The classes Monika Reti offers at Hipcooks focus on easy recipes with fresh ingredients, like this two-color soup with yellow and red roasted peppers. The beautiful presentation is actually quite simple: All it takes is a flick of the wrist and a twist of the bowl.
Monika Reti talks about making stuffed grape leaves out of sand, helping us find our inner chefs, and why cooking schools are recession-proof in her Q&A with the LA Cooking Examiner.
Want more recipes and conversations with LA food folks? See the whole series here.
Yin-yang roasted pepper soup (serves 4)
- 2 red and 2 yellow bell peppers
- 1 medium-sized onion, roughly chopped
- 4 carrots, roughly chopped
- 4 celery spears, roughly chopped
- 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
Roast the peppers in the oven by placing them directly on the top shelf, with a foil-lined baking tray on the shelf below to catch any juices that may fall. I have the oven at about 450. Check half-hourly to rotate the peppers so that they cook on all sides. (Here's where your kitchen starts smelling quite yummy.)
When the peppers are finished (they’ll take about 40 minutes), take them out of the oven and into a bowl that you can cover tightly. If you do not have a lid, then plastic wrap is fine. The bowl will steam up immediately, which is excellent, because the peppers will finish cooking and the steam will loosen the peppers from their skins. When cool, peel them, seed them in water, reserve the juice and set aside.
In a pot over medium heat, sweat the onions, garlic, carrot and celery in a bit of olive oil until just tender, and then cover with water. Raise the heat. Once the water has reached a boiling point, take the pot off the heat. Cool slightly and blend in two batches. While the first batch is going, add the peeled roasted yellow peppers. When liquid, pour back into a pot and season to taste. How about a shake of Tabasco sauce? While the second batch is going, add the red pepper. Pour this into a separate pot and season. They are now ready to be gently reheated and served.
Use two ladles to create interesting and lovely shapes. For the yin-yang, pour simultaneously using ladles on opposite sides of the bowl. Give a sharp, brisk tug on the bowl in one direction to encourage a beautiful yin-yang shape. I like to decorate with dollops of fresh pesto for the eyes.
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