Putting some 'tude and some tunes in your soup

The Food: Spicy Sweet Potato Soup, Baked Salmon
The Tunes: Phish: “Sample in a Jar”

Master chef Noah came to visit me last weekend and of course, we spent 75+% of our time in the kitchen. We decided to explore some uncharted territory: fish (salmon) and soup, of the spicy sweet potato variety.

I traveled into South Philly/Italian market to obtain the fish and vegetables for the soup, which was an adventure in itself. Italian market is a fun neighborhood to explore. You’ve got cheap although slightly sketchy vegetables at your disposal as well as quality fish, cheese, meat, and of course, pasta. I went to Anastasi Seafood which if you can stand a little fishy smell, will get you some quality cuts at a more reasonable price than a supermarket.

First and foremost, we turned on Phish, “Sample in a Jar” for obvious reasons…. We were making fish. Also, I’ve been looking for an excuse to listen to Phish, as they provide some of the best jams you can find. I know of at least one, semi-reasonable individual that will travel the country just to hear this band for the 3948th time and any band that causes that kind of madness is worth a listen. As they are a jam band, its only appropriate to insert a live video. Here’s a concert in Germany from ’97.


Unlike the baked beans with spinach, this recipe required more than one song. So that we wouldn’t get tired of the song on repeat, we found an easy fix: a Phish Pandora station. As expected, this played an assortment of jam bands allowing for the errant air guitar when we were waiting for something.

We started with making the marinade for two ~7 oz filets. I modified the recipe to be +herbs and –oil.

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons light olive oil
• 1 tablespoon melted Smart Balance
• 3 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1.5 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped


We marinated the fish for about an hour in the fridge, turning occasionally. This is a pretty strong marinade so I wouldn’t do it for much longer than that. While this was marinating we made the spicy sweet potato soup.

Ingredients
• 1/2 cup fat free sour cream
• 1 teaspoon grated lime zest
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 tablespoon Smart Balance
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 4 cups chicken or veggie stock
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin, but feel free to spill like I did, making it spicier
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger root
• 1/4 cup smooth almond butter (you can use PB too)
• 1 lime, juiced
• salt to taste
• 1 tomato, seeded and diced

Directions
1. In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream and lime zest. Set aside in the refrigerator to allow the flavors to blend.
2. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add sweet potatoes, and chicken stock. Season with cumin, chili flakes and ginger. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, until potatoes are tender.

3. Puree the soup using an immersion blender or regular blender (we used a food processor which worked just as well). If using a counter top blender, puree in small batches, filling the blender just a bit past half way to avoid spillage. Whisk almond butter into the soup, and heat through. Stir in lime juice, and salt.
4. Ladle into warm bowls, and top with a dollop of the reserved sour cream, a few pieces of diced tomato, and a sprinkle of cilantro.


We baked the fish at 375 for about 40 minutes, until it could be flaked with a fork.
This made a meal with two predominating tastes: the spiciness of the soup and the succulent salmon.

We left some of the sweet potato chunks in the soup, partially because it was spilling all over the place out of the food processor, but it also added a complexity to the texture which was enjoyable. The extra cumin gave it a kick to keep it interesting but was well balanced by the dollop of lime-infused sour cream. As for the fish, the herbs really brought out the flavor in the salmon, which is pretty mild.

By the end of the meal, we were so satisfied that we couldn’t eat the apple crisp we made until a few hours later. Next time, however, I might pick a more well-suited pairing. The spiciness of the soup might do better to complement a zesty chicken or if we’re going with fish, something that involves Old Bay. However, no regrets on the music-food pairing: I’ll jam out to Phish any time, especially when I’m making it.

“….But in your grasp the fears don’t last, though some of them have stayed,”
Julie, the happiest to have left overs