Mia Farrow
I was truly shocked when I realized that Miss Farrow has never received an Academy Award nomination. Yes, the woman who wowed us in Rosemary's Baby. But let's not forget her memorable work with Woody Allen (The Purple Rose of Cairo, Hannah and Her Sisters)
Jim Carrey
Yes, many of his performances are hyperboles of ham, and others are cringe-inducing in their mugging for the camera. But Carrey is a talented actor when he is given the right material: The Truman Show, Man on the Moon, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, even I Love You, Phillip Morris.
Ewan McGregor
He's been one of my favourites for a long while, and I will readily admit a swoon-based bias for him. But consider his work: Trainspotting, Moulin Rouge, Big Fish. He's one of those actors, like Gary Oldman, who just seems so effortless in his performances that we forget that he's really acting. Recently, I loved him in last year's delightful Beginners, which had zero chance (again) for him to snag an Oscar nom. One day, please?
Edward G. Robinson
Leading man turned supporting character actor, and all-round badass. He chewed the scenery, and we loved him for it. He rocked the gangster film with Little Caesar, was a mainstay in film noir (Double Indemnity), and even appeared in big Hollywood epics like one of my guilty pleasures and all-time favourites, The Ten Commandments.
Margaret Hamilton
One of Oscar's biggest disgraces: she was not nominated for Supporting Actress in 1939. If you don't recognize the name, you'll recognize the character's: the Wicked Witch of the West.
And because I don't feel like writing paragraphs for each person anymore, let's just list the actors and some of their best performances, shall we?
Jeff Daniels
Pleasantville, The Squid and the Whale
Joseph Cotten
Citizen Kane, Shadow of a Doubt, The Magnificent Ambersons.
Betty Hutton
Annie Get Your Gun, The Miracle of Morgan's Creek
Alan Rickman
Die Hard, the Harry Potter series
Maria Bello
While she's been consistently solid in virtually all of her films, she makes this list for a recent travesty of an Oscar snub: A History of Violence.
Dirk Bogarde
The Servant, Darling, Death in Venice
Fred MacMurray
Double Indemnity, The Apartment
Peter Lorre
M, The Maltese Falcon
Richard Gere
Days of Heaven, Chicago
Jean Harlow
The Public Enemy
Donald Sutherland
MASH, Klute, Ordinary People
Marilyn Monroe
Some Like it Hot, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Brigitte Bardot
Contempt, Viva Maria!
Malcolm McDowell
A Clockwork Orange, O Lucky Man!, ...if
Veronica Lake
Sullivan's Travels
And let's be frank, but non-English speaking actors have never really had much of a chance to be nominated... but what about the following?
Gong Li
Ju Dou, The Story of Qiu Ju, Raise the Red Lantern, Farewell My Concubine, Red Sorghum, 2046
Toshiro Mifune
Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Red Beard
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Things I Like, #1
I've made a few posts on Facebook on "Things Andrew Hates", and they usually hit a nerve of some sort. Whether it encourages fellow ranting, or accusations that I am a horribly negative person, it's always fun. But shall we try something new? Things Andrew likes!
Now, if you know me personally, you already know that half of this potential list is already made up of animals of all shapes and sizes -- but I promise I'll try to avoid them as much as I can. What else does the Andrew like?
Flowering Trees!
That I can eat an entire bag of rice cakes and not feel guilty!
Vases! Full of flowers! Vases of all kinds -- simple and cylindrical, carved and gaudy!
Umbrellas that are not black! My black umbrella that when you open up is actually a blue sky on the inside!
That chocolate cake is so easy to make! Even better when someone else does the dishes!
White wines that have a sugar index of >5!
Muscato, Riesling and Gewurtztraminer! Ice wine!
Blankets of all colours, fabrics and sizes! Scarves, too!
Scarves that your grandmother knits that are too big to be a scarf, and so you use more like a shawl instead! Even better -- when she asks you what your 'school colours' are so that you can have a purple and white scarf-shawl for your office at UWO!
Sitting on park benches and watching the birds, animals and people walk by!
The first snowfall of the year, because it's just so pretty!
Walking over bridges! Especially if they're over bodies of water where ducks live, so you can feed the ducks and potentially see baby ducks who are little fluff-balls of adorableness!
Exclamation marks!!!
Now, if you know me personally, you already know that half of this potential list is already made up of animals of all shapes and sizes -- but I promise I'll try to avoid them as much as I can. What else does the Andrew like?
Flowering Trees!
That I can eat an entire bag of rice cakes and not feel guilty!
Vases! Full of flowers! Vases of all kinds -- simple and cylindrical, carved and gaudy!
Umbrellas that are not black! My black umbrella that when you open up is actually a blue sky on the inside!
That chocolate cake is so easy to make! Even better when someone else does the dishes!
White wines that have a sugar index of >5!
Muscato, Riesling and Gewurtztraminer! Ice wine!
Blankets of all colours, fabrics and sizes! Scarves, too!
Scarves that your grandmother knits that are too big to be a scarf, and so you use more like a shawl instead! Even better -- when she asks you what your 'school colours' are so that you can have a purple and white scarf-shawl for your office at UWO!
Sitting on park benches and watching the birds, animals and people walk by!
The first snowfall of the year, because it's just so pretty!
Walking over bridges! Especially if they're over bodies of water where ducks live, so you can feed the ducks and potentially see baby ducks who are little fluff-balls of adorableness!
Exclamation marks!!!
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Bean and Escarole Soup
Oh. My. Gawd.
I just polished off two bowls of this stuff, and I would go back for more if it wasn't so heavy and rich. This soup is like an umami bomb in my mouth, creamy from the beans, crunchy from the escarole ribs, fragrant from the garlic, oregano and lemon, and deeply rich and salty from the anchovy. (That's right, this soup isn't vegetarian. I do allow myself the occasional pescetarian meal, because I just love seafood so much.)
This is adapted from Chef John's recipe. If you don't want to use anchovy, it'll be difficult to replace. You could leave it out and either use a higher sodium broth or add salt in the end; perhaps some chopped capers or a spoonful of miso would work; or if you don't have qualms about anchovies but just don't have any, some Worcester sauce may work. Escarole worked wonderfully in this dish, but I can imagine replacing it with basically any green: if using a hardier one like kale or collards, add much earlier.
olive oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
4 cups low-sodium broth (I use vegetarian 'chicken' broth)
2 cans white cannellini beans, around 30 oz., drained but not rinsed
pinch chili flakes
1 anchovy fillet
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp dried oregano (or 2 tsp chopped fresh oregano)
1 head escarole (also known as curly endive)
Heat around 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat; add garlic. Swirl for around 20 seconds; add broth. Boil and let reduce by about half (I wasn't too concerned about the amount -- I don't even think I did that much, maybe a third). Add beans. When reduced to around when the beans a just below the surface, add the chill flakes, anchovy fillet (I broke it up a bit), lemon zest and oregano. While it's cooking some more, chop the escarole into strips, around 1/2 to 1 inch thick. Discard any ugly leaves. Rinse off the strips in cold water, drain and dry. Add the chopped escarole to the soup, lower heat to simmer, and stir until escarole is wilted, around a minute or less.
Season with fresh ground pepper in bowls. Serve with bread -- next time I'm going to make it thicker and top fresh polenta with it.
I just polished off two bowls of this stuff, and I would go back for more if it wasn't so heavy and rich. This soup is like an umami bomb in my mouth, creamy from the beans, crunchy from the escarole ribs, fragrant from the garlic, oregano and lemon, and deeply rich and salty from the anchovy. (That's right, this soup isn't vegetarian. I do allow myself the occasional pescetarian meal, because I just love seafood so much.)
This is adapted from Chef John's recipe. If you don't want to use anchovy, it'll be difficult to replace. You could leave it out and either use a higher sodium broth or add salt in the end; perhaps some chopped capers or a spoonful of miso would work; or if you don't have qualms about anchovies but just don't have any, some Worcester sauce may work. Escarole worked wonderfully in this dish, but I can imagine replacing it with basically any green: if using a hardier one like kale or collards, add much earlier.
olive oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
4 cups low-sodium broth (I use vegetarian 'chicken' broth)
2 cans white cannellini beans, around 30 oz., drained but not rinsed
pinch chili flakes
1 anchovy fillet
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp dried oregano (or 2 tsp chopped fresh oregano)
1 head escarole (also known as curly endive)
Heat around 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat; add garlic. Swirl for around 20 seconds; add broth. Boil and let reduce by about half (I wasn't too concerned about the amount -- I don't even think I did that much, maybe a third). Add beans. When reduced to around when the beans a just below the surface, add the chill flakes, anchovy fillet (I broke it up a bit), lemon zest and oregano. While it's cooking some more, chop the escarole into strips, around 1/2 to 1 inch thick. Discard any ugly leaves. Rinse off the strips in cold water, drain and dry. Add the chopped escarole to the soup, lower heat to simmer, and stir until escarole is wilted, around a minute or less.
Season with fresh ground pepper in bowls. Serve with bread -- next time I'm going to make it thicker and top fresh polenta with it.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Brown Lentil Soup
So, I was craving a simple red lentil soup. I've had a bad week and just wanted to throw some onions, garlic, spices and lentils in a pot, cover it with water, and come back half an hour later. Alas! The Metro doesn't carry red lentils. (Really. I'm actually quite surprised!) But they did have brown lentils... which I know take a bit longer to cook, and don't get quite as mushy as red lentils. And as many people close to me know, I like mushy foods: legumes, puddings, soft fruits, risotto, mashed potatoes... and would making a brown lentil soup be as satisfying for me? No way to know other than trying.
And I would say this is a success. After a few quick purées with my immersion blender, I had just enough mushy goodness to counterbalance the lentils that held their shape.
This is adapted from Dima Sharif's brown lentil soup.
BROWN LENTIL SOUP
1 cup brown lentils, rinsed
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups water or broth
1 tsp cumin seeds
4 green cardamom pods
4-6 black peppercorns
3 cloves
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
salt and pepper to taste
chopped cilantro (optional: I didn't have any, but I'd imagine it would go very well)
Heat oil in a medium to large pot (enough for at least 8 cups). Sauté onions and garlic over medium-high until yellow, but not brown. Add washed lentils and stir to mix. Add water or broth; stir, scraping bottom. Add tea ball stuffed with cardamom, peppercorns and cloves; add cumin seeds (which don't need to go in tea ball), bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Heat until boiling; cover and simmer over low heat 45 minutes or until lentils are cooked to desired texture. Remove from heat; remove tea ball, bay leaf and cinnamon stick. With an immersion blender, give a few whirls to blend around a third of the soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add cilantro. Yum.
This would go well with any sort of bread.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
French Green Soup
This is an adaptation of Laura Calder's green soup, as featured on "French Cooking at Home". It's an extremely versatile recipe: feel free to change it to your taste. I often use salad greens that are starting to go a bit wilty, but I've also successfully used dandelion greens, collard greens, baby and 'regular' spinach and even Boston lettuce. You really can't go overboard on the greens either, because they wilt down so much: of course, the taste will change depending on what you use, ranging from the slightly bitter to the downright sweet. The amounts of potato and peas are also flexible: you can even skip them entirely. If you use potato, make sure you cook it enough, as undercooked potato can be difficult to blend. Sometimes I've even added a splash of cream or a dollop of yogurt at the end to give it an extra-rich texture. I can also imagine tossing in some feta cheese, too. And which seasoning to use? Well, you don't have to use seasoning at all if you don't want to, but I'm a fan of fresh parsley in this. If I don't have that, I often use dried sage instead. Do you like mint? That would work very, very well, too! Once again -- experiment!
1 onion, minced (or if you have it, a chopped leek is even better)
2 tbsp olive oil or butter
~1 cup potato, chopped
1/2 cup to 1 cup frozen green peas
3-4 cups water or broth
Your choice: bunch of dandelion greens (parboiled, then soaked in cold water), baby spinach, Spring mix greens, any variety of lettuce
Seasoning of your choice: chopped fresh parsley, chopped fresh basil, 1 tsp dried sage, 1 tsp rosemary...
salt and pepper to taste
1 onion, minced (or if you have it, a chopped leek is even better)
2 tbsp olive oil or butter
~1 cup potato, chopped
1/2 cup to 1 cup frozen green peas
3-4 cups water or broth
Your choice: bunch of dandelion greens (parboiled, then soaked in cold water), baby spinach, Spring mix greens, any variety of lettuce
Seasoning of your choice: chopped fresh parsley, chopped fresh basil, 1 tsp dried sage, 1 tsp rosemary...
salt and pepper to taste
- Sauté the onion in olive oil or butter for a few minutes until golden in a medium or large soup pot.
- Add the potatoes and stir until well-coated. Add the water or broth; cover and bring to a boil.
- Cook potatoes until tender, at least 15 minutes.
- Add the peas, greens and seasoning; cook a few minutes more until the greens have wilted.
- Remove from heat; add dairy, if using; blend with an immersion blender, or carefully in a stand-up blender, until smooth.
- Add salt and pepper to taste; ladle into bowls and garnish with Romano cheese.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Music for Dracula
If you were to put on a stage version of Dracula, what would your musical choices be?
This is a task I have given myself: some suggestions for my best friend Amanda's co-production of Dracula in October. She didn't ask me for any suggestions, and the choice is entirely her and her co-director's (and if they have a musical director, then them too I suppose), but I am intrigued by this.
Her request: dark, string-based (particularly 'cello), and if possible, Victorian.
Well, I don't have any knowledge of Victorian music. Perhaps one day when I'm investigating very early/pre-cinema and the origins of musical theatre I will, but at this point I'm rather content with my explorations of (post-)minimalism and other avant-garde 20th century classical composers. I'm actually thinking that this strain of music could be very useful for theatrical productions, given their often repetitive natures: they are easily edited in basic music programs.
Max Richter has been my recent obsession, with his albums memoryhouse and The Blue Notebooks being stuck on repeat. And the remix of "On the Nature of Daylight" with Dinah Washington's "This Bitter Earth" that was featured in the closing credits of Shutter Island? Absolutely divine, but I don't think that Richter's melancholy, mournful style would be suitable for Dracula. Something like "Shadow Journal" may work for another production, but its contemporary electronic throbs may disqualify it. "Jan's Notebook" is a brittle, spare harpsichord piece that may have potential for a set change, but is it too minimal? "Embers" is a beautiful piece driven by a mournful, repetitive piano, accented by strings -- but does it have the necessary darkness for Dracula?
But thinking of Shutter Island's remarkable soundtrack, what about the major theme of the film, Krysztof Penderecki's Symphony no. 3, the 4th movement: "Passacaglia (Allegro Moderato)"? A terrifying, plodding piece full of throbbing, deep chords, perhaps perfect for scene changes or the end of the first act. Check it out here. It's nearly 7 minutes long, yes, but it's also a piece that could be very easily edited.
A recent discovery of mine was the album Fordlandia by Icelandic composer Johann Johannson, and I think the piece "The Rocket Builder (Io Pan!)" may have some potential. The first movement of the piece slowly builds up, and some of the phrases near the beginning may be good for small details, but where the track really shines is in the second half: a combination of dread, mourning and beauty, suitable for a sensual scene with Dracula and Mina or Lucy. A potential problem though may be the dominant musicbox synth may be a bit too contemporary.
Also from Fordlandia is the first of five "Melodia" pieces: "Melodia (i)". It's a small, two-minute piece driven by bassoon and clarinet: delicate and strangely ominous, suggesting future catastrophe. I'm thinking as an early set change.
Another Icelandic composer that sometimes piques my interest is Olafur Arnalds, although I do find that some of his work goes too 'poppy' and saccharine for my taste, particularly when he introduces his drumkit. That being said, "Loftið verður skyndilega kalt" from last year's ...And They Have Escaped the Weight of Darkness is heartbreakingly pretty. The piano reminds me a lot of Arvo Pärt's "Spiegel im Spiegel", and those strings just destroy me every time. Speaking of Pärt, there may be some potential in his massive oeuvre: some of his Gregorian chants or his organ work could be very appropriate. Perhaps the sixth piece from his Seven Magnificat-Antiphonen, "VI. O Konig Aller Volker" when Dracula has just been killed? Some of the other pieces from these seven --maybe the third-- could also work. One of Pärt's recent masterworks, Orient and Occident, could be a good source, too. Amazingly, this is the only video I could find of the piece: Amanda, I have a copy of it if you are intrigued at all! It's decadent and beautiful, with just the right amount of ominous exoticism bubbling up.
And because I'm on Pärt right now, I can't help but mention his brilliant, brilliant second movement to Tabula Rasa, "Silentium". I don't think it would work for Dracula, but I just really want to share it. One of my absolute favourite compositions ever.
Iannis Xenakis was far from the first composer that came into my head when I began searching for anything remotely close to 'Victorian' music. If you're familiar with his work, you may be saying to yourself "well, duh!" He's far too contemporary, dissonant and mathematical to perhaps even fleetingly consider, but there's one piece of his that I think proposes some interesting uses in some scenes of chaos and horror: "Kottos for Solo 'cello" from 1977. You would have to edit the crap out of the piece, but there are many small treasures hidden away: the disturbing drones beginning at 30 seconds that break into brittle cries at 0:52; the violent bursts that begin in the fourth minute; the psychotic, dizzying phrases in the seventh (imagine this in the background as Dracula makes a particularly horrific speech). This is probably just too much work to make manageable, but I think it's an interesting suggestion.
And dark, ominous, string-based, eh? Hmm... If I was directing, there would have to be a massive blood orgy scene with this playing. But then again, I'm bat-poop crazy. The introduction to the play would also be this, just to scare the crap out of people... and y'know what? It may actually be appropriate.
I'm going to search outside of my comfort zone now, into the realm of Victorian-era music. Any suggestions?
This is a task I have given myself: some suggestions for my best friend Amanda's co-production of Dracula in October. She didn't ask me for any suggestions, and the choice is entirely her and her co-director's (and if they have a musical director, then them too I suppose), but I am intrigued by this.
Her request: dark, string-based (particularly 'cello), and if possible, Victorian.
Well, I don't have any knowledge of Victorian music. Perhaps one day when I'm investigating very early/pre-cinema and the origins of musical theatre I will, but at this point I'm rather content with my explorations of (post-)minimalism and other avant-garde 20th century classical composers. I'm actually thinking that this strain of music could be very useful for theatrical productions, given their often repetitive natures: they are easily edited in basic music programs.
Max Richter has been my recent obsession, with his albums memoryhouse and The Blue Notebooks being stuck on repeat. And the remix of "On the Nature of Daylight" with Dinah Washington's "This Bitter Earth" that was featured in the closing credits of Shutter Island? Absolutely divine, but I don't think that Richter's melancholy, mournful style would be suitable for Dracula. Something like "Shadow Journal" may work for another production, but its contemporary electronic throbs may disqualify it. "Jan's Notebook" is a brittle, spare harpsichord piece that may have potential for a set change, but is it too minimal? "Embers" is a beautiful piece driven by a mournful, repetitive piano, accented by strings -- but does it have the necessary darkness for Dracula?
But thinking of Shutter Island's remarkable soundtrack, what about the major theme of the film, Krysztof Penderecki's Symphony no. 3, the 4th movement: "Passacaglia (Allegro Moderato)"? A terrifying, plodding piece full of throbbing, deep chords, perhaps perfect for scene changes or the end of the first act. Check it out here. It's nearly 7 minutes long, yes, but it's also a piece that could be very easily edited.
A recent discovery of mine was the album Fordlandia by Icelandic composer Johann Johannson, and I think the piece "The Rocket Builder (Io Pan!)" may have some potential. The first movement of the piece slowly builds up, and some of the phrases near the beginning may be good for small details, but where the track really shines is in the second half: a combination of dread, mourning and beauty, suitable for a sensual scene with Dracula and Mina or Lucy. A potential problem though may be the dominant musicbox synth may be a bit too contemporary.
Also from Fordlandia is the first of five "Melodia" pieces: "Melodia (i)". It's a small, two-minute piece driven by bassoon and clarinet: delicate and strangely ominous, suggesting future catastrophe. I'm thinking as an early set change.
Another Icelandic composer that sometimes piques my interest is Olafur Arnalds, although I do find that some of his work goes too 'poppy' and saccharine for my taste, particularly when he introduces his drumkit. That being said, "Loftið verður skyndilega kalt" from last year's ...And They Have Escaped the Weight of Darkness is heartbreakingly pretty. The piano reminds me a lot of Arvo Pärt's "Spiegel im Spiegel", and those strings just destroy me every time. Speaking of Pärt, there may be some potential in his massive oeuvre: some of his Gregorian chants or his organ work could be very appropriate. Perhaps the sixth piece from his Seven Magnificat-Antiphonen, "VI. O Konig Aller Volker" when Dracula has just been killed? Some of the other pieces from these seven --maybe the third-- could also work. One of Pärt's recent masterworks, Orient and Occident, could be a good source, too. Amazingly, this is the only video I could find of the piece: Amanda, I have a copy of it if you are intrigued at all! It's decadent and beautiful, with just the right amount of ominous exoticism bubbling up.
And because I'm on Pärt right now, I can't help but mention his brilliant, brilliant second movement to Tabula Rasa, "Silentium". I don't think it would work for Dracula, but I just really want to share it. One of my absolute favourite compositions ever.
Iannis Xenakis was far from the first composer that came into my head when I began searching for anything remotely close to 'Victorian' music. If you're familiar with his work, you may be saying to yourself "well, duh!" He's far too contemporary, dissonant and mathematical to perhaps even fleetingly consider, but there's one piece of his that I think proposes some interesting uses in some scenes of chaos and horror: "Kottos for Solo 'cello" from 1977. You would have to edit the crap out of the piece, but there are many small treasures hidden away: the disturbing drones beginning at 30 seconds that break into brittle cries at 0:52; the violent bursts that begin in the fourth minute; the psychotic, dizzying phrases in the seventh (imagine this in the background as Dracula makes a particularly horrific speech). This is probably just too much work to make manageable, but I think it's an interesting suggestion.
And dark, ominous, string-based, eh? Hmm... If I was directing, there would have to be a massive blood orgy scene with this playing. But then again, I'm bat-poop crazy. The introduction to the play would also be this, just to scare the crap out of people... and y'know what? It may actually be appropriate.
I'm going to search outside of my comfort zone now, into the realm of Victorian-era music. Any suggestions?
Thursday, August 11, 2011
10-minute Vegetable Miso Soup
(Originally posted on January 5, 2011 on Facebook)
This is my variation on miso soup, upgraded to meal-in-a-bowl status. It's cheap, quick and healthy.
If there's one thing I miss, it's the rich taste of chicken stock. Many vegetarian broths tend to rely on mushroom, cabbage and onion to kick up the umami, and those of you familiar with my tastes in food know that those are three flavours that I am not really a fan of. But there's another ingredient that is just loaded with glutamate: miso. If you've ever been to a Japanese restaurant, you've probably had the ubiquitous miso soup. But what many people don't realize is that it's not just miso and water that they serve to you, along with the few bits of tofu, green onion and seaweed floating around: the broth is dashi, a yummy combo of kelp and bonito. I don't know about you, but I don't have any kelp lying around, and I'm probably ruining miso soup for many of my non-pescatarian friends by pointing out that bonito is fish. Oops! So I don't have any dashi around, nor the resources to make it if I wanted to. But what I do have to kick up the umami factor in this simple soup are green tea and nori. That's right -- green tea. As for nori, it's the roasted seaweed that is used in sushi. I accidentally discovered that it's also great in soup: instant flavour with barely any steeping required. I also use ginger to add a pleasant kick, and although I don't always use it, celery is such a strong presence in classic vegetable broths that if I have time, I'll often boil sliced ginger along with celery for a good 10+ minutes to get it really peppery and fresh-tasting.
2 cups Water or Broth
2-3 cm Sliced Ginger
1-2 Stalks Thinly sliced Celery
1/3-1/2 Package Cubed Firm Tofu*
Green Tea
Vegetables that cook quickly: Leafy greens, frozen corn/peas, grated carrot, sprouts
1 Tbsp Miso (More or less depending on your tastes)
1/2 Sheet Nori (Roasted Seaweed)
Cooked Noodles or Rice
1. 1 cup of hot water into a pot. Crank up the heat.
2. Chop up a few slices of ginger and throw them in. Sometimes I also throw in a clove of garlic.
3. Rinse off a stalk or two of celery and thinly slice it. Toss into the pot.
4. As this begins to boil, turn on a kettle with some more water in it.
5. Open a package of tofu, cut off a third or half, cut into slices. Take some paper towels and pat (mostly) dry. Chop into cubes.
6. At this point, the water in the pot should be boiling. Throw in a green tea bag or a tea ball with loose leaf green tea. I leave it in for around 3-4 minutes.
7. Add in your tofu: I wait until after the green tea is steeped so the cubes can suck up that flavour, too, but I'm not sure if it actually makes a difference!
8. Prepare your vegetables and throw them in:
a) I like leafy greens. I just wash them off and roughly chop them up. Some of my favourites are (baby) bok choy, Swiss chard, and spinach. Even pre-washed salad greens work. Only takes a few minutes to cook.
b) Frozen peas, corn or other mix. To quickly defrost, get a colander, throw in around a cup of vegetables and rinse under hot water from the tap. You could also microwave them for around a minute with a splash of water, but I prefer the colander method. Also only takes a few minutes to cook.
c) If I can find them, pea sprouts are one of my favourite things in the world. Rinse them off and rip them in half if you desire. Often, I add them after the soup is done so that they remain raw.
d) Grated carrot. Only takes a few minutes to cook; raw, they're pleasantly crunchy.
e) Whatever else you want! Mushrooms, bean sprouts, onion...
9. The kettle should be boiling now. Scoop around a tablespoon of miso into your big glass measuring cup and pour in around 1 cup of water. Whisk with a fork, spoon, whisk, knife or spork until blended.
10. Take half a sheet of nori (roasted seaweed) and cut into small squares or strips with your kitchen scissors. Add to your diluted miso. (I do it this way because I'm trying to avoid having the nori shredded in the stock: it's perfectly fine taste-wise, but it makes the soup look, well, dirty.)
11. At this point, your vegetables are probably done. Turn down the heat, pick out the ginger (and garlic, if using) and pour in your miso mixture. Gently stir, bring it back to a boil, and you're done!
12. Spoon over cooked noodles or rice if you need some more grains for the day.
13. Freshly ground pepper is awesome. Sliced green onions are, of course, the classic garnish.
*I usually use firm tofu, but every so often I want the soft variety. If I do this, I try to keep the rest of the soup even more simple and only use the greens.
This is my variation on miso soup, upgraded to meal-in-a-bowl status. It's cheap, quick and healthy.
If there's one thing I miss, it's the rich taste of chicken stock. Many vegetarian broths tend to rely on mushroom, cabbage and onion to kick up the umami, and those of you familiar with my tastes in food know that those are three flavours that I am not really a fan of. But there's another ingredient that is just loaded with glutamate: miso. If you've ever been to a Japanese restaurant, you've probably had the ubiquitous miso soup. But what many people don't realize is that it's not just miso and water that they serve to you, along with the few bits of tofu, green onion and seaweed floating around: the broth is dashi, a yummy combo of kelp and bonito. I don't know about you, but I don't have any kelp lying around, and I'm probably ruining miso soup for many of my non-pescatarian friends by pointing out that bonito is fish. Oops! So I don't have any dashi around, nor the resources to make it if I wanted to. But what I do have to kick up the umami factor in this simple soup are green tea and nori. That's right -- green tea. As for nori, it's the roasted seaweed that is used in sushi. I accidentally discovered that it's also great in soup: instant flavour with barely any steeping required. I also use ginger to add a pleasant kick, and although I don't always use it, celery is such a strong presence in classic vegetable broths that if I have time, I'll often boil sliced ginger along with celery for a good 10+ minutes to get it really peppery and fresh-tasting.
2 cups Water or Broth
2-3 cm Sliced Ginger
1-2 Stalks Thinly sliced Celery
1/3-1/2 Package Cubed Firm Tofu*
Green Tea
Vegetables that cook quickly: Leafy greens, frozen corn/peas, grated carrot, sprouts
1 Tbsp Miso (More or less depending on your tastes)
1/2 Sheet Nori (Roasted Seaweed)
Cooked Noodles or Rice
1. 1 cup of hot water into a pot. Crank up the heat.
2. Chop up a few slices of ginger and throw them in. Sometimes I also throw in a clove of garlic.
3. Rinse off a stalk or two of celery and thinly slice it. Toss into the pot.
4. As this begins to boil, turn on a kettle with some more water in it.
5. Open a package of tofu, cut off a third or half, cut into slices. Take some paper towels and pat (mostly) dry. Chop into cubes.
6. At this point, the water in the pot should be boiling. Throw in a green tea bag or a tea ball with loose leaf green tea. I leave it in for around 3-4 minutes.
7. Add in your tofu: I wait until after the green tea is steeped so the cubes can suck up that flavour, too, but I'm not sure if it actually makes a difference!
8. Prepare your vegetables and throw them in:
a) I like leafy greens. I just wash them off and roughly chop them up. Some of my favourites are (baby) bok choy, Swiss chard, and spinach. Even pre-washed salad greens work. Only takes a few minutes to cook.
b) Frozen peas, corn or other mix. To quickly defrost, get a colander, throw in around a cup of vegetables and rinse under hot water from the tap. You could also microwave them for around a minute with a splash of water, but I prefer the colander method. Also only takes a few minutes to cook.
c) If I can find them, pea sprouts are one of my favourite things in the world. Rinse them off and rip them in half if you desire. Often, I add them after the soup is done so that they remain raw.
d) Grated carrot. Only takes a few minutes to cook; raw, they're pleasantly crunchy.
e) Whatever else you want! Mushrooms, bean sprouts, onion...
9. The kettle should be boiling now. Scoop around a tablespoon of miso into your big glass measuring cup and pour in around 1 cup of water. Whisk with a fork, spoon, whisk, knife or spork until blended.
10. Take half a sheet of nori (roasted seaweed) and cut into small squares or strips with your kitchen scissors. Add to your diluted miso. (I do it this way because I'm trying to avoid having the nori shredded in the stock: it's perfectly fine taste-wise, but it makes the soup look, well, dirty.)
11. At this point, your vegetables are probably done. Turn down the heat, pick out the ginger (and garlic, if using) and pour in your miso mixture. Gently stir, bring it back to a boil, and you're done!
12. Spoon over cooked noodles or rice if you need some more grains for the day.
13. Freshly ground pepper is awesome. Sliced green onions are, of course, the classic garnish.
*I usually use firm tofu, but every so often I want the soft variety. If I do this, I try to keep the rest of the soup even more simple and only use the greens.
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