chickinthekitchen.com

Would You Like Parsnip with That?

January 9, 2008

I made chicken soup last night, and as I strained every minuscule bit of vegetable, chicken, and herb out of the broth through a chinois, I started thinking about the differences in how my family and J.’s serves this traditional soup.

Growing up, eating homemade chicken soup (and often turkey soup, since my mom would make it from the carcass after a holiday) was strictly a “you get what you get, and you don’t get upset” affair. Whatever was dished into your bowl was your serving — veggies, herbs, bits of chicken. If you were super lucky, you would get a double portion of my mom’s matzah balls (her mother’s recipe). Actually, if you were super duper lucky, my mom made kreplach, a Jewish soup dumpling. Not requesting what went into your soup bowl was never, ever a problem for me, because that’s just how we did it. If you weren’t in the mood for carrot, eat around it.

J.’s family is different. Even at a big holiday gathering, his mom or grandma ask around the table to see what you want in your bowl — specific veggies, noodles, matzah balls (oh! these matzah balls are divine, too!), etc. When GG, J.’s grandma, the best chicken soup maker in all the land, makes the soup she strains it until it is clear and then adds back in all the accoutrement before serving, based on what each person requests. You could ask for two carrots, a small parsnip, a little bit of noodles and just a tiny bit of soup, and no one would blink an eye.

I have to admit that I twitch a little bit every time I strain my own chicken soup. It’s the only way my boys will eat it, and though I am normally unmovable when it comes to special preparations just for the kids, I make an exception here because 1.) J. prefers it that way; and 2.) it’s better than them eating plain noodles.

Me? I like a little bit of everything in my soup, please. With extra kreplach.

Filed under: Thinking Out Loud