Dreams from my Father, Barack Obama

Michael Soos Book Review Articles

dreams from my father barack obamaSummary:  The early days of Barack’s life, including how he got into politics.  Ends with his marriage to Michelle, but no details about their relationship.

Thoughts:  Beautifully written, insightful, powerful, thought-provoking.   I didn’t understand much of the American racial issues, but that didn’t matter.  Barack’s writing is just gorgeous.  What a clever, intelligent, good man.  Someone I respect, admire, look up to, and there’s not many people in today’s world who I can say that about.  I was eager to read about how he met Michelle and their flourishing relationship, but there was none of that!  Very disappointed in this small lack of content, but I loved the book despite this major omission.check price and availability here

Roast Vegetable Tray Bake

Michael Soos Soup Recipes & Articles ,

Okay, it’s not a soup.  But it could be.  The leftover roast veg with some lovely stock, heated, then pureed.  But I can’t stop eating the roast vegies so there’s rarely any or enough left over.

Ridiculously simple, and discovered during my two week drive around northern Tasmania where in the first cabin I stayed at on Cradle Mountain, the only oven was a small bench type.  I was desperate for vegies, there was no steamer, so I chopped everything up, scattered them into the tray, and stuck them into a very hot oven for half an hour.  What a revelation!  Divine!  And quick.  And easy.  And I’ve been eating this most evenings ever since – sometimes with some sausage or chops on top of the veggies, or a bit of fish, or a few eggs (in their shells).  I vary the flavours a bit by sometimes drizzling oil, lemon juice and cumin over the veggies, or leaving them plain and sprinkling with sea salt after, or sprinkling over ras-el-hanout.  Mostly I leave them plain and add a bit of salt.  And the invariable left-overs are made into lunch the next day, a frittata, or just heated up, or turned into roast veggie soup.  The ultimate ‘set and forget’ one-pot meal that’s flexible enough to allow for whatever you have in the fridge.

Spicy Kumara and Corn Soup

Michael Soos Soup Recipes & Articles

Oh.  My.  Gosh.  If I’ve made this Spicy Kumara and Corn Soup once I’ve made it twenty times.  There something hearty and comforting and divine about the taste and texture.

I took this recipe and a few others to Perth when I stayed with a work-a-holic friend some years ago.  She’d go to work each day, I’d play tourist, aspicy soupnd get home in time to cook dinner for us.  I felt I had to earn my keep somehow, and I enjoyed being in someone else’s kitchen.   This was her absolute favourite of all the meals I cooked over my two week stay.  The following year, on another quick visit, I made a huge batch so she could freeze individual serves and take them with her to work for lunch.  I’ve never made the cornbread muffins.

Ingredients
  • 50g butter
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 carrot diced
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (use ¼ teaspoon)
  • 1 cup yellow split peas
  • 5 cups of vegetable stock
  • 1 kumara (sweet potato) peeled and cubed
  • kernels of two large corn cobs
Method

Melt the butter in a large pot and add onion and garlic.  Fry until softened.  Add the spices and stir until fragrant.  Add carrot, stock and split peas.  Simmer for about 30 minutes and add kumara.  Simmer for a further 10 minutes, then add corn kernels.  Cook for another 10 minutes.  Scoop out about 2 cups of the soup and puree the rest.  Then return the 2 cups.

For those interested in the source of this magnificent recipe, I came across it in “Delicious” magazine back in August 2010: spicy-kumara-corn-soup-cornbread-muffins

Broccoli, Garlic and Lemon Zest Soup

Michael Soos Soup Recipes & Articles

I love broccoli, I love lemon, I love garlic.  Who thought of putting them together?  Well, Naomi Devlin did (link below). And thank goodness she did!  soup recipe

Vibrant, aromatic, creamy and delicious – I always seem to have excess broccoli, and it’s a great way to use up the stems.  I’ve tried adjusting the amount of lemon and garlic, with not nice results.  Stick to the tried and tested original, is my view for this soup.

Ingredients
  • 1 lb (0.5kg) broccoli florets
  • 1 oz (30g) butter
  • 3-4 cloves of garlic
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 large pinches of sea salt
Method

Wash and chop the broccoli into small florets.

Mince the garlic finely and melt the butter gently over a low flame in a medium to large saucepan. When the butter has melted, add garlic and sweat for a couple of minutes until translucent but not coloured at all.

Grate the zest from the lemon and add to the pan with salt and brocolli, stir to coat.

Pour over 1 1/2 pints of boiling water and bring back up to the boil again.

Boil gently – a kind of aggressive simmer, not a rolling boil – until the stalks of the broccoli are soft, but still bright green. Don’t let the broccoli turn olive green or the soup will lose its freshness.

Puree in a blender (or with a stick blender) until completely smooth and creamy. Adjust seasoning to taste, adding more salt or some black pepper if you like, possibly a little lemon juice – but not too much.

Pour into bowls and garnish with a little yogurt.

 

The link for this recipe is Broccoli, Garlic and Lemon Zest Soup

Naomi Devlin’s blog is worth a visit at milkforthemorningcake.blogspot.com.au .

Chilli, Chicken, Corn and Tomato Soup

Michael Soos Soup Recipes & Articles

chicken chilli soup

I’ve had this recipe for so long I can’t even remember when I didn’t have it.  A friend of a friend, long ago at a back-yard barbecue described it to me, I thought it sounded nice, and asked for the recipe which she then provided some time later, much to my surprise.  Back-yard barbecue promises are often made, seldom kept so I’m very grateful; especially as I’m no longer in contact with the original friend.  I’ve adapted and simplified (e.g. I use corn cobs and boned chicken thighs and cook everything together).  I use red lentils rather than risoni or pasta, and I remove the chicken and corn and puree the soup before adding them back in.  But the original recipe is useful as a starting point and ingredient guide:

Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 400g chicken breast fillets
  • 1 red onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 small red chillies, finely chopped
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 410g can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup risoni or pasta or red lentils
  • 2 x 310g corn kernels, drained
  • 1/2 cup coriander, chopped
Method

Heat half the oil and cook chicken for 4-5 minutes each side until cooked through.  Cook and shred into small pieces.  Set aside.

Heat remaining oil in same pan and sauté onion, garlic and chillies for 4 minutes until onion is tender.  Stir in stock, tomatoes and paste.  Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add risoni and cook for a further 5 minutes or until pasta is tender.

Stir in corn, chicken and coriander.  Simmer for 2 minutes to heat through.

You can find this recipe (and more) at chilli-chicken-corn-and-tomato-soup

The Silent Inheritance, Joy Dettman

Michael Soos Book Review Articles

the silent inheritance joy dettmanSummary:  Several inter-twining stories, including Sarah and her daughter Marni who are living on the breadline until an unexpected lottery win catapults them into financial freedom; the Detective who is investigating a series of abductions; and a smarmy barrister.  All who end up coming together in a fairly unlikely scenario.  All loose ends are neatly tied together with a ‘happy-ever-after’ ending.

Thoughts:  I’ve read all of Joy Dettman’s books.  Her first few were amazing – detailed, insightful, unexpected.  Jacaranda Blue remains one of my favourites.  But her Woody Creek series was too much.  If she’d stopped after the first two or three, then fine.  But to continue on a long-winded, rambling, completely unbelievable and ridiculous story…   She lost me after that, so I read this with some trepidation.  A light, fluffy, easy read.  Don’t expect to be kept awake with deep thoughts afterwards.check book price here

The House on Carnaval Street, Deborah Rodriguez

Michael Soos Book Review Articles

the house on carnaval street deborah rodriguezSummary:  Autobiography which takes up Deborah’s story after she flees Kabul.  She is traumatised and lost after her recent experiences, and describes her road to recovery, which culminates in her buying a house in Mexico and setting up a beauty salon which sponsors young Mexican girls to go to hairdressing college.

Thoughts:  Interesting, adventurous, slightly self-indulgent, skipped over some potentially good bits, which resulted in a bit of missing story line.  But fine for a light, easy read.  Her willingness to help disadvantaged women in poorer countries is admirable.check book price here

White Fish and Squash Curry Soup

Michael Soos Soup Recipes & Articles

I found this in a weekend supplement magazine years ago.  I’d never really had Bill Granger on the radar before, but this recipe sounded nice, it seemed simple, and the picture looked lovely, so I gave it ago.  YUM!   I love coconut and mild curries, so this was always going to be a hit.  After asking the local fishmonger what sort of fish would work in a soup, I’ve been using monkfish ever since.

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp light-flavoured oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
  • 1 lemongrass stalk, cut in 3 sections
  • 1 tbsp curry powder
  • 750ml good-quality vegetable or chicken stock
  • 300ml tin reduced-fat coconut milk
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp caster sugar
  • 400g squash
  • 450g firm white fish, cut into chunks
  • Few stalks tenderstem broccoli, cut into 4cm lengths
  • 250g thin rice noodles (soaked in boiling water, drained and rinsed)
  • 1 red chilli, sliced into rounds
  • 1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
Method

Heat the oil in a medium-sized saucepan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and lemongrass and cook, stirring, until golden. Add the curry powder and continue stirring for 30 seconds. Add the stock, 500ml water, coconut milk, fish sauce and sugar. Bring to the boil.

Reduce the heat to a simmer. Peel the squash, cut into chunks, and add to the soup. Poach gently for about 10 to 12 minutes, until tender. Add the fish and broccoli and simmer for 2 more minutes.

Place the noodles into four noodle bowls, cover with the soup and dress with the red chilli and red onion.

This recipe can be found at white-fish-and-squash-curry-soup

Cauliflower and Blue Cheese Soup

Michael Soos Soup Recipes & Articles

I’ve wanted to make this for years, but never quite got as far as trawling through my many recipes to find The One to make.

Buying the Ingredients and the Making of the Soup

I’d bought the blue cheese a few days prior, and standing in front of the massive cheese display, forgot what type of actual blue cheese I needed.  Stilton was on special, so I got some of that, and it worked beautifully.  I asked a friend what the difference was between Gorgonzola, Roquefort and Stilton, and she said place of origin.  It’s probably a bit more than that, but I was happy to finally make a soup I’d wanted to try for ages.  It’s winter here in Ballarat, and it was such a comforting, yummy, more’ish taste that I had two bowls, and finished off the leftover Stilton.    Then, the nearby hospitality training school offered their version of cauliflower and blue cheese soup.  Theirs hadn’t been pureed, and wasn’t as strong with the blue cheese flavour, but was still lovely as a comparison.  I liked mine better 😉

Ingredients
  • 1 medium cauliflower
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 2 smallish yellow onions, peeled and finely sliced
  • 4 thyme sprigs
  • 2 bay leaves
  • sea salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 4 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock
  • 1 cup Gorgonzola cheese (can use less; say 1/3 cup for less intense taste)
  • 1/3 cup creme fraiche
  • parsley for garnish
Method

Remove the outer leaves from the cauliflower and break it into small florets (leave the stalk as it adds to the flavour). Set to the side. Melt the butter gently in a saucepan (big enough to hold all ingredients) over medium heat. Add the onions and sweat gently for 5 minutes or thereabouts until translucent.

Add the cauliflower, thyme and bay leaves. Season with a touch of salt and pepper. Pour in the stock, stir and then bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or so until the cauliflower is very soft.

Crumble in the cheese and stir over a low heat until it has melted into the soup. Add the creme fraiche and stir.

Pick out the bay leaves and thyme stalks then blend the soup until really smooth.

Return the soup to the pan and reheat gently. Taste and add a little more salt and pepper to suit.

Ladle unto warm bowls and serve topped with chopped parsley.

This recipe can be found at 101cookbooks.com/cauliflower and blue cheese soup

Thank you to Heidi Swanson at www.101cookbooks.com for inspiration, and the recipe.