What's Cooking?

[rps]

A friend from when we lived in Tulsa just sent me this link. I may have to up my game.

http://tulsafood.com/fine-dining/millicent-brasserie-oklahomas-first-multi-sensory-dining-experience-opens-this-week-tulsafood/

[rps]

Senate Bean Soup:

One onion, diced

One ham bone

One pound soaked beans

One russet potato, peeled and diced

Salt, pepper, and water to cover

6 hours in a slow cooker

Remove the bone after picking the meat off

Stir well to break down the potato to thicken the broth

Add one carrot and one stalk of celery fine diced

Two more hours in the slow cooker

Adjust the seasoning

[joeD]

Same knife rps? Sorry its me.

[Gavin]

That place in Tulsa looks like a place where men starve;)! Kinda like the French Laundry in Napa. That Senate Soup looks good. Similar to Caldo Gallego. Would probably benefit from some good Spanish our Hungarian Paprika. Paprika works great with pork.

[rps]

That place in Tulsa looks like a place where men starve;)! Kinda like the French Laundry in Napa. That Senate Soup looks good. Similar to Caldo Gallego. Would probably benefit from some good Spanish our Hungarian Paprika. Paprika works great with pork.

I have not eaten at the French Laundry. I don't think I could afford it even if someone paid for me to go to California. But Keller does phenomenal things. I own two of his books and refer to them often.

The Tulsa place is obviously into the many small courses concept. My wife, Nancy, and I have been lucky enough to eat at two world class places that did tasting menus. One was in Adelaide, the other was in London. In both cases I wondered where I would put the dessert.

As for the Senate bean soup - this time was a follow the recipe event. Next time I may change things. If I do paprika or smoked paprika are great suggestions.

[rps]

Obviously, I am enjoying my bean soup again tonight. The beautiful wife is off at teacher school so I must slog on alone. However, today I was cleaning out the refrigerator some more and found a large amount of broccoli I need to use before it turns yellow or develops dark spots. I blanched it and made a rue as the base for a four cheese and spinach sauce. That casserole should last as long as the bean pot and balance my diet. In a moment the casserole goes in the oven.

[ness]

IIRC, the true 'Senate Soup' recipe is very plain, without veggies other than onion. But, we all know how that goes. Still the same, your recipe looks better rps -- more the way I like it.

[rps]

IIRC, the true 'Senate Soup' recipe is very plain, without veggies other than onion. But, we all know how that goes. Still the same, your recipe looks better rps -- more the way I like it.

The recipe I worked from acknowledged that the addition of carrot and celery might be viewed as just "wrong." However, the idea that completing the classic mirepoix late in the cooking would add a taste and texture was irresistible to me. What surprised me, as it always does, is how much salt I needed to add on top of the smoked ham. Beans and potatoes, and eggs, eat salt.

[ness]

Yeah, somethings cry out for salt. Bean soup is one, tomato-based sauces are another.

In a minute I'm going to post my 20-minute bean soup recipe -- scratches the itch without the long prep and cooking time.

[ness]

Alright, inspired by rps Senate Bean soup, and burned out by the onslaught of vegetables from the CSA, I went and made this because it just sounded good tonight. It's a quick ham and bean soup. Simple stuff goes into it:

Shread the carrot and onion of the big slots of a cheese grater -- helps it cook fast.

Throw that in a pot with the 1-½ cups water, one chicken bouillon cube, 3-4 bay leaves, and some diced ham and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. Drain the stuff off the canned beans, rinse with water a few times, and then throw them in the pot. I added some fresh parsley. Cook another 10 minutes.

Voila!

Pretty tasty knock-off of a soup that usually takes a lot of time to make.