Food Musings

A Winnipeg blog about the joy of preparing food for loved ones and the shared joy that travel & dining brings to life.

Hamburger Soup

February10

We are hosting our monthly young families group tonight and it is COLD in Winnipeg this morning so I immediately thought about putting on a big ole pot of soup and some cheese biscuits to warm everybody up when the walk in the door.  I went and did a Food Musings search to pull up my tried and true Hamburger Soup recipe to see, in astonishment, that I have never posted it before.

When our family was young and D was in the restaurant business and I was the marketing director of a restaurant too, we had to be make decisions on the go for healthy, often “one bowl” meals that our kids would enjoy.  So our first idea was that we had designated “food” nights: Friday was pizza, Thursday was pasta, and so on.  That way our decisions were less complicated depending upon the day of the week.  The kids loved this too.

Monday was always soup night so I could whip up a batch on Sunday afternoon while I was making Sunday dinner and serve half the next day (and put the other half in the freezer for a real time emergency).

This meal freezes very well and actually becomes more and more tasty with the passing of time.  The recipe originally came from the old Best of Bridge cookbooks but I’ve modified it over and over again with the years.

Hamburger Soup

2 lbs. lean ground beef

1 medium onion finely chopped

1 28 oz. can of tomatoes

25 c of water

1 heaping T of Knorr dehydrated beef consume

1 c tomato soup

4 finely chopped carrots

3 sticks of finely chopped celery

1 c of frozen corn

1 bay leaf

a handful of chopped parsley

1 t thyme

8 T barley

Brown ground beef and then give it a quick rinse under hot water to remove any unwanted fat.  Brown onions and veggies until they start to “sweat”.  Add ground beef and all other ingredients back to the pot.  Simmer, uncovered at least one hour.

See more easy and nutritous meals for your gang on www.beefinfo.org.  I’m hoping to win a scholarship to www.eatwriterestreat.com.

Kath’s quote: “A soup like this is not the work of one man. It is the result of a constantly refined tradition. There are nearly a thousand years of history in this soup.”-Willa Cather

posted under Entrees, Recipes | 3 Comments »

Kay’s Deli

February10

The advertising business has been very good to me.  I have made a comfortable salary and had the satisfaction of being instrumental in promoting some very important messaging.  Recently, I have enjoyed pulling back from my media buying responsibilities a little bit and have had the opportunity to fill my time with writing and teaching.  I especially enjoy having the time to mentor students who have decided to pursue an advertising and communications career.  I have no doubt that the talented woman that I meet with on a fairly regular basis will do exceptionally well in the business.

She is located at the downtown campus of Red River College and so we are often looking for convenient, somewhat quiet and delicious places to meet.  Kay’s Deli  foots the bill in all respects.

I choose this savoury Reuben sandwich that was perfectly grilled on marble rye bread.  As any Seinfeld fan will tell you, a good loaf of marble rye bread is a hard thing to find – but a precious treat to enjoy if you’re lucky enough to find one!  You can just imagine how much fun the bakers must have swirling the doughs together.

My protege choose the mango chicken wrap.  I think that she was pleased with her choice but to be honest, we were so entrenched in our conversation, that I think that I forgot to inquire.  Some foodie, I am!

Kay's Delicatessen on Urbanspoon

Kath’s quote:

Um, excuse me, I – I think you forgot my bread.”
Bread, two dollars extra.”
“Two dollars? But everyone in front of me got free bread.”
“You want bread?”
“Yes, please.”
“Three dollars!”
“What?”
“No soup for you!”
– George and the Soup Nazi, Seinfeld

Joey Polo Park

February9

The weekend of D`s birthday was a non-stop celebration of family, food (and sport).  Polo Park was centrally located for everyone coming from different directions and we always know that there will be plenty of parking.  But in truth, Joey  Restaurant was not very well set up to accommodate our large family.  They sat us at two tables that we could not push very close together because there was a ornamental feature on the banquet sitting that prevented us from doing so.  Everyone else in the room were parties of two and three or four, having a nice, quiet Sunday lunch.  So, we will remember this for future gatherings.

But the food was really quite stunning.

Daughter #3 and I opted for the Beach Salad: a grilled chicken breast, goat cheese, strawberries, candied pecans, all tossed in a lemon poppy seed dressing.  We both thought that it was fantastic.  I had to ask her what the quinoa was…

Daughter #1 choose the Butter Chicken and Nan bread.

And Daughter #2 the Chicken Souvlaki and Sweet Potato Fries.

The guys both chose burgers and the birthday boy selected the Cashew Chicken Stir Fry comprised of Asian veggies, a red lemongrass curry, toasted cashews, steamed noodles and topped with cilantro and a wedge of lime.

He was perfectly satiated by his stir fry but just for good measure, he also wanted to sample their roasted root vegetables which he quite enjoyed (but thought that the ones that I roast at home were better).

We were so full from lunch that we had to decline dessert.  As a result, our lovely server absorbed the charge of D`s veggies, instead of treating him to dessert.  We thought that this was a lovely gesture.

Joey Polo Park on Urbanspoon

Kath`s quote: “The joys of the table belong equally to all ages, conditions, countries and times; they mix with all other pleasures, and remain the last to console us for their loss.”  – Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

Superbowl Fixings: All Beef Sliders

February8

I’ve been aware of the term slider for the past ten years or so but was interested in knowing where the term came from.  According to the earliest citations, the name originated aboard U.S. Navy ships, due of the way greasy burgers slid across the galley grill while the ship pitched and rolled.  Other versions claim the term “slider” originated from the hamburgers served by flight line galleys at military airfields, which were so greasy they slid right through you; or because their small size allows them to “slide” right down your throat in one or two bites.

The “Frenchman” as he is affectionately called around our house is an excellent cook.  He was taught by his Momma as I believe all exceptional male cooks were.  When the Superbowl cry went out “please bring something to share” he too was ready for the task. Sliders were the answer.

When I asked him to share his recipe, he did so in a fashion familiar to me:  Mix ground beef with some eggs, breadcrumbs and sauteed onion and then add garlic, chili, paprika and curry to taste!

He pre-broiled the sliders before he left for the game and took some sharp cheddar to melt on top once he reheated them.  I was told that they were a big hit.  And they were not “so greasy that they slid right through you”.

I coupled mine with the Teriyaki Beef Skewer that D left me for supper and enjoyed both in front of the TV with a glass of Merlot with which to toast Madonna’s half time show.  Pretty amazing for a woman in the over 50 club! 

For more slider inspiration see www.beefinfo.org.  I am still dreaming of a food bloggers scholarship to Eat, Write, Retreat www.eatwriteretreat.com as I write this…

Kath’s quote:  “I would gladly pay you Tuesday, for a hamburger today”.-Wimpy

 

Superbowl Fixings: Teriyaki Beef Skewers

February7

One might think that when you are requested to “bring something along to share during the game”, you would pick up a bag of chips or whip up some nachos.  But oh no, the guys at our house spent the afternoon making kabobs and beef sliders (more on that dish tomorrow). 

I could hear D rustling around in the freezer downstairs but was still suprized when I saw six gorgeous New York steaks thawing in the sink.  At one time D was the Food Manager at the Garry St. Keg Steakhouse and Bar, so the recipe for teriyaki sauce which was made from scratch, once a week, was firmly ingrained in his brain.  So too was the memory of the aroma of garlic, ginger and soya sauce which greeted me at the door when I returned from brunch out with my Mom and sisters.

The sauce was put together early in the afternoon so that the steaks could marinate for a couple of hours.  This ensures not only great flavour but that desired tenderness.  In truth, when you are using a steak cut like a New York, the tenderness is pretty much guaranteed.

In D’s Keg days, the meat morsels would have been skewed with white onion and green pepper but D added red and orange peppers, purple onion and huge cubes of fresh pineapple for good measure.

D fired up the barbie and got out his “good” tongs to turn them over the flame before they left for the game.  I enjoyed mine with a quiet glass of Merlot as I watched the Superbowl solo and got caught up on some writing.  The sweetness of the pineapple and the brown sugar of the marinade was the perfect offset to the saltiness of the soya sauce and the tartness of the veggies.  The beef itself was perfectly cooked-medium rare inside with a crispness on the surface where the natural sugars had met the flame.

I don’t know if it was these skewers that boosted our son’s energy and enthusiasm, when he ran down the middle of his quiet street in celebration when his Giants won!

For less expensive beef cuts that are perfect for marinating, check out www.beefinfo.org.  I am dreaming of a food bloggers scholarship to Eat, Write, Retreat www.eatwriteretreat.com as I write this…

Kath’s quote: “Beef is the soul of cooking.”Marie-Antoine Carême (1784-1833)

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