Chefs of Loews Hotels Share Recipes for the Home Cook in the
“Soup’s On” Winter Warm-Up
NEW YORK, NY (December 9, 2010) –With temperatures dropping outside and winter weather settling in for the next few months, the Chefs of Loews Hotels offer a winter’s worth of soup recipes to help warm the soul. As part of the “Soup’s On” promotion, Loews’ Chefs in Philadelphia and Annapoliswill host cooking classes in February 2011 andfrom December 8 through March 16, 2011 Loews Hotels will post a weekly featured recipe on Facebook at
The soup recipes that will be highlighted are: Pumpkin Soup; Butternut Squash Soup with Lemon Crème Fraiche; “Everything” Chili; Truffle Edemame Dumpling and Mushroom Broth; Apple and Cheddar Soup; Bouillabaisse with a South Florida Twist; Matzo Ball Soup; Portuguese Soup; Pasta and Potato Soup; Blue Crab and Corn Soup; Cauliflower Soup with Scallop and Pancetta Hash; Italian Wedding Soup; Chestnut and Porcini Soup; and Split Pea Soup with Turkey Chorizo.
While the recipes are many of the chefs’ favorites from their childhood or from holiday traditions, some of the soups are offered on the respective hotel’s restaurant menu in Ocean & Vine at Loews Santa Monica and in “eat” at Loews Vanderbilt Hotel.
Enjoy! Bon appétite! Douzo meshiagare! Buon appetite!
Pumpkin Soup
Executive Chef Olivier Senoussaoui, Loews Annapolis Hotel, Annapolis, MD
“I like this pumpkin soup as it reminds me of the holidays and family gatherings at home in Chamiers (France). This is a tradition that I now cook for my family and friends; plus the presentation is always fun, colorful and impressive.”
Ingredients:
1 small pumpkin, about 4 ½ pounds
½ cup chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and white pepper to taste
Ground nutmeg to taste
Toasted croutons (whatever left over bread you have diced the bread and mixed with salt and pepper and a little bit of extra virgin oil baked in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
Yield: 6
Method:
For the soup preparation: Slice off the top of the pumpkin as evenly as possible, and scoop out and discard the seeds and stringy fiber. Delicately scoop out pumpkin flesh, being careful not to make a whole in the shell, as this will be used as a vessel to serve the soup. Cut the pumpkin flesh into cubes and place in a steamer basket over simmering water. Steam for about 20 minutes, or until fork-tender.
Place the chicken stock in a saucepan and warm over medium heat. Transfer the steamed pumpkin to the bowl of a food processor and process to a puree, adding the hot stock little by little. Place the mixture into a medium saucepan, add the heavy cream and mix thoroughly. Season to taste with salt, pepper and grated nutmeg. Bring to a boil over medium heat and let simmer gently for 7 minutes.
Pour the soup into the scooped out pumpkin shell. Sprinkle with the croutons and serve family style.
Butternut Squash Soup with Lemon Crème Fraiche and Nutmeg
Executive Chef Olivier Gaupin, Loews Atlanta Hotel, Atlanta, GA
“Butternut Squash defines the holiday season to me and I have always enjoyed the nostalgia it brings. The appearance of this soup on seasonal menus is a hint that the holiday season is very close, and it is one of the greatest first soups of the season. The flavor is excellent and I especially enjoy the rich and buttery texture.”
Ingredients:
4 cups of ½-inch diced Butternut squash
1 cup of ½-inch diced Sweet onions
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon of crushed garlic
6 cups of chicken broth or vegetable broth
4 tablespoons of butter
6tablespoons of crème fraiche
½ teaspoon of chopped fresh thyme
1 lemon zest
1 pinch of nutmeg
Yield: 8 - 10
Method:
In a medium sauce pan, on medium heat up 1 tablespoon of olive oil, add the onion before the oil gets too hot, cook the onions for 2-3 minutes add the butternut squash, garlic, lemon zest, fresh thyme and nutmeg.
Cook it all together slowly until all ingredients are soft, add the chicken or vegetable broth and simmer together for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside for 10 minutes.
Put the soup into a blender and mix at high speed, until smooth texture.
Divide in bowls evenly. Add a spoon of crème fraiche and sprig of tarragon
“Everything” Chili
Chef de Cuisine Aaron Dougherty, Loews Denver Hotel, Denver, CO
“My mom would make chili for me when I was sick. It is definitely a comfort dish for me. I ate so much of this when I was a little kid because I loved it. I always tried it with different combinations of garnishes.”
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons oil
½ yellow onion, diced
¼ cup garlic, minced
2 ½ pounds ground beef
5½ cups black beans
5½ cups Great Northern beans
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
2 cups salsa
1 cup Guinness beer
¾ cup dark chocolate, chips or bar cut into chunks
½ cup chili powder
1 tablespoonOldBay seasoning
1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs
1teaspoon cayenne pepper
1teaspoon granulated sugar
1 gallon water
½ cup sour cream
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
3 tablespoons scallions,
Salt and pepper to taste
Yield: 10 – 12 servings
Method:
Brown the garlic on low heat. Add onions and sweat until translucent. Add ground beef and brown. Add all the other ingredients through the water. Let simmer form one hour.
Serve in a bowl and garnish with shredded cheddar, a dollop of sour cream and pinch of chopped scallion served with a side of oyster crackers.
Truffle Edamame Dumplings and Mushroom Broth
Corporate Sushi Chef, Osamu “Fuji” Fujita
Loews Lake Las Vegas, Henderson, NV; Loews Miami Beach Hotel, Miami Beach, FL
“Soup can be very filling, and healthy, like this recipe made with edamame for good protein. This is something that reminds me of home, in Japan, where my family has a reputation for making good food.”
Ingredients:
4 dumplings
1 cup mushroom mirin broth
2 green onions, diced white part and julienne green stem
Enoki mushrooms, for garnish
Yield: 4 servings
Assembly:
Boil dumplings in water until clear and tender about 1-2 min. (Note: See instructions for dumplings and broth).
Place 4 dumplings in small tight fitting bowl. Top with mushroom broth, green onion and enokis. Garnish with julienned green onions.
Edamame Dumplings
Ingredients:
1 cupcooked edamame
½ cup milk
¼ cup butter
2 tablespoons truffle oil
salt and pepper, to taste
16 pieces won ton wrappers
Yield: 16 dumplings
Egg wash
1 egg
½ cup water
Method:
Boil edamame in milk and butter until tender. Grind to a mousse using milk, butter and truffle oil; season with salt and pepper.
Wrap 1 tablepsoon ofmix in center of won ton wrappers. Glue with egg wash to twist dumpling.
Mushroom Mirin Broth
Ingredients:
3 cups water
¼ cup dried shiitake mushrooms
½ tablespoon minced ginger
¼ cup sliced shallots
1 cup mirin
½ cup lite soy sauce
2 teaspoons oil
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Soak mushrooms in water until soft. Julienne the mushrooms. Save soaking liquid.
In medium sauce pan sauté mushrooms, shallots and ginger. Add salt and pepper to taste. In two minutes slowly add the mirin and reduce to medium heat. Reduce by half and add the reserved (soaking) liquid. Add soy sauce and taste. Use salt and pepper if necessary.
Apple and Cheddar Soup
Executive Chef Keith Roberts, Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, Los Angeles, CA
“The soup reminds me of winter ski trips with my family when we would have hot apple cider and a warm cheese soup. I blended the two together and added some new touches to play with the flavors.”
Ingredients:
3 Gala apples, small
1½ Granny Smith apples, large
2½ tablespoons butter, unsalted
3 stalks celery
½ teaspoon, fresh thyme, chopped
1 ½ tablespoons vegetable bouillon powder
3 cups extra sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup apple cider
¾ teaspoon Champagne vinegar
Yield: 6
Method:
Place all ingredients in a large stainless steel sauce pot and bring to a boil on high heat, simmer on low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Puree with a hand mixer in pot until smooth. Ladle into bowl and garnish with white cheddar crisp.
White Cheddar Crisps
Ingredients:
12 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup extra sharp white cheddar cheese
pinch of salt
pinch of ground cayenne pepper
pinch of ground nutmeg
8 tablespoons butter, unsalted
Method:
Heat the cheese until almost melted then blend with all other ingredients. Roll dough into 1.25 inch wide tube and refrigerate until firm. Slice very thin and place on baking sheet and bake at 350º until brown on edges.
Traditional Bouillabaisse with a South Florida Twist
Executive Sous Chef Frederic Delaire, Loews Miami Beach Hotel, Miami, FL
“Growing up in Southwest France, bouillabaisse was something my mother and grandmother made often; it was one of my favorites. When I moved to South Florida I loved the idea of taking the traditional components of the soup and adding in some local ingredients to put a slight twist to it. Every time I make this I get a reminder of home.”
Ingredients:
1 red onion
1 carrot
1 celery stalk
5 garlic cloves
1 fennel bulb
2 whole tomatoes
1 snapper filet
½ lb Florida shrimp
½ lb Florida clams
1 teaspoon saffron
2 tablespoons harissa
pinch of thyme
pinch of rosemary
½ cup tomato paste
pinch salt & pepper
4 cups white wine
3 tablespoons olive oil
Yield: 4 – 6 people
Method:
Dice all the vegetables, the snapper and shrimp into small pieces.
In a medium pot add the olive oil, and when hot add all the veggies and sauté for 5 minutes, slowly. Add the snapper, shrimp and clams, sauté for another 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, saffron, harissa, thyme, rosemary and let it cook for 5 minutes. Add the white wine and let it reduce slowly for 30 minutes. Add 4 cups of water, and salt and pepper, let it simmer slowly for 1 hour.
Once done use a blender to mix the (soup should get thicker) and smoother.
Matzo Ball Soup
Executive Chef Elaine Taubin, Loews Vanderbilt Hotel, NashvilleTN
“Making matzo ball soup with my mother and grandmother was such a great memory for me. Year after year, we would always watch the matzo balls go into the pot and with great anticipation and wonder; watch for them to spring up to the top. And when they did, I can remember all of us looking at each other with big smiles on our faces. Thiswas such a great sense of accomplishment and was hopeful that the coming year would also be filled with such great things!”
Broth
Ingredients:
1 each soup chicken, around 3 pounds
1 onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
4 cloves garlic
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ bunch parsley sprigs
Yield: 6 – 8 servings
Place oil in large pot. Get hot and add onion, celery, carrots and garlic. Let vegetables sweat. Add chicken and fill pot with water to cover chicken about 1 ½ gallon of cold water; bring to a boil. Simmer for about 2 hours. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Put into large container and chill over night. Skim fat off the top and save for matzo balls. Remove the chicken out of soup, pull meat to use at plating time.
Matzo Balls:
3 eggs
6 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons smaltz (chicken fat)
2/3 - 3/4 cup matzo meal
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
Whisk together eggs, water, smaltz. Add matzo meal, salt and pepper. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for about 5 hours. Wet hands with cool water, take matzo ball mixture and roll into balls. This should make about 12 balls. On stove have chicken soup simmering and drop balls into the soup. Once all the balls are in cover pot. Let simmer for about 45 minutes. Hopefully, matzo balls will float to the top of the pot.
Place some chicken and matzo balls in bowls. Ladle in soup, garnish with chop parsley.
Portuguese Soup
Executive Chef StephenCrocker, Loews Regency Hotel, New York, NY
“This is a wonderful winter soup. It is hearty so it is great on a cold, snowy Saturday afternoon. A good crusty bread is a must. Plus it is a relatively easy to make – the chopping takes the most time.”
Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic clove, chopped
3 tablespoon olive oil
½ pound beef sausage; chunked
5 cups beef stock
1 cup kidney beans, with liquid
½ cabbage, cored and chopped
6 potatoes, new, quartered
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup catsup
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
Yield: 12 servings
Method:
Pour oil into a large stock and sauté onions and garlic, until soft and transparent. Add sausage chunks and brown slightly. Add beef stock then rest of ingredients. Bring to a boil, stirring often to keep the bottom of the pot from burning.
Reduce heat, simmer 35-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Correct seasonings to taste.
Serve in a bowl with a side of crusty bread to sop up soup.
Pasta Potata – Pasta and Potato Soup
Executive Chef Luke Forzano, Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando, Orlando, FL
“It was twilight in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains in New YorkState while my brother and I played outside while the air smelled like snow. We went to bed in anticipation of a school closure, a day of sledding and having our first bowl of Pasta Pa-don (how our family pronounced it). We woke with excitement to a snow covered winter wonderland and to the smell of my father cooking garlic and oil in the kitchen. We grabbed our sleds and ran outside for a chilly day with the anticipation of being warmed by ‘Pasta Pa-don’.”
Ingredients:
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, sliced
10 Roma tomatoes
1 can Roma tomatoes, 16 ounces
6 sprigs oregano
6 sprigs basil
6 sprigs thyme
10 medium-sized potatoes, diced
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
4 cups chicken broth
1 pound pasta detalini, or of your choosing, cooked
Method:
Caramelize onions and garlic, once golden brown add red pepper flake and stir. Add fresh tomatoes and cook covered until water is cooked out, about 15 minutes. Add canned tomatoes and chicken stock. Blend with hand blender, until smooth. Add potatoes and herbs wrapped in cheese cloth. Cook potatoes until tender. Simmer for 45 minutes to one hour. Remove cheese cloth. Add cooked pasta, fresh basil and parsley.
Blue Crab and Corn Soup
Executive Chef Nando Belmonte, Loews Royal Pacific Resort, Orlando, FL
“This soup reminds me of my trip toThailand in 1985; it was one of my favorites and brings back fond memories.”
Ingredients:
1 cup onions, finely chopped
½ cup carrots, finely chopped
½ cup celery, finely chopped
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of Thai green curry
¾ cup red bell peppers, finely chopped
5 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 7 ears)
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 quarts crab stock, shrimp stock, or chicken stock
½ to 1 pound lump crab meat, picked over for shells and cartilage
1½ cups ½-inch cubed peeled russet potatoes
1 tablespoon salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup heavy cream
Fresh parsley, finely chopped, for garnish
1 whole fresh lime
2 Kaffir lime leaves
1 tablespoon green curry paste
Yield: 6 servings
Method:
Place an 8-quart stockpot over medium heat with olive oil. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and green curry andcook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the bell peppers and corn to the pot and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. Sprinkle the flour into the pot and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Pour the stock into the pot and stir to combine. Use a whisk if necessary to break up any lumps.
Add the potatoes to the pot and bring to a boil. Add Kaffir lime leaves then reduce to a simmer and continue to cook for 20 minutes. Season the chowder with the salt and cayenne pepper and stir in the cream. Puree all ingredients in blender until smooth. Return mixture to pot to ensure it is hot before serving.
Crab Mix
Ingredients:
¼ cup sweet corn,steamed
¼ cup red bell peppers, diced
½ teaspoon grain mustard
2 teaspoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon fresh cilantro, finely chopped