Soups

Juliet–My Little Cabbage, and a Killer Cabbage, Leek and Potato Soup

Juliet–My Little Cabbage, and a Killer Cabbage, Leek and Potato Soup

My French neighbor, Nicole, loves Sweet Juliet. When she visits, she often greets Juliet with an affectionate mon petit chou. (Translated, that means “my little cabbage.”) Juliet has that effect on people. Absolute strangers and friends alike shower her with kind words and sweet kisses.…

Chickpea Soup With Orzo and Spinach

Chickpea Soup With Orzo and Spinach

How about a hearty chickpea soup for New Year’s Eve or  New Year’s Day? This recipe features all sorts of good vegetables to launch your new year–chickpeas, carrots, fennel, spinach and on and on. If you sprinkle some grated Parmesan over the soup at serving…

Cream of Carrot Soup, Soup for Syria, and Photographs That Will Break Your Heart

Cream of Carrot Soup, Soup for Syria, and Photographs That Will Break Your Heart

    This is one beautiful (and delicious) soup. The original recipe comes from a cookbook titled Soup for Syria photographed and compiled by Beirut chef, photographer and cookbook author Barbara Abdeni Massaad. Massaad also is the author of the best-selling cookbook Man’oushe: Inside the…

S’Wonderful: Cauliflower, Potato and Cheese Soup

S’Wonderful: Cauliflower, Potato and Cheese Soup

Soup is hot! Fortunately for us all, soup recipes seem to be having their moment. There have been any number of interesting and innovative soup cookbooks published in recent years. I know I’ve added Anna Thomas’ Love Soup, Barbara Abdeni Massaad’s Soup for Syria and…

Of Cabbages, Kings and Flying Pigs: Creamy Cabbage and Potato Soup

Of Cabbages, Kings and Flying Pigs: Creamy Cabbage and Potato Soup

The time has come, the Walrus said,       To talk of many things: Of shoes — and ships — and sealing-wax —       Of cabbages — and kings — And why the sea is boiling hot —       And whether pigs have wings.          …

Minestrone, A Wistful Pup and Letting Go of Summer

Minestrone, A Wistful Pup and Letting Go of Summer

    There is an old Italian saying O mangi questa minestra o salti dalla finestra. That roughly translates to “Eat the soup or jump out of the window”–an exclamation for those times when inaction is off the table and you just have to do something–anything. Take it…

Cantaloupe Soup With Jalapeños, Red Onion and Basil

Cantaloupe Soup With Jalapeños, Red Onion and Basil

  My husband was a very good cook, but he operated with wild abandon when it came to picking recipes. Strawberries, pickles, and powdered sugar? No problem. Needless to say, it made for some interesting meals. I’m more cautious. In my kitchen, the critical first…

Peruvian Quinoa Chowder

Peruvian Quinoa Chowder

  Cue the pan flutes, or, better yet, throw on an Yma Sumac CD. (If you don’t have a Sumac CD, here is a link: Yma Sumac. Sumac was a 1950’s Peruvian vocal phenom with an amazing five octave vocal range and a legendary temper that befitted…

Cream of Carrot Soup Chez Claude

Cream of Carrot Soup Chez Claude

  My friend Sarah said to put this recipe on Blue Cayenne. Believe me, when Sarah gets that insistent tone in her voice, Blue Cayenne listens. I’ve been making this gorgeous (and delicious!) soup for a very long time. This recipe was adapted from one…

Asparagus Soup with Fennel and Pernod

Asparagus Soup with Fennel and Pernod

I love adore soup!  All soup. Well…maybe not all soup. I was once on a school district committee where one of the elementary school reps reported on her school’s “soup day.”  Seems they had an activity where each student was asked to bring a can of Campbell’s…