Soup du Jour

RantWoman wishes to take a break from several strands of geekiness on her mind and to celebrate Valentine's day. This is not as straightforward for RantWoman as perhaps it is for others, though she sends warm exhortations to lovers everywhere to enjoy the magic and maybe even a little extra on her behalf.

First, the Facebook option "it's complicated" does not even begin to cover RantWoman's relationship status. RantWoman and the ferrener husband are long separated and happily so though yesterday along with some other favors he brought a package of chocolate almonds. RantWoman very seldom refuses chocolate. Today at lunch while munching a couple chocolate almonds RantWoman was reflecting on a number of things she learned while living with ferrener husband and perhaps he while with her also judging by certain indications, though soulful conversational ventures into such zones are not necessarily either of our strong suit. Ferrener husband has rough spells from time to time for different reasons, some of his own doing and some not. We remain friends so it is not always the most fun in the world to hear of ferrener husband's latest travails though they come with fewer commercials than some soap operas.


And there is Someone Else. Someone Else lives in another state partly because of needing more winter light than Seattle provides. We are both in different ways awkward around the idea of living together. Someone else is an artist and a deeply spiritual person and is dealing with a horrifying and fascinating personal circumstance in a way that RantWoman deeply admires even if that also has its own logic and momentum. RantWoman is also in awe that RantWoman and Someone Else still have the most amazing phone conversations and some other synchronistic psychic connections. Someone Else has a life in another state and RantWoman has a life in Seattle and we neither one of us have any claim on the other, and in fact it would be perfectly reasonable for RantWoman to go out and try to woo someone closer. It would be reasonable, but for now RantWoman's life is kind of full and she is not making it happen.

Then, this weekend there is Mr. GG whom RantWoman is due to drop in on. Depending on RantWoman's desire to be spin doctor, GG is short for either Gato Gracioso, Mr, Portly Cat, or Gato Gordo, Mr. Fat Cat. Mr. GG is the sort of boy who sneezes and even drools a little when petted, especially if he has been left alone for awhile. However, he seems to like RantWoman and also not to vomit in annoyance when RantWoman calls him things like"G-gerissimo!" Mr. GG's human is away and Mr. GG is left with water, food, and cat litter, all of which will need augmentation at least once before the human returns. Despite the boy's undeniable charms, that will not happen tonight.

Why? Because RantWoman promised to make soup at RantMom's. After a day of running the nephew / grandson at a birthday party and a good bit of walking to and fro, RantMom was TIRED and wanting nothing more than for RantWoman to keep her promise and come over and brew soup--even if there is a chance RantWoman will make a mess in the kitchen and then make RantMom choose between a backrub and a clean kitchen. RantWoman learned her kitchen mess philosophy at RantMom's knee: make only as much mess as needed and then clean up afterward, but RantMom knows her children all know how to do dishes and so now she makes exceptions sometimes.

Now RantWoman is heartily glad to have had Valentine's day supper at RantMom's and RantWoman congratulates herself on a fine brew in the ad hoc soup improvisation department.

(Confer with RantMom about the strawberries for dessert. RantWoman already knows she just wants to wash the berries and serve with a little powdered sugar for dipping. Thank heaven RantMom is quite agreeable.)

1 quart or so broth of choice. Tonight's was turkey from RantMom's freezer
1 15-ounce can of chicken breast meat
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon or so fresh grated ginger
2 carrots peeled and cut julienne style
a handful of fresh mushrooms
3-4 scallions minced and set aside for garnish
1/2 a lime cut in quarters and set aside with the scallions for the table
a pound or so of fresh soba noodles
3 heads of baby bok choy
a scant handful of fresh spinach torn
roasted sesame seeds at the table for garnish


Pop the frozen broth out of its container by running the container under hot water and put the frozen broth into a soup pot. Rinse the container with a little tap water and pour into the pot.

Open the can of chicken. Break apart the chunks of meat and pour the whole thing into the pot. Rinse the can out witha little water and put that into the pot. (The meat is optional. It is more optional for RantWoman than for RantMom.)

Peel and slice the garlic cloves and put them into the pot.


Grate the ginger into the pot.


Peel and slice the carrots julienne style and put them into the pot. (if the carrots are fresh and clean, say good organic ones that don't taste like detergent, skip the peeling. Any darn fool can make food taste good with fresh ingredients. If the carrots are vegetables of good intentions that have sat around the refrigerator for too long already, peeling them will help.)


Slice the mushrooms and put into the pot.


By now the frozen broth should all be melted and the pot should be simmering nicely. Add the soba noodles and if needed a little more water just to cover the noodles.


Slice the stem part of the bok choy thinly and the leaf part more broadly. Put into the pot along with the torn spinach. The soup will be ready to serve as soon as it returns to a boil. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve. Add minced scallions, fresh-squeezed lime juice, sesame seeds as desired at the table.


After the soup has been served and savored, enjoy the strawberries, chocolate hearts and a coconut macaroon bomb from the package that leapt into the shopping cart when buying berries.

Linger still longer over big cups of green tea, but don't feel that every single Big Issue must be discussed tonight.