Authors: Maggie Stuckey
Houston, Texas
One aspect of the Soup Nights profiled in this book that touches me deeply is how long some of these friends have been getting together. The Polls have been hosting Soup Night for six families twice a month during “soup season” (October to March) for 15 years, and in that time profound friendships have formed. I’ll let some of these folks speak for themselves.
If you don’t laugh until your sides hurt, it wasn’t a good night!
Chris Pette
and her husband were part of the original group, 15 years ago. “It started as a very casual idea — ‘Come have some soup with us’ — and it quickly turned into a tradition. We sit around and visit, something people don’t really do much these days. We stay at the table for hours, talking about everything. We solve the problems of the world at Soup Night.
“The fact that we have this wonderful sense of fellowship, and it has lasted so long, is amazing. I love the continuity of it. It’s a microcosm of the whole cycle of life. We’ve had deaths in the family, we all went through driver’s ed together, we’ve had the first wedding of our kids, but we’ve stayed together through it all. It really is like a family; we share meaning in each other’s lives. One man said once, ‘I don’t even like soup, but I can’t imagine not coming.’
“Among our children’s friends, it’s a very coveted invitation; they’re always asking, ‘Have you started Soup Night yet? Can I come?’ We can’t change
anything
, the children won’t let us. We
have
to have black and orange soups at Halloween, we
have
to have Cinco de Mayo. We always have Stone Soup at the last night. Suzy puts in a clean stone, and then people add whatever they brought. Tell you the truth, it’s usually not all that good, but who cares? It’s tradition!”
Meegan and Mike Dunlap
were first invited in 1998, when Soup Night was in its second year. “It started when we all had young children,” Meegan remembers. “The original idea was a way to get together and have adult conversation without having to get babysitters. But it has grown into so much more. It’s almost impossible to put into words. These are now our closest friends, and there’s no doubt we will be friends for life. They are our rocks. We’ve been through so much together — serious illnesses, deaths in the family, and good times too. We can talk about anything, bounce off any idea or problems and know we’ll get honest advice. We don’t always agree on things, but it’s always fun and lively. If you don’t laugh until your sides hurt, it wasn’t a good night!
“We live in the fourth largest city in the country, yet what we have with Soup Night is a little piece of small-town America. Good fun, good food, good friends. These relationships are for life. I would be really sad if there were no more Soup Nights. I hope we’ll be doing this till we die.”
Mike picks up the story. “People always want to know about it. ‘What’s Soup Night?’ That triggers a long explanation, and everybody is fascinated. They say, ‘That’s so neat.’ And it is. It’s great soup, of course, and great wine, but it’s really this gathering of terrific friends. We’ve known these people since our children were infants; and now they’re graduating college, and soon we’ll be going to their weddings.
“There’s not a better thing to look forward to on a Friday night. Sometimes we have friends or family who suggest going out that night, and we say, ‘Sorry, that’s Soup Night. We can’t miss it.’”
Part of the reason this Soup Night has been so successful, it seems to me, is the careful attention that Suzy and Philip devote to all aspects of the evening. Because they have so many wonderful ideas, and because I’m pretty sure they would be happy for you to borrow them, I’ll share Suzy’s comments:
Among our children’s friends, it’s a very coveted invitation; they’re always asking, ‘Have you started Soup Night yet? Can I come?’
“Our Soup Nights often have a theme, with the soups and appetizers (and sometimes even decorations) being centered around that theme. Recurring themes we’ve had include Black & Orange (Halloween), Southwestern, Mardi Gras, Chinese New Year, and Classics (what that really means is that I can cook whatever I want!). I usually make two pots of soup and heavy appetizers. My husband, Philip, helps with any last-minute prep and mans the grill or the giant wok as needed. Everyone brings a bottle of wine and sometimes an appetizer or a dessert. We’ve even had an occasional ‘guest soup.’
“Kids have always been welcome at Soup Night, and in the early days we typically had a houseful. Those nights were full of pillow fights, board games, and endless hours of the older kids pushing the younger kids on the swing set. We had many, many years of good rowdy fun, but the kid part of our gathering is winding down. My kids, Erica and Nathan, were four years old when we started our get-togethers — now they’re going to be seniors in high school. Others have graduated from high school or even college. It’s fun now to have these grown-up kids come back to visit and hear them talk about the old times.”
Recipe from
Suzy and Philip Poll
, Houston, Texas
Serves 6
Suzy says: For our Chinese New Year Soup Night, we have just one soup — this one.
Note:
Wood ears are a type of dried fungus with an interesting name and chewy texture; dried mushrooms, especially shiitake, add a distinct Asian flavor. Both can be found in Asian markets, if you’re lucky enough to live near one, or in the Asian section of large supermarkets.
Note:
Suzy says, “The sour flavor quickly dissipates as the soup simmers on the stove. Always taste the soup just before serving and make adjustments to the vinegar as needed.”
Make ahead?
Complete steps 1 and 2; refrigerate the meat.
For large crowds:
Suzy always makes twice this amount for her Soup Nights. You could easily triple it.
One of the main joys of the fall season is its two holidays — Halloween and Thanksgiving — and one of the main joys of both is leftovers, particularly pumpkin and turkey. The next three recipes put them to good advantage, but if you are bereft of leftovers, the ingredients are readily available in the markets this time of year.
Recipe from
Grace Martin
, Aurora, Illinois
Serves 6
Grace Martin is a soup cook with a creative way with leftovers. You’ll meet her later in this book.
Make ahead?
Complete soup except for garnish; refrigerate.
For large crowds:
This soup doubles or triples quite nicely.