Long slowly simmered soup is great, but what if you just don't have the time? Here's a favorite soup that can be put together in a blink when you have a few 'mis en place' ingredients from your pantry.
Read MorePosole
Have you ever had Posole? Nip the spring chill in the bud by making a pot of one of my favorite soups. Posole, a traditional Mexican dish, is a thick soup made with hominy–dried corn with the hull and germ removed. it makes any large gathering a fiesta!
What would your favorite beverage be to serve-up at your Patio Fiesta?
George's Posole
Makes 8 servings
chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle
2 pounds pork shoulder chops
1/2 cup Posole Pork Rub
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 sweet onion, sliced thick, grilled and chopped
4 jalapenos, roasted on grill; split seeded and chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
4 cups hot chicken broth
4 cups canned hominy, drained and rinsed
1 Tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh cilentro
3 fresh red radishes, sliced thin
1 cup fresh cabbage, finely shredded
Rub pork on all sides with Posole Pork Rub, and refrigerate for at least two 2 hours or overnight.
Pre heat large soup potto high heat.
Brush chops with 2 Tablespoons olive oil. Add chops and sear pork on both sides until browned and not fully cooked. Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil, chopped onion, garlic, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the hot broth, jalapenos, hominy and simmer for 1 hour. Remove chops, cool and chop meat into small pieces. Put pork back into soup. Continue cooking for 30 additional minutes. The longer and slower the soup simmers the better.
Stir in cilantro and serve bowls of soup topped with sliced radish, shredded cabbage, and with warm corn tortillas.
Posole Pork Rub
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon each: ground cumin, black pepper, garlic powder, sweet paprika, chili powder, thyme
1/2 teaspoon each: nutmeg, allspice
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Store in a tightly sealed container.
Patio Fiesta
This week Cinco de Mayo will be celebrated worldwide honoring Mexican heritage; marking the defeat of the French Army after invading the Americas. But believe it or not, this commemorative holiday is celebrated by more people in California than Mexico. And, many festive ways are used to mark the occasion beyond cervesa and tequila. Dances and music mark the occasion to preserve & educate the public of its historical significance and culture.
Make any day a fiesta on your patio with a few easy steps and don’t be afraid to use vibrant colors. There is more to having fun than hanging a piñata!
- Use terra cotta planters filled with pants such as begonias, dahlias, begonias, nasturtiums, and sunflowers
- Cushions, throws, tablecloths, and napkins of hot yellow, turquoise green, and burnt orange
- Set flower pots on tables with traditional herbs used in Mexican cooking like Cilantro, oregano, and peppermint
- Serve foods and beverages on plates and glassware with bold bright colors
- Hang out door lighting for mood
- Turn up the volume and spin Maraichi and Latin music
- Set up a hot sauce and salsa station
Get recipes for patio entertaining:
Manhattan vs. New England Chowder
This weekend’s Super Bowl XLVI brings on yet another reason to gather, party and entertain. This year there is so much anticipation waiting for the re-match on Gameday. Although I may feel a sense of team loyalty towards one of the teams, I have good friends rooting for the Giants and New England. Today I am prepared to make all the fans happy.
New York is known as a melting pot of food culture with its strong ethnic roots, while New England may scream fish at first thought, but today its core is just as robust in ethnic foods as NYC. So with this in mind, I've taken two very popular chowders representing each team.
Make them both, serve separately; or mix them fifty-fifty—I have named this chowder-mixture a Hoosier Chowder in honor of Indiana the host city. Either way, they’re both delicious and winners!
Manhattan Chowder
Makes 6-8 servings | From Grilling with Chef George Hirsch Cookbook
1 Tablespoon olive oil
8 cloves caramelized garlic
1/4 cup sweet onion
1/2 cup each celery & carrots, red bell peppers, chopped
2 cups yukon potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2 pieces
2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon basil
1 bay leaf
1 cup tomato sauce
2 cups tomatoes, seeded and chopped or 1 (28 ounce can chopped tomatoes)
2 cups chicken broth
1 pint clams with juice, chopped
1 teaspoon hot sauce
fresh ground pepper to taste
Add olive oil to preheated soup pot. Saute onions, celery, peppers, garlic and carrots until tender. Add potatoes, paprika, thyme, basil and bay leaf. Add tomato sauce and tomatoes, chicken broth and hot sauce. Bring to a boil. Lower to simmer and add clams. Cook for 20-30 minutes. Add fresh ground black pepper to taste & serve immediately.
New England Cod Chowder
Makes 6-8 servings | Adapted From Grilling with Chef George Hirsch Cookbook
2 pounds cod, diced into 1/2-inch cubes; or 1 pint clams with juice, chopped
1/4 pound salt pork or slab bacon, chopped fine
2 large sweet onions, diced small
4 cups yukon potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
4 cups fish broth, or clam juice or combination chicken broth
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 cup heavy cream or half and half
2 Tablespoons sweet butter
Cook the salt pork in a large soup pot until it gives up all it's fat and remove pieces. Add the onion and cook until it begins to turn a very light brown - but do not over brown. Add the potato and broth and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Add the cod and cook for 5 minutes or until fully cooked. Stir in the cream, hot sauce, parsley, and pepper. Whisk in butter and serve immediately.
Hoosier Chowder
Prepare both chowders. To serve, mix half & half of Manhattan + New England Chowders into preheated bowls and stir.
Quantity:
Thanksgiving Countdown: Appetizers, Soups & Snacks
Let’s get this party started. The most important elements of a party or holiday menu is how it starts—the first impression and the ending—the last impression. We started this week with desserts for a perfect ending and today continuing with mouth watering apps, soups and snacks. I have family members who look foward to the snack portion of the holiday, especially my mini crab cakes. Pace yourself, we haven't served the turkey yet!
Tuscan White Bean Artichoke Soup
©Jason Gayman | istock