A couple of years ago I had the pleasure of co-authoring a cookbook with long-time clients and dear friends, Antonio and Patrick Corsi.  Mangia with Quattro: Family-style Italian from the Heart (Whitecap Books) was published in 2009 and its one of my proudest professional achievements.

The process of writing a cookbook is not for the faint of heart. Key ingredients include patience, perseverance, organization, creativity, vision and wine.  Some of my best memories of the process were testing recipes with Antonio.  Here’s one of my faves – it’s perfect for a fall day and it’s very family friendly.

SMOKED CHICKEN AND POTATO CHOWDER

Try to use Yukon Gold potatoes in this comforting, cream-based soup.  For the smoked chicken, ask the deli for extra thick slices; roasted chicken also works.

Serves 6 – 8

Ingredients

Spice Mix
2 Tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dry whole basil
1 tsp dry whole oregano
1 Tbsp dry whole thyme>/p>

Soup
1/2 cup salted butter
2 Jalapeños, finely diced, seeds discarded
1 medium onion cut in 1/2” dice
1 1/2 cups diced celery, 1/2” pieces
1/2 cup flour
4 cups chicken stock, divided
1 lb smoked chicken, cut into 1/2” pieces
1 bay leaf
2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2” cubes
1 lb corn, fresh or frozen
1 cup 36 percent whipping cream
2 limes
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro per bowl

Method
Spice mix:  Grind listed ingredients in a mini processor or coffee mill for 1 minute. Set aside.

Soup
Melt butter in a large soup pot on medium heat. Sweat jalapeños, onion and celery in butter 4 minutes. Add spice mix to jalapenos, onion and celery.
Turn heat to low and add flour.  Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
Slowly stir in 4 cups of chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Add chicken, bay leaf, potatoes, corn and cream. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Continue cooking until the potatoes are tender.
Squeeze in the juice of the two limes.

To serve
Ladle soup into heated bowls and garnish with cilantro.