"Leeks" news and stories

What's the French secret to flavorful soups, stews and braises ? It's all tied up.

Can you not almost smell the buttery aroma of these sauteed leeks wafting through the kitchen?

This garlic- and onion-related vegetable happens to be, admittedly, a personal discovery that's relatively recent, but one whose potent yet subtle flavor has wowed. Not only is the smell alone lust-worthy, but the silky ingredient is equally desired for its texture as well as its flavor. And even others have praised the vegetable for powers beyond its flavor alone -- according to records, Nero was under the impression that leeks improved his singing voice and, consequently, he consumed the scallion-esque vegetable quite ravenously on a daily basis.

What do you use your leeks in? Spill your suggestions after the jump!

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Beautiful fresh leeks. Photo by LollyKnit/Flickr

In this weekly series, home cook Bruce Watson works his way through a decades-old family cookbook, adapting the best recipes exclusively for Slashfood.

My father loved to cook, but few of the recipes in his regular repertoire could really be described as "gourmet." The major exception was his vichyssoise, a cold potato-and-leek soup that he would pull out when the weather got hot and he was in the mood for something refreshing.

Of course, "refreshing" is a relative term; after eating a bowl of his rich, cream-laden soup, I would usually feel like I'd covered my lips in a thick layer of grease. While my version could hardly be described as "low fat," it uses a fraction of the heavy cream that his required and is a lot lighter on the palate. Best of all, it really lets the flavor of the leeks and potatoes shine through. Although this requires a lot of advance time, it refrigerates beautifully and makes a great summer soup!

Get the recipe for vichyssoise after the jump!

Leeks are delicious, but just how do you clean them?

While I can't really try this exact recipe for myself, since it includes nuts, I was completely charmed by the above recipe for Stuffed Quail with Pancetta, Butternut, and Leeks with Pistachio Pesto Sauce -- led by Executive Chef David McMillan. It not only looks and sound delicious, but there's also a lot of great tips and techniques inside the 11-minute video.

It outlines how to prep the stuffing, the ingredients (butternut squash and garlic), plus all the finer points of those tiny quail and how to whip up a single-serving pesto with a mortar and pestle.

The best recipes and videos are the ones that give you more information than merely a simple recipe -- extra tips, food intricacies, cooking techniques -- and this flick definitely delivers.