Norman’s Smokey Omelet

Norman’s Smokey Omelet

Would you call yourself a breakfast person? Normally, I don’t eat much breakfast, unless it is the weekend or I’m camping. When I do eat breakfast, I like a big breakfast. Usually I like my eggs over easy but sometimes I’m in the mood for an omelet.

When I make omelets while camping, I often will grab the smoked sausage out of the cooler and make a version of this omelet. I'll put the skillet right on the charcoal grill and cook it that way.

I used to flip or fold my omelets, but when I'm at home, I like the Italian technique of finishing the eggs under the broiler. Yes, I know it should be called a frittata when cooked like that, but I feel a little silly saying frittata, so I just call it an omelet. You can call it a frittata if you like. It won't hurt my feelings.

Now if you want you can use crumbled bacon instead of the smoked sausage, and you can use feta cheese instead of cheddar, and it will still be good. You could also use ham, Spam, Italian sausage, or even leftover roast lamb. It is all good!

Olive oil
1 shallot, finely minced
1/4 cup finely chopped smoked sausage 

Dash of red pepper flakes
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese 

Grated parmesan cheese
Fresh ground black pepper

Preparation

Heat a non-stick, oven-proof skillet. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Add some red pepper flakes and the smoked sausage and stir until it starts to brown. Add the shallots and cook until they soften and start to clarify. 

Pour in the beaten eggs. When the bottom of the eggs begin to set, sprinkle the cheddar cheese evenly on the eggs, and then sprinkle with some parmesan. Place the skillet under the broiler and broil until the egg mixture puffs up a little and is nicely browned. Remove the skillet from the broiler and slide the omelet onto a plate.

Serving

Serve this smokey omelet next to some potatoes fried in olive oil and buttered, toasted homemade bread. You also want a bowl of sliced strawberries, orange juice and coffee. For dessert, you can have a little coffee cake. If it is Sunday, why not have a little chilled brute champaign too. It can’t hurt.

Norman’s Gyros

Norman’s Gyros

Over the weekend I made gyros for my housemates. I didn't have leftover roast lamb. I started from scratch with a boneless leg of lamb, butterflied and grilled. Usually when I make gyros, I make it like this, using leftover roast lamb.

One of my favorite meals will always be lamb roasted rare with mashed potatoes and gravy. I probably make that two or three times per month. One problem with that is sometimes there isn’t enough leftover gravy to serve the second or third dinner. I’ve come up with this easy way to serve leftover roast ham.

Do you like gyros? Lots of places serve it. If you live in a major metropolitan area, many of the little hot dog stands also serve gyros. They have the meat in a roll on a vertical stick with heating elements forming a V around the meat to keep it hot. As good as the gyros are from these places, this version is better because it uses real roast lamb.

The secret to this is to have the lamb nice and rare. It cooks fast because you want the onions warmed up, not cooked. Another secret is to use real Greek yogurt. It is much thicker than domestic yogurt and is perfect for this.

Olive oil

1 lb. rare roast lamb, sliced very thin

1 large onion, sliced very thin

1 clove of garlic, smashed and minced fine

1 tomato, thinly sliced

1 package of pita breads

Cajun seasoning (Slap your Mamma is best)

Greek yogurt 

Preparation

This is fairly easy to prepare. Get a large cast iron skillet and heat it over medium high heat until hot. Warm the pita breads in the skillet, about a half minute per side. Set them on a platter under a towel to keep warm.

Add a little layer of olive oil to the hot cast iron pan and then add the sliced lamb. Sprinkle it with Cajun seasoning and keep stirring until the meat is hot. Add the garlic and sliced onion and stir for one minute. Remove the skillet from the heat.

Serving

To serve your gyros, take a hot pita and put a generous portion of Greek yogurt on the pita. Use tongs to pile the meat and onion high on the pita. Add a couple slices of tomato. Top with more yogurt. Make sure you have a pile of napkins ready. Gently fold the gyros into a U shape and eat carefully over your plate. It will make a mess, but is worth it.

Along with the gyros, serve a greek salad with feta cheese, kalamata olives, pepperoncini peppers with a vinegar and olive oil dressing. A light bodied Greek or Italian Red will round out this nice lunch. A fruit salad for dessert wouldn’t hurt either.

Norman’s Rack of Lamb

Norman’s Rack of Lamb

Since the flood, I've been cooking for a group most nights. It is nice to cook for more than just myself. 

Some of my favorite meals I have never cooked for a group, just for myself and my son. Certain foods just don’t lend themselves to cooking in larger quantities. For me, rack of lamb falls into this category. 

First, it is a little expensive to make for a large group. Second, it requires individual attention (unless you do them over a grill). But a rack of lamb broiled in tomato sauce is just delicious.

If you happen to live in an neighborhood with a Trader Joe’s, their seasoned rack of lamb is what you want to buy. It is sold frozen. 

If you canʼt find it, you can use an unseasoned rack of lamb. In that case, put the lamb in a zip-lock bag with two cloves of smashed garlic, a tsp. of fresh chopped rosemary, a quarter cup each of dry white wine and extra virgin olive oil. Throw in a little black pepper - just because I say so - and let it marinate for 24 hours in the refrigerator. Then just proceed with my eloquent directions.

olive oil
1 or 2 seasoned racks of lamb

2 cloves garlic - smashed and minced

1 cayenne pepper sliced

(or 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes)

1 cup of dry white wine

1 28 oz. can of fire roasted tomatoes

1 handful of fresh basil leaves
1 lb. spaghetti, cooked al dente

Preparation

Take a blender and add the can of tomatoes. If you can’t find fire roasted tomatoes, use San Marzano tomatoes or use fresh tomatoes from the garden. Add the basil leaves and blend until smooth.

Heat a large skillet medium high. Sear the lamb about three minutes per side (if the lamb is frozen, thatʼs ok, you donʼt have to thaw it out, just increase your broiling time). Add the garlic and the red pepper flakes and sauté one minute then add the white wine. Bring the wine to a boil and add the tomatoes and basil and bring them to a boil.

Place the skillet under a hot broiler. Broil until the lamb starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Turn the lamb over and repeat for another 5 minutes. You want the lamb to be charred on the outside and very rare in the center.

Place the skillet on the stove and slice the lamb between the bones to make individual chops. This will release the lamb flavor into the sauce. Allow the sauce to simmer two minutes and serve.

Serving

Place several of the chops on a plate next to a big pile of spaghetti and smother both in the tomato sauce. Now add lots of fresh grated parmesan. 

Grate parmesan yourself. Don't use the stuff in the green can.

Along with this, you want a Greek salad with red onions, kalamata olives, and pickled peppers. You also need a good crusty bread. Now pick out a good Italian red wine. All I have handy right now is a bottle of Chianti, which works for me.

Pasta With Lamb, Peppers And A Little Pecorino

Pasta With Lamb, Peppers And A Little Pecorino

Ever since the Great Lisle Flood of 2013, I've been cooking for a group most nights. Some nights it is just my neighbors who are now my housemates. Other times it is for them, plus other neighbors from down the block. These dinners aren't as big as my old Wednesday Night Dinners, but it is fun to cook for a  crowd again. 

For a number of years, I hosted a dinner every Wednesday night. Often I had no idea how many were coming. These dinners took place every Wednesday for almost ten years. 

Happy to have their picture taken with the chef in 2003

Most of the regulars came every week. There were a number of people who would attend occasionally, often without prior notice.  There were some nights when I ended up with five or six more people than I planned for. It is helpful to have a number of quick little pasta dishes to make when you have unexpected guests.

This recipe is an example of a real quick cooking dish. Now, when you hear ‘pasta with lamb, peppers and a little pecorino', I am not talking dirty. Get your mind out of the gutter! Pecorino is a Italian cheese that’s good for grating over pasta. Sheesh!

You can even cook a package of frozen vegetables and then toss them with the pasta, meat and cheese if you are worried about your weight - I don’t mind.

1 lb. ground lamb

1 green pepper - chopped fine

1 onion - chopped fine

2 cloves of garlic - chopped fine

1 cayenne pepper - chopped fine

or 1/4 tsp. of red pepper flakes

1 tsp. white pepper

salt to taste

1/2 cup white wine

1-1/2 cups pecorino romano - freshly grated

1/4 cup parsley - chopped fine

1 lb. corkscrew pasta

Preparation

Heat a cast iron skillet. Add the ground lamb and brown it gently over medium-low heat. When the beef is about half cooked add the green pepper, cayenne pepper, white pepper, onions and garlic. Stir and continue to cook until the lamb is cooked and the onions are translucent.

Add the white wine and simmer about five minutes. Toss the beef mixture and the pasta in a large bowl (Tip: this dish will be much more pleasing if the pasta is cooked prior to tossing it with the beef). Add the cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. Toss to mix well and serve immediately.

Serving

Pick out a bold, spicy Zinfandel from California to serve with this pasta. In addition, you want a crisp tossed salad, fresh bread with lots of butter. You know, a little soup would make a  nice addition to this wonderful meal. For dessert, place a fruit salad made with several different kinds of melon on the table.

Pasta With Braised Chicken

Pasta With Braised Chicken

Last night my housemates cooked dinner for me. I'll have to find a way to swipe their recipe because it was great! They made a butterflied chicken that was roasted at high heat over potato slices. Everything had a buttery, garlicky flavor. I don't have their recipe yet, so I can't share it. Never fear, I'll find it.

While I was thinking about getting their recipe, I thumbed through my chicken recipes. I found this recipe for chicken  braised with a tomato sauce for pasta. This cooks a little while and it has a rich flavor. 

If you'd like, you could substitute rabbit or duck for the chicken. Oh, wait. I realize there is not much chance of you cooking rabbit or duck, so never mind.

I like chicken thighs. I think they have a little more flavor than chicken breasts. Most stores sell boneless, skinless chicken thighs for fairly cheap. I think the bacon gives a nice touch, don’t you? Then again, bacon gives a nice touch to just about anything.

6 strips of bacon
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

3 shallots - minced
2 garlic cloves - minced
1 onion - chopped
2 stalks of celery, minced
1 carrot grated
1/2 tsp. thyme
2 branches of rosemary
1 cup dry white wine
1 can crushed tomatoes - 28 oz.

1/2 cup fresh chopped basil 

Tabasco - to taste (that means a lot)

Salt and pepper

Preparation

Heat a large saucepan or Dutch oven until hot. (It must be big enough to hold all the chicken in a single layer and deep enough to hold all the ingredients with room to spare; so put that little skillet away.) 

Cook the bacon until crisp and chop and reserve the bacon. Pour off most of the bacon fat. Sear the chicken in the hot fat for about five minutes per side. When you turn the chicken over, add the shallots, onions, garlic, celery and grated carrot. Cook until the onions start to soften and clarify.

Stir the chicken and vegetables and then add the thyme, rosemary and white wine. Simmer to reduce the liquid by half. Add the can of tomatoes and the bacon and stir. Cover and simmer very gently for about an hour. Stir often. If you want, you can do this in the oven at about 275º for an hour or more, but still stir often.

Add the chopped basil and plenty of tabasco. Taste for salt, pepper and sugar and adjust accordingly. Simmer for 2 minutes and serve.

Serving

To serve this, place the chicken on the plate next to a big pile of linguine. Cover both with the sauce. All you need to add is some baked eggplant, a salad, fresh baked bread with butter and a good Chianti. Not too shabby for a meal starting with a cheap package of chicken thighs!

Norman’s Robust Pasties

Norman’s Robust Pasties

It won't be long before I'm back camping in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. I'm already antsy to leave. Just thinking about it puts me in the mood for a pasty.

As I said in my previous posts, I’ve been making pasties for years now. At first I made them just like they are served in the UP, at any number of pasty places. As time went on, however, I started adjusting the recipe to my tastes. I really didn’t realize I was doing that at first. Eventually I had to acknowledge that I like more rutabagas in pasties than the Yoopers use.

I can’t claim that this version is better than the original, but I like it better. The main difference is that there is more rutabagas than potatoes. I love rutabagas, but if you don’t, you won’t like this version.

If you’d like, you could also substitute a juicy cut of pork for the beef. When I do, I like to chop up boneless country-style ribs. If you really want to push the envelope, you can used chopped lamb as well. I’ve made both substitutions with great results. 

Don’t get all worried about measuring everything. More beef, less beef; more potato, less potato; more rutabaga ... well, you get the drift. We're just baking pasties. We're not doing rocket science.

Crust:

5 cups flour

Olive oil

1 tsp salt

water

Filling:

2 pounds of coarsely chopped beef

2 medium potatoes, diced

1 medium rutabaga, diced

3 carrots diced

2 large onions, chopped

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. cajun seasoning

1/2 tsp ground cayenne

salt and fresh ground white pepper

Corn meal

Preparation

The first step is the same as my traditional pasties. Add the flour, salt to a mixing bowl. Start adding olive oil to the flour while stirring with a fork. Keep adding the oil until the flour starts forming little pebbles. You have enough olive oil added when all the flour has a pebbly texture. Now start adding cold water, a little at a time, to the flour until a dough starts to form. You want a dough that is soft, not too stiff, but not real wet either. If it is easy to knead, you have it right. Now wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for a half hour.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl mix the beef, potatoes, rutabagas, carrots and onions. Stir well and season with the thyme, cajun seasoning and cayenne along with a little salt and pepper.

Divide the dough into six or eight equal portions. roll each out until you get roughly a 12” circle. Cover half the dough with the filling. Fold the empty half over the filling and roll up the edges to seal and form a twisted crust ending up with a half moon shaped pasty.

Place each pasty on a cookie sheet sprinkled with corn meal, but don’t crowd them. Poke about four vent holes in the top of each pasty to let the steam out. Bake at 400º for about an hour, or until golden brown.

Serving

I like to serve these with steamed, buttered Brussels sprouts, a crisp salad, and a jammy, peppery Zinfandel from California. The bold taste of this pasty goes well with a powerful Zinfandel. I’d offer a dessert, but I usually eat three of these in one sitting and I have no appetite for dessert.

Norman’s Pork Chops Broiled in Wine

Norman’s Pork Chops Broiled in Wine

Summer is the time for grilling, but it is also the time for thunder storms. The other day I was going to grill some chops and just before I was going to light the grill, the sky opened up and the rain came down. I resorted to my broiler method.

I love extra thick pork chops, which are charred on the outside and juicy, with just the slightest bit of pink in the center. They are good grilled, but when grilling isn't an option, that’s when the broiler comes in handy. 

I remember one day, several years ago, I was going to make some giant pork chops for dinner. It had been a hectic day and when I got home I lit the grill. I changed clothes and sat down to read while the coals getting ready. 

Well, I was tired and it was a comfortable recliner. I fell asleep and didn’t wake up for a couple of hours, not until the coals burned down so much that there were just a few embers left. Instead of re-lighting more charcoal, I turned to the broiler and had dinner ready in twenty minutes. The dogs gave me a strange look, wondering why I bothered to light the grill in the first place. I told them to drop it, or I won’t share.

olive oil
4 extra thick, bone-in pork chops
1 tbs. Cajun Seasoning (Slap Your Mama is good)

1 tbs. White pepper

1 tbs. Onion powder

2 Shallots, minced fine

1/4 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
white wine

Preparation

Mix the Cajun seasoning, white pepper and onion powder in a small bowl and season both sides of the chops with it. Let them sit for about a half hour for the seasonings to seep in. Don’t fall asleep.

Heat an oven-proof skillet that is big enough to hold the chops in a single layer. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Sear the chops on one side for about a minute. Turn them over and then add the shallots and mushrooms. Give it a minute on this side too.

Add white wine to the skillet to a depth of half way up the chops. Bring the wine to a boil and then place the skillet under a hot broiler. Broil the chops (close to the flame) until the tops are nicely charred. Remove the skillet, turn the chops over and return them to the broiler to char again. It will be four or five minutes per side for the chops be done, but the time will vary based on how thick the chops are. You can check one with a knife near the bone on the inside.

Serving

Serve the chops by first spooning a puddle or the cooking liquid on each plate. Center a chop on the puddle and spoon more of the cooking liquid over each chop. Now add a large pile of cooked rice next to each chop and spoon more of the cooking liquid over the rice.

In addition to the rice, you can serve a mixture of red bell pepper strips, broccoli, corn, green beans and red pepper flakes sautéed in olive oil, fresh bread with olive oil for dipping, and a fine Malbec from Argentina - Norton is often a good choice. Don’t forget the soup and dessert to fill out your meal.

Traditional Yooper Pasties

Traditional Yooper Pasties

As many of you probably know, I am very fond of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. I have been going there every year since the late 1970’s. My favorite vacation is to spend a week or two camping in the UP’s national forest. I just finished one trip there camping with my son. I'll be back up their again very soon. I hope to some day retire there.

I would be remiss if I didn’t include at least one recipe for the state food of the Upper Peninsula: The Pasty. The pasty is the favorite dinner treat of the Yoopers, people who live ‘above the bridge’ in Michigan (Those who live in Lower Michigan - below the bridge - are referred to as Trolls).

Travel to any town in the UP, from the far western tip all the way east to Sault Ste. Marie, and you will find a bakery or restaurant or even a gas station selling pasties. Listen to any radio station in the UP and you will hear ads for a local establishment’s pasties. Pasties play such a large role in U.P. life that one of the major Internet providers in the UP is called Pasty.net.

I've been making my own pasties for over twenty years now. Over the years, my pasties have become more robust, heavy on the rutabaga and a little more spicy. I've grown to like the stronger flavor. 

Still, I enjoy the traditional UP pasties too. If you are ever in the Marquette area, try my favorite pasty shop: Jean Kay’s Pasties. In my opinion, they are an example of the UP's best pasties.

My favorite pasty shop

This version is the more traditional version of pasties, easy on the rutabagas, heavy on the potatoes. Try this and I might give you my more robust version. If you really want to make them like a Yooper, use lard or Crisco instead of olive oil in the crust. I prefer olive oil.

Crust:

5 cups flour

Olive oil

1 tsp salt

water

Filling:

2 pounds of coarsely chopped beef

4 large potatoes, diced

1 cup of diced rutabagas

3 carrots diced

2 large onions, chopped

salt and fresh ground white pepper

Corn meal

Preparation

Add the flour and salt to a mixing bowl. Start adding olive oil, or melted lard, to the flour while stirring with a fork. Keep adding the oil until the flour starts forming little pebbles. You have enough olive oil added when all the flour has a pebbly texture. Now, a little at a time, start adding cold water to the flour until a dough starts to form. You want a dough that is soft, not too stiff, but not real wet either. If it is easy to knead, you have it right. Now wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for a half hour.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl mix the beef, potatoes, rutabagas, carrots and onions. Stir well and season with salt and lots of white pepper. Mix real well.

Divide the dough into six or eight equal portions. One at a time, roll each out until you get roughly a 12” circle. Cover half the dough with the filling. Fold the empty half over the filling and roll up the edges to seal and form a twisted crust ending up with a half moon shaped pasty.

Place each pasty on a cookie sheet sprinkled with corn meal, but don’t crowd them. Poke about four vent holes in the top of each pasty to let the steam out. Bake at 400º for about an hour, or until golden brown.

Serving

A lot of Yoopers like to serve gravy or ketchup with pasties. I really prefer them just as they are, with just a little salt and pepper. Often I’ll sprinkle mine with a little Cajun seasoning too.

Fresh crisp coleslaw is always good with pasties. I also like to start with a bowl of potato soup, fresh bread and have a little steamed broccoli on the side. If you are still hungry, you can always have a second pasty, I always do. If you don’t want to do that, a bowl of ice cream is good for dessert.

Norman’s UP Egg Sandwiches

Norman’s UP Egg Sandwiches

It won't be long before I gather my gear together for another camping trip. My favorite thing about summer is the season to camp. I had a great time camping with my son a couple of weeks ago.

Without a doubt, what I love best about camping in Michigan's UP is the mornings. I love sitting by the fire enjoying my egg coffee. I also usually make big breakfasts when camping. One of my favorite breakfasts is my UP egg sandwiches.

Coffee on the campfire

Do you find yourself falling into certain patterns? I do. These breakfast sandwiches are a good example. Over the last twenty years, when I’m on a week-long camping trip, I have these egg sandwiches for breakfast at least two or three times. The strange thing is that I almost never make them at home. I don’t know why that is.

I remember one trip with my son, when he was in grammar school. We were camping up on Pomery Lake in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and Joe woke up early wanting to go fishing. The day before we didn’t catch much until the very end of the day, when we found a good spot for muskies and walleyes. He really wanted to get back out there. We paddled out a little ways and the wind and the waves were so strong that water was splashing into the boat. We had to turn back because it wasn't safe and he was really disappointed. I made a batch of these sandwiches and that cheered him up.

There are a lot of different ways you can make these. Instead of bacon, you can use thinly sliced ham, smoked sausage or even sliced, grilled Spam. I’ve made them all these ways and they are all good. I do like the bacon version best, so that is the version I’ll give you.

Ingredients for one sandwich

1 English muffin slice in half

2 Slices of American cheese

2 Strips of bacon

1 Egg

Salt and pepper

Preparation

I’m going to give you the camping directions. If you are making these at home, you can use a toaster for the English muffins. Light a charcoal grill. When the coals are ready place a skillet over the coals and cook the bacon until crisp. Drain the bacon on a paper towel. 

Lighting the grill for breakfast

Toast both halves of the English muffin over the coals. Immediately place a slice of cheese on each half. Break the bacon slices in half and place them on one half of the muffin.

Place the skillet back over the coals and cook the egg over easy. Place the egg over the other half of the muffin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper then put the bacon half of the muffin over the egg half. Gently push down to break the yolk. There you have the perfect UP egg sandwich.

Serving

I recommend two egg sandwiches per person. Along with these sandwiches, you want to have a large tumbler of orange juice. Don’t forget to have a pot of Egg Coffee on the fire. You also want to have a bowl of fresh cherries. You can practice your aim by spitting the pits into the campfire. If you are still hungry, you can always make a third sandwich. Sometimes I need three.

Fresh Tomato Soup

Fresh Tomato Soup

Well, I did something last weekend I haven't done in a few years, I planted a small garden. I used to always plant a garden every year. 

My little garden.

When I first moved to Lisle, by mid-July, I'd have more tomatoes than I knew what to do with. Until ... my neighbor next door moved out, along with her two cats. Once the cats were gone, the rabbit and chipmunk population exploded. They'd either eat the whole plant, or take a bite out of every tomato before it ripened. I finally gave up trying to grow a garden.

This year, however, the Great Lisle Flood of 2013 seems to have wiped out the rabbit and chipmunk population. I haven't seen any since the flood. So, I decided to give gardening a try again. I just planted a small garden. I planted two tomato plants, one hot pepper plant and a basil plant.

If by some twist of fate, I actually get to harvest tomatoes, I look forward to making this soup. It was always one of my favorites. It is fast and I love it.

When was the last time you made soup from scratch? Making soup is usually a winter time activity. As you enter the house on a cold day, the smell of soup simmering on the stove is inviting. The problem is, I also like soup in the summer. If you have a bunch of ripe tomatoes, you can have soup in no time. 

Have you ever made tomato soup from fresh tomatoes? I didn’t think so. Now, don’t give me that look. It is not too much work. Wait until you see how easy this is! Go out to the garden and fill a basket with tomatoes and bring it in to the kitchen. 

If it is wintertime as you read this, you can use some canned whole tomatoes (a good brand) and just use a little extra white wine in the blender. See how easy it is. Just do as I say and you will do fine. Now, sit down and pay attention.

Tomatoes

Basil (fresh is best, dried will work)

White wine

Olive oil

1 large onion, chopped fine

1 stalk of celery, chopped fine

½ tsp. of red pepper flakes

2 large garlic cloves, smashed and minced

Salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning

¾ cup of breadcrumbs

2 to 3 tbs. of butter

For the blender:

In a blender, place ¼ cup of white wine and five to six fresh basil leaves, (if you don’t have fresh, ¼ tsp. of dry basil will work, but don’t forget to plant basil next year). Now fill the blender up with tomatoes sliced into quarters. Blend the tomatoes into a smooth purée and pour it into a large bowl. You are going to need a total of two and a half blenders worth of purée, so you are going to repeat this one and a half times. Remember, this isn’t rocket science. You don’t have to go crazy making exact measurements. Who cares if you get a little extra wine or basil in the purée?

For the soup:

Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pot and then add the onions, celery and red pepper flakes. Cook gently until the onions have softened. Add the garlic and stir for one minute. Add your puréed tomato mixture. Bring the soup to a boil and reduce it to a simmer. Let the soup simmer, stirring often, for twenty minutes. 

Season the soup with salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning. Taste the soup to see if you need to adjust the seasoning. Stir in the breadcrumbs and simmer gently, stirring often, for about another ten minutes. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the butter and keep stirring until it is melted and evenly dispersed. 

Serving

Serve your soup as an appetizer with a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese along with some toasted bread, rubbed with garlic and drenched in extra-good olive oil. You can follow this soup with a thick, juicy steak, charred rare. How does that sound? Now add some sautéed spinach and some homemade bread still warm from the oven. You can wash it all down with a fine Zinfandel. You are on your way to a satisfying meal. Trust me, I know these things.