 |
| The "Hook" |
Who didn’t love “Chicken Soup
For The Soul” when it first came on the scene in 1993? Originally rejected by major publishers,
co-authors Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen didn’t give up until they found
a small self-help publisher in Florida. Those inspiring, true life testaments of the
innate goodness the story-tellers share with us when everything looked it
darkest. The heart-warming outcomes when
synchronicity vibrates at its highest, making for a most unexpected and happy
ending. I admit, my eyes watered while reading a few of the experiences written with such openess, honesty and in a few cases, humor.
Last I heard there were over
200 titles in this franchise such as; “Chicken Soup For Dogs”, “Chicken Soup For The
Cat Lovers Soul”, and that most dear for those of us who’ve worked in it, “Chicken
Soup For Retailers." As
a result of all this commercialization I’m not sure the series does as much for me
anymore. But the premise Mr. Canfield
and Mr. Hansen built their fortune on was and still is a very good one.
Consider the fact that so
many cultures have their own unique version of that all-healing real deal, Chicken
Soup. Obviously the properties
attributed to Mom’s or Grandmother’s cure
simmering on the stove stirs up the same feelings and meaning for all of
us. No matter our age, weight, or the
colour of our skin. The balance in our
checking accounts, the way we pronounce our vowels, when ladled from the pot to
the bowl, Chicken Soup serves as an expression of caring, comfort and healing. And I love the variations on this medicinal
food theme. To start, there's our good old middle America Chicken
Noodle, starting with your basic mire
poix, a whole chicken, chicken broth and rich egg noodles. Seasoned with only salt and pepper then
served with crispy saltines on the side. I'm sure, there are those who probably still enjoy crumbling a
couple of the crackers with your hand straight into the bowl, then take your first bite of edible solace topped with a crunch that happily transforms to soft and soggy.
There’s a Southern Chicken
Soup recipe my ex-husband enjoyed preparing.
His soup starts out with the same mire
poix, a whole chicken, a home-made broth, rice which replaces the egg
noodles, green chilies and of course his beloved okra. Thai Chicken Soup is a bold and spicy
offering, sure to clear your stuffy nose.
This version has coconut milk, fresh lemon grass, limes and fish
sauce! And let’s not forget the
Granddaddy of Chicken Soups, also referred to as Amish Penicillin. This is more of a cauldron filled with
home-made chicken stock, a couple of really
clean chickens, carrots, onions and celery. But also a few hard
boiled eggs, (I prefer soft boiled) are added for good measure. At
the very end, of this gentle simmer, strands of hand-kneaded dough are gently twisted then dropped
into the simmering concoction and allowed to float until they are steamed to
perfection. A kind of modified
dumpling.
But my most favourite of
Chicken Soups to prepare is Pozole,
which is traditionally made with pork.
During this time of year instead of chicken I use what’s left over from
my grilled Thanksgiving turkey. The
roasted herb and butter turkey stays at the home of my co-hostess Erin. Because the turkey I use has been grilled my
soup struts right out the gate with an amazing smokiness you don’t often
associate with this Mistress of Home Remedies.
While my broth is a combination of chicken stock and juice from the
Marzano tomatoes, the final result is still a thick, rich jubilee of turkey
meat, tomatoes, chilies, garlic and hominy.
Pozole has its roots in Mexico and is a recipe that has been
prepared as far back as the Aztecs. The inclusion of hominy is due to the
popular use of maize by the Aztecs and other indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica.
I use ancho and paislla
chilies in my recipe, that and the tomatoes make for Pozole Rojo, Red Pozole. If
you enjoy the flavour of jalapeno and poblano chilies as well as tomatillos,
you could prepare Pozole Verde, Green
Pozole. Either way, you’ll want to
garnish your soup with a squeeze of fresh lime some cilantro, avocados and crema Mexicana, (sour cream). The end result will be the same, no matter which ethnic or regional version of Chicken Soup you prepare. Those who share in your lovingly prepared elixir are sure to feel better.
 |
| I'm pretty sure my little brother would love this |
 |
| No other perscription like it |
No comments:
Post a Comment