Very Local Chez Carrie

I had a baby shower to go to and it was a nicely thought-out dinner of girls with no children and no games. My friend Carrie joked that I should include a review of her dinner on this blog site and I thought, "Well, why not, since she had served much better food than most places in which I had recently dined! And it was definitely local!" To make it accessible to all, I would include the recipe of the main dish that was provided by another friend at the reinvented shower.* Here is my night Chez Carrie:

We first sat casually in the kitchen, munching on a variety of chips, including kettle, flax seed, and blue tortilla. My friend had made fresh guacamole for a healthy chip dip, but took a smart shortcut and added minced garlic and a fresh store-bought salsa to add to the chunks of avocado. In the background, several were working on the hearty soup, perfect for a January day. Chorizo was browning on the stove. Another person was preparing the topping of fresh cilantro, sour cream, and grated cheese. In the crock pot, the black bean chipoltle soup was simmering. It had been nicely smoothed by an immersion stick. Soon dinner was ready, served in the dining room with red candles aglow and fun, snowflake dishes. The soup was a delight with its smoky, earthy flavors. Each person enjoyed adding the toppings she wanted. I loaded mine up with the chorizo. The soup was served with a simple salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, red pepper, and fresh herbs with a citrus oil dressing. Bread of various kinds was piled in a lovely white bowl on a pedestal. The lovely ending was a homemade cheesecake with berry coulis and jewel-like, fresh berries. I noticed a mug piping hot by my plate and discovered it was a smooth and milky hot chocolate. What a nice companion to the cheesecake. I think the baby-to-be especially enjoyed this part. In summary, a lovely meal with lovely friends - and local.

Atmosphere - 10
Service - 10
Price - 10
Presentation - 9
Food - 9
Overall - 9.5

Listen up: Thanks!


*Black Bean Chipoltle Soup (from www.crock-pot.com)
Ingredients
1 pound dry black beans
2 stalks celery, cut into ¼-inch dice
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 yellow onion, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 chipotle peppers (canned in adobo), chopped**
1 cup tomatoes, crushed
4 ounces chopped green chilies, canned, drained (hot or mild, depending on preference)
6 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock
2 teaspoons cumin
salt and pepper, to taste
sour cream
salsa
fresh cilantro, chopped
*1 cup spicy sausage such as linguica or chorizo, diced, browned (for an even heartier soup)
**If using dried chipotles, soak in warm water to soften before chopping - about 20 minutes.
Directions
    Place beans in a medium pan, cover with cool water, bring to a boil, boil for 2 minutes, remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour and rinse. Add to stoneware and top with celery, carrots, and onions.
    In a separate bowl, combine chipotles, crushed tomatoes, green chilies, stock, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix to blend and pour into stoneware.
    Cook on High for 1 hour and then Low for 6 hours, until beans are tender to bite. Adjust seasoning to taste.
    Puree with an emersion blender (or traditional blender) to a slightly chunky consistency. If using, add additional sausage and cook for 30 minutes more.
    Serve topped with a dollop of sour cream, spoon of salsa and sprinkling of chopped cilantro.