Soup for the Soul

Maybe I'm jumping the gun a bit folks (note Halloweeny pic above), but a good storm (from a very bad hurricane) helped me to remember that the HELL that is summer might just be almost over.  I realize not all concur and would prefer hot sand to snow but not me!   Whether you love heat or cold, you can still love soup.   Lula's Catering offers chilled soups throughout spring and summer to keep my (and your) soul satisfied.  Soup, like all food, can elicit memories...

My first soup was my grandmother's vegetable - nothing more pure on this planet exists.  Summer's bounty + a ham hock and my grandmother's love is unparalleled.  A base of water and tomatoes (and again, my grandmother's love) turned the basics from the earth into soul satisfying, mouth watering deliciousness.  My mother made this soup too, but it was a mere shadow of my grandmother's - she didn't even like to EAT much less cook.

The other soup I remember from early childhood was Campbell's Onion Soup - bought and served when I was sick.  Ours was not a Chicken Noodle or Chicken and Dumplin' household - it was really just Vegetable, or Chili when homemade, and Onion when sick.  I barely mention the Oyster Stew served EVERY. CHRISTMAS. MORNING. which we all disliked but it was TRADITION, dammit!  My grandfather was the only lover of this soup and in honor of him, I guess, the tradition continued after he died until my folks were no longer able to host Christmas Breakfast themselves.  Siblings have yet to raise the banner...

When a job and a car gave me autonomy at age 16 I began exploring restaurants and discovered French Onion Soup.  I brought home the idea and created my recipe and begged to serve my family dinner that night.  Bread, Cheese, Broth, Wine & Onions along with a salad is a meal right?  Daddy HATED it.  Meat and potatoes it was not.  THEN I had the luck and opportunity to travel to Europe and discovered that incomparable chilled soup Vichysoisse.  I loved the taste and idea so much that I began experimenting with any derivation I could think of and YOU are the recipients of some of those perfected ideas (dare I say?!?).  Chilled Cream of Asparagus in the picture can also be served hot but I prefer this one like revenge - served COLD. This is a smiley face.  I have yet to figure out how to insert emogees into my newsletter.  More important things to do.  So, in short - I am looking forward to celebrating all things SOUP in the weeks and months ahead.  Scroll down to see last year's invention which was greeted with so much delight one client said "I could BATHE in this soup!"  

More Soup for the Soul!

BEHOLD Lula's HANKY PANKY SOUP garnished with homemade rye croutons and scallion!  For those of you not in the Greater Cincinnati Region, a Hanky Panky is an appetizer of Spicy Sausage "dip" with cheeses on Rye Toast Points.  Lula has turned it into a client favorite SOUP - with Orzo and Caraway.  For GF needs we use Quinoa.

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