22 Feb 2010

R: My roommate told me a building near our neighborhood had "blown up," and I wasn't sure what to make of that. Wouldn't it be reported on the evening news? Or in the Times? I was imaging an entire building just exploding in the middle of the day. But when I asked her if anybody was hurt she said no and modified her story to say the building had caught on fire...but a serious fire. When I asked if the building burnt down to the ground she said she didn't think so. What a tease.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure I found it.

C: Soup for the soul. In an effort to cut our grocery budget and whittle waistlines (at least in M's case), we have added soup to our regular weekly menu. We both love soup, and multiple visits to various phở restaurants recently have reminded us of our fondness for the winter-warming entrée. A $7 whole chicken ($4.50 with Shaw's Rewards Card) last Tuesday lasted through Saturday after several meals: the first, roasted chicken with rice and green beans; four or five bowls of soup using leftover chicken meat and a combination of noodles or rice with assorted vegetables; and barbeque'd pulled chicken on corn tortillas on Saturday.

This week we are trying a chicken and beef broth base with pork or beef meatballs and still exploring the varieties of pastas and grains. Here is the broth with ginger/mirin-pork meatballs, julienned sweet onions and green tea cha soba noodles. One thing I definitely will miss about living in the Northeast is the additional comfort from hearty and hot foods on the most blisteringly cold days. We probably can look forward to a borscht or gazpacho, but I cannot imagine those are as gratifying as a hot consommé, minestrone or chowder.