Posted by Adrienne on October 6, 2013 – 5:39 PM
When I make soup, I really go for it.
In our house, it’s only my husband and I, but it’s no matter. I make HUGE portions of soup at a time. It’s the kind of thing where when you’re making one of my soup recipes, and you start to wonder, “How many people is she feeding? Does she have 10 kids? Am I going to be eating this for a month? Is my pot going to hold all these vegetables?” You may even start to doubt my sanity.
Why make soup if you’re not making a giant batch? I can’t see a reason to make single-serving soups or stews. They’re economical, easily frozen for eating later, great for sharing and taking to work for lunch. Most importantly it’s just as easy to make a giant pot as it is to make a little bit.
Oktoberfest is upon us, and I can only imagine the amount of beer that has been consumed during this favorite of German celebrations. As if you needed another way to consume even more beer, it is fabulous when paired with cabbage, smoky meat and potato. While this was cooking, our house smelled like everything good from the Oktoberfest festival, minus the funky smells of thousands of frat boys and fraulein packed into a drinking tent.
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Posted by Adrienne on October 11, 2012 – 10:17 PM
I’m currently watching the Vice Presidential debate.
Clearly, I need comfort.
Or maybe a shot of whiskey. Perhaps some online shopping. At this point, I’ll take what I can get.
Whiskey and shopping aside, certain foods have the ability to take the edge off. For me, it’s the foods my mom made for us as a kid, a plate of pasta or this, a big bowl of warm, savory soup.
Lucky for me, Washington State is made for soup weather. Our months of gray cloudiness have started. It’s dark when I wake up, and well on its way to darkness when I get home from work.
The fall and winter are really the best seasons for soup not only because of the weather, but because of the produce that’s in season. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, butternut squash, kale and chard are plentiful. Let me tell you something, folks, these are the best building blocks for amazing soups. Read More »
Posted by Adrienne on June 10, 2012 – 10:27 PM
Admittedly, it’s been a bit of a rough week.
From attending the funeral of one of my husband’s high school friends to our family having to put down our beloved dog Rocco, let’s just say I’m glad this week is over.
At times, the fragility of your own existence slaps you in the face and makes you take a hard look at how you’re living and what you’re doing with your short time on this earth.
Time with friends and family has certainly helped me get through this week. Moments of joy with them, a special walk with my husband, or being with others at a community celebration bring me back to what really matters in life.
Celebrating the things you are passionate about and living the kind of life you want to live, whatever that may be, comes back into focus at times like these.
For me, cooking has a way of soothing my soul.
Something about quietly chopping vegetables, stirring a pot and being present in the moment, yet not really thinking about anything in particular, grounds me and helps me process whatever is going on. Read More »
Posted by Adrienne on November 4, 2011 – 10:52 AM
I’m a major soup girl. Soup for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
So this comes with great weight that I say this. This is my FAVORITE soup ever. Ever. And I made it. And it’s easy. I make it about once every two weeks, just to have in the fridge for lunch or to send to work with my husband.
It’s my favorite for a few reasons.
For one, it uses up my neglected produce box vegetables that sit in the fridge, looking forlorn. You can throw pretty much any vegetable you have in. If you don’t have kale, use chard. No sweet potatoes? Use potatoes. No fresh corn? Frozen is fine. And so on and so on. I almost never leave out the sweet potatoes, though, because it provides such an amazing sweet flavor. Read More »
Posted by Adrienne on April 14, 2011 – 10:01 PM
Split pea soup, in all of its thick, green glory is delicious. It’s comforting, nutritious, easy and cheap to make.
But let’s get real. It can look a little…well, gross. The color and texture can be a little off-putting.
Not to mention, have you ever tried to photograph it and make it look gorgeous? It’s tough. Real tough. Soup is hard enough to photograph and make look tasty, but split pea soup, my friends, is nearly impossible. Read More »
