Chicken Soup for the Holidays

Frequently, the seemingly simplest foods are the toughest to get right. Chicken soup, a staple of every Jewish household, falls into this category.

Historically, chicken soup was not the rich, savory and satisfying comfort food we seek today. It was a means of extending a limited food supply. Take the least edible parts of the chicken, or perhaps a rooster whose time had come, add some root vegetables (whose time had also neared) and combine with water. The result was a very lightly flavored broth, usually dependent on salt for any discernible flavor. This was the soup my grandmother, a product of the shtetl, brought to the table on holidays and the sabbath.

As an adult, I've been on a mission to find the secret to a great chicken soup. I've made progress. Carrots and parsnips I've found are the key to sweetness. As for the chicken, I've tried whole birds, kosher birds, a collection of carcasses from roasted chickens, backs and legs, and this year, for the first time, wings. Two cooks, whose soups I've admired at recent holidays, both rely on wings to impart a rich, chicken taste.

I filled my stock pot two-thirds of the way with frozen wings, added the carrots, parsnips and onion, and covered everything with water. The soup simmered for four hours and now I'm waiting for it to cool so I can skim off the fat and season it with salt and pepper. Tomorrow I'll make the matzoh balls, and Monday night will be the day of reckoning. Stay tuned - I'll let you know if at long last I've found the key to success.

Parchmant Paper Tribute

You may be wondering "How does she get the dough for the grilled foccacia onto the grill?" "Parchment paper" is my solution to most kitchen dilemmas these days. Without parchment paper, many of my dishes would be a disaster.

In the case of the grilled foccacia (pizza), I roll the dough out on the paper, lightly oil the exposed side, then pick the dough up by the paper and let it fold in half (dough side facing out). This allows me to "roll" the dough onto the grill. Once down, I just peel off the paper, which is now facing up, and oil and season the newly exposed side while the bottom cooks.

I also use parchment when I am making a pizza on a pizza stone in my oven. I never mastered sliding the pizza from the peel onto the hot stone. It always ended-up a mess. I put a piece of parchment on top of my peel, and then roll and make the pizza . When it is time to put the pie in the oven, I just slide the parchment paper with pizza off the peel and onto the stone. The paper scorches around the edges, but stays intact. When the pizza is done the pie easily slides off the paper and onto the peel.

Finally, parchment paper has become my secret to making delicious buffalo wings. We like our wings crispy, not soggy. I line rimmed baking sheets with parchment, and place uncooked frozen wings onto the paper. The wings cook for about 30 minutes in a 425 degree oven (use the convection setting if you have it, if not cooking time will be longer). When the wings have reached the desired level of crispiness, I use tongs to put them into a large bowl where they are tossed with the buffalo sauce. If I skip the parchment paper, the wings never get as crisp. The parchment paper and any excess oil are thrown away, the baking sheets are lined with fresh paper, and the wings, now coated with buffalo sauce, are cooked for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. The parchment paper keeps the sauced wings from sticking to the pan.

Grilled Appetizers, focaccia and halloumi cheese

Yesterday I finally had the time and opportunity to cook. It was a beautiful evening to grill, so I started with what has become a stand-by for me, grilled focaccia. I typically have a bag or two of purchased pizza dough in my refrigerator, so this can be a spur of the moment choice. Last night I used a whole wheat dough, which I roll and stretch on a piece of parchment paper. I lightly spray the top side of the dough with olive oil, then sprinkle with kosher salt and crushed garlic. Depending on how thinly I've rolled the dough, after grilling it either resembles a crispy pizza, a naan, or a more "bready" foccacia . I serve this warm foccacia with a variety of spreads, such as an olive tapenade, roasted red pepper, or baba ghanoush, and cheese.


Last night, for the first time, I grilled halloumi cheese to accompany the foccacia. It was an easy and a fun change. I lightly sprayed the cheese with olive oil, and grilled it for about two minutes per side. The outside of the cheese develops a thin, crunchy skin, and the inside is warm but still firm. The cheese is slightly salty, so the foccacia only needs a light salting before grilling. Next time I will try a squeeze of lemon juice on the cheese after grilling, and a garnsih of capers.

Old Friends and Homemade Pasta

We met some old friends this weekend in Groton, CT. Though not on most people's list of must see places, it has the benefit of being halfway between NYC and Boston. The major tourist attraction, the Historic Ship Nautilus and Submarine Force Museum, was also of interest to the military history buffs in our party.

A docent at the museum suggested we try Paul's Pasta Shop for lunch. Though Italian was not our first choice for lunch, Paul's deck overlooking the Thames River and the fact it served both beer and wine, convinced us to give it a try.

This small shop makes everything from scratch: the pasta, bread, and sauces. The menu was large and varied; hearty, not high brow, offering two sizes of most entrees. My husband's spaghetti pie was about four inches high, and filled with meatballs and sausages. My linguine with fresh chopped clams was delicious. The pasta had a little bite to it, and the clams were tender. All meals came with a basket of warm garlic bread. Though not worth a special trip, Paul's is definitely a must do if you're in the Groton area.