The Best Gazpacho

In the midst of the current heat wave that’s afflicting not only Baltimore, but pretty much the entire continental United States, the message is ubiquitous. Drink lots of fluids, the less cooking the better, and make gazpacho for nourishment and enjoyment.

Never mind that Gourmet Magazine and Epicurious.com call it "Chilled Tomato Soups." Featuring a comparison between what I would define as red gazpacho and yellow gazpacho, the concoction pictured above pleased me more than any cold soup featuring fresh tomatoes that I've ever prepared. The photo, to the best of my knowledge, was my first ever with a digital camera, definitely the first food shot.

Adapted from Alan Wong’s Restaurant in Honolulu, the recipe appeared in the Feb. 2000 Gourmet, is copyrighted by CondeNet, Inc. and can be found by going to Epicurious.com, specifically
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/find/results?search=chilled+tomato+soup. Note that 2 teaspoons of chile pepper water are needed for which a link is provided at the above referenced site.

I’d also like to be able to share the recipe for my favorite white gazpacho of all time. It was served to Mrs. Yi and me on the evening of Saturday, July 1, at the Back Porch Restaurant in Rehoboth, Delaware. When we asked our waitress for the recipe, she declared it was secret, but did nothing to discourage my suggestion about writing to Gourmet Magazine and asking them to request it.

And so, that is what's happening. If all goes well, and with some luck, I’m hoping that both Gourmet as well as Unique Culinary Adventures will have the honor of publishing it.