Curried Corn Bisque

Two Tips that have helped me become a better cook.
1. Always Always Always Always BUY IN SEASON.
2. Always add a little Lagniappe to the dish.
I added the curry powder and chopped mint as a Lagniappe to basic corn bisque.



CURRIED CORN BISQUE
(Makes about 2 Quarts)

6 whole unshucked Fresh Corn
1 ounce olive oil or 2 strips of applewood smoked bacon
1 small sweet onion (chopped)
1/2 Tablespoon sweet curry powder
1 Tbsp Fresh Thyme
2 Quarts lite Chicken Stock
1/2 cup Cream or Plain yogurt
salt and pepper

Place unshackled (do not remove the husk) Corn in 375 oven for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven allow to cool and cut corn from the cob. (Save the cobs)

Cook the Bacon in heavy bottomed pot on medium heat for 2 minutes. or just add olive oil to the skillet and heat
Add onions and cook for 3 minutes, strirring often.
Add cobs (cut in half) thyme then curry powder, cook over medium heat 5 minutes. (Stirring often)
Add 3/4 of the corn and stock to the mixture.
Let simmer over medium heat (uncovered) for 20 minutes.
Remove cobs and blend the soup mixture (An immersion blender works best)
Strain half the soup back into a pot and then add the remaining (Unstrained) soup.
Simmer for 5-7 minutes to reduce slightly.
Add cream, mix well and bring to a boil.
Remove from stove, check seasoning.
Serve garnished with chopped roast red pepper and remaining corn.
You can also adda tablespoon of chopped mint before serving......

Herbs and spices give that extra YUMMMY

Creating Empty bottle moment cooking classes

When you cannot make up your mind between two evenly balanced courses of action, choose the bolder."– William Joseph Slim

http://texasinstituteofphotography.com/index. for information and registration.

The Best Summer Marinade and a great steak topping...

I will be on beach retreat for 2 weeks...Enjoy these....Guaranteed to get ooooos and aaaaaahs!!!!

You will not go wrong when you marinade in this:

1/2 Cup Soy Sauce

2 ounces Olive or even better sesame oil

1 teaspoon Chinese Chili Paste (or more if you like spicy)

2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

2 Cloves Garlic Chopped

1 Tablespoon Chopped Ginger

Place all in a food processor and blend well

• Beef.... Marinade for 45 minutes at room temperature.....


• Salmon......Marinade for 10 minutes before grilling (On a plank would be great)

A nice topping:

Fig and Apple Relish

¼ c White Wine or Cider Vinegar
¼ c Water
¼ c Sugar
1 Zest of Lemon
¼ tsp Ground Clove
¼ tsp Nutmeg
¼ tsp Cinnamon
1 lb Figs
1 lb Green Apples

Boil all ingredients, except the figs and apples, and reduce by half Add diced and peeled apples and simmer for 10 minutes. Then, add quartered figs, remove from heat and chill.

Photo Contest

Have you found it difficult to enter the competition?

"Here is How do I enter?"

1. Go to the flickr account http://www.flickr.com/photos/24297691@N08/ THEN
   
2. On a word document type the numbers found on the top of each picture (20 pictures only) and email it to clive@cookingwithclive.com or
   
3. Print the document and mail it to 1415 s Voss #110 Houston Texas 77057
   

To the winner dinner 20!!!!

First Summer Recipes

First Fruits...The first off the tree. What about what we create?
Living in a hot climate I am always looking for recipes that go with it... (If there is anything other than a glass of ice cold freshly squeezed lemonade.)

Here is one I did last night with a few left overs.

What I found in the fridge to go with a piece of grilled Amberjack.

1 small red pepper (all peppers chopped into small pieces)
1 small yellow pepper
1 small orange pepper
1/4 Serrano Pepper
1 Tablespoons of (each) chopped, Chives, Italian Parsley,Basil and Tarragon
2 Tablespoons of caramelized onions (done in olive oil)
1 Ounce White Wine vinegar
3 Ounces Olive oil (not E.V) you can adjust the quantity of oil and vinegar to taste. Add extra if the mixture is too dry.

Mix all together season with cracked pepper and sea salt

Allow to sit for a couple of hours at room temperature before using with anything you grill.

I also made a light carrot and tarragon soup with a small smack of curry...yummy served with smoked Gouda tortellini.....

Salt of The earth

I have used this saying for years, but not until recently did I fully understand its meaning. As a chef you would think I could very easily connect the dots.
"If someone is salt of the earth they provide flavor, they have a natural life style, they generally just add life to those they come into contact with." ( I think the key is those they come into contact with.)

When they are around others their presence is like salt on food, it would be bland without it!. I could extend it further and say, they value people so much that they preserve and cherish relationships, and their role in society.

I was reminded this week of the rabbi I knew when I was in The South African Army. He was the rabbi and butcher in Middleburg South Africa. Every Friday morning he would bring me the meat for the following week, grab a huge pot, turn it upside down, and ask me to join him in conversation.
Not a heavy religious conversation ,but a Salt of the earth conversation. The conversations focused on: Where we come from and how we got here and who did all of this, but most importantly the one we spoke about often was , "What am I to do while I am here?". The Answer to that really answers every other question. And the answer is ()()()()()()()()()( ....(thats a drum roll)
Be salt of the earth! to the people living on the earth...... Thanks Rabbi!!!!

W.T.191.36

A few Sundays ago we took a small family outing to the movies. I cannot even remember the name of the movie (it was a chick flick and pretty good). My son Ian had driven in his own car and afterwards we arranged to meet for dinner.

Within 3 minutes of getting into my car the phone rang, and it was Ian saying those dreaded words, “I can’t find my car!” Do you remember where you parked it?" I asked. "Of course" he replied, You would have to know Ian to understand that he did know exactly where he had parked the car.

The answer came when I read the sign (there were about a dozen displayed) saying " NO PARKING ALL UNAUTHORISED CARS WILL BE TOWED AWAY. CALL JAL at 281&%^&* for information"

4 hours later and a number of trips trying to find the place, getting his identity from home, and the cash (they only take cash) we got the car. $191.36 was the exact amount Amazing, Astonishing, Disgusting..... if you ask me

It is not right! they almost have a license to steal. They may be authorized by the city but that amount does not reconcile….

I am not going to fight what I believe is a poorly managed program, however I wonder if the strip center owners are aware what it costs their customers (I was one) to get their car back?” “The penalty does not equal the crime?” Let me add the wrecker acted like a vulture as he waited to spot cars illegaly parked in that lot.

THANKS to W.T.191.36 (Wrecker Truck costing$191.36) we had an incredible time together responding to this SANDPAPER MOMENT.

My brother Tony was with us, and I can assure you while the 191.36 stung the empty bottle moment we had together was priceless.Laughing and responding(@#$%^)$%^&*) to the moment.

I have learnt there are other ways to respond to life’s tough moments…

What I really wanted to do was find the wrecker driver and throw him against the ceiling.....but I could not find him.