Laissez les bons temps rouler

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Mardi Gras Review

Carnival season which leads to Mardi Gras begins each year on Jan 6th.  But it’s really this past week that the Krewes really start to build up their parading steam right up to Fat Tuesday on February 26th, aka Shrove Tuesday served with Pancakes. Get out your beads and join the celebration.

Mardi Gras: Did You Know That?

Fat Tuesday is the English translation of the French words Mardi Gras. As the rite of Spring, Fat Tuesday festivities commence before the change of seasons. The original purpose of the big celebration was to pray to the Gods for good weather and good crops. In Louisiana, the first Mardi Gras was celebrated in 1589, when the French explorers Bienville and Iberville landed at the mouth of the Mississippi river in New Orleans. The next day was Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten season. The tradition back home in France/ Europe in those days, was to have a major feast prior to the 40 days of fasting in Lent. The day called Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday, was the opportunity to eat and drink all day long prior to repenting for a long, long, forty days. 

Mardi Gras Colors & Throws

Rex (latin for king) selected the official Mardi Gras colors in 1872. The 1892 Rex Parade theme Symbolism of Colors gave meaning to the colors: purple represents justice; green-faith, and gold-power. The throwing of trinkets to the crowds was started in the early 1870s by the Twelfth Night Revelers, and is a time-honored expectation for young and old alike. 

In 1884 Rex started using medallions instead of trinkets. These medallions are represented today by doubloons. These doubloons are aluminum and anodized in many different colors. They depict the parade theme on one side and the Krewe's emblem on the other. 

So friends, let's top off the fete, with my Jambalaya recipe.

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10,000 Year Old Soup

Join George + Alex on NPR WPPB FM Friday Feb 21st 10:15AM EST Heart of The East End Show w/ Gianna Volpe click LIVE STREAM

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No, I'm not serving you yesterday's broth, just talking about tortillas. Masa is made from maize. The making of tortillas dates back approximately 10,000 BC, according to Mayan legend. Tortillas are really not much different today. I think a tortilla soup is ideal to serve up on occassions from a gameday party to even a church supper. The ingredients are universally available along with it's wide appeal. I've prepared this recipe around the globe with several variations including fish, shellfish, beef or pork.

Taking the time to pre-grill the chicken, sausage and vegetables in this recipe makes a great flavor enhancer to this soup. After-all, when tailgating, the entire soup would be prepared on a grill. I've also included instructions for this recipe to be fully cooked indoors, in case the snow happens to bury your grill, or just dig that grill out!

Corn Tortilla Soup

Makes 4 servings 

chefgeorgehirsch.com | Adapted from Know Your Fire cookbook

1 pound boneless chicken thighs*

2 chorizos or spicy sausages*

Olive oil

2 ears of corn or 1 cup frozen corn kernels

1 sweet onion, *thickly sliced

2 red bell pepper, *halved and seeded

2 jalapeño peppers, *split and seeded

3-4 plum tomatoes, *halved

1 head caramelized garlic, pureed

3 scallions, chopped

1 Tablespoon cumin

1 cup tomato sauce

6 cups chicken broth

1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon hot sauce

3 (8-inch) corn or flour tortillas

fresh ground pepper to taste

1 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded

* Chop into small pieces if not pre-grilling the chicken, chorizos and vegetables. Then add into soup pot as instructed below.

Pre heat the grill to medium high.

Brush chicken thighs with olive oil. Grill chicken and chorizos 7-8 minutes on each side. Remove, cool and cut into half inch pieces.

If using fresh corn, grill the corn. And, if grilling vegetables - brush with olive oil and grill 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove, cool and chop into small pieces. Or, if not grilling vegetables chop into small pieces for the next step.

Pre heat a large soup pot to medium temperature. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, all the vegetables, chicken, chorizo, tomatoes, cumin, and tomato sauce. Cook for 5 minutes. 

Add chicken broth, bay leaves, and hot sauce. bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, on a low temperature grill place the tortillas on grill and toast lightly on both sides. Cut the tortillas into strips 1 inch long and 1/4 inch wide. Tortillas may also be cut into strips and lightly toasted in a hot oven- if not toasting on a grill. Add 3/4 of the tortilla strips to the soup during the last 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and season with pepper and cilantro. 

Serve hot soup topped with cheese and remaining tortilla strips. 

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Soup's On

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Tomato Soup as Seen on George Hirsch Lifestyle

When the weather says you need to warm up it’s time for a homemade bowl of comfort, soup. Please forego the salt-lick canned version, because you can make a flavorful and nutritious potage in under an hour. Like the above my Creamy Tomato Soup. And the addition of hearty vegetables like cauliflower, squash and yams, which add a lot of extra flavor. 

But what to keep in mind with any soup recipe, or any recipe for that matter is, a recipe is just a guideline. Use a recipe as a guide and improvise with what you have at home. Making soup is an ideal way to convert leftovers into a hearty meal.

Today I made a spicy black bean, chicken & rice soup made from leftover yesterday's dish. Simply sauté a carrot, 1/4 onion, 2 garlic cloves and added 2 pints of chicken broth with the 1 cup of leftover cooked rice and beans. After adding all ingredients to the pot, I added one chopped chicken breast. After simmering for thirty minutes I finished the soup with 1 cup of fresh baby spinach. 

Tip: Do you like a soup thick and hearty? Add a sliced potato or a yam. Don’t have time to wait for the potatoes to cook, then add stale toasted baguette bread as a thickener to the soup. Also, keep canned beans handy; they make a great base for a soup with the addition of small size pasta.

For My Five Onion Soup Recipe

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Best Chocolate Sauce Recipe

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This is one of those sauces that is a must in every chef's repertoire. It's a classic. In a matter of minutes you can turn a simple sweet into chocolate decadence. So set aside the guilt and go ahead - dip, drizzle and dunk your way through fresh strawberries, ice cream and cake. Make it for your Valentine, the clock is ticking.

A few bits on chocolate:

One study has shown that the smell of chocolate may actually relax you by increasing theta waves in the brain. Yes, we all have them.

Does chocolate contain any nutrients? Yes, it does, in small amounts. A 1.5-ounce milk chocolate bar contains recommended daily values of the following vitamins and minerals:

 • 3 grams of protein • 15% of the Daily Value of riboflavin • 9% of the Daily Value for calcium • 7% of the Daily Value for iron

When choosing chocolate, look for a shiny finish, which is a sign that the chocolate was heated at the right temperature for the right amount of time. Also, look for a crispy snap when chocolate is broken into pieces. Choose a good chocolate source for sauce like Lindt, Callebaut, or Scharffen Berger. In a pinch chocolate chips will do. This very decadent sauce is ideal served with fresh strawberries. Note: this chocolate sauce recipe is not ideal for coating dipped strawberries. That's another post. 

The Best Chocolate Sauce

Makes about two cups

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

3 Tablespoons pure cane granulated sugar

3/4 cup cream

3 Tablespoons corn syrup

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Optional: 1 Tablespoon Brandy or Grand Marnier

Place chopped chocolate in a bowl and set aside. 

Place cream, sugar, and corn syrup in a small pot. Heat to a boil stirring constantly. As soon as it reaches a boil pour directly over chocolate and stir until all chocolate has melted. Add vanilla and brandy.

Use immediately or cool, cover and refrigerate for up to two weeks. To reheat, heat the amount you need over a double boiler and stir until just melted.

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Join Us This Sunday...

“Food is the common denominator, the soul of life, the heart of the community” G. Hirsch

good times and paying it forward

LIVE STREAM Sunday Jan 9th, 4 PM EST 

I am such a long-time supporter of CFN network / TelecareTV and their TV ministry as many other supporters. Over the years I have enjoyed many good times with Msgr Jim on Real Food and their Good News programs. I hope you join us and Tune-in or LIVE STREAM Sunday Jan 9th, 4 PM EST when Alex and I chat and chew with Msgr Jim. And, of course we’ll be dishing up some popular recipes from Georg Hirsch Lifestyle.

For my NY/LI friends, Tune-in/dvr GHL WLIW21 Saturdays 2:30 PM

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Check local listings for the new season of GHL Celebrating Chef George's 25th anniversary on PBS and Public TV Stations. Click to watch TV Series Preview

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13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

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