Soup with Foie Gras Toasts
(for 2, just in case)

1 pound porcini mushrooms
1 large shallot
1 tablespoon butter
3 cups of water
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
2 ounces Mexican chocolate
salt
4 ounces foie gras mousse
raisin bread

Coarsely chop the mushrooms and finely chop the shallot. Sauté in butter over low heat with a sprinkling of salt till most of the moisture has evaporated. Add water, bring to a boil, and simmer until reduced to half the volume. Add milk, chocolate and thyme, and heat through till chocolate has melted and is thoroughly mixed in. Season with salt to taste. Be sure to use Mexican chocolate, which has bits of almond and cinnamon that provide additional seasoning already in it. For the raisin bread, I like those little “cocktail” loaves. Trim the crusts, toast the slices and serve warm with foie gras mousse spread on them. Dipped in the soup, well, I told you it would work. Keep sipping champagne.

There is a somewhat odd, but rather seductive drink called a Black Velvet. It’s made by mixing equal parts of Guinness Stout and Champagne. I find it useful in cooking a particularly tasty dish.

Black Velvet Beef Filet
(for 2, just because)

2 4-ounce beef filets
1 pint Guinness Stout
1 pint Champagne
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon cold butter, diced

Mix half each of the stout and champagne together in a container big enough to hold the filets. Rub the filets with the salt and peppercorns and marinate in the liquid for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Sear the beef over high heat in the olive oil till browned on all sides. Add the remaining stout and champagne to the pan, cover, reduce heat and braise the meat until very tender — about 1-1/2 hours. Remove the meat and set it aside. Over high heat, reduce the remaining liquid till it is about half a cup. Whisk in butter till sauce is smooth. Serve over the beef, accompanied by your choice of veggies, potatoes, rice, or whatever you (or whomever may have happened by) like(s). Open a nice bottle of a lighter Bordeaux or California Meritage – personal choices would be, respectively, Chateau Kirwan and Mount Veeder Reserve.

You simply must treat yourself to a really good cheese course. At this point, I’d opt for a selection of blue cheeses. This might be the perfect moment to compare Roquefort, Gorgonzola and Stilton, like you’ve always wanted to. Continue to drink your red wine.

Dessert is a must, of course.

Figs, I think.

Honeyed Figs with Amaretto Cream
(Serves…well, you know)

4 ripe, fresh figs
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup armagnac
1/4 cup red wine
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 clove & 1 cinnamon stick
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons amaretto

Quarter the figs and place in a heatproof glass bowl. Bring honey, armagnac (or other brandy), red wine, zests, clove and cinnamon stick to a boil in a small saucepan. Pour over figs and let stand till cool. Refrigerate overnight. Whip cream with sugar and amaretto till stiff. Serve over figs. There should be enough left over in case whomever dropped by wants to stay and play.

Q San Francisco magazine premiered in late 1995 as a ultra-slick, ultra-hip gay lifestyle magazine targeted primarily for the San Francisco community. It was launched by my friends Don Tuthill and Robert Adams, respectively the publisher and editor-in-chief, who had owned and run Genre magazine for several years prior. They asked me to come along as the food and wine geek, umm, editor, for this venture as well. In order to devote their time to Passport magazine, their newest venture, they ceased publication of QSF in early 2003.

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Eat Drink Camera Action!

Monday, May 5, 19970

Q San Francisco
May 1997
Pages 42-43

Eat Drink
Camera
Action!

eatdrinkWhile I’m sure that with some effort I, or any of you, could come up with a film that does not include some form of eating or drinking, I am, for the moment, at a loss to come up with one. Edibles and inebriates are more a part of our on-screen entertainment than are sex and violence. Has anyone done a study on the deleterious effects on our nation’s youth?

Of course, food and drink, especially wine, have their place in the world of the erotic as we have chatted about in past columns. Two of the most erotic scenes (one gay, one straight) I’ve seen on film both involve ingestibles: the champagne-sex vignette in My Beautiful Launderette and the egg yolk-orgasm clip (trust me, you have to see it) in Tampopo.

What we eat and drink has even been at the heart of some of the most fun (in my humble opinion) films out there. Babette’s Feast would have been an exceedingly tedious and long film about a lonely woman in the middle of nowhere doing nothing, were it not for the feast in question. Instead we have a slow build that involves much poking and prodding of foodstuffs, simmering, sizzling and just generally heating up of dishes, and a long, caressing, idyllic repast that makes the whole lengthy process worthwhile.

Night of the Comet manages to create an entire dramatic saga of sex and romance, danger and violence, while all the while, propping the whole thing up, is a single, solitary, bottle of rare wine. Try finding a film of the “black-and-white era” that doesn’t involve champagne at some point or another, starting right back with the first Academy Award-winning film, Wings, a silent film that includes an entire champagne seduction scene with bubbly special effects.

Not so long ago, Like Water For Chocolate splashed across our screens with a series of sensuous recipes that intertwined with the characters’ lives as they grew from small children to adults. Dishes that created flaming passion mingled with plates of sorrow and joy. Whether it was holiday peppers stuffed with meat and walnuts, a plate of molé, or even the now famed quail with rose petal sauce, we even got instructions on how to make them.

One of my favorites, even apart from that incredible egg yolk scene, is the Japanese film Tampopo. First, it’s just plain fun. One part “spaghetti western” (see, we even use food terms for film styles), one part “Kung Fu,” and all parts spoof, this film is the search for the holy grail – in the form of the perfect bowl of noodle soup. Exalted beyond, well, beyond anything a bowl of noodle soup probably ever rated, we learn about everything from proper water temperature, to the making of good soup stock, to the right way to knead your noodle…so to speak.

And on that note, I’ve decided to offer you my own version. It will not be as decorative as a bowl of noodle soup from your favorite noodle shop. It will not even be particularly Japanese in character. Think of it as a nice Jewish boy from the Midwest meets Tokyo… somewhere.

My Noodle Soup

Roasted vegetable stock:
2 yellow onions
2 carrots
2 stalks of celery
2 red bell peppers
2 parsnips
1 turnip
1 rutabaga
2 heads of garlic
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
2 pieces star anise
1 small piece ginger root
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 cup olive oil
5-6 quarts of cold water

Wash but do not peel vegetables. Cut all vegetables in half and put in a roasting pan with the spices. Toss with the oil. Roast in a 350 F oven for 45 minutes, flipping them around occasionally. They should be softened and somewhat browned – don’t let them burn. Put all the roasted veggies into a large stockpot and cover with water by 1 inch. Heat over medium heat until the water just starts to simmer -you don’t want a real full boil. Reduce the heat to the minimum setting you can get away with and let the stock infuse at least 6 hours. I generally let mine go for close to 24 hours. Strain the stock and discard the solids. You should end up with about 3 quarts of stock.

The noodles, et al:
Soba noodles (buckwheat)
4 egg yolks
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Light soy sauce
Pinch of saffron threads

For noodle soup, I tend to like simplicity. If you like it more elaborate, you can add additional things like little slices or shreds of roasted meats, sliced and lightly cooked vegetables, or whatever your heart desires. If you don’t like the buckwheat noodles, substitute whatever kind of noodles are your favorite. Bring some water to a boil and cook the noodles until “al dente,” soft but still just a touch firm. Meanwhile, reheat the soup stock just to the point it starts to boil. Place noodles in bowls. Pour stock over each just to cover. Top with chopped scallions. Carefully float an egg yolk in each bowl on top of the noodles. Garnish with 3-4 saffron threads per bowl. Serve with soy sauce on the side and let each guest season to taste. This should be just about right for four servings. Slurp to your heart’s content.

Q San Francisco magazine premiered in late 1995 as a ultra-slick, ultra-hip gay lifestyle magazine targeted primarily for the San Francisco community. It was launched by my friends Don Tuthill and Robert Adams, respectively the publisher and editor-in-chief, who had owned and run Genre magazine for several years prior. They asked me to come along as the food and wine geek, umm, editor, for this venture as well. In order to devote their time to Passport magazine, their newest venture, they ceased publication of QSF in early 2003.

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Is It Soup Yet?

Monday, May 2, 19940

GENRE
May 1994

Hungry Man
Is It Soup Yet?
The True Test of a Chef’s Artistry

I grew up, like most of us thirty-somethings, believing that soup came in little red-and-white cans. Then it started coming in little red-and-white foil envelopes in little red-and-white boxes. We were red-and-white with wonder. Both versions said to mix with water, heat, and serve. Wow! Food even a college freshman could cook.

By the time I was 18 or so, I must have tried chicken with or without vegetables, rice, noodles, or matzo balls, beef with vegetables or barley, split pea with ham, and French onion with cheese and croutons. I hated cream of tomato.

I’m not 18 anymore (sorry, guys) and I’ve tried soup that comes out of a real pot. I realize it’s not as simple as opening a can or box, but the little bit of inconvenience is worth it. It’s not hard. Put solid things in liquid things. Cook or not. Soup.

Okay, so there are a few things that might not qualify. You won’t find me simmering pebbles (the stone kind, not the fruity) and chocolate chips in basil vinegar. Really. I’m not even sure we could get anyone to agree that it’s soup, even if it fits the technical definition. I’m also not putting it on the lunch menu. Trust me.

Soup fills the world of literature, from the Mock Turtle’s tribute in verse to “Beautiful Soup” in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to Robert Browning’s Hamelin rats lapping it up left and right. Whether it is the creation of a culinary genius like Fritz Brenner in Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe mysteries, or the production of the entire village in Marcia Brown’s Stone Soup, soup is a mainstay of the dining table.

To the best of my knowledge, every human culture on this planet and two others makes soup. There are simple ones, like Italian Stracciatella, with its flakes of egg and cheese sprinkled through chicken broth, or Kaeng Tom Yam Kung, from Thailand, with beautiful shrimp and lemongrass simmered in hot spices. There are thick soups – New England Clam Chowder, Vermont Cheddar Cheese, English Mulligatawny, and Algerian Cherbah. Even life itself started in a primordial soup.

In the professional world, a chef’s soups are considered a mark of his or her abilities. The French chef must have perfectly seasoned broths, crystal-clear consommés, and rich, unctuous flavors. The Japanese kokku is noted for stunning presentations of sea life in clear dashi, with simple, clean flavors. And Aunt Edna is noted for bowls of fresh chicken broth, each with a matzo ball you could knock down tenpins with.

There is an old Spanish proverb, “Of soup and love, the first is best.” (Well, actually, it’s “De sopa y amor, el primero es mejor.”) Whomever first said it was obviously experienced in such matters. It is spring, and it’s clear to me that if spring is a time for love, it is, even more, a time for soup.

Gazpacho Soup

Gazpacho is the perfect spring or summer soup, served cold, with crisp, clean vegetable flavors. Not only that, but it’s easy to make. This version serves six.

3 ripe tomatoes
1 cucumber
1 yellow onion
1 green pepper
1 carrot
2-3 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons really, really good olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
¼ cup good sherry
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup fresh herbs, like mint, marjoram, or parsley
1 cup ice water

Finely chop the tomatoes, carrot, garlic and herbs. Peel and seed the cucumber. Dice the cucumber, onion and pepper. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, and keep cold until ready to serve. Adjust seasoning to taste; add additional ice water if needed to thin the soup.

Leek Soup

Okay, you have to cook this one, but it’s worth it.

2 large leeks, coarsely chopped
3 cups chicken stock
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
¼ teaspoon mace (the spice, not the spray…)
4 teaspoons butter
thick sliced whole-wheat bread
brick cheese, grated
parmesan cheese, grated

Sauté leeks in butter until limp but not browned. Add milk, stock, and seasonings. Simmer 30 minutes. Put slices of bread in individual oven-proof soup crocks. Fill with soup, top with grated cheeses. Broil until brown and bubbly. Serves four.

Genre is a gay “lifestyle” and travel magazine. It was launched in 1992 by three entrepreneurs, two of whom shortly thereafter left to found QSF magazine. I went with them…

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Genre, Magazine articles

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