Creamy Tomato Soup as seen on George Hirsch Lifestyle

George Hirsch August 4, 2025

COMFORT and GOODNESS in a bowl. Tomato soup contains vitamins E, A, C, and K, essential minerals, and antioxidants that can keep you healthy.

Plus, one of the most popular types of comfort food combinations is soup and sandwiches. And one of the most popular soup/sandwich combinations is tomato soup and grilled cheese. For my Vintage Classics episode on GHL, I prepared Creamy Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese with farm-fresh bread, cured French ham, and aged cheddar. I combined a mix of fresh ripe San Marzano plum tomatoes and canned San Marzano tomatoes for the ultimate tomato soup. During peak harvest season, when there is a plentiful supply of fresh farm tomatoes, I would use all fresh, but during shoulder seasons, I will mix them with high-quality San Marzano canned tomatoes.

Once all your ingredients are assembled, comfort can be achieved in about thirty minutes. Mmm Mmm, Good!!!

George’s Creamy Tomato Soup

Makes 6-8 servings

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5 large ripe San Marzano Plum tomatoes, deseeded and chopped

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, chopped

2 Tablespoons sweet butter

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

2-4 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces

2- 15-ounce cans of crushed San Marzano tomatoes

4 cups chicken broth

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon each dried thyme, basil

hot sauce, sea salt, and pepper to taste

Optional: 1 cup half-and-half

Preheat a large 4-quart soup pot.

Add olive oil, onion, garlic, and fresh plum tomatoes. Stir and sweat for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add the butter; when melted, add the flour, stir, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add in the canned San Marzano tomatoes, stir, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the chicken broth, bay leaves, thyme, and dried basil, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add fresh basil and simmer for five additional minutes.

Remove bay leaves and take the soup off the stove. For a creamier soup, use a food pulser and puree slightly, leaving a few chunks of tomatoes. Return to the stove, bring it back to a boil, and add the optional half-and-half.

Lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes.

Add hot sauce, sea salt, and fresh ground black pepper to taste.

Served topped with crunchy croutons and a few drops of olive oil.

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Panzanella

George Hirsch August 1, 2025

Panzanella is a salad originating in Tuscany, Umbria, Marche, and Lazio regions. It’s a cuisine of homegrown ingredients and is traditionally prepared during the summer season in Italy.

Almost any type of vegetable can be added to the garden, such as radishes, peppers, carrots, corn, and green onions. Hard-boiled eggs, olives, grilled chicken & shrimp can also be added to round out the dish.

In the Lazio Region of Italy, tomatoes and onions are omitted. Instead, capers, garlic, anchovies, hot red pepper flakes, and parsley are pulverized together with a mortar and pestle.

This dish's original intention is to use day-old or, sometimes, few-day-old bread. Traditionally, the bread is cubed and then soaked in water until soft; then, all the moisture is squeezed out until dry. The bread is then chopped or crumbled into small pieces.

I personally prefer to use the day-old bread cubes and either sauté slowly in olive oil with a little garlic for 5-10 minutes or toast in a 350-degree oven until light brown. Either way, you choose to start with really good bread, and you can’t go wrong.

Panzanella

Makes 4 servings

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2 cups day-old, very good Italian or French bread, cubed

1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, split; or 4 vine-ripen tomatoes quartered

4 leaves of basil

1 fresh thyme leaf, chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1 large red onion, chopped 1/4 inch pieces

1 stalk celery, chopped 1/4 inch pieces

1 medium-sized cucumber, peeled & split, seeded, and chopped

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt

Fresh ground black pepper

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 cups hearts of romaine, torn into small pieces

Soak bread in water until it softens, then squeeze all water out.

Or, heat a large sauté pan to medium temperature and add 1 Tablespoon olive oil to the pan. Add bread and slowly cook until bread is light brown tossing occasionally.

Make a dressing in the bottom of a large salad bowl with vinegar, Dijon, salt and pepper, garlic, and onion. Allow to marinate for two minutes and then add olive oil and mix well. Add tomatoes, celery, and cucumber, Tear basil leaves, and add to salad with romaine. Toss and serve immediately.

Additional Greens: radicchio, the heart of escarole, Arugula, chicory

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Strawberry Mascarpone Crepes as seen on George Hirsch Lifestyle

George Hirsch July 28, 2025

In a professional kitchen, crepes are prepared using several pans at a time, usually making hundreds in only a few minutes. Making crepes is all about rhythm. Once the batter is made and rested for at least 30 minutes, you are ready to go. Don’t fret the first couple of crepes not coming out perfect; just give them up as your practice warm-up, just like a batter taking his first pitch or the orchestra warming up in the pit. Once you are on a roll, you’ll find yourself making crepes for both sweet and savory.

Strawberry Mascarpone Crepes

Makes four servings

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Crepe Batter:

1 cup all-purpose flour

Pinch of salt

1 cup milk

2 egg yolks, lightly beaten

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon fine grated orange zest

2 Tablespoons sliced almonds, crushed

2 egg whites

1 Tablespoon granulated pure cane sugar

Place the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Slowly add the milk and egg yolks, using a whisk to avoid lumps. Do not overmix. Stir in the milk, cream, melted butter, orange zest, almonds, and vanilla.

Cover and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.

Before making the crepes, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Gradually add the granulated sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the flour mixture.

Preheat a crepe pan or a 7-inch nonstick skillet & lightly grease with melted butter or vegetable spray. When the pan is very hot, pour in 2 Tablespoons of the batter and swirl it around. Cook for 1 minute, turn, and cook for another minute on the other side. Remove and set aside. Crepes may be stacked one on top, up to ten high.

Continue making crepes with the remaining batter.

For Filling & Topping:

2 cups mixed berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries)

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1 Tablespoon granulated pure cane sugar

1/4 cup strawberry preserves or jam

1 Tablespoon brandy or Grand Manier

1 Tablespoon granulated pure cane sugar

Confectioners’ sugar

1/2 cup fresh, softened mascarpone or whipped cream

8 Fresh Mint leaves

In a large bowl, add mixed berries. Slice strawberries to be about the same size as the other berries. Add orange juice and 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar to the berries and toss.

Mix brandy with jam and place two teaspoons of raspberry jam in the center of each crepe; add a few mixed berries in the center of each crepe. Roll up and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.

Serve two crepes per serving with a dollop of fresh mascarpone or whipped cream, and top off the crepes with fresh mint leaves.

Chef Notes:

To achieve good volume and soft peaks on the egg whites, make sure there is no yolk in the whites and that the bowl is grease-free. A good tip to ensure a grease-free surface is to wipe out the bowl with a paper towel with just a drop of white vinegar before adding egg whites to the bowl.

To make the above recipe savory, omit from the batter the vanilla, orange rind, almonds, and granulated cane sugar. Replace regular melted butter with brown butter for a slightly roasted flavor; add 1 Tablespoon of fresh chopped herbs such as Italian parsley, basil, or chives.

Crepes are a great do-ahead consideration for your menu. No need to prepare at the last minute. Simply stack prepared crepes in stacks of about ten, and when cool, wrap in plastic film. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days or freeze for up to one month.

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Grilling Shoyu

George Hirsch July 25, 2025

Happy Friday! Shoyu is another name for Japanese soy sauce, made from fermented soybeans, barley, and salt. It was brought to Japan around the sixth century by Buddhist monks.

George’s Shoyu Chicken

Makes 4 - 6 servings

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One 3-pound chicken, cut into 8-10 pieces, or four 8-ounce *chicken breasts

Shoyu Marinade

Makes 1 1/4 cups

1/2 cup Japanese soy sauce

1/4 cup light or dark brown sugar

1 Tablespoon sesame oil

2 green onions (scallions), chopped

6 cloves garlic, chopped fine

1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped

1 teaspoon hot sauce

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir well.

Basting Sauce

2 Tablespoons sherry

2 Tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon fresh cilantro, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Pour the Shoyu marinade over the chicken and marinate overnight or for at least 3-4 hours in the refrigerator.

Preheat grill.

To make the basting sauce: combine the sherry, honey, cilantro, lemon juice, allspice, and nutmeg in a small bowl and mix well.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on the grill, turning every 8-10 minutes until fully cooked, 35 to 40 minutes. After 30 minutes of cooking, brush the chicken with the basting sauce. Serve hot, room temperature, or chilled. * if cooking chicken breasts, reduce the time to 4-6 minutes per side.

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Johnny Cakes as seen on George Hirsch Lifestyle

georgehirsch July 21, 2025

Johnny Cakes are an unleavened cornmeal flatbread and an early American staple. It is said to have its roots in New England, first cooked by the Algonquian Native inhabitants. Think of polenta like a pancake. Aka Jonnycake, Johnny cake, Journey cake, Shawnee cake, or Johnny bread are ideal to serve for breakfast, brunch, or supper in place of bread and biscuits. Dip, dunk, or soak up the juices from savory homemade Lamb Sausages and warming chowders or soups.

Johnny Cakes

Makes 6 large or 10-12 mini cakes

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1 cup Fine stone-ground yellow or white Cornmeal

1 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 1/4 - 1 1/2 and up to 1 3/4 Milk, variable

2 Tablespoons Butter or fat drippings to grease griddle

Good Quality Maple Syrup

Preheat griddle to 375 degrees or an iron skillet, or a sauté pan.

Mix all ingredients until just lightly combined until batter-like. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Cook Johnnycake in a well-greased griddle or pan with a little melted butter, bacon, or sausage drippings. Allow cakes to brown and crisp; turn cakes over once after about 3-4 minutes. Repeat. Top with melted butter and good maple syrup. Serve immediately

Option Seasoning: A classic Johnny Cake is neutral in taste, allowing whatever the cakes are served with to be the predominant flavor. However, seasoning may be added to spice up according to personal preferences with a pinch of ginger, allspice, nutmeg, or pumpkin spice.

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