Corn Chowder, Take Two

Posted on 11 December 2023 by Elizabeth

I like the first corn chowder version on here, but I also like this second one; it’s a bit more brothy and the corn really stands out. I added a drizzle of cream to the above, but it was unnecessary. Just go with the recipe.

The only unusual ingredient here is Better Than Bullion, a type of flavoring base. I sometimes use it to ramp up the flavor, especially if I’ve used water as part of the equation (which I do).

Ingredients

8 small ears of fresh corn, or 4-6 large ears
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups water
2 teaspoons Better Than Bullion Roast Chicken flavor
2 4-ounce packages of Trader Joe’s pancetta
1 large white onion, finely diced
2 large carrots (or 4 small ones), finely diced
1 lb. Yukon or equivalent potatoes, cut into 1/4″ slices (I used the small creamer potatoes, and was fine with that)
2 teaspoons salt — or to taste
several grinds of black pepper
medium pinch of red pepper flakes
chopped chives, for garnish

Instructions

One by one, place an ear of corn in a large bowl, and cut off kernels. Reserve kernels.

Place the chicken broth in a large pot, and add the corn cobs. Add water until the cobs are almost submerged; don’t use more than 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered for about 20 minutes, while making the rest of the chowder.

In a large saucepan, brown the pancetta until crispy, but not burned. Using a slotted spoon, remove pancetta to a bowl lined with a paper towel, and set aside for later.

To the pancetta fat, add the diced vegetables, stirring occasionally until they are soft, about 8 minutes over medium-low heat.

Now…back to the corn cobs. Using tongs, lift the cobs out of the large pot into a bowl, and then pour the broth/water through a strainer into a large clean bowl. Don’t throw away the cobs just yet.

Wipe out the large pot, and scrape the diced vegetables into the pot. Add the reserved corn kernels, sliced potatoes, corn broth/water, 2 teaspoons of Better Than Bullion Roast Chicken flavor, pinch of red pepper flakes, and the salt and pepper.

Stir well, and let simmer until the potatoes are tender (about 12 minutes). Meanwhile, go back to your cobs, and [if desired] scrape down the edges to extract the bits of the corn kernels that remain. Add to soup.

When potatoes are tender, and using a potato masher, crush the potatoes a few times to break them down and to thicken the soup slightly. (If the soup gets too thick, you can add more water or broth if needed.)

Season to taste, then add in the pancetta. Let simmer for 1-2 minutes.

Serve in wide bowls, topped with the chopped chives and ground black pepper. My focaccia also goes well with this soup. This recipe makes a bunch — probably 8-10 servings — enough to share with a friend!

Fall Corn Chowder

Posted on 27 November 2022 by Elizabeth

Thanksgiving 2022 was spent at my daughter’s home in a small town in Arizona. While we were there, two farm-to-table brown paper sacks were dropped off. I thought it was like Christmas with all this fresh produce from Rosebud Farms: pomegranates, red potatoes, cilantro, fresh baby greens, apples and several perfectly small ears of corn — baby corn. We served a salad that night with the fresh greens and arils, as earlier that afternoon I’d taught the charming granddaughter how to cut and submerge the pomegranate to pull out the tiny bits of red without getting it all over her.

As we were leaving the next morning, my daughter graciously gifted me the small ears of corn. We drove across the Mohave/Mojave, unpacked, and tired that night, I wanted something easy for dinner: Corn Chowder with fresh tender kernels of corn.

Fall Corn Chowder
4-5 small ears of corn, shucked, sliced off the cob (about 3 cups)**
2 slices of maple bacon, cut into small pieces
4 white rose potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 large onion (or 1 small onion) finely chopped
1/2 red or yellow pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup flour
approximately 6 cups chicken broth (three 14-oz cans), divided
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
pinch of red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan, place the potatoes, covering with about 3 cups of chicken broth. You just want to cover the potatoes. The other chicken brother will be used later. Bring to a boil, then let simmer while you start the soup.
In a heavy soup pot, cook the bacon, stirring to separate, but pulling just before it gets too brown. Remove bacon to drain on a plate topped with paper towels.
To the bacon grease, add the onion and the pepper, and sauté until tender, without letting it burn or get brown.
Sprinkle the flour over the top of the vegetables. We’ll be making a type of roux, where you cook the rendered fat from the bacon with flour, to take out the floury taste of the thickener. Stir, and add salt and pepper. It will thicken up really quickly.
Using about 1/4 cup of reserved chicken broth at a time, add to the roux and vegetables. The first batch will be absorbed quickly. Add some more. And more, until you start to have a thickened paste.
Check the potatoes for doneness, then pour the entire pan (potatoes and hot broth) into the soup pot, stirring all the while. It should separate, then thicken back again.
Add more chicken broth until you like the consistency (I used all 6 cups), and simmer on low while you add:
• cut corn
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
• salt and pepper to taste
Serve when corn is tender but still has some bit to it. We like to grind more pepper over the top, and sprinkle it with soup crackers.

**NOTE: If you are using summer corn, go for the most tender ears you can find, or cut back on the amount of corn to 2 1/2 cups or thereabouts.

Donabe

Posted on 27 March 2022 by Elizabeth

A light, refreshing and delicious soup. I add a little bit of sriracha sauce to liven it up, but my husband liked it just as it was, although we agree that this should be salted to taste (in other words, add more). According to the New York Times, from where I adapted this recipe, donabe refers to the clay pot in which it is cooked as it keeps the soup hot longer. My enameled cast iron pot did just fine.

INGREDIENTS

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and halved
1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced into 1/8-inch-thick strips
Kosher salt and black pepper
8 ounces tender mushrooms, such as maitake, beech or enoki, or a combination, stemmed and broken into large clusters
6 ounces napa cabbage, chopped into 2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
6 ounces daikon, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise 1/4-inch thick
3 scallions, cut into 1-inch lengths
2 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
¼ cup ponzu
½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Chinese wide noodles, cooked according to package directions, then drained

PREPARATION

In a large Dutch oven, combine broth, garlic and ginger. Season chicken with salt and pepper, and add to pot. Bring to a boil over high, skimming the foam and fat that rises to the top and discarding it. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, occasionally stirring and skimming, until foam no longer appears in the broth, about 5 minutes.
Add mushrooms, cabbage, daikon, scallions and carrot to the pot, arranging them in sections, and season with salt. Cover and simmer over medium to medium-low heat (maintain a good simmer, but do not boil) until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Discard ginger. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine ponzu, sesame oil and a tiny pinch of red pepper flakes, and mix well.
Also meanwhile, cook your noodles. We liked the version shown below.
Divide donabe among four bowls. Drizzle with some of the ponzu sauce and serve warm.

The noodles were first put in the bottom and the soup was ladled over it. This donabe is even better the next day, we think. We have also developed an affinity for daikon radishes, that when cooked remind us of a cross between a mild radish, a turnip, and a potato.

Italian Wedding Soup with Turkey Meatballs

Posted on 2 February 2019 by Elizabeth

Another surgery, another few weeks of recovery, but that doesn’t stop the longing for soup on a rainy, cold day. This recipe, from the New York Times, fit the bill. My husband helped in chopping and mixing and we worked together to put this together. I like not only the delicious lemony flavor, but that it can be made very quickly. One commenter wrote: “wedding soup is not so named because it is served at Italian weddings, but because the flavors of stock and bitter greens ‘marry’ well to produce a harmony of flavors: a Minestra Maritata.” Sounds great to me.

I’ve made some minor changes, reflected below in the recipe.

Italian Wedding Soup With Turkey Meatballs, by Sarah Copeland

Ingredients
8 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for greasing and serving
1 pound lean ground turkey
½ cup panko bread crumbs
⅓ packed cup fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
¾ cup orzo, ditalini, acini di pepe or another small soup pasta (see Note, below)
2-3 carrots, peeled and sliced across into small rounds
1 onion, chopped finely, divided
3 packed cups baby spinach or kale, thinly sliced
1 lemon, zested and juiced
¼ cup fresh dill, roughly chopped (optional)

Preparation
In a large pot, melt 1 Tbls. butter then add 2 Tbls. olive oil. Saute 1/2 chopped small onion until just turning golden. Add 2 quarts (8 cups) chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, add the turkey, panko, parsley, egg, garlic, salt, pepper and 1/2 cup Parmesan to a large bowl as well as 1/2 small onion, minced finely. Mix with a fork or clean hands until combined. Gently roll the mixture into 12 medium (2-inch) or 20 small (1 1/2-inch) or 40 walnut-sized (our preference) meatballs and transfer to a baking sheet lined with lightly oiled aluminum foil.

Heat the broiler to high and set an oven rack 3-4 inches from the heat. Broil the meatballs until brown on two sides, turning halfway through, about 5 minutes per side. Watch carefully so they don’t burn.

Add the carrots and the pasta to the boiling broth. Cook over medium until the pasta is al dente, then lower the heat to a low simmer. [Note: while this only calls for orzo, we thought more pasta presence would be better, say adding some farfalline, in addition.]

Add the meatballs to the broth and simmer on low until completely warmed through, 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat, and add the spinach and lemon zest, stirring well, to wilt. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add coarsely chopped dill, and lemon juice.

When serving the soup, drizzle each with olive oil, sprinkle with more Parmesan. Goes well with some crusty bread (heat and serve, or perhaps Mary’s Retreat Bread).

Note: we added double the spinach, but Dave said it looked like an algae bloom (he’s a scientist). It was a better balanced flavor once we got past the greens and ate the yummy meatballs and lemony soup without excess spinach. In my recipe, I didn’t double the spinach, but you could add an extra cup, if you want.

Carrot Cauliflower Soup with Miso

Posted on 13 October 2018 by Elizabeth

It’s fall, so anything fall-colored seems to make its way to the menu, and that means a new recipe. While this has been published in several places, I read about it in the New York Times where it goes by the name of Lemony Carrot Cauliflower Soup, and is a recipe by the talented Melissa Clark. But I didn’t think the amount of lemon in it (added at the end) warranted an inclusion in the title, although it is a necessary ingredient.

One of the more unusual ingredients is white miso, an item I’d never used. In doing some internet reading, I found there were two main kinds: white miso and red. Apparently white miso has rice as the main ingredient. It’s kind of a paste, easily scooped out with a spoon.

I bought some at the local grocery store, but it didn’t say whether it was red or white (the green label container). So I searched online for “Asian food stores” and found a little convenience mart near me (who knew?) and called. They had it. The website I read said the difference was how much rice it had (circled, above) but both of them seemed to have rice listed as the first ingredient, but I used the slightly lighter one on the left. It is not a pronounced flavor, but it adds a depth to the soup, giving it a more “rounded” flavor than just carrots and cauliflower. I will save the low-sodium miso for another use, as apparently they keep forever. There are recipes everywhere, once you start looking.

I have a spice grinder, but after toasting the coriander seeds, I went old-school and put them in a ziploc bag and crushed them with a food mallet.

I read through many of the comments and decided to make it as written, with the exception of using chicken broth as the base (original calls for water). But the comments were right: it needs a bit of a flavor boost. While Clark indicated adding cilantro, I would add more of the spices to the soup itself (rather than just a garnish at the end), and perhaps add some rotisserie chicken from the big box store.

We served it with crostini, and ended up throwing them in, to absorb the soup and fall apart into big soggy delicious chunks. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for serving
1 large white onion, peeled and diced (2 cups)
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
5 medium carrots (1 pound), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2 cups)
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, more as needed
3 tablespoons white miso
1 small (or half of a large) head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets
½ teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice, more to taste
Smoky chile powder, for serving [note: I didn’t have this, so used smoked paprika and chili powder as a substitute]
Coarse sea salt, for serving
Cilantro leaves, for serving

Preparation
Toast coriander seeds until fragrant and dark golden-brown, 2 to 3 minutes, swirly often to keep them from burning. Coarsely crush.

In a large, heavy pot, add the oil and heat until warm. Stir in chopped onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly colored, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute.

Add carrots, crushed coriander, salt and 6 cups chicken broth to the pot. Stir in the miso until it dissolves (I was hesitant at first and only used half, but use the full amount). Bring mixture to a simmer and cook, uncovered, 5 minutes. Stir in cauliflower and cook, covered, over medium-low heat until the vegetables are very tender, about 10 minutes.

Remove the soup from the heat. Using an immersion blender, purée the soup until smooth. (Alternatively, you can let soup cool slightly then purée it in batches in a food processor or blender.) If necessary, return the puréed soup to the heat to warm through.

Stir in the lemon zest and juice just before serving. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with chile, sea salt and cilantro leaves.

[Note: I added a wave of the paprika and a half-wave of chili powder to the soup, as well as the salt before serving. We also garnished with the spices and the olive oil. My favorite was using my lime-flavored olive oil, purchased from a local shop near me.]

Cauliflower Soup with Sweet Corn

Posted on 29 June 2017 by Elizabeth

This is a variation of a soup from my cookbook Bowl Food, as I sort just opened the refrigerator and morphed my ingredients into a meal. The variables you’ll need to keep track of (as they relate directly to each other) is the amount of broth you use is in relationship to the amount of cauliflower you use. I cook the leek and garlic, then add the chopped up cauliflower. I then add broth so it’s just covering the vegetables. You be the judge.

1 Tablespoon oil
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 potato, chopped (can add a cooked. chopped, potato later in the soup, if that’s what you have in your larder: that’s what I did)
6 cups chicken stock or canned broth (3 cans)
1/2 cup cream
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
pinch of red pepper flakes
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 -1/2 cups sweet white frozen corn

Heat the oil in a large pot, large enough to hold all ingredients. Add the leek and garlic, and cook over medium heat until the leek is soft, but not brown (about 6-8 minutes). Increase the heat to high and add cauliflower, potato, chicken stock and bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until the cauliflower and potato have softened.

Turn off heat. Using a stick blender (or, alternatively, cool the soup and use a blender or food processor), puree the soup until smooth. Add the cream, lemon, red pepper flakes, chives and frozen corn. Place over heat until all ingredients are warmed, about 2-3 minutes. Sometimes the heat of the soup will suffice.

Cauliflower Soup, served with Oyster crackers

Serve with Mary’s Retreat (homemade) Bread, or Oyster crackers, or homemade croutons, or crostini.

Serves 6-8.

Red Pepper and Orzo Soup

Posted on 23 March 2017 by Elizabeth

Think of this as a snappier version of tomato rice soup; the amount of pasta used here is just enough to temper the peppers’ bite. I have modified this recipe from one I found in the Washington Post.

before

after 15-20 minutes under broiler’s high heat

all wrapped up to steam for a while

Serve with a loaf of Mary’s Retreat Bread.

Servings: Tested size: 3-4 servings; makes 3 1/2 to 4 cups

Ingredients
1 medium shallot
1 clove garlic
5-6 red roasted peppers (directions below) ***
2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more for optional garnish
3-1/2 to 4 cups chicken broth (you get to determine the texture: soupy or thick)
1/2 cup dried orzo pasta

Spices to Taste:
wave of Arizona Dreaming, Sate, Smoked Paprika and [optional] a pinch of lemon-salt (use a shake of Kosher salt and 1 tsp. lemon rind, as substitute)
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (also called “chili” flakes)

NOTE: Arizona Dreaming is my new go-to spice. Get yourself a jar.

Directions
Peel and coarsely chop the shallot and garlic. Prepare the red peppers by broiling the seeded, washed halves for 15 minutes under high broiler heat on a prepared pan (line with tin foil). Wrap the whole pan in foil, and let the peppers cool while they continue to steam and melt into goodness, about 30 minutes. Alternatively, you could put them into a covered bowl, and go that route. Peel off the blackened skins and discard.

Heat half of the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, stir in the shallot and garlic. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes, until just softened.

Add the red peppers and broth; if your peppers weren’t soft after the broiling stage, let them cook a bit more in the hot broth until tender. Using a stick blender, puree the peppers/broth until smooth. Add the spices listed above.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then stir in the orzo. Cook for 7 to 9 minutes or until the orzo is tender and more visible in the pot, stirring often to keep it from sticking to the bottom. Add more broth, if needed. Taste, and adjust seasonings as needed, using spices listed above. You can also add a Tablespoon of lemon juice to pop things up, if needed.

Also good with slices of avocado, if you like that sort of thing, or a really good sandwich. We also added cubes of cooked ham, a carryover from another meal.

Other garnishes possible:
2 tablespoons pine nuts, for garnish
1 tablespoon grated pecorino Romano cheese
1 cup baby spinach
few leaves fresh basil

***COOK’S NOTE: To make this quickly, use two jars of roasted red peppers from Trader Joe’s instead of roasting up your own peppers. Drain, then use in the recipe instead of the home-done peppers.

Spicy African Peanut Soup with Ginger and Tomato

Posted on 2 March 2017 by Elizabeth

I first found this recipe in the New York Times; one version was by Julia Moskin and the other by Mark Bittman. I have made this several times and combined/changed things up to suit me. I like it because it begins with eggplant, and I always use the Japanese kind (so I can skip the salting step). It’s a good stew to serve over some rice, on a day when you just need something flavorful and hearty for dinner.

Ingredients
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon turmeric
⅛ teaspoon cayenne
2 medium-size Japanese eggplants, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
¼ cup good quality oil, peanut oil (if you have it)
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 jalapeño chili, seeded and minced
1 onion, chopped
⅓ cup tomato paste
½ pound skinless, boneless chicken (about 2 thighs or breasts) cut into chunks
1 small (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, preferably roasted
4 cups vegetable stock or water
½ cup natural unsweetened peanut butter (creamy or chunky)
1 medium-size zucchini, 6 to 8 ounces, cut in quarters lengthwise, then sliced 1/2 -inch thick
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 to 2 lemons)
2-3 cups coarsely chopped greens, such as spinach or chard
⅓ cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves, plus whole leaves for garnish

Cooked rice, for serving

Chopped roasted salted peanuts, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

In a colander, toss eggplant with 1 teaspoon salt; set aside for 30 minutes [I skip this step if using Japanese eggplant]. Rinse, drain well and set aside. In a small bowl, combine cumin, coriander, turmeric and cayenne; set aside.

In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add shallots and fry, stirring often, until soft, and caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add chicken and continue cooking for another 3 or 4 minutes, until just starting to turn color. Using a slotted spoon, transfer shallots and chicken to a large bowl, leaving oil in pot (may need to add some more). Raise heat to nearly high and add eggplant. Cook, stirring often, until lightly browned and just tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl with shallots/chicken.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pot and heat over medium-high heat. Add ginger and jalapeño and cook, stirring for 30 seconds. Add spices and cook, stirring, 30 seconds more. Add onion and cook, stirring to scrape up any browned bits, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Add diced tomatoes, stock or water, eggplant, chicken, shallots and a sprinkling of salt. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes. Place peanut butter in a medium bowl, add one or two ladlefuls of hot soup, and stir until emulsified, then pour mixture back into soup.

Reduce heat to a simmer, add zucchini, cover and cook 10 to 15 minutes, until vegetables are tender and chicken is done. Turn off heat and stir in lemon juice, chopped cilantro, greens; stir until greens are wilted. Let cool slightly and taste; add salt if necessary. Serve in bowls with rice, garnished with cilantro leaves and chopped peanuts, if desired.

Note: Can omit chicken and add 1 (15 oz.) can garbanzo beans, if desired. Can also add 1-2 thickly sliced sweet potato (as shown in the image above).

Peanut Soup_2

Judy’s Tomato Soup

Posted on 4 November 2015 by Elizabeth

This tomato soup had its origins in a basketfull of tomatoes from our garden, and the winter delivery of a care package from my friend Judy, who is an amazing cook. In her little dish was the best fresh tomato soup I’ve tasted, and it wasn’t until I was laid up with some surgery that she finally relinquished the recipe.

Wash and cut in half a number of Roma-type tomatoes; no need to core. Lay them skin-side down on a foil-lined rimmed cookie sheet or a broiler pan. If you have eating tomatoes, cut those into approximate sized chunks. Add one onion, chunked. Squish three cloves of garlic over the tomatoes. Drizzle some extra-virgin olive oil, and then liberally salt and pepper the tomatoes.

Bake in a preheated oven at 425 for 40 minutes, until they are tender and even a little bit cooked down.

Place in a pot, and drizzle over some good-quality balsamic vinegar (about 1/4 cup). With a stick blender, whir the mixture smooth, adding chicken broth as needed to bring it to soup consistency (probably about 3/4 to 1 cup of broth).

Now adjust for flavor. Some things I usually add are:
fresh basil, snipped
heavy pinch of red pepper flakes
salt (to taste)
pepper
and if I have no fresh basil, I add about 2 Tbls homemade pesto.

Some garnishes are:
chunks of avocado
croutons
Hatch chiles, if they are in season (roast on BBQ, remove skins)

We roasted our tomatoes and onion, then placed them in a gallon-sized resealable bag and placed it in the freezer. To prepare, we thawed the tomatoes and proceeded with the soup, as above.

Tortellini en Brodo

Posted on 29 December 2012 by Elizabeth

Translated, this means tortellini in broth.

We arrived in Bologna on a rainy October night, and asked the hotel desk for a dinner recommendation. Da Nello, he said. A restaurant just off the main square. And then he said, “Tortellini en Brodo is very good. My favorite this time of year.” Apparently this soup is served when the weather turns cold, and since Bologna is the birthplace of the tortellini, I thought I should try it.

This is a photo of the soup that night. They brought me this steaming bowl of tortellini and a jar of grated Parmesan cheese, which the server indicated that I should sprinkle over the top. The tortellini were very small–about the size of my thumbnail and chewy rather than soft. I doubted this serving would fill me up, but by the end, I was happy, warm and in possession of a new traditional recipe.

We found the food in the Emilia-Romaga region to be simple, yet incredibly flavorful. I think it is because they use very high quality ingredients. So when you prepare this ready-in-ten-minutes soup and because there are only three elements, be sure to use high quality ingredients.

Ingredients
1 quart low-salt chicken broth, good quality. [Note: I use Swanson’s and have good results.]
1 8 oz. package fresh tortellini from the grocer’s, often found near the deli section

Preparation
Heat the broth to a low bubbling boil, then slide in the tortellini. Cook for 5-8 minutes until pasta is tender (but don’t overcook). Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese (not the stuff in the green bottle–use high quality, please).

Elizabeth Cooks

Category Archives: Soups