The Secret to Amazing French Onion Soup

You know what the secret to amazing French onion soup is? Brandy.



Next time you make French onion soup, skip the white wine and add brandy instead. You won't taste a strong liquor flavor, but you will notice a complexity and depth of flavor that lingers delicately on your lips.

Brandied French Onion and Fennel Soup
Makes 8 servings
Printable recipe.

Note: The licorice flavored fennel complements the sweet onions and brandy in this soup. If you're not a fennel fan, then add 2 more onions. For a variation, you can also use smoked Gouda or rye bread.

1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 medium fennel bulbs, finely chopped, about 1 1/2 pounds
5 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced, about 2 pounds
1 cup brandy of your choice
7 cups beef broth
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 to 3 teaspoons minced fresh thyme, depending on your likeness
3/4 pound shredded Gruyere cheese
8 thin slices of French bread, toasted

1. In a large, heavy bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat, melt butter. Add fennel and onions turning to coat. Cook for 35 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. This allows the onions to "sweat" and become meltingly tender, browned, and sweet. Add brandy and cook for 5 minutes until slightly reduced. Add beef broth, salt, black pepper, and thyme and stir. Reduce heat to low and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

2. Pour soup into individual bowls. Top each with a piece of bread, toasted side down, and top with 1/8 of the shredded cheese. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes, or until browned and bubbly. Serve immediately.

You might also enjoy these onion soup recipes: 
English Onion Soup recipe from Never Enough Thyme
Beef and Onion Soup recipe from The Food in My Beard
Italian Onion Soup recipe from Ms. Adventures in Italy
English Onion Soup with Sage and Cheddar recipe from Erin Cooks

Weekend Eagle Blogging Week 1: Apple, Fennel, and Celery Salad

The story of how W.E.B. began:

A couple of weekends ago while I was making lunch, Jeff suddenly froze at the computer. In an intense whisper, he said: "Sue, there's an eagle on our windowsill." "Yeah, right," I responded, and continued slicing my fennel.

The next thing I knew, Jeff s-l-o-w-l-y slithered out of his chair and grabbed the camera. So I dropped my chef's knife and walked to the window. "OH MY GOD! There's an eagle on our windowsill!" I exclaimed. "I know, that's what I tried to tell you!" he said.

Jeff made it to our deck and started snapping pictures of this fiercely beautiful creature. We were mesmerized; it's not too often you see an eagle on your windowsill. After several minutes, he took off, and we went inside to eat our lunch, which included this apple, fennel, and celery salad. Which is when this brilliant idea hit me.

For months now, I have been holding back. Well, no more. I am frankly quite tired of the whole weekend cat blogging scene. Having never had a cat nor met a cat I particularly liked (or that liked me), I have always felt left out on Saturdays. I think I might have been a dog in a former life or something, because every time I encounter a cat, it stops in its tracks and stares me right in the eyes -- like it knows my secret or something. Even in pictures on the web, they are staring at me.

Every Saturday as I troll through my reader, I jump when a cat picture pops up. I have found myself now avoiding the whole Saturday scene. So here's my idea. For all you non-cat girls (and guys) like me who slump on the sofa on Saturdays, ostracized by the cat community, I'm starting W.E.B. (Weekend Eagle Blogging). Send me your most adorable shots of Tabby or Fluffy the eagle eating a rodent or picking road kill out its talons, and I'll post it. Oh yeah, this is gonna be big.

"What? I can has Mouseburger?"

"I likes to eats weekend catz."


"I seez raisins on that apple fennel salad."



This salad is like a farewell to winter and a hello to spring: winter's tart Granny Smith apples get a lift from the season's new crop of licorice-laced fennel and fresh dill. Topping it off with plump, chewy raisins makes it even sweeter. It's a satisfying salad of complex textures and flavors that is sure to please (even if you don't have any eagles to admire while you eat it).



Since I never feel left out of Weekend Herb Blogging, I'm sending my salad to this week's host and creator of WHB, the always kind Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen.

In addition to being an aphrodisiac, mildly licorice-flavored fennel is low in calories and nutritious. One cup of sliced fennel is only 27 calories and has a mere 6 grams of carbohydrates. Yet it provides 17% of your daily recommended allowance of vitamin C. It's currently in season and is exceptionally flavorful, so it's the perfect time to try it.

Apple, Fennel, and Celery Salad
Makes 4 servings
Print recipe only here.

Vinaigrette:
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
1 shallot, sliced
1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons fresh Meyer lemon juice**
3-4 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh dill, chopped
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Salad:
8 cups spicy mesclun greens
1 large Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice**
1 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced
2 inner celery stalks, sliced on the diagonal, with some leaves
2 tablespoons crimson or golden raisins
2 tablespoons toasted walnuts

Optional garnishes:
fennel fronds, fresh dill, toasted nuts, such as almonds, chestnuts, pecans, or pistachios

To toast the walnuts, place in a small, dry skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, until golden brown and aromatic. Set aside.

To make the vinaigrette, place mustard seeds in a small, dry skillet over medium heat; toast for 1-2 minutes until they begin to pop; set aside. In the same skillet, sauté shallots in olive oil; whisk in remaining vinaigrette ingredients. Turn off heat.

For the salad, place apple and fennel slices in a bowl with fresh lemon juice and toss to prevent them from turning brown. Pour out lemon juice before adding to salad.

In a large bowl, add mesclun, apple and fennel slices, and celery; add vinaigrette, and toss until well coated. Divide among 4 plates. Garnish with raisins and walnuts.

**If you can't find Meyer lemons, then regular lemons are fine.

You might like these other recipes featuring fennel:

• Sicilian Fennel, Orange, and Olive Salad
• Tagliatelle with pan seared shrimp and fennel
• Sun-dried tomato and fennel risotto
• Savory sausage and fennel galette
  

**Update: OK, OK, so it's not an eagle; it's a hawk. But WHB was already taken.

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Eat Fennel Then Chocolate This Valentine's Day

Last year I said forget chocolate and eat fennel on Valentine’s Day. This year I planned on saying to eat chocolate and forget fennel. (Not to be confused with chocolate-dipped fennel. Ewwww.)

After tasting this fennel and sun-dried tomato risotto, though, I have changed my mind. Here are three reasons why you should eat fennel again this Valentine's Day:

1. Licorice-flavored fennel is believed to have aphrodisiac qualities (and it's a lot prettier than oysters).

2. The risotto is made with white wine, which if your valentine has enough of, might make it easier for you to steal a few kisses before dessert.

3. Risotto is notorious for being difficult to make. It isn't. It takes about 20-25 minutes and doesn't have to be stirred continuously. However, you could tell your valentine that you slaved in the kitchen making risotto from scratch. That should get you a little lovin'.

When selecting fresh fennel, look for firm, unblemished, pearly white bulbs with tall green stalks and flouncy fronds. Its mild licorice flavor pairs beautifully with the robust and slightly salty flavor of the sun-dried tomatoes. Plus it’s red and white.

I'm sending this recipe to my dear friend, Chris of Melecotte, for her Kitchen of Love Event featuring food with aphrodisiac qualities. Don't miss that round-up on Feb. 12th!

Once you've eaten the the risotto, dim the lights, put on some Lou Rawls (yeah, baby), and open a box of chocolates. Not just any chocolates, gourmet chocolates from Chocolate.com.

Liquer infused chocolate truffles from J. Emanuel Chocolatier.

Since we're talking about Valentine's Day, why not splurge on luxurious chocolate truffles? Chocolate truffles are confections made with a chocolate ganache center that is blanketed in a hard chocolate shell. The ganache center, a silky blend of cream and chocolate, can be flavored with liquer, fruit, nuts, and other sweet fillings such as nougat and toffee.

The liquer infused truffles I sampled (courtesy of Mark from Chocolate.com) came in well-loved flavors such as kalhua and ameretto, and more unusual ones like port. Come to think of it, these truffles would go nicely with a glass of port since they're rich and creamy and not overly sweet.

Though traditionally spherical, these truffles are square shaped and beautifully decorated with gold swirls, coffee beans, and white chocolate drizzle. And with a seemingly endless variety of fillings, there's a truffle that will make every person's heart feel full.

After some fennel, wine, and truffles, your sweetheart will surely be feeling amorous. If not, just pop in your favorite DVD and finish off the rest of the truffles. That would put anybody in a good mood.

Fennel and Sun-Dried Tomato Risotto
Makes 2 main or 4 side servings.
Print recipe only here.

2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon butter
1 diced shallot, divided
½ cup Arborio rice (risotto)
2 1/2 cups low-sodium broth, or as much as needed
1/4 cup dry white wine
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
1 cup fennel, chopped
1/8 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (about 3 tomatoes)
¼ cup heavy cream or half ‘n half
1/8 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 tablespoon butter, optional
Salt and pepper, to taste
Good extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Place pinenuts in a small, dry skillet over medium heat. Shake pan in a back-and-forth motion until pinenuts are golden and aromatic, about 1-2 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat broth in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once it's hot, lower to a simmer.

For the risotto, start by sautéing half the shallots in 1 teaspoon olive oil and butter. Add the Arborio rice; toast for about 1 minute. Cook the risotto at a slow simmer, adding heated broth ½ cupful at a time. Most cookbooks will tell to stir continuously; I don’t, and you don't have to either. You can stir occasionally; just make sure the risotto absorbs the liquid before adding more. It will become tender and creamy as it cooks. Season will some salt about halfway through so it blends well, and add the white wine. 4-5 cups of broth works for this recipe, but use more or less as needed. It takes about 20 minutes for the risotto to become completely cooked. Taste it -- it should be wonderfully creamy and thick. It’s best al dente, which means it should still retain some firmness when you chew it.

After about 10 minutes of cooking the risotto, place a large skillet over medium heat. Add the dry fennel seeds and toast for about 1 minute or until aromatic. Then add 1 teaspoon of olive oil, the other half of the shallots, fennel, sun-dried tomatoes, and some salt and pepper. Sauté over medium heat until the fennel becomes slightly softened but not mushy, about 7-8 minutes. At this point, the risotto should be cooked, so add the sautéed fennel to it and stir well. Add the cream or half n’ half; stir until mixed in well and heated, about 1 minute. Turn off heat, then add the Parmesan cheese so it will melt more slowly. Add some salt and pepper to taste. Adding 1 tablespoon of butter at this point adds a touch more creaminess, but it's optional.

Plate your risotto, topping it with the toasted pine nuts and some grated Parmesan. Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil on top for an extra Mmmmmm and serve immediately.

Like risotto? Then you'll love this Butternut Squash Risotto with Rosemary, Walnuts, and Blue Cheese.

You might also like:
Sicilian Salad of Fennel, Oranges, and Olives
Almond Biscotti Dipped in Chocolate
Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons
Quick Chocolate Cinnamon Mousse with Cherries

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Fresh Fig and Fennel Pizza and the Best Time of the Day

Growing up, my mother prepared two dinners every night. She made an early one for her, my brothers, my grandmother, and me, and a second one for my father, who came home late from work.

I remember those early dinners well. My mother would ensure that there was something each of us loved -- one night there would be corn for Paul, or pasta for Chris, or artichokes for me. In return, we always ate what she made, even when we didn't like it, well, except for liver.

One time, she tried to pass off liver as steak. I wasn't fooled. I can still hear my grandmother's voice as I was howling about the awful smell. “What smell?" she protested, "It smells delicious! You know, when I was growing up, we couldn’t afford meat for the whole family, so we watched my father eat liver while the rest of us got full on bread.” I knew better than to tell her that I thought she was the lucky one.

Liver aside, those dinners were unforgettable. Even though it has been years since I have been in school or shared an early dinner with my mom and brothers, there is something--the back-to-school season or the way the sun is lower in the September sky--that brings me right back.

I shared this with my mom when she visited recently, and she agreed. “I wish I could go back one night and have all my kids around the table again. How I loved that time of day,” she added.

Because I now live California, it is a rare occasion for us to be together for dinner. So I look forward to my mom's visits here (where I get to cook what she loves). On her last trip, I made one of her favorites: my fig and fennel pizza.

Fresh figs have a heart-breakingly short season (typically from August-October), so now is the time to savor them. Though the vast majority of figs are produced here in California because of its Mediterranean climate, they can be found in most supermarkets across the country. Since figs do not ripen once picked, it’s best to eat them as soon as possible.

These lovely tear-drop shaped fruit are singular in appearance and flavor. From their characteristic perfumed fragrance to their fragile skin that is often split from ripeness, revealing droplets of golden honeyed nectar, figs are a treat so luscious that time seems to slow while eating one. And fresh figs are not at all like dried figs. They are soft and creamy and fruity and tangy.

Inspired by a fig and anise bread from San Diego’s famed Bread and Cie bakery, I created this fresh fig and fennel pizza. I coax the figs' inherent sweetness by slightly caramelizing them with shallots and licorice-flavored fennel. These flavors are balanced by pungent blue cheese, aromatic fresh rosemary, and rich toasted walnuts.

Fresh Fig and Fennel Pizza

Print this recipe here.

1 pound pizza dough
1 tsp olive oil

2 tsp olive oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
2 tsp sugar
1 bulb of fennel, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
10-12 fresh Mission figs (or other variety), thickly sliced (about 1 1/4 cups)
¼ tsp lemon zest
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp coarsely chopped fresh rosemary, plus a little more for garnish
Salt and crushed red pepper
4 ounces crumbled blue cheese
¼ cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 500 if using a pizza stone or 425-450 if using a baking sheet.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to a sheet of parchment paper (if using a stone) or to a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush with 1 tsp olive oil.

Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced shallots and sugar; stir occasionally, until the shallots begin to caramelize, about 5-6 minutes. Add the sliced fennel and continue cooking over medium-low heat until fully caramelized, another 5-6 minutes. Add sliced figs cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Add lemon zest, cinnamon, rosemary, salt, and pepper; gently blend and remove from heat.

Place half of the blue cheese on the dough. Arrange the fig and fennel mixture on top. Top with remaining ½ blue cheese.

For a pizza stone, bake at 500 degree for about 10 minutes, or until both the top and bottom of the crust is brown and the cheese is melted.

For a baking sheet, bake at 450 for about 25 minutes, or until both the top and bottom of the crust is brown and the cheese is melted.

**Note: The walnuts have a tendency to become overly toasted when put on the pizza too early, so I usually add them when there is 2-3 minutes cooking time remaining.

Let cool slightly before slicing. Garnish with more fresh rosemary if desired and serve immediately.

You might also like:

Dad’s Patriot Potato Pizza
Barbecue Pizza with Fresh Corn and Onions (secret ingredient included!)
Tagliatelle with Shrimp and Fennel
Sicilian Salad of Fennel, Oranges, and Olives

I just found a delicious fresh fig, goat cheese, and prosciutto sandwich over at S'Kat and the Food.

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Forget Chocolate, Eat Fennel on Valentine's Day

As a little girl, my favorite candies were Twizzlers ® and black jelly beans. Every Easter I would pick all the black jelly beans out of the bowl and leave the rest for everybody else. Though I rarely eat jelly beans any more, I love to cook with fennel, which has a distinctive licorice scent and flavor.

Although fennel has become fashionable over the last couple of years, this herb has actually been enjoyed in cooking since antiquity (see Lucretia Drusilla's "Whole Cooked Goat with Fennel" from her 02 February 53 BCE post). Many cultures use fennel as a culinary ingredient and as an herbal medicine, and as evidenced at my house, it’s a staple in Italian cooking.

It is a remarkably versatile herb and pairs beautifully with fruits such as oranges and apples as well as classic Mediterranean ingredients such as olives and eggplant. When eaten raw, its crunchy celery-like texture and sweet licorice flavor gives depth to salads. When sautéed or roasted, it takes on a savory quality. In fact, all parts of the fennel, from the bulb to the feathery fronds, are edible.

And since it’s St. Valentine’s Day this week, I thought you'd like to know that ancient Romans considered fennel an aphrodisiac and likely would have used it instead of chocolate for a romantic evening. As so many culinary trends are cycical, I'm predicting that fennel will become the new chocolate for Valentine's Day.

I can see it now: Food Network's Fennel February, heart-shaped fennel treats on the cover of Gourmet, contestants choosing fennel for the Passionate Dish Elimination Challenge on Bravo's Top Chef....

By the way, I have submitted this post for Weekend Herb Blogging which is being hosted by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen this week.

Tagliatelle with Pan-Seared Shrimp and Fennel
Makes 2 servings
Print recipe only here.

4 oz tagliatelle (or linguine-type pasta)
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
20-24 extra large raw shrimp
¼ cup sliced mixed green and black olives, such as Nicoise, Cerignola, or Kalamata
2 Tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp fresh basil, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, thinly sliced
A few shakes of crushed of red pepper
Salt, to taste

Cook pasta in salted water according to directions.

In a large skillet over medium heat, add 2 Tbsp olive oil. Add fennel, and sauté for 3-4 minutes until it begins to brown; add garlic, and sauté 1 more minute. While the fennel is still slightly firm, remove from heat, and place in a bowl. Add the olives, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, parsley, crushed red pepper, and salt.

In the same skillet over medium-high heat, add another 2 Tbsp of olive oil. Add the shrimp, and sauté for 5-7 minutes, turning to ensure that they brown nicely on both sides.

Add the cooked pasta and the fennel mixture into the skillet with the shrimp; toss well. Plate the pasta; sprinkle with more fresh basil and parsley. Finish it off with a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil.

weekend herb blogging

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Citrus Crisis

Southern Californians (which now includes me) complain a lot about the weather. If you’re not within 100 mile radius of the 90201 zip code, this probably strikes you as ironic. The problem is that the weather here is always so beautiful that when it gets down to 58 degrees, the scarves and gloves come out and everyone starts grumbling about the cold. Unfortunately for many of California’s citrus farmers, the actual freezing temperatures we have experienced here lately have been truly detrimental.

At the farmers’ market this past Sunday, one farmer told us that many of her blood orange trees might not ever produce fruit because they are too young to withstand the cold. Another told us that in the nine years he has been farming, he has never seen such a prolonged cold snap. We heard several similar stories, and what struck us was how stoic these farmers were in the face of adversity. They didn’t complain or feel sorry for themselves; they simply related the depressing facts to us. Unbelievably, one farmer whose Cara Cara oranges we have mailed home to Rhode Island on many occasions was actually apologetic that his fruit wasn’t as good as last years, as if he could possibly control the weather.

When I started to express my sympathy for his misfortune, he gently rebuffed me: “Please don’t feel bad for me. This is the life of a farmer. It’s what I do.” I stopped. I didn’t know what else to say. His eyes were so sincere, his body language so sure. Instead of saying anything else, I simply tossed a few more oranges in my bag and asked him to tally me up. With a wide grin, he added, “Let me know how your family in Rhode Island likes them.” “I will,” I assured him.

Living here has allowed us to not only buy fresh produce but to also become friendly with many of the farmers. So, the concept of “buying local” resonates with us more now than ever. I can honestly say that preparing and eating the food from these wonderful people makes meals much more meaningful to us. Let’s sincerely hope that this cold weather ends soon.

Since many of the farmers told us to buy more oranges now in case their future pickings are limited, we ended up with several bags (some will stay here; some are en route to Rhode Island, as you can see).

This simple Sicilian salad is one of our favorites. I used Cara Cara oranges for this one. These super sweeties look like an ordinary naval orange on the outside, but when you slice them, they reveal a red, juicy flesh the color of a Jolly Rancher watermelon candy. Their sweetness contrasts perfectly with the salty olives and licorice flavored fennel.

SICILIAN SALAD of FENNEL, ORANGES, and OLIVES
Makes 4 servings
Print recipe only here.

2 large cara-cara oranges or naval oranges
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
10-12 black and green cured olives, halved (I like Kalamata and Cerignola)
A handful of fresh mint leaves
Coarse sea salt
1 Tbsp quality extra virgin olive oil*

Peel oranges, and cut into pinwheels. Arrange orange and fennel slices; drizzle with olive oil; add mint leaves and coarse salt.

*Olive Oil: My favorite olive oil is from a local olive grove, Cook and Ladder. I also like going to Italian markets where knowledgeable staff helps me with my selection. Sometimes they even offer a complimentary tasting, which itself makes the trip worthwhile.