soups & sandwiches

In a heavy-bottomed 8-quart stockpot, heat 1 tablespoon of the butter and the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft but not browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in the cumin and coriander and cook for 1 minute.

Add the butternut squash, yams, 8 cups water, and salt. Simmer for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the vegetables are very soft. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Alternatively, pour the mixture into a food processor or blender and return it to the pot after processing.

Stir in the cayenne pepper, nutmeg, and black pepper. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, or black pepper as needed.

For the topping, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds and sauté until light golden brown, stirring frequently. Add the sage and continue to stir for 1 minute, or until the almonds are golden brown and the sage is fragrant. Remove the topping to a bowl to cool.

To serve, garnish each bowl of soup with 1½ tablespoons of the topping.

Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until the butter browns, about 2 minutes. Add the sage and sauté for 30 seconds. Set aside.

Heat a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the bacon and sauté for 6 minutes or until crisp and brown. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a small bowl, leaving the bacon fat in the pan. Return the pan to medium heat.

Add enough olive oil to the bacon fat to make about 4 tablespoons total. Add the garlic cloves and stir until they are fully coated. Cook the garlic until it just begins to brown, stirring frequently to prevent burning, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the garlic to the bowl with the bacon.

Add the celery and onion to the pan and sauté over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and translucent but not brown. Add the wine, stir, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the wine has nearly evaporated. Add the stock, beans, bacon, garlic, half of the sage, 1 tablespoon of the sun-dried tomatoes, ½ tablespoon of the olives, and the cheese, salt, and pepper. Blend the mixture briefly with an immersion blender, just until the garlic is chopped. (The texture should be chunky.) Alternatively, puree the mixture in a food processor or blender, returning the soup to the pan after processing.

Bring to a boil, and then simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.

Serve the soup garnished with the remaining sage, sun-dried tomatoes, and olives.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a stockpot or large pot over high heat. Cut the chicken thighs into 1-inch pieces. Season the chicken with ½ teaspoon of the salt and add it to the pot. Cook the chicken for 4 minutes without stirring, or until it is browned. Flip the chicken and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes, or until the second side is browned. (Browning the chicken pieces well adds richness and color to the soup.) Set the chicken aside in a separate bowl, leaving as much fat as possible in the pot. If no fat is left, add the additional tablespoon olive oil.

Add the celery, carrots, onion, and herbs to the pot and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are slightly soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. While stirring, scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the pot and incorporate them with the vegetables.

Return the chicken and any juices that have accumulated in the bowl to the pot. Add 5 cups water and stir. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat to low. If any scum has formed on the top, skim it off. Simmer the soup for 15 minutes, and then stir in the pasta. Simmer for an additional 15 minutes. If the pasta is not done, continue simmering until the pasta is fully cooked.

Stir in the hot sauce and remaining teaspoon salt and serve.

In a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onions and stir until they are fully coated. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are softened. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook until the onions begin to brown. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and continue cooking the onions until they are very brown. The onions are done when they are uniformly brown and very soft and the volume is about one-fifth of the original amount. This will take approximately 1 hour total, but it's worth it.

Increase the heat to medium-high and add the remaining tablespoon butter to the onions. Once the butter has melted, stir in the flour and then cook for 2 minutes. Slowly add 2 cups of the stock and simmer until thickened, approximately 5 minutes (see Note). Add the remaining 4 cups stock and the wine, vinegar, salt, pepper, and thyme. Bring to a simmer, lower the heat, and cook for 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt and pepper as needed.

Garnish the soup by shredding the cheese directly into the soup and topping with a few croutons.