Jennifer Segal - Once Upon a Chef: 70 Quick-Fix Weeknight Dinners + 30 Luscious Weekend Recipes

Acknowledgements

Writing a cookbook is a labor of love, and I am filled with so much gratitude for everyone who helped bring Weeknight/Weekend to life.

To my fearless and brilliant agent, Maria Ribas, thank you for your tireless work on this book, and for taking care of business and matching me with the most amazing team at Clarkson Potter. I am so lucky to have you in my corner.

To my editor, Raquel Pelzel, thank you for your wisdom and guidance, and for believing in this book from the start. It is truly a joy to work with you. To Stephanie Huntwork, Sonia Persad, and Jan Derevjanik for designing such a beautiful and approachable cookbook. And to the rest of the Clarkson Potter team, who shepherded this book from concept to creation: Aaron Wehner, Francis Lam, Stephanie Davis, Windy Davis, Erica Gelbard, Serena Wang, Kelli Tokos, and Bianca Cruz.

To Johnny Miller, who bravely shot the photos for this book mid-pandemic with his kids doing school online in the next room. To Rebecca Jurkevich and Cybelle Tondu, for styling the food and making it look so effortlessly perfect. And to Sarah Smart, for all of the gorgeous props that brought the photos to life.

Thank you to my Once Upon a Chef family, especially Betsy Goldstein for being my right-hand person and also a dear friend. You make this work so much more fun. A special thanks to the lovely Lacy Walpert for being part of the team and testing recipes, and Kelly Santoro, my bestie since seventh grade, for testing recipes and converting the recipes to metric.

To Michael, my partner in all things and anchor for over twenty years, and my kids, Zach and Annathank you for being my best critics and biggest cheerleaders, and for bringing so much love and laughter into my life. Having you all around the table, with Ollie and Gus underneath it, is the best part of every meal. Thank you to my sister, Erica, for her sharp creative eye and willingness to lend an ear. And Mom and Dad, too, for always encouraging me to chase my dreams, and for showing me how its done. I love you all.

To my volunteer recipe testers, how can I ever express my gratitude? Your enthusiasm and willingness to test recipes during such challenging times, when it was difficult to even go to the grocery store, was generous beyond measure. Your feedback, emails, and photos were invaluable, and I absolutely loved sharing the process with you.

Finally, to my Once Upon a Chef blog readers, thank you for welcoming me into your kitchens, sharing my recipes near and far, and taking this journey with me. I am forever grateful.

JENNIFER SEGAL , is a professionally trained chef and the founder of the blog Once Upon a Chef. Her first book, Once Upon a Chef, was a Washington Post and Publishers Weekly bestseller and she has been featured in The Splendid Table; O, The Oprah Magazine; Food52; and Parade; among others. She lives in Potomac, Maryland, with her husband, two teenage children, and her two chocolate labs Ollie and Gus.

Soup for Supper

Southwestern Corn Chowder

I think of this chowder as a summer-into-fall soup, perfect for when the nights turn cooler and youre looking for new and interesting ways to use up the last corn of the season. Its filling on its own, but if youd like to bulk it up, crispy bacon, shredded chicken (a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket works great), grilled shrimp, or fresh lump crabmeat would all be delicious additions. And you can never go wrong with chips and guac on the side.

I like this soup a bit spicy, so I mince about half the jalapeo seeds and ribs and toss them in with the onion and pepper. If youd like more control over the heat, you can add cayenne pepper at the end or offer hot sauce at the table.

Serves 4

4 tablespoons ( stick/2 ounces/56 g) unsalted butter

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 medium jalapeo pepper, seeded and finely diced (save the seeds and ribs; see headnote)

cup (33 g) all-purpose flour

2 cups (480 mL) chicken broth

2 cups (480 mL) whole milk

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons ground cumin

teaspoon ground coriander

1 pound (454 g) baby potatoes (yellow, red, or purple), cut into -inch (13 mm) pieces

3 cups (480 g) fresh corn kernels, scraped from 5 cobs (see Pro Tip)

cup (80 g) sour cream

3 scallions (dark green parts only), thinly sliced

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving

MAKE-AHEAD INSTRUCTIONS

Before adding the sour cream, scallions, and cilantro, the soup can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat, and proceed with the recipe.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeo and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Do not brown. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

Add the broth, 1 cup (240 mL) of the milk, and the salt, cumin, coriander, and potatoes; bring to a boil. The soup will seem thick; thats okay. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and simmer, stirring once halfway through so that the potatoes dont stick to the bottom of the pan, until the potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes (if your potatoes are not tender at this point, just continue simmering until they are).

Meanwhile, in a blender, puree the remaining 1 cup (240 mL) of milk with 1 cup (160 g) of the corn until smooth.

Add the corn puree to the soup along with the remaining 2 cups (320 g) corn; bring to a simmer. Off the heat, stir in the sour cream, scallions, and cilantro (if using). Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with lime wedges.

PRO TIP

To scrape the kernels from the cobs, place the corn on a clean dish towel set over a cutting board, then use a sharp knife to cut the kernels off the cobs. (The dish towel prevents the kernels from bouncing all over the place.) Alternatively, you can invert a small bowl inside a larger bowl. Hold the cob upright, flat end down, on top of the inverted bowl and use a sharp knife to slice downward as close to the cob as possible.

Coconut Curry Chicken & Rice Noodle Soup

> BLOG FAVE <

This spicy, fragrant, slurpy noodle soup, inspired by some of my favorite Thai restaurant dishes, is like sunshine on a dreary day. Whats more, its made with rotisserie chicken and Thai pantry staples (available in most supermarkets)such as green curry paste, fish sauce, coconut milk, and fresh gingerso its almost instant gratification. Whether Im feeling worn down or just in need of a little comfort, there is nothing like a bowl of chicken noodle soup, and this is one of my favorite renditions. Be sure to keep the rice noodles separate from the soup until ready to serve. If you put them in the broth before serving, they will continue to cook and become too soft.

Serves 4

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

cup (60 g) thinly sliced shallot (from 1 large shallot)

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger (from a 1-inch/2.5 cm knob)

2 tablespoons Thai green curry paste