Sunday, January 9, 2011

Hi Five! My Soup Gets a Ten!


I'm lingering in some fun from 2010 ~ Just before Christmas I was informed that my poem "He won't eat my soup" would be published by Chicago Poetry! I was excited to receive my copies of Chicago Poetry's Cram Volume Ten, which consists of
"The Best Of  10"... poems written in 2010~ 
I was honored that my silly humor had been recognized once again.


Back in the summer, I won first prize for Highland Park's funniest poetry contest for my poem   Cheaters (subject: reading glasses)!

Then Cram 9 published me for  What my momma said (derived from my mom's wise words, "pretty is as pretty does")!


I'm having fun with these little recognitions and feel blessed to be able to share them here!  So, in honor of Cram Ten and my husband, who continues to inspire me :).....I will re-post my poem and my recipe for the soup which (despite my husband's critique) received praise from foodies as well as poets!



photo courtesy of The Fresh Market
He...My Husband...will - not - eat - my - soup!  Unfortunately, this is true...he won't eat this one!  "Winter Squash Soup with Chipotle Peppers and Cream"! 

I don't know if he has an aversion to squash necessarily, because he will eat my spaghetti squash (as long as I smother it in marinara, or better yet, meat sauce).  He just took one look at this beautiful pot of soup and scrunched up his cute nose, shook his head, and veered in the opposite direction. 


Well, I loved it....and since I had an entire pot to myself, I also figured out another way to use it.  The first night, I had a second helping, but the second night I decided to make a pasta sauce out of the remainder by adding Parmesan and a splash of white wine, just a touch more garlic...and voila!  Another winning dinner for me! 

You might ask....what did your poor husband eat?  Well, let's just say the deli turkey and the extra sourdough  bread  I bought came in handy for a couple of days! 

Actually...here's the disclaimer!  I'm very fortunate to have a husband that will eat "practically" everything I put before him.  He usually praises my cooking.  I used to think he only complimented it to trick me into thinking I was a good cook; therefore wanting to spend even more time in the kitchen.  Since it's just the two of us, and most cooks are their own worst critics, I guess the verdict is still out on that one! :) 

I found this beautiful soup recipe in "The Fresh Market Grocery" magazine. They often have unique recipes and the photo grabbed me!  I changed it up just a bit and made it my own.  Here is their original recipe and I will highlight the little changes I made: 

But first...some of you know me well enough by now...  :-)

He won’t eat my soup!

Husband hates squash
Won’t eat my soup,
Says it looks like slimy goop -
His tastes are unrefined...
Diet pop and chips for him,
I like cheese and wine!

I want to try to teach him
Everything I know...
Chance of this is really slim,
I learned long ago -

Old dog won’t learn new tricks,
Still hanging onto youth,
Teen-age snacks are his kicks,
He will not eat my soup!

Like a gas tank running on empty,
He’s running on fumes…
His habits are too hard to break…
All the junk he consumes!

He’ll break open the tums before he hits the sheets,
Tossing and turning...esophagus burning...
From his tasty evening treats!

I guess I'll pick my battles,
This seems to be a loss,
I'll bite my lip when he eats that dip,
'Cuz it’s clear I’m not his boss!                                                        

I think that if I show him,
By example he might see
That healthy eats are not so bad,
They seem to work for me!

But even though I try…
I’m still thrown for a loop…
He shakes his head and walks away…
He will not eat my soup!

~ written by Lorraine Brown ( © 2010) ~

 Winter Squash Soup with Chipotle Peppers and Cream


1 medium butternut squash                                                      
1 medium acorn squash
4 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
2 ribs of celery, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, fresh, minced (I'm a garlic-aholic, so I used 4 cloves)
6 cups vegetable Broth (I substituted chicken broth - just my preference)
3/4 tsp. chipotle seasoning or cayenne pepper/ red pepper flakes (I used cayenne because that's what I had)
8 oz. whipping cream (I substituted half n half - just a little lighter)
Salt and pepper to taste

Toppings:

Small tub of sour cream (about 4 oz.)
3 TBSP. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 small jar/can chipotle peppers in adobo

Steps:
Preheat oven to 400. Cut butternut and acorn squash in half lengthwise.


Use 2 TBSP of olive oil to coat insides of squash.

Lay face down on baking sheet (not you...the squash!)

and bake (the squash) in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes
or until tender.



Use remaining olive oil to saute carrots, celery and onion in a medium sized stock pot until tender. Add garlic, salt and pepper and chipotle seasoning, sauté an additional
2-3 minutes.


Remove squash from oven and let cool. (The squash can be cooked and cooled overnight or well in advance of the soup preparation.)


Scoop meat from squash and add to pot with vegetables.


Add broth & bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. When vegetables are very
tender...
use an
 immersion blender
 or
food processor to puree the soup.

  
Add whipping cream (or half n half) to the pureed soup, stir to blend and return to heat until ready to serve.

Place the toppings in small serving bowls on the table and allow guests to garnish their soup.



these little cabbage bowls were my mom's and I love having them!


****To make the beautiful pumpkin soup bowls as in the fresh market photo...carefully cut off the top, use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and strings, and use a paring knife to scoop out the flesh all around. Pan sear the edges for a rustic look. Be sure to reserve the pumpkin meat for a homemade pie! ****

 I served it with fresh, warm sourdough bread (thankfully by husband did leave some for me)!

I'll definitely make it again....oh, and the pasta sauce I made the next day was also a comforting dish!

For the Parmesan butternut pasta sauce:   Simply add a splash of white wine to the soup and simmer over medium heat; add grated Parmesan cheese and stir until bubbly and thickened!  Ladle over your favorite pasta, sprinkle with fresh, shaved Parmesan and serve!  I love this with campanelle (the cone shape of the pasta traps the sauce and pine nuts inside)!  














14 comments:

Janettessage.blogspot.com said...

How fun..congratulations to you!!! That has to be so exciting to be published!!! Go girl!!!
Enjoy! You pictures of that soup make me want to try it. What a talent!!!

Cookin' Up Dreams said...

Oh my goodness i love that poem! It reminds me of me and my husband ha! Great job and congrats!

Unknown said...

I loved this post the first time I read it and I love it still; both the poem and the recipe. Though my husband is like yours about squash soups. He just won't go there.

Even more important, congratulations on being published. That's outstanding.

mangiabella said...

i am so so so very proud of you bella - of this accomplishment, and to be walking by your side....

Joy McMillan said...

Holy Canoli...my heart is a flutter just looking at that roasted butternut! In love! And your poetry is, indeed, delightfully fantastic! A woman after my own heart!
And thank you for your kind words...you bless me!!

Monet said...

Oh you are just delightful. My best friend is a poet, and as a fiction writer...I love being exposed to more poetry. Congratulations on being published! How exciting (and well deserved). This soup sounds just amazing, and I wish I had a bowl right now. I hope you are having a happy Monday. Your words on my blog are so appreciated!

Susi said...

Although I apparently have no clue what squash is (when I see the picture I realize it isn't what I thought it was), the soup seems yummy! I should make soup more often.

Kim Turnage said...

"Tossing and turning....esophagus burning"

Love it!

And love your soup turned pasta sauce recipe. Can't wait to try it!

Unknown said...

I just finished reading both your poems... Love them! Especially the Cheaters one which had me laughing. You defiitely got talent there. Even your post had me rolling.

Thanks for stopping by my blog the other day and leaving such a sweet comment.

Anne @ http://lessonsthrulife.com

Toyin O. said...

I remember this post,it was fun reading then and even more fun the second time around. It is so exicting to be recoginized for your amazing talent; so proud of you!!!!! Have a good week. xoxo.

Annie's Dish said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog! I don't care what your husband thinks, I think your soup looks delicious and would definitely eat it! Congratulations on being published!

~ s ~ said...

i love that poem! and you had me at cream/chipotle/squash...yum! i am SO making this soup. oh and my husband will eat it. he will eat it and he will like it....*insert evil laugh here*

xo

Sierra said...

that soup looks amazing and look at all of your hard work!! congrats!

Unknown said...

Hey Lorraine.. thanks for stopping by and for the sweet comment.. I will take your kind words of not looking like a grandma everyday..lol..
Tina Turner said it so well last year..she was on a talk show and they said how good she looked for 60, and she said thank God,, 50's and 60's dont look like they use too.. woman these days take better care of ourselves and we dress a little more modern than they used too..
So I dont want to be 18 again,,but I refuse to let the "old ladie" move in yet..lol..

I am enjoying to getting to know you, and visiting with each other.. God bless you my friend.. have a wonderful week.. talk to ya again soon

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