Settling in; officially a lunatic; Soup Rant

Transitions suck. But you don't need to hear my angsty emotional goings-on. That is what Lifetime movies and irritating people are for. Yet slowly, the transition has begun from blissful post-graduation bum stretched out on a beach in Costa Rica to focused graduate student reading papers and engaged in science.

I recieved my CA drivers' license. The universe, et al, established that California drivers are lunatics who wish to test Gods' patience by nearly killing something every time they drive. (J. of Life, 2005). And now I'm officially one of them. Oh goody.

Moreover, my roommates have figured out that I'm weird. Too bad for them, we've already signed a lease, muahaha. Fortunately, I end up baking and cooking for the people I live with enough that people tend to forgive the roommate who makes cat noises and does handstands in the hallway.

So what can I cook that provides substance, comfort, and is NOT an alcohol-infused sweet? I adore making soup. Homemade soup epitomizes a sense of peace in the world. Cue John Lennon. It is an orgy of healthy flavors that meld together in a symphony of taste-bud happiness. It even tastes better as it sits in the fridge! Why people confine themselves to those over-preserved sodium traps confuses me. Soup is not hard to make. Some freeze indefinitely. Don't get me wrong, canned convenience is ok, but there is life outside of Campbell's.

Tomato soup is a staple in my diet. I believe the genesis of this method (not recipe) came from Michael Chiarello, but this is my pseudo-protocol. It isn't precise, and never is. Everything is to taste.

Hearty Tomato Soup
2 12 oz cans canned Tomato (whole or diced)
2-4 cloves garlic, peeled (keep in mind I'm asian and addicted to garlic)
Equal pts diced onion, carrot, and celery (I never have celery, and often do w/o)
Chicken Stock (depends on how thick a soup you want.)
Herbs (suggested: basil, thyme, marjoram, or oregano. Dry = 3x stronger than fresh)
Olive oil
Healthy Tbs grape jelly. (Yeah, you heard me)

Oven to 400

Spread tomatoes on a baking sheet. Add garlic cloves. Fresh tomatoes can be sliced into thick steaks and added. Drizzle with olive oil, and salt and pepper. Put into oven until everything is roasted and caramelized and garlic is fork tender. Time will vary on what you've got.

Heat soup pot with olive oil, saute onions, carrot, and celery until it smells fantastic and onions are translucent. Add roasted stuff and stir. Add chicken stock to cover veggies, and sprinkle herbs.

Simmer. You can forget about the soup here and do something else, just keep it covered. This soup is forgiving. Otherwise, 5 min, ish.

Take off heat. Use an immersion blender (looks like a boat motor) and blend to textured soup consistency. Or pour into blender. Add more chicken stock if you wish.

Return to heat, add grape jelly (takes edge off acidity). I also add cayenne, pepper flakes, or Siracha at this point. Test the seasoning.

You can add a small amount of cream, butter, sour cream, full-fat greek yogurt or more olive oil, to taste. Fat scares me, so I don't.

So, recap: Roast, Saute, Combine. Simmer, Blend. Simmer, season, Eat.

Compare to "open can, dump in bowl, nuke." it's harder. Yet soup is like life. You can "emerge from womb. Live. Die." or you can add some flavor to your bland existence and make some damn soup. Yes, it's that important.