Wednesday, April 18, 2007

"You have just dined, and however scrupulously the slaughterhouse is concealed in the graceful distance of miles, there is complicity." - Emerson

Received this for my birthday. Ok, yes, I bought it for myself, but how else do you guarantee you get anything at all, let alone something you actually would like? I mean, short of getting a wife of my own, that is...I'll bet *she* would help me eat Nigella's chocolate loaf with cream cheese.


Also bought these, on half.com. H and I are edging closer and closer towards vegetarianism, and it's time I owned these and stopped hogging the library copies. The walloping three-dollars-and-change total I paid for both is worth the sweet potato quiche crust recipe alone.



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My vegetable soup recipe (I know, it has meat in it...that's why I NEED HELP).

BabelBabe's Mom's Veggie Soup

1-1/2 - 2 lbs short ribs or marrow bones
Vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped
½ cup sliced celery
¼ cup rice
1 lb can green beans
28-30 oz can whole tomatoes
3-4 potatoes, peeled and chopped into ½” cubes
4-5 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 cup frozen corn kernels
½ head small cabbage, chopped
Salt and pepper

Put the chopped onions, a TBSP or two of oil and the short ribs in a large pot.
Fill with water to cover.
Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer.
Cook for an hour or so, until meat is tender.
Remove meat to a plate to cool.
Remove surface goop with a paper towel.
Chop up tomatoes in can and add to soup, with liquid.
Add celery, rice, green beans with liquid, carrots, potatoes, corn, and cabbage.
(You can throw in pretty much any veggie leftover you’ve got hanging around at this point.)
Simmer, covered, over low heat for two or three hours, until all veggies are tender.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.

This soup is definitely better after it’s sat in your fridge for a day or two, and it also freezes pretty well.


It's probably also pretty darn yummy spilled all over the floor of your rental car.
I am just saying.

10 comments:

blackbird said...

I forgot I have that Nigella book!
Did I miss your birthday?

some friend I am...

Caro said...

Yeah, when was your birthday.

I'm slowly edging toward vegetarianism too. The carnivores in this house are sneering at me though.

I made a soup much like yours tonight only I used vegetable broth instead of the bones. It had cabbage, carrots, zucchini, stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce and other stuff. Some kidney beans would have been great but I didn't have any. WAH!

I'll be your wife, but I might have to armwrestle Gina for the privilege.

Anonymous said...

Was it your Birthday? Did you get the copy of Pan's Labyrinth I sent? Cause... it's uh... you know... you birthday present.

nutmeg said...

Happy Brthday!

My husband is pretty much given up the meat - only has it about once or twice a week and only because I cook it! I actually can't stand the look of great slabs of steak anymore - if we do have meat it's either cubed into a curry or soup or minced.

Sweet potato quiche crust! Sounds devine ... yum

lazy cow said...

I KNEW it was your birthday in April, and have so far as gone looking for the 'perfect' gift (being unable to find any Miss Buncle books). Of course, nothing is quite good enough so you'll probably get something in July.
Happy birthday.
And enjoy Domestic Goddess. It is my favourite cookbook of all time, and I've made probably 1/2 the recipes in it. That chocolate loaf cake, mmmm, maybe I'll make it this weekend again.

Joke said...

I understand vegetarianism even less than I do socialism, and that's saying a lot.

Not that our diet is like that of the average adult cougar, but still.

-J.

Joke said...

P.S. Yes, you DO need help! That cabbage should be shredded.

Please, please...hold your applause.

Suse said...

Another fine friend here who missed your birthday. Oops.

Happy Birthday!!!

I made that soup for dinner two nights ago but without the meat bones. We only meat about once a week or 10 days.

Sarah Louise said...

Hippo birdy two ewes, Babelbabe. Hope it was de-lovely.

MsCellania said...

Happy Birthday!
What did your little ones get you?
I have loads of great veggie cookbooks. I like Deborah Madison (Greens, to name one) and sure, Mollie Katzen. But really? Take the meat out of any recipe, add portobello or tofu or seitan or tempeh and it's pretty good.
But I sure do love me some meat. So does Oldest. We'd have a difficult time giving it up.