Meatball Soup: Blueprint for Happiness

The winter cold season has arrived at my door and my poor husband has a bad case of the sniffles.  When he is not coughing, he is blowing his nose.  At times, it almost sounds like he is doing his own coughing/sneezing rendition of Happy Birthday.  All in all, the guy is in pretty bad shape.  Short of taking him out back and shooting him, the only other thing I can think of to make him feel better is to make him a pot of soup.

Whenever I feel under the weather, all I want is a nice, hot bowl of soup but not just any old soup.  I need a soup with restorative powers.  Something that is hearty and filling but simple and tasty.  If you are in the same boat, you will surely enjoy my recipe for meatball soup.

This recipe was originally give to me by my friend, Miwa.  But over the years, I have tweaked it and massaged it and now it only faintly resembles Miwa's recipe.  I used the original as a blueprint and made the recipe my own.

Meatball Soup
Meatballs:
1lb ground beef
1 c rice (or medium bulgar wheat)
1/2 medium onion, chopped fine
1 egg
3 tbsp parsley, chopped fine
salt and pepper to taste

Soup:
2 containers of 32oz beef broths
1/2 medium chopped coarsely
1 29oz crush tomato
2 carrots, sliced into coins
1 c. sliced cabbage
2 cups of frozen mixed vegetables

Mix together meatball ingredients and roll into walnut size meatballs.  Set aside.

For the soup, saute onions in a small amount of oil in a stockpot.  When onions begin to caramelize, add broth and crushed tomato.  When mixture boils, gently add meatballs into soup one at a time.  Bring soup to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Skim foamy layer from broth and discard.  Add carrots and cabbage to soup and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add frozen vegetables, stir and simmer for 10 minutes.  Season to taste and enjoy!

The leftovers after my hubby and I each had two bowls.

Note:  The meatballs in this recipe are like little pillows of goody goodness, super tender.  If you like your meatballs with more of a chewy texture, reduce the rice or bulgar to 1/2 to 3/4 cups.

Why yes, that is the Chester P. Basil Country ladle loving up on those meatballs! 

This recipe really lends itself to modification.  You can substitute the beef for turkey or pork and the veggies can be tailored to your own specifications.  In short, this recipe is just a suggestion of measurements and ingredients.  This is your baby, go nuts!

Chester P. Basil: Dare I Say The World's Most Wonderful Wooden Spoons

I won $100 in the Superbowl pool at work but more on that later...

Anyone who knows me, will agree with this statement whole heartedly:  "The girl is cheap!"  I prefer the word frugal but cheap also works.  I clip coupons and shop around for the best prices but skimp on quality?  NO SIR!!!  I will gladly shell out my hard earn money if I believe in the product, which leads me to todays blog entry.

About two weeks ago, I was doing a late night internet search for wooden toddler spoons for my son, Dadma.  I found what I was looking for but I also stumbled upon the website www.cpbasils.com and my world has not been the same since.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the website, Chester P. Basil is a company dedicated to making fine wooden kitchen utensils and woodenware.  I know what you all are thinking...What is so Earth shattering about a wooden spoon?!!!  Well, for your information, this company has wooden utensil making down to a science.  You can tell that each piece that leaves the workshop is made with love and attention to detail.  What results is a very handsome wooden utensil that is expertly crafted and feels nimble in the hand.

Finding The Perfect Spoon
I can honestly say that prior to my visiting CP Basil, I was content with my wooden spoon collection.  I figure it was natural to get splinters in your mouth the first couple of times you use a new wooden spoon or that the decrepit look they take on after gradual use was part of the lifespan of a wooden spoon.  But man, was my world turned upside down when I started to look around the website. I was like a sugar starved kid in a candy store!  I originally planned on getting maybe one or two spoons but as I scrolled from one page to the next, I realized that I had the wooden spoon fever...BAD!

In the end, I settled on the following pieces (as shown in the picture):
11" Saute Stir          $11
13" Roux Spoon      $18
13" Medium Spatula    $13
13" Country Ladle   $34
9" Small Salad Set      $19
8" Wide Spreader       $4
7" PB&J Spreader     $5
Spoon Rest                $14 (which was sent to me for research purposes)

I know what you all are thinking!  "That is over $100 worth of woodenware!  What is she, some kind of Rockefeller?!!!"  I hear what you are saying.  $100 plus is no piddly sum to be squandered but if you have a passion for cooking, take pride in your kitchen tools and appreciate true American craftsmanship, $100 plus is the least I would expect to pay for these wooden masterpieces.  I tell you no lie when I say that these tools are a joy to behold.  PLUS: I won $100 in the Superbowl pool, so you know I was destined to have these spoons!



The Delivery of My Spoons
I placed my order on February 7 at 5:30pm and received my package on February 11 at 11:30am.  My shipment came via priority mail and it was like Christmas all over again.  Each piece was carefully wrapped in white tissue paper and packed snuggly in the box to prevent breakage.  After tearing through the tissue paper with Dadma's help, I would exclaim "Holy cow, look at this thing!"  I did this a total of eight times.  After I recovered from my happiness induced delirium, I went to work on studying the craftsmanship.  Each piece was so smooth and felt so balanced in my hand.  There were no rough edges like you see with the multiple pack spoons you get from places like Target and each utensil really conformed to my grip.  The tools were not too light but not too heavy, giving it the perfect amount of control when stirring and sauteing.

Conclusion
I am a Chester P. Basil customer for life.  I absolutely adore their product and already have my eye on a couple of their other pieces.  I know that I will enjoy cooking and serving food with these tools as much as I enjoy just looking at them.  In addition to ordering from them online, you can also find their products at:

Collene's Crafts & Flowers
16 North Whiteoak Street
Kutztown, PA 19530


If you are in the New Jersey area, they will be at the following craft shows:


April 9-10 Westfield Armory
Westfield, NJ



October 15-16 Brookdale Park Art Show
Upper Montclair, NJ

P.S.- My favorite piece is the Country Ladle.  Something Little House On The Prairiesque about it.  It has a lot of brawn and character.  I have a mechanical pencil above it to showcase the Country Ladles mighty presence!

Take care and happy eating!

Garlic: The Jekyll and Hyde of the Herb World

I am aware of the bold statement being made here and honestly, I mean no disrespect. So lets pause for a moment and pay homage to this unassuming bulb.  On the outside, this little critter looks innocent enough, bundled in a modest yet elegant white paper shroud.  But peek inside and whoa mama!  Nothing but BIG flavor! 


I mean seriously, if I had to personify garlic in its raw form, it would be this loud, unapologetic, leisure suit AND gold chain wearing powerhouse.  Indulge me if you will but if any herb were to possess chest hair, it would have to be garlic!  But toss this guy in a little oil and roast it in the oven and it becomes a completely different creature.  The garlicy bite is taken down a few notches and pleasantly replaced with a delectable sweetness.  It is still a powerhouse of a herb but without the edge.  This herb is a complicated herb indeed!  


You may be wondering why I possess such unbridled enthusiasm for garlic.  Well, if garlic did not exist in my world, I would indeed be a very sad and bored foodie.  As far back as I can remember, my mother would mince up a mess load of garlic and stockpile it in the fridge.  At dinner time, my mom would toss two heaping spoonfuls of garlic into the oiled wok and the garlic would sing like a song bird.  Shortly thereafter, I knew good eats were on their way.


PLAYING FAVORITES
Which do I prefer, raw or cooked?  I love garlic both ways but if my arm were twisted and I had to yell "uncle", I would chose raw.  Raw garlic!!! No contest, give me the raw stuff.  I enjoy food in all is various stages but garlic in its unadulterated form is just pure awesomeness.  Yes, it gives you crazy wicked breath but its a small price to pay for such great flavor.  


Anywho, here is one of my favorite garlic recipes of all time.  Easy to make with simple flavors in perfect matrimony.  It was provided to me by my dear friend, Carine, who is a great cook, mother and graphic designer.


Carine's Salad Dressing
1 lemon juiced

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp dried mint

1 tsp cayenne pepper (I use half this amount because I am not tough)

1 large clove garlic, finely chopped or pressed in a garlic press

olive oil (equal parts to the lemon juice)

Put all ingredients in a jar with a lid.  Shake vigorously and toss with your favorite salad greens.  I also like to use this dressing for a salad made with boiled potatoes with raw onions slices and cilantro.  Fantastic!