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Scrambled Eggs with Shrimp - (Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. cooked, shelled, & deveined shrimp

8 eggs

Salt & ground black pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more

1 tablespoon snipped chives

4 slices bread

1. Crack the eggs into a bowl, add salt and pepper, then beat lightly with a fork. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large nonstick skillet over low heat. Increase the heat just a notch and slowly pour in the eggs. As soon as they begin to thicken, stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until the eggs are set and no liquid remains.

2. Remove from the heat and add the chives.

3. Spread butter on the bread. Divide the shrimp and eggs into 4 equal portions and heap the eggs on one half of each slice of bread and the shrimp on the other half. Serve at once.

Barley Soup - (Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

5 chicken drumsticks (1 1/2 lbs.)

1 carrot, peeled & diced

1 stalk celery, trimmed & chopped

1 medium yellow onion, peeled & finely chopped

1 leek, thoroughly cleaned, trimmed, & chopped

1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, stems removed & chopped

1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram

2 whole cloves

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

1/2 cup pearl barley

2 teaspoons salt, or more to taste

1. Put the drumsticks in a pot with 6 cups water. Bring to a boil and skim off the scum that forms at the top. Reduce the heat, cover, and cook for 1 hour, removing additional scum a few times.

2. Strain the broth into a heatproof bowl and return it to the pot. Add the remaining ingredients and 2 cups water then cook for 45 minutes, until the barley is soft, but still has some bite.

3. While the vegetables cook, take the meat off the bones and cut it into bite-size pieces. Discard the bones and skin.

4. At the end of the cooking time, add the chicken to the soup and reheat it thoroughly. Salt to taste and remove the bay leaf and whole cloves. Serve hot.

Bratwurst with Curry Ketchup - (Makes 4 servings)

Curry Ketchup Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 small yellow onion, peeled & finely chopped

1 (14.5 oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 cup cider vinegar

Pinch of powdered mustard

Pinch of ground allspice

Pinch of ground cloves

Pinch of ground mace

Pinch of ground cinnamon

1/2 bay leaf

Salt & ground black pepper

Sausage Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 large fresh sausages, preferably bratwurst

Mild to medium curry powder

1. For the Curry Ketchup: Heat the oil in a small saucepan and sauté the onion until translucent. Add the tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, mustard, allspice, cloves, mace, cinnamon, and bay leaf. Simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes, or until a thick paste forms. Remove the bay leaf ad puree the ketchup. Season with salt and pepper, then cool. The curry ketchup can be kept refrigerated for 3 to 4 weeks.

2. For the Sausage: Heat the oil in a large skillet. Saute the sausages until cooked through and browned, turning them frequently. Top each sausage with the curry ketchup and sprinkle with a pinch of curry powder. Serve at once.

Sauerkraut Soup - (Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

1 (14.5 oz.) can sauerkraut or fresh sauerkraut

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium yellow onion, peeled & chopped

1 quart beef broth, canned or homemade

1 bay leaf

2 juniper berries

1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds

1 medium potato, peeled & grated

3 tablespoons sour cream

Salt & ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dark brown sugar

1. Place the sauerkraut in a colander. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again.

2. Heat the oil in a pot and cook the onion over medium heat until translucent. Add the sauerkraut, broth, bay leaf, juniper berries, and caraway seeds. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Add the grated potato and cook, covered, for 20 more minutes.

4. Stir in the sour cream, and season with salt, pepper, and sugar. Remove the bay leaf and serve hot.

Green Bean Soup - (Makes 6 to 8 servings)

Ingredients:

6 thin slices (3 oz.) lean center-cut bacon

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 lbs. trimmed fresh or frozen green beans, cut into 1-inch hunks

1 lb. red or other low-starch potatoes, peeled & diced

2 (14.5 oz.) cans vegetable broth

2 sprigs fresh savory

1/4 cup sour cream

Salt and ground black pepper

1 to 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1. Cut the bacon into small strips. Place in a cold large saucepan and sauté over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until all the fat has been drawn out of the bacon and the onions are translucent. Add the beans, potatoes, broth, savory, and 3 cups water. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook over low heat for 45 minutes.

2. Take the soup off the heat. Remove the savory. Puree about one-third in a blender or transfer one-third to a bowl and puree it with an immersion stick blender. Whisk the sour cream into the pureed soup and pour it back into the pan.

3. Return the soup to the heat and stir well. Reheat thoroughly, but do not cook. Season with salt and pepper then sprinkle with parsley. Serve hot.

Creamy Beet Soup - (Makes 6 to 8 servings)

Ingredients:

1 lb. young beets, unpeeled

1 quart beef broth, homemade or canned, plus more

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

1 leak, cleaned, trimmed, and thinly sliced

1 cup sour cream, plus more for garnish

Salt and ground black pepper

1. Cut the tops off the beets, but leave on about 1-inch of the stem and the roots. Place them in a large saucepan and just cover with boiling water. Cover and cook over low to medium heat for 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on their size, until the beets are tender. Add more water during the cooking if necessary. Drain, cool, and slip off the skins. Puree the beets with a small portion of the broth.

2. Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in the saucepan and add the flour. Cook until it begins to turn beige, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Whisk in the remaining broth and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring to avoid lumps. Add the beet puree, vinegar, and sugar, then simmer.

3. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet and sauté the leek until translucent.

4. Stir the sour cream into the soup. If too thick add more broth. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the soup into individual soup bowls, garnish with a little bit of leek and a dollop of sour cream.

Cheese Soup - (Makes 6 servings)

Ingredients:

1 ( 4 to 5-inch) roll, or 4 slices white bread, cut into cubes

7 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 (14.5 oz.) cans beef broth, or 1 quart homemade, more as needed

1 3/4 cups shredded Swiss cheese

1/4 cup Lager beer

3 tablespoons heavy cream

Pinch of ground nutmeg

Salt and ground black pepper

1. Set the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the bread on a baking sheet and out it in the oven until dry and light brown. Set aside.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a skillet and sauté the onion until lightly browned. Set aside.

3. Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan and blend in the flour. Cook for 5 minutes over low heat, stirring frequently, until it begin to turn beige. Add the broth and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Slowly stir in the cheese and bring to a simmer. Add the beer. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the cream. If too thick add more broth. Add the nutmeg and season with salt and pepper.

5. Place some of the browned onions and croutons in individual soup bowls and ladle the soup over them. Serve at once.

Creamy Onion Soup - (Makes 4 to 6 servings)

Ingredients:

2 (14.5 oz.) cans chicken broth, plus more as needed

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 large Vidalia onions, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Salt & ground black pepper

1 egg yolk

1/3 plus 1/4 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup light cream

Snipped chives for garnish

1. Heat the chicken broth in a saucepan.

2. Melt the butter in another large saucepan and sauté the onions until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat just until it begins to turn beige. Whisk in the heated chicken broth. Season with salt and black pepper, then simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

3. Mix the egg yolk with the wine and cream. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the egg-wine mixture. Reheat for 2 to 3 minutes, but do not boil. Garnish with chives and serve hot.