Soup days

This is not a Spokane specific entry. Things haven't been happening in the food world of Spokane, at least, not things that I know about. The Elk has opened El Que, which is the perfect complement to Agave. Whereas Agave has good, sometimes great food but no atmosphere, El Que is all ambience with only adequate food. Another blogger described El Que as "taco truck minus the wheels," which is accurate in spirit. Taco trucks have larger menus, and more kick to their hot sauces. But, if you are looking for a snack, the tacos are adequate; the drinks are mighty tasty, and the cozy retro feel of the tiny establishment will convince you you've made a night of it. There is a new Mexican grocery on Division promising handmade tamales, so there may be a future tamale-based blog. Sante's continues to serve interesting, local food with unusual wine, and I will love them forever for their gnocchi if nothing else, but I do wish they would change their menu more often. As long as the gnocchi never goes away. Left Bank is suffering from Spokane-Restaurant Syndrome (SRS), which means that they are so busy trying to be all things to all people that they don't really do anything well. Serious wine bars should not have sports on a tv behind the bar, and I don't think they should have sandwiches and try to cater to a lunch crowd. There: that is about it for my thoughts on the recent Spokane food "scene."

So what is a foodie to do when the days are short, dark, and damp and the food scene is dull? My answer has been to make soup. I almost never make the same soup twice, but almost all of the soups I make are pretty darn good (yes, yes, call me arrogant. But they are!) I've been trying to figure out what I do that makes for this surprising consistency, and I've come up with the following rules:

1) Start with a pork product. Nearly everything in life is better with a little pork, and soup is no exception. Bacon, salt pork, pancetta, italian sausage, kielbasa, ham hocks. Start with a good base of pig.

2) Add aromatics. I almost always saute the traditional french mire poix -- two part onion, one part carrot, one part celery -- in the fat either rendered from the aforementioned pork product.

3) Pick a flavor family. Italian, southwest, french, asian. Like any good composition, your soup needs to have a genre. It will help you decide whether an ingredient should go in or not, and it will help you figure out seasonings. Italian means red pepper flakes, dried oregano, parmesan rinds, and basil to finish. Asian means Siriacha and soy. You get the idea.

4) Pre-brown your vegetables. One of the great things about soup is that you can pack it full of yummy vegetables. However, if you just throw them in the pot, you will have boiled vegetables, and that is not yummy. As much as possible, get some good brown on veggies before they go into the soup. Saute them in your soup pan (don't wash out the pan afterwards). Broil or grill them. Whatever you need to do to add brown and concentrate flavors. Remember: brown means flavor!

5) Add a starch. It will thicken your soup enough to give it a good mouth feel without making it gluey, and give it a little more staying power in your stomach. Diced potatoes, barley, and cubed stale bread (I learned this in Florence, where they thicken a vegetable soup with bread. It's called Ribollita, and it can be amazing -- especially when you add a little pork) are some of my favorites. I also really like wild rice in soup, but it doesn't release enough starch into the broth on its own, so I sprinkle a scant tablespoon of flour over the aromatics to make a light roux before I add liquids.

6) Your liquids should include wine, stock, and bones (as often as possible). I love to make soup after I have roasted a chicken, so that I can throw the carcass in the pan. Ham hocks also make a good but very smokey bone to put in. Bones add mouthfeel and richness, and while not completely necessary, I think they always make soup better. If you want a creamy soup, add the cream after you have simmered you soup a while, and then simmer another fifteen minutes or so.

7) Be careful of flavor bullies. There are some soup ingredients which, while wonderful, take over a soup. Corn, fennel, and grilled peppers come to mind. Used wisely, they elevate a soup, give it kick and personality. Unwisely mixed, they turn your soup into a confused mess. I would recommend thinking about one star, two only if they have a proven record of good chemistry, and then have the rest of the ingredients be supporting players.

8) Last one, I promise. Season! I think most soups suffer from being under-seasoned. Add salt, and when in doubt, add some more. It is amazing how much salt most soups can take.

So, there you have it. Nothing earth-shaking or original, I know, but perhaps some ideas to demystify soup enough that you can get away from the recipe book and be just go for it, soup-wise, that is.