Alphabet Soup

I’ve never actually made Alphabet Soup but it sounded more writerly. And no canned soup for me. I am all about the good homemade stuff. Hearty. The real deal. Soup snobbery. Bring on the crusty bread!

I’ve always loved to bake but sometimes cooking felt like an unavoidable task. Trying to please three children did not exactly inspire creativity. Now that they're adults, I really enjoy cooking. Especially during soup season--a kettle of soup on Sunday and great leftovers for a few more nights. Learning how to make good soup was actually on my list of life goals. Ahh, the research involved. Eat, savor, analyze. Back to the kitchen for trial and error. What worked? What combination of meats, beans, vegetables, herbs will combine for a tasty result?

I watched cooking shows and nosed through cookbooks until I got it. Now I can make a fairly good soup without a recipe. I know what goes together and what additions will enhance their flavors. Don't you agree that with success, a task loses its drugery. When you see other people enjoy it, all the better!

So how do I make soup? I get an idea, take inventory of what I have on hand and what I may need to get. What genre, I mean what kind of soup will it be? Creamy? Stock based? What region or ethnicity? Light or hearty? An old standard like vegetable beef or something contemporary like cream of roasted cauliflower with a delicate hint of nutmeg?

And then I give it a name.

This is so similar to writing, it’s scaring me. I was hoping this soup subject would be a metaphor for life, not writing. But maybe it is. We learn by experience, good and bad, and find enjoyment in the everyday tasks. With determination, we can move forward knowing we’ve prepared for success.

Writers learn to know what works. We see our setting, we know our characters, and with experience, we pull together a concoction of plot and conflict and energy until we think Mmm Mmm Good and want to share it with others.

Here’s a few of my suggestions: Learn the value of bay leaves. Cook your pasta or noodles separately (in broth helps too) and don’t combine them with the soup until ready to serve (I keep them separate--al dente--right up until they meet in the bowl. Especially true if you’ve planned for leftovers. I really don’t like soggy super-sized noodles the next day). Sauté your vegetables, meats and spices in a pan before you add the stock.

As I write this, I’m boiling up black-eyed peas and thawing kielbasa. In a book this would be an ‘opposites attract’ scenario. To add suspense to the plot I’m adding a little herbs de Provence. I’ll let you know if there’s a happily ever after.

Please leave a foodie comment. Do you have a soup success story or will you share your worst experiment, soup or other kitchen fiascos? Remember to leave your email address safely (put parentheses and spaces or the word AT in your email) so we can include you in our drawings. Today’s giveaway is Barbour Publishing’s 199 Promises of God and, cue the trumpet fanfare, the Inktropolis Cookbook. Can these writing chicks cook? Who knows? And your name will go into the big hat for our Grand Opening drawing at the end of October.