Not only is soup good food, it's so ridiculously easy to make I'm not sure how Campbells stays in business. Oh wait, I live in a country where blankets with sleeves, squeezable mayonnaise and pots with holes in the lid are big hits.
Nevermind.
I've boiled up a couple of batches recently, inspired by the inclement weather and a recent acquisition.
First up was a quick take on Tortilla Soup. My gold standard recipe is from Authentic Mexican by Rick Bayless, but it's not a casual undertaking (prepping dried chilis always pays off, but it's a PITA).
This version wasn't much more involved than chopping some stuff up and dumping it in the pot, and it turned out pretty good. You do need to approach Mexican recipes from Cook's Illustrated with care- they have a decidedly East Coast sensibility which makes for occasionally boneheaded suggestions. Bayless says to fry up some thinly sliced corn torillas and put a handful in the bowl before ladling the soup in, which works fantastically well both aesthetically and flavor wise.
The Cooks crew decided, for reasons obscure, to go with sliced raw flour tortillas, which just sounds gross, texturally and flavor wise. I don't think it's an idea that would even occur to anyone who 'lived' with Mexican food as we do here in Cali.
Their other terrible suggestion was to sprinkle the top with Monterey Jack. I went with the traditional Queso Fresco, which along with the fried corn tortilla strips makes the dish IMHO.
It didn't have tremendous depth of flavor, but was easy and tasty and I'll be making it again.
But they salvaged their reputations with my second choice, Minestrone.
For such a visually appealing & delicious soup it is comically easy to make.
Step one: chop up a bunch of stuff.
Step two: bring it to a boil then simmer it for an hour or so.
Of course, that might sound tedious to someone who doesn't enjoy chopping, but for me that was its sexiest feature. It is also a tremendously cheap soup, aside from the requested Parmesan rind. A potato, a zucchini, a couple carrots & celery stalks, spinach, an onion & some garlic.
I made things more complicated by frying up the onion first, then sweating down the veggies a bit, another nod to the tiny Gordon Ramsey who rides my shoulder ranting about building flavor.
But even with that bonus step, the excited response of my diners was wildly out of proportion to the amount of work I'd invested. You'd think I pulled off some complex kitchen legerdemain....which is what earns this one a spot in the heavy rotation.
I expect it to be even better tonight, after some time to rest....
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Weather: Bane of the Landed Gentry
So this morning its raining sideways, which really is my favorite type of weather. Well, since it doesn't snow here.
Up with the Fuss (and the sun), I put the kettle on while cobbling together a morning meal he'll accept. It's a bit like playing Tetris blindfolded, trying to find the right pieces with no idea how what shape hole you're trying to fill- this morning's winning combination was banana, apple, cheddar cheese and just a whiff of oatmeal.
As I shuttle around the kitchen I notice that the gutter of the window by the fridge is full of water. Alarmed, I stuff it with a towel.
And check the other windows.
Which are similarly flooded.
Great.
Okay, maybe you can't expect much from what were probably the cheapest windows on offer in 1975...but shouldn't they at least not POUR WATER during a storm?
Consulting with my friend the Internet I note that modern cousins of our leaky, horrendously energy inefficient 1975'ers are relatively cheap. Of course, we've already got the cheap, crummy window angle well covered.
Oh well, at least this'll give me an excuse to buy some tools!
Up with the Fuss (and the sun), I put the kettle on while cobbling together a morning meal he'll accept. It's a bit like playing Tetris blindfolded, trying to find the right pieces with no idea how what shape hole you're trying to fill- this morning's winning combination was banana, apple, cheddar cheese and just a whiff of oatmeal.
As I shuttle around the kitchen I notice that the gutter of the window by the fridge is full of water. Alarmed, I stuff it with a towel.
And check the other windows.
Which are similarly flooded.
Great.
Okay, maybe you can't expect much from what were probably the cheapest windows on offer in 1975...but shouldn't they at least not POUR WATER during a storm?
Consulting with my friend the Internet I note that modern cousins of our leaky, horrendously energy inefficient 1975'ers are relatively cheap. Of course, we've already got the cheap, crummy window angle well covered.
Oh well, at least this'll give me an excuse to buy some tools!
Monday, January 18, 2010
blurb of the week
from DRAGON MOUNTAIN by Daniel Reid.
Bit of an extremist, isn't he?
Captain Jack Robertson faces an impossible choice: Can he learn to love his violent, drug fueled jungle prison- or will he die trying to escape?
Bit of an extremist, isn't he?
one thing that sucks
Doing anything with a baby or toddler is much harder & more stressful than otherwise. They act like a degree of difficulty in Olympic diving. If going to the store alone is a baseline activity, taking one with you multiplies your final score by 5.
When other multipliers hit things can spiral rapidly out of control. Let's say you get sick, with some kind of nausea/fever deal, and you're not fit for much besides staring dully at some generic Hollywood offering and passing out at 7:30.
Fuss could give two squirts. He still wants to climb up on the dining room table and gnaw on the candles, he still wants you to make him 4 different dinners looking for the one that meets his protean standards, he still wants to climb inside the dishwasher when you're trying to tidy up afterwards, and he will still shriek like a banshee when you try to put him to bed.
Even when you're lucky enough to have a traditional helpmeet (as I do) it throws everything off. I usually take the reigns when I get home from work and get up with him in the morning. When I can't, the wife ends up having him all day, and all night, and then again in the morning. Which gives me a better appreciation of the unrelenting rigors of single parenthood, but doesn't help the Wife when she starts passing out in the living room at 8am.
Of course, on cue, the Fuss had one of those wretched nights where he wakes up shrieking every hour. I rose at 2am, pouring sweat, and retreated to the living room to perform arcane rights aimed at luring a worried Morpheus back in from the rain.
He's such a relentless, full contact experience it's easy to forget that a mere handful of months ago every night was last night. Hard as he is, he's so improved it seems downright churlish to complain.
When other multipliers hit things can spiral rapidly out of control. Let's say you get sick, with some kind of nausea/fever deal, and you're not fit for much besides staring dully at some generic Hollywood offering and passing out at 7:30.
Fuss could give two squirts. He still wants to climb up on the dining room table and gnaw on the candles, he still wants you to make him 4 different dinners looking for the one that meets his protean standards, he still wants to climb inside the dishwasher when you're trying to tidy up afterwards, and he will still shriek like a banshee when you try to put him to bed.
Even when you're lucky enough to have a traditional helpmeet (as I do) it throws everything off. I usually take the reigns when I get home from work and get up with him in the morning. When I can't, the wife ends up having him all day, and all night, and then again in the morning. Which gives me a better appreciation of the unrelenting rigors of single parenthood, but doesn't help the Wife when she starts passing out in the living room at 8am.
Of course, on cue, the Fuss had one of those wretched nights where he wakes up shrieking every hour. I rose at 2am, pouring sweat, and retreated to the living room to perform arcane rights aimed at luring a worried Morpheus back in from the rain.
He's such a relentless, full contact experience it's easy to forget that a mere handful of months ago every night was last night. Hard as he is, he's so improved it seems downright churlish to complain.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Free Customer Advice
Hey there, Lady Looking For a Calendar of Antique Nautical Maps!
In future, do not bitch about the selection when you wait until the second week in January to begin your search, mmmmk?
In future, do not bitch about the selection when you wait until the second week in January to begin your search, mmmmk?
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Title of the Day
Diseases of the Genital Organs of Domestic Animals by W.L. Williams
I'm afraid to crack the cover.
I'm afraid to crack the cover.
Monday, January 4, 2010
true customer tales
subtitle
Why This Country is a Train Wreck
Large fellow wearing a dirty tee shirt with cut-off sleeves and an American flag graphic:
where are your religious books?
Me:
Eastern or Western?
guy:
long pause
Uhrr.......UNITED STATES.
Guh.
Why This Country is a Train Wreck
Large fellow wearing a dirty tee shirt with cut-off sleeves and an American flag graphic:
where are your religious books?
Me:
Eastern or Western?
guy:
long pause
Uhrr.......UNITED STATES.
Guh.
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