Chicken Soup ~ It's Cool

It's cold out-- somewhere. Somewhere there are snowdrifts, frozen lakes, working fireplaces and people wearing hats and scarves, who need them. But here, in sunny Los Angeles, it's just cool. We suffer mild weather and we 'suffer' it well. We tell ourselves that 64 degrees is 'muy frio' and wrap ourselves in shetland sweaters and beanies; all the while wearing flip flops and riding a bike-- to the beach. Rough.

We also like to talk about the winter weather as if it were somehow distinctive from other times of the year. When in fact, it's pretty much the same year round. Sure, we have our "cold snaps", a couple of nights each winter when we dip into the high 30's. But then it's back to the beach with 75 degree weather...

I personally have no complaints.

But we long for that cold snap. We long for hoodies that matter; scarves that are necessary; boots; pants. I know I do. And we long for the cold weather dishes our East Coast friends braise on their stovetops all day: short ribs, pot roasts and hearty soups. So we make them anyway. In the hopes that sentiment alone will change the weather. And finally justify those ugly Uggs. Ugh.

And here's the beauty of such sentiment. A typical wintery soup becomes sunny and light just by location. Much like our beanies and Havianas. It's cool. We have our own style.

A Sort of Chicken Soup Recipe

Grab what you will from your fridge and pantry. Add a chicken or just its parts, and make soup, as follows.

What I found in my fridge and pantry...

onion
carrot
celery
garlic
turnip
kabocha squash
golden yukon potatoes
tomatoes
jalapeño
za'atar

Here we go...

rinse your chicken and put him in a suitable pot...

flood him with cold water and put him on the stovetop...

clean and chop your veg... I like large bits... do what you want, then tuck into the pot with chicken...

bring your pot to a boil and reduce to a simmer... skim the broth of all its scum and simmer for close to an hour...

remove your chicken from the pot and pull it apart, removing the skin and bones...

return the 'pulled' chicken to the soup and season with salt and black pepper...

add something fresh to the soup... diced tomato and jalapeno with a pinch of za'atar... why not???

warm your bowl...

and serve steaming hot...

and have a happy new year!