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It’s a new year and a new decade. For the past few weeks, movie, theater, music, television and book critics have published their Top 10s of the year and the decade.
Television situation comedies are not as funny and original as they were during the 1990s. “Seinfeld,” created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, may have been about nothing, but the antics of Jerry, George, Kramer and Elaine still move me to laughter. I know many of the scripts by heart.
Several weeks ago, “The Soup Nazi” aired on TBS. My sister Sandy and I were roaring over Jerry’s constant vocal musings of “schmoopie” when he was with his woman of the hour, Elaine’s rhapsodizing over The Soup Nazi’s lobster bisque, Newman’s affinity for jambalaya, George going nuts every time he heard Jerry say “schmoopie” and Kramer’s decision to sit guard on the stoop over an armoire destined for Elaine’s apartment. Two thugs steal the armoire, Kramer tells The Soup Nazi, and the chef tells Kramer he has an armoire for him.
To make the script short, Elaine falls out of favor with The Soup Nazi. He kicks her out, she discovers his recipes in the armoire and the episode ends.
During the show, the blackboard list of soups of the day was in plain sight. Along with lobster bisque, there was black bean, mulligatawny, mushroom barley and others.
Food played an important part in many “Seinfeld” episodes. Jerry’s collection of cold cereal, waiting in line in the Chinese restaurant, Kramer working at the bagel store and the uproarious story of the muffin tops.
Since the weather is bitterly cold, I thought it fun to give you recipes for warming soups that were offered by The Soup Nazi. Since lobster is pricey and you may not wish to do the deed, I substituted shrimp in the bisque.
■ Shrimp Bisque ■
Ingredients:
1 pound of large shrimp, peeled with shells reserved
2 cups each of water and clam juice
3 tablespoons of olive oil
3 leeks, washed and chopped
Sprinkling of imported sweet Hungarian paprika
1/4 cup each of Cognac or brandy and dry sherry
4 tablespoons of butter
1/4 cup of flour
2 cups of half-and-half
1 heaping tablespoon of tomato paste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Simmer the shrimp shells in a pot with the water and clam juice for 15 minutes. Strain and reserve the stock.
Heat the oil in a 4-quart pot over medium. Add the leeks and sauté for about 10 minutes. Add the paprika and shrimp and cook over low to medium for about four minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the Cognac or brandy and cook for one minute. Add the sherry and cook for about four minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, place the shrimp and leeks in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse until coarsely chopped.
In the same pot, melt the butter over medium. Add the flour and cook for about one minute, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the half-and-half and cook, whisking with a wire whisk, for about three minutes, or until thickened.
Stir in the shrimp mixture, stock and remaining ingredients. Heat gently until hot, but do not boil.
Serves four to six.
■ Mushroom Barley Soup ■
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
1/2 pound of white mushrooms, wiped cleaned and sliced
1 32-ounce package of chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup of pearl barley
Snips of fresh dill
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Heat the oil over medium in a 4-quart pot. Add the vegetables and sauté for about eight minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then lower to simmer and cover with the lid askew. Cook for about 40 minutes, or until the barley is tender. Add a cup or two of water if the soup appears too thick.
Serves six.
■ Black Bean Soup ■
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
2 15-ounce cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 32-ounce package of chicken or vegetable stock
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Heat the oil over medium in a 4-quart pot. Add the onion, carrots and celery and sauté for about eight minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then lower to simmer and cook for about 30 minutes. Add a cup or two of water if the soup appears too thick.
Serves four to six.
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