Creamy Coconut Corn Soup with Chili Crisp

     Light and quick to assemble, this summer soup makes a nice companion to your grilled sandwich.  I prefer to consume it in a coffee mug ... The chili crisp adds a spark of heat to the sweet, summer corn ... Delicious! 

INGREDIENTS 

• 4 tbsps. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium yellow onions (about two cups), diced
• 4 (12 oz.) bags frozen sweet corn
• 4 (32 oz.) cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 (12.5 oz.) cans unsweetend coconut milk
• 1 tbsp. ground coriander
• 1 tbsp. fine salt
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1 tsp. group black pepper

          GARNISH

• Chili crisp

     1).  Warm the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat.

     2).  Add the onion, coriander, salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and black pepper, then sauté for until the onion softens and turns translucent.

     3).  Add the corn, broth, and coconut milk, bring to a simmer and cook until the corn is tender (about 10-15 minutes), then remove from the heat.

     4).  Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth.  Taste and season to your liking.

     5).  Serve garnished with a drizzle of chili crisp.

SERVES 8 

Eloise Jane 6.0

     Eloise Jane version 6.0 went live today.  This release comes with an upgraded sense of humor –– now slightly elevated above pee and poop jokes ––, an abiding love of animals and insects –– she scolds me for killing wasps in the house ––, and a tender heart that craves human connection ... She is the best snuggler!  

     I asked our girl how she wants her special day to go:  "Papa, I want to stay home from school cause birthday girls get to skip school, and I want Iyla to stay home from school and play with me.  I want to open presents from you and Mama, then have cake with frosting, then pizza with frosting ... Then I want to have a party."

     Happy Birthday to Miss Eloise Jane.  My heart is full!

Guide To Amsterdam (For Visiting Americans)

Follow the mother holding her child’s hand

through the Red Light District.

Smile at the working girls 

dressing rose-colored windows.

Spend an afternoon in a coffeeshop 

with an Englishman named Bob 

and a joint called ‘Cheese’.

Order a jenever─

remember to bend and sip

before picking it up.

Stand aside for an army of bicyclists;

they own the right-of-way.

Observe ancient church rituals

older than the promise of the New World.

Tour the Anne Frank House

and marvel at the tenacity of creation.

Drop by The Book Exchange:  

        donate one well-read;

        leave with a promising new companion.

Traverse the canals at dusk

with fellow travelers you never met.

Break bread.

Indulge the chocolates, frites, 

beers, cheeses.  

Try the soused herring.

Tell a self-deprecating joke

about American tourists─

their delight is your passport.

Everyone speaks English, 

but you curry favor

with your fumbling attempts at Dutch.

Wander without a destination

through the cobblestoned 

City Centrum district.

Languish at midnight 

in your third-story window,

curtains open.

Behold a city 

that bled to free itself

from puritan austerity,

where tolerance

is good manners,

and pleasure

demands no apology.

**First published in Beyond Words Literary Magazine

**Illustration by Morgane Xenos

Private Lindsay

She made a show of liberating her breasts

every time we went to the field.

Some pimple-faced private would retrieve her bra

for display in the berthing tent.

Marines quietly jerked off in their sleeping bags

to visions of her bouncing like a go-go dancer

beneath regulation camouflage.

At the club, she wore combat boots, 

vinyl leggings, 

tube tops that thrust her front-and-center 

of every conversation.

Guys took shots from between her thighs

while you imagined her naked and sweaty

pouring tequila over lickerish nipples.

Half the platoon claimed to have slept with her,

which you suspected was half-true.

And when she approached in the Company office,

slid her manicured nails into your crotch 

and declared,

        "Tonight,"

all you could muster was a timid,

        "No, thanks."

Not because you didn't want her.

Something in you refused

        to be owned

                or compromised

                        except on your terms.

Se recoiled,

desire hardening into anger.

By morning, Lindsay filed a grievance 

with the Master Sergeant 

accusing

        you

of sexually assaulting

        her

Master Sergeant believed you.

She was reassigned.

And you limped away looking over your shoulder.

The Second Marine Division

was weeks from deploying to war.

You already learned

that a man's throat can be slit,

his round edges carved straight,

without a shot fired.

West African Chicken & Peanut Stew

     The people's stew will have peanut butter (natural peanut butter).  Flavorful and delicious, this recipe is great for stormy days when the body craves warm comfort.  One of my favorites! 

INGREDIENTS 

• 3 tbsps. peanut oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 4 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and chopped
• 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (15oz.) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 tbsps. tomato paste
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 tbsps. peeled, grated ginger root
• 4 (32 oz.) cups chicken stock
• 12 oz. crunchy organic peanut butter
• 1.5 1bs. cooked chicken, shredded 
• 4 cups kale, chopped
• 2 limes, juiced
• 2 tbsp. curry powder
• 2 tbsps. coriander
• 1 tbsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground cloves
• 1 tsp. sea salt

          GARNISH

• crushed peanuts

     1).  Warm the peanut oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat.

     2).  Sauté the onion (with a pinch of salt) 10 - 12 minutes, until begin to brown.

     3).   Mix in the garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, cinnamon and cloves.  Sauté another 1 - 3 minutes, ensuring the onions are well coated with spice.

     4).  Mix in the sweet potatoes, bell pepper, jalapeno, carrots, and tomato paste.  Stir another 5 - 7 minutes (or until the sweet potatoes begin to stick to the bottom of the pot).

     5).  Pour crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, and chickpeas into the pot and season with cayenne, curry powder, and salt.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes (or until the sweet potatoes are tender).

     6).  Add peanut butter and puree the contents with a hand blender producing a smooth texture.

     7).  Stir in the chicken and kale and simmer another 5 - 10 minutes.

     8).  Stir in fresh lime juice, then season to taste.

     9).  Serve garnished with chopped peanuts.

 Accompany with jasmine rice, or works great on its own.

SERVES 6

Bartending the V.F.W.

       Lawrence, Kansas (1995)

There's not much to it:

        pour the drafts,

        clear the ashtrays,

        mix well drinks.

The Vietnam vets

favor Jack and Coke.

The WWII crowd

Scotch and soda.

Our only Korean War vet

takes his brandy neat.

We keep a bottle of St. George

behind the bar for him.

An occasional floor sweep

exceeds expectations.

Christmas décor is tacked up

year 'round.

Campaign insignias

and service ballcaps

line a smoke-filled perimeter,

where all but the exit signs

are obscured.

It's Memorial Day.

The Colonel delivers

his annual speech

honoring our fallen brothers.

Manny offers a toast,

"To the lost."

Jason buys another round

of shots.

To remember them,

they drink.

They drink

and beat their chests

in solidarity.

They drink

with the grim awareness

that all stand at the mercy

of the universe.

They drink

to animate themselves

and tell the stories

that otherwise remain buried

in a footlocker,

too heavy

for sober conversation,

too jagged

to burden another vet,

let alone

the civilians outside

eager to thank us

for our service. 

**First published in G.I. Days, an anthology by Milltown Press

Mulligatawny

       Perhaps you recall the Seinfeld episode, The Soup Nazi, where Kramer mentions mulligatawny:  "It's an Indian soup. It's simmered to perfection by one of the great soup artisans in the modern era."  "Who, the Soup Nazi?" Elaine replies.

       This is not the Soup Nazi's recipe, but a confection of ingredients drawn from mixed versions I have explored over the years ... Light and flavorful, it makes for a great Springtime meal.  Note:  I like to double the recipe and keep the pot in the refrigerator all week long. 

INGREDIENTS 

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 red jalapeno, seeded and diced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons ginger root, minced
• 1 apple, cored and diced (I use Granny Smith)
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 cup red lentils
• 1/3 cup white jasmine rice
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 1 (14 oz) can unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded (I only use the breast)

          GARNISH

• Cilantro, chopped
• Raisins, golden
• Cashews

     1).  Melt the butter in a large stock pot over medium-high heat.

     2).  Sauté the onion, carrot, and jalapeno 6-8 minutes until onions have softened.

     3).   Add garlic, ginger, apples, celery, and diced tomatoes; sauté another 3-5 minutes.

     4).  Add all the spices and toss until fully coated.

     5).  Add the lentils, rice, and stock; bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 30-40 minutes. 

     6).  Immersion blend about 75% of ingredients.

     7).  Add the chicken, stir in the coconut milk, and squeeze in the lime juice; let simmer another 10-15 minutes.  Salt and spice to your liking.

     8).  Serve with a garnish of cilantro, raisins, and cashews.

 Accompany with warm naan bread.

SERVES 8