Stirring it up with ... Norine E. Noonan
Age: A lady never reveals her age ... let's just say I'm "of a certain age."
Residence: Mount Pleasant.
Family: Princess (15-year-old basset), Abby (6-year-old standard poodle), Rhett (3-year-old standard poodle). All of them love my cooking.
Occupation: Dean, School of Sciences and Mathematics at the College of Charleston.
Q: You say your mother was a "master" Southern cook. In what ways did she inspire you?
A: My mother taught me to experiment in the kitchen as well as in the laboratory — after all, much of cooking is just applied chemistry with a bit of magic added. She was an intuitive chef and knew how to combine ingredients for fabulous taste and texture.
Q: You like the challenge of making nutritious meals ahead of time for one person. Give us an example or two.
A: Soups are wonderful — they are nutrition-dense, can be very low-calorie, and can really take the "edge" off your hunger when you first get home. Here is one: Cucumber soup made with fat-free chicken broth or veggie broth and fat-free plain yogurt (cool and refreshing in the heat of summer). Also, sauteed chicken breasts with fresh vegetables can always be easily made ahead, reheated and served over whole wheat pasta or brown rice.
Q: Cooking for a crowd is another passion. For most of us, that sounds like a nightmare. What's the secret?
A: Organization. Organization. Organization. Plan ahead. Shop ahead. Cook ahead. Buy a freezer. Keep it simple. I set out all the serving dishes and utensils a few days ahead of the event and use "sticky notes" to indicate which food will go in which dish. That way I know exactly what goes where and I'm not scrambling at the last minute for a serving dish. And I NEVER experiment with a new recipe for a party. Use your tried- and-true ones — save the experiments for your kids, the dogs, and yourself!
Q: Are you a better cook or a baker?
A: I think I'm pretty good at both. I'm a self-taught baker. That's one thing my mother never did much of (except for biscuits). She believed that's what bakeries were for (and we had two excellent small bake shops in the town where I grew up). I've actually won prizes for my baking, but not for my cooking.
Q: You always are looking for a way to be creative. What was your latest effort?
A: Cooking for my two young nephews. Kids are picky! I created "Chicken A La Dave" (after my 11-year old nephew) — and he requests it every time he visits me or I visit him. He has no idea that it has mushrooms in it. That's validation.
Q: What are your three favorite indulgences?
A: Baskin-Robbins Jamoca Almond Fudge ice cream (my all-time favorite from childhood), making my Kahlua Cheesecake (a prizewinner) and eating a big piece, and a fine Port. Currently, none of these items are on my "approved" list — sigh!
Q: You sign off your e-mails with the saying, "I'm trying to be the person my dogs think I am." Do you ever cook for your dogs?
A: Absolutely. I dehydrate thick slices of unpeeled sweet potatoes for a tasty natural chew treat; I make chicken and rice or barley for upset tummies; and hard-cooked eggs are a Sunday morning staple (they like them chopped up on their dry food). I also make an incredibly stinky mackerel and cornmeal treat ("Fishy Fudge") that I use as a training treat. The poodles cannot resist it and will do whatever I want them to. Perfect!
A favorite recipe:
"Beautiful color, very easy, can be made ahead and keeps for a week" in the fridge, Norine says.
Curried Ginger Carrot Soup
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon light olive oil or Smart Balance oil (see cook's note)
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger (do not use powdered)
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons mild curry powder
1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced ( 1/2-inch slices are fine)
32 ounces fat-free chicken or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
8 ounces fat-free yogurt
Salt and white pepper (see cook's note)
Fat-free sour cream for garnish, if desired
Cook's note: Don't use extra-virgin olive oil, the flavor is too heavy and will conflict with the curry. Use white pepper, not black, because black will leave dark specks in the soup.
Saute onions in olive oil (Rule: hot pan, cold oil, food won't stick) until translucent. Add ginger and curry and saute a few minutes longer, taking care not to burn the spices. Add carrots, broth and tomato paste.
(Hint: When you open a can of tomato paste and don't use it all, freeze what's left in tablespoon amounts on wax paper and keep in a container in the freezer. Then you'll always have paste when you need it.)
Stir well until mixture comes to a simmer. Reduce heat to very low, cover and simmer until carrots are very tender (about 15 to 20 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool slightly, maybe 15 minutes.
Puree in a blender in batches until soup is a smooth consistency (Rule: Put a kitchen towel over the top of the blender and hold down top when blending hot liquids, unless you like orange liquid dripping from your kitchen ceiling). Pour puree into large saucepan (if serving hot) or heatproof bowl (if you are putting it in the refrigerator to chill).
Whisk yogurt in a medium bowl until smooth and creamy and then whisk a cup or so of the soup into the yogurt. Then whisk mixture back into the rest of the soup. Correct the seasoning with salt and white pepper. If the soup is too thick at this point, or if you need to stretch your recipe, add more broth.
If serving hot, reheat on low. Do not boil. Alternatively, use an ovenproof saucepan and put the soup, covered, in a 150-degree oven. If serving cold, chill thoroughly, preferably overnight. Serve with a dollop of fat-free sour cream if desired.
Note: You can adjust the amount of curry and ginger to your taste, but curry flavor develops over time so be careful about adding too much. This recipe also doubles easily for a crowd.
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