Exemplifying
Generation X
page 108
Teen
Notebook
page 112
Breast Cancer:
Sharing, Caring . . . page 116
Hot Brot
■
Homemade soup is easy to fix and a great antidote for winter's chill.
Zoup! owners Erie Ersher
and David Elias.
ANNABEL COHEN
Special to The Jewish News
Whip up a couple of the
following soup recipes,
including one from ZOUP!
and of course, Jewish peni-
cillin — chicken soup — to
keep you warm this winter
and bask in one trend that's
nourishing to both body and
soul.
CO
nce, while reading a work
by the wonderful food
writer M.F.K. Fisher, I
was moved to nod silent-
ly and affirmatively to her rationale
for soup.
In a nutshell, Fisher avowed that
whether she be "tired and cold and
hungry, poor or rich, I would
rather drink a bowl of hot broth
than confront any meal ever
devised."
And now, with winter forcing us
to forget last year's deceptive and
indulgent year El Nino, I can't
seem to get soup off my mind. Just
thinking about a vessel of steaming
vegetables and broth is almost
enough to warm me up. Almost.
It's no surprise to me that soup
is fast becoming the preferred one-
dish meal, replacing traditional
meat-and-potatoes-type entrees. In
fact, a recent article in American
Demographics magazine cited food-
trend watchers as affirming soup's
rank as a "hot item." Even sit-com
almighty Jerry Seinfeld immortal-
ized the liquid in the famous "Soup
Nazi" episode of his hit series,
"Seinfeld".
Local entrepreneurs David Elias
and Eric Ersher know a good trend
when they spot one. These owners
of the recently opened eatery,
ZOUP!, in Southfield, only serve
soup (and bread, of course). There's
• • ..........
no salad, no dessert, no anything
else on the menu.
With over 200 varieties, 12 dif-
ferent ones served each day, they're
ladling cauldronfuls of the stuff to
spoon-wielding diners searching for
a toasty reprieve from this year's
crazy winter weather or just a fill-
ing meal in a bowl.
"We caught on to a soup trend,"
said David Elias. "We saw it com-
ing and created an opportunity."
ZOUP! ranks its Chicken Pot
Pie Soup, a cream of chicken soup
with vegetables and a flaky crust, as
a best seller. Other popular items
include Havana Black Bean Chili
and low-fat soups such as Herb
Potato Vegetable.
• •
• .....
. . ..........
r '
.. ....
,
Making your own soup, howev-
er, can be a simple, quick and
rewarding exertion, especially when
you consider that most soup ingre-
dients, like vegetables, meats and
beans, need only the addition of
liquid — water or broth, usually
— and seasonings, to make them
yummy.
ZOUP!'s Eric Ersher sums up
soup's recent elevation to super star
status in terms of a certain mys-
tique. "There's something special
about soup — a romance, a com-
fort. We find soup has powerful
and intangible qualities that pro-
vide comfort and promote a gen-
uine sense of well being for most
people."
POTATO LEEK SOUP
Comforting and flavorful,
this soup is elegant enough
for dressy occasions and
homey enough for any day
of the week.
1/4 cup olive oil (not extra
virgin)
3 large leeks, cut in half
lengthwise, rinsed and
sliced horizontally
1 pound Idaho or russet
potatoes, unpeeled and diced
2 cups chopped Spanish onion
2 cloves of garlic
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 t. nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish: Croutons and chopped
scallions
Heat oil in a soup pot over medi-
um-high heat. Add leeks, potatoes,
onion and garlic. Cook, stirring
occasionally, until onion is translu-
cent, about 10 minutes. Add broth
and bring liquid to a boil. Reduce
heat and simmer for 30 minutes
more. In the bowl of a food proces-
sor or pitcher of a blender puree