Cooking Method: Simmering

Chocolate Mousse Parfaits by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

I am not sure that this recipe is ‘politically correct ‘at the moment, given the cost of eggs…..but I wanted to make a chocolate mousse, and I wanted a recipe that used cooked, not raw eggs.

Back 50 years ago when Julia Child was teasing the country with French Cuisine, salmonella was NOT a household name and chocolate mousse was made with both raw yolks and whites. And this was indeed how we made it at The Modern Gourmet, Madeleine Kamman’s French cooking school and eponymous restaurant in Newton Centre, MA.

And, it turns out, that what you don’t know might, just indeed, hurt you. And so, in 2025, I make chocolate mousse with a ‘Crème Anglaise’, a cooked egg yolk and cream custard, and NO raw egg whites. The finished mousse is not as ‘airy’ as the original French versions (my apologies, Madeleine and Julia), but it is ‘food safe’ and delicious.

Chocolate Chili Tacos by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

I made a pot of ground beef chili with the usual ingredients: green and jalapeno peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes, a variety of spices and beans (red kidney & black beans). After simmering for about 30 minutes, I tasted it and thought a bit of dark chocolate would meld all these flavors together. And it worked!
Small chunks of dark chocolate (67-72% cacao), melted into the chili, pulled all the flavors together into one ‘happy-on-the-tongue’ melody. My batch of chili was rather thick after chilling it overnight, so I decided that it would make a great taco filling. But feel free to enjoy it as a ‘bowl of chili’, knowing that you may need to thin it out with a bit of broth or water upon re-heating. Also, I garnished with a small handful of Lesser Evil popcorn, for crunch and whimsy. (BTW, Lesser Evil, which we offer at Foodie’s is a fantastic-tasting popcorn!)

Crab Risotto by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

This dish makes me think of my mother who was one of eight, first-generation American children born to Italian immigrant parents. My mother was an excellent cook, well versed in the Southern Italian cuisine of her family as well as embracing the New England cuisine of her Irish-German husband’s family. But, what she really, really liked were what she considered ‘fancy’ Italian dishes: those recipes that were from the more northern regions of Italy (think the Veneto, Lombardy and Piedmont). This risotto was a favorite that she would request her chef-daughter (me!) to make for her.

Beef and Barley Soup with Mushrooms by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

We’ve been having long stretches of rainy days in Boston and that just makes me want to eat soup. And this soup reminds me of my childhood when Campbell’s Beef Barley was a pantry staple, along with Tomato and Scotch Broth. Fast forward many decades and the variety and quality of canned soups has exploded…but I need to make my own because I want to believe that engaging in cooking will disperse the doldrums of more rain.

Green Split Pea Ham Soup by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

It’s certainly been cold enough for split-pea soup; I’d never think of making or eating it in the warmer months. This is a straight forward, one-pot soup. I used a smoked ham hock to flavor the broth and added diced ham to the nearly finished soup. And big chunks of crusty, toasted and buttered bread would be great to serve with this soup.

VINDALOO STEW by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

This is a chunky and aromatic fish (salmon) stew that’s part Indian flavors (vindaloo curry spice mix**) and part Thai flavors (coconut milk, lime and ginger). There is some work in the preparation of the ingredients, but the result is well worth the effort. It’s fragrant, unctuous and very satisfying. **Morton & Basse- Vindaloo Spice Mix contains coriander, turmeric, paprika, cumin, pepper, mustard seed, ginger, cardamom and cayenne.

Bright & Spring-y Shrimp Soup by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

This is a light and delicious and relatively(!) quick soup. Be sure to purchase shrimp in their shells, as you will use the shells to make a shrimp broth. While the broth is simmering the rest of the time will be efficiently used in assembling the rest of the soup ingredients.

Toasted Barley, Cabbage and Curried Ginger Soup by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

I hope you are not a ‘cabbage hater’ and have skipped right over this recipe.....I fear many will! But the cabbage in this recipe is rendered sweet by long, slow cooking and gives this soup a ‘stew-like’ texture. Cabbage and curry blend together harmoniously and with the carrots and toasted barley, it’s a perfect winter soup. And adding shredded leftover rotisserie chicken will change the dish to something substantial for your dinner table...Serve with hunks of fresh baguette and some Camembert or Brie cheese.

Vegan Shepherd’s Pie by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

It begs the question doesn’t it: When did the shepherd become a vegan?? And here I am thinking that this might be one of your Big Game Party dishes… Step aside chicken wings! In place of ground beef, I used a package of QUORN Meatless Crumbles – it looks like ground
beef when cooked. And, don’t be put off by the green cabbage, it adds texture and body. A long slow cooking of the mirepoix vegetables (celery, onion, green cabbage, green pepper) will build the flavor profile in the base and added ancho chili powder and smoked paprika – warm spices will give it a ‘chili’ vibe. In fact, you could skip the sweet potato topping and serve it in bowls with grated (vegan) cheese and/or tortilla chips.

Beef Barley Soup by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

As soon as I start closing the windows, but before the heat goes on, I think of soup. Not the aromatic fish chowders of summer, nor the elegant cream soups of the fast-approaching holiday season. No, for me it’s the chunky, hearty Campbells soups of mychildhood.... except now I know that they taste so much better when I make them myself.