Sunday, October 3, 2010

La notte delle tre zuppe...


…or, in English, the night of three soups.  I just thought it sounded better in Italiano.  Don’t ask me what possessed me to make three soups in one night.  They all just seemed so easy that I couldn’t help but throw them all together, then package them and freeze individual servings for those busy nights before ASL class.  
 

It all started when I had a craving for pea soup, and wanted to use up a bag of frozen President’s Choice peas (or PCPs, as mom says :P).  Instead of the warm and hearty ham variety, though, I came across the Barefoot Contessa’s recipe for a summer pea and mint soup.  I didn’t have any mint, but basil stood in for it nicely; ditto for heavy cream vs. crème fraiche.  Quite a tasty and almost sweet little soup, which I chose to eat that night.


Next, I made an adapted form of the G.I. diet’s thai shrimp soup recipe, which features delicious flavours of ginger and lemongrass.  I didn’t have any bean sprouts or mushrooms (since I hate the latter), so I omitted the first and swapped halved cherry tomatoes for the second.  I also didn’t have any rice noodles at the time, so I threw in a handful of orzo pasta.  I’d give you the recipe, but overall I think it needs some significant tweaking before I’m ready to share it… the finished product was edible, of course, but not optimal.  I’ll get back to you on that one.


Lastly, I made a curried lentil soup, after seeing one on Food Network that made me start to salivate.  A quick Google led me here, where I adapted the recipe only by using canned lentils instead of dried, and Thai yellow curry paste (since it didn’t specify).  The only thing I would change: I was a bit overzealous with the paste.  If I had used less, I think things would’ve ended up tasting better… as Nonna always says, “You can always add, but you can’t take'm away”.  Questa donna e bellisima é intelligentissima.  I don’t think I need to translate that one.

Feeling a bit like a squirrel getting supplies ready for the winter,
-Honeybee

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