A Soup of torn rags

This pandemic has recalled the stories of “the great depression” I heard from my family. The hardships of unemployment and the uncertainties of the time. There are elements evident in this current situation: the fear of the virus, the loss of a loved one, the isolation from family, and the wearing away of our liberties. I go with the flow and try not to stress; I take precautions wearing a mask is just a small inconvenience in the scheme of things. I’m reminded of the movie “The day the earth stood still “it starred Michael Rennie in 1951 and Keanu Reeves 2008 versions. An UFO arrives on earth to decide its fate. To make a point, the aliens bring the world to a standstill; the choice “get your act together or faced total destruction”. Now I believe that God has a plan! The world has been forced to slow down; families are sharing meals, spending time together, playing together; teachers are finally being appreciated; and finally the realization that being with family and friends is the most important part of our life.

What does all this had to do with my mother’s stories of the great depression and recipes? They made the most of the ingredients they had on hand and knew how to stretch one meal into two. Stracciatella soup is one of those recipes that can be made with just a few ingredients. First, I would like to share some of my tricks to make life a little easier while saving money. Whenever I buy leeks, I cut off the tops of leeks, as well as the celery leaves and freeze them. If a tomato is soft, pop that in the freezer too. Whenever I buy a rotisserie chicken, I manage to make a few meals with it. Chicken wraps, chicken pot pie, chicken salad and always soup. I debone the chicken, leaving the chicken meat for other dishes. Then I place all the bones, skin, and juices in a pot with whatever combination of leeks, celery, carrots, onion, tomato, parsley, half a lemon, a cinnamon stick and bay leaf I have on hand, cover with water and simmer until the soup looks and smells rich in flavor.  I usually simmer it for a couple of hours. Strain the soup and cool. I usually just mash the carrots and discard the other ingredients. Once the soup is cool scrape the fat off the top, it’s now ready to make soup, use in a recipe or freeze in ice cube trays to add to a dish when needed.

“Stracciatella is often referred to as ‘Italian egg drop soup,’ which is fine, but knowing the name actually means little, torn rags or shreds works so much better metaphorically. When you have been run ragged, Stracciatella is always there for you. As you eat this, hopefully with some nice crusty bread, imagine all those little ‘rags’ floating in the bowl are all your torn-up problems, both real and imagined. They were there, and then they were gone. You just won–with soup.” This was one of my father’s favorite meals, so in honor of Father’s Day here is the recipe.

Stracciatella Soup

Ingredients

6 cups chicken broth

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons semolina flour

3 large eggs

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1/2-ounce grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese

1/2-ouncgrated pecorino romano Cheese

1 pinch cayenne pepper

1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pinch red pepper flakes

Directions

Bring broth to a simmer in a pot over high heat. Taste broth and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

Whisk eggs, parsley, semolina flour, grated Parmigiano Reggiano and pecorino Romano cheeses, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg together in a bowl until well blended.

While stirring the simmering broth, slowly pour egg mixture into the broth. Bring mixture back up to a simmer. The liquid will be slightly cloudy initially and clear as broth heats.

Serve in bowls, garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of red pepper flakes