Thai Dumpling Soup

This recipe is from Food Network Magazine, from their quick and easy dinner section. Seeing as the weather has finally started to get very chilly, and I've been itching to cook thai food, it seemed the perfect opportunity to try this recipe. What I found out is that not only is this soup easier and faster to make than Tom Ka Gai, one of the simplest thai soups, but it is even more delicious. I've never made dumpling soup, and what I realized is unlike in a restaurant, I don't have to ration the 2 or 3 dumplings your soup will have, because when you make it yourself, you can have as many dumplings as you'd like! So do yourself a favor and try this one out in the next couple weeks. You will not regret it.

What's in it

2 Tbl oil

3 stalks celery, sliced thin

1/2 onion, sliced in 1/4" wedges

dried (or fresh) shittake mushrooms

1 Tbl curry powder

4 C chicken broth

1 can coconut milk

1 C water

1 Tbl fish sauce

1/4 lb fresh green beans trimmed and cut in half

optional: sliced crimini mushrooms, sliced bell peppers

1 lb frozen thai dumplings (I found delicious frozen chicken cilantro mini dumplings at Trader Joes)

lime and sliced green onions

How it's made

Boil 2 cups water and pour over dried shittake mushrooms in a bowl, if using. Use another bowl or cup to weigh them down under water. Let sit 30 minutes until re-hydrated. Prep other ingredients in the meantime.

In a large dutch oven or pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add celery, onion, shittake mushrooms and curry powder. Stir until curry powder is toasted and vegetables are softened, about 4 minutes. Add chicken broth, coconut milk, fish sauce and water (use water from re-hydrating mushrooms if you'd like more mushroom flavor, but be sure to strain out bits). Bring to a simmer and add crimini mushrooms if using. Add green beans (and bell pepper if using) and simmer about 3-5 minutes until green beans are crisp tender. Add frozen dumplings and bring back to simmer until dumplings are cooked through. Serve garnished with lime juice and chopped green onions.

I highly encourage you to adapt this recipe to your taste. Clearly I like mushrooms so I load up on them, but maybe you'd like to see tomatoes or galanga and lemongrass for a more authentic flavor, or more green beans. The great thing about soups is they are very flexible to adaptation, so have fun with it!

Bourbon Peach Cobbler

This is perhaps the best peach cobbler I've ever had, or made. Delicious ratio of peaches to topping (meaning lots of topping!), and a wonderfully complex flavor due to the bourbon. It is very simple to make and works extremely well in a cast iron skillet. This recipe is by Tyler Florence from Food Network Magazine July/August 201o issue. I highly recommend making it this summer while peaches are still in season, and serving with vanilla bean ice cream.

Bourbon Peach Cobbler
~Print Recipe~

What's in it

6 peaches, peeled and sliced (they don't need to be soft, but should have a ripe color)

1/4 C bourbon*

3/4 C sugar plus more for sprinkling

2 Tbls corn starch

1 tsp ground cinnamon plus more for sprinkling

1 1/2 C unbleached flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 sticks cold unsalted butter

3/4 C heavy cream plus more for brushing

How it's made

Preheat oven to 375. Prepare peaches and place slices in a large mixing bowl. Add bourbon, sugar, corn starch and cinnamon to the peaches and toss to coat.

In a cast iron skillet (10+ inches) melt 1/2 stick butter, then add the peach mixture and cook until softened, about 5-10 minutes. If you don't have cast iron, it's ok to use a large nonstick skillet.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl sift flour, baking powder and salt. Slice 1 1/2 sticks of butter into small cubes and using two knives or a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour until it is the consistency of small peas. Pour in the cream and mix just until the pastry comes together - using your hands works best.

Transfer the peaches to a 2 quart baking dish, or keep it in the cast iron skillet. Drop the dough by spoonfulls on top of the warm peaches, leaving gaps is OK. Brush heavy cream on top, then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake in the oven over a foil lined baking sheet, to catch the drips, for 40-45 minutes until the top is golden brown and crispy all over. Let cool a bit then serve warm with vanilla bean ice cream.

*If you don't have bourbon (aka whiskey) on hand or prefer not to use it, then you could use some fresh lemon juice, a bit more cinnamon, some nutmeg, and vanilla extract to spice it up.