by Danielle Aquiline, Ames Hawkins and Greg Perrine
"The natural progression from boiling water to boiling water with something in it can hardly be avoided, and in most cases is heartily to be wished for."—M.F.K. Fisher
Soup. From Campbell's Tomato to Julia Child's bouillabaisse, it is something that is experienced cross culturally, cross continentally, and in one spoonful can cure a sick child, and transport an old man to his youth. With as many variations as leaves on a tree just beginning to change for autumn, it isn't hard to come across some sort of new and exciting take on an old classic.
For each of us soup holds a different past—a childhood memory of dipping a golden grilled cheese into a bowl of tomato soup speckled with floating oysters crackers, or poking through the cheesy exterior of a freshly broiled French Onion. Each family has its own staple; each person, his or her own favorite.
For Greg, soup meant seconds. Growing up in a house of three boys and one mom, soup was something that could be made in large batches, frozen, and brought out in a pinch. Or as it turned out more often than not, those large batches could be used to supply seconds for growing appetites. There wasn't a winter without potato soup topped with freshly grated cheddar, a dollop of sour cream, and a dash of hot sauce. Now, as new families are forged, new variations on family classics, like potato soup, are making their way into the rolodex of Greg's recipe box.
Soup was never high on Ames' list of desired foods. It always seemed a kind of waste to her, something to fill you up before you got to the 'real' or 'good' part of the meal. Soup was what you had when there was no macaroni and cheese left in the cupboard, something you had when you were sick. Then, when she started making food for the family, soup became a requested item. All of the family members now have their own favorites among a range of soups she makes throughout the fall and winter: carrot/ginger, scotch broth, gumbo, pasta fazool, minestrone, thai chicken, chicken wild rice, winter bean, among others. Usually begun with a standard recipe, Ames now prides herself in tweaking and adapting the flavors to work with individual requests. She may not have ever wanted to be a soup maker, but now it's one of her most favorite things to do on a chilly autumn afternoon.
Danielle holds soup in high regard. Being raised as a Jewish girl away from all of her Jewish family, making matzo ball soup was as much a spiritual meditation as it was a meal. ( It was also the only thing her mom and grandmother could cook well, but don't tell them she said that. ) Now, of course, her collection of soup recipes has widened. Though, as any seasoned soup-maker knows, it's all in the process. Once you learn how to sweat a few root vegetables, make a good broth and season by the spoonful, you can make an endless variety of soups. Danielle enjoys being adventurous with ingredients and seeing what the next bowl holds.
During the next two months, as we move through fall and into winter, we want to warm your weeks with those recipes that are near and dear to our hearts. We want to share with you the joy of leaving the house in the morning with a crock pot full of beans and broth, and coming home to the intoxicating aroma of the best ham and bean soup you've ever tasted. With a big pot, and hearty appetite, we hope our soups will make there way from our text to your table.
