Almost a decade ago as my financial empire and life were collapsing around me, after a terrible divorce and some health issues, including severe sleep apnea and depression, I lost the company that I founded with my ex-wife, and lived for a year in my former estate, I lost in bankruptcy, with four Central American undocumented aliens that were upgrading my former two and a half acre estate for the newinvestor owner. He often didn't pay them for months, so they lived in subsistence manner along with me.
These hard working carpenters made an amazing soup, or stew with oxtail, a half cob of corn, clams, mussels, fish, beef, potatoes, carrots, peppers, and a variety of other things, in a liquid broth they would leave simmering on the stove all day long, with folks eating off and on as they came and went.
Sometimes having tortillas and other things on the side. A big pot of boiling coffee was always available - not a percolator pot, but an ordinary boiling pot, where the ground coffee was allowed to settle to the bottom.
Such an amazing and exquisite taste unlike any soup I've tasted before, the smell alone could put me an elevated state of consciousness.
Perhaps, out of pity for me, camaraderie, or an international gesture of good will they started asking me to join them for dinner, and drinking leading to some wonderful times.
Since then I've been searching for the recipe, discovering many wonderful soups and stews along the way including -- pepian, tapado, subanik, pulique, hilachas, jocón, kak’ik, caldo de gallina, caldo de res, gallo en chicha, tiras de panza, pollo en crema, pollo a la cerveza, carne guisada, revolcado, caldo de mariscos, etc.?
Also, creating many new concoctions of my own by accident, but have yet to attain my Holy Grail or soups, or should I say "santos sopa."
Is there any Kossack out there who might know these secrets?
I would let them play my Fender Stratocaster guitar, enhanced with a MIDI synthesizer through Fender Amps, at amplitude levels only possible because my 2.5 acre estate was adjacent to 90 acres of conservation land. (And, all 25 minutes from Boston's Logan airport where I commuted to work around the globe maybe 120 days out of the year.) With love and squalor from Boston suburbs.
I've grown nostalgic about it, and as I am trying to learn to cook, and adhere to a healthier diet, since being diagnosed with diabetes type 2 last spring, I have been searching for the recipe and trying to recreate it with little success, although I've accidentally created lots of interesting and tasty soups, broths, stews, etc. But, never as exquisite.
It might have been similar to Sopa de Mondongo but with the broth and vegetables, but with oxtail higher cuts of beef, and also the clams, mussels, whitefish, and corn husks. And without the plantans and cabbage. What kind of soup would this be? BTW, One can substitute higher cuts of beef if the idea of tripe is too challenging. Many of these recipes come from poor areas where the majority took anything they could get, after the rich folks purchased the more upscale parts of the animal.
(Latin American tripe and vegetable soup)
Beef or pork tripe, cleaned and trimmed of fat -- 2 pounds
Lemons, halved -- 3
Salt -- 2 teaspoons
Water -- 2 quarts
Oil -- 3 tablespoons
Onion, chopped -- 2
Green or red bell peppers, chopped -- 2
Garlic, minced -- 3 or 4 cloves
Oregano -- 1 tablespoon
Tomatoes, seeded and chopped -- 2 cups
Cassava (yuca) or potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks -- 1 pound
Sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks -- 1 pound
Green plantains, peeled and cut into chunks -- 3
Cabbage, coarsely chopped -- 1 head
Cilantro, chopped -- 1 bunch
Salt and pepper -- to taste
Method
Add the tripe, lemons, salt and water to a large pot and bring to a boil over medium-high flame. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the tripe is tender.
While the tripe is simmering, heat the oil in a skillet over medium flame and add the onion and bell peppers. Saute for 3 or 4 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and oregano and saute for another minute. Finally add the tomato and simmer for 3 or 4 minutes more. Remove from heat and set aside.
Remove the tripe to a cutting board, reserving the broth. Discard the lemon halves. Cut the tripe into bite-sized pieces and return it to the broth, along with the sauteed onions, peppers and tomatoes and the cassava or potatoes, sweet potatoes, plantains and cabbage. Bring to a boil again, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for another 30 to 40 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked through and tender.
Stir in the chopped cilantro and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
http://antiguadailyphoto.com/...
Guatemalan Cuisine: Tres Carnes Subanik Bowl
Tres Carnes Subanik Bowl by Rudy Girón
The illusive soup I am trying to find would be a caldos or Kak'Ik rather than a recados as the broth was translucent and thin.
Guatemalan gastronomy is so rich with stews. If the stews are watery we call them caldos and if the stews are thick we call them recados. In Guatemala we have plenty of caldos and recados and sometimes is difficult to decide whether a stew is a caldo or a recado. Take Kak’Ik for instance, which is caldo that looks like a recado.
The picture above is from the three-meat Subanik from Cocina del Obispo located at the entrance of San Juan del Obispo.
You might also like:
http://www.skinnytaste.com/...
Beef, Potato and Quinoa Soup
This soup uses cooked quinoa, which is a South American seed which has become very popular in North America lately. Quinoa is very high in protein, and contains all 9 essential amino acids, lysine, phosphorous, copper, iron and magnesium. It's gluten-free and you can find it at any healthy food store, Amazon, Trader Joe's and even at your local supermarket. Click here for the recipe to cook basic quinoa.
The key to making a good beef soup is letting the beef simmer until it gets soft, the longer the better so the meat is tender.
Beef, Potato and Quinoa Soup
2 tsp olive oil
6-7 scallions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tomato, diced
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp Badia Sazon with Annato
1/2 lb beef, cubed into small bite size pieces (I used beef tenderloin)
5 cups water
beef bullion
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
2 tbsp yellow bell pepper, diced
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup cooked quinoa
6 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
Saute oil in a large pot, add scallions and garlic and sauté until soft over medium heat, about 3 minutes. Add tomato, cumin, sazon with achiote, 1/4 cup cilantro and cook another 2 minutes. Add beef, water, bullion, carrot, bell pepper, salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low about 1-1/2 hours, until meat is tender.
Add potato and cooked quinoa and cook an additional 25 minutes. Add remaining chopped cilantro and serve.
James Baigrie of Good Housekeeping offers us this cajun dish that I offer as a clue because it contains the mix of seafood and sausage that a decade ago was new to me. Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo
Ingredients
1 pound(s) hot Italian sausage links, pricked several times with fork
3 tablespoon(s) vegetable oil
1/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 clove(s) garlic , finely chopped
2 medium stalks celery, chopped
1 can(s) (14 to 14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
1 can(s) (14 1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes
1 cup(s) water
1 package(s) (10 ounces) frozen sliced okra, thawed
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon(s) dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon(s) dried thyme
Salt
1 1/2 cup(s) regular long-grain white rice
1 1/2 pound(s) shelled and deveined shrimp, with tail part of shell left on if you like
Directions
Heat 6-quart Dutch oven on medium-high until hot. Add sausage links and cook 8 minutes or until well browned, turning frequently. Transfer sausages to plate to cool slightly, about 10 minutes. When cool, cut sausages into 1/2-inch-thick diagonal slices.
While sausages cool, discard all but 1 tablespoon drippings from Dutch oven. Add oil to Dutch oven and heat on medium. (If your sausages are very lean and you do not get 1 tablespoon drippings, add enough additional oil to drippings to equal 1/4 cup fat total.) Gradually stir flour into drippings until blended, and cook 4 to 5 minutes or until flour mixture (roux) is deep brown, stirring constantly. Add green pepper, onion, celery, and garlic, and cook 5 to 6 minutes or until all vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
Return sausages to Dutch oven; stir in broth, tomatoes, water, okra, bay leaf, oregano, thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; heat to boiling on high. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 30 minutes to blend flavors.
Meanwhile, prepare rice as label directs. In medium bowl, toss shrimp with 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Add shrimp to Dutch oven; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until opaque throughout.
To serve, discard bay leaf. Serve gumbo in large bowls. Top each serving with a scoop of rice. Makes about 10 cups.
http://www.myrecipes.com/...
Ingredients
3 poblano chiles
1 1/2 teaspoons aniseed
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1 (28-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes, undrained (such as Muir Glen)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound mussels, scrubbed and debearded
3/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
8 lime slices
Preparation
Preheat broiler.
Cut chiles in half; discard seeds and membranes. Place halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 5 minutes or until blackened. Place in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag, and seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel chiles; discard skins. Finely chop chiles.
Cook aniseed and cumin seeds in a saucepan over medium heat 1 minute or until toasted and fragrant. Place in a spice or coffee grinder, and process until finely ground.
Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped onion and minced garlic; cook 15 minutes or until onion is browned, stirring occasionally. Add the toasted ground spices; cook 1 minute. Add sugar, salt, clam juice, chopped jalapeño peppers, and fire-roasted crushed tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chopped poblano chiles, lime juice, tilapia, shrimp, and mussels; bring to a simmer. Cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are done and mussels open; discard any unopened shells. Stir in minced fresh cilantro, and serve with lime slices.
Lorrie Hulston Corvin, Cooking Light
OCTOBER
All these recipes are making me hungry.
If anyone has tasty or meaningful ones of your own, or suggestions on how I can find or recreate, "santos sopa" please let me know in the comments.
8:42 PM PT: Based on feedback from Ivan and Anthony de Jesus I now thing I might be looking for a variation of the Sopa de Mondongo. I realize this ones is a bit wild on the spices variety, but this is part of the fun for me.
Here's my last experiment of "Sopa Illusivus"
* 2 large onion, chopped
* 4 cloves of garlic, minced
* 2 green bell peppers, chopped
* 1 lemon quartered
* 1/3 cup olive oil
* 1 pounds stewing beef, cut into 1 inch pieces
* 2 large clams
* 1/2 pound of black mussels
* 1/2 to pound of any kind of white fish
* 1 can red kidney beans
* 1 packet of dried spanish chicken soup base (mostly broth)
* 8 small to med white potatoes, quartered and unpeeled
* 4 stalks of celery sliced
* 1 tablespoons of fresh ground pepper
* 2 teaspoons sea salt
* 2 tablespoons oregano
* 1 teaspoon of dried bay leaves
* 1 tablespoon of dill
* 1 cob of corn quarter cut
* 3 large carrots cut to one inch pieces
* 1 extra hot dried red chinese pepper
* 1 dash of hot oil
* 1 can of cream of chicken soup
Cutting and pasting Ivan's preparation for laziness.
Preparation:
1. In a large pot, saute the onions, green pepper, and garlic in the olive oil until golden and soft.
2. Add the beef and cook on medium-high heat, turning to brown all sides.
3. Add 2 quarts of water and all the other ingredients and spices, lower heat to a simmer.
4. Cover and simmer over low heat for 60 to 80 minutes. Taste for seasoning, and season with salt and pepper.
Next time, I'm going to try adding cabbage, some tomatoes and maybe do an experiment with a flour to thicken the sauce (to experiment with a recado.) This will not be the soup I was looking for, but now my imagination is sizzling with aromas and tastes from these discussions.
Thanks everyone.