morsels & sauces

This little legume number comes to you by way of a friend of mine who made it for brunch about a month ago.  Three of us sat down around a table laden with Acme Bread, a big leafy green salad, and a beet salad .  But this soup stole the show:  The sweet raisin bombs of sweet sweetness!  The heavy ginger!  The delectable curry!  The filling legumes! (Yes, there were quite a few exclamation points there, but well worth it.)  I think we spent a good fifteen minutes just talking about the soup.  Even long after I left my friend's apartment (with a gorgeous view of the city), I knew that I had to make this stew. Fast forward a month, and I finally have gotten around to making it.  This red lentil soup is fantastic, very filling, and perfect for a cold or rainy (or even snowy, but we don't get those out here) day.  The recipe (or at least as I adapted it below) is also gluten-free and vegan, which actually matters to me right now (mor...

Two weekends ago, the husband and I were lucky enough to see a Giants playoff game, and tonight the Giants play the Cardinals.  As many of you know, I am a Cubs fan first and a Giants fan second; however, I am torn.  My grandmother Alice was a White Sox fan and, thus, a Cardinals fan by default, for her allegiance to the South Side of Chicago meant that any affection for that ursine team located in Boys Town was unspeakable.  She actively rooted for any team that played against the Cubs, and given that the Cardinals were their biggest rivals, she became their biggest fan. Alice cooked; she had a huge, fenced-in garden in the backyard with green beans and tomatoes with smooth, glossy skin.  My mother, however, was the first woman I knew who didn't like to cook.  My mother opened boxes, boiled water, poured milk and called it a meal.  Alice, on the other hand, cooked for her Catholic children on no money, no college education, and three husband...