Potato Leek Soup

Ingredients: yellow gold potatoes, leeks, celery hearts, chicken stock, garlic, dried dill, dried basil, unsalted butter, olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper, fresh chives, sesame baguette croutons

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This was my first venture into potato-leek territory and it turned out pretty awesome. I created the base in typical mirepoix fashion, so I started by sauteeing the chopped leeks with celery hearts in olive oil and butter. I softened these up a bit for about 5 minutes and added about 3-4 lbs. of yellow potatoes. 

I chopped up the potatoes very roughly, but in small, even pieces and tossed them with the wilted leeks. Your pot should be nice and hot at this point and I added 4 cups of chicken stock and 1 1/2 cups of water; I then added all the dried herbs and brought it to a boil. Simmer it on low for another 40-45 mins.

Bring out the blender and puree/liquefy all of the soup, except 2 cups. I wanted there to be some scattered chunks of potato, giving each bowl and serving some texture and depth. Top with fresh chives and some croutons of your choice! Another option would be to top with some Parmesan Crisps or fried shallots.

Launched: To Market, To Market

Come check out my latest and greatest list of favorite markets, food halls, and gourmet goodies to buy! I wanted to provide a guide to some of the best markets I get the freshest, organic produce, bakeries for the best bread, my go-to coffee spots, unique & cheap kitchenwares, and of course, food. 


Markets are - hands down - the greatest places to sample the most authentic dose of culture in whatever city you're in; from San Francisco to Peru, check out my list of must-see markets, boulangeries, and cafes, up there on the tool bar at To Market, To Market.

Mercado Central de San Pedro - Cusco, PERU

Grand Lake Farmer's Market - Oakland, CA

  

Le grand marche - Place de Precheurs
Aix-en-Provence, FRANCE

Mercat de la Boqueria - Barcelona, SPAIN

Pumpkin Bourbon Ice Cream

  

Ingredients: pumpkin puree, heavy cream, egg yolks, bourbon, vanilla extract, brown sugar, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, salt

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'Tis the season to be pumpkin-ing. This could be your Thanksgiving dessert in itself - it's pretty rich and would be awesome with a vanilla bean whipped cream. It actually tastes like a pumpkin pie, a pumpkin cheesecake, and a shot of bourbon all at once! Ice cream making can be tricky when alcohol is involved as it has a very high freezing point and tends to inhibit the churning process. The key is to add the liquor literally at the very last minute of churning and then placing it in the freezer for a couple hours to allow it to set. 

People are always surprised to hear of homemade ice cream and don't realize how easy it is. I've got a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker that does all the work. The main trick is getting the custard and ice cream base just right over the stove, making sure your egg yolks don't curdle or scramble when combined with the cream. Once you've got that down, you can make any flavor combination you want.

This has a gorgeous deep-orange/cinnamon color and is perfect for fall. Would be great with a warm apple cider as well. Recipe courtesy of Williams Sonoma.