soup & bread & a brand new cookbook

There's a lot of soup love that happens here at Goods & Heroes. Some might say I blather on a bit too much about all things soupy. But there are so many reasons why I have a deep appreciation for soup. It can be restorative or even healing. (Jewish Penicillin, anyone?)  It requires that you slow down just a little bit to make it from scratch but it doesn't have to be fussy or overly complicated. (My friend Sarah makes an exquisite Onion Soup that has three ingredients!) And soup can feed a large crowd economically but still be pleasing.

But before I go any further on my happy soup rant, I want you to know that the fabulous food writer/bartending community organizer Martha Bayne and her uber-inspired Soup & Bread events have produced a really rocking Love Child: The Soup & Bread Cookbook.

Apparently I wasn't the only person a wee bit excited about this coming -- the book release party was last night and people arrived in droves, filling the Hideout to capacity with folks spilling out into the street. And I think it's because this isn't just another cookbook and people love Martha's writing and they also love the Soup & Bread series, which gives them a place to go on a cold winter night to sample homemade soups while hanging out with other soup-loving people. (If you want to read more about Soup & Bread at the Hideout and why it's so dang cool, read all about it here.)

Using recipes from the different folks who have brought soup (and bread) to the the Soup & Bread events over the years, each chapter has a different theme which explores the subtle powers of soup from a community-building standpoint. It's one of those cookbooks you want to curl up with and savor one chapter at a time. Oh sure, you might be inspired to make some pretty amazing soups (Stephanie Izard's Pear, Parsnip & Pistachio Soup has certainly caught my eye) but you'll also love reading about Soup & Peace or Soup for Art. And you can even read about the Soup Swap that was held right here at Tawse-Grossman HQ last February in Chapter Two: Soup for Swapping. 

Intrigued? You can purchase the book on Chicago's own independent Bloodshot Record's website -- that's a double whammy good thing. But even if you don't or can't afford to right now, I strongly encourage you to stop by Soup & Bread one night this winter. Heck, I might even be standing behind a Crock Pot ladling up soup.

Comments

[Jennifer Tawse]

Bonj: I wanted to buy the cookbook but the link did not link me anywhere.