Colors of the Wind

It's weeks like this that make me thankful for The Husband dragged me, kicking and screaming, out of the Midwest to California. Granted, it has been raining for a number of days (3 plus inches in the past 24 hours), and it has been nippy (mornings in the 30s), but there's a fairly good chance that, by next week, it will be in the 60s, and the sun will again be shining. If I was still in the Midwest, the rain would have been snow (30+ inches just for yesterday) and the nippy weather would have been nippy enough to nip my nose right off my face. Today, I believe that our move was a good choice, but before we moved.......?

I had only been to California once. It was to visit my Grandparents right after I graduated from nursing school. It was the middle of summer. It was Southern California. It was hot and humid. But, the worst part was that you could see the air. Now, I don't know about you, but I don't like to be able to see what I breath, especially if it's brown. A little white fog now and then is fine, but brown is definitely out!

So, when The Husband (then fiancé) announced that he had taken a position in California, I had visions of brown air. It was the only thing I could think of. Well, that and the heat. Oh, and all those people.

My memories were so bad that I seriously contemplated not going. But, then I remembered that the previous winter had provided nights like the eve of Christmas Eve when the wind-chill had hit 88 degrees below zero. Suddenly, the heat didn't sound so bad. But, there was still that brown air and all those people to contend with.

Then, his friends from California (he had lived out here for a couple of years before) called me and tried to convince me that Northern California was not like Southern California. Northern California was more civilized. It wasn't as crowded, and, besides, it boasted great wines (Napa Valley), virgin redwood forests (Eureka), and national parks (Yosemite). They made Northern California sound like a playground for tourists. (What they failed to tell me was that these "wonderlands" were at least 3 hours from where I would be living, but I didn't know that until I moved here.) So, that took care of the "all those people" issue. But, what about the brown air?

Well, I eventually learned that most of the brown air is in Southern California. We have it up here sometimes (it's mostly in the summer and, unfortunately, it seems be increasing). But, we moved to the Coast. I have to contend with white foggy air, but I'll take that over brown air any day!

Besides, white foggy air and rain are perfect excuses to put on a big pot of soup. It doesn't take a lot of work. It takes hours to cook (unattended). So, it gives you plenty of free time to read or knit or watch TV and plenty of delicious smelling air to breath. When it's done, it's guaranteed to warm you from the inside out (especially the mulligatawney - a spicy east indian soup).

Mulligatawney Soup
Serves 8.

1 pound chicken -- boneless/skinless
6 cups chicken stock
2 small onions -- thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic -- minced
1/2 cup celery -- sliced
1/2 cup carrots -- sliced
1 medium apple -- cored and sliced
1/3 cup flour
5 teaspoons butter
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
salt -- to taste

Cut chicken into soup-size pieces and set aside. Mix spices together and set aside. (If you don't want to make your own curry spices, substitute 1-3 teaspoons of curry powder.) In a heavy bottomed stock pot, melt the butter. Add onions, garlic, celery, carrots, and onions. Sauté until onions are translucent. Add spices. Sauté for 5 minutes. Add flour and sauté for 5 minutes. Add broth and chicken. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes.

Serving Ideas: Add a tablespoon of yogurt or a half cup of cooked rice.

Hearty Vegetable-Beef Soup
Serves 8.

Stock:
1 pound beef shank -- with bones
1 large onion -- quartered
8 cloves garlic -- crushed
4 stalks celery -- including leaves
4 carrots -- cut into 1" pieces
1 medium beet -- quartered
1 medium turnip -- quartered
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoon tarragon
Soup:
1/2 pound beef -- cut into 1/2" pieces
3 carrots -- sliced 1/4" thick
3 stalks celery -- sliced 1/4" thick
1 small onion -- coarsely chopped
8 medium mushrooms -- sliced 1/4" thick
1 bunch spinach -- sliced 1/4" thick
1 can kidney beans -- (14 ounces)
1 cup pearled barley
salt and pepper -- to taste

Stock:
Do NOT peel vegetables. Place all ingredients into a heavy bottomed stock pot. Add 2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil and then lower to a strong simmer. Skim foam as needed. Simmer uncovered for 45 minutes. Remove meat and vegetables.

Soup:
Bring stock back to a boil. Add meat, vegetables, and barley. Return to a boil and then lower to a strong simmer. Simmer covered for 1 hour or until barley is soft. Add salt and pepper to taste.