Getting Health Insurance For Pregnant Women

Although it is important for everyone to have a health insurance, it is particularly important in the context of pregnant women. The reason is obvious: there are many things that can go wrong during pregnancy, or could be made better if the woman is aware of certain facts. Therefore, it is essential that pregnant women periodically receive check-ups in order to make sure the pregnancy is progressing properly and there are no detectable problems with their unborn child.

That being said, many pregnant women do not possess any form of health insurance. This is dangerous: it has been statistically demonstrated that children born to women who have not received medical treatment during their pregnancy are more likely to have low birth weight, as well as higher incidents of death.

Getting an insurance while pregnant has become significant today because of the towering cost of health insurance in the United States. According to the American Health Association, 41 million Americans are not insured, and around 13% of pregnant women in the country do not possess any form of health insurance. This puts these women and their unborn children at risk.

Prenatal checkups can be very expensive, not to mention hospital and delivery charges which could cost $10,000 or more. Furthermore, if there are complications, such as premature birth or the woman requires a cesarean section, the costs would be much greater. Therefore, it is strongly recommended for pregnant women to find a way to obtain health insurance.

One obstacle that uninsured pregnant women face is that most companies simply do not accept them, on the grounds that the pregnant is a pre-existing condition. Although there are ways to overcome this (which we will shortly discuss), ideally if you are an uninsured woman who intends to get pregnant soon, please obtain health insurance beforehand. This may save a lot of grief (and worse) later on. The following are a few useful and practical tips on how uninsured women may obtain health insurance:

First, use all the resources at your disposal: shop around, search the internet, ask physicians. There are health insurance companies who may be able to provide pregnancy health coverage and discounted health care coverage, you just need to find them. These days it is extremely easy to obtain health insurance quotes online from a long list of providers, so use this, and you are likely to find a health insurance that will accept you.

Second, there are some federally funded programs which offer healthcare coverage for low income people. Medicaid, for example, allows you to enroll in a health insurance plan even when you are pregnant. An additional program is CHIP. Some states have specialized programs for this purpose: investigate whether your state offers one.

Third, check with other agencies, such as WIC. WIC offers low income women and children under 5 to get health services. It also provides food supplements.

In conclusion, if you are in this position and yet are able to get several possible health plans, choose your plan carefully. Specifically, make sure your plans covers everything that you need (i.e. a hospital only plan will not cover visits to a physician’s clinic).

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You Need Health Insurance

There are many different reasons you need to get the best health insurance possible and when you’re looking for family health insurance this is the place where you will want to do business. There’s really no reason to look at any other company than Insurance Care Direct when you’re looking to get the best in affordable health insurance.

It’s important to remember that this is the place that has been in business for years now and in that time they have perfected a system that will get you the health insurance quotes that you need so that you can get the policy that’s just right for you.

And the linchpin to their technique is the free quotes system. This is a fast and efficient way to get the health insurance quotes that you need without moving from the front of your computer.

All that’s necessary is that you fill out a simple online form to get started. After that, you’ll get all the health insurance quotes that you need and be able to sort through them to get to the health insurance policy that’s just right for you.

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1.3 million Cal kids lack health insurance

The nation has 8.6 million children who lack public or private health insurance and 1.3 million of them are in California, Families USA, a Washington-based advocate for expanded health access, says in a report based on new census data.

California, the nation's most populous state, is just behind Texas in the numbered of medically uninsured children, Families USA says, and at 12.5 percent has the nation's 12th highest rate. Texas is No. 1 at 20.5 percent.

Families USA, confirming previous reports, says that 88.2 percent of uninsured children come from families with at least one working adult. Families without earned income usually qualify for one of the public medical plans such as Medi-Cal. It's been estimated that more than 6 million of the state's 38 million residents lack health insurance.

Last year, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger tried and failed to gain legislative approval of a plan to cover virtually all of California's uninsured residents. The full Families USA report is available here.

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Less Small Businesses Offering Health Insurance

EcommerceTimes.com reports that an annual survey has found that less small businesses are offering health insurance to workers. The study also found that health insurance costs have risen over 9% on average in 2005 and rose over 11% on average in 2004.

Released yesterday, the annual survey of employers' health benefits found that for the first time in nearly a decade, less than half of businesses with nine or fewer workers offer health insurance. Among those small firms, 47 percent provided coverage in 2005, down from 58 percent in 2002 and 53 percent in 1996.

"Small businesses have made the call that to stay alive, health care isn't something they can provide. I think it's a tragic calculation," said Peter Lee, president of Pacific Business Group on Health, which buys health insurance for large employers.

"The danger of that is that small business is the driver of the American economy," he said.

The survey also found that the cost of health insurance for working Americans grew by 9.2 percent this year, ending four consecutive years of double-digit increases but still far outpacing the rate of inflation. Premiums increased an average of 11.2 percent in 2004.

Clearly the high costs of health insurance is why less small businesses are offering coverage. The article also said the employers that do offer coverage are often opting for less attractive plans like health plans with higher deductibles.

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New Bill Would Gut Women's Healthcare Coverage

The Media Cynic reports on the new HIMMAA bill that would allow health insurance companies to drop coverage for several women's health procedures and health needs. The Media Cynic says the bill will override state law protections that require health insurance companies to continue covering women's healthcare items and procedures including annual cervical cancer exams and contraception. The bill also requires women to go to a primary care doctor first and not directly to an ob/gyn. The Cynic explains why passing this bill would be a huge mistake.

The arrogance of these lawmakers is simply breathtaking. Women have fought for years for these protections, such as not being forced to change doctors mid-pregnancy just because her doctor is dropped from her insurance plan. If insurance doesn't cover screenings for routine cervical cancer exams, many women won't have them. Most women use their OB/GYN as their primary doctor, relying her to get the correct care and screenings for everything from cancer to osteoporosis: women will have to go to another gateway doctor first before they can get to their OB/GYN under most insurance plans. And the law is so broadly written that many more procedures won't be required to be covered.

The Senate should not pass this awful and unfair bill.

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Public Health Insurance Would Be Too Good and We'd Like It Too Much

A common thread is emerging in the right wing response to healthcare reform. Its opponents aren't claiming that public healthcare will be bad. Rather, they are terrified that the new system will be so good that no citizen would buy expensive private insurance--or vote for politicians who wanted to take public insurance away.

The Obama team is sending clear signals that healthcare reform is a core economic issue, and the health insurance industry is becoming increasingly anxious by the future administration's determination to bring healthcare costs under control. Some Americans are seeing their healthcare premiums rising at four times the rate of inflation, if t ey have insurance at all. Healthcare reform is a pocketbook issue for all of us, according to the Obama team.

In tough economic times it might be tempting to postpone healthcare reforms, but Obama is adamant that delay would be a false economy.

In the American Prospect, Joanne Kenen and Sarah Axeen support claims about the high cost of doing nothing:

A recent report by the New America Foundation's health-policy program estimates that the cost of doing nothing about health care, including poor health and shorter lifespan of the uninsured, is well above $200 billion a year and rising. That's enough to cover the uninsured and still have some left over for other public-health needs.

If healthcare costs continue to rise at their current rates, it will cost $24,000/yr to insure a family of four by 2016, an 84% increase from today. At these rates, half of American households would have to spend at least 45% percent of their income to be insured.

In the Nation, Willa Thompson describes how a bicycle crash made her appreciate the connection between healthcare and politics. Thompson was 21 years old when she suffered major injuries after a collision with a truck. Luckily, she was covered by her parents' medical insurance until she turned 22. She later realized that if she had been just a few months older when the accident happened, she wouldn't have been able to pay for her medical care.

We all agree that something needs to be done. Let's briefly review the options that have been proposed so far. Obama wants to provide healthcare for all by requiring private insurance companies to cover everyone and creating a public health insurance plan to compete with private insurers. The second part of his plan is the public option that Republican opponents are so scared of.

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Private Medical Insurance - how to get the best deal

What is Private Medical Insurance?

Private Medical Insurance (PMI) is an insurance that covers the cost of treatment for a specified range of medical conditions, usually in private hospitals or private wards.

Such policies commonly cover what are known as acute conditions – that is an illness or disease that’s likely to respond to treatment and lead to a full recovery.

However, with over twenty policy providers in the market, all offering a range of policies, prices for PMI cover can vary widely. In this article, we’ll take a look at a few of the ways that you can reduce the cost of your cover, while still enjoying the many benefits of PMI.

This article is written by Jackie Griffiths, a freelance journalist who writes health, medical, biological, and pharmaceutical articles for national and international journals, newsletters and web sites.

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Choosing your level of cover

The simplest way to reduce the cost of your private medical insurance is to reduce the conditions and procedures that your policy covers. For example:

• Some policies will allow you to select only heart and cancer cover, if these are the conditions that worry you most.
• You can reduce your cover to only include in-patient treatment and day case, and either pay for your out patient treatment or have this under the NHS
• You can take out a policy that gives you the option of NHS treatment if this is available quickly, or private treatment if it is not

Naturally, the more your policy covers, the more your premium will be.

Choosing policy options

Apart from the actual conditions covered, you can reduce the cost of your cover in other ways. For example:

• Agree to pay an excess - a set amount of each claim
• Reduce the number of hospitals available to you
• Reduce the flexibility available to you, such as the timing and location of treatment
• Exclude treatment overseas

Your insurer will provide a Key Facts document and full terms and conditions. Take the time to read these through carefully to make sure you know exactly what your policy covers. You will generally have a short ‘cooling off period’ in which you can change your mind if the policy is not right for you.

Other considerations

In such a competitive market, there are always incentives to tempt you to buy private medical insurance, and these can help you save even more on your policy. You should look out for:

• No claims discounts, which rewards you for keeping yourself healthy
• Introductory discounts available on the first year of your policy (though you should be aware of any long-term commitment in the small print)
• Discounts for direct debit payments
• Discounts for annual payments, or 0% interest on monthly or quarterly payment plans (monthly payments may cost you more if interest is added)
• Joint or family policies that offer savings for multiple people on the same policy
• Employee schemes provided through your work or through any trade associations you are a member of

Shopping around

The internet allows everyone to shop around for a better private medical insurance deal. You can visit the websites for each insurer, or use price comparison websites. Make sure you’re comparing like for like however, or you may not get the bargain you were expecting.

If you’re not confident about shopping around yourself, you can use an insurance broker to find you the best deal. They may have access to deals that you don’t, but they may also charge a fee for their services.

Alternatives

If you are most concerned about major illnesses, such as cancer and heart disease you could consider Critical Illness cover as an alternative to PMI. These policies pay out a lump sum on diagnosis of a specified range of conditions. You can use this money to pay for treatment, to make your life more comfortable, or to take away the stress of financial commitments while you’re ill.

Conclusion

The cost of Private Medical Cover will vary from person to person and from company to company. By applying the brief guidelines above you can get the best value policy for your own unique circumstances, making cover more cost-effective and more accessible than you might think, bringing you all the benefits you need at the minimum cost.

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Food Calories

Food Calories

Cutting Food Calories - A Change In Lifestyle, A Change For The Better

What is the best way to lose weight? Cut food calories. What is the best way to cut food calories? Change the way you eat. Cut back on calories, maintain your weight, and keep yourself healthy with these simple little tips. Take the time to read these 35 tips and put them to work for you. Your body will thank you for it.

1. Milk might do a body good, but only if it’s low in fat. Drinking whole milk will do nothing to help you lose weight. If you have to drink milk, make it 1%, 2%, or maybe even non-fat milk.

2. Use your utensils to your benefit. Keep your portions under control by making use of small drinking glasses and small bowls.

3. Split a snack with a friend. Not only does this help you cut back on calories, but it also helps your friend do the same.

4. Use low food calorie alternatives during breakfast. Use a sugar substitute to flavor your morning coffee, and sugar-free jelly or jam for your toast or waffles.

5. Try a slice of turkey bacon or even Canadian bacon instead of the fattening alternative.

6. Love eggs? Fill your omelet with something other than cheese or meat. As an alternative try peppers, onions, or even a few mushrooms instead.

7. Use whole-wheat bread for your sandwiches.

8. Use fresh vegetables in your spaghetti instead of meat. Mushrooms, onions, zucchini and even peppers can prove to be healthier alternatives.

9. Keep the cheese out of your burger.

10. Use fat-free or low-fat condiments on your lunchtime meals.

11. Frozen foods are already proportioned. Eat one instead of a burger and avoid the overeating that usually takes place during lunch.

12. Eat fat-free, low-fat, or low-calories alternatives like sour cream, cheese, and cottage cheese during lunch.

13. Trim the fat from meats like chicken, beef, and pork before you cook them.

14. Eat less rice and pasta. Consider cutting back on these two culprits by half.

15. Season your vegetables with an alternative to butter. Lemon and herbs serve as a healthier alternative.

16. Eat your food slowly. Take your time and chew. This will keep you from overeating when you are actually no longer hungry.

17. Enjoy your dessert, but do so in small portions. Don’t deny yourself a treat after a meal, but consider cutting back on the portion that you do eat.

18. Eat your ice cream out of the cup and forget about the cone.

19. Eat apple or peach pies instead of pecan or cream pies.

20. Share or split a dessert with your friend, date, or significant other.

21. Get rid of the regular soda and substitute it with diet soda. Better yet, get rid of the soda altogether and drink water during your meals.

22. Pay attention to serving sizes in any drink. Sometimes, one can or one bottle actually contains more than one serving.

23. Try to resist super-sizing your meal. Usually, the portion you are given is exactly the portion you are supposed to eat.

24. Take advantage of the low-calorie nature of light beer. Today, just about every beer on tap at a local restaurant is also available in a lighter, low-calorie version.

25. Eat your snacks from a bowl instead of eating them directly from the bag. This will keep you from overeating while you snack.

26. If you love salsa, try dipping some vegetables into it instead of fried tortilla chips.

27. Drop the cookies and snack on a bit of fruit.

28. Enjoy a handful of mixed nuts.

29. Treat yourself to a chocolate bar. Just make sure it is the smaller, “fun size” bar and not the king size version.

30. Ask your server to remove the bread from your table once you have been seated.

31. As an appetizer, ask for a cup of soup instead of an entire bowl.

32. If given the option, choose vegetables as a side instead of rice, potatoes, or pasta.

33. Ask your server for a half portion of your meal. Most restaurants are happy to oblige.

34. Choose grilled instead of fried chicken.

35. Ask for your sauce or dressing on the side. Don’t drench your food in it.

36. Use low food calorie alternatives during breakfast. Use a sugar substitute to flavor your morning coffee, and sugar-free jelly or jam for your toast or waffles.

37. Be careful with sugar substitutes. Food Facts, for example, frequently cites sugar substitutes as one of their highly controversial ingredients, since they mostly consist of chemicals. Visit Food Facts for additional information about healthier alternatives.

38 . Breakfast meals are usually high in sugar, check the amount of sugar in your cereal and yogurt and opt for a better choice. Such as, plain yogurt with fruit or cereal with more than 5g of fiber.

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The Truth Behind Negative Calorie Foods

Have you heard about “negative calorie foods”? Put simply, these are foods that require more work to digest than they have calories.

Before we dive into negative calorie foods, let’s take a quick refresher course on calories.

Ultimately, calories are energy, or fuel, for your body. You need calories to function. Not just to function properly, but to function – period. If you didn’t eat, you would die! Your body is continuously using or burning calories. Basic body functions like breathing and digesting food require energy (calories) to work, even when you’re asleep.

Now, back to negative calorie foods. These are mostly certain types of fruits and veggies that are usually very high in fiber and contain a low number of calories to begin with. As a result, the energy it requires for the body to break down these foods and absorb all the protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals, and then get the unused portion out of the body may be higher than the actual amount of calories in the food itself.

Everyone’s body is different so it’s tough to say exactly how many calories your body burns through digestion of these foods. Regardless, it’s so minimal that it should not be used as a weight loss plan! Eating only negative calorie foods can result in malnutrition. It is essential to have a proper diet and adequate exercise for weight loss success and good health in general.

Some examples of negative calorie foods are:

Asparagus
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Celery
Spinach
Mandarin oranges
Peaches
Clementines
Plums
Rhubarb
Guava
Honeydew

A good site to check out is the USDA’s Food Pyramid website. Under the MyPyramid Planner, you can enter your height, weight, age, gender and then a sample meal of what you would typically eat. The interactive tool will tell you if you are getting enough in the proper food categories according to the Food Pyramid.

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Chocolate may reduce Blood Pressure better than Tea

Study suggested cocoa is better than tea in lowering blood cholesterol

Researchers from the University Hospital of Cologne in Germany reviewed a total of 10 trials published since 1966 that studied changes of blood pressure relative to cocoa or tea intake. Researchers found that intake of foods rich in cocoa may help to reduce blood pressure, while tea intake appeared to have no effect. They suggested a specific type of polyphenol, procyanids, found in cocoa products may be more active in heart disease prevention than flavonoids, the type of polyphenols usually found in tea. The results of this study were published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in April 2007.

Editor's Note -Benefits of Chocolate?

In a more recent study published in Hypertension journal in August 2005, researchers from Italy found that dark chocolate may lower blood pressure in people with hypertension. The research also found that levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in these individuals dropped by 10 percent. It is important to note that this study also used a very small test group of only 20 subjects.

A few other studies also suggested that cocoa may have heart protective effects. In November 2001, researchers from Pennsylvania State University found that people with a diet high in polyphenol-rich cocoa powder and dark chocolate have slightly higher concentrations of HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol) when compared with the control group. This study, however, only investigated the health effects of cocoa in 23 people.

It is good to know that chocolate contain ingredients beneficial to health. However, it does not necessarily mean you should eat more chocolate products. Most studies published so far were rather small in scale. In addition, chocolate bars and candies are often high in fat, sugar and calories. Moderation is always the key - having a decadent piece of chocolate once in a while is not going to harm your health. If you have a choice, choose dark chocolate for its higher antioxidant content! If you would like to include more foods with high levels of antioxidants, fruits & vegetables, as well as whole grains would be a better bet as they are low in calories and high in vitamins and fiber. For a sensible heart smart diet, emphasize fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fatty fish and choose skinless lean meats. Chocolate Recipe Substitution: When a recipe calls for chocolate, use dark chocolate (usually less sugar) or even better cocoa powder. To substitute 1 oz of unsweetened chocolate, use 3 Tbsp of dry cocoa + 2 Tbsp of sugar + 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil.

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Whisk Wednesdays—Bisque de Homard (Lobster Bisque)

Bisque de Homard, or Lobster Bisque, is a once-in-a-lifetime soup. At $16 per bowl and $97 for a tureen, the word “soup” seems too simple and unworthy a description. Technically, it’s a bisque, but it needs a name deserving of its expense and grandeur. So you know what you’re getting into. So you’re prepared to savor every sip. So you’re prepared to slave in the kitchen for a whole day!

A bisque is a thick, creamy soup, traditionally made with seafood, such as lobster, crab, langoustine, shrimp, or crayfish. Unlike a chowder, it doesn’t contain any potatoes. Recipes for bisque in the 18th century included the ground shells of the seafood to thicken the soup. In this recipe, the shells are used to flavour the broth, but then strained out.

The lobster

“You’re not going to use live lobster, are you?” {dad}
“I don’t want to be here for the execution!” {sister}
“Isn’t that torture?” {nephew}
“Did they scream?” {mom}

First, the lobster. At $15.99 Canadian per pound {flown in from Nova Scotia to the prairies}, these two little innocent homards set me back $65. Boxed up and on ice, they came home with me twitching their antennae and looking uncomfortable.

After seeing what was in my cardboard box, my nephew looked at me curiously, possibly wondering if I’d decided to bring home a new pet. When I told him why there was a pot of water bubbling and boiling on the stove, he again looked at me with his big, blue eyes and said, “Isn’t that torture?” Oh, this wasn’t going to be easy. I took a deep breath, avoided the question, and picked up the smaller of the two, quickly squeezing it into the not-so-big stock pot and held the lid on tight (so it wouldn’t escape?!).

After a steam bath of only two minutes, it was bright pink and ready to be cracked, arched, pulled, separated, and unhinged all in an effort to get the meat from the exoskeleton! Here’s a picture of a lobster’s exoskeleton all neatly arranged. Mine didn’t look quite so neat after I was done with it. In fact, I had lobster juice in my hair, on my nose, and even on my big toe!

In the middle of this dismemberment, my daughter walked in and asked what I was doing. Not wanting to spoil her dinner by having her view the gross green goo from the stomach that I was trying to get rid of, I quickly said “Oh, nothing. Why don’t you go play outside.” I failed. She saw it, and she’ll probably never eat lobster!

Finally, the meat extraction was done. I pulled out my mom’s 37-year-old Weight Watchers scale & bowl with its crooked red indicator arrow hoping I would have ¾ of a pound of lobster meat. 5 ounces! That’s it. That’s all. I thought about sucking the meat out of the small legs, but decided to hope for the best from lobster #2. The second lobster didn’t fare much better, but I went ahead with the 12 ounces total that I got from these two beasts.

Watch a pro clean a lobster
Here’s a great video showing how to get the meat out of the lobster, one of the hardest parts of this recipe.

I found this placemat handy that my mom got when they visited Prince Edward Island and attended a Lobsterfest.

The cognac
After dealing with the lobster, you cook the aromatics (shallots, leek, carrot, tarragon, and parsley with some butter) along with the choice shells from the lobster for extra flavor. Next, you flambé the lot with 1 cup of Cognac!

According to the French, Cognac is made from eaux-de-vie, which literally means "waters of life". This strikes me as ironic after moments ago killing the lobster!

Cognac is a brandy named after the town of Cognac in France. At the local “liquor board store”, I was able to find Hennessey, which is a prominent French winery that specializes in making cognac. After pouring this liquid gold into the pot, I lit it on fire. Everyone quickly took pictures. We watched. We waited. I had to hold my dad back from plopping the lid on top to put the fire out. Finally, after 5 minutes, the fire finally died out!

If that wasn’t enough alcohol, you then add a bottle of white wine. Finish it off with some tomato paste, salt, pepper, cream, and water. And let it bubble away for awhile. After straining it, I had to add some water to bring it up to 6 cups. This seemed a shame, as I thought it would dilute the taste, but it didn’t.

The meatloaf
While the bisque bubbled and with the lobster meat extracted, I was ready to make the meatloaf…I mean “mousseline”. That has a much nicer ring to it, don’t you think?

A bit of a purée in the food processor, a dash of salt and pepper, a drizzle of foamy egg white, a touch of cream, and a sprinkle of chervil. {Chervil has been playing hard to get with me. I’ve looked in every grocery store I go to. Finally, in the small prairie city of Regina, Saskatchewan, I find a lonely bag of chervil on the shelf. “Doesn’t have much taste”, my sister says. She’s right! It looks pretty, though!}

I shaped the puréed meat into footballs, or "quenelles" as they're called, {easier to do with your fingers than the two-spoon method}, and poached them in some of the expensive broth {I would use water next time to save the broth for mouths rather than frying pans} with a buttered parchment paper circle as a lid. Ten minutes later, the lobster meatloaf was ready to garnish the bisque.

The thickener
Finally, to thicken the bisque, you use rice flour and butter to make a roux. {I don’t know why rice flour is used instead of all-purpose.} After slowly adding the broth to the roux, it simmers again to develop even more flavor.

To finish the bisque, you add a liaison of cream and eggs. This time, the cookbook says to bring it all to a boil AFTER adding the liaison. I did not want any curdling action since I'd spent all afternoon and so much money on this soup! I heated it to a suitable serving temperature, and bingo, presto….finally the bisque was done.

Like the Cream of Chicken Soup, this bisque wasn’t thick or viscous. It was creamy, though.

Recipe
You can find the recipe for Bisque de Langoustins (Langoustine Bisque) {I substituted lobster for langoustines} in the book Le Cordon Bleu at Home. To see how the rest of the Whisk Wednesdays group fared with this week's recipe, click here (or check out the sidebar) and then click on each blogger!

Tasting Notes

“This is the most expensive soup I’ve ever made!” {me}
“This is the best soup I’ve ever tasted.” {sister and mom}
“What a lot of dishes!” {dad}

This soup had a rich, creamy flavor that was smooth and pleasing to the palate. The quenelles that floated on top of the soup provided a different texture and satisfying bite of lobster meat.

A dollar for every sip. Was it worth it?

“A bargain at thrice the price~!” says my mom. {But she’s my mom.} Next time, I’ll use shrimp.

Next Week (August 6)
• Consommé Madrilène (Chilled Consommé with Red Peppers and Tomatoes) pages 267-268

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Restaurant Notes—Play Food & Wine in Ottawa

This weekend, we went appetizer hopping in the Byward Market in the heart of Ottawa. The market is filled with restaurant gems, where the latest and most buzz-worthy is Play. Owned by the same restaurant savant as Beckta, Stephen Beckta has paired his love of wine with his love of food to come up with a unique dining experience.

At Play, a riff on Thomas Keller's small plates at The French Laundry and Spanish tapas, you order small portions from a charcuterie, savoury, cheese or sweet part of the menu. Along with each item is a recommended wine pairing. Each dish is delicately and expertly prepared by a staff of chefs in an open kitchen.

I ordered the trout / cornbread / cashew / green pea with Tocai Fruilano Terzetto, which was delicious with the toasted nuts and browned butter. But the star of the table was the potato leek soup / chervil / truffle oil with Vouvray Domaine Aubuisières, which the waiter said would be a great sipping wine on a weekend afternoon (and I agree!).

Last year I made a leek and potato soup that was tasty, but this version at Play was better. It had a delicate garlic flavor and was extremely smooth. I am tempted to re-make my soup this week if only to achieve the velvety texture they did at Play.

For my leek and potato soup recipe, click here. For a fun dining experience, go out and Play.

If you like this post, share it!

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Whisk Wednesdays—Longe de Porc aux Pruneaux (Roast Pork Loin with Prunes)

Pigs, prunes and potatoes. Not very inspiring. But Longe de Porc aux Pruneaux (Roast Pork Loin with Prunes) is tasty…if you like prunes.

First, you butterfly the pork so that you can shimmy all the prunes in the middle. Then you tie up (and curse while tying) the pork with butcher's twine to keep the prunes in place. After searing the pork with the carrots and onions, you roast it in the oven.

Meanwhile, you steep the prunes in Ceylon tea. {I bet you could steep them in all sorts of flavors such as star anise or cardamom.} Sounds crazy, but it's tasty…if you like prunes!

The key to this dish is the sweet and sour reduction called a gastrique. Basically, it's a caramelized sauce of vinegar and sugar. I think any meat tastes better with a sauce, and pork pairs nicely with something a little sweet balanced by the acidity of the vinegar.

After roasting the pork, set it aside and deglaze the pan with some water. Add the pan juices to the gastrique. Taste and season, et violà, you have a delicious roast pork loin with prunes…if you like prunes.

The second part of this course is the puréed potatoes (which should have been puréed celery root, but I forgot about that ingredient when I was at the grocery store and ended up using my baby potatoes which I just smashed, skin and all).

Recipe

Serves 6

For Roast Pork Loin with Prunes:
3-pound boneless pork loin roast, trimmed of excess fat
Salt and fresh ground pepper
1½ pounds prunes, pitted
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 carrot, chopped coarse
1 onion, chopped coarse
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves or ¼ teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or ¼ teaspoon dried
1 bay leaf, crushed
2 cloves garlic
Large pinch Ceylon tea
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup vinegar
Small bunch watercress for garnish

For Creamed Celery Root (or Potato) Purée
1¼ pounds celery root (or potatoes)
Salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup crème fraîche or heavy cream (or sour cream)
Freshly ground pepper
You can find the recipe for Longe de Porc aux Pruneaux (Roast Pork Loin with Prunes) and Mousseline de Céleri Rave (Creamed Celery Root Purée) in the book Le Cordon Bleu at Home. To see how the rest of the Whisk Wednesdays group fared with their recipe, click here (or check out the sidebar) and then click on each blogger!

Tasting Notes
The light flavor of pork paired perfectly with the prunes hidden inside…if you like prunes, which I do! The sauce lightly drizzled on top added depth, moisture and sweetness to each bite.

I think next time introducing some apricot into the juice would bring an interesting color to the sauce that would complement the prunes and add some zing. In fact, I may also try combining chopped prunes and apricots to stuff the pork, for the same reasons.

Next Class
• Savarin aux Kiwis et aux Fraises (Rum Savarin with Kiwis and Strawberries) pages 409-410.

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Bread Baker's Apprentice—Bagels

Bagels are a favorite in our house and Montreal-style bagels in particular are popular in Ottawa. I haven't eaten many New York-style bagels so I was keen to give them a try.

I was curious about what makes a Montreal-style bagel different from a New York-style bagel. The Montreal-style bagel is usually small, crunchy and sweet. It's made with malt and sugar rather than salt and is baked in a wood-fired oven. The New York bagel is more puffy, with a softer crust and a somewhat savory flavor since it uses salt instead of sugar. Also, unlike the typical Montreal bagel, it is baked in a standard oven.

Bagels have a long history going back possibly as far as ancient Egypt; however, popular myth places the invention of the bagel in Krakow shortly after the 1683 Battle of Vienna. As the story goes, a baker made a roll in the shape of the king's stirrup and called it a beugel (which is Austrian for "stirrup") as a thank you to King Sobieski who saved Austria from the Turks. Bagels were brought to North America in the early 1900s by Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. They settled largely in Montreal and New York City leading to those cities developing the major bagel styles we eat today.

"The bagel [is] an unsweetened doughnut with rigor mortis."
—Beatrice and Ira Freeman, in "About Bagels", New York Times May 22, 1960

The recipe calls for a high-gluten flour, which is not readily available in Canadian stores, and I found out why: it turns out that all-purpose flour in Canada already is high-gluten! This makes our standard flour particularly good for breads and generally anything crusty…including bagels.

Recipe

Makes 12 bagels

For the Sponge:
1 teaspoon instant yeast
4 cups unbleached high-gluten or bread flour
2½ cups water at room temperature

For the Dough:
½ teaspoon instant yeast
3¾ cups unbleached high-gluten or bread flour
2¾ teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons malt powder

To Finish:
1 tablespoon baking soda
Cornmeal or semolina flour for dusting
Sesame seeds, kosher salt
You can find the recipe for Bagels in the book The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread. To see how the rest of the BBA (Bread Baker's Apprentice) Challenge group fared with this week's recipe, click here and then click on each blogger!

Tasting Notes
These bagels tasted great, especially with a schmear of dill cream cheese. But I found the flavor a bit dull with a simple salted butter. Toasted was a different story: these bagels were excellent served toasted with butter. For sprinkles, I chose to use sea salt and sesame seeds. In hindsight, next time I would choose more neutral flavors that are suited to both savory and sweet cream cheeses (like pineapple cream cheese).

The recipe suggested boiling the bagels for 1 minute for a soft texture and 2 minutes for a chewier texture. So, I split the batch in half and tried it both ways. Honestly, I don't think I would have noticed the difference if I weren't looking for it, but if I had to pick I would probably choose the longer boiling time.

So, which is better? Montreal or New York-style? As much as I enjoyed the New York-style I think I'll have to go with Montreal. Now where to find a great Montreal-style bagel recipe...

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Best Ever Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe

When it comes to cherished family recipes, my grandmother's recipe for Pineapple Upside-Down Cake holds top honors. Like most everything that she created in her warm, tiny kitchen, this cake is remarkable in both its simplicity and flavor.

This recipe is over 70 years old and has brought pleasure to generations of our family and friends. So just what makes this Pineapple Upside Down Cake so special? It is a marvelously light, moist cake that is made irresistible by a thick, sugary crust that encases sweet pineapple slices, sticky maraschino cherries, and rich whole pecans.

You could modernize this recipe by using fresh pineapple instead of canned. You could skip the maraschino cherries if they seem old-fashioned. But don't. That's the beauty of this cake. It's a taste from a time long ago and, like a fine wine, should be savored.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

This Pineapple upside down cake recipe makes 8 servings. This 70-year-old recipe is my grandmother's. It's everything you expect a classic pineapple upside-down cake to be: light, moist, and sticky sweet.

1/2 cup butter (8 tablespoons)
1 cup brown sugar
1 (20-ounce) can sliced pineapple
6 maraschino cherries
a few whole pecans
1 cup flour, sifted*
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, separated
1 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons pineapple juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Position a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F.

Add butter to a 9-inch-round baking pan, and place inside of a warm oven until melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven, and sprinkle brown sugar evenly over the butter. Add 6 pineapple slices and place a cherry inside of each one. Fill in the nooks and crannies with whole pecans.

In a medium bowl, combine sifted flour, baking powder and salt, and stir.

Using a hand mixer, in a metal or glass bowl, beat egg whites at high speed until fluffy. Set aside.

In a separate bowl beat egg yolks with sugar at medium speed until creamy. Add pineapple juice, and vanilla extract, and beat well. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, and beat until well combined. Fold in the egg whites with a rubber spatula. Pour cake mixture evenly over the fruit, and smooth with the spatula.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Run a blunt knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake. Invert carefully onto a plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Recipe

This pumpkin swirl cheesecake recipe may become one of your favorite Thanksgiving dessert recipes. Preparing the pumpkin swirl cheesecake is not hard and doesn't really take long time.

Ingredients Of Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Recipe

1 1/2 cups crushed gingersnap cookies
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/3 cup butter, melted

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup white sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

This is how you make the Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake recipe.

Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium bowl, mix together the crushed gingersnap cookies, pecans, and butter. Press into the bottom, and about 1 inch up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake crust 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool.

In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, and vanilla just until smooth. Mix in eggs one at a time, blending well after each. Set aside 1 cup of the mixture. Blend 1/4 cup sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg into the remaining mixture.

Spread the pumpkin flavored batter into the crust, and drop the plain batter by spoonfuls onto the top. Swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect.

Bake 55 minutes in the preheated oven, or until filling is set. Run a knife around the edge of the pan. Cool and remove rim. Chill before serving. ***Personally, my cake was WAY overcooked at 55 minutes. I would start checking it at 45 minutes or so. Mine cracked in the worst way. I ended up covering it up with spiced whipped cream (3/4 cup whipping cream, 2-3 T sugar, 1/2 t cinnamon and 1/4 t ginger). Then sprinkling it with more chopped pecans.

Pecan-Bourbon Caramel Sauce
(this stuff is AWESOME). Definite make again.
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1/2 cup whipping cream
6 T unsalted butter
1/4 c corn syrup
1/2 t salt
3-4 T bourbon
1 cup pecans, toasted

1. Bring sugar, cream, butter, corn syrup and salt to a boil in a deep medium sauce pan. (Whisk until sugar dissolves).

2. Reduce heat to medium, boil 1 minute without stirring. Remove from heat. Stir in bourbon, then pecans.

3. Cool, stirring occasionally.

This pumpkin swirl cheesecake recipe is reported by Leslie who writes food recipes at Definitely Not Martha.

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Nutrition for Infants

When the time comes to introduce first foods, your baby’s palate is a blank slate and his nutritional future is in your hands. No pressure!

Even though it’s an exciting milestone, many parents find the idea of starting solids downright daunting. As you become your child’s guide to the wide world of grown-up food, let us help you navigate.

The first thing we recommend? Relax.

We are all about sharing an appreciation for foods in their unadulterated, natural state. And that’s the best place to start when it comes to introducing foods to your baby.

Whether you make your own food or buy pre-made, using high quality ingredients is important. Luckily, we’re experts on evaluating quality, so you don’t have to be. From first foods to finger foods, strict standards apply to every item on our shelves.

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My Peach Is Better Than Your Peach

The last few years have brought a renaissance in local and regional farm support. Consumer demand for produce grown close to home has increased exponentially, and that demand is serviced by farmers’ markets and retailers who are able to successfully blend local and long haul purchasing. You might think that since I run an office that specializes in buying and shipping product from around the world that I would feel my livelihood is threatened by this local farm resurgence, but nothing could be further from the truth. In most cases the carbon footprint for a local purchase is smaller, the return to the grower is, on average, greater and, in the case where the product is more flavorful, purchasing and selling local produce can increase overall consumption (which benefits long haul as well). In essence, I believe there is room and need for both. Peaches are a great example of this and pride in local production is furious.

In the places in the U.S. where I have lived or visited during local peach season, local growers always share a reason why their local peach is the absolute best. It might be the soil, the number of chill hours in the winter, the pattern of spring rainfall, heat units in the summer, the variety and its compatibility with the region, or just the way the fruit is picked and handled in post harvest. I generally agree with whoever is telling me about the local virtues, since it gives me more time to wolf down the fruit they have just picked off the tree for me.

Heirloom Variety- California

Generally, peaches shipped a long distance are also very good and, most of the time, are the only peach available - particularly if you shop for organic fruit because there are a wide range of diseases and pests that can take out an organic peach tree in most parts of the U.S. At Whole Foods Market, we usually start the season with conventional fruit from California and transition that fruit to local as soon as it becomes available, which ranges from the early summer for the southern states to progressively later for fruit grown further north. Organic fruit continues to be sourced in California, transitioning to Washington State further into the summer. Large scale production in California as well as states all over the U.S. is very important as it can help fill variety gaps in local and regional availability.

Atlanta — the city with the most streets named after peaches

Fruit harvested for long distance shipping must be picked firm to prevent bruising during transit. While recent years have brought advances in how peaches are handled in post harvest, most everyone agrees that the best peaches are the ones that are allowed to ripen on the tree. That’s why a local peach is better: more time on the tree. The range will vary on a tree-ripened peach and there are ways to transport it a long distance, but they are expensive and risky. It’s best to wait for and brag about your local farmer and that golden fruit full of juice and flavor grown just over the hill there.

Personally, my “better” peach is not right around the corner but it is close by. Since I live on the coast it doesn’t get hot enough to produce consistent fruit here so I won’t plant a tree at my house. Fortunately my family found a farmer who has developed a unique way to sell some of his fruit. A few years ago David Mas Masmoto, a second generation farmer in the central valley near Fresno, California took out one of his modern, more colorful, but less flavorful varieties of peach and replaced it with a variety called Elberta. The variety is spectacular but easily bruises so instead of bringing the fruit to the customer, Mas found an inventive way to bring the customer to the fruit.

Elberta’s Mas Masmoto’s farm

Every winter Mas puts his Elberta orchard up for adoption. Prospective “parents” must submit an application with the reason why they want to adopt and pay a modest fee. In exchange and if selected, the parents will get a regular update on the progress of their tree(s) and, over two weekends in August, will come to harvest the fruit on the tree by hand (and have a marvelous picnic in the orchard). The tree will produce 300 pounds or more of delicious fruit but it is the experience of hand picking (and the pain of tossing damaged fruit on the ground) that make the experience a memorable one. This process also bypasses the normal handling and distribution chain required to sell this product in a grocery store - making it less likely the fruit will be damaged. It’s certainly true of mine - after I spend the morning harvesting them I am extra careful about getting them home.

Elberta’s again- prior to “cobblering”

So if you think your local peach is better than mine, bring it! Share your variety and area grown. I’ll put Mas’ fruit up against anyone’s. Chances are you will probably be right, though, if you are lucky enough to buy (or grow) a tree-ripened peach.

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Nutrition Tips for Preschool to Preteen

From preschool age and even into the early adolescent years, parents still have a lot of influence over what their children eat. Maintaining positive habits at home is especially important since kids will increasingly make choices of their own away from home and with friends.

• Make calories count. This may sound like adult dieting advice, but what it really means is try to make sure every bite your child eats is as nutrition packed as possible. Allowing them to fill up on non-nutritive calories (like too much juice for instance) can displace the nutritious foods they would have otherwise eaten.
• Choose whole grains and whole grain products (breads, pastas, brown rice, bulgur, oatmeal) instead of refined grain products.
• Limit access to “junk” foods, but provide some alternative sweet options. Making all sweets forbidden may only intensify a child’s attraction to them.
• Model good nutrition choices. If you choose fries instead of a baked potato, you can’t expect them to do the opposite.
• Fill nutrition gaps with snacks. What your child eats between meals is just as important as what is eaten during meals. Put as much thought into offering healthy choices.
• Discourage the habit of eating and watching television simultaneously. You might choose to limit television, which has been linked with childhood and adolescent obesity.
• For older children and adolescents concerned about their weight, teach them that physical activity (rather than dieting) is the best route for weight loss.

Nutrition Tips for Teens

Now that they are making many of their own food choices, teens need to be educated about the role nutrition plays in leading happy, productive lives. Explaining the benefits of eating well in ways that matter to teens, like improved performance in school or sports for instance, can motivate them to eat well.

• Teens need more vitamin C, calcium and iron than adults. Dietary surveys show deficiencies in adolescent girls.
• Calcium, best when obtained along with magnesium and vitamin D, are important for bone support. Getting these now will help protect bones later.
• For healthy skin, teens need lots of nutrients, water, fiber and essential fats—and less sugar and highly processed foods and drinks.
• Teens who eat on the run, are active in sports or are concerned about weight should consider a good supplement to help fill the gaps in their nutrient intake.
• The teen years can be very stressful, which can affect everything from skin to decision making to eating habits. Help your teen learn coping skills for stress.

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Value Guru Seeks Composure in a Salad

No matter what was else was on the table, my grandmother served an iceberg lettuce salad at every evening meal. As a sometimes visitor, it was one of those things I looked forward to as a familiar part of visiting my grandparents and I enjoyed helping to make the dressing. She had one of those glass carafes with the measurement lines on it for filling with oil and vinegar, and then you added the packet of dressing mix and shook it up. Thing was, if I had grown up with that-vs. being a visitor-I think I would have rebelled against being served the exact same salad and dressing every night!

Now that I’m all grown up (relatively) with the responsibility of shopping and preparing meals, I rely on entrée salads about once a week for dinner. With warmer weather it happens even more often and I have figured out how to prevent my household from rebelling by changing up the ingredients and making every plate a work of art that one cannot resist eating. I’m talking about a composed salad, where one arranges a variety of ingredients in an attractive fashion on individual serving plates.

Salad Niçoise is the classic composed salad, but no need to get stuck in that rut, either. This is another one of my (in)famous ways of using up bits and pieces of things, and also how I get to enjoy every new organic or local fresh vegetable as it comes into season or goes on sale. You can pick up a few special tiny potatoes, a single perfect zucchini or a handful of bright green beans and you’re well on your way to a meal.

Because a composed salad is all about featuring a little bit of several individual components for each uniquely wonderful flavor, here’s the ideal opportunity to get a small amount of fantastic ingredients: a few ounces of wild Alaska salmon for poaching, a little piece of exceptional cheese, a few local eggs or the freshest, most tender fiddleheads. Then dig in your pantry or fridge for roasted red peppers, olives, canned tuna, anchovies. And maybe you’ve got a garden to dig into, too, perhaps for tomatoes. If they’re still green, slice thick and grill or broil with salt and pepper…something my other grandmother taught me.

The basic instructions are to steam your veggies and quickly chill them in ice water. Gather together whatever else you’re going to use-small boiled potatoes and halved hard-boiled eggs are classic elements. And then arrange everything in small colorful heaps or rows on your prettiest big flat plates, with or without a bed of baby or torn greens. I like arugula, spinach, Boston or leaf lettuce. Each item need only be 2 or 3 bites worth. Drizzle with a simple vinaigrette and serve with crusty multi-grain bread.

So that’s how I keep my composure as I tackle salad boredom, warmer days and enjoying the best of fresh local and organic produce on a budget. My latest discovery is when I had no olives for the plates, I added olive tapenade to the vinaigrette and realized a minced sundried tomato or a spoonful of pesto would work the same way. What tricks do you have in your budget toolkit when it comes to salads?

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Apple Treats

Fresh apples are a great snack any time of day.

Prep and Cook Time: 5 minutes Ingredients: 1 apple, slice 1/2-inch thick, unpeeled 4 TBS almond butter cinnamon to taste 1/4 cup granola

Directions:

1. Spread one side of slliced apple with almond butter and spinkle with cinnamon.
2. Dip the apple slices into granola to cover the almond butter.

Use sweet Delicious, tart Granny Smith, tangy Fuji or your favorite variety of apple; in seconds you'll have a satisfying snack or dessert.

Serves 2

Nutritional Profile

Introduction to Recipe Rating System Chart

In order to better help you identify recipes that feature a high concentration of nutrients for the calories they contain, we created a Recipe Rating System. This system allows us to highlight the recipes that are especially rich in particular nutrients. The following chart shows the nutrients for which Apple Treats is either an excellent, very good, or good source (below the chart you will find a table that explains these qualifications). If a nutrient is not listed in the chart, it does not necessarily mean that the recipe doesn't contain it. It simply means that the nutrient is not provided in a sufficient amount or concentration to meet our rating criteria. (To view this recipe's in-depth nutritional profile that includes values for dozens of nutrients - not just the ones rated as excellent, very good, or good - please use the link below the chart.) To read this chart accurately, you'll need to glance back up to see the ingredients used in the recipe and the number of serving sizes provided by the recipe. Our nutrient ratings are based on a single serving. For example, if a recipe makes 4 servings, you would be receiving the nutrient amounts listed in the chart by eating 1/4th of the combined ingredients found in the recipe. Now, returning to the chart itself, you can look next to the nutrient name in order to find the nutrient amount it offers, the percent Daily Value (DV%) that this amount represents, the nutrient density that we calculated for this recipe and nutrient, and the rating we established in our rating system. For most of our nutrient ratings, we adopted the government standards for food labeling that are found in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's "Reference Values for Nutrition Labeling.

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Lentil Soup with Smoked Ham Hock

Smoked ham hock makes this lentil soup recipe special.

It doesn’t take much cooking skill to make this lentil soup recipe taste great. The smoked ham hock and a couple hours is really all it takes to make this incredibly satisfying soup.

Serves 6

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours, 00 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 smoked ham hock
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1 quart beef broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 2 cups diced onions
• 1 cup diced celery
• 2 cups dry lentils
• salt to taste
• fresh parsley

Preparation:

1. Add the beef broth, chicken stock, dried thyme, black pepper, bay leaf, cayenne, and ham hock into a soup pot and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer on low for 1 1/2 hours. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and simmer covered for another 30 minutes.
   
   
2. Add the lentils and simmer coverer for another 30 minutes, remove cover and skim off any excess fat on the surface. Continue to simmer another 15 to 20 minutes uncovered, until the lentils are tender and the pork is falling off the bone. Taste for salt, adjust seasoning, and serve with chopped fresh parsley.

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Easy Asparagus Soup

Easy Asparagus Soup Recipe

Photo © Flickr user milesgehm

This asparagus soup recipe is a great example of the less-is-more school of cooking. It's just a simple puree of asparagus with a bit of cream. The result is a delicious asparagus soup that tastes like…asparagus!

Make 6 Portions of Asparagus Soup

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 bunches asparagus, washed, woody bottoms trimmed off
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• cayenne pepper to taste
• salt to taste

Preparation:

Cut the asparagus into 1-inch pieces and set aside (reserve a few tips for garnish - see note below). In a soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat; when it begins to foam add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the stock and asparagus; and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the Asparagus is tender, but still green.

When the asparagus is ready, remove from heat and puree using a stick, or regular blender. Pour back into the pot. Add the cream and cook on low until heated through. Season to taste with salt and cayenne. Ladle the asparagus soup into bowls and serve hot.

Note: If desired, reserve a few asparagus tips to blanch and garnish the top, along with an additional drizzle of cream.

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Spicy Sausage and Kale Soup Recipe

Spicy Sausage and Kale Soup Recipe

Photo © John Mitzewich

Kale is one of the most nutritious greens out there, and pairs perfectly with sausage in this very hearty spicy sausage and kale soup.

Makes 8 portions of Spicy Sausage and Kale Soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 8 oz spicy sausage (linguisa, hot Italian, chorizo, etc.), cut in 1/2-in pieces
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 russet potatoes, peeled, quartered
• 1 quart chicken stock or any stock
• 1 quart water
• 12 oz fresh kale, roughly chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• sour cream and paprika to garnish (optional)

Preparation:

In a large saucepan, sauté the sausage over medium heat until browned. Remove from pan and pour off fat. Add the olive oil and onions, and sauté until soft. Add the sausage, potatoes, stock, and water. Bring to a simmer, and cook until the potatoes begin to fall apart. Add the kale and stir until it all wilts into the soup. Simmer for 10 minutes, until the kale is cooked. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

If you want, mash some of the potato to thicken the soup, or serve as is. Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream and shake of paprika.

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Easy Broccoli Soup with Cheddar Croutons

Easy Broccoli Soup with Cheddar Croutons

Photo © John Mitzewich

This broccoli soup recipe would be delicious on its own, but when the cheesy cheddar crouton is floated on the top it gets even better!

Make 4 Bowls of Broccoli Soup with Cheddar Croutons

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 heads broccoli (about 2 pounds)
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• cayenne pepper to taste
• salt to taste
• for the Cheddar croutons:
• 4 slices french bread
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preparation:

Cut the tops (florettes) off the broccoli and set aside. Cut the stems into 1/2-inch slices, and add to the tops. In a soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat; when it begins to foam add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the stock and broccoli; and bring to a simmer. Cook until the broccoli is fork-tender.

While the soup is cooking, toast the bread and place on a foil-covered sheet pan. Top with the cheese (be sure to cover entire surface so the bread doesn’t burn. Broil on high, for 2-3 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and browned.

When the broccoli is ready, remove from heat and puree using a stick, or regular blender. Pour back into the pot. Add the cream and cook on low until heated through. Season to taste with salt and cayenne. Ladle the broccoli soup into bowls and top with cheese croutons.

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Pastafazool - Italian Pasta and Bean Soup Recipe

Pastafazool - Italian Pasta and Bean Soup Recipe

Photos © John Mitzewich
Pastafazool is a rich Italian-American pasta and bean soup recipe. This hearty soup can be thinned-out with more stock if desired, but it's traditionally served thick, with lots of Italian bread to dip in. Almost any sausage can be used in this recipe, or leave it out for a lighter pastafazool.

Makes 4 Large Portions of Pastafazool

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp dried Italian herbs
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and black pepper to taste
• red pepper flakes to taste
• 1 quart chicken or beef stock (more if needed)
• 1 cup water
• 1 pound Italian sausage, cooked and cut into slices
• 2 cups dry pasta (Elbow, Penne, Shells, Orecchiette, etc.)
• 2 cans (14 oz) white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
• grated Parmesan cheese to garnish, optional

Preparation:

In a soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium flame; add the onions, and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until the onions turn translucent. Add the garlic, tomato paste, dried herbs, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes; sauté for 2 minutes more.

Add the stock, water, and sausage; bring to a simmer over med-high heat, and add the pasta. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the pasta is tender. Add the beans and cook for another 3-4 minutes, until they are heated through. Turn off heat, stir in parsley, and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve hot, topped with grated Parmesan cheese.

Note: If you want a thinner soup, simply add more stock to the soup when you add the beans.

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Country Ham and Split Pea Soup Recipe

Country Ham and Split Pea Soup Recipe

Photo © John Mitzewich
This split pea soup is one of American food's great cool weather recipes. Split pea soup with diced country ham, is a hearty, soul-warming bowl of delicious goodness. It's also one of the easiest soup recipes there is.

Makes 6 Servings of Country Ham and Split Pea Soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 8 oz diced ham
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 lb split peas
• 1 quart chicken, or vegetable stock
• 2 1/2 cups water
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation:

Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, garlic, and salt. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables soften. Add the ham, bay leaf, split peas, stock, and water. Bring to a simmer.

Turn the heat down to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the split peas are tender, and the soup has thickened. Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste, and serve hot.

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French Onion Soup Recipe

French Onion Soup Recipe

Photos © John Mitzewich

French onion soup is one of America's most popular "restaurant soups," but with this easy recipe you can make it at home anytime you want. This French onion soup recipe is topped with the traditional Gruyere cheese, but any melting cheese will work.

Makes 8 Portions French Onion Soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 large yellow onions, cut in large dice
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 1/4 cup dry sherry wine
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1/2 tsp salt
• fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cups high-quality beef broth
• 3 cups high-quality chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• For the topping:
• toasted French bread
• 8 oz shredded Gruyere cheese, or other Swiss cheese

Preparation:

In a large soup pot, melt the butter over med-low heat. Add the onions and salt; slowly cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden-brown - about 30 minutes.

Add the vinegar and sherry; cook for 5 minutes, and then add the remaining ingredients. Simmer on low for one hour. Taste and adjust seasoning. Ladle into heatproof bowls, or crocks, and top with a piece of toasted bread (cut to fit top of bowl).

Cover with the cheese, and place under a preheated broiler until the cheese melts and begins to brown. Serve hot.

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Chili Pepper

Photo © Flickr user flattop341

Chili peppers, both hot and sweet, are a common ingredient in almost every major cuisine worldwide. It's hard to image a time when there were no peppers in Asia, or Europe, but it all began over 10,000 years ago in the Americas. Peppers were clearly one of the first crops grown by the Native Americans. From Peru, up to New Mexico, these prehistoric people grew chili peppers for both their culinary, and medicinal benefits. Christopher Columbus is credited with naming them "peppers" because he thought they tasted like Asian spice (the peppercorn variety). After being brought back to Europe they quickly spread around the globe, especially thriving in the tropics.

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