Corinna Sherman » Foodie Fun

Soup inspiration

Corinna — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 23:53:33 +0000

There is a soup that both soothes and satisfies me on a cold winter night when nothing else will. It is so versatile that I make it in small batches throughout the week, varying the ingredients to suit my preferences. I’m sharing it here in the hope that it may inspire you to create a special soup of your own.

I start with a base of water. Sometimes I use commercial chicken broth or vegetable broth, but I feel incredibly clear-headed the next day if I stick with water. To this I add ginger (freshly sliced or ground, but I prefer fresh if I have it) and, if I have it, some kind of leftover vegetable matter I can boil and throw out afterward, like kale stems, leek ends, or celery tops. I bring everything to a boil, and while the lot simmers covered, I prepare the other ingredients.

If I have fresh mushrooms, I wash and slice them. Shiitake, maitake, enoki, or oyster mushrooms are all excellent, but white button or baby bella will work just fine, too. If I don’t have fresh, I soak a few dried Chinese mushrooms or cloud ears in hot water to soften them, then slice them. Occasionally, I’ll also soak dried goji berries in cold water and mung bean threads in hot water, but these don’t get added to the soup until the last minute. Mushrooms, on the other hand, go in as soon as they are ready.

Next, I dice some tofu into 0.5-inch cubes. The smaller I dice the tofu, the more plentiful it appears in the soup later, but if it’s too small, it doesn’t pack enough of a chew to be satisfying. 0.5 inches seems to strike the right balance. Into the pot it goes.

Carrot and celery, sliced thinly on the bias, add interesting textures and shapes. Some combination of seasonings then make their way into the soup, usually ground white pepper, ground black pepper, ground red pepper, and lemongrass. Sometimes, I add chopped garlic.

When I’m just about ready to eat, I throw in the goji berries and/or mung bean threads if I soaked them in advance, along with in some chopped leafy greens. Kale, Napa cabbage, baby bok choy, watercress, or spinach all work well.

Finally, I sprinkle a couple of chopped scallions on top and, if I’m feeling adventurous, some torn-up bits of nori and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil. The burner clicks off, and I’m ready to eat.

As you can tell, the ingredient list for this soup recipe is quite short but skews toward Asian specialty. You can find certain items most easily in an Asian grocery store, but Whole Foods has most of them, too.

Morning at the Farmers Market

Corinna — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 19:55:27 +0000

See and download the full gallery on posterous

At the Newpark Mall

Ginger lemon tea

Corinna — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 02:05:20 +0000

It’s mid-semester, and everyone at school seems a little worn down, myself included. Tonight I made ginger lemon tea for the first time as a gentle soother and enjoyed it so much that I’m posting about it here to inspire someone else to try it, too.

Ingredients

4 cups water

2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

1 tsp of lemon juice, or to taste

Boil the water and ginger slices in a covered pot.

Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes.

Strain the water into a cup and add a few drops of lemon juice.

Sip slowly and savor a few minutes’ peace. You deserve it.

Rise and shine and eat

Corinna — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 02:23:54 +0000

I admit, I got a little carried away making breakfast this morning: scrambled egg with onion, peas, tomato, and garlic chives with a salad of arugula, cucumber, and homemade avocado herb dressing. Suddenly I’m seized with the urge to take this plate outside and people-watch while I eat…