During our checkered career of following food and wine across the USA and around northern Europe, your correspondent has developed and tested his own ideas of what makes good food.  We even put these concepts to the severe test of creating a menu for our very own restaurant.  Our long suffering wife has been a major contributor to our culinary adventures, and we honor her with a few of her own recipes.  It is winter time, and hot soup is quite appropriate, which leads us to:

  Marlene’s Communist Soup

 This is modeled after a “peasant” soup served at a rest stop during the final days of bus tours of communist East Berlin.

  2 large Potatoes, grated 3 cups sliced Mushrooms
  1 Celery Root, grated  1 large Onion, grated
  ¼ lb. unsalted Butter  2 tbsp. Tomato Paste
  3 tbsp. Flour   6 cups Chicken Broth
  2 tbsp. unsalted Butter

 Saute’ grated Potatoes, Celery Root and Onion gently in 1/8 lb. Butter, covering the pan with wax paper or parchment cut to fit the pan (this causes the moisture to ‘weep’ in the proper amount back into the pan…stir several times during 20-30 minutes over low to medium heat.   Meanwhile, suate’ Mushrooms in a separate pan in 1/8 lb. Butter until browned, add to first pan’s contents.  Now put 2 tbsp. Butter in Mushroom pan, stir in Flour to make a paste, then stir in Tomato Paste, add Chicken Broth and mix all ingredients together, simmer and serve.

Inspired by the abundance of local seafood, we developed the following rich rendition of Chowder.  Ingredients are certainly known to native Northwesterners.

  Oregon Chowder

 3 strips good Bacon, chopped  1 large Onion, finely chopped
 1 Leek, thinly sliced   4 oz. fire roasted jarred Peppers, sliced
 2 tbsp. Olive Oil   20 oz. Clamato
 4 hefty dashes, Tabasco  1 tsp. dry Dill weed
 1 pint Whipping Cream  ½ lb. Oregon Shrimp
 4 oz. smoked Salmon, chopped 1 cup Water

 Saute’ Bacon in pan until fat is rendered, remove Bacon and save.  Saute’ Onion and Leek in bacon fat until transparent, cooking slowly.  Empty contents of saute’ pan into larger pan, add Peppers, Olive Oil, Dill and Clamato, simmer for 15 minutes, then add Tabasco and Water and boil briskly for 10 minutes to reduce liquid.  Heat Cream gently in a separate pan, add Salmon and Shrimp and bring to a simmer.  Now add this pan’s contents to the large pan, toss in the Bacon bits and bring all to a simmer for serving.

Returning to our wife’s innovations, we suggest a unique way of preparing Caesar Salad. This has become a regular restaurant menu inclusion across the land, but few versions adhere even loosely to the original classic.  You may be of an advanced age to remember when the Caesar was tossed dramatically at your tableside.  This approach avoids such drama and still provides a dressing resembling ambrosia.

  Marlene’s Caesar

 6 tbsp. Lemon Juice   1 tbsp. Dry Mustard
 12 tbsp. Olive Oil   4 cloves peeled Garlic
 1 whole Egg    1 cup grated Swiss Cheese
 1 tin Anchovies with oil  2 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
 1 head Romaine Lettuce  4 slices Bacon
 Black Pepper to taste

 Place Lemon Juice, Garlic cloves, Olive Oil, Egg, Worcestershire Sauce, Mustard and Anchovies (including oil) in a blender and blend well.  Saute’ Bacon, remove from pan, pat off grease and chop, then set aside.  Wash Romaine after slicing bottom off, separating leaves and patting them dry.  Place Lettuce in serving bowl, boss with Baconm bits, Swiss Cheese, Pepper and Dressing.

Speaking of salad, we have developed a definite fondness for Celery Root as a basis. The following recipe creates a ‘slaw’ we think is a vast improvement over the usual Cabbage-based variety.

  Celery Root Slaw

 1 large Celery Root, shredded  Juice of 1 Lemon
 1 tsp. White Pepper   Salt to taste
 1 cup Mayonnaise   1 Carrot
 2 tsp. chopped Chives   1 tsp. chopped Parsley

 Peel Celery Root and shred.  Mix in bowl with Lemon Juice, adding latter immediately to prevent root from turning brown.  Stir in Mayo and season to taste with Pepper & Salt, add Carrot.  We urge you to also add some generous dashes of Tabasco to kick things up a notch (with a nod to Emeril).

Soup and Salad should deserve a hearty entrée, so we offer our way to render beefsteak beyond where your palate has been.  This is a marinade that works with individual steak cuts, or you can use it to tenderize and flavor a large piece of Sirloin or a Tri-Tip Roast. Soak your meat for at least 6 hours for the full effect, though smaller steaks will achieve greatness within 2-3 hours.  Use a sturdy plastic bag for marination and no turning is necessary.  Use a drinkable red wine so you can sip this ingredient during dinner.

  Steak Marinade to die for

 ½ cup good Soy Sauce  1 whole Garlic bulb, peeled & minced
 ½ cup Brown Sugar   ½ cup Red Wine (preferably Cabernet)
 1 tbsp. coarse ground Black Pepper

 Mix all ingredients in a bowl, pour into the bag with the meat, seal the top and place in the fridge…this should be enough liquid to cover up to 4 lbs. of meat.  Do not pat the meat dry prior to grilling, sear each wet side for 1 minute each (sugar in the marinade burns readily and achieves the searing)…proceed to grill the meat to the degree of doneness preferred (“well” is not acceptable).  We prefer Zinfandel as the wine of choice.

© 2003 Oregon Magazine