Mischa DeHart

Garlic and Herb Deviled Eggs Hope you all had a fantastic...

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 14:29:54 -0500

Garlic and Herb Deviled Eggs

Hope you all had a fantastic holiday if you celebrated. I enjoy reading your messages and emails. :)

Papardelle with sautéed crimini and spinach in a mushroom...

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 13:04:53 -0600

Papardelle with sautéed crimini and spinach in a mushroom velouté.

Garnished with shaved parmigiano.

Potage VertWatercress and potato soup with crème fraîche and...

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 12:37:03 -0600

Potage Vert

Watercress and potato soup with crème fraîche and caviar.

Steamed mussel soup, garlic toast.

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 16:00:25 -0600

Steamed mussel soup, garlic toast.

Pan fried scallops, fresh pea soup, bacon garnish.

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 13:48:29 -0600

Pan fried scallops, fresh pea soup, bacon garnish.

I’m pulling out my Red Chard Surprise recipe for this...

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 09:59:27 -0500

I’m pulling out my Red Chard Surprise recipe for this perfect fall day. I almost forgot about this deliciousness:

http://www.culinaryculture.com/recipe/Red_Chard_Surprise/r,T

Bo Ssäm from the Momofuku cookbook I spent a few days in NYC...

Mon, 11 Oct 2010 12:50:34 -0500

Bo Ssäm

from the Momofuku cookbook

I spent a few days in NYC recently and had an amazing dinner at Momofuku with Mike Bodge, his fiance Michelle, Zach Klein, and Chuck Forman.

So I tried to recreate it with the help of my Momofuku cookbook. It turned out great, but the smell of the pork.. all. day. long.. I think it’ll be a long time before I can stomach making it again. :)

This guy decided to hang out in our backyard yesterday...

Thu, 07 Oct 2010 12:26:00 -0500

This guy decided to hang out in our backyard yesterday morning.

These photos inspired the most hilarious story ever written. My account of the hawk.

Where should I have lunch in NYC before I fly back home to Chicago this afternoon?

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 10:10:17 -0500

Where should I have lunch in NYC before I fly back home to Chicago this afternoon?

do you have a favorite fall soup recipe? during the fall/winter i like to make soup every other week or so and am looking for ideas and thought. . who better to ask than you!

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 11:57:00 -0500

I LOVE LOVE LOVE soup!!!!

The most integral part of a great soup is the broth, so start there. I like to use either a vegetable or chicken-based stock. My favorite is the vegetable stock. I’ve always had a hard time finding a great vegetable-based stock recipe, so I took it in my own hands and created this one! Roasting the veg and mushrooms creates a beautiful golden-colored stock.

Vegetable Broth

(Preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit)

2 large onions, peeled and cut into quarters
1 head of garlic, washed and cut in half
4-5 stalks of celery (with leaves), cut into 4-inch sections
1 large carrot, cut in half length-wise
2 turnips, cut in half
1 parsnip, cut in half lengthwise
8 ounces cleaned mushrooms
olive oil
bay leaf
2 teaspoons peppercorns
2 Tbs kosher salt

Place the vegetables and mushrooms in a large oven-proof pot. Drizzle with 1/4 cup of olive oil and roast in the oven uncovered for 45 minutes, stirring once half-way through. Remove the pot from the oven and place on the stove. Deglaze the pot with 2 cups of water, scraping up all the brown bits if any. Add 10 cups of water (or as much as your pot holds- an inch from the top) and add the bay leaf, peppercorns, and kosher salt. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 45 more minutes. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for 3 months.

To make chicken stock follow the same method, just substitute 2lbs of chicken parts (I like to use 1 neck and back, and 2 whole legs) for the mushrooms and simmer for an additional hour or so. When making chicken stock be sure to refrigerate the stock after it has cooled and remove the fat that has accumulated and cooled on the top. It’s an easier method than skimming off fat off of a hot stock with a ladle.

Ok, now back to soup. Making pureed soups is definitely one of my favorite soups to make because the vegetable combinations are endless which is perfect for using up your fresh seasonal produce. Thinned-out pureed soups also make beautiful sauces. The basics:

Start with sweating off an onion, a leek, or some garlic (or all three)
Next add the spices (saffron, thyme, oregano, etc.) Sweat them off for a minute with a little sea salt.
Add the one or two main ingredients and cook for 5-10 minutes on medium heat.**
Add the stock and simmer for about 35-40 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft
Add cream, butter, both, or neither.
Puree the soup in a blender (be careful!!!) or a hand blender
Check seasoning and adjust salt/pepper
Push the soup through a sieve for a smoother texture or leave it as is for a more rustic texture.

** My favorite main ingredients to use for pureed soups:

Cauliflower and Lemon Oil (add a drizzle of lemon oil as garnish) I add a tad of cream to this recipe.
Potato and Leek. Who doesn’t love a great vichyssoise? Cream in this one too. I keep this recipe on the rustic side and don’t push it through a sieve.
Pea
Tomato
Jerusalem Artichoke
Acorn Squash and Carrot with a dollop of creme fraiche. I like to roast squashes in the oven before adding them in, in step 3.
Asparagus
Mushroom. I definitely like this one to have a super rustic texture.

With that.. here’s my recipe for Acorn Squash and Carrot soup.

Ingredients:

1 Acorn squash, halved and roasted* then peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large white onion, diced
2 leeks, (white part only) sliced
2 sprigs of thyme, minced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 medium sized carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inches slices
8 cups of homemade vegetable stock

Method:

* To roast the acorn squash: Cut the squash in half, place on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes.

Sweat off the onion, leeks, and garlic in a large heavy-bottom pot over medium heat for 8-10 minutes.

Add the minced thyme and cook for a minute. Add the squash and carrot and cook for 5-10 minutes.

Add the stock, bring to a boil and then simmer for 40 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft.

Puree the soup in batches in a blender (Be careful!! So scary!) or with a hand blender. Return to the pot and check/adjust seasoning.

Garnish with Creme Fraiche, a fresh sage leaf, and some fresh cracked pepper!

I could go on and on about soup, so I’ll just leave you with a few of my other favorite soup recipes!

French Lentil Soup

French Onion Soup

Curried Chicken and Coconut Milk Soup

Chicken Noodle Soup

did your husband really start threadless.com!!!? as in the famous AWESOME t-shirt website? No joke?

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 10:44:42 -0500

Yes! No joke!

I love your site! All the food looks so delicious, I wish I had a personal chef as talented as you are.

I was in San Francisco this summer and had a wonderful meal at E&O Trading Co. My favorite part of the meal were the shiitake mushroom dumplings in a foie gras miso sauce. Do you have any favorite dumpling recipes I could use to try to replicate this, and maybe an alternative to the foie gras, which the rest of my family won't eat? I'm just a beginner in the kitchen, so go easy on me! Thanks!

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 10:42:00 -0500

Hi there!

My favorite dumpling recipe is actually this simple pork and kimchi recipe. I substitute the kimchi with fresh napa cabbage (be sure to salt and drain before filling wrappers) and garlic chives when I want a lighter dumpling.

If you’re look for a more impressive dumpling, try these Shiitake Pork Dumplings in Shiitake Mushroom Broth. Add some miso to the broth to make it more like the dish you had in San Francisco.

I also like Steamy Kitchen’s tips on pleating dumplings and salting/draining cabbage.

Let me know how it goes!

I’ll be in NYC the 29th-1st. Want to meet up?

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 12:15:14 -0500

I’ll be in NYC the 29th-1st. Want to meet up?

Pork Loin and Short Rib Ramen (before broth)

Mon, 20 Sep 2010 14:50:44 -0500

Pork Loin and Short Rib Ramen (before broth)

Pork Belly Canapes with Pickled Radish and Scallions I made...

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 15:17:00 -0500

Pork Belly Canapes with Pickled Radish and Scallions

I made these little guys for our block party last weekend. I find it awkward cooking for (semi) strangers. They’re often unfamiliar with ingredients (in this case a pickled radish. They’d say, “What is this pink thing?” “It’s ginger.” another would say. *facepalm*), they botch my effort by saucing the canapes with ketchup or mustard, or they refuse to believe that I had made everything from scratch (in this case the buns). Maybe it’s a just a generational thing. Or a regional thing. I guess I have little in common with the midwestern semi-homemade generation and their beloved crock-pots. I never grew up around that.

We also smoked a pork shoulder all day for pulled pork sandwiches with fresh coleslaw. It was a celebration of the pig from us to our neighbors!

September Peach Salad with mixed greens, frisée, pecans, and...

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 14:05:13 -0500

September Peach Salad

with mixed greens, frisée, pecans, and shaved parmesan in a white balsamic vinaigrette.

Acorn Squash Soup with Sage Creme Fraiche From Tuesday’s...

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 12:24:00 -0500

Acorn Squash Soup with Sage Creme Fraiche

From Tuesday’s dinner party. I had an acorn squash from the garden that I had no idea what to do with. My motto: When in doubt, make soup! I used a smoked chicken stock base. I think it was a good choice for my first Fall-ish dinner party.

A few weeks ago I had the amazing opportunity to have dinner...

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:52:00 -0500

A few weeks ago I had the amazing opportunity to have dinner with Gail Simmons, her husband Jeremy, her parents, and Blackberry Farm owners Sam and Mary Celeste Beall. It was so great meeting Gail’s parents for the second time and hearing some of their personal commentary on their famous daughter. Over the course of my weekend with Gail and Sam Beall, I learned so many valuable things about the food industry in addition to critiquing food. The experience has left me inspired to say the least.

More photos here.

Sunday Lunch Grilled pork loin and cheese sandwiches and a...

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:32:35 -0500

Sunday Lunch

Grilled pork loin and cheese sandwiches and a homegrown garden salad with heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onion.

Korean Night

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:59:00 -0500

Jacob bought a bunch of flank steak to test our new freezer in the garage before we bring home our bison at the end of September. I’ve made variations of flank steak tacos twice this week and am officially taking a break from the tortilla for a while.

I decided to go the Korean route with dinner last night after some inspiration from the Momofuku cookbook. This is my Interpretation of their Hanger Steak recipe. The ginger scallion sauce in that book is an incredibly delicious and perfect accompaniment to steak.

Korean Lettuce Wraps Marinated flank steak, rice, ginger scallion sauce, kimchi (and a little sriracha)