Warm Spice Tomato Barley Soup

In a city full or rich eats, it's important to balance all that with healthy food so I've been cooking a lot.  Trying to keep things fresh and earthy, I whipped up a good soup the other day, consisting of pretty basic ingredients one usually has in their pantry.  It's easy to substitute certain ingredients like the barley with something else like quinoa or other kinds of pasta.  What makes the soup unique are the spices, including cinnamon and coriander, which gives it almost a curry flavor.  

Although this soup tastes great right after it's made, I think it's even better when it sits for a day and makes for tasty leftovers.  I served it up with a rustic piece of bread that kept us satiated for the evening.

Tomato Soup with Barley (or Bulgur) and Warm Spices - recipe courtesy of Whole Foods Market.

Cozying up with a Shiitake Mushroom Soup

One of my favorite things about fall is eating hearty foods, and soup is one of them.  There's nothing like coming home and cozying up on the couch with a warm bowl of delicious soup.  Since mushroom season is upon us, I thought it'd be the perfect opportunity to use some nice local mushrooms available now, such as the organic shiitakes I got today.  Since I only had a little, I supplemented the recipe with some baby bellas too, and the result was rich and comforting.

Getting inspired by a recipe I found on my Rustic Eats Pinterest board, it came to me by way of Julia's Album blog.  Using a simple recipe with fresh and natural ingredients, I created my own veggie stock, which was then thickened a bit with half and half (but the fat free kind - weird...I know).  Julia recommends using regular half and half, which I can appreciate, but I already had the fat free stuff on hand from a previous soup dish I created not long ago.  A topping of fresh thyme served as a nice garnish, which you can later strip of its little leaves, further flavoring the soup and making it smell divine.

Here's Julia's recipe for a Creamy Mushroom Soup with Shiitakes

Yummy Split Pea, Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

As you can tell, I've been pretty into making soups lately and the rainy, chill weather has presented the perfect opportunity to consume them.  

I wanted to share this simple recipe for a split pea, butternut squash soup with toasted pumpkin seeds that I got from my Whole Foods iPad app.  Finding a lot of value in their recipes, I like how healthy they are and the nutritious ingredients they incorporate. 

Making this soup was really enjoyable and a good learning experience, as it doesn't use any kind of oil or chicken or veggie stock.  The flavors simply stew together for a long time and intermingle in the process, creating a flavorful concoction that's satisfying and also good for you.  The toasted pepitas on top are the best part, as both Dan and I loved biting into something crunchy while enjoying this smooth, creamy soup (no cream included).

Whole Foods' recipe uses sweet potato, but I had butternut squash on hand and it worked great.  Enjoy.

Split Pea Butternut Squash Soup Recipe. 

Warm Up With Il Bambino

The Joey in Astoria crew and I met at Il Bambino tonight. It's our local fave for a reason--it always delivers good quality food with lots of personality. And as it was especially chilly tonight, we tried to order dishes that warmed and comforted. These included:

Butternut Squash Soup - I love this flavor of soup and Il Bambino's version was perfect and quite thick. I usually have to be in the mood for thick, creamy soup but it worked well in this situation--probably because it was so frigid outside. The best part about the soup? The thin, crusty panini coated with fresh pesto--it wins me over every time and keeps me coming back for more.

Antipasto Platter - Meg and Sooz recommended this and it included a little bit of everything--fresh ricotta with slivers of tomato, artichoke with tapenade, roasted red peppers, beets and white beans with fresh pesto. It came with a side of Bambino's signature bread, which was a wonderful way to enjoy these delicacies. My favorites were the ricotta and the white beans--I thoroughly enjoyed pairing the milky cheese with the garlicky beans. Just scrumptious!

Green Bean Salad - From the picture above, you could hardly tell that there are green beans underneath all that shaved parmesan. But there they were and oh how nice and crunchy they tasted. Dressed with truffle vinaigrette, they offered a sharp flavor that awoke the senses one bite at a time. The garlicky croutons that were interspersed into the salad were a nice touch.

Nutella Hot Chocolate - I decided to end my evening with a rich drink, combining two of my favorite ingredients--chocolate and nutella. I was yet again in love. Every gulp was bliss, as I tasted the rich chocolate with a sweet hazelnut finish. The nutella taste lingered on my tongue for a few seconds before I took my next gulp, eager to bring back the chocolate.

Service and Cost:

Our servers were nice, helpful and provided recommendations when we asked for them. They were friendly and felt more like acquaintances rather than waiters at a restaurant. The service felt warm and cozy, as it should at a place that we call our "favorite."

The costs are moderate and we paid about $30 per person for a hefty dinner, which included wine, appetizers, paninis, soups and dessert.

Try some of these yummies too--I promise that you'll love them.

Il Bambino Cafe - 34-08 31st Avenue, Astoria, NY 11106
718.626.0087
N/W Train to Broadway or 30th Avenue
www.ilbambinocafe.com

Il Bambino - Paninis Worth Showing Off

Everyone loves Il Bambino. After all, what's not to love about this adorable panini shop with delicious bread, hearty soups and gargantuan cupcakes.

I decided to show it off to my co-workers, Leann and Frank this week, as we took a day trip to LIC for work purposes (of course). They both seemed to like our charming little paninoteca, and we enjoyed a leisurely lunch in its not so crowded dining room. In fact, it was so relaxing that we stayed a while just chatting.

Besides the paninis, which Leann and Frank devoured, we also ordered the following new items that I haven't yet tried:

White Bean and Pesto Crostini - Whenever I think of crostini, I think of really crunchy, toasty bread. Il Bambino's crostini are that and more--they're crispy and chewy, which makes them easier to eat (but not easier to cut). Ours included a topping of large buttery cannellini beans, which had good texture and were paired with Bambino's signature chunky pesto. And if that's not enough, this yummy bread was also enhanced by a sprinkling of fresh Pecorino Romano cheese. It was the perfect Italian starter--bite-sized and bursting with flavor.

Baked Potato and Leek Soup - Having a good experience with soup the last time that I came here, I decided to get it again. This one was just as good, if not better. Even though the potato was the dominant ingredient, you could still taste the lovely hints of leek and onion. And just like last time, it was served with a generous piece of crusty bread that was topped with garlicky pesto. It was great to dip the bread into this hearty concoction and by the end, I was very full. What good value, I thought--a full tummy for a mere $5.

Service and Cost:

Our waitress was nice but a bit slow with service. She was too laid back and we kept having to signal to her to order and then to get the check. It wasn't horribly annoying just slightly inconvenient.

Cost-wise, Il Bambino won't hurt your wallet. For two paninis, a crostini and a soup, our check came to $28--without tip.

I was glad to show my co-workers our panini gem. Astorians, if you haven't yet checked it out, I strongly encourage it!

Il Bambino Cafe - 34-08 31st Avenue, Astoria, NY 11106
718.626.0087
N/W Train to Broadway or 30th Avenue
www.ilbambinocafe.com