Product Description

The book that taught America how to cook,
now illustrated with glorious color photography

ALL ABOUT
SOUPS & STEWS

A fresh and original way to put the classic advice of Joy of Cooking to work -- illustrated and designed in a beautiful and easy-to-use new book.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #32264 in Books
• Published on: 2000-10-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 128 pages

Amazon.com Review
Soups and stews are much-loved kitchen standbys, and the reasons are obvious: they can be made out of just about anything on hand, they can serve as a starter course or as a nutritious one-pot meal, and most can be made ahead of time. So it's no surprise that the folks over at The Joy of Cooking headquarters thought to devote an entire volume of their All About series to these fabulous dishes.

Adapted from The Joy of Cooking, this volume is coauthored by original Joy author Irma Rombauer, her daughter Marion Rombauer Becker, and her grandson Ethan Becker. It retains the conversational yet instructional tone that made the original such a favorite, and covers everything a cook needs to know to become a master of soups and stews. It is a comprehensive treatment of the subject, with 130 recipes, but, more important, it carries on the teaching tradition of Joy by explaining what may seem like mysterious secrets to the inexperienced cook but turn out to be easy-to-follow rules. Once incorporated into one's repertoire, these techniques can transform a person from a novice to a truly accomplished cook. For instance, the authors point out that simmering a stock too long can result in bitterness and explain exactly how to tell when it has simmered long enough (when a piece of meat retrieved from the stock is completely devoid of flavor). Since good stock or broth is arguably the most vital element in any soup or stew, the book offers easy-to-follow instructions for all types of bases--including vegetable, fish, chicken, beef, game, and even "express" chicken and beef stocks for those short on time.

Like the original Joy, this volume covers the classics, such as Potato Leek Soup, Fresh Tomato Soup, and Beef Stew, and surprises with a delightful array of more unusual fare, such as Tomato Jalapeño Chilaquiles, Mongolian Hot Pot, and Wild Caribbean Black Bean Chili. Early editions of Joy used the phrase "making the pot smile" to describe the gentle simmering required for soups and stews. This volume gives not only the pot but the people who eat what's inside many reasons to smile. --Robin Donovan

About the Author
Ethan Becker is the son of Marion Rombauer Becker and the grandson of Irma S. Rombauer the original author of Joy of Cooking. He attended Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and has been a devoted home cook all his life. Continuing a family tradition stemming from the conviction that fine cooking depends upon the freshest ingredients, Ethan is an enthusiastic organic gardener. He and his wife, Susan, live at the family home, Cockaigne, in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
New England Clam Chowder

About 4 cups

This New England clam chowder gets its creamy thickness from heavy cream and the starch in the potatoes.

Scrub individually with a vegetable brush:

5 pounds quahogs or other hard shell clams

Place in a sink or large soup pot, cover with cold water, and stir in:

1/4 cup salt

Let stand for 30 minutes to rid the clams of sand. Rinse and drain in a colander. Place the clams in a large soup pot and add:

1 cup water

Any scraps of onion, celery, thyme, or bay leaf (optional)

Cover and steam over high heat until the clams are completely open, 10 to 15 minutes. Discard any that do not open. Pour the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve and set aside. When the clams are cool enough to handle, remove from their shells and coarsely chop into 3/8-inch pieces.

Place in a soup pot and cook, stirring, over medium heat until slightly crisp:

2 slices bacon or 2 ounces salt pork, diced

Stir in:

1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

When the onions are translucent, add the reserved cooking liquid along with:

3 red or white new potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes. Stir in the chopped clams along with:

1 cup heavy cream

Simmer for 5 minutes. Season with:

Ground black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Ladle into soup dishes or cups.

Serve with:

Cream Biscuits, 123, or common crackers

Thai Chicken and Coconut Soup

About 6 cups

Coconut milk is an infusion of grated coconut and boiling water or milk and is easily mode from scratch. Pour 1 cup boiling water or milk over 1 packed cup fresh coconut shreds. Stir well, cover, and let steep for 30 minutes. Process the mixture (no more than 3 cups at a time) in a blender or food processor for 1 minute. Pour all the shreds and milk into a damp clean cloth and press the liquid into a bowl, squeezing until the shreds are dry. The first pressing is referred to as thick coconut milk, and the yield is about 1 cup. Cover, refrigerate, and use within 3 days. Simmer kaffir lime leaves or lemon grass in the coconut milk first for a delicate citrus flavor.

Bring to a boil in a soup pot:

3 cups Chicken Stock, 22

2 2/3 cups unsweetened coconut milk

Reduce the heat and stir in:

2 small Thai peppers or 3 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and sliced

3 tablespoons Thai fish sauce (nam pla) or soy sauce

1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger

1/8 teaspoon salt

Simmer for 10 minutes, then stir in:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Ladle into warmed bowls. Garnish with:

Chopped fresh cilantro

Copyright © 2000 by Simon & Schuster Inc.

New England Clam Chowder

About 4 cups

This New England clam chowder gets its creamy thickness from heavy cream and the starch in the potatoes.

Scrub individually with a vegetable brush:

5 pounds quahogs or other hard-shell clams

Place in a sink or large soup pot, cover with cold water, and stir in:

¼G cup salt

Let stand for 30 minutes to rid the clams of sand. Rinse and drain in a colander. Place the clams in a large soup pot and add:

1 cup water

Any scraps of onion, celery, thyme, or bay leaf (optional)

Cover and steam over high heat until the clams are completely open, 10 to 15 minutes. Discard any that do not open. Pour the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve and set aside. When the clams are cool enough to handle, remove from their shells and coarsely chop into 3/8-inch pieces.

Place in a soup pot and cook, stirring, over medium heat until slightly crisp:

2 slices bacon or 2 ounces salt pork, diced

Stir in:

1 medium onion, cut into ½-inch dice

1 bay leaf

1ì teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

When the onions are translucent, add the reserved cooking liquid along with:

3 red or white new potatoes, cut into ½-inch dice

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes. Stir in the chopped clams along with:

1 cup heavy cream

Simmer for 5 minutes. Season with:

Ground black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Ladle into soup dishes or cups.

Serve with:

Cream Biscuits, 123, or common crackers

Copyright © 2000 by Simon & Schuster Inc., The Joy of Cooking Trust and The MRB Revocable Trust

New England Clam Chowder

About 4 cups

This New England clam chowder gets its creamy thickness from heavy cream and the starch in the potatoes.

Scrub individually with a vegetable brush:

5 pounds quahogs or other hard shell clams

Place in a sink or large soup pot, cover with cold water, and stir in:

1/4 cup salt

Let stand for 30 minutes to rid the clams of sand. Rinse and drain in a colander. Place the clams in a large soup pot and add:

1 cup water

Any scraps of onion, celery, thyme, or bay leaf (optional)

Cover and steam over high heat until the clams are completely open, 10 to 15 minutes. Discard any that do not open. Pour the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve and set aside. When the clams are cool enough to handle, remove from their shells and coarsely chop into 3/8-inch pieces.

Place in a soup pot and cook, stirring, over medium heat until slightly crisp:

2 slices bacon or 2 ounces salt pork, diced

Stir in:

1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

When the onions are translucent, add the reserved cooking liquid along with:

3 red or white new potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes. Stir in the chopped clams along with:

1 cup heavy cream

Simmer for 5 minutes. Season with:

Ground black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Ladle into soup dishes or cups.

Serve with:

Cream Biscuits, 123, or common crackers

Thai Chicken and Coconut Soup

About 6 cups

Coconut milk is an infusion of grated coconut and boiling water or milk and is easily mode from scratch. Pour 1 cup boiling water or milk over 1 packed cup fresh coconut shreds. Stir well, cover, and let steep for 30 minutes. Process the mixture (no more than 3 cups at a time) in a blender or food processor for 1 minute. Pour all the shreds and milk into a damp clean cloth and press the liquid into a bowl, squeezing until the shreds are dry. The first pressing is referred to as thick coconut milk, and the yield is about 1 cup. Cover, refrigerate, and use within 3 days. Simmer kaffir lime leaves or lemon grass in the coconut milk first for a delicate citrus flavor.

Bring to a boil in a soup pot:

3 cups Chicken Stock, 22

2 2/3 cups unsweetened coconut milk

Reduce the heat and stir in:

2 small Thai peppers or 3 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and sliced

3 tablespoons Thai fish sauce (nam pla) or soy sauce

1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger

1/8 teaspoon salt

Simmer for 10 minutes, then stir in:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Ladle into warmed bowls. Garnish with:

Chopped fresh cilantro

Copyright © 2000 by Simon & Schuster Inc.

Customer Reviews

A comprehensive soup making guide
Finally a book on soups that feeds my passion for good soup recipes. This book contains a wide variety of soup/stew recipes. Not only does it contain american homestyle recipes, but it also contains other favorites such as egg drop soup, and other ethinic soups as well. This book is peppered with photos and illustrations that aide you in food preparation, as well as showing you what the final dish will look like. This book is enjoyable and worthwhile if you are a soup lover as I am. The book is very comprehensive, giving a wealth of good soup recipes, as well as pictures, and discussion of various soups, preparation methods and more. With this book you should be able to create some favorites of your own. I highly recommend this book to the soup lover in you.

Joy of Cooking All about Soups and Stews
Excellent cook book any recipes I have used so far have been easy to follow and simply delicious!