| I am one of those people who anticipate | | | | soups were put together out of a |
| with glee the clear crisp autumn | | | | combination of financial necessity and |
| mornings. Give me gloomy gray clouds | | | | love. I know that now. |
| with a slight rainy mist moving over the | | | | Just last night I peeked in the fridge |
| blooms of spring and two things will | | | | and pawed through the cupboards pulling |
| immediately happen: the closet will | | | | out the left over ground beef, some |
| resemble an end-of-summer department | | | | broth, an assortment of canned |
| store clearance rack as the fall | | | | vegetables, and the ubiquitous jar of |
| wardrobe takes over, and the stovetop | | | | spaghetti sauce. I made my (mom's, |
| will brim with comfort food. And of all | | | | really) Minestrone Mumbo for my husband, |
| the politically incorrect comfort dishes | | | | my parents, and my daughters. It tasted |
| bursting from my flour-dusted and | | | | just like those old school days. Mom |
| grease-stained mid-1950's edition Betty | | | | smiled, "You got this out of great |
| Crocker cookbook, my favorite fall | | | | grandma's secret recipe trunk, didnt |
| cuisine would have to be soup. | | | | you?" |
| Soup (the creamier, the better!) | | | | "Sure did Mom, just like you did." |
| transports me to my grade school days, | | | | Minestrone Mumbo |
| wearing my little red jumper dress, | | | | (Serves six) |
| where upon twisting the plastic cap on | | | | 1 lb. ground beef |
| my Partridge Family thermos I am | | | | 4 potatoes (diced) |
| rewarded with a whiff of mom's | | | | 1 can of corn with liquid |
| Slumgullion soup. To this day I'd lay | | | | 1 can of green beans drainedto bag of |
| bets that the smell of that soup wafting | | | | shell noodles (any noodle will do) |
| on a stiff fall afternoon breeze brought | | | | 1 cup of fresh vegetables (zucchini is |
| my test scores up at least twenty | | | | what I prefer) |
| percent. | | | | 6 tsps, or cubes of beef bouillon |
| Once a week mom would magically create a | | | | 1 jar of red spaghetti sauce |
| soup our huge pot she jokingly called | | | | Salt and pepper to taste |
| "the cauldron." and the resulting aroma | | | | Instructions: Brown the ground beef in |
| that would seep into every corner and | | | | pan and drain out fat. Salt and pepper |
| crevice of our home wasn't of this | | | | the meat. |
| world. Like the cartoons of the day, I | | | | Boil the potatoes in water until soft. |
| could imagine my feet being lifted off | | | | Once potatoes are soft, drain out enough |
| the ground, nose sniffing the air, as I | | | | water so that the potatoes are just |
| floated toward the simmering taste of | | | | covered. |
| heaven coming from the kitchen. | | | | Adjust stove temperature to medium and |
| Mom had many names for her consomme | | | | add drained ground beef. Make sure the |
| concoctions; Italian Delight, Everything | | | | water is at a small boil and add your |
| but the Kitchen Sink, or my favorite: | | | | dry noodles. Cook until noodles are |
| Slumgullion Soup. And I loved every | | | | tender. |
| slurp, despite the outrageous names. | | | | Add can of corn with juice, can of green |
| When I grew older, and asked mom for the | | | | beans drained, any other vegetable you |
| recipes to her incredible soups, she let | | | | would like, and 6 tsps or cubes of beef |
| me in on The Big Secret: every one of | | | | bouillon, then simmer. Taste to make |
| her soups was made from leftovers. They | | | | sure there is enough beef flavor from |
| weren't exactly recipes, she stammered, | | | | the bouillon. (Sometimes it can need |
| a little embarrassed at the thought. | | | | more or less bouillon; it just depends |
| How could she not have recipes for her | | | | on the day, so make sure to taste. |
| incredible gourmet soups? | | | | At this point, pour in the jar of |
| I couldn't fathom that these bowls of | | | | spaghetti and bring the pot back up to a |
| bliss which I so closely connected with | | | | simmer. (This soup can also be made |
| my wonder years weren't going to be | | | | with chicken and chicken broth instead |
| passed down for future generations. I | | | | of beef broth, and Alfredo sauce in |
| was almost incensed until I realized | | | | place of red sauce. Its great with a |
| that while they may not have been pulled | | | | little bit of parmesan cheese and |
| from the pages of a gourmet magazine or | | | | cornbread, or French rolls. Youll |
| from hand-scrawled notes long-stored in | | | | probably even have leftovers to pour |
| great grandma's recipe trunk, these | | | | into the school Thermos, as well. |