Leftovers—who says that they have to be boring? At my house a juicy roasted chicken and rice one night often means a big pot of spicy mulligatawny soup the next. No one is ever disappointed.

If you’ve never heard of this beloved Anglo-Indian soup, you’re in for a treat. Indian cooks all have their favorite versions, but the soup basically combines a fragrant curry broth with cooked chicken pieces and rice, fresh lime juice and cilantro. Rich and deeply flavorful, it at once warms the soul and nourishes the body.

I learned how to make mulligatawny soup from my friend Leela Manilal during one of our marathon cooking sessions. We were into the third day of recipe development and had lots of leftovers. Always frugal, Leela stressed the importance of never wasting food but re-working dishes into new and exciting meals the second day.

Everyone at our table that day called mulligatawny “the soup with the funny name,” so Leela patiently coached us in its correct pronunciation. She told us that the name comes from the Tamil language and means “pepper water.” I thought that a tad strange, as there is no pepper in the base recipe (though there is a bit of chile).

Fast forward to my kitchen last Saturday as I prepared lunch for some friends. I find picking chickens for this recipe boring, but am driven forward by the promise of a kitchen filled with the scent of sautéing onions, garlic and ginger. As I stirred in the coriander, earthy cumin, golden turmeric, red chili powder and Turkish bay leaves, my tummy growled with anticipation.

With the soup pot simmering, I decided to set the table on the deck and take full advantage of a small window of warm sunshine on an otherwise dreary day. I covered the table with some beautifully gauzy orange Indian fabric and got out my favorite Jaipur Blue pottery—all hand carried from India over the years. Their brilliant colors and patterns are the perfect contrast for this reddish soup. In this pretty setting, my humble but inspired pot of leftovers became the high point of the weekend; good friends, good food and time to catch up on everyone’s life.

I ladled the piping hot soup into bowls and encouraged my friends to help themselves to rice. None of the guests had ever added rice to soup this way, or spritzed in fresh lime juice. Some commented on the taste and beauty of the contrasting green cilantro leaves as they sprinkled them on top. We all inhaled the divine scent with each bite, and agreed that mulligatawny soup is sensational.

Could things get any better? Well yes, they did. I brought out a large basket of warm naan, the Indian flatbread, as a special treat. Some guests dipped it into their soup while other simply devoured it. I told them that I found it in the artisan bread section of my local market, but they could also find it in Indian markets and restaurants.

The afternoon flew by as we savored every last drop of soup. One guest looked at me and laughed, “I guess there won’t be any leftovers today, so you’ll have to create something new tomorrow. Can I come for dinner?”

Baby, it’s cold outside and while the holiday spirit makes me warm and bright, it was the vision of steaming hot buttered rum that kept me trekking through the tree farm in search of the perfect Christmas tree.

From the moment we tied the big, busy tree to the top of the car and began the drive home, I could smell the cinnamon and nutmeg and practically taste the creamy rum. Hot buttered rum—the perfect drink for our tree decorating party later in the evening.

There are lots of recipes for hot buttered rum—one of the earliest appeared in The Ideal Bartender in 1917—but mine is beyond wonderful! It comes from my friend, Pete Woll, known throughout French Gulch for the best hot buttered rums. The treat is traditionally made from a simple butter batter, aged dark rum and boiling water, but Pete’s combines best-quality vanilla ice cream, butter (not margarine), brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg for an extra rich, fragrant indulgence. Each winter, I whip up a large batch of the batter and freeze it to make quick drinks throughout the season.

This drink is a wonderful Christmas memory from my childhood when Dad made a non-alcoholic version for my brother and me. Today, all our kids love theirs in Santa mugs with a dollop of softened ice cream and a sprinkling of cinnamon and nutmeg.

As family and friends gathered to decorate the tree with treasured ornaments collected over the years, I felt the magic of the season, and realized that while I’m now old enough for rum, I still thrill at drinking from my Santa mug.

Happy holidays!

Hot Buttered Rum

1 ounce dark rum

½ cup boiling water

1 heaping tablespoon hot buttered rum batter (recipe follows)

~ cinnamon

~ nutmeg

Hot Buttered Rum Batter

2 cups brown sugar

2 sticks butter, room temperature*

2 cups good-quality vanilla ice cream, melted

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (yes, this much)

*Do not use margarine or imitation butter.

Directions

1. Prepare the batter first: Place the sugar, butter, ice cream, cinnamon and nutmeg in the food processor and process until smooth.

2. Place the hot buttered rum mixture in a container and freeze. It will not freeze hard, and is easily accessed when preparing the drink.

NOTE: If you are using all of the mixture immediately, you do not have to freeze it. Double this recipe easily for large parties or for a handy, winter-long supply of hot buttered rums.

3. To prepare the drinks, combine the rum, boiling water and fresh-made or frozen hot buttered rum batter in a heat-resistant glass. Stir well.

4. Sprinkle with nutmeg and cinnamon and serve immediately.

Preparation time: mixture—10 minutes; individual drinks take a minute

Get a printable copy of Hot Buttered Rum for easy reference.

Tiny Christmas elves turned our Beyond Wonderful kitchen into Santa’s workshop earlier this week when they decorated dozens of holiday sugar cookies and gingerbread people.

Every year they arrive; perhaps it’s the rocking Christmas music that attracts them, or the long kitchen table laden with pots of colored buttercream frosting, sprinkles, edible glitter, red hots and whimsical decorations. Then again, it could be the delicious trays of cookies waiting for their magic.

As head elf, I crank up the holiday spirit with Santa hats, aprons and festive party favors. Nothing breaks the ice like blinking necklaces of colored lights and silly, flashing Rudolf noses to remind children of their friend at the North Pole. My helper—and Beyond Wonderful intern—Theo Andersen got the kids started at the table, kept things moving and oversaw the drinks and food. Santa will definitely be good to him this year.

Sammy and Jackson—the youngest elves – selected their cookies and called dibs on their favorite green and blue frostings. Soon they discovered the black frosting and started eating it with the mini spatulas. In a flash, both boys were giggling and displaying their black tongues for all to see as the rest of the guests—young and old—got in on the silly fun.

To keep the energy up and prevent a sugar overdose, I set out lots of savory snacks on a low table for easy access. Deli meats like salami and ham are always popular. Add some cheese, bread and crackers with fresh fruit and veggies, a few drinks and you’re set. This time I included black olives and pineapple chunks for the littler kids.

After a few hours, the little elves were winding down and ready to transport their cookies home. I find that inexpensive cardboard gift boxes with tissue paper do the job well. Close each with a festive sticker to make it feel special.

Cookie decorating parties are a great way to get everyone into the holiday spirit. Kids are magic—especially when surrounded by so much sugar and creativity. Take your cue from them, and your own cookie party is sure to be sweet success.

Read “Cookies… and Just a Touch of Chaos” for lots of tips on how to organize your own holiday cookie decorating party.

Get printable copies of Sugar Cookies and Gingerbread Cookies for easy reference.

Print our illustrated, step-by-step instruction on How To Roll Dough.

I’m all for holiday traditions, but there are times when you must break loose from the pack and fly free. Take desserts: I want a showstopper that is sinfully delicious and dazzles the crowd. The WOW factor. It must also be fairly easy to prepare because I don’t like fussy.

Get ready to spread your wings: our baking expert Catherine Christiansen has conjured up a rich, creamy cheesecake with homemade caramel sauce, freshly whipped marshmallow fluff and salty Spanish peanuts. Each bite is an adventure in taste and texture: sweet, salty, smooth and crunchy. This is one of those close your eyes, savor and moan kinda treats.

Catherine is a talented pastry chef, culinary teacher and writer with a deep appreciation of all things kooky and off-the-wall. She can taste something and begin creating a culinary masterpiece on the spot. Her caramel cheesecake was born after a meal at Nancy Silverton’s Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles. Catherine ordered a simple caramel copetta (gelato) topped with caramel, marshmallow and a sprinkling of peanuts. As she swirled the flavors in her mouth, she was inspired to translate them to a festive caramel cheesecake (after all, gelato would melt on your holiday table).

Catherine went into her kitchen and started building the recipes, then excitedly sent them to me for her November column. I recreated the cheesecake in our kitchen, declared it perfect and watched as the team hungrily devoured it. A second cheesecake made for the photo shoot was baked a day in advance and hidden from the team.

Having baked this several times I can tell you that it’s a great make-ahead dessert—in fact, that’s the key to its success. I make the caramel sauce and marshmallow fluff first and refrigerate them. The next day I bake the cheesecake and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. Assembly is a breeze, and that’s a good thing when a hungry crowd is circling.

It occurs to me that making the sauce and fluff could be intimidating if you’ve never made them before. Do not fear as they are both super simple. First, the caramel sauce is basically warm cream and melted sugar. Master the sugar and you’re home free. Always melt your sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, lowering the flame as needed to prevent burning. Shake the pan as the sugar melts; do not stir it. Usually one cooks sugar until it is golden brown, but this recipe requires that you achieve a deep sable color. Be patient. Do not up the heat when you get bored or you’ll burn the sugar and have a foul-smelling kitchen. Not to mention that you’ll have to start the process over again.

The marshmallow fluff is easy, easy, easy. In fact, your electric mixer does all the work.

Just drop a couple of egg whites and some corn syrup into your mixer and beat them on high speed for five minutes until tripled in volume. Mix in a bit of vanilla and confectioner’s sugar and you have fluff. Originally I thought that this would be overly sweet but it is not. Go figure. The supermarket variety has always been too sweet for me. Perhaps that’s because it is made with flavor enhancers and stabilizers.

When it’s time to plate the cheesecake, know that the caramel sauce should be slightly warm so that it drizzles easily. Use a tablespoon or soup spoon to drizzle the sauce back and forth across the plate, then set a slice of cheesecake on top. The marshmallow fluff topping is up to you—to pig or not to pig. Be generous with the Spanish peanuts as they make all the difference in this magical confection.

Loud moaning is always appreciated by the chef.

Get a printable copy of Caramel Cheesecake for easy reference.

Read Catherine Christiansen’s monthly baking column.

Hola! Welcome to Yolanda Resendiz’s home kitchen where we cook, style and photograph her classic Mexican recipes for Beyond Wonderful. Yolanda is a talented, self-taught home chef and her kitchen is filled with laughter, lively conversations and shared work. It is the very essence of the joyful sense of community that permeates kitchens across her native land.

Our photographers and I are veterans of Yolanda’s marathon, multi-dish cooking sessions and have become her dedicated prep assistants; peeling, chopping and preparing fresh produce and herbs, roasting and peeling chiles and marinating and roasting meats. At the same time we’ve taught Yolanda—an instinctive cook who does not use measuring cups or spoons—to precisely measure all her ingredients so we can write accurate recipes for your kitchen. This is a challenge when she’s moving quickly, juggling 10–12 recipes in various states of completion!

Since most of Yolanda’s more involved recipes include illustrated, step-by-step how-to pages, I assign one photographer to record each step of a recipe. Having the images also helps me back at the office when I’ve missed something in all the activity.

I’m currently working on recipe and how-to pages from our latest session that began early Saturday morning. We arrived and got settled at Yolanda’s long kitchen table piled high with all the ingredients needed for the day. As I went over the schedule with the group, Yolanda served a Mexican breakfast of scrambled eggs with cactus, beans, warm tortillas, and unlimited mugs of steaming hot coffee.

Fortified, we got our prepping assignments as Yolanda checked her bubbling pots on the stove. I find that there is always one dish that stands out from the rest—the one that I make in my own kitchen later. Today’s was barbacoa des res, or steamed beef shanks wrapped in roasted maguey (century cactus leaves). This popular Mexican dish is a party favorite and gets its rich flavor from the cactus—so don’t even think of trying to skip that element.

Maguey is not something that you pick up at the local supermarket or Mexican market. Instead, you have to find a plant nearby or substitute banana leaves that are readily available, and also yield fairly good results. Yolanda and I walked to a neighbor’s house to cut the leaves from a huge, ancient plant. She told me that all the neighbors share their garden bounties with each other. Today we took the cactus; tomorrow the neighbor would receive a bag of freshly picked apples.

Yolanda surveyed the plant, picked four, four-foot long leaves and cut them at the base with a sharp chef’s knife. I didn’t have a clue what to do with these gray-green giants, but when Yolanda handed them to me I quickly became aware that they had nasty looking prickles around the outer edges.

We hauled them back to Yolanda’s garden where her husband, Tomas, had set up two large camp stoves. This is not an exotic way to process these leaves, but simply a necessity because all of the burners on the inside stove were in use. Yolanda removed the prickles from the first leaf and started roasting it on the open flame. Soon the leaf softened and turned dark green. “Barbara, you want the leaves to bend so that we can wrap the meat in the steamer.” I was impressed. “All right, it’s your turn, you finish trimming and roasting the leaves and I’ll get the steamer ready.” Things moved quickly and brightened significantly when Tomas brought me an ice cold beer.

Yolanda arranged the roasted leaves in the steamer basket, added the beef shanks and covered them with the protruding ends of the cactus. Tomas helped Yolanda seal the steamer so that it could slow cook for five hours. I asked if one could use other cuts of meat and learned that lamb and pork are good choices, or cow’s head if you’re truly adventurous. “You get the best flavor from a cow’s head,” Yolanda assured me. “Just have the butcher at a Mexican or Latin market cut it into pieces and cook everything the same way.” She told me that in Mexico, they dig a big hole in the ground, add a heat source, lay in the roasted maguey and then slow cook the meat for hours. I thought that sounded very cool, and was told it got even better when you put a pan under the meat to catch the juices. “Barbara, it’s the best juice—so rich. It makes a great consommé.”

As the steamer pot did its work, we moved on to a slew of other delectables; roasted goat meat, caldillo soup, apple and pineapple salad, Mexican Kahlúa flan and pitchers of prickly pear juice known as agua de tuna (no relation to the fish).

Five hours later, we opened the steamer pot, peeled back the cactus leaves and inhaled the most wonderful scent. The meat was fork tender and amazingly good. I decided right there to make this at home—with the whole cow’s head. Life should always be an adventure, and there is a large maguey growing wild at the bottom of my hill.

Get a printable copy of barbacoa des res for easy reference.

Read more about Beyond Wonderful’s International Home Chef, Yolanda Resendiz and her classic Mexican recipes.

They are addictive! Delicious! Nutritious! And they don’t contain any evil preservatives, flavor enhancers or end up on your hips. Roasted pumpkin seeds are crisp bursts of flavor, and one of my favorite autumn snacks. And if our Beyond Wonderful photographer does not get here soon, you won’t know what they look like because I can’t stop eating them. It’s hopeless. Crunch.

Until recently, I could take or leave pumpkin seeds. Some of my batches were too salty while others were not evenly roasted (meanings lots of chewy, spitable stuff). That changed on my recent trip to Dan Avakian’s produce market where I bought lots of roasting pumpkins. I told Dan about my mediocre seeds and asked what I should do. “Didn’t I tell you how to salt and store them in the refrigerator for three days before roasting?” Well, no, he hadn’t, so I listened carefully. He detailed the salting process, then held up his huge hand, pointed his finger at me and revealed the ultimate secret. “Barbara, once you’ve salted them, all you have to do is roast your seeds on a pizza pan with holes in it in a 325-degree oven for approximately 25-30 minutes. That’s all.”

The skies did not open nor did I hear any mystical music or voices above me, so I told Dan that I was skeptical about this quick method—several of my friends slow-roast their seeds in a 200-degree oven for hours. Arching an eyebrow with great pause, Dan said, “That’s way too long for me. I’m too impatient. This works.” Armed with my new knowledge, I headed home and got to work.

There is no set recipe for roasted pumpkin seeds since your amounts will differ each time you make them. But follow these simple instructions and you’ll master the process quickly.

You’ll also be happy to know that the photographer just arrived and she is artfully styling the one cup of remaining seeds. Wait! She’s eating them. Stop!

How To Roast Pumpkin Seeds

1. Place the seeds in a colander and run cool water over them. Swish everything around with your hands and remove all of the pumpkin strings and goop.

2. Place the wet seeds in a zip-top bag and sprinkle them with salt. Seal the bag and squish to distribute the salt. Store in the refrigerator for 3 days.

3. Remove the seeds from the bag and place them on a pizza pan with holes, or a baking sheet.

4. Pat the seeds dry with a paper towel or clean kitchen towel.

5. Toss them lightly with melted butter or olive oil.

6. Sprinkle the seeds with your favorite herbs and spices. Do not add salt at this point or the seeds could become inedible. Personally, I prefer freshly grated Parmesan cheese and ground black pepper on my seeds. But you could try garlic powder, chili powder, curry powder or specialty and ethnic blends.

7. Toss the seeds to coat evenly.

8. Place the seasoned seeds in a preheated 325-degree oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Be sure check the seeds halfway through the process to prevent burning.

9. Remove the pumpkin seeds from the oven and let them cool for five minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

10. Store in an airtight container. (That is if you don’t eat them all immediately.)

Print out our illustrated step-by-step How To Roast Pumpkin Seeds for easy reference.

Grab your hammers and cleavers, we’re roasting pumpkins for holiday pies, cakes and breads—and the most scrumptious pumpkin pancakes around. We just completed testing the pancakes and everyone here gave them rave reviews. I plan on showcasing the pumpkin pancakes at our special family holiday breakfasts and at the cabin on snowy mornings. They are that good.

So are you up for roasting pumpkins? “No, no, no, no”, you say. “That’s not for me.” As a novice cook, I felt the same way. Pumpkins came in a can from the supermarket for the express purpose of making pies once a year. Who knew that fresh pumpkins were easy to use—and suitable for so many dishes?

Then I met Dan Avakian, our Beyond Wonderful produce expert. Dan encouraged me to start roasting my own pumpkins and taught me how. It was painless and today, it’s so easy that I can roast and freeze a year’s supply in one afternoon.

Today, my kitchen counter is filled with edible pumpkins that I bought at Dan’s open-air produce market last Saturday. I stocked up on my favorite, orange Sugar Pie variety. Dan showed me other possibilities like the Green Fairytale, Cinderella, Australian Queensland Blue (aka Jarradale) and Lumina whites. With so many choices, I had lots of questions and felt lucky that someone as knowledgeable as Dan was there to answer them. It reminded me that you should always get to know your local produce people and fearlessly ask them anything on your mind. Not only will they guide you to your best options and values, but they’ll also suggest new ideas that will enhance your menus.

The one thing about roasting pumpkins that most people don’t know is that you cannot eat the decorative varieties grown for Halloween jack o’ lanterns. If you have some uncut ones left over, use them as autumn decorations.

Let’s get to work. The pumpkin roasting process takes a few hours of prepping, baking and pureeing—so if I’m doing a large batch, I set up an assembly line to move things along efficiently. Of course if you’re just doing one pumpkin it’s all even easier. Either way, it’s great fun to knock off the pumpkin stem with a hammer, split it with one good whack of a cleaver and scoop out slimy pumpkin goop and seeds with your hands. Your reward is a deeply flavorful and marvelously textured product that beats anything in a supermarket can.

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Remove the pumpkin stem by giving it a good whack with a hammer.

3. Cut the pumpkin in half—top to bottom—using a sharp cleaver or chefs knife.

NOTE:

Never use a dull or thin knife or you may cut yourself or break the knife.

4. Pull the sides of the pumpkin apart.

5. Scoop out the stringy pumpkin goop and seeds with a large spoon or your clean hands. Save the seeds for roasting.

6. Place the pumpkin halves—cavity side down—on a baking sheet.

7. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.

8. Remove the pumpkins from the oven and turn them over—cavity side up. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake an additional 15–30 minutes, or until a fork goes through the flesh easily.

9. Remove the pumpkin halves from the oven and let them cool for one hour. Peel the outer skin away with your fingers. (The peel comes off easily once cooked.)

10. Puree the pumpkin using a food mill, food processor, blender or immersion blender. Add a few tablespoons of water to the pumpkin get the process going.

11. Store the pumpkin puree in the refrigerator for several days or freeze it in airtight zip-top bags. Be sure to lay the freezer bags on a cookie sheet when freezing so that they will remain flat and easy to handle. Otherwise you’ll end up struggling to pry bags off of your freezer shelf.

Print out our illustrated step-by-step How To Roast Pumpkins and recipe for Pumpkin Pancakes for easy reference.

In the early 1970’s, Marcella Hazan was busy working on The Classic Italian Cook Book—her first of six books that would change the way Americans view and cook Italian cuisine. Across the country in my tiny San Francisco kitchen, I was perfecting an awesome version of spaghetti and meatballs. Unlike my friends who poured canned tomato sauce on overcooked pasta, or worse yet, opened a can of Spaghetti-O’s, I sautéed onions and garlic with ground beef, added dried herbs, a little wine and canned tomato sauce. Who knew my proud creation bore little resemblance to the classic sauces and pasta of Hazan’s world? Life was about to change.

Decades later I, along with millions of American and international home chefs, have learned the cooking techniques and classic recipes of Italy through Hazan’s books. Others more fortunate have attended her popular cooking schools in New York, Bologna and Venice.

Earlier this week, Hazan came to town for the Cooks with Books dinner celebrating her life and latest book, Amarcord: Marcella Remembers. Fans packed the Left Bank restaurant to meet and share a meal with the woman they know as the godmother of Italian cuisine—a woman knighted in Italy and the recipient of two Lifetime Achievement awards from the James Beard Foundation and the IACP.

I arrived early, but started socializing and ended up at the back of the check-in line. As it turned out, the long wait was a great chance to learn a bit more about the star of the evening. One lady mentioned that Hazan had survived World War II and a series of terrifying air-raids with her family on an Italian farm. Another guest added that Hazan has two PhD’s in science. I knew that that Hazan had married Victor, love of her life, greatest supporter and writing collaborator, 53 years ago. Personally, I hoped that he’d be there as I’m a sucker for a good love story.

Some might say we owe a debt of gratitude to Victor for all that Marcella has given us. A native New Yorker and accomplished food and wine expert in his own right, Victor moved his bride to the city in 1955. Marcella did not speak English and found herself in a completely alien world with no friends or family. She couldn’t work in her field, and worst of all did not know how to cook. What to do? Victor gave her his favorite Italian cookbook, Ada Boni, with lots of encouragement. Before long she was teaching classic Italian cooking in her small apartment.

Somebody poked me excitedly and said, “Look!” There sat Marcella Hazan, now 84, dressed in red with her snow-white hair glowing under the lights. The CWB staff had seated her comfortably with Victor standing at her side. She greeted her fans in a low, husky, accented voice, smiled easily and signed their books.

Hazan’s assistant told me that she was a little tired, having been on this grueling book tour for three weeks. Others observed that Marcella and Victor had a great sense of humor and took good care of each other. Both are still passionate about food and constantly talk about where to eat out next as they travel.

The Cooks with Books dinners are always prepared from the author’s book, but Amarcord is a memoire with no recipes. Therefore the chef chose a menu from Hazan’s earlier work, Marcella Says…

Amuse Bouche
Avocado and Parmesan Crostini
Sweet Pickled Onions

First Course
Mushroom and Potato Soup with Sundried Tomatoes

Entrée
Lamb Chops Calabria Style with Tomatoes, Peppers and Olives

Dessert
Apple Cake with Raisins and Rum

As guests enjoyed their dessert, Hazan took the microphone for a question and answer session. When someone yelled out, “Do you still cook every day?” Hazan replied coolly, “Do you eat everyday? Of course I cook.” The crowd roared.

When a woman in the back asked about salt, I was reminded of a fascinating passage in Amarcord, where Hazan relates how precious salt was to her family during the war years when it was almost unobtainable. Luckily, her uncle worked for the local electric company and did not have to pay for his home supply. His clever wife plugged in a small electric heater and constantly boiled seawater from their nearby lagoon until only salt remained. Carefully she gathered and packaged her treasure and shared it with her sister’s family. They kept some, and used the remainder to barter for honey and fresh milk from their neighbors. In the context of such stories, one finds new appreciation for the value of even the most humble ingredients.

The evening hit a high note when a group of Hazan’s former students gathered to share old photos and mementos. Hazan’s emotion was apparent as her students expressed how profoundly she had touched their lives.

Indeed, all of us have richer culinary lives because of the love and passion for Italian cuisine that Hazan has shared for decades. She is a legend of enormous talent, but also someone we can all relate to. After all, like most of us, she started out in the kitchen with nothing more than a cookbook and the love and encouragement of family.

Cheers and long life to Marcella and Victor!

Get a printable copy of Marcella Hazen’s Apple Cake with Raisins and Rum.

There is a small cabin at Lake Tahoe that always embraces me with its quiet beauty and ability to shut out the chaos of modern life. Earlier, a long walk along the beach enhanced my appetite and sent me happily into the cabin’s tiny kitchen where I made a large pot of homemade French onion soup for dinner. This simple meal-in-a-bowl melds the complex flavors of a rich beef broth, brandy, dry white wine and caramelized onions with crunchy toasted slices of French bread and gooey, bubbling cheese.

The family deserted me for a racy, loud Scrabble game by the roaring fire in the living room. I settled in for some alone time, gathered all my ingredients, and started peeling and thinly slicing 12 cups of onions for the soup. They were more pungent than usual and I teared up quickly. It didn’t matter what I did, my eyes were suffering. Soon everyone in the other room was complaining and opening doors to escape the onions. Ultimately, they fled outside.

Obviously I had to stay with it, but wondered if the poor people of ancient Rome and Greece had this problem when they prepared onions for their original soup, or if their naturally grown produce was milder than what we find in our markets today. Did they know how to prevent tearing? Guess I’ll never know.

As I began sautéing the onions the tears receded and the house filled with that wonderful scent that tells you something delicious is coming. I poured a glass of red wine, the others returned to their Scrabble game and we all breathed deep.

Later, as I served steaming bowls of soup topped with the toasted bread and melted cheese, everyone laughed about the burning eyes but agreed that the soup was almost orgasmic in taste. I told them that King Louis XV of France created this classic at his hunting lodge during the 1700s. Apparently Louis got hungry and discovered that the cupboard was basically bare. He rummaged around and found some onions, butter, and champagne for soup, along with some stale bread and cheese. We all raised our glasses to King Louis, and agreed that even a King couldn’t help but slurp a soup this tearfully good.

French Onion Soup

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
10–12 cups thinly sliced onions*
1 ½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon sugar
4 teaspoons flour
8 cups homemade beef stock*
¼ cup brandy
½ cup dry white wine
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 1-inch thick slices French bread, toasted
3 cups cheese, grated***

*For an accurate quantity, do not separate the slices into rings until after you measure them.

**Use homemade beef stock for best flavor. If you use canned broth, try chicken broth, which has better flavor than canned beef broth. Keep in mind that canned broth is quite salty, so you may want to reduce the salt in the recipe.

*** Gruyere, Parmesan Reggiano, Swiss, and Asiago chesses are all good choices.

Instructions
1. Combine the butter and olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed skillet over medium-low heat.

2. Add the onions and salt and sauté for several minutes, then cover with a lid and cook 12–15 minutes, until the onions become translucent.

3. Remove the lid, increase the heat to medium, add the sugar and toss well. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are a deep golden brown—approximately 30 minutes.

4. Add the brandy and deglaze the skillet.

5. Add the flour and stir to coat the onions evenly. Continue cooking for 2–3 minutes.

6. Remove the onions from the heat and add the stock, wine, and pepper.

7. Return the pot to the stove, turn the heat to medium-high, partially cover the soup with a lid and bring to a lively simmer. Continuing cooking for 30 minutes.

8. Remove from the heat and adjust the salt and pepper.

9. Ladle the soup into individual, heat-resistant soup bowls and top each with a toasted slice of French bread and a generous portion of grated cheese.

10. Place under the broiler until the cheese melts and turns pale golden brown.

11. Serve immediately.

Serves 6–8

Get a printable copy of French Onion Soup.

I love Indian food and could happily eat it forever. So when it came time to develop the Beyond Wonderful Indian section several years ago, I asked my great friend, Leela Manilal to help create the recipes and how-to cooking techniques with me. Leela and I have cooked together for 25 years and I knew that she would be the perfect International Home Chef, India.

A retired journalist who divides her time between New Delhi, India and the San Francisco Bay Area, Leela is returning state-side next month and staying through March. That means lots of cooking sessions and new recipes for you—and better yet, it means great eating for me. I’m also making plans for my tenth trip to India, coming this spring. I’ll blog regularly from the road, sharing recipes and culinary adventures.

To get in the mood for all things Indian, I’ve cooked a special dinner for my family tonight: chicken curry, a big pot of Basmati rice and chana masala. While chopping and sautéing, it occurred to me that chana masala—a simple dish of garbanzo beans (chickpeas) with onions, ginger, garlic, tomatoes and spices—is an easy introduction to Indian cuisine for novice cooks. Plus, like many Indian dishes, chana masala gets more flavorful the longer it sits. Make lots and you’ll have wonderful leftovers for lunches the next day. For Western cooks, this adds an exotic element to your menu, and it’s gentle on the food budget.

Hungry? Check out all of our Indian recipes catalogued on Leela’s International Home Chef page.

Chana Masala

Ingredients

1 medium onion
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
1–2 green chiles, seeded and minced*
½ teaspoon red chili powder
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 cup water
2 cups canned chopped tomatoes, drained**
3 15.5-ounce cans garbanzo beans, drained
1 tablespoon amchur powder***
1 teaspoon garam masala

 * Use Thai or serrano chiles. The heat of chilies changes with the seasons, so use your judgment when adding them.

** Use canned tomatoes from Modena, Italy or Pomi brand tomatoes found in fine grocery stores—Their flavor is superb!

*** Amchur powder is made from dried green mangoes and available online at ecommerce stores like http://www.namaste.com, or at Indian grocery stores. While it enhances the recipe, it’s not absolutely essential.

Instructions

1. Peel and quarter the onion, place it in the food processor, and process until smooth. Disard the extra liquid.

2. Heat the oil in a medium, heavy-bottomed skillet over a medium-high flame. When very hot, add the onion and cook until browned, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Adjust the heat as needed so that the onion does not burn.

3. Stir in the ginger and cook for 2 minutes; add the garlic and cook for another minute.

4. Add the green chiles, chili powder, coriander, cumin and turmeric, and mix to blend.

5. Lower the heat to medium, add 1/2 cup of the water and the tomatoes. Continue cooking and stirring for two minutes.

6. Add the remaining water and mix well.

7. Stir in the garbanzo beans.

8. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes.

9. Add the amchur powder and garam masala and mix well. Cook for two minutes and remove from the heat.

Yield: 6 servings
Preparation time: approximately 30 minutes

Get a printable copy of Chana Masala for easy reference.