Homemade Ginger-Beef Noodle Soup (Recipe)

Rather than using a soup pot set on the stove, Food and Wine's Grace Parisi uses a slow-cooker for her simple version of the Chinese beef noodle soup niu rou mein.  Cooking the beef for several hours in a broth flavored with soy sauce, ginger, garlic and star anise infuses the meat with marvelous flavor and makes it unbelievably tender.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds beef chuck in one piece

8 cups beef broth

4 cups water

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons very thinly sliced peeled ginger (4 ounces)

1 onion, coarsely chopped

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/2 star anise pod

1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, caps only, thickly sliced

3 large scallions, thinly sliced

1 pound fresh Chinese egg noodles or thick Japanese udon

Toasted sesame oil or hot chili oil, for serving

6 Servings - Active: 20min; Total: 4hr 45min

Steps

1.  In a slow cooker, combine the meat with the broth, water, soy sauce, ginger, onion, garlic and star anise. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, until the meat is tender. Transfer the meat to a plate and let cool slightly. Using 2 forks, pull the meat into thick shreds.

2.  Strain the broth, discarding the solids. Return the broth to the cooker. Add the shiitakes, scallions and shredded meat. Cook on high for 15 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender.

3.  Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until al dente. Drain well.

4.  Add the noodles to the soup. Serve in deep bowls, passing the sesame or chili oil at the table.

* Burgundian Pinot Noir would be a great pairing for this mushroomy soup, because it offers earthy flavors, too.  Consider the 2007 Domaine Pierre Morey Monthelie or the 2008 Chassagne-Montrachet Vieilles Vignes Rouge from Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils.

Mark Peel Minestrone with Black-Eyed Peas and Kidney Beans (Recipe)

In this modern minestrone from L.A.'s Campanile, chef Mark Peel replaces cannellini beans with an earthy mix of kidney beans and black-eyed peas.  And instead of adding the usual pasta (ditalini or another small pasta), he boils penne, slices it into rings and saute them in olive oil so they're crispy-chewy.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 ounces pancetta, finely diced

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 celery ribs, thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 leek—white and tender green parts thinly sliced, 1 dark top reserved

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 pound Savoy or other green cabbage, coarsely shredded

One 14-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 cup dried black-eyed peas

2 quarts water

3 parsley sprigs

1 bay leaf

3 thyme sprigs

One 15-ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 ounces penne

1/2 cup shredded basil

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

6 Servings - Active: 30min; Total: 1hr 30min

Steps

1.  In a pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the pancetta, onion, celery, garlic and sliced leek and season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderate heat, until the vegetables are softened, 10 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook until slightly wilted, 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the black-eyed peas and water; bring to a boil. Wrap the parsley, bay leaf and thyme in the reserved leek top and secure with kitchen twine. Add to the pot.

2.  Cover the pot and simmer over low heat until the black-eyed peas are tender, 45 minutes. Discard the herbs. Add the kidney beans and simmer for 10 minutes longer.

3.  Meanwhile, in a pot of boiling salted water, cook the penne until al dente. Drain and cool under running water. Slice the penne crosswise into 1/4-inch rings.

4.  In a nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the penne in a single layer and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until golden, 5 minutes. Drain the penne rings on paper towels.

5.  Stir the pasta and basil into the soup. Ladle the soup into bowls, sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon of the cheese and serve.