The Mailbox: Teri Watson
Soup’s on
Please explain the differences between soup, chowder and stew. They seem to be used interchangeably in various recipes. Thank you.
– Charlene Pollock, via e-mail
“Soup” is a general term for any combination of meat, fish or vegetables cooked in a liquid. It can be thick or thin, smooth or chunky.
Chowder is an example of a chunky soup. It is rich and thick and contains chunks of food, usually seafood, such as clam chowder. But it can also be vegetable-based, such as corn chowder.
Technically, a stew is any dish prepared by stewing. This is a method of cooking in which the food being cooked is cooked with a liquid over low heat, slowly, covered with a tight-fitting lid. This is the method used to make tough meat more tender.
The dish called “stew” has meat, usually beef, along with vegetables such as potatoes, carrots and onions. A thick broth is produced from the liquid added to the ingredients before cooking (water, wine, stock or broth) and the natural juices from the food itself.
Although Pollock didn’t ask, “bisque” is a related term that can be confusing. Bisque is an example of a smooth soup. Like a chowder, it is rich and thick but it is puréed. It contains seafood, poultry or vegetables along with cream.
Lemon buttermilk cake with strawberries
Prep time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes
Serves 12
R. Voss of Grass Valley was looking for a lemon buttermilk cake recipe that was in a cooking magazine in the mid-1990s. It was a three-layer cake with cream cheese and lemon juice frosting and circled with fresh berries.
Cori Mallonee of Elk Grove shares this recipe, which comes from the June 1995 issue of Bon Appétit. It sounds like an exact match for Voss.
Note: The prep time does not include the cool time after the cake is baked.
INGREDIENTS
Cake:
1¾ cups sugar
3/4 cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons grated lemon peel
3 extra-large eggs
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1½ cups buttermilk
Filling:
One 16-ounce package frozen sliced sweetened strawberries, thawed
Frosting:
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
5 tablespoons frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
Topping:
Two 1-pint baskets strawberries, hulled
INSTRUCTIONS
For cake: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Butter and flour three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1½-inch-high sides. Beat sugar, butter and lemon peel in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in lemon juice. Sift flour, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl. Stir dry ingredients into butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.
Divide batter among prepared pans. Bake until tester inserted in center of cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer pans to racks and cool 15 minutes. Turn out cakes onto racks and cool completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap tightly in plastic and store at room temperature.)
For filling: Boil sliced sweetened strawberries with juices in small, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until mixture is reduced to 2/3 cup and begins to thicken, stirring frequently about 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
For frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Beat in lemonade concentrate and lemon peel.
Divide strawberry mixture between two cake layers and spread over tops, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges. Let stand until slightly set, about 5 minutes. Place one strawberry-topped layer on platter. Drop 3/4 cup frosting atop cake by spoonfuls and gently spread over top. Top with second strawberry-topped layer. Drop another 3/4 cup frosting by spoonfuls atop cake; gently spread over top. Top with remaining cake layer. Using spatula, spread remaining frosting in decorative swirls over sides and top of cake.
(Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and chill. Let cake stand at room temperature 1 hour before continuing.)
Decoratively arrange strawberries, pointed side up, atop cake. Cut into wedges and serve.
Per serving: 607 cal.; 7 g pro.; 78 g carb.; 31 g fat (19 sat., 9 monounsat., 2 polyunsat., 1 other); 137 mg chol.; 290 mg sod.; 2 g fiber; 52 g sugar; 45 percent calories from fat.