Buzz Blog

A modern jazz quartet, The Salt Lake City Jazz Syndicate, along with painter Andy Nelson, will stage this benefit show at MusicGarage’s new locale (389 W. 1700 South). To read more about the nonprofit music organization and the recent move, check out this feature.

This show will benefit the JazzGarage youth program, one of the many new “garages”--including RackGarage, BluesGarage, etc.-- of which the organization boasts.

The event is $20 and includes soup, bread and salad; it is $10 without the meal. For dinner, reservations are required by calling 801-577-2263 or visiting JazzGarage.org.

The soup is one of Auerbach’s family’s favorites.%uFFFD“Cioppino is my dad's favorite dish. It is actually not Italian ... it is an Italian-American meal from the Bay Area. Folks use the 'catch of the day' chopped into pieces,” Auerbach says.

Auerbach says that it usually has crab, clams, shrimp, scallops, squid, mussels and fish, and many Mediterranean areas have a similar dish: bouillabaisse in France, brodetto in Italy and suquet de peix in the Costa Brava area of Spain, among others.

Because we are in Utah, Auebach says his recipe is a little less traditional, but still delicious. Auerbach shares it below.

Recipe to serve six:

Ingredients:
garlic -- minced, about 4 cloves or more
onions -- 2 yellows, just chop 'em fine
crushed red pepper -- 1 tsp.
salt -- 1 tsp., to taste
black pepper -- 1 tsp., to taste
olive oil -- 1/2 cup or so (optional, but nice for texture)
bay leaf -- 1
oregano -- 1 tsp., to taste
bell pepper -- 1, diced
tomato paste -- 2 Tbs.
stewed or whole plum tomatoes -- chopped, with the juice added
clam juice -- 1 cup
chicken broth -- 1 cup
parsley -- 1/4 cup
basil (fresh) -- 3 Tbs., chopped
seafood mix -- I use the Costco Frozen Bag (not sure of size)
red wine -- 1 to 2 cups, for reduction

Directions:
In an eight-quart (or more) pot over medium heat, cook oregano, garlic, onions, bay leaf, crushed red pepper, and bell pepper for five minutes in the olive oil. Then add tomato paste and continue cooking for 10 minutes. Add any kind of dry red wine and boil until reduced by about half. Add the chopped tomatoes, clam juice, and chicken broth and simmer the mixture covered, 30 minutes. If you are cooking in advance, you can stop here and then add the seafood mix prior to serving and cook for 7 minutes or so. But yeah ... add that seafood mix. Some people don't like the seafood to sit in the soup a long time, but I do ... even OVERNIGHT! Maybe I am lazy, but I like the soup in the fish, not the fish in the soup! In my opinion, you can serve it up to two-three days later, too. Or freeze it and microwave it. To me, it comes out just fine. Don't forget to hunt down the bay leaf and remove it, or advise your guests that there is one and offer a prize to the finder in their bowl. Stir in parsley and basil. Don't serve any shell ish with unopened shells -- toss 'em! Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and enjoy your Cioppino al Auerbaccio!