Category Archives: Soup

Ham and Spring Vegetable Soup (a.k.a. Hot Ham Water)

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Danguole| 4 Comments

Happy Day 3 of Arrested Development Week!  Only 6 days to go, and you, my little chicken dancers, must be hungry.  And that’s what this is for.  A solid springtime meal for a solid springtime Monday.

You may be in a sweets coma, after all–did you see these insane frozen bananas that Elizabeth at SugarHero made for you/us?    They put the Bluths’ bananas to shame, but we all know the Bluths are only in it for the money.  This is frozen bananas, with love (i.e. sprinkles).

So, to help you recover, we’re making soup.  In honor of Lindsay Bluth Funke, born Nellie Sitwell: charity event-thrower, cause taker-upper (HOOP, anyone?), shopper, unsuccessful business launcher, hands-off mother (to someone who just happens to be one of the coolest characters in television–so “Maeby” there’s something to the Funkes’ parenting style; I’m just saying).

(Yes, if I had children, it’s possible I would gather parenting insights from sitcoms.  Let’s all be grateful that I do not.)

(photo from http://fashionandhistrionics.blogspot.com/)

Lindsay is by no means domestic, but when she tries, you get a big spoonful of Hot Ham Water.  It’s a fine idea–and revolutionary, to boot–but I’m thinking Hot Ham and Vegetable Water would be even better.

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Posted in Main courses, Meat, Soup, Spring

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French Onion Soup

Posted on January 13, 2013 by Danguole| 7 Comments

Pop quiz!  You know what’s wack?

Right now, it’s 37 degrees in Juneau.  Here? 19.  I don’t know what is going on, but my guess is that Alaska is some kind of witch.  I’m onto you, Alaska.  If I weren’t so busy staying very still under this pile of blankets, I’d getcha good.

Yeah…  It’s cold.  Really cold.

In other news, I am such a big baby.  What’s wack in YOUR world?  I want to know, because complaining about the weather is majorly boring and I’m being majorly boring.  So, tell me.  We can all be in this together…  And then we should eat soup.

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Posted in Fall, Main courses, Soup, Winter

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Vegan Posole

Posted on November 28, 2012 by Danguole| 4 Comments

Guess who spent basically the entirety of last Friday watching prison gang documentaries and knitting?  Yeah…  Let’s consider that my tribute to Martha.  (Hey girl!)

It was the kind of day that makes the next one super productive.  FUN productive.

I’m talking long hikes in crisp late-fall… crispness, and a big pot of something warm, red and wholesome for when we’re done.  And if it happens to be vegan, well, how’s that for clean living?  Bacon jam, cinnamon-maple ice cream, cheesy fruity waffles and boozy milkshakes will still be there tomorrow.  Today is all about eating plants, leaving no trace, being one with nature, and maybe I should be a better person and not make jokes at M-Stew’s expense even though I have a feeling she’d be a good sport?  I don’t know, you guys.  Let’s eat.

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Posted in Fall, Healthy (?), Main courses, Mexican, Soup, Vegetarian, Winter

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Tom Ka Gai (Laotian Style)

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Danguole| 2 Comments

So, I don’t think I’ve ever waffled quite as much about the title of a dish for a blog post.  I have never been to Laos.  I don’t know anyone from Laos.  I don’t think I even know anyone who’s been to Laos.

All I’m basing this on is that I read somewhere, at some point, that in Lao cuisine, dill and mint are used much like cilantro is in its more famous culinary neighbor, Thai.  Needless to say, I was intrigued–I love cilantro, but I really love dill and mint.

The internet was uncharacteristically unhelpful when I began to wonder if I could attempt a Laotian take on Tom Ka Gai, a Thai chicken and coconut milk soup that happens to be a favorite of mine.  Turns out, there aren’t many resources on Lao cooking out there, and therefore, I feel like I can’t be faulted if this is wrong or inauthentic or, you know, stupid.

But in that case, I preemptively ask anyone who comes out of the woodwork to yell at me: where were you, and why aren’t you on the internet teachin’ kids how to cook good and do other stuff good too?

Hmm?  Derek wants to know.

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Posted in Main courses, Meat, Soup

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Chicken Pho (Pho Ga)

Posted on October 14, 2012 by Danguole| 5 Comments

You may not know this, but…  Sometimes, I actually do behave like a real-life 20something-year-old.  I just have to nap first.

But yes, sometimes I go out.  Sometimes this happens in cold weather.  In my book, if you can see your breath and you’re in for a long Reno night (no such thing as last call here, after all), there’s no better place to start it than the Vietnamese restaurant sandwiched between a pawn shop and a liquor store.  I mean, really–cheap, authentic, relatively quick, massively delicious food.  It’s at the top of “things I miss about Reno” lists of all Reno expats who know what’s good.

Specifically in terms of preparing you for evening revelry, you can’t go wrong with Vietnamese coffee (Red Bull is for college kids, not that there’s anything wrong with that) and a bowl of hot, steaming pho.  Filling, but not sluggifying, it warms you from within for that trek to your first watering hole of the night.

So why am I even bothering to make this at home?  I don’t know.  Because I can?

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Posted in Fall, Healthy (?), Main courses, Meat, Soup, Winter

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Vegan Tomato Bisque with Grilled Corn and Pasilla Peppers

Posted on August 21, 2012 by Danguole| 7 Comments

You might be looking at this and thinking, “Ooh, tomato soup spiked with warm, fragrant cumin and topped with charred corn and pasilla chile.  It’s vegan, too?  Sounds healthy.  I want to dig into that with a spoon and a giant quesadilla.  Fresh, toasty tortillas, covered with caramel-brown blisters and oozing with way, way more sharp pepperjack cheese than necessary, to be exact.”  

I know you…  And I thought the same thing.  We get along.

As you can see, I resisted, but I have leftovers and the week is young.  

Tomatoes are incredible right now, and good tomatoes should be everywhere.  They should be eaten like fruit, maybe with just a pinch of really great salt.  They should be exchanged as gifts and set out for houseguests in fine crystal bowls.  They miiiight have been what was in Marcellus Wallace’s briefcase in Pulp Fiction.

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Posted in Healthy (?), Main courses, Soup, Summer, Vegetarian

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