SOUP-er Freaking
Some days the wind seems to blow against you, no matter which way you turn. Which really sucks when it's 20 below zero outside.
"Why the frick am I having such a bad day!?!" Trobee shouted after charging into the door carrying (well, nearly tripping over) several grocery bags. She fumed about her harrowing experiences on the road ("This town has the worst drivers!"), her thwarted quest in the aisles of the supermarket, her encounter with the ("bitchy and rude!") cashier. The radio pissed her off still further by playing lousy songs. Her shirt caught on something and tore. She stubbed her toe. Sprouted a new zit. So and so forth.
For a short while, words of rage and frustration bounced around the NC kitchen like the little balls in a pinball machine. The plan today was to try the Potato Jalapeno Soup recipe from the Milky Way Diner. Hopefully it would turn out -- a good soup, after all, has magical restorative powers. It can make any boo-boo all better...
But for now it was bubbling seething anger-energy -- the vibe continued at the stove, as vibes tend to do. Trobee seized the pan in a choke-hold. (Yet come spicing-time, she was, as always, respectful. She has learned.) At one point: "Aaahhh!!! I sliced my hand! Look!" (She had been the one that had wanted new knives.)
Maybe, I thought, I shouldn't have chosen an unpracticed recipe that day. Even though we're used to experimentation here at NC, there are times when success is needed. The only way for her to calm down this day was for her dish to actually turn out.
Indeed, the pan sizzled and hissed at her threateningly. "It's acting up all funky-like and I even have it on low!"
Oh boy. This soup had better be goood
RECIPE B-R-E-A-K-D-O-W-N
"C'mon, boil! Dammit, why won't you boil for me today?"
Pause. She turned to me. "See, all you have to do is start bitching and it boils up nicely."
"I'll make a note of that."
* * *
Bay leaf -- the Soup Spice. We figured we'd toss one in. What the hell. The leaf, which is always dried, adds a lot of flavor that doesn't clash with other 
spices."So... when exactly do we add the bay leaf?"
"You know, it varies. In Indian cooking, it is usually roasted along with the other whole spices. But it doesn't have to be. In the West, chefs just slip it into soups as is."
So we decided to find out for ourselves what the flavor difference would be. We made rice 2 
ways: one version with roasted bay leaf, and one with the bay leaf slipped in the water.
"Not too much difference for me, to be perfectly honest."
I had to agree. "There probably is a subtle difference there, but it's not big enough to write about."
Hm.
* * *
Of course, our soup had to have garlic. As an afterthought, we tweaked it at the end with some ginger powder. And lime. Just to sex it up a bit.
Upon our third time cooking up this soup, all was perfected. The effect of the soup was extraordinary. People couldn't get enough of it. So much for quieting chaos.
".. and what's really awesome here is how it's got light cream cheese instead of heavy cream," Trobee was telling an enthusiastic test-taster.
* * *
The presence of jalapenos does not guarantee a burning tongue. In this recipe, our 'mild-child' test tasters approved of the 1/3 cup amount.
"Of course my soup has jalapenos galore!" declared Trobee as she stirred the steaming cauldron. "Trina will be having none of this!"
And she laughed. (Cackled?)
As I had hoped, a warm aroma flowed from the stovetop like an invisible, yet gentle hug. I wanted that swell of flavor to massage my insides. A good soup can do that.
She was getting happier by the moment."Hurry up! I want this to get done really bad so I can eat it!"
* * *
Brother Chase sauntered into the kitchen, making a beeline for the fridge. As usual. Chase, if you have not met him yet, is the NC nemesis. That is, he is anti-spice. And 
he's vocal about it. Which doesn't bother us, usually. Diversity is good.
"Wow, it actually does smell really good. It smells excellent," he admitted grudgingly. I almost dropped my glass of water. Interesting. See, that's why it's good to have a nemesis. You know for sure that they aren't 'just saying' anything.
"This soup is definitely a hit, Courty."
Okay then.
* * *
However, the second time Trobee cooked up the soup -- at Chase's special request -- she was discontent with the result."This sucks!"
The soup had turned out smooth and creamy, without the potato chunkage that Trobee preferred. Turns out that she had cut the potatoes into smaller, dice-size pieces. This had caused them to mush together. But you know what? I personaly liked it that way. Maybe I even liked it better.
"So Trina," I said when it was her turn to cook, "Tell me. How big are the chunks?"
I hadn't specified how the potato should be cut. I wanted to see what she did.
She had chopped the potato in large chunks. I explained the creamy effect of Trobee's last version.
"Oh! I should have done that!"
"No, No, No. It all depends on what you want. If you want it creamy, cut it into small pieces. If you want it chunky, cut it into large pieces. There's no correctness here."
She had to think about that for a minute.
Trobee pointed out another option: One could do a half-and-half thing. Once the potato is simmering in the soup, some of the pieces could be mashed, thereby giving the broth some substance whilst retaining the chunky texture. ("Very good, Tro," said I.) This practice is often used in Indian dishes, such as with our Ting-Tangy Chickpeas....
photos by Trina and Trobee
Shout out to Rebecca Lopez for the top-of-the-post pic "Forever and Ever". Check out her other creations at www.diosaperdida.net.
Other Naughty Curry soup recipes:
Roasty Toasty Potato-Jalapeno Soup
- 1 tsp oil
- 1 bell pepper (we use 1/2 green, 1/2 red), seeded
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/3 - 1 cup jalapeno slices (Trobee uses a heaping cup)
- 1 can chicken/vegetable broth (2 cups)
- 1 cup water (or more broth, if you have it)
- 3 medium potatoes, chopped
- 1/2 cup light cream cheese (soy works great too)
- juice of lime or lemon (to taste)
- Dried cilantro flakes or parsley flakes
Masala:
2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds powder
1/4 tsp ginger powder
1 bay leaf
1) Place the bell pepper on a baking sheet and stick it on the oven's top shelf. Broil it for 10 minutes. Cool and scrape away the burnt skin and chop.
2) In a medium pot, saute the onions in the oil until they are clear. Add the garlic and cook until golden-brown.
3) Add the bell pepper pieces, the jalapeno slices and the masala. Sauté for 1-2 minutes.
4) Add the broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through.
5) Remove the pot from heat. Stir in the cream cheese, lime or lemon juice, and the cilantro or parsley flakes. Done.
