Bologna Inspired

Food is one of the most powerful gifts we can give ourselves and the people we love. When life feels overwhelming, a warm bowl of soup has a way of slowing everything down and reminding us that nourishment — real, soulful nourishment — is always within reach. This creamy tortellini soup is exactly that kind of dish. Simple, honest, and made with heart. —  

I’ve spent decades championing the idea that great food doesn’t have to be complicated — it just has to be made with intention. This creamy tortellini soup brings my philosophy to life in every spoonful. Cheese-filled pasta, tender spinach, and a rich tomato-cream broth come together in under 30 minutes to create something truly comforting. Add Italian sausage, fragrant garlic, and fresh basil to make it your own. Use refrigerator-aisle tortellini for the best texture, and let the act of cooking itself be a source of joy and restoration. 

Tortellini Basil Soup

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 cup sweet onion, chopped

8 cloves caramelized garlic

1 cup canned San Marzano Tomatoes, chopped

4 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

1 quarter cup fresh spinach leaves, shredded

8 cups chicken or vegetable broth

8 ounces cheese tortellini

1 cup small white beans, cooked or canned (optional, added for extra protein)

Pinch nutmeg

Grated parmesan cheese to taste

Fresh ground black pepper

Preheat a medium soup pot to medium temperature.

Add olive oil, onion, garlic, and tomatoes, and cook for 4-5 minutes.  Pour in broth and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and add tortellini, spinach, basil, and white beans. Simmer until tortellini are al dente and season with nutmeg and pepper. Add parmesan cheese to taste. Serve with a basil leaf on top. 

NOTE: This recipe requires a good-quality tortellini if you are cooking the pasta in the broth. A lesser quality tortellini will make the soup starchy. If you are not sure of the quality, cook the tortellini separately and add pasta to the soup right before serving. 

Everyone loves a great pizza, CLICK to WATCH how to make your own Hand Tossed Pizza.

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13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

$19.95

AS SEEN ON PUBLIC TELEVISION & CREATE TV- SEASON ONE
FEATURING CHEF GEORGE HIRSCH DEMONSTRATING HIS SAVORY COOKING, BAKING AND GRILLING RECIPES; WITH HIS EXPERT CULINARY TIPS & TECHNIQUES, ALONG WITH VISITS TO HIS INSPIRING HAMPTON LOCATIONS.

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Gather 'Round the Grill Cookbook, Vintage (new)

$50.00

LIMITED OFFER, LIMITED EDITION, signed by Chef George.

From the original Grilling TV Series host, 200 Fabulous Recipe—Celebrating the joyous rituals of sharing food at year-round festivities, the star of PBS's Grilling with Chef George Hirsch provides a wealth of recipes and ideas for great party foods, plus advance preparation tips to ease the strain of last minute chores.

• Hardcover: 310 pages

• Publisher: Hearst Books-HarperCollins; 1St edition (June 12, 1995)

• Language: English

• ISBN-10: 0688142257

• ISBN-13: 978-0688142254

• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 8.1 x 1.3 inches

• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds

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George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

$24.95

This easy to live with lifestyle plan; with more than 165 of George's easy-to-prepare gourmet recipes, you can lose weight, maintain energy, look better, and enjoy a longer active life, by eating great food!
M.Evans and Company, Inc.

George Starts your year off right!

George Hirsch Living it UP
Recipes for a Healthy Active Life
Product Details
Hardcover: 240 pages; $24.95
Publisher: M. Evans and Company, Inc.; 2000
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0871319241
ISBN-13: 978-0871319241
Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches

Creative Cooking tips
Fast Easy recipes that allow for an active lifestyle
A 30-Day Menu Plan you can adapt throughout the year
Support and motivation for staying on a healthy eating & exercise routine
Tips for easy food shopping & eating healthy on the run

Each book is personally autographed by George Hirsch.

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Cranberry Hootycreeks

CLICK to STREAM FULL SHOWS

I always look forward to this time of year, sharing a post from my dearest friend and co-author of four of my cookbooks. I've enjoyed many days with laughter with Marie and her husband Frank's great espresso. A tradition in my book for the Christmas season, I hope you make Marie's Hootycreeks a holiday tradition too. 

Guest holiday post + recipe today by Marie Bianco, my dear friend, food writer, and author. 

Edible holiday gifts always make a hit, and this one is about as easy as it can get. Even school-age children can get into the act. 

The cookie ingredients are layered in a wide-mouth canning jar, which you can buy for about a buck each. Make sure you get the wide-mouth ones because it’s easier to get the ingredients into those jars rather than the narrow-neck ones. If you’re planning on making a large quantity of mix for all those people on your list who you want to give “a little something,” invest in a wide-mouth funnel.

Tap each layer down in the order given. Once the lid is in place, cut a circle of gingham or holiday fabric and fasten it with a rubber band. Then tie a ribbon around the jar and include the recipe directions printed out on the computer or written in your best handwriting.

Cranberry Hootycreeks

1 jar Cranberry Hootycreek Mix

½ cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter, egg, and vanilla. Add the Cranberry Hootycreek Mix by hand until the mixture is well blended. Drop by tablespoons onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges just begin to brown. Transfer to a wire rack and cook. Makes 18 to 24 cookies.

Cranberry Hootycreeks Mix

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

½ cup old-fashioned oats

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

½ cup dried cranberries

½  cup white chocolate chips

½ cup chopped pecans

Layer the ingredients in the order given into a 1-quart, wide-mouth canning jar. Pack each layer into place before adding the next ingredient.

Attach a gift tag with the mixing and baking directions.

A Cookie Legend

A long-time friend who assisted me during a TV marathon passed along his connection to Hooty Creeks. Now, David related to me that the name of these cookies originated in the mountains of North Carolina. An uncle of his named Bubba “Hooty” Gibson operated a still way back up in the hollows near a creek where they got water for the still. To pass the time in the fall, they would pick wild blueberries and black walnuts to make cookies. These cookies became well known in the area as “Hooty’s Creek” cookies. Well, as fate would have it, some Yankee Revenues found the still and the recipe for the cookies. They took it back up north, where they changed the recipe to cranberry “Hootycreek” cookies, and they have been famous ever since.

Thank you, David, for passing along the legend of Hootycreeks.

HOMEMADE BISCOTTI IS ANOTHER PERFECT HOLIDAY GIFT

George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

$24.95

This easy to live with lifestyle plan; with more than 165 of George's easy-to-prepare gourmet recipes, you can lose weight, maintain energy, look better, and enjoy a longer active life, by eating great food!
M.Evans and Company, Inc.

George Starts your year off right!

George Hirsch Living it UP
Recipes for a Healthy Active Life
Product Details
Hardcover: 240 pages; $24.95
Publisher: M. Evans and Company, Inc.; 2000
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0871319241
ISBN-13: 978-0871319241
Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches

Creative Cooking tips
Fast Easy recipes that allow for an active lifestyle
A 30-Day Menu Plan you can adapt throughout the year
Support and motivation for staying on a healthy eating & exercise routine
Tips for easy food shopping & eating healthy on the run

Each book is personally autographed by George Hirsch.

Add to Cart

Gather 'Round the Grill Cookbook, Vintage (new)

$50.00

LIMITED OFFER, LIMITED EDITION, signed by Chef George.

From the original Grilling TV Series host, 200 Fabulous Recipe—Celebrating the joyous rituals of sharing food at year-round festivities, the star of PBS's Grilling with Chef George Hirsch provides a wealth of recipes and ideas for great party foods, plus advance preparation tips to ease the strain of last minute chores.

• Hardcover: 310 pages

• Publisher: Hearst Books-HarperCollins; 1St edition (June 12, 1995)

• Language: English

• ISBN-10: 0688142257

• ISBN-13: 978-0688142254

• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 8.1 x 1.3 inches

• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds

Add to Cart

Sold out

13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

$19.95

AS SEEN ON PUBLIC TELEVISION & CREATE TV- SEASON ONE
FEATURING CHEF GEORGE HIRSCH DEMONSTRATING HIS SAVORY COOKING, BAKING AND GRILLING RECIPES; WITH HIS EXPERT CULINARY TIPS & TECHNIQUES, ALONG WITH VISITS TO HIS INSPIRING HAMPTON LOCATIONS.

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More Than Potatoes

I had an enjoyable afternoon tea, at yet another one of my favorite Ireland locations with great history, Adare Manor, with mega TV chef and cookbook author Rachael Allen (Yes, the Allen Family from Ballymaloe). 

VIDEO: Watch the Segment. Rachel and I shared our foodie stories and the like beginnings in our culinary careers. See why Ireland's cuisine is more than just potatoes.

George Has Tea with Ireland's Rachel Allen

Mother Earth, Ireland

I know I have raved more than once about Myrtle Allen + Ballymaloe in Ireland. She has touched my heart and left me and my TV crews with food memories that we will always cherish. So join me as she gives me a glimpse into how she made necessity a destination that keeps people from all over the world coming back for more.

Watch The TV Segment

George Hirsch Lifestyle TV Segment: Video Travel Ireland

Mr. Softee

OK. I admit it, I am a softie - didn't you know all chefs are sensitive? But I am referring to one of America's number one indicator of the summer season, the jolly jingle of the Mister Softee truck. Yes, I have featured the best gelato in the world, but the dipped cones and tall shakes from the Mister Softee truck hold a special place in most people's hearts, a bit of nostalgia. 

Here's the scoop on Mister Softee:

Back in 1956 soft ice cream was a big hit with the public, being sold exclusively in roadside stands and restaurants until Mister Softee took to the road with the first mobile truck unit. Mister Softee is America's oldest and largest franchisee of soft ice cream trucks. You'll find hundreds of Mister Softee soft ice cream trucks from coast to coast. Mister Softee was founded by two brothers, William and James Conway, in 1956. On St. Patricks day of that year - (Yet another connection to Ireland; It's following me everywhere.) Bill and Jim took their first truck and gave out green colored ice cream in the neighborhoods of West Philadelphia. 

For more info on Mister Softee