Miso Corn Soup!

Gotta try this: Miso Corn Soup (made with fresh sweet corn)

Ingredients

Servings: 4

• 8 ears of corn
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 5 tablespoons white miso
• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
• Chili oil (for serving)

Preparation

• Cut kernels from cobs and place in a large bowl. Place cobs in a medium pot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until stock is infused with corn flavor, 40–45 minutes.

• Heat butter in another medium pot over medium. Cook onion, stirring often, until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add miso and ½ cup corn stock and stir to dissolve miso. Add corn kernels and another ½ cup corn stock and cook until corn is bright yellow and just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Let cool slightly, then transfer to a blender and blend, streaming in 2 cups corn stock to thin, until smooth. Strain soup through a fine-mesh sieve back into pot; season with salt and pepper. Heat over medium-low until warmed through. 

• Divide soup among bowls; top with chives and drizzle with chili oil.

 

Sesame Soba Noodles

This recipe for Sesame Soba noodles is terrifically easy, and pretty fast. They're a bit too sweet for my taste - I'll reduce the proportion of honey next time.

Liege Waffles // Gaufre de Liège

This waffle recipe is excellent – and not that hard (though the batter must rise overnight).

Slow Cooker: Tomato, Kale, and Quinoa Soup

This one's delicious... a good way to use up a big pile of kale. Serve with crusty bread and cheese.

Slow Cooker: Tomato, Kale, and Quinoa Soup

Polenta!

Basic and delicious. 

Ingredients

6 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
1 3/4 cups yellow cornmeal
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a heavy large saucepan. Add 2 teaspoons of salt. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the butter, and stir until melted.

I also added some fresh herbs. Paprika would be nice.

Carbonnade Flamande

Made this last night, for Christmas dinner, and it rivaled the best Carbonnades I've had in Belgium! I've turned out many plates in my career, but only certain dishes have become meals I feed my own family, like boeuf carbonnade à la flamande. I was taught to make this Flemish beef and onion stew by my mentor, Belgian chef Leon Dhaenens, when I was a young cook. Unlike French beef stews made with wine, carbonnade relies on the deep, dark flavor of Belgian abbey-style beer. But what really gives carbonnade its distinctive character is the addition of brown sugar and a fillip of cider vinegar, a sweet-sour combination that plays beautifully against the caramelized onions and rich beer. 
—Charlie Palmer, chef-owner of Aureole in New York City and Las Vegas

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS
2 lb. beef chuck, cut into 2″ x ½″-thick slices (In the Boucherie Moroccaine they sell "Carbonnade" meat)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ cup flour
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
4 slices bacon, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced lengthwise
2 cups Belgian-style ale (I used Maredsous Tripel - CF)
1 cup beef stock
2 tbsp. dark brown sugar
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
3 sprigs thyme (I used at least double)
3 sprigs parsley (I doubled this too)
2 sprigs tarragon (I didn't have any tarragon)
1 bay leaf
Bread, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS
Season beef with salt and pepper in a bowl; add flour and toss to coat. Heat 2 tbsp. butter in a 6-qt. Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add beef; cook, turning, until browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate; set aside. Add bacon; cook until its fat renders, about 8 minutes. Add remaining butter, garlic, and onions; cook until caramelized, about 30 minutes. Add half the beer; cook, scraping bottom of pot, until slightly reduced, about 4 minutes. Return beef to pot with remaining beer, stock, sugar, vinegar, thyme, parsley, tarragon, bay leaf, and salt and pepper; boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered, until beef is tender, about 1 ½ hours. Serve with bread.

Sesame Banana Bread

Sesame Banana Bread As I mention up above, I use a mix of black and white sesame seeds. More than anything, it makes the seeds more visible. 1 cup / 4.5 oz / 125g all-purpose flour
 1 cup / 5 oz / 140g whole wheat flour
 3/4 cup / 4.5 oz / 125 g dark brown sugar (or muscovado) 
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt 
1 1/3 cups / 7 ounces / 200 g toasted sesame seeds 
1/3 cup / 80 ml extra-virgin olive oil 
2 large eggs, lightly beaten 
1 1/2 cups / 12 oz / 340 g mashed, VERY ripe bananas (~3 bananas)
 1/4 cup / 60 ml plain, whole milk yogurt
 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

 
For the glaze: 
1/2 cup / 3 oz / 85 g sifted dark brown sugar (muscovado)
 1/2 cup / 2 oz / 55g confectioners' sugar
 4-6 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice