Soup Songs #10: Last and Final, First and Foremost

As I put together this epic playlist that I've been raving about, I find myself getting incredibly sentimental with every song. They're the sort of songs that hit your soul in that 'good crying' sort of way. When you remember that life is big and long and you actually have control over your own destiny. That you are physically able to hit the road tomorrow even though it might not be the best idea... you can still do it. You can make beautiful things and be courageous amongst strangers and learn a completely different skill that becomes your life's work. You can stay or go, be busy or be quiet, get inside your head or have friends, new and old, inside your kitchen.

I heard someone say recently that 'being in your 20's is about feeling like a failure'. I think this is very true but I also think that you could easily make the same thing true of your 30's through 80's. The thing they don't tell you is that you have a choice in the matter. I made the choice to try having a radio show even though I know nothing about music. I think it turned out pretty alright. Thanks for bearing with me on my road to self-evolution. What's your next project? What book, album, film, project, job, life lesson, conversation, country comes next?

I wanted to end Soups Songs with my favorite soup but in my nervousness of commencing the first show, I already used it. Below is my favorite pie. I've been told that it's the perfect mix of sweet, salty, sour, crunchy, soft.... As we move from whiskey season to rum season, soup season to pie season, all my little life lessons are no less relevant. Keep connecting with friends, creating a world you want to be a part of, maintaining the mix of free time and chaos that you need. I'll keep reminding myself as long as you keep reminding yourself. Your life is yours, so bake a pie and share it with good people as the sun moves us into a proper Spring cleaning. Thanks again for being a part of this experience.

Lattice-Topped Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
[discovered from somewhere on the Internet for my graduation party]

For crust
3 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into pieces
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter or margarine, cut into pieces
10 tablespoons (about) ice water

For filling
3 1/2 cups 1/2-inch-thick slices trimmed rhubarb (1 1/2 pounds untrimmed)
1 16-ounce container strawberries, hulled, halved (about 3 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 large egg yolk beaten to blend with 1 teaspoon water (for glaze) *if you are making it vegan, use a bit of soy milk or vegetable oil to glaze the crust, it's just to make it look pretty

Make crust:
Combine flour, sugar and salt in processor. Using on/off turns, cut in shortening and butter or margarine until coarse meal forms. Blend in enough ice water 2 tablespoons at a time to form moist clumps. Gather dough into ball; cut in half. Flatten each half into disk. Wrap separately in plastic; refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Let dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling.)

Make filling:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine first 7 ingredients in large bowl. Toss gently to blend.

Roll out 1 dough disk on floured work surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter flass pie dish. Trim excess dough, leaving 3/4-inch overhang.

Roll out second dough disk on lightly floured surface to 13-inch round. Cut into fourteen 1/2-inch-wide strips. Spoon filling into crust. Arrange 7 dough strips atop filling, spacing evenly. Form lattice by placing remaining dough strips in opposite direction atop filling. Trim ends of dough strips even with overhang of bottom crust. Fold strip ends and overhang under, pressing to seal. Crimp edges decoratively.

Brush glaze over crust. transfer pie to baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake pie until golden and filling thickens, about 1 hour 25 minutes. Transfer pie to rack and cool completely.

Soup Songs #9: Begin with Books

Today I went to the library. We have an extraordinary library in Downtown Phx and I don't make it there as often as I would like. I love the library for several reasons: there are a lot of books there, all of them are free and they let anyone read them. There are things about Phx that I find analogous to starting college, both of which are analogous to going to the library. It is the land of opportunity. You walk into the library and suddenly you realize that perhaps you do like black and white movies with patriotic undertones, you think steel work could be your next career move, it's high time to learn about Chinese astrology and yes, it is necessary to reread the Chronicles of Narnia.

The thing that we forget is that you don't need to start college or live in the virtuous blank slate which comprises my small town. You actually don't even need to go to the library, although I do think it's a good place to start. You can do whatever you want and you can do it today. You manifest your busyness so you can clearly manifest the free time to learn how to knit lace and do 100 push-ups in a row. I'm tired of feeling defeated by the hours in my day and I'm tired of hearing about defeated people around me. Make some better choices, learn how to say no and cook some soup with your friends.

I've recently made the choice not to have TV and internet at home. That may seem drastic to some of you but when I come home I do my laundry, watch great movies, write in my journal and cook a proper meal. The thing that's nice about soup is that you can make a lot very easily, thus inviting friends over, having lunch the next day, or freezing it for those times that you don't have the choice of manifesting free time. I like borscht. It's very good for you and I think you should have bright colors in your diet. You can also speak in a Russian accent the entire evening that you make it.

Beet and Cabbage Borscht
[from Bon Appétit Magazine, via www.epicurious.com]

Note: Save the beet greens for a quick side dish: just sauté them with garlic and olive oil, sprinkle with lemon, salt and pepper, and serve.

3 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 pound russet potatoes, peeled, chopped
2 1/2 cups chopped green cabbage (about 1/4 of small head)
1 large onion, chopped
8 cups (or more) canned vegetable broth
6 2-inch-diameter beets, peeled, chopped
1 cup drained canned chopped tomatoes

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Sour cream [I use fat free plain yogurt to keep my arteries in tact]
Chopped fresh parsley
Lemon wedges

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add potatoes, cabbage and onion and sauté until cabbage softens, about 5 minutes. Add 8 cups broth, beets and tomatoes. Bring soup to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

Working in small batches, puree 4 cups of soup in blender; return to remaining soup in pot. If desired, add more broth by 1/2 cupfuls to thin soup. Add lemon juice; season with salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into bowls. Top with dollop of sour cream; sprinkle with parsley. Serve, passing lemon wedges separately.