NFL Week 6 Brunch

Felis in Victoria?

This is the second 10 a.m. (Pacific) start for the Seahawks and the THIRD time they are playing a cat-themed opponent. Since Bengal Tigers are the number 1 endangered animal in India, they really aren’t a source of inspiration for the Brunch menu.

But what about Cincinnati? It turns out that Cincinnati was named for a Roman dictator-turned-farmer whose claim to fame was that he “saved Rome from a crisis.” There are worst things to be famous for! And thankfully for me, the Roman connection provides an easy avenue to create a Latin-themed brunch that is all but certain to result in “Victory over the Cat”—Victoria in cattus!—in the same way that the French Toast brunch defeated the Lions and Pulled Pork defeated the Panthers.

(I am kidding. My meal suggestions have no influence on game outcomes, but it sure is fun to imagine.)

There are so many directions you can go here, and since we are talking about something to eat during the first half of a football game, a fabulous homemade pizza is definitely an option. Sausage and peppers. A charcuterie platter of prosciutto, melon, nuts, some cheese and crusty bread, served with a cold prosecco.

But it is a cold and rainy weekend here and I am leaning toward a hearty minestrone soup and some souped-up foccacia bread. The soup can be made a day ahead and the sourdough foccacia I am making WILL be made a day ahead but baked just before serving. If you don’t have the time or inclination to make the foccacia from sourdough starter you can try this recipe or buy some at a good bakery. But the soup is so easy and good it is worth making!

Parmesan Sourdough Foccacia and Pancetta Minestrone Soup

Parmesan Sourdough Foccacia Bread

Ever since I got some 100-year-old sourdough starter (it originated in Germany and has been in constant use for over 100 years!) I have been having fun with it and this Foccaccia recipe is an extension of that.

The basic recipe I am using is here, and just before it goes in the oven (after an 18-hour rise in the refrigerator) I add Italian seasoning, sea salt, and about a cup of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. I will post a pic of it coming out of the oven.

The warm-from-the-oven bread will be a fabulous accompaniment to the soup (and might even become a sandwich!).

Pancetta Minestrone Soup

Let’s get one thing clear, there is no “one best way” to make Minestrone but it is traditionally a vegetable soup. It is often a “refrigerator soup” in that you take whatever vegetables you have on hand that you want to use up and throw them in. But I like Pancetta (or bacon if there is no Pancetta to be had) and by frying it off first you have the fat you need for the onion/garlic plus you are adding great flavor! One other thing: Minestrone is not usually pureed as I am doing here, and it is not necessary. My wife prefers it that way, and since happy wife=happy life, I am happy to do that and add the Pancetta back in at the end. Many Minestrone recipes have beans and the pancetta is basically a sub for them, so if you prefer a meatless option use a can of either black or kidney beans rinsed and drained and use some olive oil for the fat.

A word about Passata—you can sub in diced tomatoes or “tomato sauce” but I do prefer Passata here and as a base for soups and sauces because of its simplicity: it is just strained Roma tomatoes and salt.

Ingredients

1 Cup diced Pancetta (or bacon)
4 cloves minced garlic
1 Cup diced onions
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
4 Cups “other vegetables”—don’t feel constrained by my list but what I use is:
1 Cup diced potatoes
1 Cup sliced carrots
1 Cup diced zucchini
1 Cup diced celery

1 (680 ml) jar of Passata
3 Cups stock (homemade or I use “Better than Bouillon”)

Method
Add the Pancetta (or bacon) to a large pot, then turn the heat up to medium and fry it off. When the Pancetta’s fat has been rendered out and it is nicely browned, remove the Pancetta and set aside

Lower the heat a bit, add the garlic and onion, cover and “sweat” the onions for about 10 minutes, then add the rest of the vegetables, the Passata, and stock.

Turn the heat up to get the pot up to a strong simmer and keep it there until the vegetables are all cooked—about 20 minutes.

Use a “stick” blender to puree the soup (or cool it a bit before puree-ing it in batches in a blender). If the result is too thick for your liking, add some liquid (water or stock) to thin it out a bit.

Serve with the pancetta and parmesan cheese sprinkled on top of each bowl, and with freshly baked focaccia bread.

Enjoy the game!

Here is the finished Minestrone.

And the foccacia…

And plated. Honestly, this was SO GOOD, and the pancetta on top of the soup was perfecto!