soup club

For those of you who asked, the recipe for the stew I posted a picture of on Monday can be found right here. When Joe and I were in Italy for our honeymoon a couple years back, we were most impressed by their incredibly thick and hearty soups. Considering it was about twenty degrees colder than we were expecting it to be, and I was battling a harsh sinus infection, these stews were just what the doctor ordered. So, we altered the Food and Wine recipe a bit and cooked the stew down until the beans and cabbage had completely disintegrated. The result was extremely reminiscent of our time in Tuscany. Also, our butcher ran out of ham hocks (must have been a popular day for hocks), and we ended up using good old-fashioned thick cut bacon. Joe said he felt the dish really needed the hocks, but I'm all for improvisation in the kitchen, so I disagreed.

On that note, the rainy season has started to slowly creep up on us here in Oakland and I can't tell you how excited I am. More than anything, what I love about this weather is the food we crave when it's cold out. Now that there's a baby in the mix, I'm all for easy dishes that can be thrown together in one pot, such as soups and stews. I was scouring food blogs, pinterest, and what have you, for some inspiration but kept coming up short. That's when I came up with the idea of Soup Club.

Here's how it's going to work:

1. Whether it be in comment or email form, you send me a link to your FAVORITE soup or stew recipe. Or, if you prefer, send me a recipe that you've come across that you're dying to try out but just haven't had a chance to get to yet.

2. Every week, I will make one of the recipes, take pictures, and post it here on the blog (giving you credit, of course) to share with everyone.

Here's why it's awesome:

1. I'll get lots of new and exciting soup and stew recipes.

2. You'll get lots of new and exciting soup and stew recipes.

3. We'll all be happy.

The Rules of Soup Club:

1. Be creative! Don't get me wrong, I love a good Beef Bourguignon, but seeing recipes for Beef Bourguignon just about everywhere isn't exactly riveting. That being said, Beef Bourguignon with a twist is something I can get on board with.

2. Packaged flavorings and dry seasoning packs have never had a place in my kitchen and never will. I'd also prefer to not used anything canned. Obviously, I will make an exception for things like tomato paste and tomato products in general, which for many situations tend to work quite well. Other than that, fresh ingredients only, please.

3. I eat everything (except raisins, for they are evil), and have absolutely no dietary/food restrictions, so please feel free to send me whatever you'd like. And if you want to send something vegetarian or vegan, I welcome that too.

There you have it. Go ahead and start suggesting your chowders, bisques and tagines. I'll be making the first recipe this Sunday and will post it the following Sunday. I'll keep it going through the rest of Fall and Winter. Fun, huh?

Traditional Fish Stew of Bahia, Kitchen Corners