If you are unaware of the famous vichyssoise soup, you are missing out on one of the best soups, especially because it is so great in the summer. Vichyssoise is a leek potato soup that is mixed with cream and can be served cold.

The French soup was created by Louis Diat, a French chef who worked at New York’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel. The soup has had several names, you will hear potato leek soup used often. During the Second World War, the French town of Vichy became the capitol of the collaborationist government. The name vichyssoise was hushed.

To make vichyssoise you will need:

• 3 leeks, dark greens removed and chopped well
• 2 large baking potatoes chopped into small cubes
• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2+ tsp. salt
• 2 cups good water (purified tastes better)
• 2 cups vegetable stock (packaged works, but home-made is better.
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• black or white pepper

Combine the 3 tbsp. butter with the chopped leeks and 2 tsp salt. And cook in a saucepan on medium heat for 20 minutes or until the leeks are soft. Do not brown the butter.

Next, add the 2 cups fresh water, 2 cups vegetable stock chopped potatoes and let cook covered on medium low heat for 30-40 minutes or until the potatoes are mushy.

Now the soup must be mixed well. Use an emulsion blender to puree the soup, or blend in a blender or food processor until even consistency. Add salt and black or white pepper to taste. Add 1 cup heavy cream and let cool in the refrigerator.

Serve cold soup topped with chopped chives and a dollop of sour cream.

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Tequila is a spirit distilled from the blue agave plant. Most plants are grown around the city of Tequila, in the center of Mexico primarily because of the rich volcanic soil.. The plants are chopped with blades and the centers are gathered to be fermented in bulk. The centers, or heads can weigh up to 350 lbs.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJQlQkumrvU

Here you can see harvesters cutting the plant to the center, where all the juice is located to distil.

Tequila is actually a variety of mescal, an ancient drink made from distillation of maguey, a form of agave. Pulque is a milky alcoholic drink also distilled from the maguey plant that was introduced to explorers from the Spanish Conquest of Mexico. While these are not as popular as tequila, they are still produced today in much smaller operations.

The Mexican government has rights to the word ‘tequila’ along with regulations to where the alcohol can be produced. Many of the large brands that are nationally known are 35-40% alcohol, others can consist of up to 60% alcohol. When buying tequila, be sure to see if the manufacturer labels it as 100% agave. Tequila is a very important export to Mexico and attracts many tourists.

Everyone has heard about the worms in tequila bottles, and the tradition that the last shot must be taken with the worm in it. The worm some producers put in the bottle is a larval form of the Hypopta agavis that lives in agave plants. It is believed that finding the worm in the agave heads during distillation indicates poor quality and an infested crop. The worm was used as a marketing gimmick and is still used today.

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The vanilla bean is an ingredient that is seldom used although many know the taste. Vanilla flavoring comes from the vanilla bean, a thin pod of the Vanilla genus, native to Mesoamerica and spreading to Europe by explorers.

Many attempted to migrate the plant, although pollination was very difficult because the plant requires the Melipona bee to carry the pollen. Soon hand pollination was discovered, and the vanilla bean flourished globally.

Varieties

There are four major varieties of Vanilla all native to Mesoamerica and Mexico.

Bourbon Vanilla -- Also known as Bourbon-Madagascar vanilla produced from the Vanilla planifolia plant. This variety is from the Indian Ocean islands, commonly Madagascar. The beans have creamy sweet flavors.

Mexican Vanilla – This variety is also from the Vanilla planifolia plant. Mexican beans have a more spicy flavors. Be careful for imitators that blend tonka bean extract to reduce costs. The extract has been proved to cause liver damage in lab animals. Although the FDA has banned this extract, you can still find it sold out of Mexico.

Tahitian Vanilla – This variety is from French Polynesia from the Vanilla tahitiensis plant. The plant was introduced from the Phillippines. These beans are fruity sometimes with flavors of cherry.

West Indian Vanilla – Beans are from the Vanilla pompona plant grown in the Caribbean, Central, and South America. These beans are creamy and slightly fruity.

Grading

Once the vanilla beans are picked, they are graded based on quality. Because the length of the pod directly relates to the vanilla flavor, you can generally assume longer beans are more flavorful.

• Grade A – Beans are 15 cm. and longer. These can also be called gourmet or prime beans. Moisture content is 30-35%.
• Grade B – Beans range from 10-15 cm. Also called extract beans. Moisture content is 15-25%.
• Grade C – Any beans that are 10 cm. or less.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=q00Eaw3ftY4

Here is a video of people harvesting vanilla.

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I have recently realized that I have always been at the will of the grocer when I choose ground meat for my burgers. The discolored packs, bulk quantities of 80/20 chuck, and poor selections have spurred enlightenment of a new era of ground beef from home.

This recipe is for a sirloin burger, composed of solely sirloin meat. If you prefer, chuck can be split with sirloin for the mixture.

I have always enjoyed the taste of Gorgonzola cheese with my burgers, although you can substitute an alternative cheese, just be sure to compliment it with few toppings. There is no point to adding ten topping and condiments to your burger, I believe few ingredients done right will make a superior hamburger.

The Ground Beef

• 1 lb. sirloin steak
• salt and pepper to taste

Buy a sirloin steak from your butcher and chop it into 1 in. cubes and place it in a food processor or blender if you clean it well. Add salt and pepper and blend until consistence of good ground beef. Water can be added if the meat will not blend well.

Cooking

Heat grill to high heat and cook to desired doneness. Time will vary depending on the thickness of the patties, and temperature of the grill. You can always use a thermometer to check for 150-160ºF internal temperature or slightly squishy.

Toppings

Like I stated previously, I believe that few good ingredients work better than numerous mediocre ones. For this burger I bought good Gorgonzola cheese from a respected market, and red onions. I did not use any condiments.I also bought good kaiser buns.

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You will need:

• 1 lb. sliced ginger root (younger roots work better)
• 1 lb. granulated sugar
• 5 cups water

To make candied ginger peel and slice 1 lb. of young ginger root into 1/8” slices. A mandoline works well here. Next, place the slices in a 4 quart saucepan with 5 cups water and set on medium to high heat. Cook 40 minutes or until tender.

Drain the ginger saving ¼ cup of the liquid. Add 1 lb. of sugar to the pan with the ginger and the ¼ cup of liquid that was saved. Set on medium high heat, stirring frequently until all of the water has evaporated. This will take approximately 25 minutes.

Move the ginger to a cooling rack covered in non-stick spray over wax paper or foil to gather the excess sugar. This can be used later in coffee. Let cool to room temperature.

Store in an air tight container with a paper towel to absorb any moisture for up to 2 weeks.

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