Once the basics of making a soup stock are understood, whether it is meat or vegetable, there is no limit to one’s soup making abilities: A little less of that here, more of this there, and voilà , a new creation with little effort.

Growing up, a favorite household food was turkey. A golden-roasted turkey my mother would prepare in the late afternoon and have ready for us kids upon our arrival home from school. Friends would join us and we would pass through the door attempting to guess what mom had made. The favorite of mine was always turkey because it meant a whole week of fresh turkey sandwiches. It meant warm turkey with smooth, buttery mashed potatoes. It eventually meant my all-time favorite: soup.

It is from my mother (and of course my grandmother) that I have come to understand the importance of a flavorful soup base. I rarely order soup at a restaurant because I am always terrified of soup stock low in flavor (not enough bones or vegetables as a base) or too salty (covering up for the tastelessness of low flavor).

The Stock:
Although it may seem overly thrifty at the time, you will be delighted with yourself (and your soup creations) if you keep leftover “broth” from vegetables: Boil some beats or potatoes, steam some artichokes, but whatever you do don’t throw that leftover water down the drain—freeze it! That water, no longer clear, but deep crimson, pale green or white, serves as a flavorful addition to your soups (and is full of vitamins). Instead of water, use this as the liquid addition to your soups and you will no longer need bouillon to flavor your base. If you desire a vegetable stock, sauté some onions, leeks, celery, carrots, potatoes, etc. then add the leftover vegetable juice. (A friend of mine has said she cannot stand onion in her soup, a shame because I think this is one of the best stock basics. If you fall into this dilemma I have found extra celery can add a lot of flavor.)

The Meat & Bones of the Situation:
Much of the flavor received in soup broth is derived from bones, more precisely, the marrow– not the meat (though the meat is a tasty treat). Whether it is chicken, beef, pork or fish stock you seek, the bones are where it’s at. The essence received from marrow that comes into soup is full of flavor, protein and mono-saturated fats (the good stuff that decreases bad cholesterol levels and is thought to lower the chances of certain cancers). Using bones in your soup also produces a rich, thick broth. (Bonus: The butcher or fish market often sells miscellaneous soup stock for cheap.) The great part about using bones with meat on it is that it makes for easy cleaning: the soup is done when the meat falls right off the bone.

For this lentil soup, I cleared out everything that was left in my refrigerator and freezer: leftover oxtail bones, a few strips of bacon, some crimini mushrooms, ½ an onion, a few celery stalks, some carrots, 1 potato, dried lentils, 6 cups of frozen beet juice, 4 cups frozen artichoke-potato juice. The final result was excellent: Super hearty and loaded with flavor. You do not have to clear out your refrigerator, but do make this soup.

The picture is taken after about 1 hour on the stovetop (dried lentils were used, canned lentils will cut down cook time). Another hour later and this soup became thick and delightful: the lentils broke down into a light paste. This soup makes a fabulous meal with a fresh chunk of bread and a bite of sharp cheddar. The chunks of vegetables are full of flavor and the broth is so rich it is a taste from the fountain of youth. Dip your ladle, savor the goodness….

LOOSE ENDS LENTIL SOUP
Makes 8 servings. Prep time= 20 minutes. Cook time= 30 minutes- 2 hours (depending on canned or dried lentils)
* left over beef bones (or beef stock) (about 2 lbs, but whatever you have left is good)
* 5-8 strips of bacon (optional)
* ½- 1 lb crimini mushrooms, quartered
* 1 yellow onion, chopped
* 4 cloves garlic
* 3 stalks of celery, cut into 1-inch pieces. Retain leaves and add to the soup
* 3 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces. Retain leaves and add to soup
* 2 russet potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
* 8-10 cups leftover vegetable “broth” or water
* 1- 5oz can tomato paste
* 2 cups lentils, washed and bad ones discarded
* 3 bay leaves
* 1 Tbl dried oregano
* 1 Tbl dried tarragon
* 5 Tbl hot sauce (optional for an extra kick)

1) In a large soup pot on medium-high heat, brown the bacon. Using a paper towel, pick up some of the fat (retail about 1 Tbl in the pot). Remove the bacon and set aside. Turn heat to medium. Add mushrooms, onion, garlic, celery (plus leaves), carrots (plus leaves), and potato into the pot with the bacon fat. Saute until onion begins to soften, 8-10 minutes. While the vegetables are cooking, slice the bacon into bite-size pieces. Return to pot.
2) Add bones, tomato paste, and vegetable broth (or water), bring to a boil. Add lentils, oregano, tarragon and hot sauce. Cover and allow to simmer (turn heat down if the soup continues to boil). If using canned lentils, cook time is about 30 minutes. If using dried lentils, cook time will be about 45 minutes- 1 hour. The longer the soup is left cooking the more the lentils will break down—cook this longer if a thicker soup is desired.

An interesting bone bite: Archeologists can determine how wealthy a civilization was (relatively) by looking at the bone byproducts. If bones were used as a source of food (cracking bones open and eating the marrow), it is likely meat was not plentiful or a famine occurred. Civilizations rich with food would discard animal byproducts (or use them as weapons or tools).

PS- Happy Birthday to me!…. and Jennifer.

For me, baking is a real pleasure when there is little food (of sustenance) in the home. Yes, one could make biscuits, perhaps scones, but I prefer the sweeter things in life. As long as I have one egg handy, I rummage through my “baking” cabinet (which contains the sugar, cocoa, flour, etc) to check the quantities at hand, and while my sweet tooth glimmers in the morning sun, I gleefully search for the recipe of my desire.

Every year as my birthday approaches I remember grade school days. It was tradition at my school, as I am sure many others across the nation, maybe the world, that when one’s birthday came to pass cupcakes would be brought to share with the class. I always felt bad for those summer birthday kids who had to celebrate half birthdays. There was also one boy in my class that was born on a leap year. I felt even worse for him—celebrating his true birthday once every four years. Shame onto his parents, children can be cruel.

Every year as the last day of January approached my mother, older brother, and I would plan what kind of cupcake we would make (my older brother is 1 year, 11 months and 30 days older than me, just shy of 2 years). I would help with the baking and older brother and I would complete the decorating. I was not to be one of those sorry kids who carried store-bought cupcakes to my peers. I would uncover the delicacies, sit slightly uncomfortable as Happy Birthday was sung and then stuff the cupcake into my face: chocolate with vanilla frosting, always. When the cupcake was safely in my belly, I was sure to savor the last bit and threw the wrapping in my mouth, chewing on it until I could no longer taste the sweetness, then spit it into my napkin.

I can now resist chewing on the cupcake wrapper, though I will usually pick up any crumbs large enough to taste. This year I decided to make the most luxurious, richest, decadent cupcakes I could produce. I wanted fudge cupcakes. But I glanced at the counter at a pearly bag of coconut and decided I now wanted coconut fudge cupcakes.

Searching through my cookbooks I was at a loss. None of the recipes sounded rich enough. My mind was pooh-poohing cocoa powder, I wanted a recipe that would require a double boiler. I went to the internet to compare recipes. I found a fudge cupcake recipe that sounded almost right at 52 Cupcakes. I modified the recipe to create my own most decadent of birthday delights.

The final creation was perfect: Rich enough to be a meal; dense enough to act as cake; light enough to still be considered a cupcake; full of fragrant aromas; and just downright too swanky to be photographed in a group. These little fellas need their own 5 star accommodations.

COCONUT FUDGE CUPCAKES
Makes 12 cupcakes. Prep times= 20 minutes. Bake time= 15 minutes.
THE CUPCAKE
* 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
* 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
* 1 ounce semi-sweet chocolate
* ½ cup water
* ½ cup (1 stick) butter, bring to room temperature
* 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
* 1 cup flour
* 1 tsp baking powder
* ½ tsp salt
* ¼ cup milk
* 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
* ½ vanilla bean, slit up the middle.

1) Set the oven rack to the middle setting. Preheat the oven to 400F. Amply butter a standard-size cupcake tin (12 slots). In a double boiler, place water, ½ cup milk (¼ cup is for the frosting) and vanilla bean. As milk is warming, scrape black seeds from the vanilla pod. Bring milk to a simmer, careful not to boil. Remove vanilla pod (dry it and place in sugar bin for vanilla sugar). Remove ¼ cup of the milk from heat and set aside for frosting. Add the unsweetened and semi-sweet chocolate to the double boiler. Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
2) In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add yolks, chocolate mixture, and vanilla extract, stir until well combined.
3) In a small bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture gradually to the chocolate-sugar mixture until well combined.
4) Pour into cupcake tins, filling ½ - ¾ of each slot. Sprinkle a light coating of coconut on top of the batter. Push down lightly so coconut sticks to the batter. Bake 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven, extrude from tin, and set aside to cool on cooling rack. While cooling, make the frosting (below).

THE FROSTING
* 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
* 1 ounce semi-sweet chocolate
* 1 Tbl butter
* 1 cup confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar)
* ¼ cup milk
* 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1) Return the set aside milk with vanilla to the double boiler. Add the chocolate and butter. Warm slowly, stirring, until the chocolate is evenly melted. Remove from heat. Stir in the confectioner’s sugar and vanilla extract, mix until smooth. You can make the frosting thicker by adding more confectioner’s sugar or thinner by adding more milk.
2) Allow the frosting to cool for about 5 minutes. Pour 1-2 Tbl frosting over the tops of the cupcakes. Top with coconut.

And here, WCB # 34
Big sister Kitty BoJangles found her sun spot on the bed this morning hiding from the torment of her little brother:

The little Whiskey monster, exhausted from beating up his sister, hid from the camera this afternoon:

Thanks to Masak-Masak for hosting this week.

First, I must admit that when eating certain foods that resemble animals a little too much, contain too many bones, or are a little too gamey, I regress back to my vegetarian days. For six years (much to my mother’s objections and sneaking meat into my food) I was essentially animal-less. I broke down when studying in the meatastic city of Prague and am now a mostly happy meat-eater. Like many others I have met, the word oxtail can give me the meat-willies, but this recipe sounded too good to pass up. So all ye who fear the tail I say go forth!

What is oxtail? And why? Back in the day when oxen actually pulled our wagons cross country and got all yoked up, the oxtail consumed actually was the meat from the tail of oxen. Being thrifty folk and not wanting any part of the animal go to waste, the oxtail was consumed, often in a soup or hearty stew. As oxen have gone out of style and the use of cattle has become widespread, we again refuse to let any meat go to waste. Oxtail as we know it today is the tail meat from cows (of both genders).

Like all things fashionable, there are highs and lows. It is only recently that oxtail has returned to fashion. I have read fewer than twenty years ago, oxtails were so unpopular the meat was practically given away. It was a secret joy for chefs to use oxtail because the cost was so low ($1-2 a pound). Today, though not outrageous, old fans of oxtail shutter in horror as they dish out up to $6 a pound for quality “unwanted” meat. Oxtail seems to be the new “it” meat, recently springing up in restaurants all over town.

The first time I took notice to oxtail I was with D at his favorite feel-good-food joint Soul Spot. Ran by two men from The Gambia, these boys have nailed the southern cooking New Yorkers crave. An easy-to-miss whole-in-the-wall favorite of bus drivers, police, and locals alike, the Spot serves up choice of meat and two sides for an easy $10. I would usually order the chicken: jerk or BBQ, while D would switch up between meatloaf and oxtail both dripping in savory sauces. With trepidation—come on, what’s in name?— I tried the oxtail. I was hooked.

Like short ribs the “oxtail” meat can be a little tough so slow cooking is advised. This is where the braise comes into play, allowing the meat to fall right off the bone and enter the succulence stage. Oxtail tastes like any other “less than ideal” cut of beef, most resembling brisket (although it depends how it is cooked), so it is not to be shied away from. It makes an interesting, exotic sounding, and delicious alternative to the usual purchases, and should definitely be tried.

As a brunch item, this dish reminds me of The Joy of Cooking’s “Hunter’s Breakfast” which consists of about 10 different courses, from quail to ostrich eggs. More closely, it is similar to D’s favorite menu item at Norma’s: The Hudson Valley Duck Confit Hash a Cheval, consisting of a full duck and 4 eggs. D orders this with a huge grin and sops up all the sauce with their fresh baked bread, dribbling juice and laughing at the rest of the patrons pick at their jazzed up eggs (I recommend the Zillion Dollar Lobster Frittata, with “we dare you to expense this” as the price—okay, I’ve never had it, but the Artychoke Benedict is darn good).

This recipe takes a little planning (I marinated the oxtail in wine overnight). If it is made for brunch, remember it needs 2-½ - 3 hours of cook time so prepare it well before guests arrive, or quench the appetite with the perfect Bloody Mary (recipe below). I planned ahead and bought double what I thought 4 people could consume so I would have plenty of leftovers (which is recommended since the cooking process is lengthy). Much to my surprise, the leftovers were few: enough for a smaller brunch the following day. This meal is well worth it and is so hearty it serves as the only necessary meal of the day (we were good and content until about 11pm when we had a small snack of fresh mozzarella and tomatoes).

I know the picture is not fantastic, but this meal is. Anyone that has had it can attest to it. When the egg’s sunshine breaks loose and the juices mix, this dish is divine—just have some good bread on hand for the sauce. A Bloody Mary is a perfect accompaniment to this dish: The tangy horseradish is an ideal palate cleanser. Be a man, enjoy this dish, call the dogs, sound the horns, and go hunting.

BRAISE OXTAIL W/ BAKED EGGS
Serves 5. Prep time= 20 minutes. Cook time= 2-½- 3 hours.
* 4 lbs oxtail
* 1 bottle red wine (I used the inexpensive, but quite tasty $5 Gato Negro)
* 2 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces
* 2 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
* 1 small onion, cut into quarters
* 1-5 oz can tomato paste
* salt/ pepper
* 1 Tbl dry parsley
* 5 eggs

1) Place the oxtail in a wide bowl with 1 bottle red wine. Marinate at least overnight, up to 2 days. If the wine does not cover all the meat, rotate and flip pieces every so often.
2) Preheat the oven to 400F. Warm an oven-safe pot (dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Remove the oxtail from the wine (save the wine). Dry off the oxtail and rub well with salt and fresh ground pepper. Brown all sides of the meat in the (dry) pot. This can be done in 2 rounds, takes about 3 minutes on all sides. This locks the meat moisture in. Remove and set aside.
3) In the meat juices, sauté the celery, carrots and onion, about 8 minutes until onions begin to soften. Add the tomato paste, reserved wine and parsley; stir to blend evenly. Add the oxtail (liquid should come just to the top, but not covering the oxtail. Add a little water, about 1 cup, if this is not the case) and cover tightly. Bake in middle of the oven for 2-½- 3 hours. Meat is done when it falls off the bone with little effort. Check the braising process once every hour to ensure liquid is still present. Add a little water if too much liquid evaporates (some liquid will cook off, but you want some sauce for the meal).
4) When meat is ready, remove from the oven and de-bone (reserving the bones for a future soup or stew). Push the vegetables through a large sieve (or mash with a potato masher) to create a thick sauce. Return the meat to the pot. Using the back of a large ladle, create 5 divots and crack one egg in each divot. Bake 10 minutes so eggs are just white and still runny.
NOTE: To be served with a Perfect Bloody Mary, recipe below.

THE PERFECT BLOODY MARY
Serves 4. Prep time= 8 minutes. Inactive time= 1 hour.
* 1 liter quality tomato juice, with no additives (I think Looza makes an excellent line of juices and nectars and should definitely be purchased if available.)
* juice of 1 lemon
* juice of 1 lime
* 1 Tbl Worchester Sauce
* 1 Tbl hot sauce
* 5 Tbl quality fresh, plain white horseradish
* 1 Tbl celery seeds
* fresh pepper to taste
* 1 Tbl balsamic vinegar
* 8 ounces vodka
* celery stalk with leaves for garnish (olives or pickled green beans work well too)

1) In a pitcher, mix tomato juice, lemon juice, lime juice, Worcester sauce, hot sauce, horseradish, celery seeds and fresh pepper. Cover and place in refrigerator for 1 hour.
2) When ready to serve, remove from refrigerator and stir well. Pour 2 oz vodka into each glass (4), add tomato mixture (another tsp horseradish is optional). Add celery garnish. Gently pour the balsamic vinegar over the top of the tomato mixture so it floats. This provides an excellent visual and olfactory effect. Once served, mix and enjoy.

NOTE: A good Bloody Mary starts in the juice. If one uses a poor quality juice, the final product will taste off. I have had this happen. Do not attempt it at home. The taste of a dish depends on the quality of the products used.
ON HOT SAUCE: I am by no means a hot sauce expert, but I do like a little flame every once in a while. I have foodie friends from New Orleans that will add Tabasco to everything. I surprised them with some Dragon’s Fire Hot Sauce from Greene’s Gourmet in Vermont. (D and I picked some up during a camping trip.) This boutique sauce is made with ginger root which we were told makes the sauce extra hot because it opens the sinuses giving one full onslaught of the pepper—the Naw’lins boys were speechless.