Christmas was nice, all of my family was together. Well, except my two nephews, but that is for another post. Though is seemed to go by fast, Christmas felt like a holiday this year. I know that sounds weird, it's a holiday every year. But usually it feels like a weekend or a break from work. It's a little hard to describe, but it felt a little different. Ever since my grandma passed away in 2001, holidays didn't seem the same, especially Thanksgiving. I don't hate Christmas, it is actually one of my favorite times of the year. It just seems like things are some times missing. At least the best part this year, there didn't seem to be any fighting. I'll leave it at that.
Post Christmas celebration was terrible, there wasn't one. I came down with stomach flu or some crummy viral yuck. I'm still recovering from it, I have my good moments and bad. I told the culprit who gave me the cold (it went to a few family members) that they could have their gift back!
On the plus side, with a cold comes soup. I love soup! I especially love my mom's. I'm spoiled and often get a container when she makes some. Yeah, I live on my own, but anyone who is or has been a poor college student knows that that mooching a meal or two off of the parents is like gold! I pass on things I don't care for, pork chops or pork roast. But soup, ah!!! My mom will even admit that there are some things she doesn't cook, but she has always been able to make a good soup.
I, on the other hand, can cook, but don't always like to. I leave it up to my sister to be Better Crocker. I like to try a recipe now and then; if it works, I'll keep it. If not, I complain how obnoxious it was and never make it again. I usually stick with things I like or will eat. I think it is a waste if the cook doesn't like their own cooking. Besides, how can you tell if something tastes right? So soup, I have been trying to make a few soups lately. I sometimes approach cooking as scientist conducting an experiment (there's the nerd part in me).
My FAVORITE soup is probably the broccoli cheese recipe that my mom makes. It's something that she has made for quite years and has it to the point she can cook without the recipe and knows when something is lacking. This is the first soup I learned to make. Probably a little ambitious as it involves makes a brocco-broth and a cheesy cream sauce that combines together. Let me just tell you, water-based liquid broth does not combine quickly (nor easily) with a greasy, oh so yummy, thick cheese mass. With patience, constant stirring, and not letting the contents burn; the sweet success is a broccoli cheese soup that is not pea green (yes, the veggie), nor an over kill of cheddar. Honestly, the secret is in the Swiss...cheese, that is. I have made this soup several times for people and it is greatly enjoyed (even when it's not 100% perfect, it still is so good). I always give the compliments to my mom, I am but her humble follower, not her soup successor.
My latest attempts have been with a broth based soups. I am finding you can adjust about anything to chicken broth and have a decent soup. Course, this is within reason and measurements. I did a rice, broccoli, chicken broth soup over the weekend when I was sick. Standing up and moving around made me more nauseated than I had wanted. The soup turned out good, but I still had that association with it. After a few days, the bulk of the broth was soaked up into the rice. Yuck and good-bye.
Today, I am trying another chicken broth based soup, smaller amount so I won't have it sitting around for awhile. I threw in carrots, onion, S & P, chicken, and zucchini. I'll let you know the results, especially the portion size*.
Let's see, other things that relate to soup besides liking it, cold weather, colds. The inversion cleared up in the Salt Lake Valley. I personally don't like calling fog, nor smog soup, especially when the air is polluted and smells like car exhaust. There's a show called "The Soup". Watched it once, lame. Chicken Soup for the Soul are good books to read, I highly recommend them. If you "google" soup, you will get 52,500,000 or so hits. I think that is enough soup and related points to end this post on.
Happy 2010 soon!!!!!
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