I grew up on a grape farm, an idyllic place with orchards and vineyards, green woods to play in, and a fishing pond ringed with wild roses. We lived on the farm with my grandmother until I was five, while my parents saved up to build their own house down the road. My grandmother used to make this soup – it was her variation on potato soup, which was a frequent meal for her family during the Depression. Despite its […]
This is a decadent autumn soup very similar to one we used to serve at the White House. It was so good that people would scrape their bowls to finish it. I like soups for a first course in the fall and winter, in small cream-colored soup bowls. The smaller, handled bowls hold just enough to whet the appetite for the rest of the meal, and it’s a simple and comforting beginning. It would make a great starter for a […]
I’m a lazy cook. I like recipes with fewer ingredients that aren’t too complicated, especially foods that are adaptable for different kinds of meals. This mushroom soup can be an elegant starter (wonderful for a Thanksgiving dinner if you’re already thinking about the holidays) or a substantial entree with the addition of wild rice. You might see this on a menu and think, ‘Mushroom soup – meh.’ But it’s rich and nourishing, and with the addition of caraway rye crackers […]
ASPARAGUS AND NEW POTATO SOUP When I hear the words “potato soup,” I think of something heavy, white, and not very appealing. This is potato soup for the way we eat now – light, bright, and full of the flavors of the season. It’s more like a broth with vegetables than a soup, and would make an elegant first course at a special dinner, or a lunch treat with a crusty multigrain roll and a green salad. It reminds me […]
Some of my best White House food memories are about soup. It made the perfect first course at so many meals, especially in the fall and winter, served in delicate two-handled soup bowls of White House china. It wasn’t meant to fill guests up; it was just enough of a delicious mélange of flavors to whet the appetite and let guests know that they were in for a genuine gastronomic experience. When the Bush’s hosted dinners in their family dining […]
