TORTILLA A LA ESPAÑOLA ( by Luisito

2 lbs French fries (if possible done from peeled raw potatoes cut in two and thinly sliced)

2 lbs. Fried onion up to a brownish colour

Cheddar cheese grated or sliced

1 Dried Spanish sausage (salamín) slice thin

12 eggs

¼ cup olive oil



Heat half of the oil in a good heavy Teflon coated frying pan.

Place half of the French fries on the bottom

Add half of the fried onion on top of the French fries.

Enough slice or grated Cheddar cheese to make another layer

Same with the Spanish sausage

The rest of the fried onion making another layer

The French fries as final layer



Very carefully move the frying pan so as to heat the oil evenly

Pour the beaten eggs.

Keep the frying pan on the move over low heat so as to cook evenly and slowly

Be sure the “tortilla” moves independently from the pan so it won´t stick when ready to turn.

When the egg is creamy on the top (and solid on the bottom), flip over a serving dish.

Heat the rest of the oil in the same frying pan.

Return the overturn tortilla by sliding it.

Couple of minutes moving the pan around and it is ready to serve.

It should be golden yellow on both sides and slightly creamy in the middle.



Great with a good Cabernet Sauvignon, but if you can find a Uruguayan Tannat “with some time in an oak barrel” you will achieve perfection.

Buen Apetito!

Luis

Broccoli RAbe, SAusage and Beans Soup

Broccoli Rabe, Sausage and Beans Soup
SERVES 4 -5
1 1/4 lbs sweet Italian sausage
1 onion, chopped
1 Potato (Large) diced
1 Carrot diced
1 head broccoli rabe, chopped
64 ounces chicken broth (8 cups)
31 ounces canned cannellini beans, rinsed (2 cans)
In a large saucepan, cook the sausage, breaking it up, over medium-high heat until browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate; discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from the saucepan.
Add the onion , potasto and carrot to the saucepan and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
Stir in the broccoli rabe and wilt. Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer; cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the sausage and beans and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes; season with salt and pepper.

Fugazzeta : two layers of very thin pizza dough stuffed with mozzarella cheese and topped with onions finished in a brick oven. Pay attention to the amount of cheese in this pizza. Photo taken in " EL Cuartito" in Buenos Aires .

Corn Fritters

2 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp. salt
2tbsp. sugar
1.25 cups milk
1/4 corn oil
4 eggs, beaten
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup of finely chopped fresh parsley
3 ears of corn cooked and dekerneld (Good use of leftover corn) or 2.5 cups of canned corn

Sift together dry ingredients. Add beaten eggs, milk, oil and drained corn and parsley . Drop by spoonfuls into hot oil and cook until done.
Eat with maple syrup or raspberry mayo.
Lick fingers

Carmelized onion and roasted shallot cream soup

Yield
8 servings

Ingredients
16 larges Shallots - peeled
1 tablespoon Olive oil
¾ cup Unsalted butter - (1-1/2 sticks)
3½ pounds Yellow onions - thinly sliced
2 tablespoons Brown sugar
¾ cup Cream sherry
1 tablespoon Dried thyme - crumbled
1 tablespoon Dried sage -
2 cups Chicken stock - OR canned low salt broth
1 cup Beef stock - or canned broth
3 cups Whipping cream
3 tablespoons Fresh thyme - minced (optional)
2 tablespoons Fresh parsley - chopped (optional)
½ teaspoon Tabasco
Salt and Pepper

1. 
   Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Toss shallots with oil in bowl. Arrange shallots on heavy large cookie sheet, spacing evenly. Bake until golden brown, turning occasionally, about 30 minutes.
3. Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and sugar and cook until onions carmelize, stirring frequently to prevent any sticking, about 50 minutes.
4. Add whole shallots, 1/2 cup sherry and dried herbs to onions. Cook until almost no liquid remains in pot, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
5. Add both stocks and simmer 25 minutes. Add cream and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to simmer before continuing.)
6. Add remaining 1/4 cup sherry, fresh thyme, parsley and Tabasco to soup. Season with salt and pepper.

Source: Bon Appetit - December, 1990 : Number of Servings: 8 .

Pumpkin and Peanut Butter Soup

For our Brokers Open at 3772 Powder Horn Dr in Buckingham Forest, Furlong Pa. I made this soup (idea from The New Basics Cookbook, one of my favorite.)





You can use pumpkin, butternut or acorn squash.


The easiest is canned pumpkin.


4tablespoons of butter


4 cups canned pumpkin


2 cups cooked pureed sweet potatoes


1 cup smooth peanut Butter


6 Cups of chicken stock


1 teaspoon black pepper


1 teaspoon salt


heavy cream for garnish (if you use plastic bottles like in the picture, you can make some nice designs)


hot sauce for garnish (sriracha Huy Fong Brand)


fresh chopped parsley for garnish





Melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the pumpkin, sweet potatoes and peanut butter


add the stock, salt and pepper and stir well until smooth, heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.


When you are ready to serve, add in each bowl a squirt of heavy cream, 3o4 drops of hot sauce


and a bit of chopped parsley leaves.





Serves 8 (can be doubled)



Note: One can of Pumpkin is about 3 cups and one large can of sweet potatoes is also about 3 cups. That is what I used and it came out great.

Baked Winter Sqaush Soup:

2 acorn squash
2 buttenut squash
8 tablespoons of butter8teaspoons of brown sugar
3 carrots peeled and halved
1 large onion quartered
10 cups of chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon of nutmeg (or mace)
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3 splashes of hot stuff
salt
heavy cream



Preheat oven to 350F
Cut the squash in half. With cavities facing up put a tablespoon of butter in each cavity, then 1 teaspoon of the brown sugar . Arrange the carrots and the onions in the pan arround the squash.
pour 2 cups of the broth and cover tightly, place in the oven for 2 hours.

Remove pan from oven allow to cool a bit so you can handle the veggies. Scoop with a spoon the flesh of the vegetables and put them in a pot. Add the carrots, the onionosn and the cooking liquid plus the 8 remaining cups of broth. Add the mace the ginger hot stuff and salt. boil simmering for about 10 minutes.


Let cool a bit and puree all in the blender. reheat serve hot and add the cream in the soup bowl when you are serving.