Soup Night (23 page)

The classic fable about stone soup is really a story about cooperation, and the virtue of sharing in times of adversity. It has taken different forms in different parts of the world and different times, but the essential story is this: A stranger, or a group of strangers (sometimes soldiers, sometimes gypsies, sometimes a traveling monk, sometimes a hobo) arrive in a village and beg for food. The villagers, themselves destitute, protest that they have none to share. And then, slowly, people realize that they do, in fact, have a little something extra: a few carrots, a potato or two, a scrap of meat not big enough to serve any other purpose. All these offerings are added to a big soup kettle filled with water, and soon they have created a huge cauldron of delicious, nourishing soup, enough for all.

Several years ago, friends of mine here in Portland found themselves in a jam, and found their solution in a modern-day version of Stone Soup.

Their neighborhood is at a slightly higher elevation than the rest of the city, and filled with steep, narrow, twisty streets. Because of the elevation, they are especially hard hit in times of icy weather, which we always seem to get in early January. The steep streets, when covered with ice, are next to impossible to navigate. Back in 1979, a particularly ferocious ice storm shut the whole city down. It was especially hard on this hilly neighborhood. Overnight, the streets were thickly coated with black ice, making travel extremely hazardous. Then things got worse.

“All the power went out and stayed out for days,” my dear friend Mary Ella Kuster remembers. “I did not have so much as a working flashlight. Two other neighbors had elderly mothers visiting (probably staying on as part of Christmas visits). Food in our refrigerators started going bad, so we combined what we had, used one guy’s camping stove, and actually produced quite a nice supper. Somehow we got soup down the street to another neighbor’s house, and I remember them being especially grateful, as her mother was ill and the warm food was needed.

“To me, it was an example of real (by that I mean authentic) ‘community’ —people coming together to help out, share, take care of each other. We all remember, with great fondness, the night we made what we have come to call Ice Storm Stone Soup.”

I hope you never have to struggle through a power outage, but in case you do — or even if you don’t — the recipe is included here (on the facing page) to honor this event that brought this close neighborhood even closer.

Makes 64 crisps

This is just about as easy as opening a bag of commercial pita crisps — and about a thousand times better tasting.

• 8 pita breads, 6- or 8-inch
  
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted
  

1. 1.
   Preheat the oven to 350°F.
   
2. 2.
   Cut each pita into wedges about 2 inches wide at the bottom end, as if cutting a pie. Depending on the original uncut size of your pitas, you will make quarters or sixths or eighths. (The suggested quantity is based on cutting a pita into fourths.) Kitchen scissors work well here.
   
3. 3.
   Gently separate each wedge into a top and a bottom. If you want your finished crisps to be perfect, keep the tops separate from the bottoms, since one is usually much thinner than the other and therefore will brown more quickly. If baked all together, some will be almost burnt while others not fully done.
   
4. 4.
   Place the pita pieces, inner side up, on a baking sheet, trying not to overlap, and brush the top sides with melted butter. Toast until the wedges are brown and crisp, about 10 minutes.
   

Variation:
Before baking, sprinkle the buttered pita pieces with salt and/or your favorite herb (crumbled to dust) or ground spice.

Make ahead?
Yes, rewarm at 350°F for a few minutes. Watch that they don’t burn.

For large crowds:
I suggest you make a lot; I’ve known people to put away a dozen each without even trying hard.

Recipe from
Albertina’s Restaurant
, Portland, Oregon

Makes 20–24 medium biscuits

Easy and delicious. Don’t skip the flour-sifting step; it helps keep the biscuits light.

• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
  
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  teaspoon salt
  
• 4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into bits
  
• 12 ounces cheddar cheese, grated (3 cups)
  
• 1 cup milk
  

1. 1.
   Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a baking sheet.
   
2. 2.
   Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Rub the butter into the flour mixture, then add the cheese (or use a food processor). Stir in the milk to form a soft, sticky dough.
   
3. 3.
   Drop the biscuit dough by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet.
   
4. 4.
   Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the biscuits are pale golden brown. Serve hot or warm.
   

Make ahead?
If you really need to, you could make the batter ahead and store it in the refrigerator, but wait until dinnertime to do the baking, so that everyone enjoys the wonderful smells.

For large crowds:
This recipe is infinitely expandable.

Makes 1 loaf

Whole-wheat buttermilk goodness without the kneading; the nuts add extra protein and an extra depth to the flavor.

• 2
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₄
  cups whole-wheat flour
  
• 2
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  teaspoons baking powder
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  
• ³
  ⁄
  ₄
  teaspoon salt
  
• ³
  ⁄
  ₄
  cup brown sugar
  
• 1 cup ground nuts (your choice)
  
• 1
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  cups buttermilk
  

1. 1.
   Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8- by 4- by 4-inch loaf pan.
   
2. 2.
   Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and nuts in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the buttermilk, mixing well.
   
3. 3.
   Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour, or until the top and sides of the loaf are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center tests clean. Cool on a baking rack before serving.
   

Makes 9 (1-inch) squares

Cornbread is the classic accompaniment to chili, but it also pairs gloriously with many hearty wintertime soups and stews. Actually, it tastes wonderful with just about anything.

• 1 cup cornmeal
  
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₃
  cup sugar
  
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 egg
  
• 1 cup milk or buttermilk
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₃
  cup vegetable oil
  

1. 1.
   Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a 9-inch-square baking pan.
   
2. 2.
   Combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
   
3. 3.
   In a small bowl, beat the egg well, add the milk and oil, then combine with the dry mixture.
   
4. 4.
   Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the top has formed a golden crust and a toothpick inserted in the center tests clean. Serve the cornbread hot, if at all possible.
   

Variations:
There are lots of ways to personalize your cornbread: Substitute sour cream for half of the milk. Add 1 can cream-style corn (reduce the milk to
¹
⁄
₂
cup). Fold grated cheese into the batter or sprinkle on top. Roast garlic cloves, finely chop, and add to the batter. Add a small can of diced green chiles (drain first). And by the way, if you’re short on time, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with using cornbread mix, especially if you gussy it up with corn, chiles, or cheese.

Recipe from
Albertina’s Restaurant
, Portland, Oregon

Serves 10–12

This is a classic salad that can be served with almost any soup.

• 2
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  tablespoons white wine vinegar
  
• 1
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  teaspoons lemon juice
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  teaspoon dry mustard powder
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  teaspoon paprika
  
• 2
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  tablespoons honey
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₃
  cup sugar
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  teaspoon celery salt
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  teaspoon grated onion
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  cup salad oil
  

• ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  cup slivered almonds
  
• 1 head iceberg lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
  
• 1 head leaf lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
  
• 1 cup canned mandarin oranges, drained
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  red onion, sliced and separated into rings
  

1. 1.
   Preheat the oven to 350°F.
   
2. 2.
   Make the dressing: Combine the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, paprika, honey, sugar, celery salt, and grated onion in a saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the oil, and let the mixture cool. Before serving, whisk or blend the dressing thoroughly.
   
3. 3.
   Toast the almonds: Spread the almonds in a thin layer on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for about 3 minutes or until golden brown. Stir occasionally so they toast evenly; and watch carefully, for they can burn quickly. Or do the same on top of the stove in an ungreased frying pan, preferably cast iron.
   
4. 4.
   Layer the iceberg lettuce, leaf lettuce, oranges, and onion in a salad bowl, toss with the dressing, then sprinkle with toasted almonds.
   

Serves 8

Patty and Bruce Wood, of Ocean Park, Washington, owned a small café that featured picnic-ready sandwiches, soups, and salads. This was one of their creations, popular with both vacationers and locals.

• 1 pound vermicelli or Asian noodles
  
• 4–6 scallions, chopped
  
• 3 celery stalks, sliced on the diagonal
  
• 3 cups sweet bell peppers, thinly sliced — red, orange, green, or any combination
  
• 1
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  cups water chestnuts, sliced thinly
  

• ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  cup peanut oil
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₃
  cup sesame oil
  
• ²
  ⁄
  ₃
  cup orange juice
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₄
  cup soy sauce or tamari
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₄
  cup rice wine vinegar
  
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  
• ³
  ⁄
  ₄
  teaspoon red pepper flakes
  
• 1–2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
  

1. 1.
   Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
   
2. 2.
   Make the sauce: Combine the peanut oil, sesame oil, orange juice, tamari, vinegar, garlic, red pepper, and ginger in a small bowl.
   
3. 3.
   Combine the scallions, celery, peppers, and water chestnuts with the chilled noodles. Add the sauce to the noodles, mixing well. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
   
4. 4.
   Before serving, let the salad warm up to room temperature.
   

Variations:
Other salad options include snow peas, snap peas, fresh bean sprouts, and pineapple chunks. Two classic Asian touches: chopped cilantro and chopped peanuts, added at the last minute.

This same salad, made with rice instead of noodles, is also delicious. Use all brown rice, or a mixture of brown and white rice. Toss with the sauce while the rice is still warm, and then refrigerate. At serving time, fold in the vegetables and a little more sauce, if needed.