Chilled Carrot Soup with Cumin and Lime & Challah

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              FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to Rosemary Zwick of Cape Town, South Africa for
this one:

Our family owned restaurant is the setting for many of our
discussions about how to handle the customer who asks,
"What's good tonight?" Obviously, we would never serve
anything we didn't think was good. I braced myself one
Saturday night when I heard the dreaded question posed to
my husband.

He calmly replied, "Anything over $13.95."

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              TODAY'S RECIPES
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Reader Lynette Hilliard submitted this to the Pen-Pal Forum on
July 22, 2004, and it has been a favorite in my house ever since.
Here is her introduction:

My obsessive recipe-collecting tangent is currently cold soups.
I have found a couple recently on Epicurious that are real winners.
I have made this one twice, and it is so good, my husband will
eat it for several meals without complaint. It definitely makes
more than 4 servings! The flavors nicely complement an Indian
or Mexican menu. For convenience, I use a 2 lb. bag of baby
carrots. I also use white onions instead of leeks and a bit more
lime juice. Do not skip the garnishes. I think that they really make
the dish.

Chilled Carrot Soup with Cumin and Lime

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds carrots, peeled, chopped (about 5 cups)
2 large leeks (white and pale green parts only),
chopped (about 2 cups)
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
3 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
6 1/2 cups (or more) canned low-salt chicken broth
8 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons grated lime peel

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add carrots
and leeks; saute until leeks begin to soften but not brown, about 5
minutes. Add garlic; saute 1 minute. Add cumin and crushed red
pepper; saute 30 seconds longer. Add 6 1/2 cups chicken broth.
Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until vegetables
are very tender, about 35 minutes. Working in batches, puree soup
in blender until smooth. Transfer soup to large bowl. Cool. Whisk
in 6 tablespoons sour cream. Cover soup and refrigerate until cold,
at least 4 hours or overnight. Stir lime juice into soup. Thin soup
with more broth, if desired. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle
into 4 bowls. Spoon 1/2 tablespoon sour cream atop each serving.
Sprinkle with cilantro and lime peel. Serves 4.

Many of the recipes from the Pen-Pal Forum that have become
"keepers" in my family are breads because my mother is an
enthusiastic baker who loves to try new recipes. This traditional
bread was contributed by Marcia Coakley on July 13, 2001,
and here is what she had to say about it:

I often bring this to potluck gatherings as a treat to those who
don't often get fresh, homemade bread. This recipe is adapted
from Joan Nathan's "Jewish Holiday Kitchen." I have added a
few touches and halved the recipe. This size makes one beautiful
large loaf or two smaller bread pan loaves. I taught myself to do
a six braided loaf which makes a lovely intricate, domed shape,
but triple braided or a large triple braid with a smaller triple braid
set on top is also traditional.

Challah (Jewish Braided Egg Loaf)

5 cups unbleached flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 heaping tablespoon yeast
1/2 cup melted margarine or oil (if you are
wanting to keep it kosher)
1 1/4 cups warm water
4 eggs at room temperature, 1 yolk set aside
for brushing the outside
A couple pinches of saffron (optional adds
color and aroma)

Preheat oven to warm (140F). Mix flour, salt, sugar and yeast
in a large bowl (or heavy duty mixer). Mix together margarine
(or oil) and water and pour into flour mixture and mix well (by
hand, with a spoon or mixer). Add the whole eggs and the extra
white (and the saffron if using). Knead well or use dough hook
on mixer (or two batches in a food processor). Add a little more
flour if needed.

Place dough in a greased bowl and turn dough to grease all sides,
cover with waxed paper or plastic wrap and a towel and put in the
warm oven (turned off), for 1/2 hour. Punch down and knead for
about 10 minutes. Cover again with wrap and towel and let rise
15-20 minutes more in the warm oven. Repeat punching, kneading
and raising, 1 more time.

Cut dough into two pieces (for small loaves or leave in one for
large). Divide each into three for triple braid, four for a large
triple with a small triple on top, or six for six braid. Roll each
into ropes, tapered at the ends, and braid according to the number
you are using. Tuck ends together tightly and place in loaf pans,
or large loaf on a greased baking sheet.

Brush with a remaining yolk mixed with a little water. Get into
all the cracks. Place in warm oven for 20 minutes. Raise oven
temperature to 200F for 15 minutes. Raise it to 275F for 15
minutes. Finally, raise the oven temperature to 375F for about
20 to 25 minutes (for large loaf, a little less for two smaller), until
bread is golden brown, and internal temperature is 200F. Baked
challah freezes well, and slightly stale, it makes the BEST
French Toast.
Received on Thu Dec 21 10:20:31 2006