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Best Fall Soups


morela

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This time a couple from Harrisburg, PA begged me to take my hair down

For those of you who don't know you by anything other than your marvelous posts, describe a bit if you don't mind.

I like my hair out of my face.

I like to eat soup with my hair back. To be honest, I'm one of those ppl who has to be asked a lot to wear hair down. The hubby was so persistent that, the snowbunny wife had to chide him...and defend my position. :unsure:

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Moving on...

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“Eggs are a good investment now and then, expensive or not, and unless you are told otherwise by your doctor, or hate them in any form, they should be eaten in place of meat occasionally. The old fashioned idea that they are “invalid food,” something light and inconsequential, is fairly well proved foolish by the fact that two eggs are fully as nutritious as a juicy beefsteak...and ten times as hard to digest unless they are cooked with great wisdom.”

-M.F.K. Fisher, “The Art of Eating”

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John Wabeck cooks with great wisdom.

Right now he has two soups that hi-light the egg, and if you eat them both, it’s like giving your soul a juicy beefsteak.

Wabeck’s creamy turnip soup with bacon-n-egg crust is the newest and was just one of several reasons for my jaunt to Firefly Thursday night.

To have gone home after work, comforted by some carried-home soup, bad television, a goose down throw, would have been a dreadful mistake...

but for some reason the thought crossed my mind.

I ignored it, though, and put on my souper hat and gloves, polished my silver spoon... and made my way to Firefly.

I arrived, and the place was warm, buzzing and glowing with life... and waiting at the bar for me, my friend, Soupernatural. Oh yes, good company, good times.

Creamy Turnip Soup with Bacon-n-Egg Crust

The soup comes to me in a nice big bowl, sans fancy pours or shaves of imported delicacy; no vague or rehearsed descriptions. It's just a hot bowl of soup, free of disguise.

The soup’s color, a creamy rose, and in the amber barlight it has a lavender hue. On top, defying gravity, a float of minced bacon and egg in a somehow delicate lace of buttered bread crumbs.

The eggs (whites and yellows) and bacon are made tender and are naturally vibrant in color; in the soup they have a soft-boiled consistency, nicely balanced by the light crispness from the crumb.

I had imagined something different; an encrust that might compare to the cheese atop your French onion soup...or maybe some metamorphosis of a pot pie.

No, this float of bacon and egg is unique. I haven't seen this one before.

The old pair, eggs and bacon, play a role that foie gras might or rabbit sausage, maybe a flash fried oyster. Flavor and depth, comfort; a treasure at the end of the rainbow to enjoy throughout.

My spoon goes in, and I have to stop and think. It’s steamy, the creamy turnip is smooth and rich... and beautifully holds the wonders of bacon.

“Mmmmm, this is delicious.”

I spoon right into that float; the realness of homemade bacon and eggs, that creamy base, subtle sweetness in the turnip, a taste of chive. Heaven right there. It’s a feeling from childhood, a comfort zone. A pre-obligation, pre-worload kind of bliss.

This soup goes on tier one.

It satisfies on levels that one could never guess, and it might even be a meal.

John Wabeck cooks with great wisdom.

( Firefly thread to be updated soon. Get chicken!)

~Souperstar

PS: Maybe I'll edit later in the wee hours.

Edited by morela (log)

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morela scripsit: "My spoon goes in, and I have to stop and think. It’s steamy, the creamy turnip is smooth and rich... and beautifully holds the wonders of bacon.

“Mmmmm, this is delicious.”

I spoon right into that float; the realness of homemade bacon and eggs, that creamy base, subtle sweetness in the turnip, a taste of chive. Heaven right there. It’s a feeling from childhood, a comfort zone. A pre-obligation, pre-worload kind of bliss."

By the shore of Creamy Turnip,

By the shining Steaming Cauldron

Stood the Wigwam of morela,

Daughter of the Soup, morela

Her soup canoe she paddles

With her silver soup companion.......

(Apologies to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)

Mark

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morela scripsit: "My spoon goes in, and I have to stop and think. It’s steamy, the creamy turnip is smooth and rich... and beautifully holds the wonders of bacon.

“Mmmmm, this is delicious.”

I spoon right into that float; the realness of homemade bacon and eggs, that creamy base, subtle sweetness in the turnip, a taste of chive. Heaven right there. It’s a feeling from childhood, a comfort zone. A pre-obligation, pre-worload kind of bliss."

By the shore of Creamy Turnip,

By the shining Steaming Cauldron

Stood the Wigwam of morela,

Daughter of the Soup, morela

Her soup canoe she paddles

With her silver soup companion.......

(Apologies to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)

By the shore of Creamy Turnip,

By the shining Steaming Cauldron

Stood the Wigwam of morela,

Daughter of the Soup, morela

Her soup canoe she paddles

With her silver soup companion.......

I'm touched! Drunken editing might happen. Too damn long....

...

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I love soup. I have a big pot of French Onion going right now--not one of my favorites, but it's for my dad's girlfriend, she loves it.

I do a soup that's basically a puree of apple and parsnip, dressed up with heavy whipped cream and a touch of Calvados (in the cream). I throw it under the salamander to brown the cream just a bit before serving.

I think soup is one of the most satisfying things to cook. Especially in January.

Noise is music. All else is food.

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  • 9 months later...

How about Belga Cafe's witloofsoep. Belgian endive and cream of curry soup. I've not had their version yet, but from time spent in the low countries I can testify the dish itself is a great winter warmer. (Kudos to Bart "Dreamy" Vandaele for doing his menu in his own language. How much am I looking forward to listening to y'all trying to order up a light lunch of garnaalkroketten and knoflookwafeltjies. :biggrin:)

"Mine goes off like a rocket." -- Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, Feb. 16.

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Go and get some of the roasted squash soup at Firefly, it is autumn in a bowl. The soup is topped with some pickled onions and a drizzle of pumpkin pie spice oil.

Wearing jeans to the best restaurants in town.
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Go and get some of the roasted squash soup at Firefly, it is autumn in a bowl.  The soup is topped with some pickled onions and a drizzle of pumpkin pie spice oil.

Had it last night. It's actually not "topped" with pickled onions, so much as it is "bottomed" with pickled onions. :smile:

I talked about this soup with John, and he said he's purposely toning down the flavor of the roasted squash to elevate the zing of the pumpkin-pie-spice oil, the pickled onions providing the supporting acidity.

Cheers,

Rocks.

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  • 2 weeks later...
It's cold, I'm [still] sick...I need soup.  Ceiba's black bean soup sounds appealing.

[see dinner menu]

What others should I consider?  I'm looking for something hearty, with meat.  Ray's new stew sounds great, but I would like to stay within the District.

How aobut the squash soup from Firefly?

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It's cold, I'm [still] sick...I need soup.  Ceiba's black bean soup sounds appealing.

[see dinner menu]

What others should I consider?  I'm looking for something hearty, with meat.  Ray's new stew sounds great, but I would like to stay within the District.

How aobut the squash soup from Firefly?

Thanks, but I want MEAT. Think stew, or beef barley, or split pea with ham or...

Nothing too smooth. Nothing with only veggies.

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Had chickpea-bacon and pasta soup at Da Grill and it really hit the spot. For the cold day and if you're recovering from cold, especially. For three bucks, Cosi and their ilk can kiss my biscuits as I will take Galileo any time.

Resident Twizzlebum

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Had chickpea-bacon and pasta soup at Da Grill and it really hit the spot. For the cold day and if you're recovering from cold, especially.  For three bucks, Cosi and their ilk can kiss my biscuits as I will take Galileo any time.

That sounds GOOD. My lunches are spent at my desk, unfortunately, so I've never made it to the grill.

:sad:

I specified DC because I live/work here and take Metro to and from work. With the way I feel presently (energy = sapped), I'm hoping for something I can get to/from with relative ease. Thanks for the suggestions nonetheless.

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Had chickpea-bacon and pasta soup at Da Grill and it really hit the spot. For the cold day and if you're recovering from cold, especially.  For three bucks, Cosi and their ilk can kiss my biscuits as I will take Galileo any time.

That sounds GOOD. My lunches are spent at my desk, unfortunately, so I've never made it to the grill.

:sad:

I specified DC because I live/work here and take Metro to and from work. With the way I feel presently (energy = sapped), I'm hoping for something I can get to/from with relative ease. Thanks for the suggestions nonetheless.

Well, the grill is on again tomorrow if you're in the area. I've never had the soups there, but they always look good.

Matt Robinson

Prep for dinner service, prep for life! A Blog

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