Soup Weather
Posted By MissMeliss on December 2, 2008
I’ve been known to describe these cool days and cold nights (well Texas cold - in the 30’s and 40’s mostly) as “sweater weather,” because for most of the day, a sweater is warm enough for jaunts outside. This week, however, the term “soup weather” is far more accurate.
I should confess, at this point, that my favorite part of Thanksgiving is the turkey soup I get to make afterward. Oh, I love stuffing, and prefer that over the actual meat for the most part, but there’s something so homey about a really savory homemade soup and good bread with which to sop up the broth after all the meat and vegetables have been devoured.
Yesterday, I finally got around to making our turkey soup, though the meat had been wrapped and in the fridge since Friday afternoon. We ate soup for dinner last night, with artisan bread from the new and improved Tom Thumb, picked up by Fuzzy on his way home, after a discussion of what comprised “good bread.”
“You know me,” he said. “To me, good bread is white and the crust has been cut off.”
Because I’m part of the Positivity Experiment this week, I refrained from my usual scathing-but-affectionate remarks about the level of sophistication his palate may or may not have, and said, pushing a smile into my voice, “I know this, but we need something heartier to go with soup, so go to the bakery in the front of the store, where the wood-fired ovens are, and pick something that looks interesting.”
My husband picked a crusty, buttery peasant bread that was the closest thing to white bread they likely had, short of brioche. (It made me wistful for the dill sandwich bread that my parents were fond of when we all lived in San Jose. I’ll have to explore around here - I think it was a brand Whole Foods sold.) It was actually perfect with the soup, and rounded out the meal nicely.
Today, knowing that he’s not fond of leftovers on a good day, and planning on a repeat performance (now with rice!) for supper tonight, I made lunch for both of us (he’ll be working from home more and more from now til his office officially closes in March - NO his job is not in jeopardy, but we might have to relo to FL in 2010), and even though it’s disgustingly unhealthy, I know he’s stressed over a few projects, and I wanted him to have something warm and comforting for lunch, so I made mac-n-cheese, with tuna in it (we both like tuna, and it’s albacore, not the cheap stuff).
Who knew melted cheese and boiled pasta could make a person grin?
Who knew soup weather didn’t have to mean ONLY soup?
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ruining perfectly good mac & cheese by adding tuna…so sad. ;-)