Cold Weather/Soup Weather

Brrrrrrrr... it is 3° outside. I can remember my father looking at the outdoor thermometer on such days and saying, "There's NO temperature out today, kids, the thermometer says zero!" Brrrrr! I had a hard time getting out of bed this morning. I love my bed in the winter time. I have a down featherbed and a down comforter --- I sleep inside a duck --- and I sleep great too. I may have a lot of issues but sleeping isn't one of them --- I sleep like the proverbial log.

But the wonderful thing about this weather is it is superb soup weather. While I was malingering in bed this morning I paged through my copy of Brother Rick Curry, S.J.'s wonderful book The Secrets of Jesuit Soup-making. If you do not know Brother Rick and his work I recommend the soup book and also his The Secret of Jesuit Bread-making even though I don't eat bread these days.

Brother Rick was born with only one arm. His right arm ends above the elbow and he has not let it slow him down in life one bit. I am constantly amazed by people like Brother Rick who, despite a handicap that would flummox most people, become utterly remarkable. He is a Jesuit brother, has a PhD in theater arts and is the founder of the National Theater for the Handicapped and the author of those two excellent cookbooks. His cookbooks are more than just a collection of recipes though, they are filled with delightful stories about growing up in an active family, his beginnings as a brother, life in the monastery, working with the handicapped, and always and everywhere his thoughts on mindful living. He is a worthy representative of Ignatian spirituality and believes in finding God in every moment and in service to others.

So I was perusing his soup recipes trying to decide which one I want to try next. Actually, saying that is a bit of a cheat because I rarely follow recipes as they are written --- just like I never follow knitting instructions and sewing patterns. But I get good ideas from his ideas. However my lastest "creation" was so good I may try to duplicate it. It helps if you have a good Italian deli nearby so you can get some excellent Italian sausage and a good sized chunk of hard Romano cheese. This is my recipe:

Italian Sausage Soup
Saute in some olive oil: 4 red peppers cleaned and cut in bite-sized pieces, 2 sweet onions, cleaned and cut in wedges, 2 cloves of elephant garlic sliced paper-thin. Add 12oz. sliced Baby Bella mushrooms. When just tender set aside. Cut into bite sized pieces 2 lbs. of good Italian sausage (I love Bianchi Brothers sausage made in Revere, MA and sold at Farmer John's on Railroad Ave. here in Gloucester.) Saute and drain. Add the vegetables and a large can of crushed tomatoes in puree. Add half a can of water, a handful of chopped basil, a tablespoon of oregano. Cover and let simmer for half an hour. Add 3-4 ounces of the Romano cheese coarsely grated and a tablespoon of garlic cut in chunks. Simmer another 15 minutes.

This is an excellent soup made with sausage but it can also be made with browned ground turkey and recently I made it using clams instead of the sausage. I love the taste of red peppers and tomatoes cooked together.

So that is on my menu for today. I hope you are warm wherever you are and have something good to eat and that your day is filled with quiet, pleasant work, and tenderness.

Thanks for reading.