Fish for Dinner

Posted on March 24, 2025 by pujakins

Heartwings Love Notes: Fish for Dinner

by Tasha Halpert

Heartwings says, “There are good reasons to enjoy eating fish, regardless when.”

My dear late mother was usually faithful to her Catholic upbringing and observant of its rules. She was aware that eating fish on Fridays was what good Catholics did. So we did, often on Fridays. That was, of course, one of the rules. Her fear of the wrath of God for disobedience, was real, but did not extend to this most minor of transgressions if she didn’t happen to have fish on hand.

When it came to us children, she was one to invoke the fear of God in us for our transgressions, large or small. “God will punish you if…” was often on her tongue when some misbehavior was in question or perhaps in evidence. The nature of God’s punishment was left unspoken, so I was never sure what that might be.

On the other hand, there were punishments she herself imposed. Her chief one for me was my having to sit on the piano stool for anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour, after being “put on silence.” For major transgressions there was also the application of the less frequent but more physically painful back of the old fashioned wooden hairbrush to the rear end. Physical punishment has gone out of style these days. Depriving children of cell phones may have replaced it—a different sort of pain.

Eating fish, however, is still in style whenever it is eaten. For some, this recipe could be useful for the season of Lent, for anyone it’s a good all around the year way to cook fish. If you are or wish to be cooking dairy free, use coconut milk, not the kind that comes in cans, but that which is unflavored and on the shelf in cartons or the ‘fridge. My daughter remembers that years ago I used to use regular milk. I never bought fat free.

For a family of four, depending on appetites and preferences, plan on one and one half pounds of cod or haddock, or other firm white thick fish. Place it in a shallow baking dish and pour around a cup of milk over it to fully surround the fish. Bake at 350 around 25 to 35 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. Fish is done when it flakes easily at the touch of a fork. Now or prior to start of cooking, as desired add seasonings such as thyme, tarragon, or your choice, salt, pepper, or garlic ground or powdered. Serve with one or two vegetables (example: orange squash and green beans) for color and texture variety.

Heartwings Love Notes 2054: Too Many Choices

Posted on October 16, 2024 by pujakins

Heartwings says, “When the eyes are dazzled, it is difficult to see clearly.”

The other day I stood bedazzled looking at the stacks of breakfast cereal boxes in my local supermarket. Many of the names on the boxes were unfamiliar to me; most of them seemed to contain sweet tasting stuff and were filled with sugar and artificial color or chocolate. They all advertised themselves as being healthy, good for you, filled with nutritional ingredients. These were listed on the boxes with chemical names that stretched along the side panel.

Buried within these shelves were the boxes of Corn Flakes, Wheaties, and Cherri Oats I used to give my children and even eat myself on occasion. They were overwhelmingly in the minority. Candy and cookies for breakfast? Not my cup of tea; however, judging by the quantity of sweet stuff, the choice of many. Our addiction to sugar begins at an early age. Some sugar is good for you, preferably in small amounts. Too much is not.

There is little to no nutritional value is sugar, however, it does play an important role in our digestive system. It provides quick energy. A handful of grapes, however, is a lot better than a candy bar, and does have nutritional benefits as well as sugar. Still, you can’t carry fruit around in your pocket for quick consumption. There are also “good” candy bars that serve a healthy purpose as snacks. Yet still it can be difficult to spot them amidst the less healthy ones so prominently available.

Discovering what you need amidst the plethora of offerings can be daunting. I remembered something as I gazed at the boxes of cereal. Some years ago, Stephen and I had an opportunity to visit Denmark in the spring. We stayed in the seasonal, summer home of our sponsor’s friend and did much of our own cooking. We shopped at the local market, which carried all of the necessities and none of the excesses of an American supermarket. How amazing to find a few kinds of cereal or one kind of a canned item. How refreshing!

Shopping took a lot less time then as well. I would be happy not to have to trudge up, down and around the many aisles of endless food sorts as I do now. I’m lucky not to have to shop in a super-sized supermarket. As it is I come home exhausted from a grocery run. I fail to understand why there needs to be so many brands or so much of the same thing on the shelves I must walk through. Of course, I suppose it is good exercise.

Bigness is everywhere. Have you noticed how large the delivery trucks have become? I wonder how they get around on some of New England’s country roads. Still, I must make the best of things, think of shopping as an exercise in discernment, and read each list of ingredients to make sure I am getting the best nutrition I can.

Heartwings Love Notes 2052 The Three Bite Rule

Posted on September 15, 2024 by pujakins

Heartwings says, “A little can be as much as a lot.”

As a child I was taught to finish everything on my plate. This was often said to me as I dawdled over what I didn’t like to eat, like liver. “It’s good for you, now finish your…” or “the little children starving in (India, China or somewhere far away) would be so happy to have this.” No doubt many of my readers heard some variation of these words.

What we hear as children often becomes gospel to us as adults. The adult results from “finish your plate” may be overweight, or even eating disorders. It is also difficult for us to overcome our childhood anathemas. Mine was boiled eggs. It took me years to get over my original dislike of them. I never did that to my children. I did, however have a “three bite rule.”

At any meal, both family members, as well as any guests present, had to take at least three bites of everything offered. This did not seem to cause any problems in so far as I could see, and it did result in some new likes, a plus to be sure.

Eating habits are something we acquire and can be changed, though with a conscious effort. Sometimes it doesn’t matter, although I believe that my husband, who actually likes the taste of liver, wishes I would change how I feel about it. This is difficult for me because I used to cut it up as small as I could and swallow each piece without chewing it, as though it were a pill.

Although my mother was not enthusiastic about sweets, and we seldom even had candy except on holidays, I have always been prone to enjoying them whenever I had access to any. Come to think of it, maybe that was why! Nevertheless, I had to learn to curb my predilection for sugar, first because of weight gain and later for diabetes.

One of the most helpful methods I ever found was contained in a book whose author and title are lost to my memory. It was called the three bite rule, and it consisted of limiting any sweet or dessert to three bites. To be sure, it does require a certain amount of self-discipline. I have had to develop this anyway for various reasons, and am still working on it. That said, I do advocate this method of being able to enjoy the pleasure of sweets without penalty.

I have also discovered that to go beyond the limit of three bites does not necessarily bring more pleasure and that the limit of three actually gives me the most pleasure to be had. Once this limit is reached, at lease as far as I can tell, the sensation of the sweet taste begins to diminish. This is especially true with my favorite dessert and treat, ice cream. Try it if you like and see for yourself.

May you discover ways to live with your self-imposed limits.

Blessings and Best Regards, Tasha Halpert

PS Do you have experiences or suggestions to share? I’d love to hear your comments. Please make my day; write to me at tashahal@gmail.com.

A poet and writer, I publish a free weekly blog, Heartwings Love Notes for a Joyous Life. My Books: Up to my Neck in Lemons, and Heartwings, Love Notes for a Joyous Life are available on Amazon. My latest publication available there is my first chapbook, Poems and Prayers, and I have two more in preparation. You can sign up for my blog at http://tashasperspective.com.

Heartwings Love Notes 2051 An Apple a Day

Posted on September 3, 2024 by pujakins

Heartwings says, “Apples are good food and good medicine too.”

Apples are good for you. An apple a day may not keep the doctor away yet it might keep the dentist at bay. Eating them exercises your gums and helps keep your teeth firmly ensconced in your gums. In addition, apples have considerable Vitamin C in pectin, which not only makes them good for making jelly but also for healing eye injuries and infections. If you get a sty or the eye infection sometimes known as Pink Eye, some grated apple will quickly help heal the problem.

Twice a day, grate a about three or four tablespoons of fresh apple, peel and all, and put it directly on the affected eye for about fifteen minutes. Remove and wash off the sticky residue. Repeat until healed.

This has worked for me as well as for friends, who saw significant results almost immediately. Once one of my students had scratched his eye in the woods. It was late at night, so I suggested the apple poultice. By morning, his eye was virtually healed.

Apples are an excellent source of vitamin A, contain a respectable amount of vitamin C, and are also high in potassium. Their calorie content is low compared to their fiber, and they make a very good snack for anyone who is calorie conscious. One of my favorite quick lunches is an apple cut into slices and spread with around two tablespoons of nut butter–low in calories, satisfying and nutritious too.

One year because they were such a bargain I bought a whole crate of apples. After a week I realized I had better do something with them quickly and decided to make deep dish apple pies. However, I had only two suitable containers. I lined my two quart casserole with foil, peeled and cut enough apples to fill it, sprinkled in some sugar and a little cinnamon, and put it in the freezer to freeze. Meanwhile, I lined the other casserole with foil and began to fill it. Once the contents had frozen, I removed and wrapped the filling securely, stored it, and began on the next one. That winter, when I wanted a deep-dish apple pie I took one out, removed the foil, placed the filling in a casserole and let it thaw. Then I made a top crust, laid it over the apples and baked them until they were done. We had seven delicious pies from that crate of bargain apples.

I never buy applesauce. I buy a bag of 3 pounds or so of apples, cut them up removing stems and the blossom ends only and put them in a large pot with half cider, half water and two cinnamon sticks. I cook them around 3 hours. Using a food mill I grind them into apple sauce and put the sticks back in. They enhance the flavor as well as help preserve it. Try it, it tastes wonderful

May you be healthy with your food choices, and enjoy your good food.

Blessings and best Regards, Tasha Halpert

Have comments, questions, suggestions? Make my day and write me at tashahal@gmail.com.

Heartwings Love Notes 2045 An old fashioned Dessert

Posted on July 21, 2024 by pujakins

In the small town where I grew up, there were three food stores: a First National Store, resembling today’s supermarkets only much smaller, where you walked up and down the aisles, selecting your own groceries; and two other food stores–both of which sold liquor as well. These assembled your purchases for you and even delivered them to your house. You could even call in your order.

What I purchase on an average shopping trip today wouldn’t fit into my mother’s kitchen. It was small and utilitarian: a stove, a sink, and a refrigerator. She had a small pantry closet that held mixing bowls and a few cans. My mother shopped frequently and did not keep much food on hand. I don’t remember how old I was when we replaced the old icebox with a modern refrigerator, however I can remember the ice man clip-clopping down the street with the big chunks of ice in his wagon.

Except in the summer, fresh green vegetables were rare. A cellar closet held the glass jars of beans and other vegetables my mother had preserved, as well as jellies she made from summer fruit. Winter squash was stored to eat later on, as were potatoes. One of my tasks was occasionally to pick the sprouts off. We ate canned peas. Frozen food was not commonly available in the early forties.

One of my favorite recipes from my mother’s limited dessert menu (she didn’t believe in giving children many sweets) is Cottage Pudding. While it does not have the consistency of a pudding, it has acquired that name. A simple muffin type batter baked as a cake it is served with either strawberries or chocolate or lemon sauce. Try this when you are seeking some comfort food and see if it doesn’t do the trick.

Cottage Pudding and Sauces

Preheat oven at 400 degrees and grease an 8 inch square pan or six cupcake tins.

Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup sugar

1 well beaten egg

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup melted butter

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

Sift together flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Mix egg, milk vanilla and melted butter. Stir gently into flour mixture–like for muffins, only enough to moisten ingredients. Do not beat. Pour into greased pan or muffin cups. Bake until browned and pulling away from pan. (20 to 25 minutes) Serve WARM with the sauce of your choice. This is not as good the next day unless you warm it up.

Choice Sauces

Strawberries and Cream (Avoid pesticide laden inorganic berries!)

Slice up strawberries, mix with a little sugar, let sit for half day or if the berries are large and tough, cook for about 15 minutes then cool and serve with whipped cream or topping.

Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce

Melt together 2 squares unsweetened chocolate, 1/4 cup butter. Add 1 cup sugar, stir well. Sprinkle in a few grains of salt and add 1/2 cup water. Cook and stir until sauce is as thick as you like. Cool slightly and add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Serve warm or cold.

Mary’s Lemon Sauce

Melt 1/2 cup butter over moderate heat. Stir in 1 cup sugar, 4 Tablespoons water, 1 beaten egg, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and the grated rind of 1 or more lemons, to taste. Cook and stir until it boils and thickens a bit and then remove from heat. It will thicken further as it cools.

Summer Is For Salads

Posted on June 23, 2024 by pujakins

Heartwings says, “Simple meals taste best in summer heat.”

In the summer heat, my appetite tends to disappear. In addition, so does my desire to cook. Not much affects Stephen’s appetite. However, he’s not the chief cook in this household. With little desire to cook and practically no appetite, I have to make sure I have food on hand that is easy for me to prepare and tempting to my diminished appetite.

One of our favorites is egg salad. It is easy to prepare if I have hard boiled eggs ready to shell and mash. As I have never mastered the art of successfully peeling eggs without mangling them, I never make stuffed eggs, however, I am happy to scoop the contents from their egg shells and mash them up with a fork. Then I add the following ingredients. Suggested amounts are for 6 eggs.

11/2 tsp Dried or fresh tarragon, 1 tsp granulated dried garlic, ½ tsp. mustard powder, or 1 Tbs. of your favorite prepared mustard, ¼ cup chopped celery, 2 or 3 Tbs chopped scallions, 2 or 3 Tbs, fresh parsley, and 1/2 cups mayonnaise–or to taste. Feel free to substitute, increase or decrease amounts and ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste. Some people like to add 2 tsp. or more of curry powder. In which case, eliminate the tarragon. Serve lettuce with the egg salad.

Another summer favorite is seafood salad. I often bring this to potlucks. It is tasty, simple to make and nutritious as well as friendly to the budget. I usually have a package of the base, usually called crab meat salad or sometimes, Surimi. It is a combination of pollock and crab meat, cooked and sealed up; thus it keeps well. I begin by taking it out of the packaging and either taking the block apart or cutting it up-a purely esthetic decision. Next, I put it into a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients.

½ cup mayonnaise—more if you wish, or less; a half a cup of finely chopped celery, ½ cup finely chopped onion, ½ cup finely chopped red or yellow pepper, a tablespoon of dried or more snipped fresh tarragon, and 1 tsp dried, ground garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and serve on a bed of lettuce, or keep it separate and serve it alongside of the mixed seafood.

A good salad can be made with blueberries, strawberries cut up, pears or apples peeled or not, halved grapes, and/or dried cranberries, raisins, pecans, slivered almonds or walnuts. The dried fruit adds fiber and the nuts add protein. Cheese of all sorts can be chopped, slivered, or even grated, to add more protein.

Cottage cheese or feta also add protein.

Tomatoes are a summer standby, however Stephen and I are both allergic to them. My substitute is either Strawberries or blueberries. You can feel free to use any or all of the ingredients I have suggested, and change quantities of seasonings to suit your taste.

May you enjoy whatever food you fix, bless it and give thanks for your abundance

Blessings and best regards, Tasha Halpert

PS Please share your summer recipes, I would be happy to try them and will write you back.

Heartwings Love Notes 2032 Learn by Doing it Wrong

Posted on April 14, 2024 by pujakins

Heartwings says, “If the cook enjoys the cooking, the food often tastes better.”

As any of my long-time readers know, I had to teach myself to cook. My mother didn’t like to and didn’t really want me in the kitchen. She lacked the patience to teach me and was usually too busy with my three younger siblings to have the time to do much besides put simple meals on the table. She hadn’t learned to cook from her mother, having grown up with a father in the diplomatic service, so that servants were a necessity.

As a new bride, with cookbook in hand, I set out to feed my new husband. I made some simple mistakes, and soon learned from them. Some of them were good learning experiences. One of my first was the belief that we ought to have meat at least twice a day, at both lunch and dinner. My husband’s ROTC salary was small and had to cover all our living expenses, so we ate a lot of the cheapest meat I could find, which was hot dogs.

We ate a lot of them, boiled, as my mother had cooked them. Fortunately, my new husband was fine with that, and as we were only eighteen and twenty, we did just fine on our simple diet. Our new baby daughter ate along with us. To save money, I began experimenting and soon learned to make casseroles. Our family grew and so did my range of expertise. My husband preferred simple meat and potatoes meals. My two little girls liked casseroles, and that was encouraging. My sons imitated their father. However, I instituted a “three bite” rule. They learned not to automatically reject what I served.

Baking came later. I spent a long time learning to make good muffins. The mixes available were not very good, and frankly, I’ve never wanted to use a mix if I could use my own ingredients. My early muffins suffered from my attempts at baking cakes. Lots of beating is the standard for good cakes. Quite the contrary for muffins. After many batches of non-rising, tough, though edible muffins, I finally found this out.

As the years have gone by, I have also had other important lessons. For instance, there is a type of pie pan made with holes in the bottom that is meant only for baking the crust of a pie to be filled after it has been baked. I learned this when as I was sitting with my dinner guests, the blueberry pie filling I had put into the unbaked pie shell began dripping onto the floor of the oven. This was a shock. Fortunately, my guests were understanding.

Cooking is both a science and an art. Even as a child, I enjoyed it, though I am the only one in my birth family to do so. Once, I contemplated making a mud pie cookbook. As an adult I wrote two simple cookbooks: one for cookies, one when we became sugar free and vegetarian.

May you enjoy your adventures with food.”

Blessings and best regards, Tasha Halpert

P.S. Do you have recipes or cooking adventures to share? Please do let me know what you know, I so enjoy hearing from readers. Please write me by hitting reply. Sign up at my blog for more at https://tashasperspective.com/Pujakins.

Easter or Anytime Treats

Posted on March 24, 2024 by pujakins

Heartwings Love Notes 2029: Easter or Anytime Treats

Heartwings says, “Home made treats are a labor of love, and so welcome they’re worth it.”

These recipes would be perfect for an Easter treat or one to make for any special time. You need an angel cake for them, so you can use a mix–which I recommend, make it from scratch– very labor intensive, I actually did it once, or bought from a store. The one you make from a mix is preferable because it’s larger, and the texture is better. I also prefer the taste. Serves 6 to 8.

The lemon pudding can also be made from a mix, though the fresh version with the actual lemons is far superior to the mix. Still, needs must and perhaps using a commercial product is better than not having the time to make it at all.

For the second version of the dessert, which is much simpler, the source of the ingredients is not as important. There are also several ways to use the versatile pudding, and you can make a number of desserts with this ingredient. For version one, assemble the following ingredients: One angel cake, the following lemon pudding, and 2 cups whipped cream or substitute. For the pudding, use 1 cup sugar, ¼ cup cornstarch, 1½ cups cold water, 3 eggs, separated, juice and rind of 2 lemons, 1/3 cup sugar for the meringue.

Method: In a stainless steel or glass pot, mix sugar and cornstarch. Add water, whisking or beating with a fork until all is well blended. Whisk in egg yolks, then cook over a moderately high heat stirring constantly until mixture begins to thicken, then boil for one minute. You must keep stirring or it will stick on the bottom and make a mess. Remove from the heat, add lemon rind and juice, stir well. Set aside and make meringue. If you want to, you can use a double boiler—very secure, or keep the heat lower. Doing it this way takes longer. However, if you tend to burn things, this is safer.

To make meringue, beat the egg whites until stiff either with a wire whisk—lots of work although good exercise, or in a mixer–easier by far! Sprinkle in the sugar very slowly. It helps to use a ¼ or ½ teaspoon measuring spoon. When your meringue is nice and fluffy and you have incorporated all of the sugar. Carefully fold the meringue into the pudding, keeping it fluffy.

To put the dessert together, tear small pieces off angel food cake and place a layer in the bottom of a pretty glass dessert bowl. Pour 1/3 of pudding over cake. Scoop out 1/3 of the whipped cream and spread lightly over pudding mixture. Alternate cake, pudding, and cream, ending with cream. Chill for 4 to 24 hours, depending on your schedule, and serve.

You can also substitute a can of blueberries—do NOT use blueberry pie filling– or two cups blueberries boiled for 5 minutes together with ½ cup water and ½ cup sugar. Using a glass loaf pan, layer torn up cake, alternating it with blueberries and whipped cream or dairy free substitute. Let it sit in the ‘fridge for at least 12 to 24 hours, and serve to 4 to 6.

The fluffy lemon pudding is also great served just by itself or served on large sized baked meringue nests, in which case, omit mixing the meringue into the pudding and bake it as 3 to4 inch nests, baked at 250 on parchment paper for 45 minutes or until dry to the touch. Cool and fill with lemon pudding and whipped cream too if desired.

May your celebrations be filled with joy, regardless what you serve.

Blessings and best regards, Tasha Halpert

PS If you have any holiday treats to share, I’d love to try them, or at least read about them. Write to me at tashahal@gmail.cm or hit the reply button and make my day.

Heartwings Love Notes 2025 A Soon-to-be Spring Recipe

Posted on February 26, 2024 by pujakins

Heartwings says, “Green is the color of springtime, so eating green is in season.”

The recipe sat on my desk, appearing and disappearing as the days and then the weeks passed. Every once and so often I would catch sight of the small newspaper clipping and then forget about it.

I might even think of making it but not have the time or energy just then, and soon it would disappear under the next pile. Periodically, I tidy the piles on my desk and lo and behold, the recipe would surface yet another time, and again be ignored.

One day the recipe reemerged at a fortuitous time. I was anticipating dinner to be made for a vegetarian friend coming at the end of the week. Here was my chance. I resolved to finally try it. Warning: you must use a food processor for this recipe.

After so many years experimenting with recipes, I am pretty sure I know what will work and what will not, otherwise I wouldn’t dare try out a new one when a guest was coming. This recipe, though unusual, looked pretty easy and fun, so I put the ingredients not already on hand on my shopping list: a bag of frozen peas, a lemon, and grated parmesan.

I used to freshly grate the Parmesan cheese myself, but when I saw it was twelve dollars a pound in the market, I opted for a less expensive container of the already grated cheese. Actually, I was glad to be using the already grated cheese because I can’t grate anything easily any more. Parkinson’s has diminished my hand strength as well as my dexterity.

When the day to make it came, I assembled the ingredients and began to prepare the recipe. For your convenience, here is the full list: 1 Lb or less, depending on diners of pasta (bow tie, corkscrew, or similar) 3 Tbs lemon juice, 1 Tbs lemon zest, 1 clove chopped garlic, 2 cups frozen peas, 1 cup grated Parmesan-divided in half, ½ cup olive oil.

I put the water for the pasta on to boil and measured out the rest of the ingredients. I put the peas, the garlic, ½ cup Parmesan, and the lemon juice and zest in the food processor. The frozen peas rattled at first, then resolved into a paste with the other ingredients. Meanwhile, the water boiled and I added the pasta with some salt.

Once the pasta was done and rinsed, I put it back into the pot, turned it on very low and added the ½ cup of olive oil and rest of the Parmesan, stirring it all up well. I turned the pesto into the pasta and stirred until it was thoroughly incorporated.

We enjoyed it, as did our guest. However, when I make it again, I plan to dilute the pesto with more olive oil, as it was rather too stiff, and perhaps make the pasta after I make the pesto, not during or before, as the original recipe had recommended. It would serve four well.

Heartwings Love Notes 2019: Soup to Warm You Up

Posted on January 15, 2024 by pujakins

Heartwings says, “Warm up on cold days with good, nourishing soup.”

It’s definitely soup weather, and while there are many recipes floating around, I thought I’d share some ideas and suggestions of my own. When I want something hearty to serve Stephen and me for several meals, I check my pantry shelves for lentils, split peas, or mung beans. Any will do in this recipe. Measurements are not fixed in stone and really depend on your taste.

The starting lineup is applicable to any good soup recipe and is the beginning of most of mine: Have onion, celery, and (optional) garlic, together with butter and olive oil for sauteing. Chop onion and celery to make approximately ½ to 1 cup each. 2 Tbs chopped garlic will be enough for good flavor.

I use celery labeled organic celery hearts. I prefer sweet onions for their tear free chopping and milder taste. Try using scissors to cut the celery stalks. Sauté these two for around 10 minutes in around 2 tbs each of butter and olive oil. Add chopped garlic toward the end, when onion and celery are beginning to look transparent.

Have rest of ingredients on hand: 1 tsp dried thyme leaves, 1 or 2 bay leaves, ½ tsp dried savory leaves, I tsp ground garlic or ½ if using fresh–see above. Salt and pepper to taste. If you have other herbs you like, feel free to use them, or none.

Have ½ to 1-quart rich beef or chicken broth, 2 to 4 cups water, 1 cup lentils, mung beans or other dried legumes as desired.

Add liquid and legumes to sautéed vegetables: ½ box broth to 2 cups water, double for 1 cup dry ingredients– ½ cups to 1 cup lentils or other legumes. Bring to a boil and return to simmer for upwards of one hour or more. This keeps well and is better the day after making, it when flavors have a chance to develop.

The same base, perhaps minus the fresh garlic, works well for a good chicken soup. I use the boxed bone broth unless I have some I made from the bones of a recent chicken dinner, boiled up with half an onion and a stalk of celery for flavor. The vegetables for a tasty chicken soup can include more celery and some carrots, if you like. You might substitute dried or fresh rosemary for the savory. If you wish, you can add rice or pasta once you sauté the onion and celery. If you are using cooked or canned chicken you need to cook the vegetables and rice or pasta in the broth but add the cooked chicken only at the end just to heat it up nicely. Snipped fresh parsley can be added then too. In addition, one or two cups sauteed mushrooms will enrich any of these soups, as will chopped carrots.

I often cook and store rice in the ‘fridge to have handy, either to add to soup or to heat up for a meal.

May you enjoy making soup as well as eating it.

Blessings and best regards, Tasha Halpert

PS If you have comments, suggestions, or recipes to share, please write to me at tashahal@gmail.com. It is my great delight to hear from readers. You can sign up to receive my blog weekly at http://tashasperspective.com.