The Pioneer Woman Cooks (34 page)

8. Now you can add lots of freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine, then heat almost to a boil. Then turn off the heat.

9. Now! Here’s the nice little flavor that sets this soup apart. Add in the sherry, if desired. It’ll keep you honest—I promise!

10. And now, people. It’s time to get serious. And it’s time to examine yourselves, and I mean that figuratively, for Pete’s sake: when it comes to heavy cream, are you a man or a mouse? I need an answer now, because we’re about to add 1½ cups of the stuff into our soup.

And mmm…stir it together.

11. Now chop up a handful of flatleaf parsley.

And really, I’m not opposed to the curly parsley. And actually, blind taste tests have shown that there’s really not much difference in taste. But flatleaf is a little more texturally palatable, so if you can find it, it’s best.

“Texturally palatable.” You know, I just throw these phrases out into the atmosphere and I have no idea where they come from. Or where they’re going. Or where they’ve been.

12. Next, chop up a few leaves of fresh basil. (Well, “chiffonade” is the proper term…but that’s way too complicated a topic to inject into this simple tomato soup.)

13. Now go ahead and throw in the parsley and the basil, and stir together. Next, take a whiff of this heavenly delight. Then faint. Then pick yourself up off the ground and grab your pepper mill again.

14. I always set it to fine for this soup, and I really let ’er loose.

I love freshly ground black pepper.

15. Keep the soup warm and serve it on a cold day to people you love. The flavor will knock your socks off.

SMOKIN’ IN THE GIRLS’ ROOM

Did you know the number one cause of health problems in the bovine population is smoking?

It’s true. It’s one of the little known secrets of agriculture.

PIZZA CRUST

Makes 2 pizza crusts

I love this pizza crust and have used it for years for everything from pizza to calzone. It lends itself well to being rolled thin, and always produces a slightly crisp, slightly chewy crust. Don’t be afraid to store it in the fridge for a couple of days before using, as this delicious dough seems to get better with age!

1 teaspoon or ½ packet active dry yeast4 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon kosher salt
¹
/
₃
cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1. Pour 1½ cups warm water into a bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the water.

2. Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl.