IDEA ALLEY : Potato soup recipe a ‘cheesy’ sensation
Posted on Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Recipes that appear in Idea Alley have not been tested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Sandy Thompson of White Hall submits another recipe requested by Dorothy Hoggatt of Searcy for potato soup like that served at the Olive Garden restaurant. “What I have is not from the Olive Garden, but we consider this a favorite in our family this time of year,” Thompson writes, “and I know anyone who tries this will enjoy it.”
Favorite Potato Soup 6 to 8 slices bacon 2 tablespoons vegetable OR olive oil 1 / 2 cup chopped onion 1 / 2 cup chopped carrots 1 / 2 rib of celery, chopped 6 cups peeled, cubed potatoes 2 to 3 (14 1 / 2-ounce ) cans of chicken broth 1 1 / 2 pounds Velveeta cheese, cubed 1 / 2 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne ), or to taste In a heavy skillet, cook bacon until crisp, drain and set aside. In a large, heavy pot, such as a Dutch oven, over medium-low heat, heat oil. Add chopped onion, carrots and celery; cook about 2 minutes, until onion is clear, but not brown. Add potatoes and enough chicken broth to cover. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook about 10 minutes until potatoes are fork tender. If mixture seems too thick, add more chicken broth. Turn off heat and add cheese cubes. Cover and stir occasionally until cheese melts. Crumble bacon and add to soup. Add ground red pepper. (There is usually no need for salt in this recipe. ) To reheat, do not heat over direct heat: use a microwave oven or double boiler. The cheese will burn if it is heated over direct heat. This classic Turkish dish is shared by Walter Ely of Little Rock.
Turkish Eggplant Casserole 2 eggplants (see note ) 1 teaspoon salt, divided use 1 large onion, peeled, sliced 3 large tomatoes, peeled, chopped 6 cloves garlic, peeled, finely chopped 1 bunch EACH fresh parsley (see note ), dill and basil, finely chopped 1 / 2 cup olive oil, divided use 1 ounce water 1 tablespoon granulated sugar Lemon wedges, for serving Cut eggplants in half lengthwise. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and leave to weep for 5 minutes. Rinse well and place halves side by side in a wide pan, flesh side up. In a bowl, mix onion, tomatoes, garlic, parsley, dill, basil, the remaining salt and a little of the oil. Carefully pile mixture high on each eggplant half until all eggplant flesh is covered. Mix remaining oil and water with the sugar and pour over and around eggplants. Cover pan and cook gently for 1 to 2 hours over low heat. Occasionally baste with oil, pushing onion and tomato mixture down into eggplant halves as they cook. The eggplants should end up soft and flat, completely filled with mixture, sitting in slightly caramelized flavored oil. Let cool in the oil. Transfer to a serving dish, spoon oil over them, and serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over them. Note: Turks prefer the small Japanese eggplants and flat-leaf parsley, Ely says. Recipe from Classic Turkish Cooking by Ghillie Basan, St. Martin’s Press. Jean Goodwin of Little Rock shares a Chocolate Fudge recipe that sounds foolproof and easy to make. It uses Hershey’s chocolate chips and marshmallow creme. Jean’s Chocolate Fudge 2 sticks butter OR margarine 3 (6-ounce ) packages Hershey’s chocolate chips 1 (8-ounce ) jar marshmallow creme 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 cups coarsely chopped nuts 4 1 / 2 cups granulated sugar 1 (12-ounce ) can evaporated milk Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or line it with aluminum foil and set aside. (If using foil, you can use it to lift the fudge out of the pan to a good place to cut it and then return what is left to the pan. ) In a large mixing bowl, place butter, chocolate chips, marshmallow creme, vanilla and nuts; set aside. In a large saucepan, place sugar and evaporated milk. Heat, stirring, until mixture comes to a rolling boil. Cook 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour over chocolate chip mixture in bowl. Beat, stirring, until well blended. Pour into buttered dish and cool. Store in refrigerator. Send recipe requests, contributions and culinary questions to Irene Wassell, Idea Alley, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P. O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203; e-mail:
iwassell@arkansasonline. com Please include a daytime phone number.
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