Chickens rule the roost

Whenever I see whole chickens on sale, I usually buy four.

The largest and plumpest I roast Zuni Cafe-style, which makes a pretty good dinner for three or four people.

The other three I cut up and divide thus: chicken wings (tips go into the stock pot); skinless chicken thighs (perfect for mole or gumbo); skinless whole breasts; livers, to be sautéed and then saved for Cajun boudin or dirty rice; and everything else goes into the stock pot.

To make a good rich stock, about 3 quarts from the trimmings, I season the pot with a little salt; peppercorns; a bay leaf; the middle of a celery stalk, with leaves; and a carrot or two; then cover with water. This is brought to almost a boil, then turned down low to simmer, usually overnight, or until the meat is close to falling off the bones. After cleanup from the Zuni chicken, I throw the drippings and whatever bones are left into the pot, too.

I usually drain the stock while it is still warm, but don't strain it through cheesecloth until I need to for certain recipes. I chill it and skim off the fat (I save the schmaltz for a while, in case there's some cookbook recipe that calls for it, but I usually end up pitching it, since I limit the amount of animal fat in my diet). I measure out the broth in several size containers: 1 cup, 1.5 cup, 2 cup and 3 cup; then I label and freeze.

Then comes the most time-consuming part: I pick out any choice meat that's left, which is usually about a quart bag full, and label it for a later chicken soup. That goes into the freezer, too, unless I'm making soup that day.

If you aren't taking out your garbage in the next couple of hours, put the remains in a bag and freeze it. Then dump the frozen bag in the garbage when you take it out.

I've tried to get my cat interested in the gizzards and hearts, but so far, no luck. I use a lot more of the chicken when I have a dog.

Vegetarian avocado soup

Daniel Hoyer's "Mayan Cuisine: Recipes from the Yucatán Region" is a fabulous cookbook, in presentation, depth and photographs by Marty Snortum (the photo to the right is copyrighted by Gibbs Smith). I'm working on a review of this excellent book, but for a taste of it, here's Crema de Aguacate. It can be served hot or cold and I made it last night as a vegetarian dish, just substituting vegetable broth (my favorite is Seitenbacher instant) for the chicken. Make it vegan as well by substituting coconut cream (a can of Thai Kitchen full fat coconut milk, refrigerated then drained of the thin part, will get you about the amount you'll need for this recipe) for the light cream and use all the juice from half a lime.

Crema de Aguacate
Avocado Soup

"Both hot and versions of this soup are found around the Yucatán. This recipe may be used either way. I use the cold version as an appetizer or palate cleanser in a multi-course meal and serve it warm with some crispy bacon crumbles along with some white rice as a light supper or lunch entree."

Tester's note: Serve it quickly, because the small amount of lime juice isn't strong enough to keep the avocados from turning an unappetizing shade of brown for very long. Adapted from "Mayan Cuisine" (Gibbs Smith, $35, 224 pages).

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup tomato, charred then chopped
1 or 2 serrano, yellow hot, New Mexican green or jalapeño chilies or 1/2 chile habanero, well charred and seeded (tested with two jalapeños)
4 cloves garlic, toasted and peeled
2 to 3 Mexican avocado leaves, toasted and ground, or 1/4 teaspoon toasted and ground anise seed (used latter)
3-1/2 cups chicken broth (tested with vegetarian broth)
3 large ripe avocados (Hass preferred)
1/3 cup light cream or half-and-half
1 tablespoon lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish suggestions
Vegan/vegetarian: Chopped cilantro, thinly sliced radishes, tortilla chips, pickled red onion, lime slices, sour cream or Mexian crema
Omnivore: Chicharrones or crumbled bacon

Instructions
Sauté the onion in the oil until soft and just beginning to brown. Add the chopped tomato and fry 2 minutes more.
Add the chilies, garlic, ground avocado leaves or anise seed and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
Peel, pit and coarsely chop the avocados and add to the broth with the cream and lime juice.
Pureée in a blender, adjust for salt and pepper and serve warm with your choice of garnishes, or chill to serve cold later.

In praise of soup

Soup, real soup, not someone's idea of soup that comes out of a can, is both comforting and economical. With a little care, mostly in attention to spices and making sure the elements are not overcooked so that they arrive on the palate in a goopy mess, you can transform yesterday's gourmet news from history into a new beginning. To begin, think about the spices that were used in preparation of your leftover vegetables and meats. Many vegetables can be neutralized by rinsing, but the spices usually cook into the meats, so if you're using meat, take your cue from whatever spices were used on it. For a winter soup, make it more hardy than brothy. Leftover couscous or pasta can effectively thicken your soup, but take care that it doesn't settle in at the bottom of the pot and stick. To make it special, put something fresh in: A handful of kale ribbons, a grilled chicken breast, or a sprinkling of arugula on top when it's served. If you do a puréed vegetable soup, add a drizzle of whipped yogurt or a dollop of aioli, a grating of ginger or lemon peel. Sometimes a little touch can raise a homey soup to a dinner worth coming home to. And don't forget some hot, crusty bread to go along with it!

Souper celebration

St. Paul's Memorial Church's first Guadalupe Day service and dinner to raise money for PACEM was enjoyed by about 50 people on Dec. 12, 2008. Here, as promised to those who asked, is the recipe I used for the tortilla soup. Meredith Frazee (who turns 7 today) made the quesadillas to go with them; and many, many thanks to Pam Dennison who made the delicious flan. Many thanks, too, to the many hands who made the work light, especially Jane Rotch who chopped the onions, and Lisa Inlow and Jim Richardson who diced the jalapeños. And gratitude beyond measure to the cleanup crew, spearheaded by Simeon Fitch.

Tortilla soup
Prep time: 15 minutes / Cook time: 1 hour / Serves: 6

I adapted this recipe from the soup served at The Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas. -- Lori Korleski Richardson

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 cups diced onions
1 15-ounce can tomato puree
1 15-ounce can small dice tomatoes
1 large can Ortega diced chilies
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon epazote (optional)
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 large bay leaf
1½ quarts chicken stock
½ cup frozen corn
½ cup frozen peas
4 tortillas chips, crunched up
Garnish
Fresh lemon wedges
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (or 1 tablespoon epazote)
2 fresh jalapeno chilies, chopped
1 cooked, whole skinless, boneless chicken breast, seasoned with cumin and salt, cut into thin strips
1 large ripe avocado, peeled, seeded and cut into small cubes
1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the onions and cook 5 minutes. Add the tomato puree, tomatoes, chilies, cumin, epazote (if using), coriander, bay leaf and stock. Bring to a boil. Add corn and peas. Lower heat and simmer for 40 minutes. Prepare garnishes while soup is cooking.

Process soup through a food mill if desired. Season soup to taste. Ladle over tortilla chips into warm bowls and garnish as desired, with fresh squeezed lemon and the other garnishes. Serve immediately.

Soup bones for healthy bones

To get more calcium into your soup, the Ohio State University Extension suggests adding 1-2 tablespoons of vinegar when simmering soup bones, to transfer some of the calcium from the animal bones into the broth as it cooks.

Countdown to turkey day

In case you are new to this blog, there was a posting last month on how to do-ahead much of your Thanksgiving dinner so the cook can enjoy the day, too. Recipes for most of these dishes can be found here. To recap, here is the timetable:

Start cooking Sunday; buy bird Wednesday.

Sunday: Make the apple cake and/or the pumpkin ice cream pie and freeze (the sauces can be refrigerated).

Monday: Make the Gulliver's Corn. Refrigerate.

Tuesday: Make the Curried Cream of Pumpkin Soup and the Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes. Blanch the green beans and make the sauce for that dish. Refrigerate.

Wednesday: Pick up a fresh turkey, allowing 3/4 to 1 pound per person. Make stock from the neck and giblets. Make stuffing and gravy; refrigerate. Wash turkey in cold water and dry well; cover and refrigerate. Set the table and cover with a sheet. Take the cake out of the freezer and thaw overnight in the fridge.

Thursday: Determine when you would like to eat. Calculate the cooking time, stuff the turkey, place it on a rack in a large roasting pan and bake as directed. If you don't stuff the turkey, put the dressing into a loaf pan and cook it with the turkey for 45 minutes to an hour. Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest for 45 minutes while you heat the soup, the gravy and vegetable sauce on the stove, and bake the potatoes and corn in the 350-degree oven. Take out the green beans from the fridge. After 25-30 minutes, take out the potatoes and corn and crank up the oven to 400 degrees. Meanwhile, serve the soup and urge everyone to start without you. Carve the turkey. Remove the stuffing to a serving dish, or slice it from the loaf pans. Toss the green beans with the sauce. Turn down the oven to 350 degrees. Serve and enjoy!

For dessert, put the apple cake into the oven 10 minutes before you're ready to serve. Heat up the sauce. Serve up the cake and top with sauce. Or soften the ice-cream pie a bit by putting it in the refrigerator before sitting down to eat, then serve it with its sauce after the meal.