Wednesday Food Blogging

Southwestern Corn Soup

Full of summer's bounty, Southwestern Corn Soup is perfect for a busy almost-fall day.

It's the end of summer, so there's finally fresh corn in the supermarket. But it's also the beginning of fall, so the evenings are cool.

So of course this situation calls for corn soup. Like many meals, this one started with a knife in one hand, a vegetable in the other. While I shucked the corn and removed the kernels from the cob, I thought about my approach. I sautéd some onions in olive oil, added the corn, and pretty soon had a pot of soup simmering.

To the bowl of soup that eventually emerged I added some fresh squeezed lime, because nothing says Southwestern like the fresh taste of lime juice. And to round off the meal, I heated some refried beans and tortillas, made a wrap and served it alongside steaming bowls of soup.

It was incredibly easy to make, a meal fit for a busy end-of-summer day. Here's how: 

Spicy Tofu with Apricots

Apricots and tofu? Why not? 

Sadly, my husband isn't fond of apricots, or any orange food. So I waited until he'd left town and I had a friend staying with me to make Tofu with Apricots, a stir fry that isn't typical of the genre. I really like the sweetness of the apricots with the spicy/salty tofu marinade, but some people aren't fond a hint of sweet in a savory meal. 

If that doesn't describe you, then try this the next time you have tofu waiting in your fridge. To go with it, I stir fried some green beans, adding spicy Schezwan sauce. And sticky brown rice, of course. 

The best thing is, the recipe is very easy. As long as you remember to marinade your tofu ahead of time, the dish comes together quite quickly. 

Here's how:

Pardon my absence, but when in Europe...one must eat

I've been traveling, and unlike most 21st century Earth inhabitants, I don't travel with a smart phone or a laptop. So posting on a blog is all but impossible. 

But I do carry a camera, everywhere I go. And fortunately, I was able to photograph a few of my food finds in Belgium, Germany, and France. 

First, we managed to find frites in Bruges, which isn't very difficult. The Belgians invented French fries, except of course they don't call them that. Nor would they be referred to as Freedom Fries, although that might actually be appropriate—it was British and American soldiers during WWI who called the fried potato strips "French fries" since that's the language the Belgian army spoke. 

One of life's greatest pleasures is a bowl full of frites. (Hold the mayo, please!)

Another Belgian foodie treat, Speculoos, I've already written about. But this time I got to introduce my friends to the joys of this cookie-flavored spread. The castle (and B&B) where we stayed offered single-serving size Speculoos pots, similar to jam containers, at the breakfast buffet. So refined! I also found Speculoos outside of Belgium for the first time, at a hyper-marché in France. 

But forget France and their vaunted reputation as gourmands; it's the Belgians who really know how to eat well. Chocolate (Galler Chocolate even has a vegan range), kriek, frites, and Speculoos. That's four food groups, right? 

Flame kuchen, like pizza only not.

Next, it was on to Germany: German food can be tricky for a vegan, even one who's willing to bend the rules occasionally when necessary. At Palmbrau Gasse in Heidelberg, I ordered flame kuchen, which is like a thin pizza, with no cheese, but sour cream had been smeared on the crust under the veggies. In Europe, even vegetarians need to be leery of cheese, as it often contains rennet, so I'm much more strict about cheese than I am about other dairy products. I shared the flame kuchen with friends and also a plate of spaetzle (which I must try to make at home). But the best find in Germany was right across the street from the restaurant. 

Lebe Gesund (www.lebegesund.de), a pretty vegan shop in Heidelberg.

When a woman on the street offered us a taste of pesto-smeared bread, I turned it down—again, pesto usually contains Parmesan, which always contains rennet. But we went into her shop anyway, and when I inquired about the German writing on a pretty postcard of a cow, I was informed the shop supported an animal sanctuary. And upon further inquiry, I discovered that the shop, Lebe Gesund, was actually all vegan! Everything they sold was vegan, including the delicious looking cookies and the pesto. (Available at www.vitalitylife.eu.) What's more, they had English-language German vegan cookbooks! This turned out to be my best food find on the trip.

Well, except for what came next: Champagne!

Bottles of Dom Perignon, waiting for their time at the table years from now.

We drove through France to return home to London, which conveniently put us in the Champagne region. Normally France is a nightmare for vegans, so eating wasn't my priority on this trip—I had plenty of energy bars to last me, and besides, why waste time eating food when there's Champagne to taste? We went to a tasting at a Champagne bar in Épernay, and then toured the Moët et Chandon Champagne house. We left with a nice buzz, although our poor driver was only able to have a good slug or two of Champagne. 

 

The real reason to travel to Europe: the food you can bring home.

For our last stop, of course we visited Auchan, the hyper-marche in Calais. Wine is very cheap in France—you can get a decent bottle for three or four euros. I bought a case of Sancerre, a case of Bordeaux and assorted bottles with pretty labels. (I've found you usually can't go wrong when choosing your wine by its label.) Another must for me: Maille Dijon mustard, which comes in pretty re-usable wine or juice glasses. I needed to complete my set of six wine glasses, and hey, why not collect their sturdy juice glasses as well? (I cannot tell you how important it suddenly seemed to have a complete collection of both.) We'll be eating a lot of mustard in the next few months.

I also found real French green beans, or haricots vert as they're known in France, and some plump round courgettes. And with Bonne Maman jam on sale, who could resist picking up a jar or two? 

Fortunately, we were in my friend's van, so all those goodies easily fit. Now that I'm unpacked, I'm pondering my upcoming meals: A Speculoos and jam sandwich? Mustard and green bean salad? Champagne and courgette soup? 

Or how about a simple bowl of freedom frites...followed by a flute of Champagne?